Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Red Bud Season

There’s a paved road near our farm where the red bud trees stand tall on both sides, intermingling with live oaks, maples, sand plums, and cedars. They are all so old and strong that they interlace their branches over the road almost enough to form a true canopy. The red buds are blooming right now, that shade of purplish pink that is all at once both hot and cool. If you are lucky enough to drive this road early in the morning, then you get to see the eastern sunlight slicing through those flowering branches in great, shimmering planes of color. Everything is washed pastel for a while, even the asphalt, and it is all so beautiful you can almost forget about thickening traffic patterns and urban sprawl. This beauty is intense, and it is equally fleeting. Soon the tissue explosions will give way to green leaves, a new season of beauty in its own right.

 

Oklahoma state tree, the red bud.
Oklahoma state tree, the red bud.

 

No matter how many plans I make, they seem to change; and the new plans tend to be even better than what I had in mind. No matter how much I celebrate the details and beauty of life, I am constantly surprised by how good life can be. Nearly every day something has been happening here to prove to me that not only are things “for the best;” but they are amazing. Brief seasons of beauty surprise us, nourish us, then bow out gracefully for the next act.

Early yesterday morning, after driving through the pastel tunnel near our farm,  I had the chance to see my youngest daughter twirl around and squeal tenderly, celebrating her plans for prom this weekend. I got to see the glow in her young cheeks and the sparkle in her pretty brown eyes, and I got to feel the simplicity and warmth of her hugs. She is as much a young woman now as she has ever been my little girl, and it is the most amazing feeling to see this transformation. I am so thankful for it.

Later in the day I went downtown with Handsome and his sweet Dad to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum. I had never been in all these years, and visiting with these men who are so special to me was an unforgettable experience. I had been scraping hard lately to maintain my attitude for the upcoming marathon, and yesterday changed everything. After internalizing what the first responders endured, I now want to run this race more than ever. If they can to do that work for nineteen days straight, then I can certainly run for four hours to honor them.

After that I bought our groceries for the week and was thankful all over again that we are able to eat so well. I felt deeply grateful for our health, too. The farm was happy and silly when Handsome and I both got home in the afternoon, and we enjoyed the baby chicks for a long time. I cooked dinner and shrugged off little projects I thought were so important, instead spending the evening with my husband, my best friend. I had horrible nightmares overnight, but he woke me up and held me close.

I don’t know what I’m trying to say here except that Love drenched every minute of yesterday, just as it does every day if we will only notice. The red buds are blooming and life is good.

 

XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

Marathon Monday: Why This Race?

It’s Marathon Monday again, but instead of talking about mileage and recipes, I’d like to tell you what race I’m running soon and why.

In nineteen days, thousands of people will gather in downtown Oklahoma City to run different events for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. People run for so many private reasons, but everyone runs this race both to remember history and to keep hope alive.

race logo

History

On April 19, 1995, the physical and emotional landscape of Oklahoma changed forever. A building was bombed; 168 innocent lives were lost and 680 more people were injured; and the lives of thousands of workers and first responders  were changed forever. History was altered with the worst act of domestic terrorism yet in our country and ever in our state. 

Everyone here has a story about that day. Where we were when it happened or when we heard the news. Who we knew that might have been downtown that day. Who was hurt. Who was lost. Even if you lived outside of Oklahoma at that time, you probably have details of that day seared into your memory. The images are indelible. Every single one of our stories is worth telling and remembering, and I hope you find ways to keep yours alive.

I was barely 21 years old, still living at home with my sweet parents and four younger siblings. We lived just a few miles north of downtown. I was just a few months pregnant with my first baby. When the bomb exploded I was leaning against the outside brick of my childhood home, feeding the dogs. The house shook. It shook hard, and the boom was unlike anything I’d ever heard. I remember feeling it in my ears and wondering what it could possibly be. The dogs were upset, but the morning was bright and warm and I was on a schedule. I drove on to my bank job which was even closer to downtown, and soon the reports started pouring in. The glass panes of the bank’s drive-through teller windows had shattered. The phone lines were down (remember that cell phones were rare then). No one knew exactly what had happened, but we all knew it was horrible. The sounds of emergency vehicles were a constant the rest of the day. We continued our work,  sort of on auto pilot, sifting through scant news reports as we could. I didn’t know it yet, but my future parents in law were driving into the thick smoke ready to do anything that was needed.

My story pales quickly. All of my loved ones were safe. I was horrified but preserved. My story gradually braided into Oklahoma’s story, and over time we all became steeped in appreciation for the people who carried us from those shadows of evil to the brighter, calmer days of hope.

Hope

The story of hope and how it has flowered out of so much evil is a long one, and it could be told from thousands of different perspectives. Most people agree that Oklahoma showed her true colors in those weeks and in the years since, that we rose to the occasion and allowed light to drive our darkness as much as possible.

Of all the beautiful ways to tell the story of hope, I am honored to have the chance to tell it from the perspective of my father in law, Harvey Wreath. He and my mother in law, Judy, were both law enforcement officers at the time. Immediately after the bombing, they were summoned to help, and they did. They never flinched; they just went. And their lives were never the same after that.

 

This is one of the fences surrounding the bombing memorial. On race weekend, runners add their bibs to the letters, stuffed animals, flags, and flowers.
This is one of the fences surrounding the bombing memorial. On race weekend, runners add their bibs to the letters, stuffed animals, flags, and flowers.

 

Over the years I have heard lots of stories from Handsome’s parents about the weeks they worked at the bombing site and about their changed years since. The view into their servants’ hearts has lent me a deep respect for these people who also happened to raise an incredible husband for me. Recently, though, Harvey agreed to sit quietly and talk with me at length about his experience as a first responder to the bombing. We plan to talk more as well as visit the Memorial Museum together. The fruit of this intimate labor has been wonderful. I hope you’ll stay tuned for his interviews, stories, and photos.

I am definitely running this race for them.

 

Until Next Week

While Harvey and I continue to delve into memory and meaning, you are invited to share your own story here. Whether you are from Oklahoma or somewhere else in this beautiful world, your story is important. Where were you? What were you doing? How did you hear the awful news that spring day nineteen years ago? Would you like to memorialize anyone?  Do you have any questions?

Then in the coming couple of weeks, please check back here to read Harvey’s story and get a dose of Oklahoma pride and love for our first responders.

 

Thanks for visiting, friends. 
Be gentle with each other and remember that
only light drives out darkness.
XOXOXOXO

Friday 5 at the Farm: Bring on the Weekend!

Do you know that feeling where you have a busy day starting any second now, and perhaps you are budgeting your minutes so carefully, and then all of a sudden you realize you don’t have to wash your hair? That is is clean and straight enough and maybe doesn’t even need to be brushed before this day gets going? I know. I love that feeling! Especially when it happens on a Friday. In fact, that feeling is why I have time to jam out this little blog post before my awesome day gets started.

 

 

Friday 5 at the Farm: Bring on the Weekend!

  • Today I am subbing at my favorite local school. And it’s jeans day. And my jeans are clean. And they fit my hips straight out of the hot dryer. BAM. Three cheers for running and not eating bread after lunchtime!
  • Tonight our world famous Oklahoma book club meets to discuss White Oleander. I love book club no matter what we’ve read, but tonight is special because we are gathering at the farm (I adore filling our rooms with these girls); we all have a lot going on in life right now and the hugs are vital; and we are discussing a book that no one else seemed to like much. I am one of only two people both locally and on Goodreads who have given it 5 enthusiastic stars, and I really can’t wait to find out why. Plus, I have a couple of games planned. *wink*

white oleander table setting 1

  • This weekend I have a 20 mile run planned. After one more next week,  maybe 20 and maybe 15, I will be tapering for the marathon. Excited? So much. Ask Handsome and our sweet friend Marci. They have put up with my running-blabber-mouthing the most.
  • We may or may not have a top secret overnight guest coming to the farm this weekend. If I told you who, I’d have to kill you. Not really, but go ahead and be jealous. And? The Apartment is already clean, fresh sheets and empty drawers and a shiny sink and everything. My messy sewing table doesn’t count, okay mystery guest? Obviously.
  • The gardens are doing so great you guys! The fruit trees and shrubs, the perennials and flowering bulbs, the herbs, the earliest veggies… Everything is thriving happily in these warm days and cool nights. The compost is even gorgeous. It’s almost too easy this year.

 

So that is a boiled down list of why I am so excited for Friday! Even more joy and reward is simmering beneath the surface. What beautiful things are happening in your neck of the woods? Why are you doing cartwheels and screaming TGIF?

 

“Who, being loved, is poor?”

~Oscar Wilde

XOXOXOXO

Marathon Monday: Flourless Banana Oat Pancakes

Hello, and Happy Monday! Marathon training is still going really well at the Lazy W. I now have two longish paved tracks from which to choose for my boredom buster runs, and last week I divided my energy and miles between them and the elliptical machine. A 15 mile run this Saturday taught me how much better I feel being really well hydrated, a sharp contrast to that Lake Hefner run a few weeks ago when I suppressed violent thoughts toward strangers. So much better!

 

This track was technically closed. But I ran it anyway, along with about a million other runners and sun worshippers. No one arrested us or even openly ridiculed us for it. As I ran the closed section I imagined Mission Impossible music playing loud behind me.
This track was technically closed. But I braved it anyway, along with about a million other runners and sun worshippers. No one arrested us or even openly ridiculed us for it. As I traversed the closed section I imagined Mission Impossible music playing loud behind me. It was awesome.

 

This week’s training is starting strong, too, because the marathon is in less than a month and soon it will be tapering time. Soon my anxiety will start to rise in direct proportion to how low my mileage sinks. I’m enjoying these high-adrenaline weeks while I can.

But that’s not today. Today I have a quick and easy, delicious, healthy recipe to share. You’ve probably seen it on Pinterest; maybe you’ve already tried it. But just in case, here ya go… Plus I tweaked it a little. It’s so good!

Flourless Banana Oat Pancakes

1 ripe banana

2 whole eggs, beaten

1/4 cup quick oats

dash vanilla

dusting of cinnamon

All you do is mash the banana and combine it with the beaten whole eggs. Stir in the oats and some vanilla and cinnamon, then drop in thick puddles onto a hot skillet (I sprayed mine with cooking spray). Let them cook on both sides like regular pancakes, testing the edges for dryness. Mine didn’t bubble like regular pancakes, so don’t wait around for that to happen. They cook quickly!

flourless banana oat pancakes
flourless banana oat pancakes

 

These readily accessible ingredients made three hefty 4-inch pancakes. After eating them and some strawberries, I was nice and full but not all sugared up. Big score! It’s an easy meal that provides lots of nutrition and lasting energy, especially for runners. Don’t you ever get slightly bored of raw bananas and runny oatmeal? I do. This is a great new combo. And if you’re interested, here is the pancakes’ nutritional breakdown: calories 325, carbs 43 g, fat 12 g (the good fats), protein 16 g, fiber 5 g. Not too shabby.

I think most recipes like this are strictly banana and egg, but that mix looked too runny to me. Adding the quick oats made it the perfect amount of bulky. And the finished product is not fluffy but light. Fresh tasting and satisfying. Just sweet enough, even without syrup. I have made a new addition to my ever-growing list of favorite foods!

Okay, thanks for stopping in! I hope your week is happy and healthy. I hope your meals are delicious and nourishing. I hope if you run that you sweat out all those negative thoughts and worries, replacing them with dazzling new ideas and a brighter outlook! And remember to hydrate.

“Our minds are like our stomachs; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite.”

~Quintilian

XOXOXOXO

 

Pulling Magic

Happy Weekend!! We have been so busy this past week, as usual I suppose, and are once again landed safely and happily at a little break. This weekend the sun is shining aggressively in Oklahoma, warming up the well soaked soil and brightening all of our moods. This fine Saturday morning Handsome has volunteered to drive to the feed store and also do the chores so I can strike out for a long run, then together we have some fun Saturday outings planned. It’s already a good day.

Right now for book club I am reading something that just inspires deep conversation about every other page. I can’t wait to review the book for you, but in the mean time, a quote and a question…

 

pulling magic out of thin air... Quote from White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Pulling beauty out of thin air… Quote from White Oleander by Janet Fitch. What is your theater?

 

I am so enamored by this idea, of wanting magic and pulling beauty out of thin air. And of understanding the theater each of us chooses. And to me this is most satisfying kind of beauty, not what can be purchased or acquired… but rather… drawn out. Imagined and manifested. Beauty we interpret and make real by wanting and then enjoying it, that’s the best kind. This passage from White Oleander is actually talking about sex and how men and women relate to each other, but the premise still applies.

Here is some of the beauty we have been pulling out of thin air here lately… Our theaters are colorful and loving.

 

chalk doodles

Spontaneous pastels and pencil art with my friend Marci and her little beauty Juliana. I keep the ones they made with my name nearby and love these friends earnestly from a distance every time I glance at their art.

cookies granola

A really delicious cookie recipe that stuck to the pan and crumbled when I scraped them off. So it all became a really delicious granola recipe. Also, so many kale recipes lately…

painted mailbox art

We bought a new heavy rubber mailbox and Handsome surprised me by drenching it in color! Magic out of thin air for sure. Even with me squealing and laughing and kissing his face, he has no idea how happy this made me.

jax big boys

Jaxson, our great-nephew, asked to give the big boys some extra food the other evening. He worked so hard with his Kindergarten muscles and my full sized hay rake collecting two full green bucketfuls. He dumped it, laughed when the buff tried to steal the bucket again, then sat and watched them, talking to me forever about dental care.

SPROUTS

My herb garden is slowly greening up with sprouts and seedlings. Last year’s bail, oregano, and morning glories seem to have reseeded themselves. Maybe even more than that. Snow peas are up. Bulbs are up. Transplanted shrubs are sturdier than ever. This is my chosen theater, my personal space form which to pull magic from thin air, And I love it. It feeds me in every way.

milani red shoes chickie

Milanni, our great-niece, reluctantly touching a baby chick. I have no words for her preciousness.

Every single days offers us hundreds, maybe thousands, of opportunities to pull magic from thin air. It’s all about what are hearts and minds are set to receive, what we look for and are willing to create in our lives.

I gotta run now, literally. But I already feel more magic thrumming its way to our home and to yours. Expect amazing things. Look for the bright moments. Be ready for miracles big and small, because life is teeming with them.

 

Beauty awakens the soul to act.

~Dante Alighieri

XOXOXOXO

 

 

To me, the best