It Started as a Twitter Hashtag...

A friend of mine posted a list of Ten Guys That Influenced My Worldview yesterday.  I took up the challenge and compiled my list and posted them.  Then I got to thinking.  There were a few important guys I left out.  There are also at least ten women whose ideas and work have influenced my world view, too.  Time to put on the thinking cap and give some credit where credit is due. 
First, here's the list I put on Twitter:
Ten Guys Who Influenced My Worldview:

Charles A. Clark, Sr.  My Pop.  First man in my life, and the one I tried hardest not to disappoint.

His eyes were an amazing shade of blue.  (A certain actor we all know has eyes that color...)

Bishop Steven Charleston.  He was interim Dean at our cathedral, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in OKC.  He has written two books made up of his daily Face Book meditations.  They are very powerful books.  The daily meditations are straight from his heart, and they speak volumes about the relationship between humans and God and humans and each other.  Hope As Old As Fire, and Cloud Walking, both available at redmoonpublications.com  The man himself influenced our whole congregation with his joy in serving God and God's people, and his intensity, and his enthusiasm.  He became one of us very quickly. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  The rhythm of his poetry spoke to me from an early age.  I never had to memorize any of the famous epic poems, but smaller ones, like The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls got themselves into my head and got me started wanting to play around with words myself.

Vincent Van Gogh  One look at one of his paintings, and you know that this man had a unique vision.  He shared what he could of that vision with us using remarkable colors and brushstrokes to give us a glimpse of sublime beauty that goes beyond ordinary reality. 

Michael M. Ornstein  Because he reminded me of the power of art, and spurred me to write more.  He is generous to his fans on Twitter, and responds honestly to honest comments.  He has reminded me that I have something worthwhile to say, and given me the courage to try.

You can see his art at michaelornstein.com

William Shakespeare  If anyone in Western culture today can claim NOT to be influenced by Shakespeare, I'd love to see them prove it.  His influence is all pervasive.  His works are so much a part of our common frame of reference that even those who aren't aware they know any quotes from Shakespeare quote him regularly.  For me, Taming of the Shrew in almost every staging I have seen of it is sublimely funny.  The one play I have seen performed live was As You Like It.  I got to see that one in San Diego, California at the Old Globe Theater that they had built there precisely to  duplicate Shakespeare's theater.  It was home to the annual Shakespeare Festival. 
And of course, as all Beauty and the Beast fans know, Shakespeare knew everything!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart  Ah, his music is divine.  I love to listen to it, I really love to sing it, even though it is hard work to do so properly.  My voice tends to love the pieces he wrote for lyric soprano, and one of the best recital performances I ever gave was singing his Vedrai Carino from Don Giovanni. 
His music feeds my soul.

Gene Roddenberry, because he dared to dream of humanity united and exploring the stars.  And he took us with him! 
Star Trek opened so many vistas of human possibility for me.  Made me try to think about things from more than one point of view.  Star Trek made all of us look to the stars with hope and wonder, and the desire to learn more.

Ron Perlman, because he has brought so many unusual characters to life and made us believe in them, made us feel we knew them, and made us care about them. 
He is a very good actor.  He is also very funny.  People who are genuinely funny are important to me, because laughter is very healing, and this world needs all the healing it can get.  He banters with fans on Twitter sometimes, and that always makes me smile, and sometimes laugh out loud.

Matthew D. Armistead  The one I married.  The first guy in my age group who looked me in the EYE when he was introduced to me.  A man who loves me in spite of all my weirdness and moodiness, and staying up till all hours writing habits.   The man who has a sense of humor almost as warped as my own.  His sense of duty and service to others and his country impressed me.  I am proud of all the many things he has learned to do and has done for others in his life.  He is also musical, being possessed of a lovely, evil, dark baritone voice.  He was practically raised in the Panama Canal Zone's Theatre Guild.  He has stage managed many plays, acted in a few, and done everything from set construction to property management to running the lighting and sound equipment.  I have seen him overcome obstacles set for him by his own body with far more patience and perseverance than I would ever be able to muster.  He is still my hero, my Knight In Smelly Flight Suit, my Matthew.

OK, those were the ones I put in the top ten list.  Some others I should include are:

Robert Burns.  When I discovered in my youth that we had some Scottish genes in our heritage, I set about learning about Scotland and the Scots.  Robert Burns poetry is a big part of that.  His songs and ballads, such as Ae Fond Kiss,  My Luve Is Like A Red, Red, Rose,  and Afton Water are all favorites of mine.  I learned to hear the dialect in my head when reading his words, and it all began to make sense. 

George Back  The man on the right, our former dean, now retired.  (The guy on the left is our current dean, Justin Lindstrom, and he hasn't had enough time to influence my world view too much just yet...) 
George is all heart.  His love is something that was always just poured out on our congregation.  His steadfast love and optimism during the aftermath of the Murrah building bombing in 1995 is what helped all of us continue in love and faith to get through the rebuilding after that horrendous event.

Edgar Alan Poe  Master of the macabre, weaver of wonderful stories and poems that were just magical.  One of my earliest reading memories is reading The Raven aloud with my Mom.  We also read The Gold Bug together when I was in grade school. 

Of course, no list is complete without Dr. King.  I remember so clearly the day he died.  They were afraid for our safety and sent us home from school early.  One of my classmates' mother knew that my Mom was walking to meet me, but she said  she'd take me to my mom, so I got in the car with her and my classmate.  This lady was African-American, and a minister at her small church.  She had been crying, and she told us "This world has just gone crazy, children.  But we still have to love one another."  She dropped me off when we saw my mom walking on her way to the school.  This lady and my mom had worked together in the PTA.  Doctor King's words live on, and they still inspire us to remember that only love can drive out hate.

Rich Rosenfeld, seen here with his wife Stephanie, who also influenced my world view.  Rich was our chaplain at Rhein-Main Air Base.  He led what he described as "where almost no one has ever gone before"  the 08:30 Protestant Liturgical Service.  (aka the Metholuthepiscoterian Rite.)  Rich and his love of music and bad puns made for some very interesting chapel services.  He and Stephanie and their son David are steadfast friends, always living the faith they profess.  And doing so with a song and good humor!  They introduced us to Black Adder, and to 'Allo, 'Allo. ( For this last we shall have to send them the cracked vase with big daisies and the Madonna with the Big Boobies rolled up and hidden inside a shipment of Knockwurst...)
And don't drop the Christmas Puddings!


The next blog post will be for the 10 Women (plus a few extras) Who Have Influenced My Worldview.  

One of Life's Greatest Pleasures

...Is the laughter of friends.  How good it was to hear my friends laughing together this evening.  Four of our good friends were with us for dinner this evening, after they had spent the afternoon helping Matt clean out our garage so the drywall can be replaced.  Matt smoked a bunch of ribs, and a beef top blade roast.  He also made baked beans and cole slaw.  All these dishes were diabetic and hypertensive friendly.  Nancy brought angel food cake and sliced strawberries, and I had made some brown sugar shortbread last night. 
This was an evening much needed by all of us.  It is good to put the recent troubles with the weather and its aftereffects aside and just enjoy each other's company.  Mike and Nancy got a glimpse of why I think my job is so much fun.  They finally got to hear Julie tell her stories.  Julie cracks me up.  She always has.  I can't believe it has been more than 14 years now that we have worked together.  Seems like only yesterday that I started at the library, and Julie was the one doing most of my training. 
Julie and Ralph got a chance to know Mike and Nancy and the joy they bring with them everywhere they go.  Those two have a very healing presence.  It just feels good to spend time with them.  We all have old in jokes between us, and sharing the stories behind them is great fun. 
It was good to see Ralph smile and to hear Julie laugh.  I know they still have a lot to get through, but I think they'll come out just fine.  Matt and I will help all we can.  Mike and Nancy will, too.  Mike and Nancy know all about loss and grieving, whether it's the loss of a home or of a loved one, it hurts.  In some ways, the material loss is harder, because it doesn't feel right to grieve it when so many actually did lose loved ones. 
I am humbled and honored to have such people call me their friend.  They all mean a great deal to me, and Mike and Nancy have been through a LOT with Matt and I.  Julie has been through a lot at the library with me.  So good to have such loving, knowledgeable, and funny companions on this journey. 

The thunder is rumbling outside again tonight.  I hope it doesn't trouble Ralph and Julie too much.  This whole area is weary of storms.  Even when they aren't severe.  There is so much work to do that the rain makes more difficult.  The sunny skies earlier today were a great boon to everyone's spirits. 

I am very grateful for all the good things in my life, but most especially for the friends that make this life so much more pleasant.
As Ever,
Katie

There Is A Lot Less Of Me To Love...

Since my husband's recent hospital adventure, and discovering that he has seriously high blood pressure and is diabetic, we have BOTH been watching our diets and exercising more.  It is finally easier for me to stick to a diet without SOMEBODY sabotaging me.  For him it is a matter of life and death, for me, a matter of pride.  I want to be as thin as I was when he married me.  I want to look as good as I can, and be as healthy as I can. 
My goal is to weigh 125 pound again, like I did in this picture.

His goal is to get back to the weight HE was in this picture, and to get his medications decreased because of the weight loss. 
Neither of us will be as smooth of skin as we are in this picture, this picture was made in 1990.  A lot of time and experiences have passed since then.  I also have a LOT less hair, because I cut it all off a few years ago because I was just plain tired of messing with it.
I have about 27 pounds to go.  I've lost 16 pounds since January, more than 8 of it in the last month. I can wear clothes now that haven't fit me for MONTHS.  I am very glad I kept them.  Some of my favorites among my newer jeans now require a belt, and some may be just plain too big now.  I got into a pair of size 10 jeans yesterday that I haven't been able to wear since the last Star Trek movie came out.  (That's the last time I remember wearing them before this.)  I have an absolutely beautiful green dress with a velvet bodice and a chiffon skirt that I want to fit once again.  When I can wear it again, I will proudly post a photo.  (I hope to get a good portrait of me in it, without my glasses, because they reflect the flash too much.)  It has literally been years since I have been able to wear the dress, and I love it. 
To accomplish our goals, we have changed the way we eat, including more fresh fruits and vegetables, and using sugar substitutes in some things simply because Matt shouldn't have the sugar.  (I have to watch it, though, my digestion rebels at too much Splenda.)  I also have gone back to the way I learned to cook, when I had to cook for my Pop, who had to limit his salt intake.  I use Lite Salt, or Mrs. Dash instead of regular salt.  In some things, I still use Sea Salt, or Kosher Salt, because of the flavor profile, but I use less. 
We are also having a bit of a competition about the number of steps we take each day.  So far, I am beating the pants off him, because I take two walks most days, and I walk a LOT in my job.  Circulation is not sedentary.  We are constantly on the move, emptying book drops, moving full carts around, sometimes shelving books or roaming the stacks doing reports, and going back and forth from the desk to the copiers and the self checkouts, and the automated book drop.  I also stand to check in, and I have developed my own little "checkin dance" that I do moving between the bin, the checkin antenna, and the carts we sort the books on.  There is usually music playing in the work area, so this makes it easy for me to get LOTS of steps in. 
I also spend a lot of time walking from one end of this house to the other, doing whatever chores are ongoing on any particular day.   
We both wear a FitBit tracker that tracks our steps, and monitors the number of times we wake at night.  He does better at sleeping than I do, but then again, I AM a "woman of a certain age", and I do have a tropical heat wave of my very own that seeks me out at inopportune moments.  (Like when I'm trying to sleep.)
We are both also using LoseIt!  a free app that we have on our cell phones.  Makes it easy to log our exercise and our food.  You can even scan barcodes on the packages of what you eat, and it will enter the nutritional information in the app for you.
So far, Matt has probably dropped more weight than I have, but he had more to lose, and he has been eating a LOT less than he used to.  Strangely enough, he finds what he does eat very satisfying, and the difference in how he feels is even more satisfying.  (Personally, I am glad to be able to get closer to him than I have been able to lately.  ;-> )
I have a lot less trouble from my various arthritic joints now that my weight is down.  This will get even better as I approach my goal weight.  My recent checkup revealed that my cholesterol is lower now than it has ever been, and everything else looks really good,too.  (Now, if the follow up mammogram next week show that the suspicious cyst has gone away or gotten smaller, things will be perfect.) My blood pressure is also going down as my weight does.
We are very glad we had not gotten rid of our old clothes before we started this adventure.  I had cleaned out the closet, and had the clothes in the car ready to go to the veteran's charity collection point, but pulled out the barely-worn stuff in the smaller sizes once we started losing weight.  Good thing I did, or Matt would have NO pants that fit at all.
This is working very well so far, I hope we can continue on to our goals and then maintain them long term.  That is the hard part.  Once you get to your goal weight, it is entirely too easy to slack off and gain everything back and then some.  I've done it more than once in my life.
I'll check back in here on my progress after I lose a bit more.  I also promised myself that soon I will order a pair of Boot Campaign boots as a reward for losing and keeping off the first 10 pounds.  Should happen soon.  (I hope.)

Poetry Experiments

Hiding.
C.K. Armistead
June 5, 2013

Behind the smile
Can you see the tears?
Beyond the wiles
I have used all these years.

Be a lady, be charming
Smile, always smile
Deep thoughts are alarming
And seldom in style.

But the thoughts are there
Drawing me to ponder
The truth of the face I wear
And luring me with wonder.

I am a lady, I am charming
I do smile, and gladly
My thoughts are not alarming
Nor do they pass sadly.

I can see now that there
Is more to everyone
Than the faces we wear
So easily undone.

We all wear a mask
To hide truths that we fear
When the better task
Would be to show the tears.



Oklahoma Spring

C.K. Armistead June5, 2013

When the sun is shining
And the air is sweet
The sky is the most beautiful
And life feels complete.
 Then the clouds will gather
And the thunder will be heard
And we all will wonder
If tornadoes will appear.
 You learn right quick
On this prairie plain
What's really important
And what's just a game.
 Houses can be rebuilt
Lost things replaced
Good neighbors and friends
Are better than gold.
 It's not the beauty of this place
That makes us want to stay
Not the low cost of living
We don't think of it that way.
 The reason we're still here
Has more to do with love
With grit and perseverance
And faith in God above.
 Even those who don't believe
Are welcome in this place
For we love our neighbors
Regardless of race or creed.
 And when the storms are over
We come out and set to work
Rebuilding lives and memories
Glad to see each other well.

The Things I Took With Me

The stuff I grabbed to put in the closet with us and Julie's cats on Friday night probably says something about me.  What exactly, I'm not sure.  You be the judge.

I was wearing my favorite (and I think lucky) T- shirt, called "Blue Sweater" by Michael M. Ornstein.

My "lucky shirt."

I grabbed my broken cross pendant and Matt's grandma's wedding ring, the earrings my folks gave me, every single pin and/or Christmas ornament that my friend Julie ever made for me, and my "thistle-heart" earrings.  I was already wearing all the rings I always wear, the ones Matt has given me on special days.  (Wedding and engagement rings, Claddagh ring he gave me right before we left for Germany, and the Black Hills Gold ring he bought me while we were at Rhein-Main, for our 8th anniversary, I think.)
I grabbed the usual financial papers, car titles, insurance documents, our birth certificates, etc.

I grabbed every thumb drive I own and crammed them in my purse, which I wore with the strap across my body like I do when out shopping.  Of course, I had my cell phone, BOTH my e-reader/tablets, and my laptop, all the charging cables for all of those, and the cable, etc. for my FitBit.  (Also threw my little camera in my computer bag.)
Matt had all his small electronics, his medicines, meters, the good digital 35mm camera, and his laptop.
There is a first aid kit that lives in that closet precisely because we shelter in it.  Alas, I was out of D-cell batteries, so if the big flashlights had died, we'd have been in for it.  Those two flashlights are on either side of the bed, and we grab those when we head for the closet.

We also discovered that a Christmas gift I bought for Matt purely on a whim was one of the most useful things I've ever bought.  It was a collection of small LED lamps, all sizes.  There is one that looks like a miniature camp lantern,  and it puts out quite a bit of light.  There are also two little "headlamps" with straps to wear on your forehead.  (More useful than you would believe in a pitch dark house with two frightened cats underfoot.) The two battery powered candles I bought for Christmas decorations this last year also made nice little lights for the bathrooms when the power was out.  Just enough light to figure out where you were without stubbing toes on doors and door frames.

The reason I grabbed all the pins Julie has made over the years is that they are true works of art.  I would not forgive myself if I lost one of Julie's creations.  Especially as right now, she doesn't have a studio to work in. 
 Some of these pins are miniatures of collage/paintings she has made, others are reductions of some art I own copies of that she made wearable for me.  I treasure these pins, and have them hanging on a ribbon on the wall so I can enjoy them when they are not being worn.

 I will try to find the pictures of the Christmas ornaments.  They are also pins and/or pendants, and are all original collage/paintings that she makes reduced images of for the ornaments.  She is very worried right now because if they don't find a place soon so she can set up a studio area, she won't get her Christmas cards or her ornaments made.  She was also working on a memorial piece for a good friend of Matt's and mine who lost her daughter last year.  The tornado took all the pieces she had set out of that piece.

Here are the Christmas ornaments that I have pictures of:

These are in no particular order, but you can see how detailed, and how beautiful they are.  I would have been heartbroken if I had lost them.

Some of the things that are precious to me are far too large to put in a shelter or a closet.  They are things I have had since I was a child.  My piano, which my parents bought for me in 1967 when I started lessons, and has been to Germany and back with us, and the hope chest my Pop made for me with wood from an old table we used to have, the lid is made from an old headboard that my parents used, and it is lined in cedar planks.  (It also has the majority of our bed linen in it.)  Pop made the hope chest for my 16th birthday.
I guess when faced with having to make quick choices, we grab the light stuff.  I didn't even think to put the wedding album in the closet, but I do have many of those photos scanned and on one of the thumb drives I had with me.

I also have a chair that belonged to a very old dining set my parents owned.  It is the chair I always sat in when I was a kid.  It used to be my desk chair, but now it lives in the dining room again.  It's not valuable or fancy, but it holds many memories.
So many people are sifting through what is left of their memories these days.  I pray they find that they still hold more than they can ever lose.

One thing all of this has brought home to us is that we need to buy and build a real storm shelter.  We are thinking an above ground one on the north side of the garage.  (In ground shelters here get full of water pretty quickly.  As a California girl, I have this strange aversion to being in a tight space under ground.  I can't imagine why.  Earthquake, anyone?)

 I think I will pack a special case with the paperwork, electronic records and some small items that we would be likely to want to

take with us, and will keep it handy to grab and take out to the shelter.  The only thing we will leave in the shelter is bottled water and a couple of tools. We need to have room to put ourselves in the shelter, after all, and maybe the odd friend or two who might be visiting when bad weather develops. 

The most precious things of course, aren't things.  They are family and friends.  My family all live in other states, and many of my friends do, too.  I do have lots of precious friends here in Oklahoma though, and I worry about them as they worry about us when this weather strikes.  We sometimes gab back and forth on Face Book in the midst of the storms, and certainly everyone checks in afterward.  I have discovered that I have some "friends I've never met in real life" that want me to check in after storms, too.  (I love you guys, you know who you are.  Means a lot that you care.)

So, as it turned out, I didn't lose anything in these last storms, either.  Only a little of my peace of mind.  Our favorite local liquor store has another marquee up this week that pretty much sums up what a lot of folks around here seem to be thinking.

I do know these storms were not God's choice, just something that happened because the conditions were right.  Still, it does make us wonder sometimes...

As Ever,
Katie

The Wonderful Gift Of A Beautiful Day

This was how we had church today.  Because of the Friday night storms, the power was somewhat missing at the church, and we are out of our cathedral space anyway, because of the roof replacement.  The power being out meant the elevators didn't work, so going up to Dean Willey Hall would automatically exclude some of the congregation who can't climb stairs.  The weather was so absolutely beautiful today, that we decided to have the 11 o'clock out in the East Garden.  It was a far less musical service than we usually have, but Mary Reynolds, Lou Kohlman and I did our best to get them singing during communion.  Mary started us off so we could agree on where we were and what we were singing.  Worked really well. 
This was just such a lovely, blue sky, birdsinging day.  It was so welcome and so wonderful after all the storms.  People were smiling everywhere we went.  Matt and I stopped in a couple of stores on the way home from church, to get some spices and to get some of the cheese I really like. 
We had a nice visit with Ralph and Julie, and it is good to see that they are hanging in there, even if it does get rough sometimes.  I welcome all good thoughts, prayers, and positive energy directed toward them finding a good place to live while their house is being rebuilt.  Julie needs a place to do her art, it is what she needs to process things. Also, their kitties really miss them, and would like to be with them for more than just a visit.  (We are OK, but we are NOT the RIGHT people.  It just isn't as much fun running our lives as it is for them to run Ralph and Julie's lives.) 

I took my walk this early evening, and the neighborhood is so peaceful today.  Children playing, the scent of people grilling in the backyard, a few mowers going, dogs barking, but overall pretty quiet and serene.  The sky so blue it hurts, with just a few very small wisps of white clouds up high.  The only sign of the recent bad weather is a few piles of tree limbs out by the curbs waiting for the yard waste guys to come get them tomorrow. 
Today I am so very grateful for the gift of this calm, beautiful weather.  The sun was warm, but the breeze was light and cool, the air was dry and pleasant.  I am grateful for all my Cathedral family gathered and praising God in spite of everything, just like we always have.  The Dean commented in his sermon about how this congregation knows about coming together to help in the face of tragic events.  He reminded us that he has heard our stories about the time after the 1995 Murrah Bombing.  He has heard more of them lately because the move to Dean Willey Hall while the roof is repaired is very reminiscent of those days.  Having so many in our communities suffering from the aftermath of the storms this past two weeks makes it feel even more like those days.  Now, as then, groups within the church are mobilizing to provide for whatever needs arise.  There are volunteers to help with cleanup, there are those willing to use expertise and resources to help victims who need assistance in navigating the recovery process.  The love in that congregation is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received. 
I am also grateful for my friends who have endured so much, and are still full of laughter.  My coworkers and friends have been a part of my life, some of them for more than 14 years now.  The people here are what make this place such a very special place to live.  Why else do we hang around in the face of such awful storms?  The people here are amazing.  Resourceful, funny, loving, capable of making you absolutely astounded at some of their opinions, but still willing to love you even if you disagree with them.  We stayed after Matt retired because we loved our church family, had been through so much with them.  After we made even more friends here, we knew it was a special place, and this little suburb of Moore perhaps even more special.  This is one scrappy town.  It's been here since 1893, before statehood.  It's grown a lot just in the 20 years we have lived here.  I've seen the volume of our library's circulation increase by a large factor. There are more stores and restaurants here now, and we DID have a wonderful small hospital.  (We sincerely hope Norman Regional will rebuild our hospital.  It is a huge asset to the community, and it met many medical needs for us with ease and efficiency.)  We also have a world class movie palace and IMAX theater here in Moore, and the man who owns it is very committed to this city.  He has already reopened the theatre after the damage from the May 20 tornado was repaired.  (And it wasn't much damage.  He designed the place with tornadoes in mind.  Smart man, and one we are glad is part of our community in Moore.)

I keep coming back to this beautiful morning in the garden.  Our columbarium spaces are just behind where Matt was standing when he took this photo.  Love South 15 and 16 are our spaces.  This garden is where what is left of us will be for as long as the Cathedral stands.  I am very happy about that.  Only appropriate that our ashes are left where our hearts have so often been, in the midst of life at St. Paul's.   Children play in this garden between and after the services.  Picnics are held here.  It is a happy place as well as a place of remembering. 

I thank God for the beautiful gift of this day.  I pray that all the stormy days are behind us, at least for this season, and that we may dwell in this sunshine and peace for awhile now.  Our weary spirits need the respite.  Those who  must rebuild need the good weather to complete the task.  May we be ever mindful of what a gift days like today are, and may we remain grateful.
As Ever,
Katie

Fear and Loathing of the Weather

It has been 11 days since my city was hit by a strong tornado.  People are still picking up the pieces, trying to find new places to stay, trying to get to a new place called "normal." 
Unfortunately, the weather does not appear willing to help this process.  They are threatening us with severe thunderstorms again this afternoon and evening, and especially during the time when I have committments and have to be out and about. 
One of those committments may be deleted if the weather is too active.  I do NOT want my 12 year old but in pristine condition car to be totalled by hail.  I will NOT get enough from insurance to replace it.  Besides, they don't make Focus station wagons anymore, and I LOVE my car.  It has been the perfect vehicle for me.  Also, I really don't want to be away from home if a tornado is threatening. 
I cannot believe that anyone will even keep events on the schedule in Moore if the weather is threatening.  Too many people are on their last nerve.  There is such a thing as too much stress. 
I may have to postpone my haircut also, even though it is for earlier in the day.  I just really don't want to be away from my house when the weather is like this.  We don't have a shelter, but if I have to die, I'd rather die in my own house.  I'd rather be where I know what I'm looking at.

Thankfully, one of my appointments this late afternoon was cancelled, and the other was moved up, so now I am home again.  I have the closet cleaned out, I know where the cat carriers are, I have the cats locked out of the bedroom, so they can't hide under the bed where I can't get them.

Now I need for Matthew to get home safely, and we will be all right.

The wall to wall weather coverage has begun, and I bet the Lost Ogle folks will be declaring the Drinking Game on soon.  It is looking rather scary out west.  Just hope they continue to go north of us.  This poor town is full of damaged homes and scared people who just really don't need the stress caused by this weather.
It doesn't help that the ever-clueless rail road is running train after train through Moore right now, effectively cutting the city in two and trapping a bunch of folks on the main east-west roads through town.  Only S 19th and N27th have a way under the train, and those are already congested areas.
You'd think they'd get their trains parked somewhere and their crews to safety.  The EF-5 in '99 threw loaded rail cars around like they were toys.

Watching what may be a tornado, or may not, going through OKC between us and downtown.  It appears to be north of us at this time.  

Back, and on my nook tablet as we have no power other than our small generator that is running the refrigerator and the home terminal for the wi-fi  We have no damage that we can see, and around the neighborhood, the worst damage around  here is fences and some dead (mostly small) tree limbs down.
Once again, it's GOOD to live in Foxfire.  Now, if we could just get the power back on, it'd be perfect.  There are undoubtedly lots of crews out working on that, but the outages are widespread.
Our foster cats have decided that things are just about all right.  They did greatly resent being put in kennels and crammed into a closet with us, our small electronics and lots of pillows.  So far, they appear almost normal, behavior wise.

I grow weary of the inconveniences, but then I remember that so many are facing so much worse.  I am very fortunate indeed.
Keeping calm and Okie -ing on here in Moore.
As Ever,
Katie