Pink Paper Lanterns

It's a Party!

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Hanging pink lanterns makes it an instant party, doesn't it?

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Tomorrow I'm going to an outdoor wedding reception where there will be paper lanterns hanging

from the trees. I am very excited about that.

Too excited, really.

My friend Kaysee got married last Tuesday night...yes an odd night for a marriage...but 

they knew they wanted the big reception to be at her parent's farm and it's an hour and a half

away so it worked to have it the next weekend.

There will be a tent and lanterns and pretty flowers and mexican food and margaritas.

Sounds like a perfect reception to me.

The wedding was lovely and included the perfect words and music.

But a huge storm rolled in just as it ended and had us all running for 

our lives just after the ceremony.

I ended up driving on North May Avenue just north of where a tornado came down.

I had no where to get under cover and ended up driving onto the 

sidewalk and up on to the front door landing of a bank to find just a little cover.

The wind was blowing sideways as hail hit my car from all sides.

My sister called to see where I was and told me the tornado was seen only a 

few blocks from where I was stuck.

She stayed on the phone with me while the storm raged around me.

I was strangely calm. I thought...well...if it blows me away...I'll deal with it then.

But luckily it only lasted about fifteen minutes and then I was back on the road headed home.

Many of my friends sustained damage to their homes and cars.

This storm covered a large portion of the city.

Not as much as it did two years ago when I had to get a new roof but still a large portion of it.

My poor car.

Why is it when you drive a car you care nothing about...nothing happens to it.

But when you finally get a car you care for...everything happens to it.

But...

I felt lucky to get home and find that my house was not hit hard.

During this...I kept thinking...living in Oklahoma is truly like living in hell.

I discussed this with my Mom on the phone later.

She agreed with me.

She said, "Why do you think the Indians did not live here?

(Remember they were moved here...they did not choose to live here.)

 "And when the Spaniards were exploring the New Continent, they just kept on going when

they saw this country with it's flat land, harsh weather and lack of vegetation."

Yep, no one wanted to live here.

That is why it was empty and only settled through the Land Run.

Yes, we don't have dust storms any more like they used to have back in the 30's.

We have lots of vegetation now because we irrigate the heck out of everything.

But....we still have such turbulent weather and it seems to be getting worse.

I remember when I was a kid we'd have hail and the biggest it would be was quarter size.

Now it's golfball and softball size.

It's crazy!

Anyway...I survived to live out another storm, another day.

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