I wish I hadn't taken all the film in my camera up the night before - it would have been EXCELLENT to put on my site... my whole family gathered together at my house - it was like Christmas, almost, and it was hours before they blew the all-clear. I drove back out, around midnight, and there were STREAMS running over the roads that went out to the Hill - it had rained that MUCH! Limbs down, etc. It was a sight. The sky was still dark, but the storm had slacked off. I stayed out there a while enjoying it, but the temperature dropped some, and I was tired, so I drove back through the puddles and torrents of rainwater, and as it turned out, it began to rain a few hours later and continues on steadily through the next evening. It was really nice though. MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FORWARD THAT I POSTED UNDER THIS FIRST BIT OF RAMBLING - IT IS WORTH A LOOK!

Still not tackling the links aspect of my page yet. It just seems so overwhelming. My Special Homepage Assistant keeps prodding me with subtle deliveries of websites in my e-mail, but I won't take the bait... I bought a 35mm camera the other day and took up the roll of film that was in it in one night, but its a lot less expensive than doing that with my Polaroid, that's for sure! I wish I hadn't been so overager; the next night brought a tremendous storm that I wished I had been able to get pictures of!

On to my thoughts...
Okay, I just got back from the Tulsa State Fair. I went with my family: my aunt and uncle and their two sons. It was a good outing, since we stopped and ate first. It just isn't like it used to be, however, though this is really the first time I've gone when I've had a job and been able to do things myself. I rode a few rides, though I drew the line at anything that went upside down. My head still feels kinda funky, and mostly all I rode were things that went round and round, like this G-Force thingy that plasters you to the wall, the Tornado (our compartment of which my cousin so maliciously made spin really fast, as if the ride itself wasn't going fast and high enough as it was!), and another thing that could maybe be called the Trabant, or the Scrambler, or something, it went up in the air and wobbled sideways - I didn't like it, but it wasn't too bad I guess.

You see, I have trouble with heights - ladders are kind of iffy, in fact. I've never ridden a rollercoaster, though I considered the Zingo, since its wooden and doesn't go too high up. I just don't feel the need to have my mettle tested in that way, plus its just me riding it, so there's no incentive. Weird huh? It rained ALL THE TIME at the fair, and I forgot to bring a coat or umbrella; just my tie-dyed t-shirt I made. My glasses got all spattered and hard to see out of. Still, it was okay. I played a few games (MAN, everything is HIGH!) and bought a few things to eat, like sno-cones (DITTO!) and got to have a hugemongous New Guinea Walkingstick crawl on my hand, saw some big centipedes with about forty-leven ka-zillion legs. I really should have bought something, or played enough to win something big - I won something, but it was small and not worth nearly the, let's see...5, 2, 2 5, about $14 I spent on the game. I think I'll stick to buying things from stores from now on; it was the temptation of those big stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling, mocking: "You know you're no good at that game...there's NO WAY you'll EVER have a chance for us!" They were right, but I'm too stubborn to listen sometimes. =c) I guess I'll wrap this up for now - no idea where I was going with that whole schpiel anyway.

Barf-ola - Can you believe this crap? This text was obviously written by a man. Its hard to believe that people actually thought this way much less taught it to their kids in school! Why didn't they just say When Hubby comes home, Wifey should be at his beck and call, things that are important to you, Wifey, aren't really important at all if you would just take the time to think about it. Afterall, Hubby might not have gotten that prime parking space that he wanted at his tough, manly job. Wifey, do your duty and be a good little mouse and you might just get rewarded with a pat on the head and an extra dollar or two in your allowance.

We've come a long way baby!

1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too.

4. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

6. Some DON'TS: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead try to understand his world of strain and pressure and his need to be home and relax.

10. The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

Thanksgiving is coming up fast. A holiday some (myself included) have oft taken for granted. Most of my family are leaving to visit other relatives, so I will be left in town with an aunt and her son and my grandmother. I am thinking of helping fix Turkeyday dinner, though the only things of this magnitude I've ever made were merangue and bread pudding (which almost no one would eat, by the way), so I'm not sure how much help I can be, but its nice to have a time of family and togetherness and of course, good food. At family times like this and Christmas, I always think about my parents, Archie (my mom) and Bull and how much I miss them and remember the full holidays I had when I was younger and they provided and taught so much, just in general day-to-day life and otherwise, and as usually happens, I start feeling sorry for myself, but that can never last long, as life is like that; some things remain, some things change, and you can never know or choose which is which. I think its just that the holidays, especially family-oriented ones, are so very lonely, even with the rest of my family around.

I have very few friends, and no Special Lady, so really, if I don't keep myself pretty busy during these times, I can get pretty morose and pitiful if I'm not careful. But then I do remember what the idea of the holidays are all about, giving and receiving, and being thankful for who you know and have known now and over the years, and what you have and how people have helped you and how you've helped others and I hope that I can live up to the thanks, somehow, of the people that will be in my thoughts til the end of this year. I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving and hope all goes well for you. :) -Jason

I am Okiecrab's biggest fan and really like what he is doing with his web page. Many of you who visit his page probably see my name a lot and wonder who I am. I am just a friend and his personal web page consultant. I like checking out his page too see what he has done with it and give him ideas of what else to add. I think it is really cool that his page has gotten over 1,000 hits. That is pretty impressive. One of these days I am going to attempt my own web page and plan on using him as my consultant. I think the best think about his page is his Okie speaks. I find it quite interesting what he has to say. He is a very interesting person and a great friend. So take a chance and look at his page and enjoy. I know I do. Way to go Okiecrab!!!

Angelfish aka Catlady

I took a walk out to My Hill the other day, and left a note for my family that I left about 1:30 in the afternoon. I took my canteen I got for Christmas a few years back because I knew it would be quite a trek. At the end of the first mile I was thinking, "Maybe I'll just make a square around this section and go home", but I persevered, and continued, stopping to take a drink at every section line. I was noticing as I neared the Hill, that the sun was becoming more rosy and seemed to be sitting a little lower. Cows followed me around on their sides of the fences, and one entire herd even kicked up their hooves and ran alongside me as I walked down the road - quite strange; when I got too close though, the bovines high-tailed it. A nice older gentleman stopped and offered me a ride, but I had vowed to myself that I would make the pilgrimage, and so I thanked him and continued on foot.

I crested the hill that leads to The Hill, if you can follow that, and was accosted by two dogs - much to my relief, they fell all over themselves trying to lick me. :) I petted them for a bit but didn't want to be responsible for them getting lost or hit by traffic, so I shooed them off and continued. I came across a nice grey and white speckled feather, which I hope and think is an owl feather - a very nice and appreciated gift. Also a white cattle egret feather, which, honestly, is just not quite as impressive, but was also impressive. I tucked it firmly into the top of a large branch I had picked up along the way and had been using as a walking stick. About halfway up the descent of the Hill, I happened to notice a viscous orange sludge, almost flourescent, trickling downhill. It looked particularly unhealthy and unnatural, in that it was simple welling up out of the ground... I took pictures all along my trip, and certainly took a few of this.

Well, I continued on and plopped down on the top of the Hill for a minute, where I usually park, off to the side, in the grass next to the fence. It was littered, as usual, by thoughtless kids who enjoy the view and the night sky but don't consider it important enough to keep it looking nice for others. A nice breeze was blowing, so I leaned back and stretched out after taking a few good drinks of water and taking in the scenery. After about five or so minutes, I hopped up (well, hobbled, really, as I was beginning to feel the travelling) and headed down the Hill to the next section line. I turned and confronted a cow at a gate at the corner of the section, but when I moved closer, it ran off, like the others. I continued down the road and as I neared the next section, I was beginning to "feel the burn" as it is said. I happened to spy a hawk flying overhead, but couldn't get my camera in position quickly enough to take a picture of it. I continued on and about halfway home, began to stumble, and was overjoyed to see the landmarks I always used when I was driving to tell myself how far away I was, though walking makes everything so much farther away.

I came up to the next turn that would put me back on my road home, and saw that the sun was a glowy pink and hanging just over the horizon, which alarmed me, as I didn't have my watch on and had no idea how long I'd been walking, since I've never embarked on such a walk. I took numerous pictures of a really beautifully decorated house; they put lights on trees, barns, tractors, mailboxes, everything. It was really nice to see it right there and kind of gave me a boost - a little holiday cheer to spur me on. The last few miles back home found me basically "rowing" myself up the road with my walking stick and stumbling quite a bit, my legs protesting and giving me a wince of muscle-fatigue just to emphasize the point. I walked in the door, to a worried family, who told me it was 7 pm, so I had been walking for five and a half hours, almost non-stop. I was tired, but felt really good for being able to do it, just out of the blue like that. It turned out the whole distance was about 12 and a half miles, but that was made more difficult by the wind being in my face on the way back, and having to abandon the road to the uneven ditches when traffic drove by. All in all though it was a most enjoyable outing and I hope to do something like it again soon. It was just such a beautiful day I couldn't resist taking a little trip.

I hope to put some of the pictures I took on my site so you can see some of the scenery around my house and on the way to and from the Hill. Well, my cousin's having his birthday party, so I need to go join in. Will see everyone later. :) -Okie

Firstly, the man we love to hate, or hate to love, depending on your view; your President and mine, William Jefferson, Clinton, seems to be in a real pickle -again- ! Now, I certainly don't condone his actions concerning extra-marital affairs and think he needs horse-whipped for it, just for starters, but that's between himself and his family. Yes, he lied to "us" as everyone is fond of regurgitating like so much month-old cheese, under oath, proving he is not necessarily the most trustworthy Beagle Boy in the hideout, but to an extent, he did stand up for himself and admit, "Yeah, I kept this quiet. No, I sure didn't want anyone to find out. Yeah, its embarassing." I commend him at least admitting that much - something we all know to be true anyway, so he didn't insult anyone's intelligence, until the whole, "That is the definition as I understand it" issue arose. Even given my cynicism and to be honest, holier-than-thou attitude on some things, I still have to give the President the benefit of the doubt - he's a smart guy, but I think most, if not all of the legalese and rhetoric and double-talk came about as a result of a team of lawyers more concerned about technicalities and trying to erase this smudge off the Office of the President, not realizing they were only making it worse.


Clinton, or Bubba, as I disaffectionately call him, given that I'm an Okie and practically his neighbor, did something wrong. I don't know how his family and friends reacted, and honestly, don't care - I have enough things to worry about. Did he lie to the American Public? Yes. Did the American Public need to know he liked to be the patient so when he played doctor he could receive a revolutionary new form of CPR? No. Did they want to know? Maybe - at first, it seemed so, but now almost everyone is sick of the whole thing. And well they should be. Shame on all of us - or them, rather. I'm sure you're not one of them. At any rate, the actual question concerning Clinton's impeachment often seems very vague, but it should be kept in mind it is NOT about sex and/or extra-marital affairs. It is about his ability to effectively govern the country, and whether or not he has a mistress couldn't be a consideration, as Presidents and other high rollers too numerous to mention have been known to have had a Second Lady. It is about integrity and honesty. Is he honest? Well, no - apparently not. Am I? Are you? What about white lies and omission, which everyone at some time will say is justifiable. Does he have integrity? Er, well - I'm sure in some departments he does, but its not like he's sleeping with other countries, sending their citizens Christmas presents while we all think he's away at Camp David, recuperating from the stress of the job.


Is personal integrity a consideration? Is there a distinction between his personal and professional views of ethics and conduct? If so, does HE know there's a distinction and will he act accordingly? If he does this in his personal life, how can we trust him with our own livelihood, knowing what he is capable of. Is it possible he could do worse things, on a global scale? Sell secrets? Have people killed? Objectively, has any President ever done anything like this? Well, Richard Nixon bugged the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel. He got impeached for High Crimes and Treason. Since we know what CAUSED Clinton to lie is not a High Crime or Treason (unless it turns out Lewinksy IS a spy), he is actually under the microscope for lying under oath. Yes, he did that. Does it matter than WHAT he lied about has nothing to do with the governing of a country? If he told you, under oath, that you looked like you lost weight, but secretly he believed you were a fat pig - would he be impeachable? Why? Do Presidents keep secrets? Do they lie? To the American Public? Yes, all yes. Is it always for a good reason - for National Security? Well, that's what the official story is. Will we ever know for sure? No, I rather doubt it. So are we measuring a real person against the assumed infallibility and perceived superior ethics of his predecessors? Yes. Is there another way? I don't know. I know I think impeaching him is stupid. That he lied, under oath is wrong; he should have owned up and admitted what happened, but to be impeached for the implication that he has the POTENTIAL for wrongdoing, and really, though no one admits it, simply to burn him on the altar of Self-Righteousness, is absurd.


Operation Desert Fox. Okay, who's coming up with the names? Stealing your new operation name from a German WWII General? Come on. Interestingly, a search on the net comes up with numerous references to Mercedes Lackey, the sci-fi writer. I haven't read any, but still, I have to wonder. Is the "war" (read sneak-attack-bombing-massacre) part of a clever (or stupid, depending on your opinion) ploy to diminish attention from Clinton's personal scandal, or even an excuse to delay the debate and trial of impeachment until next year, when a more sympathetic House of Representatives will be in power? I am sick of the "Wag the Dog" references. Haven't seen it and now, don't want to - its been used to much - like someone quoting Revelations or Nostradamus everytime a comet comes withing a quintillion miles of Earth. Would a President do something like that? Create a war to distract everyone from his own problems? Well, a President ok'd giving irradiated food and drink to unknowing American Citizens, using them as human test subjects to find out the full range of effects relates to atomic weapons and fallout. Was this right? No. Did we find out about it in time to do anything? No. When we did, what was done? Nothing. Did we forget? Yes. So is it all that surprising that a war could be started, for nothing? No. But its a different President, a new era, you say? I still have five fingers, war still exists, people laugh, cry, love and hate. Has anything really changed? But really, about this war, if conditions are as suggested, that the idea was to attack if the Butler report came back negative, then it is a pure coincidence. Will they "finish the job" this time? It doesn't look like it.

Apparently, due to super-reinforced concrete, though there have been casualties and injuries, for the most part, all the bombings, up til now, have had little or no effect on the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" that is presumed to be in Iraq. Russia and China, unsurprisingly, comdemn our and Great Britain's action. France too, has chimed in, waggling the finger. Most of the Arab countries, of course, are opposed. Greece is supportive, but when was the last time Greece got in a big scrape? Israel has prepared for more Scud launches, but also is not exactly cheering us on, officially at least. The whole Ramadan holy month aspect seems a little contrived, and aparently wasn't that much of a consideration. Israel was attacked by three Arab neighbors at once decades back, on the Jewish state's most important holy day, in the Yom Kippur War, also known as the Six Day War, as Israel not only fought off its multiple attackers from all three fronts, they actually GAINED land in the process, resulting in the still hotly contested West Bank. And all in only six days. This was why I was extrememly surprised at their relative inaction during the Gulf War. This is the country that launched a daring night-time helicopter mission into Uganda and kidnapped that country's leader, Edi Amin, from his palace...

Did anyone also happen to catch the intriguing little side-note that Seoul happened to have cloned a human being? I heard it mentioned twice, tops, in the last few days. They said it was part of their experiments to clone organs for people, and their purpose wasn't to clone humans at all. Okay, does this sound odd to anyone else but me?

Okay, long winded little toot aren't I? Its times like these, the holidays, that makes me really reflect and think about a lot of things. Depression, of course, is one of the presents you always get to open early, and is the gift that just keeps on giving. I think about people I have known, and know, presently, and online, which would be nice to meet. Family members I have, ones close and far away, and also family members that have since passed on, and are missed, and I wonder about the future - mine, my country's, the world's, man's. I fantasize about what will be, what I want to be, who I'll know, about getting married, having a great job and vehicle and maybe, a family of my own someday. I think far down the road, retirement, vacations, grandchildren, cruises with my wonderful spouse; still beautiful after fifty years. It all takes effort, and timing, and faith. I do believe, though I'm a pessimist, that anything is possible, and I can never give up, really.