notinKansasanymore

Excie, how's the job thing going? I am praying for you.

Great letter, Rascal. (((((you)))))

But what will you do about the Texans who like Obama? The ones who were "less than happy" with W.? I am a 5th generation Texan, and I agree with the Dixie Chicks. I also like Shiner, and can shoot a straight bullet. I think of fried okra as a delicacy, and sweet tea as a necessity. My daddy's given name, at birth, was "Junior." I have not one single Yankee in my ancestry; we checked. As soon as there was a South, that's where my folks were. In sum, I think that I'm as much "Texas" as anybody breathing, and I am a HUGE Obama supporter. Since one of the hallmarks of Texas is independant thought, what will you do with the Texans who are just pie-eyed happy with the recent election? Those of us doing flippety-flips of joy? With our big hair, boots, and Jeeps?

Thanks, mchud11. One thing that I forgot to mention was the lo-o-ng span of years before some very important dreams were realized. I didn't even meet my husband until I was 38 years old. There were plenty of other opportunities, but I knew that they were not "it" for me. There were also two or three who were, for awhile, "the ones who got away." I read an article, about that time, which explained that I had a higher chance of getting caught in a terrorist attack than of finding a great husband, at that age. And children? That was supposed to be more and more impossible with each passing year, as well. Somehow, things happened when they were supposed to, and when Mr.niKa and I finally met, there were no longer any at all who had "gotten away." We even had little ones with no significant trouble or special help, despite my having waited so long, and being almost 40 and almost 42 when they were born. Maybe the moral of that story is that one must be stubborn with dreams, at times. They are not "sure things," and they require courage.

Interesting question. The biggest childhood dream that I can remember was to go to college. This was not typical for a girl from a small town in my part of Texas, in the mid-sixties. Later, when I was about thirteen, I once confided to my best friend that I had a dream to go to college. She was pretty surprised. "You can't go to college," she exclaimed, "unless you want to be a whore!" There were three of us who palled around together in Junior High; of the three, I am the only one who finished 9th grade. I had finished my Freshman year at our hometown college when I got distracted into TWI, and thus began the maelstrom. After a dozen years out, I left TWI and finished school, in a different state. The fact that I'm now a professor is just plain sweet. I don't know about the "whore" thing; I suppose that depends upon one's environment. I learned much more about looseness in TWI than in my hometown, or in college either; that's for sure. Other dreams came later, when I was a bit older. I wanted a wonderful husband and a good marriage, and wanted to have a lot of children. I wanted to see Paris, go to Disneyworld (don't laugh - remember, I am from the sticks), and go to Hawaii. Mr. niKa is (sounds trite, but I don't care) an amazing man, and the love of my life, and my favorite of any man I ever dated, ever, amen. That's saying something, because some of you Ministry guys were fabulous, wonderful gentlemen. I am the mom of two children, but we really have four, counting my steps. I count them completely; they're mine. Mr.niKa and I went to Disneyworld together, and loved it, the first year we were married. After my children were born, my in-laws kept the kids while we went to Paris; I spent three days in the Louvre. It was completely glorious. A couple of weeks ago, we got back from our second trip together to Hawaii. I think that part of the key to living is never to stop dreaming. I did my old list; now there's a new list. We can never stop the dreaming thing; it's as important as the breathing thing. I'm pretty sure that some of the things on the new list will be impossible for me, but that's kind of how I felt about the old list. Having a diverse list makes me extra thankful for the wild things that I do occasionally get to check off. To all of you: good luck with your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.

WoooooHOOOOOO!!!!! We have a new President. May God bless and protect him and his family and loved ones. May God bless and protect The United States of America. Tonight, we toasted "absent friends," who worked so hard for this moment, yet never lived to see it. A great cloud of witnesses, indeed.

No, I didn't see anyone, but I should have thought of it. I gave my last final the day that we left (again), and was mostly just thinking of getting everything in the suitcase! It was a nice time alone with Mr.niKa; we missed one another quite a bit during his Sabbatical last year. Today I witnessed a car accident, and was one of two first responders. Not that I know anything about responding, but the pickings for responders were kind of slim at the moment. Nobody was seriously injured, but one man was hurt in his knees, and was badly shaken. He refused the ambulance, saying that he couldn't afford medical treatment. The accident was his fault, and I'm thinking that he might not have had any insurance, either. It reminded me of two things: none of us is guaranteed tomorrow, and we should be thankful every day that we wake up. Next, we should always be thankful for the blessings that we have; if we have a roof, some food, and enough resources for things like wine and insurance and ice cream and books, that's really an over-the-top blessing.

Oh, what a game! I only got to see the first half, in an airport bar in Honolulu, so the score was still 7 to 7, when we got on the plane. By the time we landed on another island, to learn that our flight to Los Angeles had been cancelled, we also learned the football score. Not my favorite evening, but the environment did help to smooth things out. Well, I think that we just plain got outplayed in the second half. Florida did a great job, and they certainly deserve this year's title.

Oprah won my heart with her Angel network, her bookclub, her open discussions of awareness and prevention of child abuse, her frank discussions about how to keep children safe from home accidents, her love of stain removal, and most particularly the residential school for girls that she opened, and supports every dime of, in Africa. I like it when good things happen to nice people. She understands abused and molested children because she was one herself. She understands working hard and being successful even if one doesn't come from a background of privilege, because that's her own story. She was the little poor fat girl, molested by her own extended family, and it's no wonder that she still carries some of that kid around inside her. Don't we all carry our past fears, successes, failures, and other experiences that have made us who we are? Things that would have crippled others did not cripple her, and she validates her life every day that she stands up and helps others not to be "that kid" either. Lots of little kids get abused. Not all of them grow up to found schools, or inspire millions of American girls and women to believe in themselves.

(((((mikey))))) At least he's a Stoops. Go, Mikey!!

Whoa, Nelly. It's cold here. Rocky, Simon, KarmicDebt, and Fellowshipper, I'm geographically jealous of you. :ph34r:

Sam Bradford won the Heisman!! Worked his butt off to do it, too! I just love it when good things happen to nice people. He gave credit to his position coach, Josh Heupel, who was a runner-up for the Heisman, but didn't win it. Heupel went on to lead the team to a national chamionship that year (2000), but he'll never get to have a huge bronze statue outside the football stadium, like the Heisman guys do. Bradford told Heupel from the podium that he'd always been one of his heroes. There is a funny story associated with that 2000 championship game. When they went out to do the coin toss, one of the massive captians of the OU team looked the opposing quarterback (who had won the Heisman away from Heupel weeks before) right in the eye and said in a low and threatening voice, "I'm monna git mah boy's Heisman back." By all accounts, that young lineman did rather well in exerting pressure on the opposing quarterback during the ensuing game. love, niKa

Never ever ever ever! (((((((((Excie))))))))) I had no idea that there was trouble, and hope that a new, better job opens up soon. And whatever the "worse" is, I'm praying that it gets better. love, niKa

Thanks, Rock! It's been an interesting football season, and we'll have to see how things turn out. I'm still a little hoarse from all the yelling, but it surely was fun! Your comments on the Kansas thing were very sweet, and much appreciated. It's been a hard struggle for all of us; Greasespot has helped me to feel not so alone in the restoration of myself. We all used to be these idealistic, hopeful kids, who thought that we did would actually affect the world. Somewhere inside each of us, still, is that kid, and those dreams. The way we think about our roles in this world has a direct affect on our daily decisions and actions; to the extent that TWI stunted our understandings of who we are and what we can do, we were slowed. We do not have to have been stopped. That's entirely up to us. Today. love, niKa

This was after the game; the Missouri side was pretty cleared out by then, but they'd done a good job of filling it up for the game. Mr. niKa wanted to make sure to get a photo of the score. Men.

What. A. Game. It was lots of fun! We took the little ones, and our big daughter, and her boyfriend, and the six of us left for Kansas City not long after my last post to this thread. It was nothin' but cold, but we had footwarmers and handwarmers and blankets and balaklavas and were so covered up with scarves and such that there was not much room to move around in the stands. Folks wore their Carhardt farm overalls and their earmuffs and we all yelled our heads off and jumped around like fools and then screamed louder. The crowd lost it when our band, The Pride, did their little pregame show - when the drum major ran through the lines of marching trombonists and flutists and got out in front of the band and laid his head back into that struttin-drum-major thing that he does, the stadium erupted, and it never settled down very much all night. We gave the kids a little chocolate every time the Sooners scored, and ran out of candy before we ran out of game. It was amazing to see half of that huge stadium completely filled with Crimson, and to know that most of those folks had been on the same highway as we'd been on. I thought, "that's a lot of hotel rooms." One interesting thing happened, on the way up. It was a sunny, windy, somewhat brown and bleak-looking ride through the Flint Hills. As we passed the Emporia city limits sign, I remarked to my husband, "I spent two years of my life in Emporia." "I feel for you, Babe," he answered. "I was a lot younger and stronger then, and much, much dumber," I said. "Mom, could I have a granola bar?" came a voice from the back seat. "Sure, honey," I said, and rustled one out of the snack bag, passing it back. And then the conversation turned to particularly ordinary, family things. So it went, that my time in Emporia was reduced to a small footnote in a family interaction. Maybe, just maybe, I really am Not In Kansas Anymore. Love, niKa

Hi, Excie! Thanks for bringing us back up to the top. How's your morning? I hope that it's a great weekend for you. If any of you were so inclined to keep your fingers crossed for the Sooners, regarding tonight's Big 12 Championship game, that finger-crossing would be much appreciated. If we win this, we get to play for the national championship; for once, I am happy with the BCS.

Splrgh. Oh, pardon me. I was taking a sip of coffee . . .

Well, Lifted, we were sort of an eccentric bunch. Any dream about us would necessarily be . . . interestingly different. So, we got past OSU last night. For once, maybe the BCS will help Oklahoma, and get us into that Big 12 championship game. I want our Sammy to be in the running for the Heisman this year. Fingers crossed. I de-boned the turkey yesterday, and there's still cranberry sauce left. That means only one thing: we need more rolls. I'll get out the flour and the yeast, and get to work. Good rolls take all day, and I will be grading papers for most of that time, anyway. Turkey sandwiches on rolls with cranberry sauce . . . wowzer. Fellowshipper, did you make a turkey this past week, dude? Or did you settle for Weka? (Does anybody eat Weka down there, anymore?)

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! I hope that this is a blessed day for you. Thinking of you with love, niKa

Did you guys see that GAME last night? Tech got Okla-Hammered. It's almost enough to make a girl dream of a shot at the championship. We'll have to see how the next couple of weeks turn out. We have to play Okla. State at their place; that's never an easy thing. Fingers crossed.

Hmmm. Well, Jeff Nicely finished with the 9th, and he used to do a heckuva jungle bird call. I can't re"call" who else did bird calls - anybody else remember?

Temple, don't worry! There was no limit on the wonderful sausage. I kept nibbling all evening. Outstanding stuff. George, I found the pictures; thanks for putting them up; that was really very nice of you. My best to the Countess.

Lifted, thanks for the suggestions. Arizona has the great sunsets, and the monsoons. And lots of Mr.niKa's relatives, which is a plus. It's just a tough place to bring up kids, at least in Tucson. Lots of gangs in the schools. South Texas would me my personal pick. As for getting to old age, I surely hope that I haven't gotten there yet. I suppose that we each decide that every day, don't we? Some days, I'm younger than others. I want today to be one of those! love, niKa

George, how do I get to the Gallery to see the pictures? If it's part of the Gallery and Reading Room, I'm not seeing it. Have pity on a simple English major and splain this to me, please. :unsure: