Tenkiller Lake

Sun shining and a light wind blowing made it a perfect day to begin discovering 10 Killer Lake.  It is only about 20 minutes south of us in Tahlequah, so when I made it home from work it was a very easy fast discussion to try out a hike, or at least a walk!

This part of the lakeshore has gravely rocky beach.

 Learning how to use my new walking sticks Harold gave me for our Anniversary.

Still kind of brown out, but you can feel the Spring right around the corner.

SNOW transformations

It snowed today, big fluffy flakes, about four inches and for here that is a lot. I looked at it during the day and thought how I didn't want to go out and get cold and wet. Tonight I decided to go out, because I wanted a picture of it, discovering that the more I walked the more enchanted I became. I remembered so many years ago when with a thrill we would walk through the snow and kick it up in the air to watch it fly. The feeling of accomplishment of having my footsteps be the first ones on the fresh clean sheet of snow. Creating a snow angel and laughing as we barraged each other with snowballs. The excitement and challenge of sliding with the possibility of falling into it's cold embrace. I considered and questioned myself as I walked through the silent drifts over what I have allowed to happen to me. What pushed me into being a spectator instead of actively participating in this fluffy substance we call snow? My nose now still tingles from the cold and my toes may never thaw, but I took part, I participated, I remember and I remember it well.

 

 A world transformed by the magic of snow and the 

subtlety of night

Seminary Hall, Northeastern State University

Nighttime transformation in the solitude of snow

Nice is Nice

The one thing I have learned about Tahlequah, Oklahoma is that some of the people here are just plain nice! There is a Love's Country Store that has good gas prices and makes these great sandwiches PLUS the employees are some of the friendliest people I have ever met.  The girl  that made our sandwiches today and loaded them full, then before she closed it, smiled and asked if it looked good to me.  She had put what I wanted on it and acted like she cared that I was happy - and willing to add more if I wanted.  We have been in there several times in the last two months and every time they have been helpful, kind and friendly.  I like that!  It speaks very highly of the whole community.  Same sort of thing we keep seeing at Wal Mart where the guys taking in the shopping cart wish you a nice evening and ask how you are. 

A friendly smile and hello can make a huge difference in the lives of so many people around us.  Glad to see them being passed around in so many locations in my new hometown.

The Challenge of Starting

The difficulty in starting a blog is all of those CHOICES!  DECISIONS!  I have been working for the last month trying to come up with a name for my blog - so I could even get started.  I could call this so many things like, Steps into the Real World,  Reaching toward Perfection (really isn't that a lifelong impossible journey???)  After much pondering and frustration I have decided to jump in, therefore the title became Choices - which lead to decisions and are sometimes very hard for me.  Changes - because life is full of changes and it is important how we deal with them.  Chapters - because I feel I/we are entering into another Chapter of life, one that appears pretty amazing from here.

Quick Update:  After finishing our mission in Guatemala where we served for the last two years we returned to the USA in October.  I quickly flew to England for the birth of my lovely new grandson where I was able to stay and play for three weeks.  Next stop flying from there to Idaho to meet up again with Harold and be there for the birth of Natalie's new baby boy the beginning of November.  The joy is more intense with the birth of these two new little ones because both of these daughters lost their first baby at about one week before birth, both for different reasons.  The births of those first little ones was so full of tears of pain, and with these we wept for joy.  Now the sleepless nights - although difficult are still moments of joy.

We returned to Arkansas the end of November and I continued to pursue the job hunt.  The end of December I was hired by Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.  We quickly popped over then and found an apartment and met members from the Church.  Right after Christmas we made the move in time to be here for work on the 6th of January.   The miracle was that we got completely moved in between snow and ice storms in DRY weather, the snow hit again the afternoon after we got into our new apartment.

It is exciting to be back at the University level.  I sympathize greatly for anyone teaching in the Public High School system, it was continually stressful with the requirements and continual paperwork.  The University here is small and I really enjoy the people I work with in the department, it seems like we are all focused on the same goals and there is a shared camaraderie that makes going to work a pleasure.  So far I am STARTING to get the hang of the technology involved, getting the rhythm back into my teaching and  feeling comfortable in my work.  The goal is to survive plus enjoy the first semester!

The community of Tahlequah is a gem that seems like it will fit us well, big enough that there is adequate shopping and interesting things to do.  It is the Capitol of the Cherokee nation so there are lots of historical and cultural things available, plus the University offers concerts, lectures and plays.  I am very excited  because thanks to the heritage of my mother  I have my CDIB -registered Choctaw, I am eligible for free health care through the Cherokee health system.  What a relief to know I can, hopefully, get a few things worked out - like my teethe!  They even said there is a new program for training your eyes that may help me fix my lazy eye,  something I had given up on years ago.  Nothing like having a wondering eye!  I always tell my students it is so they can never tell who I am looking at, although it really does bother me on the inside.

There are the Ten-Killer lakes 10 minutes to the South of us and the Illinois river 10 minutes to the North, can't beat that, plus we have already discovered at least one hiking trail, Sparrowhawk, very close to home.  It is a little strange living in an apartment but it does have two bathrooms (yes, that is very important at our ages!!) and is only about a five minute walk to my classes. We disposed of so many things before our mission that it and the small storage we rent fits us for right now.