Female in Motion

It's insidious, really. One day you're sitting at home and your little girl comes in with her big puppy-dog eyes and says, "He NEEDS me!" and life as you know it completely changes. Yup, you're a cat owner. You are the puppet. They are the Puppet Masters! The next thing you know, you're spending hours researching on the Internet for cat behavioral problems. Or driving 1 1/2 hours to find a store that carries a certain brand of cat health food that you've heard is better for the little monsters. Or you spend $50 on a deluxe cat bed from Pier 1, and buy baby blankets for each of your darlings. Or waking up the vet at 1:30 a.m. because your elderly, diabetic cat just had a seizure. Yup, you're whupped. I don't know how it happened, really. We decided to get one cat, and the rest of them followed. Most came from the neighborhood. Word gets around, among cats, that there is a place to get food, and it's all over from there. First, they show up aroun...

Every now and then, I get this irresistible urge to run away. You know, when your life and the world just get to be too much. I would love to escape to a magical kingdom with nothing to do all day, but nap and read and soak in a luxurious tub. Sounds too good to be true? My magical kingdom exists! The Hubster and I have a secret getaway that we sneak off to every now and then. It's just two hours away, but a world away from our daily life. There's a lake and mountains and trees and lots of wildlife. My magical kingdom is a luxury cabin at Keystone State Park, near Tulsa, OK. Now that you know, I am swearing you to secrecy! Don't tell anyone, because then we'll never get a reservation! The cabin is perched high on top of a bluff overlooking the turquoise water. Inside is a fluffy bed, fully furnished kitchen, cozy fireplace and...a huge Jacuzzi! The patio out front accommodates a table and chairs that are perfect for morning coffee and newspaper reading, or romantic dinn...

March 23rd is Easter Sunday. Hooray! I love everything about it: sunrise service, special music, new dress, resurrection sermon and even pastel baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly bean eggs. All the hoopla reminds me of the 1970s, when I wore lacy socks and white gloves to church, along with a new dress! Mom made sure all her kids had a new outfit for Easter Sunday service. Most of the early years, that meant weeks of preparation and sewing on her part. My two older sisters and I had "sister" dresses several of those years. They were the same basic dress, with each sister getting a different colored sash. Little David got a new dress shirt that matched our dresses, too. We were angelic, from our white hats to our little patent-leather Mary Janes. Or, if I'm honest, we looked angelic. I don't know how my parents did it! Raising four kids is not for the faint of heart. (You'll note here that I have two children!) My dad was always in charge of the Easter...

Country Mart is my local grocery store. I say that like I own the place, but I don't. I just live there! The Hubster loves to cook; I love to eat. Thus, we are at the grocery store a lot. Country Mart is locally owned by Russell and Patty Clark. I like that it's a mom-and-pop shop. They're nice people, and they recognize us when we're there. (After all, we put their kids through college!) Whenever we need something unusual, they order it. They hire nice, friendly people. Including, as of last week, my nephew Jesse! My nephew Jesse is actually my niece Becca's boyfriend of two years. Jesse lives just around the corner from us and comes over often for The Hubster's food and conversation. He loves The Hubster's Chai scones. Jesse and Becca are the hardest-working teens in Ark City. They each have a couple of jobs and are seniors in high school. Jesse also attends Cowley College. Lazy, huh? My new obsession is Thai food. Wow! We had my birthday dinner at Thai Tr...

The Hubster and I were discussing this subject last week. He wanted to be a fireman or a cardiologist. I was a little different. Surprise! Yes, most girls wanted to be nurses or ballerinas, but I wanted to be...Evel Knievel! Yes, I was a tomboy. I ran around with my brother, Dave, and his buddies and we wore cut off jeans and had scraped knees and built ramps and did bike stunts. My bike had a basket on it, but only to carry the army men, canteen and picnic lunch packed by Mom. We spent countless sunny afternoons down at Spring Creek, building forts, playing war and exploring the undiscovered country of Derby, Ks. We would come home a muddy, bloody mess and Mom would just sigh and pour a large hot bath. Even in high school, I didn't have time for makeup or dresses. I wore jeans and boots and Dr. Pepper lip gloss to school every day. Only when the choir sang would you see me in a dress. I considered it a costume. I liked to play pretend. My parents always said I had a wild imaginati...