Veterans Day

VETERANS DAY     A day set aside to honor the men and women who have served their country.  It was first celebrated in 1919 when President Wilson declared November 11th the first commemoration of Armistice Day.

I come from a family of military personnel. Every member of my immediate family growing up served in the military. My parents and all three of my brothers. I was the only one who never served. They served in the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War and Dessert Storm.

Many, many, many of my uncles, cousins and nephews have served. Two of my son-in-laws have served. Every branch of military is covered in our family: Marines, Air Force, Navy, Army, Reserves. Two of my brothers are retired military and several of my uncles also made the military their career.

I have had many friends go into service and many of the boys from Boys Ranch that I consider 'my boys' have served.  I have mailed letters and care packages to my brothers and their friends.

When the movie American Sniper came out, Gary and I went to see it. I sat there and cried through the movie as I listened to words I had heard my own brother say regarding his service.

It has only been in the last couple of years that my oldest brother has shared with me about his time in the military during the Vietnam War. We have had many phone conversations where I sit on the phone and listen to him and cry with him as  he recounts stories.  I am certain I don't hear everything he needs to share but I am thankful that he does share.

Honoring them one day a year does not seem near enough to show our support of all they have done and the sacrifices they have made for our country and for us.

Here's to all veterans out there and to all the men and women who are still serving.

Top row -- my Dad - Eldon Power, my Mom - Katherine Kern Power, my uncle Harold Kern
Bottom Row -- my brother Wayne Corum, my brother Jerry (Bub) Power, my step-son Brian Houston

My son-in-law Perry Craglow.

I have no picture in uniform of my brother Steve Corum or of my son-in-law Michael Groves.

I have many more uncles who served but don't have pictures of them either. To every one of them and to all the others who have and are proudly serving the USA -- thank you!  

Ghoulish Meal

I know this is a little bit past Halloween but please cut me some slack.  We planned on having this meal last week for New Food Night. I made an unexpected trip out of town and we were not certain what time Tuesday I would be back so decided to postpone the meal for a week.  We aren't to far behind.  

So the theme was supposed to be Halloween themed food. No guidelines - just Halloween themed.  

This came about because Gary found something he JUST had to try.  A puking pumpkin.  

How cool, gross, disgusting, neat is this?  (Choose your own adjective here)

The brains of the pumpkin are a cheese dip and the barf is guacamole.  Serve with a generous portion of chips for dipping.

I found a recipe I thought I would make. Caterpillars.  They looked good. When I went to try and find the recipe again to double check that I knew what I was doing I was unable to find it  no matter what combination of words I used to search. So I just hoped I remembered correctly and that it would work.  

I simply took crescent rolls and dipped them in melted butter colored with green food dye. I wrapped this around a piece of mozzarella cheese and baked.  Now with the cheese kinda oozing out of some of these we thought they looked more pupa stage.  I think I coulda used a little more food dye or maybe left them in the butter longer.  

Miss Annette made us some  Mummy Dogs.  She also brought along some dipping sauces, a honey mustard sauce and a honey barbeque one.  

Now knowing that the other contributions were going to be a dessert type dish, we decided we should have some other type of food-food besides Mummy Dogs. So Gary made up a batch of chili. No special recipe just plain old chili.  

I was able to prevent a food catastrophe with this dish though. Gary asked me to 'taste' to see if it needed anything. I said I thought it needed a little more chili seasoning as I tasted tomato. He picked up a large spice container to add into the mixture. I asked, 'you're using cinnamon?"  Our cinnamon and chili seasoning containers are the same size and he had taken the cinnamon container out and set aside to get to the chili seasoning. 

Good stuff!

Now for dessert!  

Mr. Rick made a Halloween cake.  

This was a milk chocolate cake mix and I believe he said he added some orange and chocolate baking chips to the mix. The 'frosting' is candy corn and chocolate and orange baking chips Pure sugar overload!  WOW!  

K.C. made us some finger cookies

She said they didn't turn out quite as well as she wanted. When she put them on the sheet to bake she said they looked perfect!  They tasted awesome!  I told her we would call them arthritic finger cookies.

But wait - we are not yet done with dessert. We had someone new join us this week . Mr. Harrison joined us this week and he brought the best dessert of all -- BLUE BELL ICE CREAM!!

If you are not from Oklahoma this may not seem like such a big deal to you but here in Oklahoma it is. Blue Bell Ice Cream is made right here in Broken Arrow. They have  had all their plants shut down for several months and just recently re-opened. Blue Bell Ice Cream only hit the stores here in Tulsa on Monday!  Cause for celebration at our house (not by me as I don't really care for ice cream but it is a staple for Gary and apparently a lot of other people).  

Every Tuesday I say the same thing. "I ate to much". I try everything (yes even the desserts although I do usually try to limit that). And every week I end the meal thinking, I should have stopped before dessert or else taken smaller portions of everything.  

So there you have it. Our little bit delayed Halloween Themed New Food Night. What do you think?

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Emoji

EMOJI

How many of you use these little characters? Especially when you're texting? Or maybe on Facebook?

My younger grandkids love them. They will message me just all kinds of emoji's on Facebook.

They are fun to use.  You can add a little picture to your text messages.

Man I'm tired.

Send your love

Promote your favorite holiday

What a great way to brighten up your day.

However, I have decided that maybe I shouldn't be using these emojis on my phone when I'm texting, As you get older it's harder to see smaller print. Those emoji icons are not real big on my phone screen. But I text away to my daughters and friends, add an emoji for fun and hit send.

Now, either my girls don't pay close attention to my texts or else they just assumed I didn't know what I was doing. Or maybe their eyesight is as bad as mine.

It wasn't until I was texting my across-the-street daughter that I questioned my use of emoji's. We are sending texts back and forth about nothing in particular and I'm adding emoji's because she is,.  She questions me - what are you mad about?

Me: I'm not made that was a laughing real hard face - big smiley picture.

She advises - no - it was teeth clenched because you are mad.


REALLY????

I had no idea - to me it just looked like a really happy face.

So -- I am now a little more careful when I add an emoji to my texts.  Don't want to give anyone the wrong impression.

How about you - do you use them?

My Best Friend

Friends

We all have friends. Some people have lots of friends. Some people  have only a few friends.  What makes a friend?

I have several different friends in all age groups. I have friends my age.  I have friends my daughters ages. I have friends who are older. I treasure each friend I have for various reasons.  

I had a best friend when I was in school. I'm still friends with her although we have not seen each other in years. I treasure the times I had with her and the role she played in my life.  

I don't make friends easily. I tend to keep to myself. This is by choice. I've had to leave to many friends behind when I moved.  It's hard to give of yourself and then leave a part of yourself behind.  I treasure each friend I have had in the past and each friend I have now in my life.

My BFF (Best Friend Forever) was a lady who was older than me, about 15 years older. We became acquaintances through church and activities when we moved to Tulsa. Gary and I started spending quite a bit of time with her and her husband. They become some of our dearest and nearest friends. 

Judy and I were definitely a lot more alike than most people will ever realize. We felt the same way about many things and shared many of the same interests and tastes. Our age difference never made a difference in our friendship.  

My friend Judy passed away this past Sunday. Gary wanted me to share some stories of her and poems I wrote for her. I may still do that but today I want to share a poem I wrote for her today.  

STEPPING INTO HEAVEN

A step into Heaven was taken today

My best friend has journeyed away.

I rejoice with angels at her destination

She took it with no hesitation.

No worries has she in this glorious place

A smile of joy remains on her face.

In my mind I can see her glee

As she is united with family.

A spring in her step is present too

As she explores this place so new.

United with friends from her past

She takes her place in Heaven at last.

My heart is saddened to see her no more

But I rejoice to know she is at Heaven’s door.

I’ll see her again one glorious day

When my time comes to head that way.

Written by:  Kathie Marrs

                       10-12-15

Bible Journaling

A cup of coffee and the Bible. What else do you need?

I'm preparing to start a Bible Study for some ladies at my church. In preparation for this I've been doing some research online.

My research involves checking online through Google and Lifeway. Reviewing different studies to do. Looking up hints on how to lead a study, different tools and techniques to use. I also use Pinterest for research. I have a study in mind for myself that I want to do and also one I think I will be doing with the ladies.

In my research I start seeing all this information for Bible Journaling. I'm seeing posts on Facebook of people who have gotten themselves a specific bible to use for this.

I'm thinking, I better research this some more. I may need to get a new bible so I can do bible journaling.

This is what bible journaling looks like.

You can buy special pens, tapes, etc. for journaling in your bible.

I research like crazy on Amazon, Pinterest, and Google.

I come to the conclusion that I have been bible journaling forever. I just didn't know it.

My journaling is not quite up to the standards being used today. I don't draw pictures or use special pens.

I do however 'mark up' my bible.

I underline specific phrases.

I highlight verses.

I make notes in the margin.

On blank pages I write phrases I want to remember. These may be specific bible verses I want to remember. It may be something that came into my head as I'm listening to a sermon. It may be something the pastor said during the sermon. It may be something I read in my research that I want to remember.

This is what my work bible looks like.

Yes, I said work bible. I keep a Bible on my desk at work. I have done this since we moved to Tulsa almost 12 years ago. I reference it, I read it, and I have shared it with co-workers.

I have a bible at home that I use for my studies at home and that I take to church.

I have bibles in my closet that I have journaled in. I had to replace them as the covers became worn and pages brittle and torn.

But one thing they all have in common is - I have journaled in all of them.

Bible journaling is not new. But the act of doing it is. It is more advanced than what I do. I am not artistic at all.

Bottom line here is - don't be afraid to journal in your bible. It doesn't have to look like what you might find on the internet. You don't have to have special materials. You don't need a special bible (although I can see that the bible designed for journaling is nice as you have more room to write). The important thing is just do it!

Highlight away those verses that grab you.

Circle those words that speak to you in a passage.

Underline what catches your eye.

Write in the margins what the verse says to you. Apply it to your life.

Let me know how it works for you.

Blogging

I started this blog back in September of 2012.  I have published over 235 different posts with a variety of topics.

I have talked about myself.

I have talked about my family

I have talked out our search for a new church.

I have shared poetry I have written.

I have shared about family events.

I have vented about work.

Sometimes I just write a blog to amuse myself.  I do that frequently.  And if I am able to amuse you at the same time - well, that's even better.

Sometimes my posts are funny and sometimes serious. Sometimes I actually sit at the computer crying as I write a post that is dear to my heart.

I promote my favorite causes shamelessly. If something is dear to my heart chances are pretty good that you will be reading about it more than once on my blog.

Writing for me is fun. I typically have several different ideas floating around in my head. Maybe ideas for a blog, maybe thoughts for a poem. or ideas for a couple of books I have in progress.  I have a lot of items "In Progress".  Sometimes my 'projects' just flow out of me and I cannot type fast enough to get my thoughts on paper.  Other times they simmer just waiting for the right 'ingredient' (or thought) to finish them up.

If you read;my posts you probably know me much better than anyone who actually spends time with me. I share more here than I do in person.

I love to Google things. You can find so much information out there. Don't believe everything you read but it is interesting to Google an answer to a question you have.  Today for fun I Googled blogging.

MY WORD!! There is all kinds of information out there on how to write a blog. Topics you can you use, prompts, hints, sites to visit, the best blogs.  You name it and the information is there for you to wade through and try to decipher.

You can learn how to start a blog. What the best blog sites are. It's mind-blowing.  I think I will just stick with writing what I want to write to amuse myself and hope that at the same time it amuses you.
If there is anything you want me to write about, please let  me know.  I will give you my opinion, check out what Google has to say about it, and turn it into something to read.  In the same vein, if you have something you want me to write a poem about, just let me know.  I can turn most anything into a poem.  So what is it you want to hear about from me?

Grandson Memories

You ever have times where someone is on your mind? Thoughts of them keep popping up in your head for no reason?

It could be a childhood friend you haven't seen for years.

Maybe a cousin you have always been close to.

Maybe a parent whom you've lost.

For whatever reason, thoughts of them keep popping up in your head. Well, mine has been my oldest grandson. Don't know why but for the past several weeks he is just always in my head.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the two of us.

Here's a picture of the two of us earlier this year.

I've written poems for all my grandchildren and keep them in a book along with papers they have sent me or notes they write.

Here's a few pictures of Richard's book.

Each grandchild has their own book. Now some have more in it than others depending how many things they have sent me.

I was looking through Richard's  book and came across this poem I wrote one time after a visit to their house. I had flown out and was scheduled to take a mid-morning flight back home. My grandson was about six at the time.  We were spending the morning in his room doing one of his favorite things at that time -- making a tent.


                                                             RICHARD'S TENT

                                         "We make a great team," my grandson said
                                               As he fashioned a tent there on his bed.
                                    He worked and worked to get the blankets just right,
                                            Wanting to hide us from everyone in sight.

                                                I sat on the bed and read my book,
                                                   Every so often he'd take a look.
                                       Where there any gaps where people might see?
                                            We wanted to hide, my grandson and me.

                                                      Adjust the blankets once again,
                                                        Must not let any light get in.
                                                He got in the tent and beside me sat
                                               'Till he saw light and had to fix that.

                                            "We can move to the other end," I said;
                                           And quickly moved to the end of the bed.
                                         He worked some more and tried once again.
                                            When all of of a sudden Tom walked in!

                                   "Why aren't you with Grandma?" I heard him say,
                                              "You know she has to go home today."
                                                  Then from inside the tent I spoke.
                                                Richard thought it was quite a joke.

                                             The tent Richard made had hidden me,
                                                   And inside it no one could see.
                                             Tom left the room and then once more.
                                    "We made a great team," my grandson did roar.

Written for Richard
By Grandma (Kathie Marrs)
       June 6, 2001