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.)
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