Lazy W Marie

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

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41 in bricktown to kick off birthday week for handsome

Happy happy birthday weekend to my Handsome guy!! Today he turns 41. All this coming week he is away from the Commish, celebrating another year of life and hopefully relaxing and sloughing off some tension. Of course, being at the farm 24/7 can produce its own kind of labor-intensive tension, so wish us luck. 

Friday night we kicked off Birthday Week by gathering about 18 friends in Bricktown for a homemade scavenger hunt and raucous dinner at Chelino’s. The scavenger hunt list was 41 items long, ranging from super easy (selfie with the birthday boy) to awkwardly challenging (strike up a conversation with a stranger then start copying everything they say) plus lots of goofy stuff in between. Two of my favorite dare-type items were: standing in line at the movies to deliver a fake spoiler to ticket buyers (LOL) and also making the smallest purchase possible at a candy store after spending an inordinate amount of time evaluating options. I also got a photo with a guy scalping baseball tickets, which was not the high point of his day (I needed a Dodgers item for the list). And singing Oklahaoma! with a group of friends while people stared at us was a lot of fun. That happened twice. Oh! The human pyramid (see below) was great, and then when Trisha tried to recreate a romantic movie scene and my husband interrupted her husband’s line and the whole scene was stolen. That was hilarious. I tried getting everyone to join me in a water fountain for a classic Friends moment (water shenanigans was on the list), but I guess we are grownups after all. 

 

 

Lower Bricktown is so beautiful these days!
Lower Bricktown is so beautiful these days!
My own BW with our sweet beautiful friend Trisha (they actually went to the same high school) and her husband, also a BW! Crazy about these humans as well as their offspring.
My own BW with our sweet beautiful friend Trisha (they actually went to the same high school) and her really cool husband, also a BW! We are crazy about these humans as well as their offspring.
This street musician not only wished BW a happy birthday; he sang Happy Birthday to him over the microphone!
This talented street musician not only wished BW a happy birthday; he also sang Happy Birthday to him over the microphone!
Human pyramid!!
Human pyramid for the win!!
These two guys. xoxo I am so grateful that my husband has Dennis in his life.

Me with Trisha and Kellie! I love their hats and style. Also, pretty sure the merchant in this cool shop wondered if we were shoplifting. Ha. It was all part of the scavenger hunt.

Me with Trisha and Kellie! I love their hats and style. Also, pretty sure the merchant in this cool shop wondered if we were shoplifting. Ha. We were definitely not. It was all part of the scavenger hunt. PS: 3 cheers for wasabi cashews!

After about an hour and a half of playing around near the theater, eating brownies and cookies, and checking items off of our scavenger hunt lists, our big laughing group walked across Bricktown and up the canal a bit to join a few more friends at Chelino’s, one of the longest standing restaurants in the area. It’s Tex-Mex, always a crowd pleaser, with lots of room for fun with a big group. Our thirty foot table was overflowing with tortilla chips, colorful food, and good conversation.

bricktown walk c
Mickie and Kellie are two super interesting people, and not just because they are on an incredible run streak, but that doesn’t hurt!
Teh scavenger hunt called for a few particular types of photobombs, but it set off a chain reaction of all of us not being able to contain our dumb selves. Me included.
The scavenger hunt called for a few particular types of photobombs,which set off a chain reaction of none us being able to contain our dumb selves. Me included. This is our friend Bruce. His wife Serena was arguably the most competitive player Friday night. She sought those times aggressively!
He is not the world's biggest fan of wearing the communal party sombrero, haha!
He is not the world’s biggest fan of wearing the communal party sombrero, haha!

We had so much fun Friday. After saying goodnight to our friends, the two of us walked back down the canal and across Bricktown to our car, him playing Pokemon along the way. We were both smiling pretty hard. Our friends are really good sports, and we love them completely. Birthday Week was launched in the best way, and we have lots of memories to last till next year.

Happy Birthday to my steady, generous, loving, handsome, genius, talented, fun, strong as an oak tree husband. I love you always now and forever, and I hope the rest of Birthday Week is at least as fun as “41 in Bricktown.” 

XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

brothers gotta hug

We are enjoying some very special company at the farm this week. Lincoln, one of Klaus’ brothers, has come for a two-night slumber party and all of us here with the possible exception of Natasha the black cat are pretty happy about it.

Also, can we all pause briefly to celebrate this magical weather in Oklahoma? Summery but not Dante’s-Inferno summery? Yes. Love it. Perfect for playing outside.

This is second time Lincoln has been here. The first was for the pups’ one-year birthday party this past spring. This is also the second time they have stayed overnight with each other since being adopted to different homes. The first for that was when Klaus stayed at Lincoln’s house while Handsome and I were out of town for a few nights.

By all accounts and evidence, these two are best buddies. As I type this fun update, they both are napping. Fully exhausted. They have been awake since dark-thirty playing super hard. Chasing butterflies, supervising chickens and geese, digging mud holes, swimming, twisting me in a leash trick that appeared to be accidental but I have my doubts, trading threadbare toys, wrestling with and without teeth, and getting (somewhat) groomed. They have crashed happily on the cold tile floor of our front entry, having decided the plush couch with a chenille coverlet was just not the thing for summertime brother adventurers. A few minutes ago Lincoln did silently approach the bench when I woke them both up with a snappy fly-swatting (it must have been concerning), but now he is asleep again.

This is a lot like having highly energetic toddlers napping in the afternoon: I don’t want to break the spell. Like, I want to refill my iced coffee, but do I dare stand up and walk in the kitchen? No. Also, I guess it’s a lucky day to be a fly in this house.

Lincoln on the left and our sweet boy Klaus on the right. They fairly dominate a couch. xoxo

 

Just for fun, here are some differences and similarities between these two gorgeous German Shepherds:

Same:

  • They both love face cuddles and lots of physical contact.
  • They both love to eat. Perhaps especially dry salty popcorn.
  • They both are enraptured by butterflies.
  • Neither of them understands why Natasha the black cat is so adverse to being sniffed intimately.
  • While relaxing, Klaus tends to crook his front left paw under at a sharp angle, and so does Lincoln! Like, exactly the same way.
  • Both pups dismount a couch with the same long-and-lean back leg stretch, like they are preparing for an Olympic high dive.
  • Brushing? Yes please! Times two.
  • Their stranger-danger bossy barking voices are so similar it’s hard to tell them apart, except that Klaus can take his up to a bit of a screech, and that’s pretty unmistakable, ha.
  • Mud hole digging is a common hobby. But our daughter’s pup Bridget could teach them a thing or two about it.
  • Both of these magnificent dogs love rides in our farm truck. 

Different:

  • Klaus likes to either charge ahead or walk directly behind me outdoors, shepherding hard. Lincoln is mostly an against-your-thigh kinda guy, and he alternates between his companion’s left and right sides.
  • Klaus wants to kill the chickens, although he doesn’t know it’s killing. So far Lincoln is still trying to figure them out.
  • Klaus is bigger in stature and Lincoln has bigger eyes.
  • Lincoln is still curious enough about Pacino to poke his substantial snout into the parrot cage, whereas Klaus learned that lesson months ago. Respectable distance is the name of their game.
  • You all know that Klaus loves Meh the llama, right? Well it’s hard to say exactly what Lincoln thinks of this creature, but I can tell you that Meh is actively campaigning to intimidate our guest. Of course, Meh has been copping the same attitude with the horses lately, so. Who knows.
  • Lincoln saw fresh water going into the plastic wading pool over in the dog pen and immediately hopped in for a leisurely soak. Klaus was utterly confused and delighted by this, because to him that’s drinking water. He prefers to swim in the big chlorinated pool. 

Okay in the last few minutes these sweet dogs have stealthily relocated to continue their very important nap beneath the dining room table, curtained to the floor with a heavy tablecloth. This is where I am seated, typing to you fine people. It’s like they are in a very secret  fort. And they both are making sure to touch my feet, which I don’t hate. They are breathing out little puffs of air just like kids and groaning gently when they adjust and re-cuddle each other. I am basically in heaven. 

XOXOXOXO

 

 

we come together cause opposites attract

We have all heard that opposites attract. If you are friends of mine and my husband’s in real life, then this idea has probably occurred to you about us as a couple. In many ways he and I are not just a little different on some points but are in fact polar opposites; and while this brews up occasional conflict, big picture our union is well harmonized. A good blend of complimentary traits and strengths. And as love stories go, the conflict between us tends to evolve into really funny stories for the ages. At least we think so.

Today is our fifteenth wedding anniversary, so to celebrate we have compiled a list of exactly that many ways we might as well come from different planets. All of these entries are sanctioned by my wonderful guy, lest you worry. : )

2010 us in tampa
Tampa, Florida, 2010, the night of the mariachi band incident. See below.

Fifteen ways Handsome and I are exact opposites:

  1. One of us is mathematically minded and the other literary, yet both of us have creative streaks.
  2. Books versus movies. (That age-old conversation about weak movies made from excellent novels has fueled much eye rolling and deep-breathing between us.)
  3. One of us is a runner. One of us thinks heavy weights is the way to go. Pretty sure you can solve this mystery.
  4. One of us is considered OCD about most stuff in life. One of us is not. You guess which is which.
  5. One of us LOOOOOVVVES mariachi bands so much. And then one of us breaks out in hives when they approach our table even if it is at a romantic anniversary dinner on the ocean at sunset and his wife is so happy about it she is giggling and requesting songs. Then the one who breaks out in hives tells the “horrible” mariachi band story for years to come to anyone who will listen, as if his wife had tried to poison his food that night. And they never get to listen to a mariachi band again. Ever.
  6. Speaking of restaurants, one of us is keen to try new places and explore a fair amount while the other is happier sticking with known commodities. Or eating at home, even. Happily, the known commodities are all excellent, and the open-minded diner also loves to cook.
  7. One of us could happily eat red meat every day, in fact he feels best when he does; the other of us could thrive on fruits and veggies, especially if eggs are available here and there. Luckily she has a garden and chickens.
  8. She is a brainstorming, daydreaming planner who sometimes has trouble getting projects off the ground, while he is a fiercely action-oriented problem solver. He just dives in and gets it done, sometimes without even bothering to measure, which is interesting because if you are taking notes you might wonder how this works with him being OCD. He is even willing to invest in luxuries if they solve problems. Still, he always budgets and does scrutinous cost analysis. Always. And while she doesn’t always budget, she also doesn’t spend much beyond necessities. See? Complimentary.
  9. Along these lines, one of us tends to gives strongly worded advice and offer action-oriented solutions while the other usually feels led to be a listener or sounding board for friends. Hopefully, and we really mean this, both approaches can be useful from time to time. We love our friends so much and want everyone to be happy.
  10. Our marriage has a love-hate relationship with strong fragrance which extends to perfume, herbs, cooking spices, and cleaning products.
  11. We have almost as many books as we do toys from childhood. Again, you guess who collects what. I should mention here that we both love random, eccentric arts and crafts and that filling our home with wild color has been a fantastic joint effort.
  12. When we go to the movies, a rare treat these days because our own TV room is supremely comfortable, one of us feels deeply that the previews and even the Dolby surround sound teaser are important parts of the theater experience. They drum up excitement and make the buttered popcorn taste better. One of us think those twenty minutes are wasted. “Let’s get to the main feature, already!” (In recent months our views have migrated to center on this.)
  13. Paper versus electronics. Electronics versus paper. This particular debate makes its way to everything in modern life. #amiright Honestly the amount of spiral notebooks I have teetering on shelves throughout the farm is a little embarrassing. He has given up on trying to convert me to digital word documents. Wait a minute. Babe. Is that why you encourage me to blog??
  14. In traffic, one of us is like a shark in that he must constantly be moving, even if it means taking an alternate route. He cannot stand to sit and will rarely abide driving behind another vehicle. His wife is happy waiting and also doesn’t mind driving at the back of a line of cars. No problemo, really. Maybe a mariachi band will wander by.
  15. Reese’s versus Almond Joy. Kind of sums it all up.

I love you, babe. I love you so much. You are handsome of course but also just an amazing man. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you better and better each of these fifteen years. Thank you for loving me so well, for putting up with my oddities, for making me feel pretty great about stuff in general, and also for raising the bar in so many ways. I believe we are an excellent match and that life is better together. I hope you do too. Always Now and Forever. xoxo

Okay friends, spill it! Tell me some way that you and your One True Love are polar opposites. I would love to hear!!

XOXOXOXO

 

 

friday 5 at the farm: joy of gardening lately

Hey hey it’s Friday!! Another work week in the books, another special weekend chomping at the bit. In case I don’t get a proper Father’s Day post up by Sunday, if you are a dad to anyone on the face of this earth or beyond, please accept my love and hugs. The world needs more excellent fathers, just like you. xoxo Happy Father’s Day weekend!

While I actually have mounds of gardening news and information to share (The Members’ Tour! The front field progress! Lessons learned!) today I just need to celebrate. Since it’s Friday, maybe just a quick list of five ways gardening has been extra joyful for me lately:

  1. Members’ Tour: GAH you guys. To say that I was inspired is such an understatement. The ideas and affection that flowed from that day could fill a library. To say that I was honored, yes for sure. I still can’t believe I was invited into this gorgeous circle. But humbled. Oh man was it a humbling experience. I cried bitter tears afterwards but am all better now. Whew! Can’t wait to have a few hours to sit and write.TOUR me handsemo with sign
  2. Maddie’s Learning Curve & Friendship. As you know, most of my Thursdays since January have been spent with my new partner in crime Maddie, exploring the mysteries and wonders of plant science. Well, also plant silliness. We have so much fun. I am blown away by the progress she has made in her own front yard herbs-and-veggies paradise, and I am so thankful just to know her as a person. She and her Mom (our dear friend Mer) helped us out during the garden tour last week, and Maddie made me SO PROUD.TOUR me maddie gate supastah
  3. Bartering Services! Fellow Oklahoma blogger Cassie from True Agape recently posted an offer to trade her technical expertise (personal coaching, social media help, or blogging advice) for some garden design work, and I jumped on it. Though she and her family live in Tulsa, she was keen to work out a trade via technology communication, and it has been great fun. This is the first time I have done such a thing for someone I don’t really “know” personally, although she and I have worked together before on a few blog projects. Do you remember me writing about how non-running spouses can support their beloved runners? That was for Cassie’s blog! And I promoted her children’s book and marriage advice e-book too. Usually friends might trade a garden idea here and there, but to have a sketch of her flower bed and measurements, to be set loose with the invitation to “create some curb appeal?” GAH, so cool. I thoroughly totally completely loved it. It took lots of self control to not ask if I could impose myself to help do the digging and planting, haha. By the way, I asked for Cassie’s help in making this electronic space look nicer and work better for readers, and that invitation doubles for you. If you have any suggestions for the Lazy W blog please send them my way! I am once again in face-lift mode. 
  4. Flowers: Do you remember me saying a few months ago that I really wanted to increase our flower supply here at the farm? Well, wish granted. Or actually… Work rewarded. Although it was not much work. My gardens are casual but blooming profusely, and I am so happy. Most years the edibles far outweigh ornamentals, but not this year. It’s been refreshing to walk through so much color.zinnias
  5. Jocelyn is growing her own tomatoes, herbs, and even cacti, all from seed!! I clearly saved the best news for last. xoxo Do you know what’s extra funny about this? The fact that she planted her treasures in containers that can be moved indoors to evade the elk and bears, haha! This is not a problem known to Oklahoma gardeners. Do you know what’s extra sweet about this? The fact that she is excited for the smells. When she told me this my heart skipped a beat. 

Thanks as always for stopping here. Please check in soon for Members’ Tour posts and much more! The honeybees have some stories to tell, also.

What has been extra joyful in your world this week?

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom
which springs from the soul.”
~Henry Ward Beecher
XOXOXOXO

last day of may, photos & good wishes for june

What a fun weekend, filled with a little bit of everything!

may 2016 xoxo

Last week capped a truly intense month for us here at the Lazy W, thirty-one days of May packed with emotional roller coasters and the extremes of stress, labor, worry, joy, and relief.

So Handsome and I spent this long weekend in a wonderful mix of all the things that refresh us. We cuddled on puffy recliners in our concrete-floor TV room, a cool, crisp respite from the humidity, watching bad movies and great basketball. We went on a leisurely 300-mile cruise along Route 66 with fun car friends (both the friends and the cars are fun). We worked around the farm, continuing little improvements and loving our animals, happy to see the opening of pool season and soon the Master Gardeners Members’ Tour. I grabbed a couple of sweaty workouts. And we hosted local family for a spontaneous Memorial Day cookout and play day at the farm. (That was really a sweet memory maker.)

After all of that wonderful stuff, I showered late Sunday evening, during the Thunder playoff halftime actually, and went to bed with my cute boy totally satisfied. Life is good. Despite all the stressors, worries, burdens, and NBA losses, life is incredibly beautiful.

Here are a few snapshots and captions for posterity. While I catch my breath.

 

Natasha, Barn Cat Extraordinaire, killer of mice and tormentor of German Shepherds.
Natasha, Barn Cat Extraordinaire, killer of mice and tormentor of German Shepherds.

 

The east facing flower bed is gradually filling in with new colors. I am smitten all over again.
The east facing flower bed is gradually filling in with new colors. I am smitten all over again.

 

 

may 2016 group cars lucilles
David & Ashley, Brad & Mer, and me & Handsome. At the original Lucille’s in western Oklahoma, along Route 66. What a drop dead gorgeous day for a cruise! The folks who snapped this photo for us were on a coast-to-coast drive along 66 themselves and were having so much fun!
Our cars, respectively. Handsome drives the Bandit...xoxo For car shows we have a vintage wedding dress to display, an homage to Sally Fields.
Our cars, respectively. Handsome drives the Bandit…xoxo For car shows we have a vintage wedding dress to display, an homage to Sally Fields.
Two nieces and a nephew making the most of our red dirt pond, just like our girls once did...xoxo
Two nieces and a nephew making the most of our red dirt pond, just like our girls once did…xoxo

 

Klaus was in heaven playing with these kids! They wore him out.
Klaus was in heaven playing with these kids! They wore him out.

 

Kiddos collecting liquid chickens. There was much giggling.
Kiddos collecting liquid chickens. There was much giggling.

 

 

Here we have Halee, carrying our due-in-November new family member, me, my sweet Mom, Grandpa Rex, sister #1 Angela, and baby brother Phil. It's so rare to have the whole giant crew together, so we celebrate when even a slice of us can gather for a hug and a photo!
Here we have Halee, carrying our due-in-November new family member, me, my sweet Mom, Grandpa Rex, sister #1 Angela, and baby brother Phil. It’s so rare to have the whole giant crew together, so we celebrate when even a slice of us can gather for a hug and a photo!

 

Five-going-on-thirteen-year-old nephew Greg is seriously considering the Dark Side.

Five-going-on-thirteen-year-old nephew Greg is seriously considering the Dark Side.

Happy Tuesday, friends! I hope your month is ending with more joy than grief and just enough rest to reward all your hard work but not so much rest that you lose all that fabulous momentum. I hope you are so busy counting your blessings that you don’t have time to whine and complain. Let’s start June 2016 with some seriously happy energy!

Carpe the Heck out of this Diem!
XOXOXOXO