Okay, I’ll admit it.  Maybe you don’t make as many funny mistakes as I make.  I make lots of them.  But, I learned a long time ago that if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’ll spend a lot of time watching other people laugh.

My truck was making a funny noise as I was leaving work on Wednesday.  Not funny!  The noise was coming from the engine compartment.  I checked my gauges.  The oil pressure gauge was near ZERO!  There are many things that you can do to a vehicle and they will forgive you.  Running the engine out of oil is not normally forgivable.  I pulled back into the parking lot and killed the engine.

I popped the hood and called my handsome hero, my best friend and my lover.  One man, one phone call!  He answered and I told him about the noise.  He asked if there was oil on the dipstick.  I had already checked.  I had golden brown oil all over both hands because I was too impatient to get a tissue from the backseat of the truck.  I had wiped off the dipstick with my fingers and put it back in the hole.  This time there was a tiny hint of oil on the end of the dipstick.  Not good, people.  Not good at all.

“Sit tight.”  He said.  I could hear the smile in his voice.  “I’m bringing you some oil.”

We put the oil in the truck.  I started it.  The noise had gone away!  Yeah!

But . . .

I looked at the oil pressure gauge.  It still said almost ZERO!

I had My Hero look at the gauge.  He sighed and said.  “That’s your engine temperature.  The oil pressure gauge is on the other side of your speedometer!”

The engine was low on oil.  I have no idea if it was low on oil pressure!

Blessings to you and yours and may your oil of joy never run out!

Loreiel

(Update on the engine:  There was a hole in my oil filter!)

I am SO excited about class this Saturday.  The first time I had any of my writing published it was a poem.  Now, I’m trying to get novels published.  The things I learned then are true now.  The most important one is this:  It is easier if someone else does all the leg work!

No such luck now.  I do have many wonderful people who encourage me, pray for me, laugh for and with and sometimes at me.  I need them each and every one!  I still have to do the leg work!

However, we press on.  This week we will be talking about poetry.  Sonnets, rhyme schemes or not, limericks, haiku, songs . . .  The Star Spangled Banner was originally written as a poem.  I still get misty eyed every time I hear it played.  What kind of poetry do you (hate is such a strong word) dislike the most?  Maybe poetry isn’t for you.  Maybe the problem is you had the wrong ones jammed down your throat as a kid.  Give it a try again.  Come write one with us 4343 North Flood, Norman OK.  Yes, we are having it at a church.  You don’t have to be a member to come.  The name of the church is Victory Family Church.  We will meet from 9 to 10.

For your reading pleasure, here is a poem I wrote.  I hope you like it.

I Run

When the path is soft and the grass is green and water flows sweetly in the sparkling stream, I run.

When the trail is dusty and the night is long and the coyote cries in mournful song, I run.

When the dulling heat ad numbed my will and every road leads straight up hill, I run.

When I am afraid I’ll lose my way, afraid to go, afraid to stay, I run.

Because in this race I find success when I dare to do my very best, I run.

For the path has steps that it only shows to those who dare and boldly go, just run!

Learning to run.

Lorelei

A pipe burst.  That’s a very simple sentence.  The bursting pipe did not have a simple solution.

We have removed all the tile/vinyl from the utility room, the north bathroom, the hallway, and the kitchen.  We’re removing the carpet from the living room and from the third bedroom.  I’ve learned more about my lack of tolerance for change than I imagined was true.

Imagine your life changing dramatically.  Are you available for God to make changes?  Are you (Am I?) willing to tell God, “Whatever you want.” or “Whatever it takes.”?  How about, “Wherever you want me to go, I’ll go.”  Are you willing to say that?  Am I?

Then there’s that other thing.  I (You) might be able or willing to pray that, but are we willing to live it?

Whatever it takes, wherever you take me, whatever you want; God, I’m yours.

Few of us are left who remember the little ditties beside the road.  My favorite one went something like:  In school zones heed speed instructions.  Protect the little tax deductions. 

It must have been my favorite.  It is the only one I still remember.  School has already started in many communities.  I am a teacher.  A couple of years ago, one of my students was hit by a truck as he stood in line at the bus stop.  Yes, the driver was drunk.  Yes, it was about 7:00 a.m.  Yes, the child survived.  He was in the hospital for a while, recuperating at home for a while.  He graduated to a wheel chair for a while, then to crutches. 

Two of my children have been hit by cars.  (They were both 12 when it happened.)  My daughter wanted to wait until after Grand Council Fire to go to the clinic.  She was more worried about her new shirt than about her body.  My son was taken to the hospital in an ambulance as was the driver of the car who hit him.  Poor old guy, it was a Friday, and he was scheduled to have open heart surgery the following Monday.  My son was out of the hospital later that day.  Bumps, bruises, scratches, abrasions, lacerations, road rash galore all gave him a great story to tell on Monday when he got back to school.  Both of mine were hit because they weren’t paying attention to traffic when they crossed the road.  Both times the driver was MUCH more traumatized than the child.  Let me say that neither of my children were seriously injured.

I don’t know how I would react if I lost one of my children or one of my students.  Sometimes, accidents are unavoidable.  Texting and driving is avoidable.  If your message is so important that it cannot wait until you get where you’re going.  Pull into a parking lot.  Pull off the road.  Put on your flashers if you’re next to the road.  I do not want the death or damage of a child on my heart forever.  Neither do you.  Can we make a pact not to text and drive? 

Please!

Lorelei