“Hay,” RDC Community, “Wishing you a great afternoon!”

https://geolatinas.org/os60demk

follow url In 1978, I evidently decorated a cake in honor of my Grandpa Yate’s 80th birthday.  This was taken the summer after my 8th grade year, so I had not yet been through the cake decorating curriculum in my Home Economics classes! However, because I just love hay, (not convinced? look hereor here!...OR HERE!) and because it’s RDC’s Half-Birthday Week, and because my dad e-mailed me this photo yesterday afternoon and I thought it was funny, and because it’s clear that even in 8th grade I liked corny jokes scribed into history by icing-in-a-tube, and because who can ever get enough reminders of Charlie’s Angel’s hairstyles?,  I just thought I’d use an entire post to say:

https://www.mbtn.net/?p=1dqdnka45 Can I Order Tramadol Online Legally HAY! HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON!

Tramadol Rx Purchase Love and kisses…all scented with freshly cut HAY,

https://penielenv.com/lmlvy30zmla [kelly]

Perfect Pictures: Post-Thanksgiving Reflections, “Meet Joe Black” Style

http://www.mscnantes.org/55vdtw8k

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/br4bqrlay Meet Joe Black (1998)” was a movie about the Angel of Death and his earthly dialogue with a wealthy media mogul during his last days.  In the film, the wealthy man acts as a guide to Death who, in the form of a young man, falls in love with the man’s beautiful daughter.  Called by some as a “minimalist masterpiece,” you need patience and focus to get all the movie has to offer.

source site Here’s one thing I got from the film, and a subsequent clip on T.V. sometime after it was released:  During a particular scene, Joe Black and  “Jamaican Woman” (as noted in the script) are having a conversation about life.  She waxes deeply philosophical in her discourse. At one point she says to him in some sort of summary thesis,

https://onlineconferenceformusictherapy.com/2025/02/22/gyxgl6ko5 …But the truth is, it bound to happen if you stay long enough. So take that nice picture you got in your head home with you, but don’t be fooled. We lonely here mostly too. If we lucky, maybe, we got some nice pictures to take with us.

https://purestpotential.com/q8zhh1rr4hs Later in an interview, Brad Pitt who played the Joe Black character reflected on that line.  He said, in paraphrased form, “She’s right, ya know…life goes by and every once in a while we get a few snapshots to take with us.  Perfect pictures we hold on to.”

https://www.yolascafe.com/hwt5b7dkik I remember the interview like it was yesterday because of the look on Pitt’s face when he was talking.  I don’t know what he was thinking about at the time, or why he chose that particular quote to talk about, but I thought about it last week out of the blue.  I wondered if our RDC team would get to capture a “perfect picture” somewhere along their Thanksgiving holiday time as they were together with family or friends.

source Continue reading Perfect Pictures: Post-Thanksgiving Reflections, “Meet Joe Black” Style

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: A Yankee Stole my Thanksgiving Dinner

https://mocicc.org/agricultura/qdenq89fm

My name is Julie and I don't cook.

Non Prescription Tramadol Online It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of cooking. Just take a look in my pantry. You’ll find tablecloths, napkins…just about anything one would need for entertaining. But no food. I never really tried to carry on any kind of cooking tradition. I was complaining to my mom about the lack of chocolate meringue pie at my recent Thanksgivings, and she confided in me that Marie Callender made her pie this year. She also told me that my great-grandmother used to make an oyster dressing that she (my mom) despised. The oyster dressing never made an appearance at Thanksgiving after great-grandmother’s death.

here I need to thank my mom for making this executive decision to discontinue that tradition. I’m sure I would not have liked it…but now – my lack of interest in cooking has landed me in a Thanksgiving predicament.

My husband can't wait until the "day after" pie slice, so he can eat it on a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal.

https://lpgventures.com/jw40ml5whgv I married a Yankee with three kids. They were raised on lots of northern dishes like chicken and waffles and shoe fly pie. Since I’m the odd woman out, I have learned how to make a few dishes since I would like for them to keep me around. It was clear one Thanksgiving that it’s going to take them a little longer to warm up to some of my Oklahoma dishes. I can’t understand anyone not liking brisket for Thanksgiving, but…whatever.

see url Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: A Yankee Stole my Thanksgiving Dinner

Simple Sabbath: Our Legacy

source

Lamar was thinking about his daughter today when writing about Legacy.

https://getdarker.com/editorial/articles/km6m771xn by Alfred Lamar Jackson

https://www.mbtn.net/?p=bkj7wtd9z1g Good Saturday to you all. I hope your Thanksgiving holiday went well and you were able to celebrate with friends and family and be thankful for all the blessings, great and small, God has given us. I didn’t participate in Black Friday. I never have and hopefully never will have to. If you did participate in Black Friday, however, I have no ill will toward you – it’s your time and hard earned money!

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/kzx5vw16fw I’m still in Jeremiah.  I do enjoy looking for relevant truths in the Old Testament just because some people think that the Old Testament isn’t applicable to modern times. I came across a passage that made me think about what I will leave my children with once I die unless, God willing, He comes back to finish the “story.” It is strange what becoming a parent and being responsible for another life does to your thinking.

go Jeremiah 22:8-9 reads,

https://alldayelectrician.com/bep4sjh People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?” And the answer will be: Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served false gods.

click here Now I have no idea when Christ will return, but I don’t think it will be before my daughter grows up. I could be wrong (smile). However, it makes me start to think about, as a father and as a believer in Christ, what I’m going to DO about what I leave behind to my kid(s). In the scripture, Jeremiah has been chosen to prophesy for God about the coming destruction on Israel by the Babylonians. He is continually distraught about his task because he knows it will happen and because God has already decided the city’s fate. He still tries to urge people to repent and even leave if they will. In the end Jeremiah’s generation will be left with a legacy. Everyone will know just why they were destroyed.

Tramadol 50Mg Buy Online As a resident in this great country of America I am slowly watching the descent into darkness portrayed in the government and social medias. There are still bright lights and God is still working, but ultimately I know how the story ends. The question I ask myself is “What am I going to do? What can I do to make sure she and her generation doesn’t have to repeat the same mistakes? Ultimately I  must leave her in the ever so capable hands of God. Yet, the father in me wants to protect her and fight off the evils inherent to this world.”

click Continue reading Simple Sabbath: Our Legacy

This Year’s Bedlam Is As Good As It Gets

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With a gullet full of turkey and the anticipation of tomorrow’s Bedlam showdown, this weekend is simply the most wonderful time of the year.

The right way to welcome someone to the best day in Oklahoma sports (courtesy sportsgifts.com)

Houses will be divided, trash will be talked, and twelve months of bragging rights will be on the line.

It’s tough to find an Oklahoman who doesn’t care about this game.  But tomorrow, Bedlam will be foremost in the mind of a football crazed nation.  The game has the prime time slot on ABC and ESPN’s College Gameday is setting up shop in Stillwater.  I might make the journey to the land of orange if for no other reason than to give Erin Andrews my phone number.  No doubt, I’m exactly what she’s looking for.

OSU is in unfamiliar territory because there has never been this much at stake for the Pokes.  The program has never played for a Big 12 championship.  Beat the Sooners, and the Cowboys will do just that.  Not to mention OSU can secure the first 11-win season in school history and snap that pesky seven game losing streak to its in-state rival.

Ronnell Lewis and the Sooners crushed the Cowboys 27-0 in 2009 for OU's 7th straight Bedlam victory (courtesy Oklahoma Daily)

Pressure can do funny things to a football team, but the Cowboys have proven themselves in crunch time all year long.  The Sooners?  Well, not so much.  OU still hasn’t figured out how to solve the equation of a road game on prime time TV against a highly ranked opponent.  The win over Baylor was nice, but routing an overrated Bears team doesn’t mean the Sooners’ road issues have suddenly disappeared.

While the Sooners may have been victimized by expectations, the Cowboys came into this season without any.  They’ve been a looser bunch because of it.  When asked on a local sports radio show which of his players were playing over their heads, Mike Gundy named nearly every starter on both sides of the ball.  Can Bob Stoops make that statement about any OU players outside of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles?  I’m not so sure.

Continue reading This Year’s Bedlam Is As Good As It Gets

Happy Half-Birthday, RDC!

It’s been six months since I began my “Red Dirt Kelly” blog that very quickly turned into what you now know as the “ see url Red Dirt Chronicles (RDC).” Here are Julie, Jen and her team at the Consumer Credit Counseling office, plus Kendy and I in a “home movie” wishing the RDC a happy six-month birthday.

We are thankful for your participation in our project as readers, thinkers, commenters and encouragers…and we hope you’ll join us in wishing the RDC another great six months, with many birthdays to come!

I just watched this video after having put it together in the middle of the night and realized I was tired…because, it was the middle of the night!  Glad Julie, Kendy and Jen’s group had energy to spare.  Hey, guys…can I borrow some of that!?  Maybe for our one-year birthday I can talk some of our man-authors into actually getting in front of a camera! Have a fun and safe “Black Friday” out there. Let us know if you bagged a bargain…or five!

[kelly]

P.S.  The music in the background of this video is “The Crow” by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.  I grew up on Steve Martin’s humor in high school and have appreciated the more developed “Banjo Period” of his artistic life.  Thanks for the birthday song, you wild and crazy guy!  One more thing – we’ve got some extra special posts coming up for you next week to celebrate our half-birthday.  Enjoy!

Time of My Life: A Top 10 List Inspired By The Black Eyed Peas

I may not be eligible for an AARP membership yet, but my aching knees recently served as a reminder that I am perched at the top of the proverbial hill just waiting to make my descent down the other side.

My recent awareness of the nuances of getting older has me thinking about the interesting dichotomy of spending our early years desperately wishing to be older and the rest of it longing for time to stop moving so darn quickly.

As a kid, I thought turning 18 meant I was an adult. The reality, however, was that I was still dependent on my parents, didn’t know how to do my own laundry and had to sit at the kid table at Thanksgiving.

At 22, I graduated college and felt like I had the world at my fingertips…until I realized that having a degree doesn’t mean much unless you also have a job. I spent the next year reminding myself to have fun now because I would have the rest of my life to be pinned down to a demanding career. And when I did get that first job, I was referred to as “the young one” for several years before a new “young one” came on board and relieved me of the title.

Continue reading Time of My Life: A Top 10 List Inspired By The Black Eyed Peas

Real Men and Crying

The post below was originally published on my blog on May 7, 2010… the day of my grandpa’s funeral.

"Wedding." Award-winning photo used by permission from Jeff + Jeanie at stu-di-o.com. Click photo to visit their site.

As I get ready for my grandpa’s funeral today, I’m reminded that a real man is not afraid to show his emotions.

As men, when we’re happy or excited about something, most of us will visibly and audibly celebrate. When we’re angry about something, we have no problem letting the world know. And yet, when we’re upset, hurt, or sad about something we often try to “hold it in” for lack of a better description.

While something could certainly be said about the degree of discipline it takes a man to hold in his tears, I would argue that it takes a lot more discipline to let them out.

Most men, if we’re gut-level honest with ourselves, would say that we typically don’t cry for one of two reasons. The first reason being that we don’t want to appear weak.   And the second? We just can’t make the tears come out no matter how hard we want to.

Continue reading Real Men and Crying

Stockyards City Cookbook Cook-Through: Jalapeno Cornbread

As it gets colder outside I am constantly looking for new yummy, fulfilling things to make for dinner. I love anything spicy so this recipe really caught my eye!

My friend April made chicken chili and I knew this would go very well with the cornbread. I will say that most of my girlfriends are constantly watching what they eat, so the chili was a Weight Watchers recipe – and – well, this cornbread is not so healthy.

I decided to make it not-so-hearty by cutting down the meat in it. I also was unable to find jalapeno cheese in OKC.  If you live somewhere around a Kroger, my mom said she found some there. I added chopped green chili’s to the mix instead.

https://alldayelectrician.com/k77l5jg2x Jalapeno Cornbread
by Matt Gilson

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix (I was raised on sweet cornbread so I substituted instead of Jiffy, although Jiffy is only 50 cents per box)

1 can cream corn

1 can kernel corn

Continue reading Stockyards City Cookbook Cook-Through: Jalapeno Cornbread

Shaking the Saddlebags #1: Trusting the Ball, Kneeling at the Toilet and a Parking Citation

As some of you now know, I have a complicated relationship with my “Saddlebags.” They seem happy to stick around, and I want them gone.  After mustering all my courage to visit the Wellness Center last week, I had to come to terms with the fact that: a) I actually committed to at least twelve one-hour training sessions; and, b) they started this morning.

True to the friendly-no-matter-how-you-slice it persona of the place, I was met with no less than three “good mornings” as I reluctantly entered the Center.  Oh, and one, “Good morning, Kelly,” from Joanna who just happened to be getting to work the same time I arrived for my session.  I think she secretly staked out the parking lot and entered along with me just to make sure I didn’t turn around and run away.  Effective.  Verrrry effective, those tactics they employ!

I descended the stairs into the basement level workout room area thinking, “I’m not going to be able to walk back up these stairs when I’m done.”  I probably had about twenty more doomsday messages ready to tell myself as I neared the door, but once again, the attendant at the desk distracted me from my fear-based mantras.  “Hi,” he said.  “Are you here for a session?”

I stared at him for at least two or three seconds thinking, “I could just say no.  I could just say, ‘Oh – nah.  Just looking around.'”  I opened my mouth to answer him, still uncertain of what would come out when a young man with an air of confidence, exuding Physical Fitness walked up and interjected, “Are you Kelly?”

Continue reading Shaking the Saddlebags #1: Trusting the Ball, Kneeling at the Toilet and a Parking Citation

Meanwhile Back at the Ranch: I am Living in a Time Warp…. Again

I guess “The Rocky Horror Glee Show” came at just about the right time.  I keep on singing,  “Let’s do the time warp again,” but I’m not dancing.   We can’t avoid the time change, at least around here in the good ole Central Time Zone.   I’ve always heard people lament over Daylight Saving Time (DST), but now I’m realizing that that is the time I really like.  I despise Standard Time (ST).

money
If "time is money," I am broke at least until next March.

I’ve read over and over the reason for starting Daylight Saving Time.  It had something to do with Benjamin Franklin and saving oil for lamps.  I guess I just don’t understand why it’s only important to do that March – November, and furthermore, what is so great about Standard Time?

This Standard Time is really messing with my life in so many ways.

  • I think my body operates on the sundial system.  During DST I am up at 4:00AM; during ST I am up at 3:00AM.  That makes for a really long day.  This is compounded by the fact that I go to bed at 8:00PM or 9:00PM during the summer and 7:00PM or 8:00PM during the winter.  No kidding, I went to bed last night at 6:30PM.

Continue reading Meanwhile Back at the Ranch: I am Living in a Time Warp…. Again

Silent Sunday: 11/21/10

Photographer's one week old colt, taken April, 2010 - Fittstown, OK (south of Ada). To visit "Brown Photography" blog, click the photo.

Looks like this little girl's parents will be up for more face painting this year as the OSU Cowboy football team continues their winning streak. Click photo to visit the OSUPics site.

Continue reading Silent Sunday: 11/21/10

Simple Sabbath: Matters of the Heart

by Alfred Lamar Jackson

Good Saturday to you all. I pray you are refreshed and ready for what God has in store for your life.

I felt extremely blessed to go on a family vacation and just relax, for the most part, an entire week. If you get the chance you should definitely go and check out the U.S. Virgin Islands. The best island is St. John in my opinion. It’s small enough to not be crowded, yet big enough to sight-see and stay in a nice place.

"I felt extremely blessed to go on a family vacation and just relax..."

https://www.elevators.com/bxhc2hk Heart Felt

Today I wanted to share with you something I read from Jeremiah about the heart. It’s something that I think might get overlooked when people are on the subject. If you could picture the heart as a pair of eyes, I would liken them to someone with tunnel vision. When we go with our heart (or emotions) we are often mislead, let down, or get easily confused. Jeremiah 17:9-10 reads,

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.Continue reading Simple Sabbath: Matters of the Heart

Counting My Sports Blessings

All of us should count our blessings everyday, but this time of year, we all put a little more thought into what we’re thankful for.  Family, friends, and turkey are the obvious choices.  Even though there are few things I like more than a plump, juicy bird on my table, I don’t know what I would do without sports.

So, to get you ready for the week ahead, I present to you 101 things that bring me happiness in the wonderful world of sports.

I am thankful for…

  1. Football on Thanksgiving
  2. Being able to watch Sportscenter on a loop every morning
  3. Whoever invented fantasy football
  4. Every time I see a game live
  5. The NHL playoffs
  6. An entire channel devoted to nothing but tennis
  7. The voice of Mike Shannon on the Cardinals’ radio network
  8. Rivalries in any sport
  9. March madness
  10. Winning the March madness office pool
  11. A summer evening at the ballpark with a hotdog in one hand and a cold beer in the other
  12. Throwback uniforms
  13. Any sport in HD
  14. College football’s overtime rules Continue reading Counting My Sports Blessings

Jenny’s Got a Gun: Budget Sharpshooter Bags Bargains (No animals were harmed in the making of this blog)

You won’t find a glassy-eyed 10 point buck blankly staring down at you from the walls of my home. I’ll never be found in a deer stand at 4 am, covered in doe urine, peering through the scope of a bolt-action Remington. You’ll never peek into the bushes to find me laying there in head-to-toe camo, with grease paint on my face and a branch on my head blowing softly into a duck call. If I do happen upon an animal in the woods, I may yearn to pet it or at the very least feed it. Shooting it isn’t on my agenda. But, make no mistake. I’m a hunter, through and through.

When you walk through my home, you’ll see my hunting trophies scattered around but none of them have been freeze dried or mounted. I’m a bargain hunter and I rarely pay full price for anything. Among the bargains I have conquered, you’ll see our last name artistically displayed on the wall in the entry way. I saw the concept of vinyl lettering on the wall in a decorating magazine. The company had beautiful ideas but their prices were far above what I was comfortable paying. So, I found something very similar in an E-Bay store and had them custom make my idea for about 10% of the cost.

In my kitchen, you’ll definitely notice my cobalt blue KitchenAid stand mixer. This particular bargain was a real fighter. I had to track it for months before I finally bagged that beauty. You see, it has been my dream to own a stand mixer ever since I started tuning into the Food Network years ago. I just couldn’t get past the cost. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t justify to myself spending that much money on something I wanted but did not need. So, last year, I grew tired of just stalking stand mixers and decided to pull the trigger. I studied the migratory habits of stand mixer sales and learned which store had the best price on the color that I wanted. Then, I asked my family for gift certificates to that store for Christmas. I gathered some additional store credit and scouted for online promo codes. Locked and loaded with my own personal brand of ammo, I hunkered down and waited for that big sale to come along. When it did, I sprung into action, redeemed all of my credits, gift certificates, promo codes, and rebates. Before that stand mixer even knew what hit it, I scored it for the grand total out of pocket cost of $ https://www.marineetstamp.com/p4ghc5ofpxb 35.

"In my kitchen, you'll definitely notice my cobalt blud Kitchen Aid stand mixer..."

The secret to big game bargain hunting is to never buy something simply because it’s on sale. If you didn’t intend to buy it, don’t need it, or can’t afford it, you aren’t doing yourself any favors. The biggest thrill that I get is from saving money on something I need or plan to buy anyway. So, I’ll share a few tips to get you started on your own shopping safari but promise me that you’ll be careful. I don’t want anyone accidentally shooting themselves in the foot by overspending.

If you’re making a considerable investment in an item, a little reconnaissance can’t hurt. Once you decide on the item you want to purchase, make sure you will be getting the best price and brand. I like www.amazon.com to check out user reviews and ratings.

Before you buy anything, check out sites like www.retailmenot.com and www.couponcabin.com. These sites have both free printable coupons for in-store expeditions as well as online promo codes that you can redeem for online shopping. I check them every time I am ordering online and almost always find something that saves me a few dollars. A great local site is www.consumerqueen.com.

Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and let the bargains come to you. Limited time sales are hot right now. You can sign up to have daily offers e-mailed to you. Websites like www.Groupon.com and www.livingsocial.com offer limited time deals in your area and some are just too good to pass up. I recently scored a manicure/pedicure for $25 and gave it to my friend Christy for her birthday. I also bought 10 Zumba classes for $10 and a professional housecleaning for $49, which I plan to use around the holidays.

Other sites offer sales that may last a few days such as www.ideeli.com for adult, kids, home items, and travel deals. Ideeli has many great sales on designer items that you may not be able to afford otherwise. For special kids’ deals, www.totsy.com is a great place to find everything from clothes to toys. All of these sites are free to join.

I don’t want to see any of you on a future episode of “Hoarders” so it’s important to only buy things you need and don’t get carried away with the high that bargain shopping can give you. While it’s fine to be proud of scoring a sweet deal, I have realized that I need to dial back on my tendency to “over share”. Now when someone says, “Cute skirt!” instead of “Thanks, I got it for 75% off at Kohl’s!” I just smile slyly to myself and simply say, “Thank you”. How much (or how little) I paid can be my little secret.

Now get out there, bag some bargains, and save a few bucks!

The Marriage Crucible: How I Know My Husband Loves Me

Here’s Mick in his “other-centered” mode, helping me clean out my summer garden.

The scene: Our little home on Harding Place, eleven years ago.  My muscles were so sore from moving scenery for our Spring musical dress rehearsal I could hardly get out of the car.  I had just pulled into the driveway, bringing the girls home from school.  So intense were my body aches that I asked the girls to manage dinner.  They were 8 and 12 years old; this was an unprecedented request of them and they looked at me like I had suddenly turned into an alien being.

“Uh, okay…” Rachel said, and she turned to Rylee.  “Let’s have macaroni and cheese!”

“I love macaroni and cheese!” Rylee responded.  And they headed toward the kitchen while I walked into my bedroom.  I sighed, took off my shoes, laid down on the bed and waited for Mick to get home.  I had tunnel vision from exhaustion and was concentrating very hard on our bedroom window.  “Get home.  Please…hurry and get here.”  I needed an intense rub-down with Icy Hot, some ibuprofen and a nap.  I looked at my watch while I listened to the girls in the kitchen.  I prayed that there wouldn’t be some sort of accident with the boiling water, and closed my eyes.

A few minutes later I heard the truck pull into our driveway.  I was completely immersed in self-centered thought as I counted the seconds until he opened the front door.  I heard him come in, say something to the girls and hear their report of, “Mom needs to talk to you.”  I saw Mick’s shadow on the wall as he walked into the bedroom, but I didn’t turn around to face him.  Instead I said, “Can you please go get the Icy Hot and work on my back and shoulders?  They’re killing me; I need some help.”

When he returned to begin his task I closed my eyes and winced.  It takes a while until muscles are worked enough to where they can relax and respond to the treatment.  Somewhere in-between “excruciating” and “sore,” I noticed Mick’s hands and arms were shaking.  Surprised, I asked him about it.  He said, “Well, we had to move three aisles of inventory in the warehouse today, all by hand.  I worked almost three hours overtime in order to finish the job, and I’m really tired.”

Another thing to consider is the availability of storage options that are both flexible and secure, allowing you to store items confidently. If you need to explore this further, https://www.surreystoragesolutions.co.uk/our-locations/croydon-self-storage offers an excellent service in the Croydon area. Discover rolling stairs code standards to ensure safety. Make sure to utilize warehouse rolling stairs.

I began to cry.  I asked him to stop, and to lay down beside me.  I said, “Let’s rest a while together.  By the time we’ve got a little energy back, the girls will have dinner ready.”  I had been so focused on my own needs I hadn’t even assessed where my husband was.  Our universes had intersected with mutually difficult and physically taxing days that had put both of us over our ability-to-manage threshold.  Yet he was willing to help ease my pain without even disclosing what he had just experienced.

A few years later I was reading a book called, “Constructing the Sexual Crucible: An Integration of Sexual and Marital Therapy,” by David M. Schnarch. As I turned through the pages, I thought back to that time when Mick’s arms were shaking from fatigue. Although written about providing therapy for clients with sexual problems, the premise of the book was that a couple is initially immature and “unspiritual” in their relationship, but at some point grows mature and “spiritual;” they pass into a vulnerable and ‘other centered’ relationship that becomes so deep a mystery is revealed –  the mystery of what it means to be intimate with one another, cognitively, emotionally and spiritually.

He quotes Sebastian Moore (1985) frequently when talking about this shift into a deeper intimacy.  I love the passage so much that I’m going to end this post with Moore’s words.  All the best to you as you find those moments of self-exposure, interdependence, hope and spirituality with those you love…~ Red Dirt Kelly

***

…Desire reveals its true nature when it comes into the moment of decision, either for the new initiate of self-exposure that makes possible interdependence, or for the cowardice that overshadows our society.  Tramadol Online Usa Love is ‘desire, decided for.’ (emphasis added)

…Desire is most nearly itself when, asserting my own goodness which is its source, I pass from dependence to interdependence click here whose soul is hope.  Then is desire most itself, so then am I most drawn – no longer by the obvious charm of another, but by the mystery that brings us together enlarging  that desire into hope. (Moore, 1985, p. 30)

Moore, S. (1985). Let this mind be in you: The quest for identity through Oedipus to Christ. New York: Harper & Row.

Stockyard City Cookbook Cook-Through: Mexican Casserole

This week I have an easy casserole that you are sure to like if you are like me and have a hankerin’ for Mexican food. Honestly I could eat Mexican food everyday of the week; the sad thing is we don’t really have any good Mexican restaurants in the Memphis area. I remember as a child/teenager, any time we left Harmon County for “The City” we would go to Casa Bonita for Mexican food. We even took our kids to the one in Denver when they were little. That was a real treat since they have cliff divers while you are eating!

On to this weeks Stockyards City recipe…

Cheapest Tramadol Next Day Delivery Mexican Casserole
from Debby Keeler

3 cups cooked rice (I used Minute Rice)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can diced Rotel
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can whole kernel corn (do not drain)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Spray cooking dish with non-stick spray. Layer the rice in the bottom of the baking dish. Combine ground beef, taco seasoning, corn, Rotel and mushroom soup. Spread over rice. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.[slideshow]

As you can see from the picture I used Mexican cheese instead of the cheddar. Also, if you like spicier food as my family does, then I recommend using the hot Rotel and the Hot and Spicy Old El Paso taco seasoning.

Like the Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole I fixed a couple of weeks ago, this recipe makes a lot of food. I have decided that in the future I will cook half for dinner and put the other half in the freezer for a later date.

Be looking for Whitni’s and my posts between now and Christmas. There are a few recipes that we want to share with you for your holiday cooking.

Happy Cooking & Happy Thanksgiving,
Jani

*Editors Note:  To check out other Stockyards City cookbook recipes, simply go to the “categories” section on the right hand column of our home page and find “Stockyard City Cookbook.”


Who Inspires You?

In today’s society where phrases like “fear of commitment” and “starter marriage” are all too normative, I am inspired by married couples who have persevered through difficult circumstances or otherwise made the deliberate decision to be committed to their spouse and their family.

As you may know, my days are spent overseeing relationship education services and supports to couples and individuals through The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.  As a part of that project, we partner with Oklahoma Publishing Company to make a commitment of our own….to recognize couples across Oklahoma who have beat the odds by sticking together for better and worse.

Last year, we searched for Oklahoma’s most inspiring couples through a statewide nomination process and produced an amazing calendar honoring these couples.  Now, we are actively seeking nominations for 2011’s most inspiring couples.

Do you know a couple who exhibits extraordinary traits such as team work, commitment, or has lived a life of infectious fun?  Perhaps they have impacted their family, neighborhood or community in an exceptional way or have braved sickness or other hardships as a team?

Please nominate these couples so their stories can be shared!  In addition to the calendar, The Oklahoman will publish feature stories on the couples throughout the year.

To nominate, simply submit 250 words about the couple, sharing why you feel they deserve to be recognized, along with a picture.  You can do this quickly and easily at www.newsok.com/inspiringcouples or by mail:

Oklahoma’s Most Inspiring Couples
The Oklahoman
P.O. Box 25125
Oklahoma City, OK  73125

You may also view pictures, stories and video of last year’s Inspiring Couples on the nomination site.

Reading through the nominations was truly the highlight of my last year and I look forward to again hearing about the wonderful couples across our great state!  Nominations are due soon, November 22nd, so please submit your nominations now!  We will notify selected couples the first part of December and move forward with capturing their stories and producing the calendar.

Real Men Are Fighters

http://www.whitchurchandllandaff.co.uk/News Clippings.htm

A real man is a fighter.

He fights… for what’s right, for the people he cares about, for the power of love, against adversity, to make a difference. He fights… for the cause, for answers, for truth, for honor, for justice. He fights fires. He fights apathy. He fights for his life.

He fights in France and he fights on the oceans and the seas. He fights with growing confidence and growing strength. He fights on the beaches and the landing grounds, in the fields, in the streets, and in the hills.

He never surrenders.

The strength of his hands may be required from time to time, but his fight is not physical. He does not fight for bragging rights or to prove someone else wrong. He does not fight for the sake of fighting itself. He does not fight in a fit of rage.

He fights for principles and values. For people, not things. He fights the good fight and though he may be fueled by passion, he’s bridled by experience and tempered with wisdom. He knows that the most powerful weapons in any fight are the ones that no one actually sees him use.

Real men are fighters.

P.S. Fighting in France has nothing to do with being a real man. I just thought this was a good opportunity to paraphrase Winston Churchill.