Female in Motion

Who says there's never anything to do in our town? Arkansas City Public Library and Cowley County Writers Guild will be hosting "Creativity Night: An Arts Showcase" at 7 p.m. Friday, July 16, 2010. This local arts event will be held at the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum, and feature works of photographers, painters, woodcarvers, authors, poets, singer/songwriters and musicians from Cowley County. Bring the family out and nosh on refreshments while enjoying the art. A little culture never hurt anyone! Lianne Flax, Ark City librarian, the members of the CCWG and little old me are putting this event together. We are still looking for visual artists and musicians of all kinds, so be on the look out. Call/email/yell at me if you know someone. There's no age limit and they don't have to be professional. We're simply looking for talented locals. There are already a bunch of cool people signed up, so don't miss it! *** My family enjoyed a cookout at Sarah and Der...

The following blog entry was originally posted on September 21, 2009. For anyone who grew up in Kansas in the 60s and 70s, Major Astro was an after-school staple. Tom Leahy, Jr. played the galactic explorer for a generation of cartoon-crazed youngsters. Mr. Leahy, 87, passed away on Friday from complications of open-heart surgery. Godspeed, Major! *** Somehow, The Hubster and I got on the subject of afternoon cartoons like Felix the Cat. As far as I am concerned, the consummate authority on afternoon cartoons was, is and will always be...Major Astro. Every day, after school, my brother and I raced home to catch Major Astro on KARD Channel 3. We loved Johnny Quest, Snagglepuss, Yogi and BooBoo, and all the rest, but Major Astro was our aeronautical icon. And I shook his hand! It happened on one of the many visits our junior high choir made to Wichita television stations. The Derby vocal music department trotted us around to all the daytime local shows whenever we were preparing for a co...

I finished writing an inspirational story last weekend. "Just a Little Bump" is a semi-autobiographical tale of a young wife and mom that is diagnosed with malignant melanoma while she is in the hospital giving birth to her second daughter. I first told you about the story in this very blog on March 15. It took me long enough, but I finally got it done. I tucked it into an envelope and now it is off to be judged in the Kansas Authors Club annual literary contest. "Bump" was more emotional for me to write than I thought it would be, so it took me quite a while to write. The end product is compelling, I hope. I will keep you apprised on the contest results in October. *** A lot of friends are taking summer vacations this month. It reminds me of trips my family of six took in our 1962 Ford Falcon station wagon in the 1960s. Dad, Mom, Laurie, Donna, Carol and David would pile in the car and head off to Yellowstone National Park, Colorado, Texas, or parts unknown. Someti...

I bought a swimsuit last week. Let me clarify that. After not putting one on for over seven years...I bought a SWIMSUIT last week. The picture above was taken in Pensacola Beach, FL in July, 2003. The Hubster and I were celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary. I was so relaxed and happy on that trip that he took a photo and I didn't even tackle him! If you're a woman, you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't matter whether you weigh 82 pounds or 482 pounds. It doesn't matter if you bring your best friend, your mom or your husband of nearly 29 years. It doesn't matter if you are 21 or 81. Trying on swimsuits, under those lights, in one of those little cubicles, is hell on earth. Not that I'm overly dramatic... *** Momala's Movie Pick: The Hubster and I went to see the new "Shrek" movie on Saturday night at the Cowley 8. That's not an unusual thing for a couple to do, except it had been over a year since we had seen a movie in a theater....