Sunday, July 26, 2009
Just another stormy day...
I noticed today how musical a storm can be. The curtains sway flapping against the wall as the winds pick up. You hear a rumble in the background. It begins very slowly. The rain comes down with a gentle drip drop, drip drop and starts to build...DRIP DROP DRIP DROP...whooosh Crackle, boom! I really missed these storms. It seems as though Colorado hasn't had the really big ones like the place in which I grew up....Oklahoma. I guess it's just how it's been for the last few years. This year has definately been wet and the storms have been gargantuan in size. As the storms moves out the showers disappear slowly...drip drop drip drop....the winds die down and fade away. It's the beginning, the middle, the climax and the end.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Recession Beach
If you are like many of us, you've decided to stay home this year. Despite some great travel deals to somewhere tropical, it's just NOT in the budget.
Hello.
That's me!
I spent the afternoon at what I like to call "Recession Beach", or uh, the backyard. The deck is my pretend sandy beach. I have a lounger there where I can lay back and close my eyes to relax. Except the slobbery ball that's dropped in my lap from a pooch who wants to play ball. Oh, there is an upside to that.....since we didn't travel somewhere this year we saved a bundle NOT having to board him at the Vets. We didn't have to pack. We didn't have to spend hours at the airport. We didn't have to do anything.
And well,
we didn't.
Welcome to Recession Beach!
Enjoy the peaceful oasis of your backyard.
It's nearly free.
Hello.
That's me!
I spent the afternoon at what I like to call "Recession Beach", or uh, the backyard. The deck is my pretend sandy beach. I have a lounger there where I can lay back and close my eyes to relax. Except the slobbery ball that's dropped in my lap from a pooch who wants to play ball. Oh, there is an upside to that.....since we didn't travel somewhere this year we saved a bundle NOT having to board him at the Vets. We didn't have to pack. We didn't have to spend hours at the airport. We didn't have to do anything.
And well,
we didn't.
Welcome to Recession Beach!
Enjoy the peaceful oasis of your backyard.
It's nearly free.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Safe clicks!
Maybe it's the mom in me, the mom of a pretty, little six-year-old girl. I know she's growing up but I'm not sure she should do it too quickly. So when I got a telephone call I thought of her. Ok, I'll explain.
I got a call from a girlfriend of mine with a plea for help. She thought she should let her 10 year old girl keep a social networking account. I think it was My Space or something like that. Anyway, she said it seemed like a good idea at first. The girl pleaded with her mom "Please, Puh-leeeeeeease, ALL of my friends have on". My friend complied.
A few days later she received a call from one of her friends who said they noticed her ten year old's page stating she is 19!!! Wh-What?
This has clearly gotten a little out of control.
Kids not only have to worry about cyber bullies but sexual predators. It's easy to pose as another ten year old girl and create a profile. It's so simple to get someone to trust you on-line, after all it seems harmless enough.
My friend got the following response:
"It's not like these 'friends' can find me!"
I gave her the address to a helpful site. http://www.wiredsafety.org/youth.html
And I'm not sure that it's healthy to develop on line relationships with legitimate friends. We had to make friends face-to-face, call on the telephone or meet on the playground. It taught us how to interact with others.
Ok, I have a social networking account. But I learned how to make friends first. I'm afraid this new generation won't learn the importance of communication and how it works in our lives. I'm afraid of sexual predators. And I'm afraid that I might be reporting on this little girl. Or as a co-worker put it, "don't make me write about you".
So I said to my friend, if your daughter gets a 121 for some LIK and the person on the other end of the e-mail says LHSX, LEMENO. Cause it's waaaaay outta hand. BTW, by the way to understand what your daughter or son is saying or to translate what I just said, go to http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp.
I got a call from a girlfriend of mine with a plea for help. She thought she should let her 10 year old girl keep a social networking account. I think it was My Space or something like that. Anyway, she said it seemed like a good idea at first. The girl pleaded with her mom "Please, Puh-leeeeeeease, ALL of my friends have on". My friend complied.
A few days later she received a call from one of her friends who said they noticed her ten year old's page stating she is 19!!! Wh-What?
This has clearly gotten a little out of control.
Kids not only have to worry about cyber bullies but sexual predators. It's easy to pose as another ten year old girl and create a profile. It's so simple to get someone to trust you on-line, after all it seems harmless enough.
My friend got the following response:
"It's not like these 'friends' can find me!"
I gave her the address to a helpful site. http://www.wiredsafety.org/youth.html
And I'm not sure that it's healthy to develop on line relationships with legitimate friends. We had to make friends face-to-face, call on the telephone or meet on the playground. It taught us how to interact with others.
Ok, I have a social networking account. But I learned how to make friends first. I'm afraid this new generation won't learn the importance of communication and how it works in our lives. I'm afraid of sexual predators. And I'm afraid that I might be reporting on this little girl. Or as a co-worker put it, "don't make me write about you".
So I said to my friend, if your daughter gets a 121 for some LIK and the person on the other end of the e-mail says LHSX, LEMENO. Cause it's waaaaay outta hand. BTW, by the way to understand what your daughter or son is saying or to translate what I just said, go to http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
RUN like you're chasin'!
Look at the picture above.
That's Taffy Taylor, a former rodeo star, and a formidable cow horse on the Nelson and Sandy Taylor ranch. She carried Chad's little sis Wendy on her back for many rodeos in Lincoln County, Colorado. Chad is walking her around some barrels and she's resisting the walk.
She'd much rather RUN!
If you translated her age to human years she'd be eligible for social security. She's in no way ready for the rocker.
Just like the 66 year old woman who competed in last night's Pike's Peak or Bust Rodeo. She came out in overdrive and finished with a score of 18.0...not the best time. There were certainly faster competitors in the sport of barrel racing. But she climbed on and gave it her all. Her horse thundered down the arena and leaned hard into the turns.
Just when most are slowing down, this woman is speeding up.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Fourth of July
If you ever really want to experience real fourth of July fun, get yourself to a town so small there's not even a stoplight.
I spent the holiday weekend with my Boyfriend Chad and his family in the small Lincoln County town of Karval. It's the kind of place where you can visit the local cafe or Calf-A as it's called in this rural farming and ranching community...come here and you'll find old men sitting around talking politics and cattle. You'll find couples who've been been married 40 years or better. And you'll find people who really know how to put on a great fourth of July celebration.
It started with a competition at the local arena...it's a rodeo type arena. There were contests for the kiddos in the morning. There was a goat roping event, barrel racing, and one that I really loved the father-daugher rider rescue. The dad rides his little girl down the arena to the end and drops her off where she waits. The dad returns to the gate where they start a timer, he rides down and bends down to pick her up where they race back together for the best time. Little future cowgirls decked out in pink boots, some with spurs, some with pigtails.
The little ones (under five) competed in an event where they ran to grab a ribbon off a goat's tail and raced back. There was also an event where they ran to put on their boots.
Later the adults competed in roping events all afternoon.
For dinner, everyone brought a dish for a pot luck in the park. Chad's brother Travis was one of the ranchers who donated the pig which was totally delicious BBQ!! There was apple pie, brownies and just about every kind of dessert you can imagine....watermelon of course too.
When everyone was good and full, fireworks lit up the night sky over the arena. As the show wrapped up, the band warmed up across the street in the fire station. It was basically a big garage where they moved out the truck so we all could dance. Dads danced with their daughters, who already knew how to two-step. The little boys danced with their moms. Everyone brought coolers with their beverage of choice, some people even brought their dogs who settled under the tables.
All of this was true small town America. I had a blast. I can't wait until next year. If you ever want to really have a good time....spend your evening in a small town. Notice how people can be so happy with so little. It was simple and yet simply amazing!
I spent the holiday weekend with my Boyfriend Chad and his family in the small Lincoln County town of Karval. It's the kind of place where you can visit the local cafe or Calf-A as it's called in this rural farming and ranching community...come here and you'll find old men sitting around talking politics and cattle. You'll find couples who've been been married 40 years or better. And you'll find people who really know how to put on a great fourth of July celebration.
It started with a competition at the local arena...it's a rodeo type arena. There were contests for the kiddos in the morning. There was a goat roping event, barrel racing, and one that I really loved the father-daugher rider rescue. The dad rides his little girl down the arena to the end and drops her off where she waits. The dad returns to the gate where they start a timer, he rides down and bends down to pick her up where they race back together for the best time. Little future cowgirls decked out in pink boots, some with spurs, some with pigtails.
The little ones (under five) competed in an event where they ran to grab a ribbon off a goat's tail and raced back. There was also an event where they ran to put on their boots.
Later the adults competed in roping events all afternoon.
For dinner, everyone brought a dish for a pot luck in the park. Chad's brother Travis was one of the ranchers who donated the pig which was totally delicious BBQ!! There was apple pie, brownies and just about every kind of dessert you can imagine....watermelon of course too.
When everyone was good and full, fireworks lit up the night sky over the arena. As the show wrapped up, the band warmed up across the street in the fire station. It was basically a big garage where they moved out the truck so we all could dance. Dads danced with their daughters, who already knew how to two-step. The little boys danced with their moms. Everyone brought coolers with their beverage of choice, some people even brought their dogs who settled under the tables.
All of this was true small town America. I had a blast. I can't wait until next year. If you ever want to really have a good time....spend your evening in a small town. Notice how people can be so happy with so little. It was simple and yet simply amazing!
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