Lately

So I've spent most of this week sick, heading to work in the mornings and then pretty much coming home and sleeping till Sir Dragon Preacher would arrive home in the evenings. I'd stay up for a while the sleep more, rinse - repeat.

Doing a bit better today but this will definitely be an 'at home' weekend for us except for church Sunday.

Last weekend however, we made an overnight trip to OKC for what was supposed to have been a church outing to see the Passages exhibit there at the Museum of Art. We arrived there Friday afternoon and checked into our motel.


The exhibit was wonderful though no photos were allowed. However, after going through that exhibit, we visited all the other exhibits there since we were on our own. They had two 'visiting' exhibits. Another that did not allow photos taken but was rather wonderful entitled Faded Elegance:  Photos of Havana.  The work was striking and breathtaking.

There also was a whimsical exhibit called Poodles & Pastries that was interesting.  A few favorites below:



However, my most favorites of the day were in the permanent collection.





From there, we began a leisurely trip back home with a stop for lunch along the way. A very good weekend.

The Weekend

Had a very sudden and unexpected but very happy trip come up this past weekend as we learned one of my best friends' son was competing in a nationwide clay shooting competition in Arkansas, only about five hours from us.  He competed Saturday and Sunday and I only found this out on Friday morning.  Managed to get a very good motel room rate and when I got off work, we ran the errands we had to do and took off.  It was a beautiful drive there and home the next evening as well.  The competition was good and it was great to see Heather and Noah.  He did quite well, too.  At age 15 and having been competitive shooting for less than two years, he placed 14th out of 212 entrants of all ages.  The squad he shot with included the current Arkansas state champ, 2 US Open winners.  The overall winner of the shoot was a three time world champion.  I'd say he did brilliantly at placing 14th!

Through time and space....

You are the Eighth Doctor
Take The Doctor Who Personality Test and Horoscope today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

You are a very feeling person and in touch with your emotions. Your fashion sense is a bit old fashioned, but you have a ceratin charm that the opposite sex loves. You are attracted to people who are smart and adventerous. You are not afraid to give your heart(s) to someone. You are intrigued by the spiritual and the occult. People recognize your voice better than your face. You will end up destroying your entire planet to win a war.

Crafty Picspam for The Linus Connection #4

Crafty Picspam for The Linus Connection #5

There are 20 6" squares in each photo






Also this 36" square blanket



This 55" square blanket




This was a "joint project" as it was made with skeins of Paton's Canadiana donated by [celticmommy](/people/CelticMommy) :)

55" Square Granny Ghan

Crafty Pic Spam or What have I been up to since I came home from Oregon, besides work?

Some prayer shawls:













Two prayer lapghans for gentlemen:





Two more water bottle slings:



Two more market bags



Have two more shawls and a Molly in progress

Honoring the Unsung Heros

Today is the 10th anniversary of a day that like December 7th 1941 has gone down in infamy.....

Today, at our church service this morning, Sir Dragon Preacher and I wanted to remember this day but to remember it as a day of hope as well as remembrance and so, we chose to observe it by honoring the members of our church family who serve in law enforcement, as fire fighters and as paramedics/emt's for being there when everyone else needs them the most, sometimes as part of their job, sometimes as volunteers, sometimes above and beyond what is expected of them.

It surprised them.  But it was nice to see them so honored. 

It was a good day.

A Prayer of Blessing for Firefighters, Police Officers, Medical Workers, and All Who Serve Us in Times of Crisis

Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy,
who through your Son gave us a marvelous example of charity
and the great commandment of love for one another.
Send down your blessings on these your servants,
who so generously devote themselves to helping others.
Grant them courage when they are afraid,
wisdom when they must make quick decisions,
strength when they are weary,
and compassion in all their work.
When the alarm sounds
and they are called to aid both friend and stranger,
let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

-adapted from the Book of Blessings, #587, by Diana Macalintal

Details later :D It was FUN!

I'll Meet You at Kings Cross

I'll Meet You at Kings Cross by lady-dragonsinger on Polyvore.com

More to be grateful for

Day 28 - Another wonderful day off with Sir Dragon Preacher as we headed out to church and then just spent the afternoon together relaxing and working on various projects we had.

Day 29 - A lovely thunderstorm that brought much needed rain and cooler temperatures

Day 30 - A productive day at work and the monthly newsletters being finished and mailed.... Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job? :D

Gratitude since my return:

Day 22: The job that I had to return to and the good zen so prevalent in the office

Day 23: Internet to keep me in touch with so many dear hearts that aren't as close as I wish we could be in miles.

Day 24: The gathering of ladies with a heart for the new prayer shawl ministry forming at work.

Day 25: Yarn and crochet hooks

Day 26: Finding bargains for things we actually needed!

Day 27: A wonderful day out with Sir Dragon Preacher in McAlester that included an early morning breakfast, a meeting, chinese buffet and my first ever 3D movie, Fright Night!

Oregon Day 10 and 11 - The Road Home

Having spent the night at Walmart's Tire and Automotive Center until they opened and the punctured tire could be repaired, I was on my way by 8 a.m. and also discovered that had I kept on going through the night I would have missed this gorgeous high desert scene as I headed for the Utah border



Yes, that is smoke at the far right coming from the top of one of the mountains.



I also would probably not have stopped at the rest area that was also a scenic point for Lake Bonneville. Yes I know you don't see any water here but that's because this area and the surrounding used to be the bottom of a massive prehistoric lake bed. It's a really odd feeling to be standing there after knowing it used to be completely submerged.











The ride was uneventful and beautiful as I continued through Utah and back into Wyoming where I again crossed the Continental Divide at two points this one, and another at Elevation: 7000 feet



As I approached the area around Laramie Wyoming on I-80, I spotted a beautiful rainbow





I was rather surprised as I continued on to realize it was actually a 'double' rainbow but was unable to get a photo of it. That was fine, it was an experience just to see it and take in the beauty of the colors and the scenery of the Rockies.

So I was even more surprised to find another rainbow further down the road, though from the curve, I suspect it was the other end of the same rainbow.





And even more thrilled to see again, the double arcs





There was so much I saw, so much I did and still so much I missed! I look forward to the next time I head west!

Thank you so much to , dorkboy and little man for an awesome time together and a really wonderful, restful, healing week.

I miss you all *hugs*

Days 20 and 21 of gratitude were for beauty, safe travels, wonderful friends and a wonderful Sir Dragon Preacher who was waiting for me when I got home!

The only thing that could have made this trip more perfect would have been if he could have had the time off to go with me!

Oregon Day 9

Subtitle the Long and Winding Road? Or maybe the long and high speed? *grins*

Yes, I admit, that one of the best things about the trip was the 75 mph speed limit most of the way! Yeah, considering the detour to see the Bonneville Salt Flats, I'm sure you're not surprised.

And I admit, I did the "tourist thing" all the way out, as well as all the way back. Leaving lady_karelia's, there were tears... a very drama moment.... At least until I realized my overhead light was not going out and after trying to turn it off, saw the "passenger door ajar" light on my dash and had to ask lady_karelia to reshut the door, the idea being it saved me from getting back out.

Rrrright...

Cause I started to pull out again and the "trunk ajar" light came on so there I am getting out to shut the trunk again. So much for a serious dramatic and sad good bye.

At least it kept me from sobbing as I made my way to the busy interstate and through Portland during the latter part of rush hour!

I had wanted to take a short side trip to Mt. Hood but the scenic byway did not prove as helpful as it showed on the map and, while I did get to see Mt Hood, never did find a good spot for photos.

Back on the interstate and I went on a way before stopping for Multnomah Falls. Amazing. Breathtaking. Beautiful.







From there, I continued on until I reached Bonneville Dam and stopped to visit.



Pulling up to the gate, the guard gives directions to the visitor center and then advises you that he must look in your trunk... Uhm yeah...



For those wondering, the cream canvas bag is clothes, the black bag is extra things for laptop, rest? Hey, one must be sure they have enough crochet/knit projects when traveling, right? :D

To get to the visitor center, you actually drove across the first power plant



Looking back at what I had just driven across



and the dam itself



Couldn't resist stopping a bit further down the road at a view area to take some pictures of the Columbia River Gorge and Cascade Mountains



And there is crossing the 45th Parallel, equal distance between pole and equator!



Once into Idaho, the plan was to continue on... Yeah that was the plan. Unfortunately, about 8:30 pm in Boise, I was pulled over by a sheriff who wanted to ask if I knew my right tear tire was flat *insert headdesking here*

Getting out, I walked around the back of the car to find:



The business end of a phillips screwdriver sticking out of my bumper. Apparently, it had come off of some truck and my tire caught it, punctured the tire then kicked up into my bumper. Fortunately, the officer had been behind me, saw the tire go down and alerted me right then.

Which leads me to Day 18's gratitude - Thankful not only for all the beauty I saw traveling but Ford Emergency Road Service! Spare donut on, I made my way to the nearest Walmart and spent the night till they opened at 7 a.m. and they could fix it and I was on my way again.

And that's where I spotted this!



Darth Tater Lives!