Bouffant Blonde

Little Guy always seems to be after something. Or someone. He wants so badly to be a hunter like his big sister Sunshine or a cow dog like his other big sister, Lady Bug. He is neither. He acts really, really tough. And he has been known to be tough. Just ask the neighbor's dog who came to visit and stir up a little trouble. That rather large dog went home with a bloody leg. Little Guy just wouldn't let go. Still, he's most known for sounding the alarm for no good reason. I keep threatening to buy him that Chicken Little book we all read as kids. You know the one. The little chicken kept sounding the alarm until no one paid attention. So when they needed to pay attention, they didn't. Little Guy cornered a bee the other day. A bee. He found it under the picnic table. We didn't know it was a bee. He was barking and barking so we all went running. Snakes are a big issue this time of year. I was praying it wasn't another one of those. At first, I didn't even ...

First let me assure all of you that I do know this photo is not of a turtle. Really. I drew it and painted it and I'm quite sure it's not a turtle. Still, he's cute and I really couldn't find a photo of a turtle. I know I've painted a few but they're I don't know where. I guess that means I need to paint a few more so I can get a few more photos. None of that has anything to do with my story. I just wanted to reassure those who know me personally. I am blonde! But as I walked down the driveway, I saw a turtle walking with me. Really. Our driveway is 1/4 of a mile long. It makes for a wonderful exercise path. I walked "to the road" and was returning to the house when I spied a companion. A rather large turtle. Of course, any turtle larger than a half-dollar coin is large to me. He wasn't walking in the grass (okay, weeds ) that line the driveway. No. He was walking on the asphalt. With me. I'm not even sure he noticed me. He ...

A special thanks to all who visited Bouffant Blonde at the arts and crafts show in Ft. Walton. It was so much fun! For those who missed the event, I'm hopeful that the fairgrounds will make it an annual event. I love art shows. The people are so nice. One special young woman stopped by. She was fascinated by seeing herself in the mirror of the antique vanity I used in my display (it's for sale!). She was so happy! I love that. Her parents were a bit concerned that she was a bother but how could she ever bother anyone? Her smiles were contagious and I know God blessed me with her visit. Friends from Alabama stopped by to visit. I've been in business a long time and have met some interesting people. Sometimes something just clicks and a friendship develops. I'm sure you know what I mean. They are people I hope to always know and it has nothing to do with business. I care about them and their children. I cherrish their visits and watching their children grow and become li...

Wouldn't it be sad to always follow the road everyone else travels? Yet, that seems to be what most folks do. It's expected that we trot along to the same old song, like little people soldiers afraid to show their uniqueness. What are we so afraid of? Failure? Or success? Being a little different is scary. But I think it frightens other people more than it frightens the person on the different path. I'm reminded of a young woman, ever the face of bravery, as she accepts a job across the country. What daring, we think. How foolish, we warn. Is she following a different path or only pretending? See, she has friends there to pave the way. "How lame it would be," she insists, "to go somewhere and not know anyone." She looks at me. Judging. That was my path. I keep my mouth firmly closed, determined not to comment on the superior attitude she emits. Inside I think how lame it is to only follow a path already laid out by others. How sad it is to only pretend ...

Sometimes I forget I'm a little different than most folks. A new friend recently stopped by unexpectedly. She did me a wonderful favor. The leader of a morning book study group we're a part of had sent out a list of possible new study books. But she didn't have my e-mail address. My new friend printed out the e-mail and brought it to my house. How wonderful and how thoughtful! Needless to say, I wasn't dressed for company. I was working. That means, of course, I was painting. I could tell by her expression that I looked a little worse for the wear, to borrow an old cliche. I had paint clothes on. We're not talking about those white shirts and pants I've seen some "real" house painters wear. My paint clothes are cheap sweats that are dabbed pretty much everywhere with paint. My blonde hair was pulled up, which doesn't always keep paint from connecting with loose strands. I even had paint on my hands and arms. I could tell from her expression that sh...

What makes us happy? How do we define happy? Is it the sun warming our skin after torrential rains have finally ended? Is it the laughter of a child playing on a swing? Is it the presence of God filling our soul as we watch a rainbow in the sky? Happy can be so many different things. My trusty dictionary defines it as feeling or showing pleasure or contentment; fortunate; pleasing. So maybe happy is learning to be content whatever our circumstances. I've often read Paul's words and wanted to embrace them, to know a peace that can fill an empty soul no matter what. I want to always find my job in the simple things that surround me. Perhaps all of us have known the times we wanted something so badly, whether it was a new job, a new electronic gadget or a special vacation. Then we got whatever it was we wanted only to find that it didn't make us as happy as we expected. That hole we were trying to fill couldn't be filled by what we thought we wanted. Happy remained elusiv...

Every person who is tired of the rain please raise your hand. Yes, that's most of us. I don't know what's with that person over in the corner calling for more but get the straight-jacket out now. Bouffant Blonde lives in an area that got eight plus inches of rain Friday night and Saturday. And we were blessed it wasn't worse. People in neighboring towns are scraping muddy muck from their kitchens and bracing for more rain arriving tomorrow. And that isn't even mentioning the poor folks in Fargo. I've been in a flood. I don't want to go there again. Ever. Originally we welcomed the rain. We were at a water deficit according to Rich Thomas and his storm team. It's getting into the planting and growing season. Water is a good thing. Well, any seeds already planted may no longer be in the field they were intended to be in. Our little garden patch -- which contains no seed until Good Friday per my father's rule -- is difficult to even walk through. One s...