I'm Still a Wheel Watcher!!!

I got my email saying Congratulations and that I'm invited to come to the final auditions in Tulsa on Jan 4th! I'm a little bummed that my kids can't go with me because they wanted to go quite badly. But rules are rules I suppose.
I am so excited about it.

I really needed something good like this to happen. My little dog, Dash Incredible, ran out into the road chasing a cat and was hit and killed by a passing car. This was last weekend. I'm still just sick over it.
We miss you Dasher boy!

Happy Holidays Mommy

ANGELS

Once upon there was a child ready to be born.
So one day he asked God:

They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow,
But how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?

Among the many angels, I chose one for you.
She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.

But tell me, here in Heaven, I don’t do anything else but sing
And smile, that’s enough for me to be happy!

And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me,
If I don’t know the language that men talk?

Your Angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will
Ever hear, and with much patience and care your angel will teach you
How to speak.

And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?
Your angel will place your hands together and teach you how to pray.

I’ve heard on earth there are bad men, who will protect me?
Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.

But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.
Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way
For you to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you.

At that moment there was much peace in Heave, but voices from
Earth could already be heard, and the child in a hurry asked softly,
Oh God, If I am about to leave now, Please tell me my angel’s name.

Your Angel’s name is of no importance.
You will simply call her MOMMY.

Author Unknown

Good Advice!

There's always tomorrow.... right? not necessarily. I came across this article and it reminded me to get my ducks in a row now and now to procrastinate and wait till the last minute. This is good advice. Now if I can just practice what I preach I will be okay! Lead by example... right? Good luck to all of you. I know I will need it!

Five months from now, you may be richer if you read this today
By Martin Skala, Correspondent of The Christian Science MonitorMon Nov 14, 3:00 AM ET

The April 15th income-tax deadline is still five months away. But making some savvy tax moves before Dec. 31 can save you hard-earned cash at filing time. When you prepare your tax return after the close of the calendar year, it's usually too late to trim your tax bill. So reviewing your tax situation now will also make the filing process less stressful next spring.
"For effective tax planning, you want to control the timing and way by which your income is reported and your credits and deductions are claimed,' says Bob Scharin, senior tax analyst at RIA, a provider of tax information and software.
Deferring income into the following year and accelerating deductions into the current year has been a time-honored strategy for minimizing taxes. This conventional wisdom, however, no longer applies to thousands of taxpayers who are hit by the alternative minimum tax (AMT), experts say.
The AMT, created in 1970, was crafted to insure that even the wealthiest paid some tax. Originally set at 10 percent, the AMT has since risen to 28 percent and has become a widespread "add-on" tax for many middle-income families.
"You don't have to be wealthy to feel the repercussions from the AMT, and it's different for everyone." says Jennifer MacMillan, a tax professional in Santa Barbara, Calif. "Many deductions and exemptions allowed for regular tax purposes are just wasted if AMT kicks in." she notes.
The AMT, for example, does not allow deductions for dependents or for state and local taxes. Married couples earning $146,000 or more can lose as much as 80 percent of their itemized deductions, according to Ms. MacMillan. Therefore, prepaying state and local taxes due in January, normally a smart way to obtain a 2005 itemized deduction, would not make sense for a taxpayer caught in the AMT net.
The only way to be sure if you are running afoul of the AMT is to do an estimate of your total income, itemized deductions, and credits on a 1040 form and again on an AMT work sheet. If the AMT calculation turns out higher than what you owed on Form 1040, you owe AMT tax.
Figuring out the interactions between the AMT and the regular tax system can be perplexing, according to Peter Michaelson, a tax specialist with Eisner LLP, a New York accounting firm. That's why middle-income taxpayers should consult a tax professional if they are borderline candidates for the AMT, he says.
Taxpayers also need to tread carefully to avoid pitfalls caused by income-contingent tax breaks, tax advisers warn. These tax breaks - deductions and credits that taxpayers lose when their income goes beyond specific "phase out " thresholds - have proliferated in recent years. Taxpayers have to calculate the trade-offs between boosting their income and what it would cost if they lost some of the tax breaks they enjoy such as the child tax credit or educational credits. For example, a spouse's part-time job may raise a family's adjusted gross income.
A jump in income could also sharply reduce deductions and credits for which they may be eligible. Families that qualify for these tax breaks should consider their tax situation in both this year and next before taking steps to shift deductions or income, says Mr. Scharin.
Whether taking a deduction or exclusion is better than a tax credit, depends on your tax bracket. A deduction or exclusion reduces the amount of taxable income that falls within your tax bracket. A credit, on the other hand, reduces, dollar for dollar, the amount of tax that you compute on your taxable income. As a general rule, the lower your tax bracket, the more appealing a tax credit is likely to be.
Here are some strategies tax experts recommend you pursue before year-end:
Sales-tax deductions. This is the last year you can elect to deduct state and local sales taxes instead of state and local income taxes as itemized deductions from federal filings. The sales-tax deduction may be advantageous if you are buying a big-ticket item such as a boat or car this year. If you live in a state with a relatively low income tax rate and high sales tax, you should also consider taking this deduction.
Fund transactions. If you've owned an appreciated mutual fund more than 12 months and decide to sell before year-end, sell before the December dividend distribution. That way your entire gain - including the amount attributable to the upcoming distribution - will qualify for the 15 percent capital-gains tax rate. If you wait, you may owe as much as 35 percent on the ordinary income part of the distribution.
If you want to acquire an equity mutual fund, wait until after the distribution (which is taxable income) in late December. Otherwise, you'll get back part of the money you just invested with a tax liability to boot.
Retirement planning. Maximize contributions to deductible IRA and employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, which have higher limits this year. IRA contribution limits increase from $3,000 to $4,000. If you are 50 or older, you can add a $500 "catch-up" payment. If you have a 401(k) plan, the contribution cap rises to $14,000, or $18,000, if you will be 50 or older by year end.
Many retirees with part-time jobs are unaware that they can continue to contribute to a traditional IRA from earned income up to age 70-1/2, according to tax-specialist Michaelson. After that, you can only make nondeductible contributions to a Roth IRA and you don't have to withdraw Roth IRA funds during your lifetime.
Prepayments. If you own a home, ask the town assessor for your real estate bill, and prepay 2006 property taxes before year-end. The same thing goes for your January mortgage, especially if you anticipate you will earn less next year.
Gifts. Give appreciated securities instead of cash to college-bound children or grandchildren. You can give $11,000 this year ($22,000 if he or she is married) to a recipient without raising gift- or estate-tax issues. If you are in a 25 percent tax bracket or higher, you have a strong incentive to give securities to children. The youngster is likely to be in a lower income bracket and may pay as little as a 5 percent capital-gains tax upon sale of the asset.
Stock losses. It's been a tough year in the stock market, and many investors are likely to have some losers that they want to unload. Use any realized losses to offset capital gains from other sales, plus as much as $3,000 of ordinary income. You will generally get the most tax-saving benefit with a short-term loss. That is because losses on stocks held for 12 months or less go first to offset short-term gains that could be taxed at rates as high as 35 percent.
Bunching deductions. If you have paid off the home mortgage, or otherwise find yourself unable to itemize deductions every year, give "deduction bunching" a try. It clusters deductions into every other year to enable you to benefit from itemizing rather than taking a standard deduction every year.
Copyright © 2005 The Christian Science Monitor

School Pictures 2005!

Garrett---3rd grade, 8 1/2 yrs old ^

Matthew---7 th Grade, 12 1/2 yrs old.

Jacob---9th grade, 14 1/2 yrs old.

ASHRO Catalog

I absolutely love this magazine! It is called ASHRO. Visit their site and check it out! I am from the heritage of English, Irish, Welsh, American Indian, and some Spanish(Spain). Needless to say, other than my brown eyes and occasional light tan, I am as white as they come! This magazine is not just for African women. I love the colors and the bold styles! Oh yes...and the hatsand the shoes!! ooh ooh and the jewelry and various accessories! love it!!!
www.ashro.com

My Garrett

This is a fairly recent photo of my baby Garrett. He is 8.. excuse me, 8 1/2 yrs old. He is on the Sperry 3rd Grade tackle football team. I will tell you more with more pictures later, but right now we have to leave to go to practice! They have playoffs this weekend so they have to work extra hard this week.

Go Pirates!!

My Matthew

Matt-Matt has had aspirations of becoming a professional chef since he was 6yrs old. (Yea! Iron Chef America!)

Here he is having his first attitude bruising my ribs just one month before he was born--------->
Oh baby! he was 9 lbs and 14 1/4 oz. That kid belly laughed out loud in the hospital. Which granted, we were there a week. (I had been in a minor car accident at 7months which caused me a few complications)

Matthew is absolutely a funny kid. He's another little genius child as well! When he was in Mrs. Winters' class in 5th grade they were reading a book called "The Whipping Boy." In this story there apparently is a character that goes by the name, "The potato man." Well, Matthew being the shy, quiet, and introverted child that he is (not!) he dubbed himself "The Potato Boy." He would write things on the board signed the potato boy. Not anything bad, mind you. He would write things like "do your homework says the potato boy!" or "I'm watching you-- The potato." Mrs. Winters was really great about it because it was encouraging the children to get into the story. So I think she kind of encouraged it. She has a little girl named Tristan who at the time was like 4 yrs old. All that year Matthew had a new little shadow named Tristan. She loved to play with Matt Matt. And of course, all that year Matthew would come home and ask me for a baby sister!! Not gonna happen! We already had his little brother Garrett and this baby making factory is shut down!!

<--------Here is little Beetlejuice (Matthew) and Pumpkinhead (Jacob) when they were 18 months and 3 1/2 yrs old. They have absolutely been hilarious funny little critters! Every holiday is an absolute joy! The boys just make everything so worth while. These people that don't celebrate Halloween because it's "evil" (insert evil laugh here wahahaha!!!) are sooo missing out! Picking out costumes, making costumes, getting all dressed up, going to parties, going on hayrides, hay mazes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, making spoooooky halloween cookies, making caramel apples, rice crispy treats, playing spooky games, going trick or treating, and then digging through the mound of candy is all so much fun to do with your children!! It's not about evil stuff. It's about celebrating the lives of those since passed, celebrating your own lives by living life to the fullest and with the most joy and rewards. Matthew is so full of life. He loves to laugh and to make others laugh. He is just a little comedian. He is an excellent trumpet player. He is going to be trying out for High School MEOBDA Honor Jazz Band soon. He's only in 7th grade (Which at Sperry is not yet high school band.) I just know he will do well.

He doesn't like for me to know about his love life, but I think he has a girlfriend who is also in band. I have my motherly ways of just knowing things. He still doesn't like it. He'll just have to get used to it. This is my kid that likes to stay up with me and have heart to heart talks for as long as I will let him stay up. I always cherish those times! He likes to skate (on a skateboard). I guess I'm showing my age. Skating to me is when you have skates on that have four wheels on each foot. Yet again, the times they are achangin'.

There's a little bit to get you started about Matthew. You'll get to know all about Garrett next time.
"Stick it to the man!"~~in memory of Jay Wedlake

My Jacob

This is my precious Jacob Charlie Weathers Qualls (14 1/2)! This picture is at last weekend's football game: Us (Sperry Pirates @ Pawhuska Huskies). I must say, we have a pretty awesome band.
Right now he is "going out" with a cute little girl named Ashley. A bunch of the girls got together with Jacob's little brother Matthew and pranked him. They sporked the front yard and wrote all kinds of goosey sweet stuff all over his windows. He was in shock I think from the intense friendship that he has with these kids.
My baby Jake currently wants to be a forensic scientist. This does not surprise me in the least. He will be the best there is too! Once upon a time a few years ago, my husband working the graveyard shift was home at night on the weekend but could not sleep. He was up playing the PS2 in the living room when he heard Jacob shout, "Dad! Dad!" Gary jumped up and ran into Jake's room to see what on earth could be the matter. Well, Jacob was sitting straight up in bed with his eyes open but kind of glazed over. He said, "Dad! Dad! I finally figured it out!"
Gary said, "Figured what out?"
"The molecular stability of drizzle!"
"What?!? You did what?"
"Oh Dad. Nevermind." And to that he lay back down and slept peacefully the rest of the night.
His dad, Gary, was a little amazed. We all were.

This kid is like a genius child. I thought I was bad asking why, what if, and how come when I was a child. Forget about it! Jake has us all beat! He could rationalize and theorize with any formidable opponent.
And above all that, he has the sweetest disposition of any teenage boy I've ever known. He believes in chivalry and courtship. And he is still only 14 and 1/2. (I have to put that 1/2 in there!)
God help me. He's going to have to chase the girls away with a stick.
He went to his first high school dance this year. The homecoming dance. That's when he and Ashley started going together. Of course he still has other girls waiting in line, so to speak. But I can understand being a young teenage girl with stars in her eyes.
Speaking of eyes, when Jacob was born his eyes were the strangest lavender color. They were so beautiful, it took your breath away. He still has sparkling beautiful hazely eyes.
That's the beginning of me telling all of you about my baby Jake. (And yes, he will still be my baby when he's 40!)

Quote of the Day

Be exceptional. Make tremendous efforts to be extraordinary. What a privilege to be here on the planet to contribute your unique donation to humankind. Just make sure you do so....

-- Shelby LynneMusician. Her songs can be heard on Starbucks Hear Music™ station, XM Satellite Radio Channel 75.

Photo in the News: Grand Canyon to Get Glass Bridge

I found this on National Geographic's website. I know it's from August. But, it just looked so totally cool. I had to include it!!!
August 26, 2005-Fear of heights? This is definitely no place for you.
The all-glass, balcony-like "Skywalk"--shown in an illustration released this week--will extend over the edge of the Grand Canyon, 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above the Colorado River.
"The Skywalk will be an attraction unlike any other in the world," said Sheri Yellowhawk, CEO of the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation. The company is building the bridge in the Hualapai Indian Reservation on the south rim of the canyon.
The Skywalk is scheduled to open to the public in January 2006 as part of a new resort on the reservation. The resort, known as Grand Canyon West, is to include a re-created Indian village and a restaurant perched on the edge of the canyon. Tourism is the reservation's biggest source of income.
Grand Canyon West will be on the western edge of Grand Canyon National Park, about 120 miles (about 200 kilometers) from Las Vegas. But perhaps not even the Las Vegas Strip's over-the-top attractions will be a match for this glass-bottom walkway over the world's biggest gorge.
--David Braun, National Geographic

Quote of the Day

A man falls in love through his eyes,
a woman through her ears.

~ Woodrow Wyatt

Quote of the Day

By three methods we may learn wisdom:
First, by reflection, which is noblest;
Second, by imitation, which is easiest;
and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
~ Confucius

The Road Not Taken

This is one of my all-time favorite poems!
I just had to share it with you.













The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost [1916]

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Quote of the Day

"One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul and yet no one ever come to sit by it. Passers-by see only a wisp of smoke from the chimney and continue on the way." ~ Vincent Van Gogh

It's a Blinkie Pin Kind of Day!

This weekend has been AMAZING!!!

Who has a blinkie pin??? I do!!
And so does my best girlfriend, Vickie!!!
Okay. What in the world is a blinkie pin?
It's only the most coveted prize one can receive when going to an audition for the Wheel of Fortune.
The Wheelmobile came to Tulsa this weekend. It was in a word: awesome!
The excitement and energy gave everyone such a rush and a natural high. Completely exhilarating!
Saturday, Oct. 22nd, it was in West Tulsa at the Saturday Flea Market. Today, Oct. 23rd, it was in Catoosa at Cherokee Casino and Resort. I don't know which was better. Yesterday there were more people at the stage because it was outside. Therefore, much more excitement and energy was at the flea market.
However, given the fact that the games at the casino were inside, there was a fire code to respect and only a limited number of people were allowed in the room inside where it was held. This turned out to be a plus because your names are drawn out of a hopper and there is less competition to get on stage.

Yesterday my best friend Vickie and I went to the Flea Market to the auditions with our homemade-on-my-computer-with-iron-ons (see upper right picture) T-shirts that had the puzzle "I'M A WHEEL WATCHER"
We were standing in the lawn chair section up front. This was after we had dropped our yellow card in the yellow box (the application) and were mingling around the stage waiting for the big event to get started. They were playing 50's music. Vickie and I were kind of dancing where we were standing. Nothing major mind you. Just kind of bebopping in place. These fabulous two little boys came up and asked in that little boy kind of bashful voice, "Would you dance wis me??"
To which we replied, "Of course!"
The oldie but goodie, "Twist and Shout" came on and I proceeded to teach my partner how to do the twist. We (He) got hoops and hollers and applause out the wazoo! And then...(insert dreadful music here: dum dum dum dum )...the slow song came on!! I took his hands and started to dance with him and his face turned nine shades of red! He took off to his Mom and Dad, but his older brother was happy to take his place. I didn't go without a dance partner for very long.
Being the oldest of 5, mother to 3 boys, and aunt to 11 nieces and nephews (and most of Sperry schools as well) I knew fully how to put the spotlight on these fabulous little gentlemen and have the crowd cheer for them instead of me.
The traveling "Pat and Vanna" were Marty and Ingrid. Marty has amazing energy on stage and jumps around almost as much as myself. He was all about making people sing on stage.
The local KJRH Channel 2 of Tulsa news crew were all there. The Wheel recently switched from ABC Channel 8 to NBC Channel 2. So they had T-shirts that said "Switch This" on them.

For those of you that are still virgins in the "Wheel World" let me just fill you in real quick like.
First you go online to wheeloffortune.com and register for a Spin ID. Go to the Contestant section and fill out a form online if you wish to receive an email telling you when the Wheelmobile will be in your area.
Then, when it comes to town, be prepared!!!
It was advertised for both Saturday and Sunday in the Tulsa area from 1pm to 5pm both days. People started showing up and getting in line at 9am on Saturday. Saturday, Vickie and I were about the 10th in line and were able to get our names in all three drawings. Well, I did anyway, because she wasn't allowed to put her name in after SHE GOT ON STAGE!!!!!!!! I was the first one there on Sunday and I got there at 10am. Irene (I hope I remembered your name correctly) was 2nd in line and she got there at 10:15am. You fill out colored applications about the size of index cards. Ingrid drew out 5 names at a time. The local news person read them off. Karen Larson on Saturday and Russ McCaskey on Sunday. They called Vickie's name to go on stage!! We started squealing and jumping up and down and freaking out!! We are both 33 years old and it felt like Christmas morning when we were 5 years old!
There is a smaller version of the actual wheel. Instead of dollar amounts on it, it has prizes such as: HAT, SHIRT, MINIPACK, and SURPRISE. "But that's not all!! With each of these you get the Wheel of Fortune keychain and the ever-so-coveted...Blinkie Pin!!!!"
Marty loved for everyone to announce things with him!! It showed panache, I think.
But alas, I digress.
They draw 5 names at a time. I was the last name called in the yellow round (the first round) on Sunday. It was so freaking exciting!!! You go up and they take your picture with a polaroid to which they will affix to the back of your little application you filled out. You go up on stage and Marty asks you to come up to center stage with him one by one and tell everyone your name, what you do for a living, and what you do for fun. I said my name is "Lisa Qualls. I'm a full-time student at TCC (Tulsa Community College) majoring in Liberal Arts focusing in Psychology and Sociology." For fun, I said, "I'm a wife to my husband, Gary; a mother to Jacob, Matthew, and Garrett who are 14, 12, and 8 yrs old (respectively). I have one sister and 3 brothers with in-laws and 11 nieces and nephews: Racheal, Roy, Rusty, Raymond with Steve, Amanda, and Rita, and then there's Jessica, Ashley, Braden, Caleb, Caden, Baylor, Presley, Breanna, Stormy, Rodney, and Raylee." Marty asked me what I do for fun with them? To which I replied (maybe lied a little) "Everyone in my family sings, except me. (I do too. But lots of people sang on stage and I wanted to do something different.) I do poetry." And of course he asked me to recite a poem for everyone. I said:
"I dedicate this to my little dance partners, Forrest and Gabriel whom I just met yesterday but they danced with me and made me lucky enough to get up here on stage.
I have a buddy.
My buddy's a toad.
He is my buddy.
He's flat on the road.
He'll be my buddy,
My buddy to stay,
Till he's peeled up
And sailed away.

The boys just loved it!! I knew they would because my boys did when they were their age. Their Mom and Dad took pictures of me with the boys and then when I got up on stage they were nice enough to take pictures for me. I gave them my phone number and email address and told them thank you for making this such a great experience! I had been there on Saturday. So, I knew a little more about the process than most of the people there. I was answering questions galore and making friendly acquaintances left and right. It was great!! Since I was the first one there on Sunday I chose to sit front row center (of course). I couldn't hardly stay in my seat!! It was so intense! There was a guy who sat behind me with tons of energy as well. I think his name was Rick. He was wearing a shirt that looked like a Coke-a-Cola shirt. Instead of Coke, it said Choke. and below that, it said The favorite beverage of Texans everywhere. It was actually an OU shirt. He was my OU chant buddy. He was sitting just behind me and across the narrow center aisle. We high-fived everyone whose name was called and ran by. When people said they were OU fans I yelled "BOOMER" and he yelled "SOONER". Also, I yelled "MARCO" and he yelled "POLO". We were always the first to jump up out of our seats and tried to get the crowd behind us excited and with it. There were a lot of elderly people so it wasn't an easy task. But we did our best. Everyone that gets called on stage gets a prize! And just because you don't get called on stage doesn't mean you don't have a chance. They will take all the rest of the applications to L.A. and draw out names for final auditions in Tulsa. Then the winners from there will go to L. A. for taping unless they happen to travel somewhere on the road for taping.

Kudos to the Arizona guy on the Wheel crew who played the oldies music and brought me together with my little dance partners. He played 80s music on Sunday. Long live Wham! hair!! (You know who you are!)
Irene and I were singing in the crowd: "No, I've never been to Heaven. But I've been to Oklahoma. Yeah, they tell me I was born there. But, I really don't remember. In Oklahoma or Arizona, what does it matter? What does it matter?...."

If you ever have the opportunity, go to an audition. Even if I never get on the show, it was worth going. It was an experience I will never forget!

But I really do hope I will get that letter and/or email bringing me back to finals and then to L.A.!!!

I'm a Wheel watcher...I'm a Wheel watcher...

Quote of the Day

"Yes, I am a dreamer.
For a dreamer is one who
can find his way by moonlight,
and see the dawn before the
rest of the world."
-Oscar Wilde

Invisible Colors

Your eyes are blue
As blue as the cascading waterfall in the sky.
Your thoughts are white
For they are beyond the colors of the average soul.
Your imagination is violet
Violet because of its extrinsic vividness and mystery
Your path is orange
Red for the fire inside you
And yellow for the birds beneath your feet
Your style is green
As green as Mother Nature’s painting of her newborn child
Full of life and ambition
You might leave
But whenever needed
You are always there
And that is why you,
Yourself are
A rainbow at heart.

Love Grows

Intriguing eyes, suggestive lips,
Tingling ears and parts unknown.
When I think of the softness of your skin
And the steam that is caused
By the heat of your sweat
The thrust of your body
The tenderness in your tongue
The passion in your soul
Tells the story untold
About love you hold
Inside your heart
But then give away to me
All of these things
These qualities you possess
Make me love you
Through and through
Today my love for you
Grows more than
Yesterdays gone by
But has not grown as much
To match what it will be tomorrow.

Daydreams

(This is some of my very early writings which I will share more of later. If for no other reason but to encourage young writers to simply write no matter how silly they may think it. As you live and grow so do your writing abilities. Everybody's gotta start somewhere!)

Daydreams

At the end of every rainbow
At the end of every song
There’s just something in their contents
That simply makes you belong

At the top of every mountain peak
At the end of every sea
There’s just love looking for someone
And finding you and me

Looking out my window
Gazing upon a star
I have not a single fear
For they all have gone afar

Lying on a grassy hill
Watching birds fly by
I remember all the happy times
And the times I had to cry

No matter what the circumstance
Whether rain, snow, or shine
I have but one wish
That forever you’ll be mine

Broken Dreams

She always wanted a pony
But she never got one
She dreamed of riding out on the prairie
In the fields of Oklahoma
But all a city girl’s got is her dreams

He was an Oklahoma cowboy
And he promised her forever
He said he would lasso the moon
To match the twinklin’ stars in her eyes

Chorus:
Broken dreams and promises
Are sure to be her fortune
How can love so right feel so bad inside?
Her heart is calloused over
Just like his workin’ hands
So many times it’s been ripped apart before
Could it ever heal to love again for sure?

After sleepless nights she decided she
Wouldn’t spend another single night alone
She hopped a plane to surprise him
Drove a rental car through that red dust bowl
Could this be that dream come true for sure?

Repeat Chorus

That old dirt road was new to her
But his old familiar truck was home
She felt like a silly school girl
So excited to surprise her man at home
Problem is, he wasn’t alone.
His wife had the sweetest smile
And his girls had hair of gold

Repeat Chorus

She’ll have to mend those broken dreams
Forgive those broken promises
And start all over again.

I Have a Buddy

-Author Unknown

I have a buddy.
My buddy’s a toad.
He is my buddy.
He’s flat on the road.
He’ll be my buddy,
My buddy to stay
Till he’s peeled up
And sailed away.

Good-Bye

By DW

Heard my cries.
Opened my eyes.
I found an angel
With golden eyes.
But, angels follow
Their own dreams.
And the lives of fools
Go on without meaning.
So angels fly
And dreams cry.
Without my angel
I wither and die.
The lone wolf hunts best.
The lonely heart will forget.
Good-bye.

I’ve Been Alone Too Long

By D W

It’s funny how you can go on living
And lose the simple knack of giving
It slips away before you know it’s gone.
You build up walls and before you know it,
Someone moves you and you’d like to show it
But you just can’t find a way to get it done.

I’ve been alone too long.
Now why don’t you see?
I’ve been alone too long,
That’s all that’s wrong with me,
I could build you a dream,
Paint you a sunrise,
Write you a beautiful song,
But I don’t know how.
I’ve been alone too long.

It’s funny how you can cut off feeling
And tell yourself that your wounds are healing
When all you’ve done is turn the pain inside
Now you know no one can get to you,
Though some people’s smiles can cut right through you
You look for that knack and find it’s died.

I’ve forgotten how, I’ve been alone too long.

You suck and that's sad 

Tell Me How You Feel

By DW

“Tell me how you feel,” she said, a whisper in the darkness, “Tell me you love me.”
“You are a miracle.” He replied. “For you to be here, for us to be like this… After all this time, I’d forgotten how to be with another person…’
“But?”
“But, I’m afraid. Of you. Of needing you. That you’ll go. That you’ll stay. So, I try not to think about it. I just revel in your very presence.” She couldn’t see his eyes, read his face, so the words flowed from his heart. The truth of the pain of years of being alone.
“I’m no miracle. I just love you.”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. To believe her was to invite madness and despair if she ever left. Not to believe was to be damned to spend the rest of eternity alone.
He thought of how long he had waited for someone like her…no, he had waited and prayed for her. But, could he tell her that? Did she even care about that? Was it what she needed to hear?
She had so many wonderful things ahead of her. He felt that anything wonderful was far behind him. Sometimes, he knew the greatest joy in her presence, other times, he felt he was just leeching away her youth.
It was better, he thought, before she came, when I had forgotten. Better by far to have never seen the sun than to have one ray of light and hope shining in my face.

Pot Lolli-pops?!?!

Okay people!! Have they lost their senses? What will they come out with next?
Pennsylvania Bill Bans Candies that Taste like PotPosted: 10/10/2005 10:30:12 AM
By ANYA SOSTEK - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Marijuana-flavored Stoner Pops ask customers to "taste the munchie goodness."
A plastic container filled with marijuana-flavored lollipops sits on the counter at Spencer Gifts in Pittsburgh, its label beckoning customers to "taste the munchie goodness."
At $1.99 per pop, the "Stoner Pop" candies are one variety of hemp-flavored sweets available in novelty stores and on the Internet. The candies combine an earthy taste and smoky smell with cheeky marketing slogans like "every lick is like taking a hit."
But Pennsylvania state Rep. Thomas C. Corrigan doesn't see any humor in the products. He's backing legislation to outlaw all candy that tastes like marijuana.
"It is really frightening to develop a taste for marijuana in children through lollipops," he said.
Corrigan said he was told of the lollipops by a borough councilman in his district, who noticed some for sale in Trenton, N.J. He said he has since heard reports of hemp candy for sale at county fairs, convenience stores and candy stores.
Some of the candies, like Stoner Pop, are merely flavored like marijuana. Others, such as those available at www.hempcandy.com, contain oils from a cannabis plant but do not contain the chemical THC that produces the high associated with marijuana.
Corrigan's bill would outlaw retail sales of both types of candies in Pennsylvania, and he is investigating whether the bill would apply to Internet sales as well.
Chicago and Suffolk County, N.Y., have already passed similar laws, according to a news release from Rep. James E. Casorio, a co-sponsor of the bill. Legislators in Michigan, New Jersey and New York also have introduced bills to ban the candies.
Manufacturers and distributors of hemp candy insist that they do not market to children. The label on each Stoner Pop notes that the lollipops are not intended for minors.
One popular Web site, www.chroniccandy.com, asks users to click a button indicating that they are at least 18 before viewing products such as its "chronic," "ganja" and "hydro" flavored lollipops.
"It's nothing but a hysterical tough-on-crime sound-bite reaction," said Thomas Anthony Durkin, attorney for the Corona, Calif.-based Chronic Candy. "With all due respect to the legislator, I don't believe that there's any connection between these lollipops and use of drugs."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com.)
Photo Copyright Getty Images

Swept Away

There I stood
So distraught and amazed.
I was swept off my feet
With my eyes left aglaze.
His eyes glowed with warmth,
With innocence and yet passion.
My heat beat so fast
My toes tingled
My breath became rationed
Then after hours of childish
Flirting games
He kissed me
And my heart played… leap… frog…
With… my lungs
As my breath… was swept away
What happens next
I do not know.
I don’t know the ending.
For the story’s untold.
Hindsight I have,
Foresight I don’t.
What happens next
I know I don’t
Know or care.
Just so long,
As we still share
The closeness and warmth
That we’ve conceived.
And the bonding which
We might just
Accidentally on purpose
Turn into love.
That is…
IF he’s lucky!

You made your bed now lie in it!

Men want Miss America on their arm,
Playmate of the Year in their bed,
And Betty Crocker in their kitchen.

They want Dear Abby or Ann
When they want to talk,
And they want Mary Poppins
For their children who are to be seen
But not heard.

If we choose the wrong hat or mask to put on,
We are ostracized for being wishy-washy or soft
Because their hindered emotional baggage
Misinterpreted a misunderstanding for an
all-out whiny bitch fest.

Men don’t want women in high ranking
Positions such as the Presidency
Because women are too moody and emotional.

Guess what?
You made your bed, now lie in it!
If that’s too difficult to understand, let me interpret:
You made us that way!
Deal with it!

The Pulse

The Pulse
The stomping of the children’s feet
The harrowing of the people meets
Voices clamor
Typing slammers
Horses’ hooves on dirt do beat
Babies cry
Mothers sigh
Daddies yell out “Me? Why?”
The band plays.
Grandmother stays
In step in her rocking chair
Grandfather yells “Whatchall doin’ over there?”
Sister runs the washing machine
Brother flies high
As he jumps from the swing
You laugh
I laugh
You smile bright
I smile and blush red
The pulse of the world still beats
In your presence, the beat is still
Your blood rushing
My heart racing
The pulse of us is all I hear.

The Argument Fallout

Fair is the winter of my discontent.
Cruel is my fortune of the tormentuous mistress that is my husband’s nature.
Love he prophesses.
Anger he spews.
Solace comes in solitude and detachment.
Happiness lives among the fellowship with others.
Joy resides in the hearts of my children.
Why can he not see but through the eyes of a troglodyte?
What karma is so wretched that it be his fate of misery?
What is the fortune of the key that picks a lock such as his?
What secret among all Akashic records would be the breaker of the code of the mystery of man?
Will he ever awaken to see all the glorious joy of God is within himself?
If only he would open his heart to see it.

Rainman

I count the tiles on the floor.
The ceiling’s painted.
Why?
What for?
There are no tiles or dots above
For my inventory.
If you could see all of
MY mental files…
Now THAT would tell the story.

Games We Play

All men are created equal
As so they say
And I think they’re right
But not in every way.
Every man wants a girl
Who’s pure in heart and soul
They grow crazy and frantic
Just looking for the tool
The talent or the skill
That will help them in their will
That will help them in their drive
To find that perfect girl
To find that perfect wife
Then that single treasure
Of their whole life’s quest
Is found and their hearts leap and pound
So fast and so wild that
It just might escape their
Muscled, swollen chest
The girl is found and they have played her games
Just for her eyes to turn their way
Now she’s looking
Now she’s hooked.
Now they’re a couple
And their hearts flow like the brook
Where they take their evening strolls
Their eyes shine like the moon
Under which they kiss goodnight
The challenge is over
Her heart is won
But now they look back
And think they’re too young
So he tells her he loves her
And for her not to cry
But they’ve gotten too close
So he must say good-bye
But I’ll be back he says
When we’re ready in due time
But it is not so fair to be treated so
He stole her heart
She gave him her soul
She’ll cry, she’ll stomp
She’ll probably even pout
Why are these men like this?
What are they all about?
Men take it for granted
That we’ll be here every day
They take it for granted
That just because we promised
We’re gonna stay
And we do
Till they break our hearts
And then run away

The Adventures of a Little Cloud

Once upon a time, a very long time ago, there was a little cloud. He was a bright, happy, fluffy, white cloud. He was so happy and carefree unlike those dismal, angry, roaring, dark clouds.
He played several different games with his friends. His favorite game was shapes. He liked to change into all sorts of shapes. One day, he discovered a shape no other cloud had ever made… a square. Oh, how he loved transforming into a square. He made himself into a square every chance he had.
The other little clouds had never seen such a thing and laughed at the little square cloud. This made the little square cloud very sad. He began to puff up with tears. The sadder he became, the bigger he grew. The other clouds were still laughing and laughing. Until finally, he couldn’t hold anymore tears. He had grown bigger than all the other clouds. He was angry at them for their laughing. All of the sudden, he noticed himself changing colors. This was something new he never did before. He became darker and darker. He roared with anger and sadness. The other clouds were afraid and left in a hurry.
By this time, the little, bright, happy, fluffy, white cloud had become a dismal, angry, roaring dark cloud. He poured his tears on everything in sight. He rumbled and growled. Suddenly, he began to feel a little better. He supposed that is what a good cry meant, when you feel better when you’re done. Just then, he saw the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. So many colors wrapping around the sky like a giant bow.
The little cloud had learned how to rain. What a happy day. All the other clouds came back and apologized for being mean. They all gazed in amazement at the spectacular rainbow. After that, they all played the shape game. And once in a while one of them changes colors too. They might even rain a little. But that’s okay. Because, if you want to see a rainbow, you have to have a little rain.

The End

Maybe It’s Just Me

If time could count a thousand years
And if wishes could fly on an abacus high
The greatest star would be dimmed
By the twinkle-light born of your eyes
You possess such a need
It puzzles those who see
Such Independence!
Such self-sufficiency!
Yet such emptiness of desire seethes.
You have such laughter
You have such spark
Who would know
You live in the dark
Depths of your own mind
Frighten you sometimes
Is it evil or insanity?
Maybe, “it’s just me”
Maybe it’s “just me”
Maybe it’s just “me”

That Heat

That heat
That same heat
That same heat which causes
My body to tremble
And my toes to curl.
I am no longer the helmsman.
I am merely at the mercy
Of the wave.
That wave
That wave of heat
That wave of heat reminating
To my hands and toes
From the centermost origin of heat.
I hold on tightly
As my whole
Body shakes and trembles.
Air escapes me as
All of my muscles contract.
Leaving my lungs
Gasping for air.
Buried in your chest, I feel
Your hands in my hair and
I can feel the warmth
Of affection bring with it
A peaceful aura of contentment
All of these things and many others collectively
Form an overwhelming, all-consuming emotion
The dimple on your cheeks
The twinkle in your eye
The touch of your hand
Is all that I can stand
Before I…
Quiver.

Dreams, I Awaken Thee!

The comfort found in physical seclusion

Cries
Deep into the cold empty night.
Is martyrdom recognized by Him
If consciously committed?
If the curse of solitude is ignored,
Could eternal damnation be worse
Than the alternative life
Without fulfillment?
What of the innocents?
What of those who seek an end
To my self-inflicted misery?
Should they be sucked down
Into the undertow of my whirlwind?
They are not deserving
Of the burden which haunts my every breath.
NO!
Those who would not unlove me shall not
Grieve for their joy lost.
I will not succumb to thy tortuous lament!
Dreams, I awaken thee!
Joy, I will embrace thee!
Faith, I will not lose thee!
Hope, I have found thee!
Love, I await and welcome thee!

Quote of the Day

To err is dysfunctional, to forgive co-dependent.
- Berton Averre

WATCH OUT FOR THE ORANGE CONES (the Oklahoma state tree)

Still under construction. But being an Oklahoman, I'm used to it. At least there isn't a toll!