Oakie's Heart to Heart -

Vol. 1, No. 39 ----- 18 December 1999, Saturday
by LK Wagner

Looking Back ('99 Reflections)

Another week has gone by and the holiday shoppers are busily bustling & preparing for the Holidays and the New Century that is just around the corner.

Well! Christmas parties are in the swing of things, also. We just had our annual party at the Renaissance Ballroom. I know I must be getting older when 10:30PM rolls around and I start yawning and wanting to call it an early evening. LOL (Laughing Out Loud, but NOT Rollin' On Floor) It was interesting watching the crowd of twenty-somethings mixing and mingling with the over thirty-somethings. And... Also listening to the Classic, Live Band playing it's disco, rock and classic rock (or whatever). BUT... Those late night hours are not on my agenda book anymore. Know what I mean? The food and company were great, though.

We are like all the other's! Each checking out the other's "Wish Lists" for the holidays, trying to see what we can do to bring a bit of happiness into the other lives that we touch.

As I reflect back over the last twelve months of 1999, I count the ways and special friends who have blessed some part of my life this past year. I will only mention some of the highlights! You can flip through my "Heart To Heart Journal" in the Newsletter Section to see what I have written earlier.

Let me start briefly in the early part of January 1999, after the the birth of my first kidney stone that showed up Christmas Night 1998. It was that episode (among other things) that caused me to make some positive changes in my life. Anyway, I hope it was for the better. Afterwards, the faith & trust that I have learned to give/receive from those around me has rewarded & blessed me continuously this last few months.

Moving from February to March was another milestone in my life. I turned 51 in the latter part of February and began a rejuvenating and redefining the journey of my own self awareness.

Easter weekend and April was another special turning point in my life. I strengthened my relationships with those around me at that time. There were "moments of gold and flashes of light..." It just seemed right! It seemed like my hopes and dreams were all coming back to me.

Shortly after that discovery, I started writing my "Heart To Heart Newsletter" with encouragement from special friends whom strengthened me when I was weak; giving me back my faith when it was lost; speaking when I had no voice or words; being there for me and giving me inspiration; and being my eyes when I couldn't see. I'm everything I am because they had the faith & trust in me and taught me to have faith & trust in myself.

I am continuously learning that with forgiveness of this and that, Love & Friendships can move mountains. AND... Believing, Trusting and having Faith in your friends and yourself is another important part of the whole picture.

The end of September and first part of October '99 was the beginning of a much deserved vacation that Dave and I took together back east. Taking in the sights of our ancestral homesteads; meeting new friends; realizing that each day is a new adventure; and experiencing life as it is.

To my Long Island, NY friends, "Your buffalo will be in the snail-mail shortly. It's small and won't require much maintenance or upkeep. It hardly eats anything at all. AND... It is looking forward to it's new home in New York."

That now brings us to November and December where I am at the present -- Reflecting on how blessed that I have been this year (1999). Especially with old & new friends coming into my life. That includes connecting with new cousins and learning bits & pieces of family stories.

There are special friends and new cousins that I have never met, but feel very close to because we have connected in one way or another. They may be undergoing surgery or some other medical treatment in their lives and are feeling the stress of the unknown. I would like to let them know that whenever they reach for that ((hug)), kind word, prayer and encouragement from this friend, I will be there to do "Whatever I can... Whenever I can!" As always, I expect NOTHING in return! My prayers and thoughts are with you always even if we are miles apart.

I know... Some days are good and some are the pits. Sometimes just a few encouraging words or a special kind of ((hug)) from others can give us the strength to go on. If I can be the "Wind Beneath Your Wings", my friend, then lean on me. I expect NOTHING in return! The next Century is just around the bend waiting for us to meet.

OAKIE'S LINKS & MAILBAG:

The Wordsmyth Educational Dictionary-Thesaurus (WEDT): The premier online useful, usable dictionary with an integrated thesaurus. WEDT contains 50,000 headwords, and very precisely defined and hyperlinked synonyms. Plus our search engine allows for very flexible searching, including searches on definitions, examples, synonyms, and even phonetic similarity. Check us out on the web

"When God made Oklahoma I think he had some fun. I think he used the leftovers when everything else was done. When he finished the Painted Desert he still had lots of red so he brush-stroked Oklahoma painting land and river bed..."

"Headlight, Carmen, Oklahoma, Alfalfa County, April 24, 1993," -- Reflects the News of Oklahoma. While you are there, check out the other links over at MaGee's website - "The Wild Buffalo," "C. M. Lakey Story," "The First Surgery in NW Oklahoma," etc... They have some great old stories to read and lots to learn about the Pioneer Times in Oklahoma Territory.

American Amateur Press Association - "A nation-wide non-profit organization of amateur journalists founded in 1936. The purpose of the association is the promotion of amateur journalism and fellowship of amateur writers, editors, printers, and publishers; and the circulation of their work among the membership."

IMPORTANT & THANKS, JOEL! -- "Mark your calendar for the last lunar show of the millennium: December 22! This year will be the first full moon to occur on the winter solstice in 133 years. Since a full moon on the winter solstice occurs in conjunction with a lunar perigee (point in the moon's orbit that is closest to Earth), the moon will appear about 14% larger than it does at apogee (the point in it's elliptical orbit that is farthest from the Earth). Since the Earth is also several million miles closer to the sun at this time of the year than in the summer, sunlight striking the moon is about 7% stronger, thereby making the moon brighter."

HISTORY BUFFS -- "On December 21st, 1866 the Lakota Sioux took advantage of this combination of occurrences and staged a devastating retaliatory ambush on U.S. occupying soldiers in the Wyoming Territory. In layman's terms it will be a super bright full moon, much more than the usual AND it hasn't happened this way for 133 years! Our ancestors 133 years ago saw this. Our descendants in 133 years will see this again. Remember this will happen December 22, 1999"

"The Bullet Trap," by Glen Soldan. Glen loves going around Kansas and finding old courthouses, especially with clocktowers. Check out his great site.

"The Weekly Newspaper of Freedom, Oklahoma (The Freedom Call)" will publish a "Millennium Issue." If you have interesting stories, photographs, or anything to share with the community, please respond to PO Box 172, Freedom, OK 73842 or call (580) 621-3578. All original photos will be returned.

WORD OF THE WEEK -- Supercilious - adj. thinking a lot of oneself and little of others; haughty, patronizing; condescending

QUOTES OF THE WEEK -- by Henry W. Longfellow, "A Psalm of Life"

"Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of time;...- "

"Let us, then be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait. "

(((hugs))) & Seasons Greetings

The Okie Legacy

Looking Back ('99 Reflections)

OAKIE'S LINKS & MAILBAG:

See Y'all later! Linda (Oakie)