Female in Motion

I saw daffodils blooming across the street today! Could Spring be far behind? The robins are really starting to get thick in our neighborhood, and the weeds are peeking up in our yard. These are all hopeful signs. The long, cold winter is almost over! *** My birthday was yesterday. I turned 47. It's not a bad thing, I actually enjoy my birthday, unlike most middle-aged women. I feel like I have earned each grey hair and every single wrinkle. Plus, I'm a survivor...of cancer, parenting teens and just plain breathing. I got lots of nice birthday cards and phone calls and books (my favorite gift!). The Hubster made a feast of sage roasted turkey, baked sweet potatoes and chocolate cake. I know, I know, I'm spoiled rotten! Since it was Sunday, we did the usual morning and evening church services and I sang in the morning worship hour. All in all, it was a nice, quiet and satisfying day. *** We tried a new recipe tonight, and it was a big winner! Sausage and peppers by Giada De ...

Fritos are my favorite snack, If you give me a bag, you're not getting it back! Tomato soup, Fritos and grilled cheese, My childhood memories are made of these. Simply crafted of corn, oil and salt Fritos, forever you will live in my heart. Health food they just might be, If not, who cares? Fritos, I love thee! Okay, if you don't know it by now, I'm a bit of a nut! But mostly, this week, I'm a nut over Fritos. The Hubster and I were chatting about how much we adore this corny snack and the myriad of ways to enjoy them. He's a chili pie fanatic, I'm more of a purist, right out of the bag! (By the way, they're gluten-free.) *** Watched a great Netflix indie movie on Saturday night. "Penelope" stars Christina Ricci, James McAvoy and Reese Witherspoon. Set in London, this quirky fairy tale centers on a poor little rich girl, born with a curse. She has a pig's nose! *** My friend/mentor/therapist, Dean Hall, has written a new book, "A Girl'...

First, I want to extend a humble apology to all my "legions" of blog fans, who missed my new post last week. I made a commitment 1 1/2 years ago to post weekly to my blog. And I fell down on the job. I do have a reason, but it is a paltry excuse. I was on vacation! The Hubster, the in-laws and I made a journey to Houston, TX last week to visit with his aunt, uncle and grandmother. The in-laws hadn't flown in years, and were reticent to fly alone, so The Hubster and I tagged along. We flew out of Tulsa, so it would be a direct flight to Houston Intercontinental (Bush). After a relatively uneventful trip, we arrived to warm Texas breezes and an even warmer welcome from The Hubster's Aunt Rosie and Uncle David. Rosie is the kind of hostess everyone wants to be: kind, generous and down-to-earth. Their home is what most would consider a 5-star tropical resort, but she and David call it home. The dwelling is 7,000 square feet, six master bedrooms, eight bathrooms, gourmet k...

This nasty January has been getting me down lately, so last week I headed up to Derby for a little therapy...retail-style. There's nothing wrong with pouring your heart out on a therapist's couch, but sometimes a girl just needs to shop! Since the dawn of time, men hunt to provide for their families, but women gather together the best bargains they can find for their family's needs and comfort. Not to mention the thrill of it all! Mom and I decided to start with power lunch to nourish ourselves. Pizza John's opened in 1969 in downtown Derby and has been going strong ever since. Their cracker-thin crust and sweet sauce is the stuff dreams are made of. The place is always packed out, too. Pizza Hut, eat your heart out! After a delectable repast, Mom and I hit the road to Haysville. She had heard about a gift shop there, and I needed some ideas for Valentine's Day presents. Craft Country Gifts was just the ticket: an old barn, stuffed to the gills with cool things. I l...

The Hubster and I made our way south of the border on Saturday, to sample a little Mexican cuisine. Sometimes, you just need to have some tamales, refried beans, chips and salsa to make the world seem right. January is a cold, gray month and a gastronomical adventure makes it brighter. So we drove south of the border...to Ponca City, Oklahoma! That's right, whenever we have a hankering for Mexican food, we go to Enrique's Restaurant: the hottest jalapeno on the runway! Enrique's is a family-owned establishment that has been around for decades. The Hubster and I love that it is located at the Ponca City Municipal Airport, so we can watch the planes depart and arrive. Because of my dad's job at Boeing, I grew up around planes, and love them. The food is really tasty and authentic at Enrique's. It's not at all fancy, just straightforward, yummy chow. Some of my favorites are the enchiladas, chicken huarache, fajitas and their delicious rice. If you are ever in Ponc...

This is a Christmas photo of my grandcat, Jack. He lives with my daughter, Sarah, in Wichita. In the photo, he is playing with a toy that I got him for Christmas. Isn't he handsome? Jack is my first grandkitty. Can you tell I'm a doting grandmother? I'm in training for grandkids! *** The Hubster spent a lot of quality time this weekend with my computer. It caught a very unfortunate virus on Friday. A Trojan Horse computer virus, to be precise. Yeah, major yucky! I feel really guilty, because I did open a forwarded email from a family member who shall remain nameless, but The Hubster said it could happen to anyone. Norton Antivirus to the rescue. I don't know how people without a live-in programmer deal with these crises! *** We had a "death" in the family last week. Our Sonicare toothbrush, which served us faithfully for well over ten years, finally bit the dust. That thing was a workhorse! Amazon.com supplied us with a new one...the latest model. We're re...

The Hubster and I welcomed 2009 in the usual way. We went to our regular Wednesday night Bible study, came home, had a snack and watched an old movie. Wild stuff! That's life on the edge in good old Ark City! *** I spent New Year's Day with my mom. We had a lot of fun, even if we were doing a whole lot of work. I'm a bit of a grinch, and don't put up a lot of Christmas decorations. My mom, however, is a completely different sort. She decorates every room in the house: bedrooms, bathrooms, and the front and back yards! Mom has many beautiful holiday items, collected over the years, and it would be a shame to keep them put away. My siblings helped Mom put up the Christmas finery this year, so it was my turn to help her get it all boxed back up for next year's celebration. Mom is a really organized person (yes, that's where I get it from!), so the whole day went smoothly. Plus, she cooked a yummy lunch and we talked incessantly. Mom and I always laugh at how we nev...