Storytelling: The Peacock and Juno

Roberto, the rat, was tired of being hated by man and beast. He despised having to scamper in the shadows to hide his hideous face. He did not understand why people were so afraid of him. Sure he was scruffy and had a long tail, but so do most dogs. He was not slimy like a snake, nor did he have fangs. Maybe it was his taste for garbage that offended them. Did they not realize he was just trying to keep the kingdom clean?
One day, while rummaging through the garbage, he found an odd looking gravy boat. Loving gravy, he decided to open it. It was not too long after picking it up that it began to shake and spew smoke. From the smoke appeared a funny figure. Roberto recognized the figure right away, it was a genie. It must have been his lucky day, for we all know that a genie equals wishes. A bounding voice came out of the smoke “Hello there Rat! How may I help you? Would you like a free wish?” Roberto quickly accepted the genie’s offer and requested to be turned into the most magnificent creature that ever existed. “As you wish,” said the genie and Roberto was immediately transformed.
Roberto was very excited and asked the genie for a mirror. What he saw nearly made him faint. In place of his long grey tail was not one, but eight pristine plumes. The plumes shimmered like emeralds and sapphires in the sun. He was truly glorious. Even his strut had an air of regalness to it. He was no longer an ugly rat but a prestigious peacock, undeniably a prince among birds.
He was now admired by all living creatures and had his pick among the peahens. He loved his new feathery attire and would strut around showing it off. Men from all around the world would come to paint his portrait. The king had ordered that his likeness become the symbol of the royal court and that he be protected by the law. Roberto, now had everything he ever desired. He was no longer feared, but loved. He was no longer disgusting, but stunningly handsome.
Later, he grew tired of being admired only for his exquisite physique and wanted something more. He remembered hearing the romantic odes of the nightingales and envied their extraordinary voices. He then had an idea and went and retrieved the lamp. With a little rub and a spit shine he summoned the genie. “What do you want? I was trying to take a nap. Doesn’t anyone ring the doorbell anymore?” said the genie. Roberto answered, “I wish I had the voice of a nightingale.” The genie quickly quipped, “ You want a wish? I already granted your wish. Now go away.” Roberto was very confused. He was under the impression that all genies were required to grant three wishes. He was positive it was written in the Genie Handbook. “What do you mean you can’t fulfill my latest request? This is only my second wish and I should have three,” insisted Roberto. The genie grew angry and decided to teach Roberto a lesson. Poof! Roberto was promptly returned to his original rat form.
Moral: Greed is ugly. You can't always have everything.



Image Information: The Rat finds A Genie
Picture drawn by: Gina Smith

Link to the original story: The Peacock and Juno
Author’s Note: I changed the characters and embellished the overall story. I changed the peacock to a rat (who later turns into a peacock) and Juno into a genie. The basic premise is the same and the morals are very similar.

Storytelling: The Secret to Power

Compared to the average Jane, Gayle had everything a modern day woman could want. A successful career as a radio host and an editor for a popular magazine. So,why was she so depressed? That is exactly what Gayle was going to find out. She put on her best dress, her favorite pair of shoes and grabbed her purse. She was on her way to see Dr. Phil. If anyone could help her, it was him.

When Gayle arrived, Dr. Phil was in the middle of taping his show. Today’s episode was “Women Who Secretly Hate Their Best Friends.” Gayle found the show intriguing but couldn’t understand how anyone could hate their best friend. She absolutely loved her’s. They did everything together, well almost everything. There was that one time that her invitation to her bff’s book club got lost in the mail, but that was just an accident. At least that’s what her best friend told her. Anyway, after Dr. Phil had finished taping his show, they went to his office.
When they got there, Gayle started having second thoughts. Maybe it was just the big lunch she had. Maybe she should just go to a yoga class or maybe a spinning class. If she stayed, she would be just waisting Dr. Phil’s time. Plus, his bald head and mustache were kind of creepy. “Hello Gayle! What do I owe the pleasure?” questioned the good doctor. Gayle, lost in self-dialogue, just set there thinking. Suddenly, she was interrupted, “Gayle! Is everything OK?” inquired Dr. Phil. Gayle snapped out of her trance and replied, “Oh! um... I...uh...just wanted to tell you that I enjoyed the show. “Thanks Gayle, but I wasn’t born yesterday. I know something is wrong. I can’t help you until you admit you need help,” replied Dr. Phil. Gayle quickly snapped back, “I’m fine. I’m happier than ever. I get to play second fiddle to the most admired woman in the world. People would die to be me.” Image Information: Dr. Phil McGraw
Web Source: CBS News


“How’s that working for ya?” quipped Dr. Phil.


Annoyed by where this was going, Gayle stormed out. How dare he treat her like one of his idiot patients. However, she soon realized that she wasn’t really angry at Dr. Phil. She was just in denial of the real cause of her problems. “Oprah,” she muttered under her breath. All of this was her fault. Why did she have to be so famous? Why was she so powerful? “That’s it,” thought Gayle. She had to find out where that power came from. Oprah’s power was just too unnatural. She must have had help. God, aliens, or the devil? Any one of them could have granted her the power. Gayle was determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.



Image Information: Gayle King
Web Source: Entertainment Tonight


The next day, Gayle came up with a plan. She threw on her black trench coat, a hat, and sunglasses and drove across town to a spooky old house. In the house, lived a drug dealer. He sold black market drugs. “What can I do ya for?” the toothless man uttered. Gayle pointed at a vial on the top shelf of the cabinet. “Are you sure? That one is um....uh...Oh well business is business. Here you go.” smirked the dealer. Gayle cautiously handed over the money and grabbed the vial. It was perfect, exactly was she needed for her plan.
A few hours later, she went to visit Oprah. Oprah gladly welcomed her in and the two friends chatted. Gayle began by telling Oprah about her visit to Dr. Phil’s. “Can you believe that there are women out there that are jealous of their best friend? ” said Gayle. “Why Yes, that is hard to believe, but then again, there aren’t too many friendships like ours,” replied Oprah. After the conversation started to die down, Oprah sent Gayle to the kitchen for some tea. In the kitchen, Gayle asked Martha for a fresh pot. Martha told her she would bring it right out. “No, I will take it. Oprah and I are in the middle of business and we don’t want to be disturbed.” Gayle took the tea and proceeded down the hallway. She quickly slipped into the hall closet. Placing the tea on the ground, she reached into her pocket for the vial. She then poured it into Oprah’s cup. Picking up the tray, she exited the closet and brought it to Oprah. Oprah was too busy to notice that Gayle had brought the tea. All she knew was that it was there. She took a few sips and in a few minutes she began to feel lightheaded. She didn’t know what was wrong but she was in great pain and could hardly breathe. Gayle pretended to call 911 and rushed to Oprah’s aid. Oprah pleaded with Gayle to do something to relieve her pain. Gayle finally confessed to Oprah that she had poisoned her. “Why Gayle? Why would you do this? We have been friends forever. We are like sisters,” gasped Oprah. Gayle then took out another vial, “Relax! I’m not stupid. I brought the antidote. Reveal the source of your power and I will give it to you.” Oprah then begged Gayle to stop and think about what she was doing. Gayle just scoffed and demanded Oprah’s secret. Finally, Oprah gave in and divulged the secret of her power. “It was given to me by the Egyptian God, Ra. He whispered to me his secret name and endowed me with his power. My name is not really Oprah, It is Isis. I have reincarnated myself and rule today as the queen of television.” It was then that Oprah unveiled her true self. Gayle stood in awe and hastily administered the antidote. From that day on, Gayle King kept her mouth shut and settled into her role as Oprah’s second fiddle.

Image Information: Oprah Sarcophagus
Web Source: Leo Kesting Gallery


Link to Original Story: The Story of Ra

Author's Note: I changed the characters and set the story in modern day. The story still has the overall theme of betrayal and deception.

Storytelling: Neil's Big Idea

Neil came from a long line of businessmen. His great grandfather was an oil tycoon, his grandfather was the president of an automobile plant, and his father was the CEO of a lucrative computer company. At birth, he was given a Rolodex containing the business cards of every male member of his family, going back hundreds of years. This tradition was thought to be the key to the family’s success. Neil would only be able to add his card if the family Patriarch deemed him successful.

Image Information: Baby playing with Rolodex
Web Source: Abundance Bound System

Neil was expected to go to business school and study management, finance, and marketing. At minimum, he would have to attain his MBA. After college, he would be expected to climb the ranks of a prominent company. The only other option was to start a business from scratch. Neil received his MBA in 2004 from a very prestigious college and was offered a job immediately. However, he quickly declined and decided to pave his own way. He started investing in all types of ventures, eventually becoming partner in Daniel’s Big Top Circus and Jonah’s Water Park. He thought that these businesses would be guaranteed successes; however, reality struck when the big cats mauled the lion tamer and the water bill swallowed profit chances for the water park. What was he going to do? His family would surely disown him. He had to come up with a successful idea quick. It would only be a matter of time before his family found out about his failures. He thought and thought but couldn’t come up with a plan. All that thinking wore him out and he fell asleep. The next morning he woke up with a plan.



Image Information: Abandoned Water Park
Web Source: Barstow Reunion

Image Information: Lion eats Tamer
Web Source: Visualize Photos Around the Web

He knew the answers to his problems were located in his dream. He began to replay the dream over and over in his head. He saw a large boat and on that boat were tons of animals. There were monkeys, giraffes, elephants, zebras, rhinos and hippos. There were horses, pigs, cows, and chickens. Anything you could imagine and it was on that boat. He also saw people on this boat. Everyone was paired with their significant others; man and beast alike. He also saw a beautiful rainbow stretching over the boat. What a glorious scene. It had been such a marvelous dream that he would have been content never waking up. After daydreaming, he decided on his plan. He was going to start a new business. It was going to be spectacular. Neil was so excited that he rushed out the door.
His first stop was the lumber store. There he bought wood planks, nails, paint, table saw, hammer and other wood working supplies. The clerk checked him out and politely asked, “What are you building? A shed?” Neil just smiled and answered back, “ I am building a ship.” The clerk thought he was being a smart alec and just laughed. “No, I'm serious,” said Neil, “ I plan on building a great ship.” The clerk just smirked and said, “Well, good luck with that.” Neil gathered his materials and went on his way.
Next, he went and visited his old circus partner. “Hey Daniel, Do you still own all those animals?” asked Neil. “Why? Your not thinking of starting another circus, are you?” snapped Daniel. “ No, No, not a circus. I just need some animals, preferably things like lions,elephants and monkeys,” stated Neil. Daniel was concerned by his old friends antics. What did he need with animals? Their last involvement with animals was disastrous. “No, Neil, I sold them ,” claimed Daniel. Neil left very disappointed but not discouraged. He had another plan. He would put an ad in the paper. It read, “ Looking for animals. All types welcome! Please meet at wharf 10, ASAP!” After the ad was placed, he headed toward the marina.
Once there, he started construction on the boat. He was so excited about his new venture that he had it built in seven days. ( I know that seems impossible, but with that much adrenaline pumping through your veins anything is possible) A crowd had gathered to watch Neil build. People were in awe of the massive structure but didn’t understand Neil’s plight. They just saw him as a crazy eccentric. Also, among the crowd were the animals that had answered his ad. Giraffes, turtles, peacocks and more had arrived to find out what Neil wanted. Once, the construction was completed, Neil stood before the crowd and gave a speech. He told them of his magnificent idea and what he intended on doing. “I am building a cruise ship,” he said, “but not just any cruise ship. This cruise ship will be like a floating zoo. It will have two of every kind of animal (that I can find). Each room will have a different animal theme and will house the pair of animals matching that theme. This cruise will only be available to couples and I will name it Noah’s Two by Two Luxury Cruise.” When the speech was finished the crowd was overcome with silence. They had no idea what to think. This did not deter Neil. He escorted the animals to their suites and waited. Finally, couples started coming in droves. It was a giant success. People were dying to find out what Noah’s ark was like and they were willing to pay luxury prices. (Ok, so the rooms are a little bit cozier and each room includes room service but hey they get the general idea) Needless to say, Neil finally got his card put in that Rolodex


Image Information: Noah's Ark Cartoon Spoof
Web Source: CartoonStock

Image Information: Noah's Ark Cartoon
Web Source: CartoonStock


Author’s note: I retold the biblical account of Noah. Just like Noah, Neil is inspired to build a great ship; however, Neil does so because of a dream and not because of God. Also, both men construct their ships in order to escape disaster. Noah’s disaster is a great flood and Neil’s disaster is the threat of being disowned by his family. They are both viewed as crazy by their spectators.

Storytelling: Who is Cy Clops?

Image Information: Businessman with an eye patch
Web Source: Washington City Paper


Mr. Cy Clops was a very prominent business man, making the majority of his money by investing in textiles. Although, very successful Mr. Clops was known to be a recluse. In fact, he spent a large sum of money acquiring a private island, where he resided for most of the year. He had very few close associates at all. Mainly just his lawyer, accountant and personal assistant. Most of his business deals were orchestrated through e-mail or over the phone. No one knew the exact reason for his “hermit-like” ways but it was rumored that it had something to do with an injury he received in Vietnam.


Image Information: Accountant
Web Source: Beyond 50 Radio

During an interview, his accountant recalled a story that Cy had told him once. The story had to do with Cy’s days in the Marine Corps. It seems, that Mr. Clops joined the Marines during Vietnam and after endless days of trampling through the rice paddies, his worse nightmare came true. He came face to face with the enemy and during a struggle Cy made “eye” contact with the enemy’s bayonet. The incident left him blind in that eye and horribly disfigured. The accountant surmised that Cy must have not been able to deal with the endless stares and questions and quickly withdrew from society.




Image Information: Lawyer
Web Source: Phil's Stock World

Another account given by Mr. Clops’ lawyer, Mr. Telemus, also seems to support this rumor. He stated, that Mr. Clops did indeed wear an eye patch over his right eye. He also believed that Mr. Clops might suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has always been a little jumpy and his house was is always kept dark. “I always feel like I’m entering a cave,” stated Telemus, “the place just gives me the creeps. One day I was feeling brave and asked him about the patch. He just stared at me and mumbled the name Odis. His glare was icy and cold and I could feel it piercing through to my soul. I never brought it up again.”

Image Information: Personal Assistant
Web source: YPA

Mr. Clops’ assistant told a different story. “Mr. Clops is a gentle soul. He is just misunderstood. People cannot see beyond his appearance and that is why he locks himself away in that cave of a house; however, occasionally he will emerge from the darkness and go outside to the fields. See, Mr. Clops owns this island and there are over a dozen flocks of sheep and goats on this island. They are Mr. Clops' pride and joy and he loves to watch them scamper in the fields. I think it really brings him joy. It is the only time I see him smile,” said Mr. Shepherd.

Whatever the reason, Cy Clops is a very intriguing case. Given his level of isolation, it is truly amazing the amount of success he has enjoyed. How could a man seem so out of touch with society but reap one of its most prized benefits? Money. Why would someone with that much money withdraw from society. Surely, it could buy him all the friends he could ever desire. I guess we may never know the real story of Cy Clops but that won’t stop me from trying to find out. Oh yeah, and who is this Odis character and what does he have to do with Cy’s aloof behavior? Oh well, I will save those questions for another day. Wait! Wait! no I have an
idea. You could help me find the answers. Use your detective skills and see if you can find out what secrets Mr. Cy Clops is hiding. It is now up to you. Good Luck!!!!






Author's Note: My story is based on the story of Odysseus and Cyclops. However, my version just is about the cyclops in general. It gives the audience an interesting perspective of a modern day cyclops. I tried to use kind of a play on words by using Mr. Cy Clops as his name and not just calling him cyclops. It is supposed to be kind of reminiscent of the Noman in the Original Story. I also changed the setting to modern day and added some new characters. I have the characters tell their opinions and observations about the cyclops. I also give some of my own assumptions but at the end I leave it up to the reader. I think that is an interesting way to get the reader involved and get them to create their own story.

Storytelling : Echo's Canyon

Nathan’s family had just purchased a house. The property also included approximately 200 acres of surrounding land and supported a stream that ran through a canyon. Nathan’s mother and father had given him strict instructions not to play in the canyon; however, being a true boy, he soon found himself disobeying their orders and venturing down into it anyway. When he reached the bottom he was amazed by the many nooks and crevices that he found. He could imagine all the adventures he could have hiding and exploring each one of them. It didn’t take him long to try exactly that. He began climbing the rocky cliffs and worming his way through any spaces that he could find. He played for hours being everything from animals to pirates. As he was searching for treasure he came upon a cave. Thinking like all ye pirates think, about the prospects of treasure, he quickly ducked inside. Cupping his hands over his mouth he yelled, “Hello anyone here?” A voice answered back, “ here.” Nathan somewhat startled quickly asked, “Hey ye Scallywag, Where be me treasure?” The voice answered again, “Me treasure.” Nathan then became frightened and ran straight home. “Mom...Dad...Where are you,” shouted Nathan.“Over here son,” replied his parents. Still out of breath and gasping for air, Nathan tells them about the cave and the voice. “You mean to tell me that you went down into the canyon after I specifically told you not to?” asked Nathan’s father. “Yes, Dad, I was in the canyon but that is not important right now. There is someone in that cave. I swear to you that someone is down there.” Nathan’s mom just laughed, “Son, what are you talking about? I’m sure there is no one in that cave.” Nathan then told his mom how he was playing pirates and had called into the cave inquiring about his treasure. “I never expected a response,” said Nathan, “ I was just pretending. I said something like ‘where is my treasure’ and a voice responded ‘my treasure’,” said Nathan, “ I thought if I stayed any longer they would come out and fight me.” Nathan’s mom just smiled and gave her son a hug. “You are too funny. The voice you heard was just echo,” said Nathan’s Mom. “Echo? Who is Echo?” replied Nathan. His mom set him down and explained, “Echo is not a.....(before she could get out the rest she paused and rethought her answer)...Echo was a lady who use to live here many years ago.” Nathan was very interested to hear who this lady was and asked his mom to tell him the story. “OK, I will tell you the story of Echo...,” she began.

Image Information: Swallow Cave
Web Source: Hotel Club

Hundreds of years ago, before the canyon existed, lived a girl named Echo. It was her responsibility to bring water from the stream to the house. At first, she would just rush down and draw some water and then rush right back but as time passed that became harder and harder to do because the terrain was constantly changing due to the running water. Soon she began taking rests before heading back and each time the rests became longer and longer. She would bring a picnic lunch or fish or just sit and watch the animals play. She often would get sidetracked from her initial task and would spend her afternoon exploring the area. There came a point that she grew too old to climb the rocky path back to the house and she decided to just stay in a cave that she discovered in her youth. She absolutely loved the canyon and the stream and felt so much joy being that close to nature. She lived well into old age but eventually died inside the cave. Her body was absorbed into the rocks and all that was left of her was her spirit. That voice you heard today in the cave was her voice. She is still there today singing, laughing, and talking to her beloved canyon.


The next day, Nathan and his mom went to the cave and placed a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers at the entrance of the cave. They peeked inside and yelled, “Is Echo Here?” A voice answered, “Echo here” and Nathan and his mom just smiled.

Image Information: Wildflower bouquet
Web Source: Brocade Nashville

Author's Note: This story was inspired by the myth of Echo and Narcissus. I only retold the portion of how the echo came about. In the original story Juno makes it where Echo can only repeat what people say. She was punished for distracting Juno while Zeus had his fun. I changed pretty much everything. The only thing that really stayed the same was her name. The setting and the way the echo came about are different.

Storytelling: Good Intentions

Samantha was always gorgeous and the apple of her parents’ eye. At the age of three she had bright blue eyes and golden “Shirley Temple” curls. People always asked her parents if they ever considered entering her in pageants; however, her parents were avid about raising their daughter in a normal environment. They were very overprotective and had no interest in sharing their daughter with the world.
As she grew, the focus on her beauty increased and she could no longer go anywhere without soliciting unwanted attention from admirers. Although she was not allowed to date, boys would call her house hoping that her parents would find them worthy. Her dress and mannerisms were that of any normal teenage girl but her beauty surpassed that of all women in the town. Her parents became overwhelmed by the attention their daughter was receiving and decided to take action.
Drastic measures were the only thing that would enable her to live a normal life or at least what they considered to be normal. In the middle of the night they fled the only home they had ever known and relocated to a new place. The move was so abrupt that they left the majority of their possessions and only took a few necessities. She did not understand the haste of their actions and initially was bitter that they had ripped her away from her home and friends. Her bitterness turned to tears and she retreated to her room for several days. Her parents tried and tried to console her but nothing worked. They finally realized that they would be unable to sequester her from the world indefinitely; however, they would not allow the world to objectify their daughter.
The only way to protect their daughter would be to fight the cause of their suffering head on. They brought to her room good intentions, a razor, and several sharp blades. Next, they gently shaved their daughter’s head and for every lock that fell a matching tear was shed by her parents. After the deed was complete, they presented her with new clothes: a pair of loose fitting jeans, an over-sized shirt, a hoodie, gloves, work boots, and a baseball hat. She was not allowed to wear any form fitting garments and from now on she would go by the name Sam. The thought was that her new appearance and name would give the illusion that she was a boy and she would be able to live her life in peace. Sam honored her parents’ wishes and lived in this manner for the rest of her high school career. She spent the majority of her time reading books and doing school work. She was never asked to homecoming, prom or even on one single date. Her parent’s plan had worked. She would end up graduating at the top of her class and was accepted to a very prestigious university.

Image information: Bald girl
Web Source: Beauty and Bath

During college she still carried out her parents’ wishes. In order to keep up the masquerade she decided to live at home and attend the local college. Everyone just assumed that she was male and paid her no attention. She kept to her self and did not associate with her fellow classmates; however, this changed when one of her professors assigned groups for an upcoming project. She was partnered with a young man, named Max. Max was a strikingly handsome young man and was very easy to talk to. They became instant friends and Sam divulged to Max her deepest secret. Max was shocked but deeply relieved that his new friend was female; for he had been suppressing a deep attraction to Sam. The two became inseparable and soon were engaged. She knew that Max was the one because his love was not based on he beauty; however, she desperately wanted to embrace her femininity again.
The months leading up to the wedding could not pass fast enough for the couple. They waited with great anticipation for the day they would be husband a wife. Sam had planned a marvelous surprise for the occasion. She was going to grow her gorgeous hair back and display it for her husband on their wedding day; however, it was not as simple as Sam thought it would be. She tried ointments, creams, voodoo and anything else you could imagine but her hair would not grow back. Her mother and father blamed themselves and set out to buy the most magnificent wig. They commissioned the most beautiful maidens in the land and had them donate their luscious locks to the project. They then had the locks fashioned into the most glorious wig ever to be created and presented it to Sam... oops... I mean Samantha on her wedding day. She cherished the thought but refused to wear the wig. She wanted her own hair not an imitation, even if it was a gorgeous one. Disappointed, she walked down the aisle with a bald head. Samantha and Max lovingly said their vows and it was time for him to lift her veil and kiss the bride. When he did, he saw the most ravishing creature before him and the crowd gasped at the sight of Samantha’s glistening locks. Max was now married to the most beautiful women in the world and the two lived happily ever after.


Image Information: Pretty Bald Girl
Web Source: TV Squad
Author’s Note: My story this week was influenced by The Maiden with The Wooden Helmet. The premise of the story is pretty much the same. Both stories deal with a girl whose parents try to hide her beauty for the fear that the world will hurt her but in the end she still finds true love. I tried to give the story a more modern setting and make it more relatable to the reader. I also changed some of the facts of the story. The girl in my story doesn’t wear a helmet but instead has her head shaved. Also, her parents do not die. The endings are similar but changed to fit the story.

Storytelling : Little Robin Hood and the Bullies

The time had come in Nottingham for the annual Halloween Carnival. The town children were giddy and could not wait. They had been planning their costumes for months. Little John was going dressed as a king, Allen-A-dale as a knight and Will as a wizard. Robin was the only child who had not decided on a costume. “Robin, you better hurry up and decide. The carnival is tonight,” said Little John. Robin replied, “Yes, I know but all the good costumes are taken.” Allen offered to let Robin have his costume but Robin would not hear of it. “Allen don’t be foolish. You have been working on that knight costume since last year’s carnival. I’m not about to take that from you! ” exclaimed Robin.“Then what are you going to do? You can’t go without a costume?” said Will. “ Ah, don’t worry about me. Just run along and I will meet you there shortly,” assured Robin.
Robin went inside the house and just started grabbing stuff. He then took the pile of stuff that he had gathered and began going through it to see what he could come up with. The first thing he picked up was his father’s green nightshirt. He set that aside and picked up the next item. It was a pair of his mother’s Christmas tights. The only other thing he saw that looked promising was his father’s hunter green archer’s hat. He hastily put on the garments and ran out the door. Outside he grabbed his bow and quiver and headed straight for the carnival.
As he walked toward the courtyard, where the carnival was taking place, he bumped into a large group of older kids. “Hey, fancy pants, watch where you’re going!” angrily blurted their leader. “ Yeah! Watch where you’re going!” echoed the group. At that moment the group began closing in around Robin. “What are you going to do about?!” quipped Robin. “ We are going to break every bone in your scrawny little body, that’s what,” uttered the leader. “Wow, that’s original. Why don’t you do something that actually takes some skill?” murmured Robin. “What you say, boy?” asked the leader, “ You saying it don’t take skill to bust you up?” Robin answered, “ There is no skill involved when it’s 15 against one. A group of 15 girls could probably beat me up just as easy; however, I bet you couldn’t hold a candlestick to my archery skills.” The leader slyly smirked and laughed, “Boy, you must not know who you be talking to?! This here is the whole high school archery team. You, little boy, are no match for us. We’ve been taking state for nearly six years. That’s probably longer than you’ve been alive. Now, Do you really think you are gonna beat all of us?” While the leader was blabbing on and on about how great an archer he was, Robin quietly removed an arrow from his quiver and threaded a white glove that he had found in his shirt pocket onto it. He then placed the back of the arrow against the string and pointed his bow at the leader. Then he drew back the string and shot the arrow. He watched as it flew straight toward the leader’s face but as it got closer it curved just enough where the only thing that hit the leader was the glove. “I challenge thee to an archery contest,” howled Robin. The leader just stood there in shock. “I challenge thee to an archery contest,” repeated Robin. Just then the leader fainted and the rest of the group dropped their arrows and ran. Robin merrily ran to find his friends and enjoy the rest of the festival. The End!!!!



Image Information : Kid Robin Hood
Web Source: The Kid's Window

Author's Note: Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham was my inspiration this week. I ended up changing quite a bit of the story but I think I kept enough that you can still see that the two are related. I made Robin a lot younger. In my story he is probably around five or six and in the original he was fifteen. I also changed the setting by making it take place at the Halloween Carnival instead of at an archery contest. In both stories Robin bets the bad guys that he can beat them; however, in the original story he actually kills them. In mine, he just scares them by shooting at the leader.

Storytelling: Halloween Feast!!!

Image Information: Old Hag
Web Source: Somebody, Pinch Me


“Ello! Vy name is Vanda! I bet you vandering vhy I’m dressed dis vay, no?! Vell, I’m normally not dis scary but today vappens to be alloween... Oh! I’m so sorry. I forgot to take out my vampire teeth. Don’t be scared. I’m not actually a vampire. It’s just that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I just adore children. They are so good. I just love seeing those dear little ghosts and goblins waddling up to my door. Their faces so round and plump and their little bellies too. They are so cute I could just eat them up! I have been waiting all year for this day. I have been stockpiling candy for a month and today is the day. I am so excited. I can’t wait for tonight; however, I still have so much to do. I have to put the finishing touches on the haunted house and instruct my staff on their duties for tonight. You are more than welcome to stick around. There is plenty of punch and cookies to tide you over until the main course!” Wanda flutters about the room spreading cob webs and sprinkling plastic spiders everywhere. Members of the staff help her with the rest of the decorations and they all wait with anticipation for the first trick-or-treater to arrive. “It won’t be long now!” assures Wanda. A few minutes later the door bell rings and Egore the butler reaches for the door . “No, I will get it,” exclaims Wanda. She reaches for the candy bowl and then for the knob. A boy and girl stand at the doorway. “Trick-or-Treat” yell the kids. “ Oh my, look at these two lovely darlings. Why aren’t you the sweetest things?” replies Wanda as she hands the children their candy, “Why don’t you come in and go through my haunted house? It’s free and at the end you can have cookies and punch. What do you say?” The children agree and step inside. “Right this way, you two! Just go straight through the foyer and follow the jack-o-lanterns through the haunted house and into the kitchen.” urges Wanda. The children wind their way through the house but don’t seem scared at all. In fact, they laugh at how lame it is. They finally reach the kitchen but there are no cookies nor punch in sight. The kids walk into the kitchen to have a better look. They finally locate the cookies which are still warming in the stove. They walk over and open the oven door. Wanda creeps up behind them and pushes them in. “Who wants kiddos to dunk in their punch?” cackles Wanda, “I told you I could just eat them up and now I will! He!He!He!”

Author's Note: This story is based on Hansel and Grethel. I thought it would be fun to tell the story from the point of view of the witch. In the original, Grethel pushes the witch in the oven but in my story the shoe is on the other foot. The witch pushes the kids in and then jokes to the audience about it. The purpose of the story is to act as a cautionary tale for children. It is to warn them about the dangers of Halloween and strangers.

Myth-Folklore: What's for Dinner

Image Information: Wolf Family
Web Source: Sambiglyon

Thanks to the lull in the economy, things were not looking so hot for the Wolf family. Mama Wolf had just lost her job and Papa Wolf’s company had decided to fore go the annual turkey giveaway. Hopes for the typical Thanksgiving Feast had pretty much been shattered. It looked like the family would be lucky to have a meal at all. Things were so bad that Mama Wolf had already resorted to giving her portions to the rest of the family. She would starve before she would let her children go hungry.
Willy Wolf was the oldest of the Wolfs’ children and he was well aware of the sacrifices his parents were making for him and his siblings. There had to be something he could do. Thanksgiving had always been the family’s favorite holiday and it meant so much to his mother. He decided that he was going to take action. He quickly devised a plan of which will be revealed later on in the story.
His first mission was to go and invite some of the neighbors over for Thanksgiving dinner. The first house he came to was that of Peter Pig. Peter and his brothers were emancipated minors and each lived in their own separate houses. Peter was the youngest of the three brothers and lived in a very small house made of straw. Willy had to be very careful when knocking on the door. It wouldn’t take barely a breath to knock the whole house over. Knock! Knock! “Who is it?” whispered Peter before opening the door. “It’s me, Willy, your neighbor from down the street,” said Willy. Peter slowly opened the door and bluntly asked Willy what he wanted. “I know that times are tough right now and I thought it might help if we all got together and shared a Thanksgiving feast. Would you please come over to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. You can bring the apples,” said Willy. Peter agreed and Willy scampered on his way.
Next, he came to Paul’s house. Paul was the middle Pig sibling. He lived in a medium sized house made from sticks. It was a bit more sturdy than Peter’s house and that was a good thing because Willy was so excited that he almost broke down the door knocking. Knock! Knock! “Who is it?” asked Paul. “ It’s me your neighbor from down the street,” replied Willy. “What do you want?” rudely replied Paul. “I just wanted to ask you over for Thanksgiving dinner. Your brother has already agreed. He is even going to bring some delicious apples to it. Will you please come?” begged Willy. Paul reluctantly agreed and was assigned potatoes before Willy went on his way.
Lastly, Willy came to Phil’s house. He was the oldest of the Pig brothers and lived in a really nice brick house. Willy ran up to the door and knocked loudly. Knock! Knock! Knock! “Yes, Who is it? What do you want? Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying,” said Phil. “Hold on, Hold on, I’m not selling anything. I’m just here to invite you to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. I have already visited with your brothers and they have both agreed,” reassured Willy. Phil apologized and quickly agreed but Willy was so excited he forgot to tell Phil what to bring.
Thanksgiving day came and Willy was so happy that he was about to burst. He couldn’t wait to see his parent’s faces when they found out what he had cooked up. The first to arrive was Peter. “Come on in, Peter. Why don’t you take those lovely apples and place them in that vat of boiling water?! They will make some delicious apple cider,” Willy said while licking his lips. Peter went in the kitchen and began placing the apples into the scalding hot water. As he was doing this, Willy came up and pushed him into the pot and closed the lid.
Just then, Paul knocked on the door. Willy ran to the door and urged him to enter.”Welcome! Paul! Why don’t you go into the kitchen and start peeling those lovely potatoes?! When you are finished you can start boiling them,” said Willy. Paul went into the kitchen and started peeling. As soon as he was done he found a pot and filled it with water. Soon the water was nice and hot and he started throwing the potatoes into it. Willy quickly rushed into the kitchen and pushed Paul into the pot and slammed the lid.
As the lid slammed, Phil showed up at the door. Knock! Knock! “Hold on just a second, I’m coming,” yelled Willy. Willy rushed out of the kitchen and straight to the door. “Nice to see you. I’m glad you could make it. I believe your brothers are in the kitchen. Why don’t you go on in there and see what they are doing?!” insisted Willy. “Ew! What is that delightful aroma!” Phil asked. “ Oh! That is just the main dish!” said Willy. “Wow! That smells heavenly. I can’t wait. When are we eating?” asked Phil. “That really depends on you,” answered Willy. “I’m ready to eat now,” said Phil. “I know you are!” exclaimed Willy as he gobbled Phil down. “Time to Eat!” Willy said to the rest of the family. They all dined on Ham and had a marvelous Thanksgiving!

Author’s Note: I used the English fairy tale of the Three Pigs as my inspiration this week. I changed a majority of the story but kept the characters primarily the same. The only real difference is the addition of names and the Wolf’s family. I twisted the original plot; however, some of the main elements still exist. The wolf is still looking to eat the pigs but goes about it in a different way. Also, the ending is changed because instead of the Wolf being boiled and eaten the pigs are.

Image Information: Willy Wolf and Phil Pig
Picture by: Gina Smith

Image Information: Pig Boiling Water
Web Source: Deviant Art



Image Information: Three Little edible Pigs
Web Source: Stock Your Pantry

Misfit Thanksgiving!!!!

We have never pondered where we were going to spend Thanksgiving. Ever since we bought this house we knew we were going to host Thanksgiving. We had planned on inviting our family over and it was going to be a splendid time; however, due to some unforeseen happenings it looks like our family will be unable to attend. I will admit that I am a little bit saddened by this fact but at the same time understand completely. So now what are we going to do? R has already volunteered to work Thanksgiving. So it isn't like we can just change our plans. Plus we have already invited a few friends to come. So I have decided we are going to have a Misfit Thanksgiving. What is a Misfit Thanksgiving? I'm glad you asked. It is a Thanksgiving for people who either don't have a family, don't have family close,or simply don't like their family or a number of other sceneries. The last Thanksgiving that R and me hosted was in Virginia and this is exactly what it was like. However, at that time we didn't call it a Misfit Thanksgiving but that is pretty much what it was. We invited several guys from R's ship to the apartment and we cooked a turkey and ham with all the sides. We asked each guy to try to bring something and had a great time. It is actually one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I have ever had. So that is what we are going to do this year. We will be having it on Saturday and not on the traditional Thursday due to R's working but if you are in town and would like to join us. Facebook me and I will give you the details. Happy Thanksgiving to all you misfits!!!!

Favorite Halloween Candy!!!

Storytelling: New Man on Campus

Austin grew up in Texas and was raised a Longhorn. His first outfit was a burnt orange jersey and his first word was Bevo. He knew the lyrics to "Texas Fight" from heart by the age of three. It was just assumed that he would attend the University of Texas when he was old enough. His parents both had went to the University of Texas and so did his four brothers and three sisters. Not to mention that was where all his friends were planning on going to college. However, something went wrong and he ended up going to the University of Oklahoma instead. Talk about a fish out of water! He stuck out like an orange thumb, a burnt orange thumb at that.

Image information: Baby Longhorn

Web Source: Fans Edge Site

He tried to make the best out of the situation by trying to fit into his new surroundings. He went to the OU bookstore and bought all kinds of OU paraphernalia. He was decked out in crimson and cream from head to toe. He looked marvelous and was the spitting image of a true Sooner fan. He even learned the words to Boomer Sooner! He was ready to go to his first OU football game; however, when he arrived he was greeted by boos and a sea of inverted hook’em horns signs. One student yelled, “Hey! What are you doing here? You can’t sit with us. You’re an impostor.” Austin looked hurt and replied, “No, I’m a Sooner. Look at all this crimson and cream.” The student section swelled with laughter as another student spoke, “ Well that may be but your burnt orange sweat is mucking up the cream. Plus, I can smell that Longhorn stench a mile away.” Although crushed, Austin was not persuaded to leave the game. He stayed in the stands and took every insult dished out by his fellow classmates. He was bound and determined to become a Sooner or at least pass as one. It took several games but eventually Austin had gained a bit of respect; however, the real test would be the OU/Texas game.

Image information: OU Fan

Web Source: Life Magazine

During the week before the game, the little respect that Austin had earned had diminished and his true allegiance questioned. He tried his hardest to assure his new friends that he was now a Sooner and that his allegiance was to them but few believed him. He was ostracized throughout campus and was even spat upon. This went on all week until it was time to head to Dallas for the big game. Austin had been unsuccessful in scoring tickets but he planned on attending one of his high school friend’s tailgate/watch parties.

Image Information: OU and Texas Fans

Web Source: Sports Illustrated

Austin shocked his friends by showing up wearing all his new OU regalia. His hoodie, hat, pants, socks and other accessories glistened crimson and cream. The host quickly quipped, “Austin, is this some kind of joke? What are you wearing?” Austin just shrugged and said, “ Nope! This is no joke. I am a Sooner.” Another one of his buddies snapped, “ You have the audacity to show up to this party wearing that monstrosity? We wouldn’t even let Santa Claus show up wearing crimson and creme.” Normally, this would ensue a riot but the Longhorns were not interested in contributing to more crimson being displayed. “Austin! You are a Longhorn. Its one thing to masquerade as a Sooner for academic purposes but a complete different thing to do so during OU/Texas game,” said the host, “A Longhorn is a Longhorn is a Longhorn. You can’t just change who you are by draping yourself in those hideous colors.” Austin laughed and replied, “Hideous? Have you seen what you are wearing? You call crimson and cream ugly, yet you sport the ugliest color known to man, burnt orange. I can’t believe my parents use to dress me in that grotesque abomination of a color.” He was immediately dismissed from the party. Still not sure where he belonged, Austin chuckled to himself, “Maybe the Sooners would have an easier time accepting me if I changed my name to Norman.”

I really need to Blog!!!!

Man, I haven't blogged anything since April. I really feel guilty (Not that anyone reads them anyway). I guess I feel guilty because lately I have been watching....ok getting addicted to You Tube. There are people on there that do a video a day or even more and I can't even hardly sit down and write a blog a month. Oh Well. I would love to join the YouTube masses and post vlogs but unfortunately I don't think I would have anything interesting to say and don't think anyone would want to look at me everyday.http://www.youtube.com/user/SHAYTARDS

However, if you do enjoy

reading my blogs and want more than you are in luck. This next semester I will be taking a Mythology and Folklore class that will have me posting more blogs. So stay tuned for that.

So...I am sure you are all interested in what has been going on since Summer started. Well......not a lot. There have been a few lovely memories and things worth reporting though. For your enjoyment and to satisfy your curiosit

y here is a recap so far of the Smith Family Summer.

1.

We had a blast watching a fam

ily of finches. Mr. and Mrs. Finch decided

to build a nest ....where?....what else my Mother's Day Gift....the hanging flower basket. We discovered them one day when taking it down to water the plant. To my surprise there was a perfect (and I mean per

fect) nest inside. First there were 2 eggs and then 3 and eventually a total of 5 eggs. I took p

ictures and tried to google bird eggs to figure out what kind of bird had adopted us. I

was convinced they were house sparrows. Then about two weeks after finding the eggs they hatched.

When I first counted them I only saw four and thought maybe the other egg didn't hatch or something had happened to the fifth baby but later we discovered it smooshed (ok not a word) under the others. They looked really strange and their tummies were see through. After a few days they started growing more and more feathers and eventually started looking like cute little birdies (at this point I was still convinced they were sparrows).

One day I went out like usual and lifted up the basket and the babies flew and scattered out of the basket. I began looking around for the babies and found one on the ground.

It was hopping around and looked to have a bum wing.

I kept looking around and found another baby on the gate and G discovered one that seemed to be stuck between the fence post and the fence. The baby bird who appeared injured hopped under

the fence to the neighbor's yard. I was very scared for it's safety. Our neighbors have a dog (luckily it is inside most of the time but they do let it out a couple times during the day). After that I began being concerned for the bird that looked trapped. I reached down and tried to pull a stick that was by it to see if it would budge and the bird hopped out. So, I guess it wasn't stuck after all but it still did not fly off. Later that day I went back out and it was still just hopping around the backyard. I also saw Mr. and Mrs. Finch flying around and circling the area. The next morning I checked on the baby bird but it was gone. That afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Finch and three of the babies came back to visit. I haven't seen them since. All I have left of my babies is a filthy empty nest and some cute baby pics.

2. C decided to flush a rubber ducky down the toilet. Yes a rubber ducky (like Ernie has on Sesame Street). He came in the office yelling, "Mommy, Mommy the ducky went swimming in the toilet" or something like that. I thought maybe he had just thrown it in the toilet to watch it float or something...Oh no..he flushed it. Needless to say Mommy and Daddy weren't too thrilled that their 4 yr old had flushed a rubber ducky down the toilet in their brand new house. Oh well...it is ok now...R went and bought a new seal and then just drained the water and unbolted the toilet and got the ducky out of the trap.

3. We went to see Oklahoma! at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It was awesome. We got to sit on the actual field and watch the movie. The kids got to run around and meet new friends. Part of the Pride came and played right in front of us. It felt like a concert just for us. The kids also got to pet the horses and get their pictures taken standing by the Sooner Schooner. It was really hot when we got there but it was a blast!

4. We have a Kitchen Table!!!!! I am so excited. G thinks it looks like a conference table but it is super sweet and we love it. It will be so nice to actually have enough seating for people. We can now approx. seat 14-15 people in our kitchen.

There you have it...the highlights thus far. Check back at the end of July and I should have more posted. We are planning a float trip for this summer which should be super cool.

Enjoy your Summer!!!!!!

I will huff and I will puff and I will blow your dreams away!!!!

Our dream of owning a home was crushed during the mortgage crisis and housing market crash. We were in the middle of the loan process when the firm we were going through was bought by Wells Fargo. The loan that we were approved for was yanked from us because Wells Fargo had already denied us previously. It was a very stressful situation but at the time we were just glad to have it done.

Later, we started talking about how we could fix R's credit and setting a new time frame for buying a house. We decided that we should be able to pay most of the debt with our taxes and that we should start looking seriously at the beginning of the year. So, that is pretty much what we did. We looked at openhouseok.com and found several houses that we were interested in. We had a list of criteria that we were dead set on getting.

1. The house needed to have at least 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

2. There had to be a place for an office. We were looking for either an extra room or even a 2nd living room that could be converted.

3. The Kitchen had to be fairly decent sized with plenty of cabinet space and counter tops.

4. The ideal kitchen would be open enough to see into the living room

5. Must, Must, absolutely must have a laundry room

6. Preferably 3 car garage so R would have a Man space and somewhere to work on his motorcycle.

7.Outlets in the bathroom

8. Abundance of Outlets period

9. Would be nice to have a Walk-in-closet

10. Front and Back Porch

There was other small things that we were looking for but this was the basics. I spent most of my free time looking at houses and i stumbled upon this gorgeous house that met our criteria but seemed to be a little over our budget. I didn't tell R about it and went on looking at houses. Then one night, R was looking at houses online and came across a house. This house fit all of our criteria but it was a little over our budget. He called me over to look at it and lo and behold it was the same house. Seeing how it is hard to get two people to agree on anything we decided to call and schedule a showing. We were disappointed when we called and the Realtor informed us that the seller's had already accepted a conditional offer on the house.

A few days later she called back to see if we still wanted to see the house (apparently the offer fell through). We jumped on this renewed opportunity and scheduled a showing for that house and several others. We expexted it to take several hours (to look at all the houses)and had Ronnie's parents watch the kiddos. We arrived at the house and were awestruck immediately. We walked in and told the Realtor that we didn't need to see any other house that we were ready to make an offer. So, we went back to her office and signed the paperwork. Note: before we signed anything we did inform her that there were some blemishes on R's credit that we were going to get fixed ASAP and that we hadn't been pre-approved or anything yet. She assured us that it was ok and that was that. R tried calling the loan officer that the Realtor suggested was extremely hard to get a hold of and was taking forever to get back to us. So, R asked around and was directed to go talk to this other loan officer. Everything seemed great and this loan officer put R in contact with a guy to fix his credit. Things started rolling and we were soon waiting on news of the credit score. It came back and was a little low. R was advised of which debt to worry with and paid those off. Now we were anxiously awaiting the rapid re-score. However, there was a few problems with that. One of the things that we paid off was still showing up with TU. R called both TU and the company that he had paid off. I won't go into details but we had a time...and it took several days to get it straight. Then we had to have another rapid re-score done. Luckily it came back and we were able to qualify for the pre-approval. We then had to schedule the inspection. The inspection actually ended up being the easiest and most painless of all. The house came back with only two things wrong. The heater made a funny noise and the kitchen sink needed a 10 cent or so washer. The inspectors were shocked. They said most houses come back with five pages worth of stuff that needs to be fixed. Once that was completed we had to wait to go into underwriting. When we entered underwriting they scheduled the appraisal. The whole time I was leery of getting my hopes up. I didn't want our dreams to be crushed again. R had told nearly everyone he knew that we were getting a house and basically put as his FB status that we pretty much already had the house. I, on the other hand, did not tell hardly anyone. I think the only person I really told was my BFF. I just didn't want to half to turn around and tell them that we lost the house if that was to happen.

Stress levels were high during underwriting. R talked to both the loan officer and the Realtor on a daily basis. The Realtor and the loan officer were getting on each other's last nerves constantly.It didn't help matters that every time R asked how much longer the loan was going to be in underwriting or what was going on the loan officer said he didn't know. R was frustrated with having to deal with everything and I was frustrated because I couldn't do anything. I would call R several times a day to see what he found out. I was craving a play by play but was relying most the time on third hand information. The other thing that kept stressing us out was the seller's. Every day they threaten to back out. We were in underwriting so long that our original contract expired and the seller refused to sign the extension (even though we had told them weeks before that we may need to push back closing a few weeks and they agreed to do so if that was needed) until we had a closing date. They also threaten to put the house back on the market if we didn't help pay for the mortgage payment that was due. We were in a tight spot all around. R was yelling at everyone and was majorly stressed out. I felt so bad for the poor Man but I really couldn't help because everything was in his name. During all of this the Realtor called the CEO of the loan company and tried to get him to light a fire under the underwriters. What a mess all of this was. Finally, word came back from the underwriters and they had approved the loan on conditions (conditions that consisted of eight different things). R knocked those out like a mad man and had everything done in a little over 24 hours. We dealt with some more bumps as we were informed that it would take the underwriters several more days to actually go through and make sure we met the conditions and then after they approved everything it would be several more days before we could close. The seller's again threaten to back out if we didn't close on a certain day but the Realtor seemed to get them under control for awhile. The day we finally got our approval to close notification, R informed me that if we hadn't gotten it that day that the seller would have put the house on the market. That little bit of information made me so mad.

Back history- The house had a total of 12 trees which I had been joking about removing from day one. I told this to the Realtor and she mentioned to me that it might be good not to let the seller know that. That it could be a deal breaker. Apparently the sellers were very fond of these trees and might not sell us the house if they knew our plans to remove them.

Now back to the story........I was so mad at the sellers that I told R that I was going to purchase a wood chipper and the day we closed was going to take each of the trees and run it through the chipper and then I was going to mail the chips to the seller with a note saying "Heres Your Lovely Trees...Thought you might want them back" attached.

The day of closing finally arrived on Monday April 12, 2010. We signed all the documents (well actually I had to go back the next day to sign one that they forgot to have me sign) and received the keys. There was a little of a mishap but it had nothing really to do with us. We spent the rest of the week packing up our stuff and moving. It was a rough week. I was busy with school and school events but some how we managed and even threw a house warming party that Friday night. The Monday we closed we invited our parents over and showed off our beautiful home. Everyone loved the house and was so excited. I eventually had enough time and decorated the kitchen with my coca-cola collection. That Saturday or Sunday (I can't remember from the pure exhaustion of the week) my in-laws lavished us with house warming gifts. They bought us a new bedspread and pictures for our bedroom as well as towels and things for our master bath and a Home Sweet Home sign. Thursday I went shopping with my mom and sister-in-law and we picked up a few more pictures for the bedroom. The house is coming along nicely but there are so many things that I would like to buy but that will come in time. I have also become extremely anal about the house and have been feverishly picking up after everyone and spending most my free time making sure the house is presentable. I know this is a humongous post but I have been saving up for a long time. It is definitely not as funny or random as my other postings but I figured that some people were curious about what happened. Oh by the way I know this post seemed to be filled with complaining but I wanted to say how truly blessed we feel and how happy we are to be in our own house. Below are some pictures of our old house and pictures of our new house. (just so you can compare).

Front

Old House:

New House

Living Room

Old

New

Kitchen

Old

New

Ears to you Department of Public Safety!!!!

Urgent!!!! The following bit of advice is very critical if you ever need to go get your driver's license renewed or updated.

1. Wear make-up so you don't break the Tag Agency's printer
2. Pay attention when you sign your name
3. Know your left from your right index finger
4. Practice posing in your mirror before leaving the house (lol..well I needed a number 4)
and number 5.....the most important of all
(d
r
u
m
r
o
l
l

p
l
e
a
s
e
!!!!!) MAKE SURE YOUR EARS ARE SHOWING!!!!!!!

What? What does that have to do with anything? I'm sure your curious now...haha ...well I will explain.

This morning Ronnie and I went to the tag agency. Yes! the tag agency is where we go for fun. It is not nice to judge....moving on... We were at the tag agency so I could update my license. I had to do so because (for those people who don't know) we just bought a house and needed our licences to have our current address. The reason we had to have them with our current address is because we had to have them to file the amendment to our taxes. Any who....I got all gussied up and was ready to have my picture taken. However, there was a minor problem. The printer broke while they were printing my new license. I am just that awesome that the printer couldn't take it....haha . I am sure you have heard of Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships. Well I am the face that broke the Tag Agency's only printer. Let me tell you, that is definitely a confidence booster. They found out later that the ribbon needed replaced. They tried running it again and the whole thing came out black. So, I had to have my picture taken again. This time the computer didn't recognize my picture. The lady had to call the Department of Public Service to try to get an override but they informed her that the reason the computer could not recognize my picture was because my ears weren't showing. No, you read that right. My EARS were not showing. I immediately busted up laughing once she relayed that information to me. Once I was able to contain my laughter I inquisitively asked Why it mattered. Her response, "I don't know I think they want to make sure your not Yoda or something." You would think the fact that I am not green or 2 foot tall would give that away. Just to make sure that I was indeed not Yoda I humored them and had my picture (this time with my ears showing) taken again. It worked!!!!!! I guess they were right..So, remember to always show your ears to prove you are not Yoda (may the force be with you)!!!

My Dear Sweet friend

I love my BFF with the deepest of sisterly loves. She may not be my sister by blood or by adoption. She is neither my half sister or step but she is still as close to me as any sister I could have had. We became friends in tenth grade but it seems like we have known each other our whole lives. She has stuck by me through every thing. She has seen me at my craziest and has seen me at my happiest. She survived being my roommate, classmate and even co-worker. A feat that not even my husband has accomplished. Just like all sisters, we have had our fair share of squabbles but we always make it out. There are times that we seem complete opposites. I am a short, brown-eyed, brown-haired, smart alec chubster and she is the tall, blue-eyed, blonde hair, sweet beauty. However, we have always found a common bond through things like photography, trying new places, St. Patty's Day and Sooner Football (to name a few). I'm not sure how I was so lucky or blessed to get a wonderful, long life friend like her but I guess I will have to give credit to Cathy. Tomorrow is this dear friend's birthday. I hope it is blessed and wonderful!!! I also hope she realizes what a sweet and wonderful person she truly is. I also hope she know's how loved she is by so many people and that she deserves so much more. Thanks Valerie for being my Bestest !!!!!! Happy Birthday Chica :) LYLAS!!!!! BFF!!!!