Barnswinging

Why are you not in California, I just googled you.

Barn swinging. Exactly as it sounds. Harness yourself and swing from rafters. This is an actual activity and there are designated places to do this. I have the urge to go barn swining right now.

As I was googling it, I came across this.. Out of 63 things that describe being a 4-state area, I am only 30 of the things. Given I am from Tulsa. Tulsa has a population of around 1 million. I also don't watch football, I feel like I should be given a break there. In reference to number one. If you are from Oklahoma you have most likely met Garth Brooks. He is a celebrity, thank you.

This may be one of the only times I ever proudly claim this. If that comes with the title of barnswinging then I am okay with it. PS Missouri is only good for one thing.
:)

Because home sweet home could be Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, or Kansas!!!
Incase there was any doubt... you might be from the 4-state area if...
1. You've never met any celebrities.
2. Everyone you know has been on a "Float trip"
3. "Vacation" means driving to Silver Dollar City, Worlds of Fun, Six Flags or Magic Springs.
4. You know that Carthage CAN beat Webb in football.
5. You measure distance in minutes rather than miles.
6. The phrase "I'm going to the Lake this weekend" only means one thing.
7. You know several people who have hit a deer.
8. You know what "Party Cove" is.
9. You instinctively ask someone you've just met, "What High School did you go to?"
10. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
11. You think ethanol makes your truck "run a lot better."
12. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.
13. You know in your heart that Mizzou can beat Nebraska in football.
14. You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?"
15. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
16. You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and jell-o salad with marshmallows.
17. You carry jumper cables in your car and know that everyone else should. (i know this to be true, i don't really follow it)
18. You went to skating parties as a kid.
19. The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires 6 pages for sports.
20. You'll pay for your kids to go to college unless they want to go to KU. (MO people only)
21. You think that deer season is a national holiday.
22. You know that Concordia is halfway between Kansas City and Columbia; Columbia is halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City. And, the Warrenton outlet mall is halfway between Columbia and St. Louis.
23. You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
24. You've ever said, "it's not the heat, it's the humidity."
25. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, and Construction.
26. You know that Harry S. Truman, Walt Disney and Mark Twain are all from Missouri.
27. You failed world geography in school because you thought Cuba ,Japan,Versailles , California, Paris, Nevada, Houston, Cabool, Louisiana, Springfield, and Mexico were cities in Missouri. (And they are!)
28. You know that there is both a Kansas City, Kansas and a Kansas City, Missouri.
29. You think a traffic Jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.
30. No matter how much you HATE driving in construction on I-44, you know that without it, the trip just wouldn't be the same.
31. When Tornado warnings run across the bottom of the TV screen you automatically assume they are for Kansas.. or worse, you step out your front door to see if you can spot the tornado.
32. You hear of a town that you can't pronounce and automatically assume it is in Oklahoma and believe that more than likely it is an indian tribe.
33. You actually get these jokes
34. When the worn out jeans look came back in style, your dad pulled a pair of his work jeans out of the closet and said, "Hell, I didn't think your mother would ever let me wear these out of the house again."
35. You've actually argued with someone about if it was "pop" or "coke"
36. You've partied in a field at least once in your life.
37. U of A, OU, Mizzou, and KU are "BIG" schools to you.
38. You know where Brad Pitt is from
39. You know that Miami, Oklahoma is pronounced:
My-Am-Ah
40. You know what "HOME OF THE THROWED ROLL' means!!!
41. If you have a wal-mart... you remember when the land that it is currently on, was a corn field.
42. You own at least one thing with the John Deere logo on it.
43. You know that Keith Anderson is from Miami, Oklahoma... and it makes you really happy.
44. Somehow you know somebody that knows Carrie Underwood. (Doesn't everybody?)
45. Your school had a designated parking lot called "cowboy parking lot" --if you went to CHS, you know this is true.
46. You, or someone you knew, chewed in class on a regular basis and never got caught.
47. You've been barn-swinging.
48. You use the praying hands as a landmark for directions.
49. You like country music.
50. You know what the spooklight is.
51. You stand behind Bill Clinton's presidency because he's from Arkansas.
52. You think it's enjoyable to watch people from out of town freak out when the tornado sirens go off for testing each week.
53. You still refer to MSU as SMS and you also refer to MSSU as MOSO or Southern.
54. You've been or convinced someone else to go snipe hunting.
55. You know what the game Critter, Critter is.
56. You know someone who makes moonshine and/or you've drank some.
57. Directions to your house include "turn off the paved road"
58. You've started a bonfire with gasoline and a shot gun and all you did before hand was yell, "hey ya'll watch this!"
59. You use "eem" instead of the pronoun "him" as in, "Did you ask eem over for dinner?"
60. You pronounce the days of the week as, Mondee, tuesdee, wednesdee, thursdee, etc.
61. You've ever invited friends to "cruise main"
62. You use the kitchen hand towel as the community napkin at meals.
63. A traffic jam is when 2 people sit at a 4-way stop, prepared to be the" bigger person", and let the other go first.

Introductions Part two: inside my pocket

I shall keep you safe.

I've met some beautiful people along my journey in life. I cannot even describe. I look at photographs, I look at random bits and pieces that I've obtained over the years. Memories, there are so many of them. I sometimes forget how to connect the dots.

This is an old one.
Meet Ben. note: not to be confused with the Big Ben from last introduction series.
Benjamin Patrick Woolslayer, 6'5", was my third boyfriend and high school best friend. He tried to date me for a year. One time we were at a dance and he was asked me why I wouldn't date him. My 5'6 self replied, "I don't date down." Three months later we started dating. Benny lived in hollywood and went to Musicians institute. One of the best guitar players I have met.

Meet Mackerpie, also known as Max Anderson. Welcome to the world of genius. Max loves China. He is the best listener. And could run the world if he wanted to. Scary huh?

Meet Westley Youngren. Always changing but always dependable except for when he joins the Marines without telling anyone and I receive phone calls for weeks from people wondering where he went. Other than that, he is a future CIA agent. Dream is to marry Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, become Jewish, and live a life of adventure. Secret: He once got a tattoo of the star of David on his chest because he was bored.

Meet James. My love. He likes spiderman and walks to the park. He also has an orange belt in karate. Maybe tae kwon do. Spore is his video game of choice. He just turned 5. He was one when I first laid eyes on him.

Meet the Marks. I've officially adopted their family. I adore them and they are so genuine and fun. I truly feel like a part of their family. Miss you guys this thanksgiving. Love you guys.



Meet the last four years. Jessi Duke, Samantha May, Bethany Lomas.
Without knowing these girls I moved into the smallest room imaginable and fours years later here we are in a house (we keep multiplying out things). We've shared so much and so many laughs. I'm blessed to have them in my life. They are the reason I stayed in California. They make life enjoyable and fun. Jessi and Beth are talented and creative beings who will change your life. No joke. Look how we've grown.


There are far more to come, don't worry. I just get overwhelmed by thinking about it.
The past must meet the present at some point in time. Even if a persons presence is not there, there is still impact.

With that, my heart is full and thankful.

as of late

I feel like I've just been hit by buss

I grow up in 3 weeks. I just found out. Thanks life.

Irrational thoughts

create over exaggerated emotions.

Welcome to fear. Mozambique, the adjectives attached in the back of my brain for this place are more on the lines of a negative connotation. This particular instance was fear.

Megan, Amanda, and I pack our bags, it is seven am. Today we were going on a two day trip to visit the Farm and we are very late, It is noon, Pastor Peter was never on time, Nor is Africa ever on time. The Farm was a title given to a plot of land that the Laubscher's helped Mama Rita and Pastor Peter fund so they and their orphans could have a food in the most sustainable form. We packed sleeping bags and clothes with a few metacash. Which by this point in the trip, was not too much. We hopped onto a shoppa that would take us to our location. The shoppa was crammed as always and smelly. An hour or so later, we are finally at a stop.

At our stop we are addressed by a few men taking our bags. We then notice our bags being placed on bicycles with the hand motion of hop, we learned hand motions very quickly, because these men did not speak English nor Portuguese. "Hop on? What are you talking about" is the phrase the three of us girls are thinking. But yes, the men were serious we would travel on the bicylces. First, we go through a forest, then we go through a pond, and twenty minutes later, we are still going. Now we are in a corn field making all these crazy turns into this maze terrain. We are trapped.

The only thing running through my head is, we are going to die. These men don't speak English and we don't speak Sena. We don't know where we are going and no one knows where we are. My pay by the minute cell phone has no reception and I have no idea how to call anyone on it. Horror movie status. I think about crying but that won't help me stay on the bicycle. My driver loses his balance, we fall.

I ponder the situation we are in. I devise the escape plan. If something happens in the middle of the night this is what we should do. Put on our tennis shoes, put what dark clothes we have on, grab what's important and run. We don't know where we are and we don't have a map. But we will run toward the water. Except for there isn't one main river. Dang. But still follow a river all the way to the nearest road. Lay low and keep together. The lighter the load the quicker we can go.

Yes, these are truly thoughts running through my head. My driver slips again, we fall into a ditch. Amanda is gone. Where did she go.

Two hours later, we are at a hut and church combined, we are in the middle of a corn field. We are late. We wait, Amanda finally shows up, she is injured and bleeding. Amanda and I walk to another hut to where a pastor lives, our things are in their hut and I find my first aid kid. There is a dog watching me intensely and growling. I will die. Amanda and I will die.

We go back to the church and sit on a straw mat and wait some more, we fall asleep. We wake up and are fed Sheema and fish. We don't drink the water, we never do.

We wait some more, sundown is approaching. Reflection is inevitable.


Welcome to my world.





Welcome to the Farm,



Make a Joyful Noise All the Earth

Psalm 66: 1-4

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name."

Selah