Cricket Pizza Anyone?

Snapped this photo at 61st & Mingo. I think the sign company really didn't give this enough thought.

Praying Girl



Butterfly

Butterfly
4 ft. x 6 ft.
Acrylic on canvas

Created this painting for my daughter before the birth of her baby on January 3, 2011. This is the largest painting I have ever attempted. It is very textured.

Praying Girl

She's Here

Zalena Isabella

Born January 3, 2011

7 lbs. 7 oz.

PERFECT!!!!

Alysia and Zalena, one of her first photos.

The happy new family!

Hunter and Zelena, his baby sister.

Uncle Chris and Zalena

Papa

Hunter

Mimi finally gets to hold her new grandbaby!

I had to wait until everyone else got to hold her, but she's mine now!

She's absolutely beautiful. I have to tell the story of her name. A few weeks before the baby was born, Alysia and Ulf were discussing what to name the baby. Alysia asked her husband if he liked the name Salena. With his German accent, he said, "Yes, I like the name Zalena." There you have it. Hunter has already nicknamed the little darling, "Z-Z". Love it, love her.

Praying Girl

Cash Only - Get A Horse

It isn't often that a "cash only" sign appears. Usually, this sign indicates that the computers have crashed. On Sunday, my husband and I happened upon this sign being applied with tape to the door to our local QuikTrip. What was interesting was the utter chaos and fear that this seemingly innocuous sign created in the few customers who had already filled up their vehicle with varying amounts of gasoline. "What do I do now?" said a woman. She was quite frustrated and upset. She had NO cash! The ATM was not operating, and she had no way of paying her bill. Eventually, the young people running the store sent her on her way with an IOU (hand written on a piece of paper).

I started thinking about how exciting technology is. Exciting, that is, until it breaks down. People just don't know what to do. This reminded me of an old expression. This expression came about when the automobile came on the scene as the latest technological gadget. Those who couldn't catch up with the forward thinkers quickly yelled at those broken down at the side of the road, "Get a horse!"

Sometimes I, too, feel like those fossils when things comes screeching to a halt because the computers go down, even for a few minutes. It's easy at those times to feel the stress of trying to keep up with the Age of Technology! It's funny how basic things really never change. So, for now, I plan to continue to carry a little pocket money so I don't do a tailspin when I see a sign that reads, "CASH ONLY." It's my own way of saying, "Get a horse!"

Just Walking Through the Capitol

 



Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry with Special
Olympics Oklahoma athletes' Chris Paynter,
Blake Reynolds and Heather Hancock.
Governor Henry presented the athletes
with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day
Proclamation for September 25, 2010.
The athletes presented the Governor with
 a Special Olympics Oklahoma shirt.



I was at the Oklahoma Capitol last week for a meeting with Governor Brad Henry. He was presenting Special Olympics Oklahoma with a proclamation for Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day, September 25, 2010. 



After the presentation, I was walking through the Capitol and took a few minutes to take some photos of the dome, the front of the Capitol and the Hall of Governors.



This is the inside of the dome. I thought it made
an extremely interesting geometrical photo.





 

Taking this photo brought back a funny memory...
This is the hall of Governors "past". Years ago, my friend Kay
and I came to the Capitol on a Saturday with my husband's
Boy Scout troop. While they were off touring the building, Kay
and I ended up in this hall. She started doing pirouettes down
the hall. I followed her doing the same. Now, we can always
say that we danced before the governors! I'm sure the guys
on the security cameras that day got quite a laugh. But,
no one can laugh with me better than my friend Kay.


PG







You're NOT a Nobody

I work part time on my artistic endeavors; but, I work full time at Special Olympics Oklahoma. Last week, Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes were invited to come to a closed practice of the OU Sooners in Norman for an autograph session. The Special Olympics athletes were having a good time meeting the players and getting autographs. Toward the end of our time with the Sooners, one of the Special Olympics athletes turned to me and asked me to sign her football. I laughed and said, "Oh, honey, I'm just a nobody."  One of the young OU players overheard this and looked me in the eyes and said, "Oh, no, no, no...you are not a nobody." I laughed and took my Sharpie with the lid on, and signed her football with invisible ink. The OU athlete smiled.

Later, what he said really stuck in my head. I hadn't really meant I was a "nobody" in general, just in that setting. However, I thought about how important it is that in every setting "I'm NOT a nobody." That young football player has his OU football season ahead of him and all that that entails. However, he has the right frame of mind. Unfortunately, I didn't know this young player or catch the significance of looking at his jersey number. I was just caught up in the moment. He touched my life profoundly, though, by reminding me that we are all equally important and that "I am NOT a nobody."

I pray for great success in this young man's future. He's grounded in what's important. OU has invited Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes for special autograph sessions every year for many years. This year, I was impressed that although these student athletes had just spent a long time practicing in the heat, they and Coach Stoops took the time to come to the sidelines, greet a bunch of Special Olympics athletes, sign autographs, pose for photos and treat each Special Olympics athlete with respect. With their actions, the OU Sooners were saying to all of us, "You are NOT a Nobody."

BOOMER SOONERS!

PG

Pretty New Green Things

It's been so hot in Oklahoma in August, that we wanted to bring a little green into our shop. We just added a lot of new hand wrapped rings in our Etsy shop. And, following the "green" theme, we've created some new hand painted and designed gift boxes, too.

Pretty soon it will be time to start designing for Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Cooler weather will be here soon. Thank goodness!

PG