No more cubicle

My old office has a new wall, a door frame, and a window frame. Yipee!!! Maybe they can engrave a big star on the door right below my name? Yeh...that might be a little much.

Outside looking in.

Inside looking out.

Reception area.

They are really moving along, and we are able to make some changes as it goes because we can see the daily progress. This may turn out better than I thought it would.

Vacation Anticipation

I live from vacation to vacation. I love to plan then, I love to get ready for them, I love the anticipation of them. So today as I awoke to dreary April weather and some electricity issues I am definitely anticipating the next vacation.

We leave in 51 days with our great travel companions the Bales. We are headed to the beach this trip. 6 days of swimming, sunning, reading, shelling, fishing, dolphins watching, card playing and no schedules. We are headed to Caribe Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama.

Anticipation helps to me get through the day. Can't you just hear Carly Simon singing?

SPT--Gift of Gifting

The SPT challenge--the gift of gifting. Today we are to gift a stranger. I'll have to say that the only gift I may be able to give stranger today is cooties and a sore throat, so I am digging to the recent past for a gift to a stranger.

http://www.lellysmusings.blogspot.com/

When in Disney World we are the best at making use of the fastpass system, sometimes we are so good at it that we end up with unused fastpasses at the end of the day. We always try to pass them along to someone who is in the way back of the standby line. While there in March, Savanna and I road Space Mountain and loved it, we happened to ride with one of the managers and when we got off he wanted to know if she wanted to ride it again...duh, yes please?? So he took us through the back doors right back on the ride. Too Cool!! So when we got off the second time we went back out the join Jim and Jenna and got to give two fastpasses to a mom and son who were in the 60 minute standby line. It was too fun, all the teenage boys behind them were so excited for them, they were like "You Scored!!" So if you get the chance to visit my favorite place on earth remember this little trick that allows you to create your own magic for someone.

Well...I had to save one for the scrapbook!

For making this award possible...

Thanks Dena for the award. I really don't pass them on, but feel free to use it yourselves to award to fellow bloggers. The Attitude of Gratitude Award.

There's No Business, Like Show Business...

Both Musicals are finally over. They were a great success, but please remind me of how crazy the last two weeks have been if you ever hear that we are trying more than one theatre project at a time.

The school Musical was "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

Someday I think you can look for these two to have the leads...Maybe Oklahoma, Laurie and Ado Annie??
They are already trying to talk Brayden and Katie into trying out next year

These are from the Lyric Academy production "Follow that Happy Ending"

Brayden came to see this one too

This Emma the other stepsister and obviously a Knight too

Overall, I think she still has the theatre bug. We'll see how long this activity keeps her interest. One of the boys in the Charlie Brown production got a huge scholarship to a local University for theatre arts, so you never know.

Cupcakes Everywhere! update w/pics

My mom volunteered to make cupcakes for an Anniversary Celebration at the organization that the thrift store where I volunteer supports. They have been doing work in OKC for 10 years. They do great work. There is a church, a daycare center, a food pantry, a medical service center, the thrift store and many other services that they provide. Go here for more information.

Anyway...she volunteered to make 125,135,150 and now 180 225 cupcakes!! And not just run of the mill cupcakes, but from scratch, gourmet cupcakes. Way to go mom!! So now I'm off to ice the cupcakes, and set up the presentation.

My mom and Laura from the ROC office

Good Enough to Eat!

Attendence Policies

ammendment to my post: In my frustration I did not state clearly that if you miss more than three days in semester and don't have straight A's then you have to take semester tests and you can't go on the exemption trip. It is an incentive for the kids to be at school. My frustration is just because I love my wonderful daughter and I don't want her to be punished because I decided to take her out of school for vacation, and a think 3 days a semester is a little tough for the guidelines for exemption.

What's the biggest difference between Elementary School and Middle School? The Attendance Policy!

I am blessed with an intelligent child who so far has not struggled in any subject, and seems to just to take school in stride. I know they have to have attendance policies, I really understand that. But I am sitting at home today with a sick child trying to decide if I should send her to school anyway because this will be her last absence if she wants to be exempt from semester tests and get to go on the trips. She missed the other two days because we decided to pull her out for vacation. (insert visions of me stabbing myself in the heart with a knife). I shouldn't have this much angst over 3 days of 6th grade!! Do you remember any certain three days of middle school?

She has all A's, she never gets in trouble, she is a fly under the radar kinda girl (knock wood). Should she be punished because of me? And why three absences? Why not four, two in each quarter, is that too much to ask? Anyway...she's staying home in hopes of getting to perform tonight in the school musical. So I guess we just pray that we get through the next 41/2 weeks without any other absences. Rules are Rules--we knew them going in--we knew the risks of missing for vacation--blah,blah, blah,---It still sucks!

1965--It was meant to be.

I was looking back to see what Pop Culture permeated 1965. I may have discovered my love for corny sitcoms, goofy movies, and unrealistic musicals (and when any the two should meet) is actually rooted in the year of my birth.

Included in the list of top movies were: The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and Mary Poppins

Top TV shows: The Dick Van Dyke Show(which I still watch in reruns online), I Dream of Jeanie, Green Acres, and Get Smart

Also debuting on TV that year: Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Barbra Streisand's My Name is Barbra

Top Albums: Mary Poppins soundtrack, Sound of Music Soundtrack, My Fair Lady Soundtrack, and Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack.

This may circumstantial evidence, but it seems very compelling to me. I leave you with this piece of flair once sent to me by sister-in-law.

SPT--The gift of gifting

Today we are to follow the path of sharing our gifts with others. The challenge today is to gift a neighbor, teacher, or co-worker. Since my neighbors mostly also fall under the stranger category, and I really don't have a teacher and Jenna has too many...I am victimizing gifting my co-workers. We moved into our new office space and I will have to say privacy is definitely lacking. Not that we don't love each other but every once in a while you just want to close the door and escape...not possible for the next sixty days or so. So I provided some little privacy signs, that provide no actual privacy but I'm sure they will provide some humor over the next months. To see others interpretations of the challenge go here:

http://www.lellysmusings.blogspot.com/

This what the office area looks like now.

Me, and my wonderful co-workers. Dayna, me, Francine, and Rhonda

It's that time of year...

It's that time of year for me. The time when I reflect on the past year to see what was good?... what was bad?... have I accomplished anything?... how's the weight?... how's the job?...

You know, it's the event that makes you ask "I'm how old??" THE BIRTHDAY

It could probably go unrecognised in my life because everyone who's close to me knows that I really don't like the attention of a birthday. But it doesn't go unnoticed by all of the many entities around me.

As the years have gone by it becomes increasingly harder for my birthday to by quietly. It used to be that I shared a birthday with a few celebrities and a great uncle which most people did not know. Then I moved to Oklahoma and I shared a birthday with Land Run Day. Now, as the world goes green I share a birthday with Earth Day.

This year I have noticed an increase of well wishes from all the many retail establishments in the area and anybody I've ever visited online.

---My insurance agent sent a card

---A food coupon from Shorty Smalls

---On-line coupons from a Steak House in Colorado that I checked into for a vacation but never actually ate there, guessing I won't make it there this year either.

---Many little % off from every online establishment I've ever purchased with.

But this year I got a new one--- mind you, that I am not going to be particularly young on my birthday, and there is really no way that you would mistake me for someone that was going to be turning 12 or less on this birthday. But... I got a coupon for a free Build-a Bear animal for my birthday. It was addressed to me...Lori Smith...a soon to be 44 year old woman.

I did what any self-respecting Mom would do I went to get my free animal-- hey it was just waiting for me to claim it right? I thought, "what a great thing to send back stage to Jenna at her performance Saturday." I stopped at our local Build-a Bear expecting there to be some kind of catch--but there wasn't. I picked out the most adorable Lamb and went searching for some accessories to complete the purchase, which I'm sure is exactly the sole purpose of the coupon in the first place.

There is not one piece of clothing that says star, superstar, #1, diva, or anything appropriate for the event, a huge oversight as I see it. So I pick out a little bouquet of flowers meant for Mother's Day for my Lamb to hold. This is where the trip gets a little surreal. I get in line, surrounded by small children, to get the Lamb stuffed. Watching the kids go through the cute little routine of having their new favorite new friend stuffed and brought to life with love. How fun, I remember when Jenna loved to do this and how adorable it was.

My turn is next and I hand the girl (not even a girl, a woman) my Lamb and a little heart to go in it. Then she totally takes me surprise and starts in with the little routine of having me rub the heart to warm it, and I'm thinking she's kidding, right? But no...she continues with the whole routine expecting me to rub the heart on my head to give it smarts, to rub in on my heart to give it love.....etc... I am so dumbfounded that I just keep going through the motions with her because she's really not going to stop. I keep thinking Howie Mandel is going to appear at any moment to tell me that I am on "Howie Do It." But it ended and I almost as dumbfoundily moved through the store not quite sure what had just happened. I made my purchase and vowed never to come into that store again with being accompanied by a child, maybe that's the whole plan because even in my stupor I only spent $5 which I'm sure was not the intent of the coupon.

So Happy Birthday to me...no way to feel younger than a visit to Build-A-Bear, but be sure to BYOC (bring your own child)!

I'd Like to Give the World a Coke...

Okay, it's been 18 days!! I would love to tell you that is has come easy. Not so much...

When I couldn't sleep the night before---
---I needed a Coke

When my office is in total
disarray---
---I needed a Coke

When I ate pizza---
---I needed a Coke

When my work was piling up
around me---
---I needed a Coke


When a accomplished a goal---
---I needed a Coke

When the sun was shining---
---I needed a Coke

When the sun wasn't shining---
---I needed a Coke

Basically... I need a Coke!! But I am resisting the urge. I have tried a few diet drinks and they are okay, but, I'm sorry... they are not the same. I'm hoping I can make it for a month before I allow myself a glorious, refreshing, delicious, stress-relieving, ice-cold, glass of Coke.

Have a Coke and Smile and think of me.:)

Movin' on up...

The Construction Lead came by Monday to ask if we could be ready to move by the following Monday. We really thought we had another week, actually I thought we had an indefinite amount of time because I never really believed that my office would ever have walls and a door. But it looks like it is going to happen. So we are kinda like the people who have to move to an apartment before the new house is finished. I thought that I would record some before pictures in hopes that the after pictures are incredible.

the reception area now

reception area from inside

Our lovely "office" area

work area

This is the "apartment" where four us are moving. No walls whatsoever.

Let's hope the next pictures of this office area will be something that prospective students will see as up to date and welcoming. The Construction Lead say about 60 days I know he doesn't mean in real time but that would sure be nice. Maybe I should start a countdown for that.

SPT-Gift of Gifting

This month for SPT we are gifting. Not monetary gifting, but gifting of yourself to or for others. This week the target recipient is my friend Jenni. We transfer our kids into a different school system and she can't get hers to school and get to work on time, and I work right by the school , so I take her boys to school.

http://www.lellysmusings.blogspot.com/

Those are some bug eyes on me...wow!-- oh well, we were in a hurry this morning

Boys! What can I say?

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it...

We had a great day with family. This family in all it's extended glory always has great stories to tell and great food to eat. We had a new addition for this gathering, Gus,the guinea pig. He is living at my brother's house. Not quite sure who is claiming him as theirs but he is well loved. He really does have red eyes because he is albino.

My darling niece Halee and Gus

Cooper, Halee, Jenna and Gus

Gus's dwelling and my nephew Cooper

All the preparation of food and the buffet line. Everyone contributes and we have all the favorites. Can't have a Morgan gathering without at least two casseroles of Mac & Cheese. I grew up with my Mom's parents always being included in the Dad's side of the family's gatherings because my mom was an only child and it just seemed to make sense. It wasn't until later in my life that I realized that that really wasn't as normal as it seemed to me. Luckily, it is a tradition that has continued so this gathering had a variety of family from all sides.

My mom and BrotherMelissa(the Hostess)

My nieces Halee & Katie. My husband Jim, my mom and Melissa

Prep is complete and everyone has arrived. Let the loading of plates begin. Jenna was trying to sneak in front of (nephew) Josh so that he didn't get all the Mac & Cheese. Did I mention that we love Mac & Cheese? So we had my family, my brother's family, my mom, my husband's mom and sister, my sister-in-law's mom, brother, and nephew, it was quite the representation.

Jim's mom Dell, Jenna, Josh, & Halee

Dylan(Melissa's nephew), me, my mom(Bev), Halee, & Melissa's mom(Shirley)

My niece Katie, me , my mom

The kid's Table

The adult Table. Shirley, Michael(Melissa's brother), Melissa(my SIL), Dean(my brother), & Grace(my SIL, Jim's sister)

A great time was had by All!! Hope everyone had a great day. God's grace is an amazing gift given to all who will just accept it as their own. God Bless your week.

My Happy Place...

I know you we're thinking "not another post about WDW?, is that all she ever thinks about?" Well in this case my Happy Place is right here in Oklahoma City. My real job requires that I work 32 hours a week so that leaves me some extra hours in my week to volunteer at this wonderful establishment, The ROC (reaching our city) Resale Shop. I just kinda fell into this "job" when Jenna was in the 4th grade and her teacher didn't really seem to need help in the classroom and I had some time on my hands.

This the wonderful couple that manage the store and one of their great employees

Here's a quick look around and some Saturday shoppers.

During that time it has evolved that I take care of the stacks, you know the books, not to be confused with the accounting in any way. I try to get there every ten days or so to try to keep ahead of the straightening and the new stuff that comes in daily. I am always behind. It never fails that you get sort of caught up and someone brings more stuff in. But today I went to volunteer because I hadn't been there in three weeks with vacation and Jim going to Savannah, Ga. for a funeral and all Jenna's musical practices...you get the idea. I spent the first hour straightening and cleaning, then I spent time sort all the boxes of books that has accumulated. Note to all you wonderful people who donate to your local thrift stores: Do Not donate damaged (missing covers, missing pages, cola stains, etc.)books or books that have obviously been on the floor of a flooded garage. YUCK!!)

This the Children's and Music Section



Fiction, non-Fiction, Self-Help, DIY


Religious and Inspirational. This store is affiliated with the Nazarene church so we get a lot of religious books. Sometimes whole personal libraries at a time. I really don't know how many Cross and the Switchblade's any one store needs?

I also do Videos, cassette tapes, albums, and even 8-track tapes.

Anyone need "Have you Never Been Mellow?, by Olivia Newton-John", or any and every religious album ever recorded?

I was on a roll today. I worked up and sweat and got my arm lifting exercise for sure. But after about 2 hours and 15 minutes I was actually caught up. My area was clean and ready for the next arrival of goods. I felt as if I had actually accomplished my goal today. This is such a marvelous place to volunteer. They always seem to be glad to have you come and grateful for whatever you get done while there. I am always glad I went, even on the days when it is a struggle to find the time

This is my storage area and the floor beneath--See all cleaned out! Yeah! Of course it's been a few hours since this picture, I'm sure it's already filling back up again.