Padded rooms

Recently, however coincidental, the term padded rooms has come up in several discussions and conversations I have had with a variety of people. So, I thought for the record, I need to just come out and say that I believe everyone needs a padded room (some for longer stays, of course), but truly we all need to have a place to go and scream, pound on the walls, fall to the floor, kick at the door, spit, growl, and then curl into the fetal position to think things through. A place that is safe, free from observations, and can be quite private.

I saw a previous student the other day and he was talking about padded rooms and how he had been put in one when he was younger. His experience was pretty rough. Another person was talking about them two nights ago and how great it was to use the room as a refuge. Another friend, a teacher, uses them to help keep her kids safe from themselves. Then I had a conversation where the person was wishing for one.

I think padded rooms are great. I think the straight jacket is the problem. :)

Trixie

Our family has a new addition: Trixie. She is three and 1/2 months old. We adopted her from Roby's Animal Rescue and Sanctuary. She was hit by a car and had to have her entire tail amputated. Whatever this puppy lived through, she is not only a survivor, but she has remained inherently sweet tempered and completely full of love.

We are so lucky to have her in our lives. Thank you, Lord, for providing us with such a wonderful, sweet, loving family member.

Favorites

List of my favorite things:

Jesus
Comanche
Jeff
Mom
Brothers / family
close friends
my job
The color green
the color lavendar
spring
EASTER
summer
US ARMY
horses
puppies
any baby animal (rodents don't count)
Pride n Prejudice
sweats and OK t-shirt
wrangler jeans with justin ropers
Oklahoma
large porches w/ rocking chairs
wide open spaces where you can see for miles
storms that don't hide
Big trucks with dual wheels
music
watching kids think and figure out problems
really any literature (even the back of the shampoo bottle)
honor
integrity
thinking outside of the box

When things backfire...

Today's lesson boys and girls, is to really THINK before trying to do the right thing. Don't believe me...read the following. TRUE STORY!

I was out on a long stretch of road when I passed a lady carrying several bags that appeared to be groceries. Normally, this would not have caught my attention, but with the rain pouring down, I felt pretty bad for her. I continued to drive, but my heart was heavy because I just can't stand to think that someone is struggling. Then a thought popped into my head: What if that is Jesus and He is testing to see if anyone at all will even offer to help? Well, I turned around to go offer a ride. At first, I couldn't find her, and thought, "Well, I failed that one." Then I caught her shape in the steady rain. I pulled up next to her and tried to catch her attention. She was looking the opposite way into the field. I hollered, and still she looked away. I honked to get her attention. She stopped walking, turned to my vehicle, and stuck up her middle finger while yelling at me that she was NOT A PROSTITUTE!!! In shock, I started shaking my head and saying, "Ma'am, I just wanted to offer you a ride." She screamed again, "I AM NOT A F*&^%ing PROSTITUTE!" There were cars behind me, so I gave up. As I drove away, I smiled and thought, "Okay, Lord, What is the lesson here?" Then I had this pretty cool thought that this lady was a fighter, and she would be okay without my help.

As it turned out, I was driving around town wasting time because I needed to wait on the restaurant to open because I had to grab Jeff's cell phone (he left it there last night). I finally just pulled over into an empty parking lot to make a phone call to 411 to get the number of the restaurant to see if they would open the door and just give me the phone. While I was waiting on the operator, I noticed a police cruiser pull up directly behind me. The officer got out of his vehicle and I rolled down my window to the pouring down rain. He asked if I had, earlier, tried to pick up a lady. I said I had, but she screamed at me. He said she called in my license plate number to report my "soliciting her". I about came out of my skin, but instead told him what happened. He asked for my identification and told me that he hoped I understood that he had to check it out. I said I did, but that in no way was I soliciting her, I was just trying to help her get where she was going in the rain. I asked if I was in trouble for trying to help, and he said I was not, but it was illegal to pick up hitchhikers. I said that she was not hitching, I was just trying to help. He asked what I was out and about for, he had been following me as I randomly drove around town. I explained the cell phone situation. Then I decided to be really brave and told him that I was worried that she might have been Jesus with a test. He grinned and said, "If you had been in church, this would have never happened to begin with."

Moral to the story...go to church. If I had to do it over again, and it were any other day of the week but Sunday, I would. I still believe in tests.

Late nights

Remember being a kid and chasing lightening bugs? Remember the smell of honeysuckle that could lead you home in the dark? Or how about playing hide n seek with your best friends?

I was able to sit and listen to the laughter of kids playing in the dark this evening. Oh what memories it conjured up! Then those memories made me think of a certain friend that I skipped school with once just so we could sneak into her neighbor's yard and hang out by their pool all day. We were so bold back then. But nothing beats finding the magazines while out riding and posting those magazines on the side of the road just so we could watch the guys driving by slow down to get a better look at the type of magazines we found. I believe what comes around goes around and I'm preety sure we got what was coming to us when we hydroplaned and had the three wheeler wreck. I thought for sure this same friend was seriously injured because her face was stuck in the mud.

I don't think I have a single childhood memory with friends that this girl was not involved somehow, and several memories with family that this same girl was not present. come to think of it, we have so many memories that they might just find themselves in a book one day. Especially the memory of allowing my dad to drive us to our first dance...and I couldn't dream of leaving out a car ride on the way to the skating rink when the windows HAD to be rolled down! Of course, how can I put into words the comfortable silence of sitting at the baseball field and watching our boyfriends play ball and the all night giggling (or just breathing) over the phone. We shared our secrets, our first love stories, our wishes and dreams. We even shared the principals office on several occassions. Those make me smile the most. I was such a bad influence. :) I also recall feeling awful about moving away and this friend deciding that we should get our hands and feet soapy in the girl's bathroom at school on my last day. She said I had to leave my mark, so we made the mirror look like someone had been walking up the wall. She was there through my thousands of fights, and when my house burned down, and was there when my parents split up.

I hope those kids from tonight grow up with a "Sandy" in their lives. Or at the very least, a "Snooze n Orri" kind of bond.

Need

I will be the first to say that I don't spend any amount of time considering the things that I need. I'm not really talking about material things because if I need those things, I get them and I'm not talking about heavenly things because those are taken care of for me. What I AM talking about is when I need from other people.

Recently, I needed someone to pull me out of my own pitty party. I was down in the dumps about life, in general, and for whatever reason didn't seek my usual comforter. What happened was that God saw fit to place me in a position to reach out to a friend that has been dealing with some life issues of her own that knew exactly how to help me and knew exactly what to say. Her words rang as true as the sun. She was able to take her own world and combine it nicely with mine.

After her thoughtful words and actions, I was able to reflect on my selfishness and realize AGAIN that I am here to serve God and not myself. Anyway, needing people is not such a bad thing; especially when you find yourself surrounded by God's other true and faithful servants. So, thank you friend, and thank you, Lord for seeing to my every need and supplying me with such wonderful beings to share this life with.

Kentucky

Last evening, I was kind of in a mood. I think I was feeling homesick. I miss the wide open sky, the smell of wheat drying in the constant breeze, I miss the Midwestern apparel and attitude, I miss the smell of farm animals - from several miles away - ,I miss the ghostly presence of native spirits, but mostly I miss the sound of my brothers' voices. I miss being home. Having said that...

I love Kentucky. I adore the rich, lush, green everything! Green grass, green trees, green hills that slope so smoothly, and green tint to the evening sky. I love the southern drawl (compared to the twanginess of home), I appreciate the feeling of neighborly hospitality, and I cannot get enough of the competitiveness. Whether watching the Wildcats play, or cheering for a horse at the Derby, I smile when listening to a true Kentuckian yelling for their pick. It really makes me laugh right out loud when people yell at the television...I think the yeller will think the tube will mind better if you raise your tone a few hundred decibels. They also believe that a basketball player is making a personal affront when a shot is missed...

Anyway - Kentucky is where I have landed and I am proud to be part of the Big Blue Nation. For those of you at home that think I am a traitor, rest assured that I will always remain a Sooner, I won't root for the blue if and when they ever face off with the red. I will just have to find something very important to do for that day instead of watch. Until then, I will wear blue with pride, from the Blue Grass State.