Friday 5, Fun Stuff This Week

Happy Friday!! What is going on with you? So much here, as always. But even more than normal, my summer days are packed and I am pretty darn happy about it. This past week these five cool things have happened:

#1. We started the week watching a Thunder basketball game with friends and Tiny T tagged along. He took a ride on Buster and together they pretended like they were the Never Ending Story. Who am I to argue? Because the Thunder beat San Antonio, and I’m not saying Tiny T didn’t help. #WeAreThunder!!

#2. I attended my first meeting with the Horticulture Society of Oklahoma and had such a good time! Gardeners are fun, happy people. They really love life, you know? We learned about the Proven Winners campaign, and I added about a gazillion plants to my ever-growing wish list. I also finally got to meet the sweet and effervescent Jeannie Brooks! Such a happy night. I’m looking forward to more fun with this group, including a trip to the Stillwater grounds where they test plants and gardening techniques and also film television segments for Oklahoma Gardening. When shall we go, Jeannie? On Wednesdays only? : ))

#3. I drove to the Myriad gardens in downtown Oklahoma City to record a video segment for the “My Aha Moment” campaign. Have you heard of it yet? The Mutual of Omaha is traveling the country asking average people about turning points in their lives, moments when something clicked or crystallized so well that everything changed for the better. How often do we get invited by strangers to celebrate the amazing parts of life? It was so worthwhile, even if being in front of a camera is on my top three list of scary things in life. After frogs and hair in my food. To recap…

Top Three Scary Things in Life:

1. Having frogs touch me. Especially sit on me. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
2. Finding hair in my food. You might as well kill me. Because I will starve myself to death anyway.
3. Hearing the words, “Now smile for the camera!” I mean my god. Hate this. I freeze up so badly.

So anyway it was pretty amazing to hear myself say words like, “You have to focus on the good and imagine good things in your life for those good things to grow or happen.” I type this message for you guys all the time, but I don’t verbalize it much. It was cool. And the young woman named Sam who interviewed me was super sweet. I mean, she made me cry a little, but that is probably her job.

#4. I went to the orientation meeting for the Master Gardener program at out county’s extension office. They described the curriculum, asked us to submit applications explaining why we would make good candidates, then set appointments for interviews. INTERVIEWS. Do you know how long it has been since I have sat through any type of screening process? One million years. It was kind of exciting, I have to admit. So the next step with that is a half hour in late June, when I will try to convince the powers that be that I am worthy of learning all there is to know about Oklahoma agriculture. This is a pretty fantastic program, I am really really really excited. 

#5. The gardens here have seen lots of good progress this week, and the long, gentle rainstorms day after day have turned the W into a verdant paradise. I am so grateful for the precipitation and mild temperatures. All of my vegetables, herbs, and flowers have enjoyed such a boost from it all!

#6. Running has been on the back burner this week. Just like last week. And half of the week before that (I am doing elliptical work and yoga instead). So I did not meet my goal of “100 Miles in May.” But I feel amazing physically and am so rested and full of good, wholesome food that NOW I am ready to run again. The reset was successful. Bring it, June.

So those are five SIX wonderful features of my week! I lead a charmed life, for sure, and it seems like month after month my heart deepens with gratitude and swells because I just can’t believe how lucky I am. And I know deep down that one day (maybe soon) I’ll get to share more of this magic with two incredibly beautiful people who need lots of prayer. Thank you, friends, for praying for them. They need it, and it will work beyond our wildest dreams!

What amazing things were unusual about your week? Please share!

“If you surrender to the wind you can ride it.”
~Toni Morrison
XOXOXO