The best laid plans of mice and men ...and frogs!!

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry....." 

 Robert Burns 1786

This old poem has rambled throughout my head for the past week.

I had what I thought was a perfect plan for this week.

You remember my word of the year, "renew"? 

I said in that post that one thing I wanted to "renew" were my knees. Both of them need fixed.

One in particular was taking my lifestyle and comfort zone out of its norm.

Well my school had a winter break scheduled in February.

This past Friday and this coming Monday were set aside to be off after a week of school and parent/teacher conferences.

I had been to the orthopedic surgeon several times of late

and had everything set up for surgery this past Thursday afternoon.

I was going to get the worst of the two knees fixed.

The way I had it figured out was that I would have the

latest operation time slot allowed on Thursday. Then I would have Friday and Monday off to recover and be back to normal on Tuesday (of next week).

My plans stayed that way for a few days. 

My sweet sweet friend Susie died and I was not about to miss paying my last respects to her. Her funeral was scheduled for Wednesday. I decided I would leave after parent/teacher conferences were over on Tuesday night, drive through the night to northeasternmost Kansas and be there for the 10 a.m. funeral. I would then drive back and be back in time to teach half a day on Thursday and have my operation on Thursday afternoon.

Then we had an Oklahoma snow storm. (that would be an inch or two of snow!!!)

Our school was called off last Monday because of the snow. So I did not have school on Monday. But, I did get a call from the doctor on Monday and they had bumped my surgery up to noon on Thursday. So there went my half day of teaching on Thursday.

So Tuesday I go into school and explain about my friend Susie and about how my operation time changed and ask for Wednesday and Thursday off of work.

And they could not have been nicer about it.

So I taught one day last week.

Wow.

Snow day Monday. Taught Tuesday. Funeral Wednesday. Operation Thursday. And Winter Break on Friday.

And I had plans to only miss half a day last week!

Hey, it's hard to take a picture of your own knee when you can't straighten it out yet!!

The good news is that my knee already feels better.

I still have all my stitches in and am very sore,

but it actually feels better than it did pre-surgery.

That tells you how bad it was hurting!!

The bad news is that the doctor asked my Hubby while I was 

in recovery if I wanted crutches or a walker.

And Hubby said WALKER!!!

OH MY GOSH!!

That makes me officially old.

But the Hubs has seen me on crutches before and 

deems me not-safe!

So he was probably right, but OUCH...that age-mentality things hurts worse than my knee!!

And I have to use it till at least March 1st!!

And I am not a very good patient...when I am supposed to be sitting in that chair with my leg propped up.

If you know me, then that comes as no surprise to you.

The one bright spot in my crazy week was that

after the saddest-day-and-funeral-ever,

my friend and I decided that we would drive to 

Atchison, Kansas, before I had to drive home.

We knew it would definitely be Susie-approved

so we went to Nell Hill's.

I will show you the other things I got later this week,

but here is my favorite purchase.

Never in my life have I purchased a frog of any kind.

But my friend Rita and I were both drawn to these 

Nell frogs and each got one.

I had no idea what drew me to it, but it was so cute and different.

Then driving back to Oklahoma that night, I remembered something.......

The aquatic park in our little Kansas town that Susie managed for years, where all five of my children worked,

and I spent many, many a happy afternoon in the sun...

had a big 'ole frog slide right in the middle of it.

Now when I see that frog,

I will think of Susie and the wonderful memories

we had in the sun!

Now I had better get back in my chair with my 

knee propped up before I am caught by one

of my many "nurses"!

If there are mistakes in this and the pictures are of poor quality, then I blame it all on my post-operative loopiness!

Tell All Tuesday--Friends

What a week it has already been, and it is just Tuesday.
Yesterday we got about an inch of snow and the school where I teach did not have class. (That town got a couple of inches.)
Keep in mind this is Oklahoma and we can deal with unrelenting heat waves, drought and tornadoes, but we buckle when it comes to snow. We do not have dozens of snow plows waiting to clear the highways. We do have a few, but it takes a while to clear. And in the meantime we Okie's drive like crazy folk!


Now on Tuesday I am having parent/teacher conferences at school this afternoon and evening after a day of classes. Sometimes those go well, and sometimes they can be a little challenging. I am hoping for good ones!!


After I get out of parent/teacher conferences I am going back home and meeting up with one of my sons and we are headed out to our former hometown in the furthest north town in Kansas.


It will take us till the wee hours of the morning to get there. Even worse, is the reason we are headed out to drive all night.
We are going back to pay respects to our friend Susie, who lost her fight with brain cancer on Friday night.

Susie, with my son Coulter hugging her, and two of Coult's best friends...all former lifeguards for Susie. This was a couple of months after her diagnosis.

To say Susie was special is the furthest thing from cliche'. She in fact was SPECIAL. 
I have met a lot of people through my years and I have never, ever met anyone as GENUINELY kind and sweet as Susie. I know there are a lot of people that try to act like they are kind and sweet, but there was no acting in Susie.
She taught at the early elementary level for 19 years and managed our towns aquatic park for 15 years. As one of my daughters pointed out, on any given summer day, Susie was dealing with enormous amounts of "pool rats" (as the lifeguards dubbed them....children that use the pool as a baby-sitting service).  In addition she was dealing with a dozen or more teen age lifeguards as well. All five of my children worked for her, and some worked for her for five years. None of them can ever think of one single instance where Susie lost her temper, was aggravated, or even put off by anyone. 


Each child she met could count on her. Whether it was at school or at the pool, they knew Susie was a safety net. A very, very loving safety net. She did not just teach them at school and guard their lives at the pool, she single-handedly spoke to their hearts and truly loved on them. 

A giant get-well card outside the aquatic park last summer. It was the first time in 15 years that Susie did not run the pool.

I spent large parts of my summer at the aquatic park as well, soaking up the sun. There were many times I would see a child acting up or causing trouble. I would say, "Just kick them out for the day." Susie would always say, "No, no. I'm sure they are sorry. I'll just go talk to them."  And she would. she would put her arm around them, and look them right in the eye. She was so soft spoken and she hugged them as she encouraged them to make better choices. I could not even begin to estimate the thousands of children that have had a smile and a hug from sweet sweet Susie.


Susie had four children which were the same ages as my five. We have gone to so many ballgames, banquets, concerts and school events together.  We would leave school and oh-so-often find ourselves at the grocery store together looking for something to cook (quickly) for our broods.  No matter what, Susie had time to smile and talk in her soft, sweet voice.  Everything about my life included Susie for 17 years. We went to all the same places and shared many friends. I taught her children, she employed mine. I cannot imagine my little Kansas town without her.

A collage I put together of a benefit the lifeguards put on for Susie.

My heart has been heavy after I got the call on Friday night that Susie died surrounded by her family. I knew the time was coming, but a part of me just kept thinking that "she is SO good, that God will leave her here to continue to be His ambassador."  His plans were not my plans, and most of us that knew her feel that God has called one of his true angels home. She was sent here to teach us all about love. UNCONDITIONAL love. It did not matter who you were or where you were from, or how you looked. Susie treated everyone the same. She made each person feel like they were THE MOST special person in her life.


As I called each of my "grown" children on Friday and relayed the news of Susie's homecoming, each child began to cry. I clung to the phone and cried with each of them.  I told my Hubs later that that was a testament to Susie's worth. Five grown children crying hard over the death of a non-relative. We each feel we have lost someone special. 


To say Susie touched our lives would also NOT be cliche'. She not only touched our lives, she found ways to make us each better people. 


We have a little saying at our house that we call the "Susietude".  When we catch each other being catty, or not-so-kind about anyone or anything, we say, "Do you need to get the Susietude?"  It stops us in our tracks and makes us think.


Tomorrow morning I will be with, (my guess is), most of the town of Hiawatha, Kansas, as we gather together to memorialize our good friend Susie. 


I can only imagine how happy the angels in Heaven are to welcome one of their own....Home. 

This collage by Deb Christian

http://www.facebook.com/groups/prayingforsusie/

This is a link to Susie's "Praying for Susie" FB page. Check it out to see how much happiness one person was able to bring to SO many!

Happy Valentine's Day!

One of my favorite ways to show love on Valentine's Day is by making something great to eat.

This year it was Red Velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. 

On some of them I even (tried!!!) to make the icing in the shape of a heart. Believe me, I am no decorator!

I got my cute little cupcake toppers last year after V-Day at Hobby Lobby. I almost forgot about them. 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day. Be sure to LOVE on  the ones you love. I'll be back later for Tell All Tuesday. 

Simple Sundays

My very good friend Susie entered the gates of Heaven on Friday night after a valiant fight with brain cancer. While on Earth, Susie gave each of us that knew her a glimpse of how wonderful heaven must surely be.

Mixed Bag and Mixed Table

We're having what the weatherman calls a 

"mixed bag of weather". 

Our no-winter-in-Oklahoma-this-year has continued

until this week and some

(mildly) cold air has moved in.

Supposedly, we are to get a taste of winter this weekend.

With that "mixed bag" of weather looming,

I decided to set the table accordingly.

I guess you could call it a

"mixed table" of elements.

I used a 

wool tartan throw

as my base.

I am always a sucker for a good plaid.

I paired the throw/tablecloth

with a double set of napkins.

I used another plaid in similar colors and 

topped it with crisp white linen napkins.

I love the contrast of the wool throw and the crisp linen.

I also used a big antique glass pitcher

filled with red tulips

to add to the "mixed bag" effect.

Then I put a bunch of blue and white

creamers and gravy boats

in a wooden box and

set it in the middle of the table.

Adding to that 

"mixed bag" effect further

is the fact that I used

various blue and white tablewear.

I also used pieces of 

Blue Willow that are over 100 years old

and pieces that are less than 10 years old.

It's a tablescape perfect for that

"Is it winter?"

 Or "a very early spring?"

The elements

(both inside and outside!)

lead us in both directions!

I think 

"mixed bags" 

of table elements

might be one of my favorite

ways to tablescape!

I made sure each place setting had 

a goblet for sweet tea

and a mug for hot tea.

You just never know

in this
"mixed bag"!

I hope whatever you 

are doing this weekend,

you are able to enjoy

a "mixed bag" of loveliness!

Sharing this with the Tartan Parade for all Mad for Plaid lovers!
Two other "Mad for Plaid" tablescapes can be found here and here.  Check them out!