Oklahoma Tornadoes!

There has been a lot of devastation in our State tonight...Mother Nature tends to have her way with us here in Oklahoma, in the springtime.

Several lives have been lost and many homes destroyed in Central Oklahoma tonight. Literally thousands are without power tonight. But this is nothing new to those of us who live in "Tornado Alley."

I am 52 years old and have lived in Tornado Alley all of my life. My Dad used to tell us about the awful tornado that hit Howe, Oklahoma when we were babies. He was one of the volunteers that helped in the aftermath of that storm and he never forgot the horror of pulling dead bodies out of the destruction.

Naturally, I have a great respect and life long caution of these storms that sweep over our area. At my age, I am on a first name basis with the concept of death...but I don't want to meet my Maker in the vortex of a tornado! Frankly, having my ass blown away in a storm just doesn't excite me at all! Call me crazy, but that simply doesn't appeal to me!

So hubby and I went to the storm cellar that my Dad built for us years ago. We ran from these tornadoes tonight and found a safe haven in the home of my youth.

It was so comforting because my Mom was there, my brother, my cousin and all of their family members, in the storm cellar with us. We laughed and talked as the storm raged outside. We told stories of days long past, while the lanterns' light flickered off the concrete walls. We were safe inside our shelter...no harm could come to us there.

We were spared the devastation that so many in our State have suffered tonight.

Please God, be with those who have lost so much tonight in these terrible storms. And thank you, Lord, for keeping so many of us safe!

The Grandbabies...Campout!

What fun! A weekend with the grandbabies at Cedar Lake! Hubby and I pulled our travel trailer to this lake near our home and had the grandbabies spend time with us there this weekend. Gwynnie was off on a vacation with her parents (our daughter and her hubby) in south Houston and we missed having her with us, but our sons' children are close by. And we love spending time with all of them.

Most people think of Oklahoma as flat, prairie land that is quite boring. But we live in southeast Oklahoma where there are amazing lakes and mountains. It's beautiful country! Cedar Lake is just 20 miles from our home and is nestled in the Ouachita Mountains near Talimena drive. This photo of hubby and me with the "grands" was taken on Talimena Drive.

So we got set up at our campsite on Friday after laying in a supply of all the favorite foods our grandchildren would require. By friday afternoon at about 4pm we were anxiously awating the arrival of our "babies". Hubby and I were walking a short distance from our campsite when we heard a chorus of voices..."Mamaw, Papaw!" They came running toward us as though they hadn't seen us in years (when, in fact, we had seen them only last week).

I can't express with words how it feels to have someone be that glad to see me! It's so awesome!

We hugged and all of us talked at the same time. It was one of those happy family moments that you enjoy now, and remember later with such sweetness. And the weekend was off to a great start.

I began to feel young and carefree immediatly. My energy level shot through the roof! I played and laughed and forgot everything except the joy of the moment.

Oh my! This grandmother experience is so liberating! When I was a parent, I had to discipline, fret, worry, as well as love and direct my children. It was a wonderful experience but stressful, at times. But with grandchildren, it's so different.

I can spoil them, love them, play with them, and then...send them home to their parents for all the other stuff. How fun is that?!! It's a lot of fun! And I revelled in it this weekend. We played games, went fishing, built a bonfire, roasted weiners, went hiking, watched movies as late as they wanted, ate junk food, and basically broke all the rules. I loved it!

There is a magic that goes along with being a grandparent. It comes from having these lovely young souls believe in us, love us, so completely. I'm always mindful that what I say to them will probably be remembered, so I am careful to speak truth and encouragement to them. But, mostly, I just love them. And I let them know that they are loved without question.

I'm back home with hubby now and we are both totally exhausted. Happy, but exhausted! It's very quiet in our house tonight, but the sound of their laughter still rings in my ears and I feel young....so very young!