Thursday Two

1) What is the one kitchen appliance/gadget you absolutely LOVE and would never EVER want to part with?

2) What is the one kitchen appliance/gadget you actually don't have that you long for?

Mine:

1) My French Press from Starbucks. I don't even own an actual coffee pot. I have an espresso machine, but really, this is it for me. Gets used every day I drink coffee at home. I. Love. It. (And Cowboy has become a fan of my super strong, ultra smooth version of coffee, too)



2) And possibly in this color, too. (Looks like it would match my kitchen color scheme.) Cannot bring myself to spend the amount of money it costs. But, to own one... awww man! Because I DO like to make stuff in the kitchen. But, I don't consider myself an amazing cook, or chef or baker or anything. I don't think I'm consistent enough to be amazing in the field. I gaze in adoration and amazement at the websites of Sherilee and PW and Bakerella... they have such amazing pictures and creative ideas and YUM! - who TAKES those pictures, anyways? And how? the lighting?



Anyhow. Yours?

Middle of the Week

Cowboy came to visit, last night.

Yes, on a Tuesday.

Do you have any idea how happy that makes me?

Yes. Exactly.

Very.

My Purity Ring

We were required to purchase a Purity Ring for our Graduation from our Purpose and Destiny course. This is mine.


Here's the story of how I decided on it.

Originally, I thought I wanted this pearl ring from James Avery. I mentored these three girls through their high school years, and they bought it for me, when they graduated. I loved it, and it was stolen when my apartment was burglarized, back in 06. I've never replaced it, so I thought that would be special. Then, I was looking online, and I saw a ring on James Avery that was called Everlasting Love, and I thought that would be neat - God's everlasting love for me.

Well, I've been wearing this ring, lately, and it is seven hammered silver bands stacked together. A gal at work mentioned she had seen one similar on James Avery that is two silver with a gold in the middle. I decided to look up that ring. Well, it was $300 which is more than I wanted to spend (or could). Then I started thinking how cool it would be to have three different color metals -to represent me, God, and my future husband. So I started looking around, and I found a website called Rolling Ring. Apparently, the three combined together rings are a very important Russian Wedding Ring tradition. The Russian part is insignificant to me, but I love that it represents marriage. And the ring is Rose gold, Silver and Yellow Gold. I thought that was so neat, and it reminded me of Ecclesiastes 4:12 "A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

So, that's what I got and I LOVE it!

More Later

I graduated on Friday. From my Purpose and Destiny course. Yeay. It was wonderful, and I had so many sweet, dear friends who came to celebrate me.

Cowboy was there. Cowboy got me a crepe myrtle tree - to celebrate new life. Yes, I know... he continues to amaze at every turn.( I do have pictures of Cowboy, but I continue to honor his wishes NOT to have photos posted...)

Lisa my mentor was there. I have MUCH more to tell about her, but here's a picture of us together. She is as absolutely lovely inside as she is outside.



Sweet lovely Audra - as full of life as she looks. LOVE her.


And here's my group and our leaders.


Also, Kelli (who's being induced TOMORROW with her third child) was there - Becca, a former student who is now a sophomore in college was there - Darlene, who's like my surrogate mom was there - Kendra, my dear, DEAR Kendra was there (one of the best friends anybody could wish for).

I'll post photos from my camera tomorrow (thanks to Audra, who took a million so that I may have some good ones during the ceremony)

It's Her Birthday!

Michelle, Michelle, Bo bell, banana fanna fo fell..... "wait, wait! No Michelle, I didn't mean that!"

Ahhh.... those words will forever remain in my memory, with Matt Olsen saying them to Michelle on a FREEZING February day in the early 90's, when we were at a ropes course. He was her "buddy" - encouraging her, and whatnot...

Michelle and I were roommates - and Gayla. And Michelle and I were co-leaders, with John Switzer in Albania in 1992. hmmm... that seems a little odd - a guy and TWO girls leading a team? Long story - but it seemed to fit right in to Albania. And honestly, it was one of the most wonderful months of my life... odd as it seems.

This post is in honor of my friend Michelle's 40th Birthday - which is TODAY. She lives in South Africa, so it's actually the end of her birthday by now (so SORRY, Michelle.)

A favorite memory of Michelle from when we were roommates. It was she, Gayla and I... ahhh yes. And Michelle was part of the break in to the boys' house routine. Because I think it was her fiance, Rich (now husband) who secured the big projector from Teen Mania. Anyhow - she had spent a year in St. Louis as a nanny/teacher for this family, and was back in Tulsa to date Rich and teach 4th grade at Broken Arrow. She and I shared a room, and I remember the first day she had to call in sick. She was BROKEN HEARTED... (as Gayla and I had been years earlier... and certainly were NO LONGER). She was crying, saying, "But, who will TEACH them? What will HAPPEN to my class?" I convinced her that she was not the be all, end all... (hopefully I wasn't too mean?...) And the other teacher story I remember from Michelle's first year, was when she was so upset about the chocolate chip cookies and the math project...

So - back to Albania. Here was the situation: We lived on the third floor of a building. (Which we later found out was actually a condemned building...) The water only worked on the bottom floor - now when I say worked, please don't get excited. It tricked out of four spouts from 4-5 am every day. Well, supposedly every day, but there was an 8 day span when there was nothing. So, we had 5 gallon collapse "Jugs" and 10 gallon big plastic containers. Every day, it would be the job of a group of kids to collect the water for the community for the day. (There were roughly 75 of us). If after all the water was collected it was still running, then we had about 30 buckets, and they would start filling those, and then people could share a bucket to take a shower. Or wash their clothes - but usually not both out of one bucket. Although sometimes.

We took dehydrated food with us, but really only enough for a week, because there was a Colonel Mineau who had arranged for Mike (a 22 year old guy) to go to Turkey and pick up a truck full of MRE's (Army meals ready to eat). That is a whole different story, but he did it... and that's what we ate.

The bathrooms were holes in the ground. Like Thailand. Only water wasn't plentiful. So... we had these large troughs in the bathrooms that we stopped up with plastic. When you brushed your teeth or washed your face, (you did that out of one of the big gallon containers for face, collapsible iodine treated jugs for teeth) you did it over the trough to save the water.


Then we recycled the water to flush the toilets... minty fresh!

We went on Village Trips for a week at a time. Scott (Boss, our Project Director) would pack us up in a bus with MRE's and say, "The bus driver knows some people in some towns... see you Saturday!)... I'm not kidding... We did a drama set to music.

Well, in the drama, there are some really fun character parts, but there are also MIMES. This role is for those for whom acting isn't a thrill. They also are the background of the drama... Palm trees, the boat, rocks... you get the picture. Well, in a fit of generosity and team spirit, Michelle and I decided to be mimes. Well, of course we were going to be mimes right next to each other. So, at one point, when we were the boat, we were the wheel. Together. And we would critique the drama to each other, without moving our lips really... and one day, Garo, the guy who played the Punk Rocker, said,"Could you guys please stop talking during the drama? You're really breaking my concentration,and I'm trying to focus on my part and doing it to the best of my ability to witness best towards the crowds..." "Uh... oops. Sorry, 17 year old Garo, (sweet, Jesus loving boy)

So, on one of our Village Trips, we decided we wanted to sleep "under the stars". So far on that trip we had slept on the stage of a town's Auditorium (With the lights on all night, because we couldn't figure out how to turn them off), in a house with so many flies I thought I was going to pass out, and so... on the top of a mountain with fresh air sounded like a nice option. In order to conserve space with our HUGE team and TINY bus, Michelle and I thought that one sleeping bag for padding and a sheet would be a good idea. Because it was hot in Albania, and there was NO AC...


except on top of a mountain in the fresh air... yes, that's us. So darn cold, we had to zip ourselves in...

Remember the water situation? So, in the mountain areas they have pipes coming out of the side of the mountain, streaming fresh water - really amazingly cold fresh water. After two months of iodine water... we LOVED this water. So, one day we saw one and we just said, "OK! Everyboy wash your hair and brush your teeth." I'm still wondering where we got the shampoo. Michelle, we must've borrowed from someone, huh? I can't imagine either one of us bringing something like shampoo in our backpack. (Oh -we shared a backpack for a week -considering we literally wore our costume the ENTIRE week - yes - for drama and sleeping - there are no showers, so does it really matter? we didn't need much space).


YIPPEE!


Medical Clinic - yes, that's Garo - the sweet Jesus loving boy who somehow tolerated us...


So the "upside" to wearing your costume for a week straight AND not having showers, is that ANYTIME or ANYWHERE there is fresh water (or semi-fresh)... you just go for it.

Communism had fallen in Albania in February of 1992, and we arrived in June. So, free enterprise and capitalism were amazing concepts that had actually been there 45 years earlier. So, the very oldest of people remembered it. Most didn't. But - they grew watermelons... lots and lots of watermelons. And, so we would stop on the side of the road, and buy enough for everyone to share one with a buddy.


Slice that thing open with your MRE spoon, and you are good to go.


There was one hotel in Albania, where we would go on a Free Day to order coffee and write postcards and feel "human"... (and I believe that is a shepherd or goatherd, as the case may be... you know I'm totally not kidding, right?)


Probably about ten American dollars...


I love this picture of Michelle, because it was and is still so her heart: To love children and share the love of Jesus with them.


Enver Hoxha - the former Communist Dicatator of Albania.

We did have a few days between months to have a mini-vacation. The 20+ of us went to Corfu - an island off of Greece. KUDOS to Cara Boss for doing that! So, we rented mopeds to tool around the island. For some reason, ours stopped working. On the other side of the island. Chris Abeyta saw us, and in an effort to "help" us, he flagged down a white van with a MASSIVE Greek man in it, and got us safely stowed away with our moped to go back to town. And then took off on HIS moped and waved us good-bye. As we rode to town by OURSELVES with a large Greek man... in a white van...


Oh yeah - Chris made sure to get a picture of us...


Considering our water supply situation, to put this kind of hair spray in your hair to entertain the teens (and it tells you how easily we were entertained that whatever we were doing here was considered hilarious), must mean we LOVED them... We probably just brushed through the entire tangled mess... (from left to right: Michelle, Jon, Sohailah, Amy, Chris, Kristin)

Now, I know this wasn't the BEST part of the trip (although it probably felt like it at the time...) but. for some reason, we had a three day lay-over in NYC (or Queens, as it were). We commandeered a city bus (what else can you call it when there are 75 of us, right?) and went into the City.


We are feeling fresh and sassy... (and strikingly 90's with our big hair back) and yes, VERY Chris's Angels.

The sad thing is I can't find any pictures of us where we look pretty and clean - and I was her Maid of Honor, so I know nice pictures of us exist. This time, however, was what brought us together, bonded us and created a foundation for the very dear friendship I have with her. Michelle, it's been so long since I've seen you, but I love you so much! You are a compassionate, intelligent, gentle and strong woman. Happy HAPPY Birthday!

PIcs from the Past

Mitch looks happy, doesn't he? (click on the pic - he'll get bigger)

We were clean and happy... back from a million countries after two months with 100+ teen-agers, and happy to see each other in Miami.

from left to right.... Shana Hughes, Amy Yorke Vu, Cristine Phillips Arnold, Mitchell, Kathy Werner Law, Michelle Baumruk Franzen, Marina Giardetti Walker


And Terry, Frank and Mitch on the beach in Destin. Not to sunny and warm looking, is it? Oh yes. Don't forget KAREN back there... lurking...yes. of COURSE on purpose...

Gayla Gayla!

I KNOW THIS IS A DAY EARLY! But - I want to make sure she is FULLY CELEBRATED!


Happy Birthday, Friend! I always LOVED how you celebrated yourself - not in a selfish or egotistical way at all... in a way that was probably so much more healthy than you had any idea it was - and regardless of what was going on inside your heart, you were such a lover of life and joy and what was good. You were one of my very favorite roommates, ever. How blessed I was to get to have that special time with you in my life.


Gayla and I met in college - at some RA event. (I think?) That doesn't actually seem right, but it's the first picture of her in my head. I have NO IDEA how we decided to become roommates. I was living with a family, at the time, and I couldn't even tell you where she was living. We both went to Open Bible, and were teaching elementary school. Me in Sapulpa, Gayla in the North Side. Anderson Elementary. And I remember how she got her job. She started calling schools... she is just great, like that.

When I think of Gayla and our time together, I just have to smile. We were ridiculous. In all the best ways. In the ways most people only dream of, we lived. We laughed, we cried, we mocked... we watched the Tick. We went to DC Talk WITH Backstage passes... I know, you ARE jealous. How I wish I had a picture of the DC Talk shrine - coupled with the Art Monk life size cut out that we decorated with Christmas lights and a scarf, during the Holiday season.

We're not sure what we ate. We remember buying a ten pound bad of runts. I remember spaghetti. I remember making enchiladas. We also liked pretzels, frosted mini-wheat cereal, and otter pops... I seriously don't remember much else.


We went on a mission trip together to Thailand. In 1994. (That's her in the front dressed as a Hindu - in hindsight, that was probably a decent costume to wear -light and airy). She spent the first month in Atlanta, and then came on over, and THEN the fun began. Can you imagine being with one of your very closest friends in Thailand for a month? It was REALLY, REALLY grand.


We cleaned up real well. And had probably two outfits, that were appropriate for public viewing.

There was the time that Mandy had to go to the bathroom AFTER they got on the bus. Now, Gayla had already TOLD them to go, because EVERY bus ride in Bangkok was a minimum of two hours. Well, Mandy was a teen-ager, and had to go. So, Gayla had all the boys move up to the front of the bus (did I neglect to mention that this was public transport...?) And the some of the costumes for this particular drama had a cape-like part, so she had the girls circle around Mandy, and hold the capes up, and all I know is, it's a good thing Mandy's water bottle had a large opening to drink from. Next stop, it went into the trash and all was well...

Then there was the Village trip and the dooky... And seriously, only GAYLA can be so angry that she can talk about a dooky with high school boys and not have ONE of them start laughing. It actually motivated one group to go into the bathroom and cut it up into flushable pieces. Hey - third world country - ya gotta do what ya gotta do...

Exploring Bangkok together on our "free days" was fun. And fortunately we LIKED or co-leaders - Chris Abeyta and Anthony Kirlew.


This was inside one of the temples.


You KNOW she was dying to touch one of these monks, right? Would've destroyed their karma for MONTHS...


We loved the Hard Rock Cafe there - after two months in a foreign country - a little bit of America goes a LONG way. We probably WEREN'T (?) supposed to be up there... we were just pretending anyway...

On one Free Day in Bangkok, we decided to take the whole county (the teams we had with us) to Siam Park - it was this really big, really great (our standards may have been a bit low - Third World Country and all - I think you start forgetting what would NORMALLY be acceptable, and just start saying - "Sure, jump off that - safety belts are highly overrated, anyways).


Well, one of our contacts, Tum (pronounced TDoom), was so much fun, and he decided to be the photographer for the day for us. Which was fine by us. The other leader was a gal named Elaine, whom I also liked and was also fun, but it's not her birthday.


Oh! There he is! We were actually sleeping, and never knew about this picture until we got the book he made for us.


This is perhaps one of my favorite pictures ever. It was there at the Park. It's just kinda "us". I love it. Even though we are make-up-less and everything.


We did "relationship" skits during one of our Sunday morning Worship/Church services. Our desire was to encourage our teens to not get caught up in high school dating drama, which could so derail their lives and dreams for the future. As happened here, when Gayla came back from college to marry her high school sweetheart, who really just wanted to watch the "Championship Game" and have her bring him his "beer and his chicken pot pie"...


We went camping with Matt Cooperrider, Jeff Portman, Dennis Leach (aka House Boy), and Krista Portman. I WISH I knew where it was - we were just along for the ride. It was so much fun. We just parked and hiked up into some area where there were no lights, no bathrooms... and of course, we wake up to Jeff making breakfast.

Again, Gayla, what DID we eat? And Gayla was asking me a while ago if we ever cleaned? We don't remember. But, we had people over, so it must have been somewhat clean, as both of us have mothers who ingrained cleanliness into us. AND Marina walked straight into our storm door one time when we were having a party. No, she was not drunk. We never even had alcohol in our place.

But. We did engage in criminal activity. We would break into the boys' house, next door, to watch the Godfather. They had this HUGE projector thing - and we could just climb through the bedroom window and watch it.

We once watched all three Godfather movies in a row. "Fredo, he's no good for the family."


We called Dennis House Boy, because he lived at our house for awhile. We fixed him a pallet under the stairs (inside) and he would sleep there. He had a place to live, but I think that place had ferrets. We didn't. He was very useful for climbing on chairs and putting lights up.


And we had this really fun "Seventies Murder Mystery" Party. Who are we kidding? We just wanted an excuse to dress up funky and invite some friends over. I think the murder mystery game was really lame - if we even finished it. Gayla KEPT that fake piece of white paper cigarette around for WEEKS - she put lipstick on the end, and would walk around the house, pretending it was real... just for effect....


Back from Indonesia and me back from Europe. Dear Friend, I love you and cherish my memories of you. Happy Birthday.