Concert at Riverwind with UncleCracker

 

A Night of Music, Friendship, and a Lesson About Oklahoma Heat

Saturday, June 13, was a night I had been looking forward to for quite a while. My friend Brenda and I headed to Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma, for an outdoor concert featuring Uncle Kracker and the Gin Blossoms. It was a special night because it was my first time attending one of their outdoor concerts, and it was also Brenda’s very first concert experience at Riverwind.

I’ve always enjoyed Uncle Kracker’s music. Originally, the concert lineup included Cheap Trick and the Gin Blossoms, but unfortunately Cheap Trick had to cancel all of their June performances due to circumstances beyond their control. Even so, for a $10 ticket, this concert was absolutely worth every penny.

The concert itself was a lot of fun. Brenda and I were definitely stepping outside our comfort zones, but that’s part of what made the evening memorable. Brenda even walked around and ended up getting a free hat and having her picture taken, which made her day. I think she mostly came along to keep me company, but I’m so glad she did because we genuinely had a wonderful time together.

One thing I wasn’t prepared for, though, was the Oklahoma heat. Since the concert was outdoors, the temperatures were pretty intense, and unfortunately my medications and extreme heat do not make a good combination.

At one point, I got up to grab something to eat from the barbecue truck. While I was standing in line, I suddenly started feeling very sick. My vision began to darken, I was seeing dark spots, and honestly, I thought I might pass out right there. One lady noticed and came over asking if I was okay. I told her, “No, but I will be,” because at that moment I really wasn’t sure what else to say.

Looking back, I probably should have abandoned the food line and gone straight back to my seat. At the time, I remember thinking, “I don’t need that food that badly,” but I really wanted my cold drink. Somehow, I made it back to my chair, and after sitting down for about twenty minutes, I slowly started feeling better.

Thankfully, the rest of the evening went smoothly, and I was able to enjoy the music and the company. It was definitely a reminder that I need to listen to my body and be extra careful in the heat. As much as I enjoyed the concert, I’ve decided that outdoor summer concerts probably aren’t for me anymore. Riverwind has three more concerts scheduled between now and September, but I think I’ll be sitting those out.

Even with that scary moment, I don’t regret going. Brenda had a great time, I got to hear some music I love, and we shared a new experience together. Plus, Brenda drove her own vehicle, which made the evening even easier.

All in all, it was a fun night filled with music, friendship, laughter, and a good reminder that sometimes our bodies let us know when it’s time to slow down. Lesson learned: Karen and Oklahoma summer heat simply do not mix!

#RiverwindCasino #UncleKracker #GinBlossoms #GirlsNightOut #ConcertMemories #OklahomaLife #Friendship #WeekendAdventures

Thursday To Do List

 

To-Do List Thursday

Thursday, June 11th

This week has absolutely flown by! Before I knew it, Thursday had arrived, and honestly, I’m feeling pretty good about where I stand with my errands and responsibilities.

Today, I don’t have any errands to run after work, which feels like a little victory. I may stop and pick up dinner on the way home, but otherwise, I think I’ve managed to get everything taken care of for the week. Well… almost everything. I still need to get my nails filled. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll do that Friday evening after work or Saturday morning before we head to Norman, Oklahoma, for the Cheap Trick concert Saturday night. Either way, it needs to happen soon!

This morning started a little differently than usual. Mr. C wasn’t feeling very well when he woke up. As many of you know, his health isn’t always the best, and it always worries me when he’s feeling more down than normal. He looked at me this morning and asked, “Can I ask you a big favor? Will you pack your lunch today?” Of course, that wasn’t a problem at all. We already knew what I was taking, so all I had to do was gather everything together.

If you happen to think about it today, I’d appreciate any good thoughts, prayers, or positive vibes you could send his way. I’m hoping he’ll start feeling better soon.

Since I’ve been trying to be more intentional with my time lately, I’ve created a new to-do list for the next few days.

First, I want to order a new capri outfit for summer. However, I’ve made a deal with myself: I can’t place the order until I’ve gone through my closet and donated at least 20 items. I already have a couple of outfits picked out, so choosing isn’t the hard part. Letting go of clothes I no longer need is the challenge! Hopefully, that little reward system will motivate me to tackle the closet sooner rather than later.

Second, I need to finish Moira’s journal. I’m hoping to carve out enough time this weekend to complete it and get it mailed. I’ve already received hers, and it was absolutely fantastic. When I compare mine to hers, I sometimes feel like mine is lacking. But she has always seemed to enjoy my journals, so I’m trying not to be too hard on myself.

Third, I’d like to hop on Swap-bot and find a few quick-turnaround swaps. I’m thinking maybe a letter-writing swap, a postcard swap, and a happy mail swap. For those unfamiliar with happy mail, it’s basically a collection of fun little goodies like memo sheets, stickers, scrapbook paper, to-do lists, and other crafty bits and pieces that can be used in junk journals and creative projects. They’re always fun to put together and even more fun to receive.

Fourth, when I get home this evening, I plan to spend a little time in my craft room. Last night I bought another storage tote, and my goal is to gather all of my stickers into one place. Right now, they’re scattered through various drawers and containers. Having them all together will save me a lot of time searching when I need them.

Fifth, I need to sit down and make a meal plan. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked a full meal at home, and I think it’s time. Right now, I’m leaning toward a chicken pasta dish that’s similar to one from Olive Garden. I’ve made it before, and we both really enjoyed it. The best part is that it works well in the slow cooker. I’m even considering putting a little Southwestern spin on it by adding a few extra ingredients and some spice. We both enjoy flavorful food, so that sounds pretty tempting.

Overall, I’m just trying to stay productive and intentional with my time. I’ve realized that I spend more hours than I’d like scrolling social media or reading on my Kindle. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with relaxing, I’ve also learned something recently after dealing with my sciatica flare-up: when I feel good, I need to take advantage of those days. When I don’t feel good, I don’t feel like doing much of anything. So while I’m feeling well, I want to make progress on the things that matter to me.

Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the internet today. I hope you have a wonderful Thursday!

Before you go, leave me a comment and tell me where you’re reading from. I’d love to see how far this little personal blog reaches.

Cheers,

Karen

Brody’s Birthday Celebration

It is going to be a beautiful Thursday, and I have been so excited all day because tonight we are celebrating Brody’s 33rd birthday at our house. There is just something special about having everybody together in one place, visiting, laughing, eating way too much food, and making memories.

This year, Brody wanted a pizza party, and honestly, it turned out perfect. We ordered six different three-topping pizzas from Pizza Hut along with two orders of boneless wings and cheese sticks. We definitely did not let anybody go hungry! We also had two big ice chests completely filled with drinks. We had wine, beer, tea, water, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Pepsi, root beer, orange Crush, and even Kool-Aid Bursts for the kiddos.

Elizabeth brought the biggest salad along with several different salad dressings, including ranch — because if you know Brody, you know he eats almost everything with ranch! She also brought strawberry shortcake, cheesecake, and cupcakes, so dessert was absolutely covered.

Brody started opening his smaller gifts first. Luther and I gave him five Monster energy drinks, which he got a kick out of. Elizabeth and Charles gave him a hard-shell two-gun case and a t-shirt, and Alisha and Jonathan brought gifts as well. He seemed really happy and appreciative of everything, which made me smile because little did he know, the BIG surprise was still waiting behind the garage door.

I wanted to make sure the kiddos had plenty to do, so after work I stopped by Walmart and picked up five water guns, some sidewalk chalk, and a basketball. We also brought out a few outside toys and the little workbench that Landon loves to play with. The kids had the absolute best time running, chasing each other, laughing, and playing outside.

We had such a wonderful group show up for the party. Of course there was me and Mr. C, Brody, Savannah, Lane, Landon, Sophie, Alicia and Jonathan, Elizabeth and Charles, Sabrina and her two children Avery and Aviana, plus Larry and Julie. Larry and Julie also brought their granddaughter Holly, whose nickname is “Hoppy,” and she was just the cutest thing ever. She told us she loves bunny rabbits and she fit right in with everybody immediately. She was so talkative and sweet, and honestly kept us all entertained.

As the evening started winding down, we began casually moving tables and rearranging things in the garage so we could finally reveal Brody’s big surprise. We told him we needed him to open the garage door so we could grab something out, and the second that door lifted up, there sat his massive new 36-gun safe.

Y’all… the look on his face was priceless.

That safe is HEAVY, but seeing how excited and surprised he was made every bit of planning worth it. I think at that moment he realized why the earlier gifts had seemed a little smaller than usual. We definitely managed to keep him guessing.

Around 8 o’clock people slowly started heading home. By then my back was hurting pretty badly, so I went inside to sit down and rest while Luther, Brody, and Elizabeth handled a lot of the cleanup for me, which I appreciated so much.

Overall, the party was a huge success. There was lots of laughter, good food, sweet moments with family and friends, and memories I know we will all hold onto for a very long time. Those are truly the best kinds of evenings.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. Please leave a note where you’re reading this blog from. And if you have any blogs that you might want me to read, drop them down below as well. Have a great rest of your week!

New Phone System

 

Mid-Week Ramblings | Pizza Parties, Phone System Chaos & Just Getting Through the Week

Today is Wednesday, June 3rd, and honestly, this week has flown by pretty fast — thankfully. We’ve had a lot on our plate lately, so there hasn’t really been much time to slow down.

First and foremost, we’re getting everything ready for Brody’s birthday celebration Thursday evening around 6 p.m. I did a grocery pickup after work yesterday and got most of what we’ll need. We decided on a pizza party this year, which honestly feels easy and fun for everyone involved.

We already have our order figured out: six different three-topping pizzas, boneless wings, and breadsticks. Elizabeth is bringing salad, cake, and maybe cupcakes too, so there should definitely be plenty of food for everybody. I’m really looking forward to it.

Now let’s talk about work for a minute.

Y’all know I mention work stress fairly often, but yesterday was a whole different level. Two weeks ago, they gave us less than a 30-minute training class on a brand-new phone system, and yesterday morning they basically just threw us into it and said, “Good luck.”

I was LOST.

At one point, I texted Mr. C and told him this whole thing was some kind of BS and I wanted to come home. Thankfully, my boss Sherry kept reassuring me that we’d figure it out together, and eventually we did start learning as we went along.

But here’s my salty moment of the day…

Why do companies always release systems before they’re fully functional? Why are we the ones expected to work out all the bugs while still trying to do our actual jobs?

We couldn’t tell when calls were coming in. Emails weren’t working properly. I couldn’t star important transfer numbers. I couldn’t transfer members to supervisors correctly. It was one thing after another.

And every answer was:
“We’re working on getting the bugs fixed.”

Wouldn’t it make more sense to fix them before rollout?

Still, I made it through the day. And honestly, I had to keep reminding myself that if I ever left this job and started somewhere new, I’d still have to learn another system there too. Whether it’s a doctor’s office, a school cafeteria, a convenience store, or anything else — learning new things is part of life.

So I took a breath, asked questions, kept trying, and survived the day.

Another adjustment this week is that because our department didn’t perform well last month, we’ve temporarily lost our “desk activities.” Normally during downtime I might journal, color, or work on small Lego sets at my desk. Starting Monday, all of that stopped.

I’ll be honest though… giving work my full attention for two straight eight-hour days hasn’t been a bad thing. Different? Absolutely. But manageable.

Sometimes you just have to play the game smart, do your job well, and make your money.

That’s life sometimes.

Tonight after work, I’m planning to grab Sonic for supper, pick up a couple bags of ice for the party, and then come home and clean up around my end table and kitchen counters. Most of the birthday party will be outside, but people still come inside to use the bathroom or wander through the kitchen, so I want things looking decent.

And Friday night, we get to wrap up the week by going to Lane’s ballgame at 7 p.m.

So despite the stress, the bugs, the chaos, and the long days… it’s shaping up to be a pretty good week after all.

Happy Tuesday

Good morning, friends. Happy Tuesday! Today is June 2nd, 2026, and this morning I woke up feeling very motivated to start tackling some of the things that I have been putting off for way too long. You know those little projects that stay in the back of your mind for months? Well… today is the day to finally start checking some of them off my list.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything at once, I decided to break things down into smaller goals and focus on one thing at a time.

Here’s what I’m hoping to accomplish this week:

• Closet clean-out and donation pile
I have officially started going through closets, shoes, purses, and all the extra “stuff” that I keep hanging onto for no reason. Clothes that are too big, too small, too worn out, or things I simply never wear anymore are all going into a donation pile. Honestly, I have shoes I haven’t touched in years, so why am I still keeping them? It feels like the perfect time to let go of excess clutter and simplify things a little.

• Decluttering my devices and storage
My iPad has been begging for storage space because it refuses to update until I clean things out. So that’s another big project on my list this week. I’m going through photos, apps, downloads, and files on both my iPad and phone to free up some room and get everything updated properly again. It’s definitely time-consuming, but it needs to be done. I’m also planning to start ordering printed photos again instead of keeping thousands of pictures stored on my devices. I miss having actual printed memories to look through.

• Finishing Moira’s  journal
Mora’s journal arrived yesterday, and she included the sweetest little packages of pens and goodies inside. Now I need to focus on finishing my part of the journal and gathering a few fun things to send back with it. I’m also going to message her and ask if she would mind giving me about two weeks to finish everything up and get it mailed back to her. I really want to take my time and make it special.

• Planning Brody’s birthday party
Thursday, June 4th, we’ll be celebrating Brody’s birthday here at the house with around 20 family members and friends. We’re keeping things simple and fun with a pizza party — six pizzas, breadsticks, drinks, and all the paper goods. Elizabeth is bringing the cake, a big salad, and possibly cupcakes for the little kids.

One thing I’m really excited about is setting up the karaoke machine outside along with cornhole. I’ve had that karaoke machine for a couple of years now, and we’ve honestly never used it. So I figured… why not? Even if nobody sings much, it’ll still add a fun vibe to the party.

Brody is going to be VERY surprised by his main gift this year because several of us all chipped in together to buy him a large gun safe that holds around 36 guns. He is going to absolutely love it. I’m also putting together a small gift bag with Monster drinks and some of his favorite candy so he’ll still have a few things to open at the party. I think Elizabeth and Savannah also picked up a few smaller gifts for him too, so he’ll definitely have some surprises waiting.

Overall, this week is shaping up to be a busy but productive one, and honestly, I’m looking forward to it. Sometimes it feels really good to reset, declutter, and focus on getting life a little more organized.

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today. I’d love to know where you’re reading from, so leave me a comment below and say hello!

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, and blessed day ahead.

Hello June

 

June 1st, 2026 — A New Chapter Begins

Today is June 1st, 2026, and somehow we are already standing at the halfway point of the year. It honestly feels impossible that six months of 2026 have already come and gone. Some days seemed to fly by in a blur, while others felt long and heavy, but here we are beginning a brand-new month and stepping into the second half of the year.

First of all, I want to wish everyone a blessed, peaceful, and fulfilling day ahead. I hope this second half of 2026 brings happiness, better health, success, laughter, comfort, answered prayers, and many wonderful moments with the people you love most.

Do you happen to have anything special planned for June? Big vacation? Summer projects? Family gatherings? Fresh goals? I honestly do not have any huge plans myself, and maybe that is okay. Sometimes the quieter seasons end up being the ones that matter the most.

Personally, I am really going to focus on spending more intentional time with Mr. C, my family, my friends, and especially my grandbabies. Life moves so quickly, and I have realized lately that I do not want to always be rushing from one thing to another without fully soaking in the moments right in front of me. I want to make memories instead of just making to-do lists. I want more front porch conversations, more laughter, more little road trips, more hugs, and more moments where I put the phone down and truly enjoy the people around me.

One thing about June 1st that always gets me thinking is how I tend to look at my life in seasons or chapters, almost like a book being written one page at a time. Today feels like opening the very first page of Chapter Six in the book of 2026.

Five chapters have already been written.

Some pages have made us smile.
Some pages have made us stronger.
Some pages have tested us.
Some pages may have even changed us forever.

There were probably moments we wish we could relive again and moments we are grateful to leave behind. But that is the thing about life — every chapter teaches us something, even the difficult ones.

And now today gives us a blank page.

A fresh start.
Another chance.
Another opportunity to notice the beauty instead of rushing right past it.

As I move into this next chapter, I really want to work on carrying more gratitude, more wonder, more kindness, more joy, and honestly… more positivity. I have noticed as I have gotten older that sometimes I have become a little more grumpy and negative than I used to be. Maybe life and stress and responsibilities can slowly sneak that into our hearts if we are not careful. But I do not want to stay there.

So this month, I am going to intentionally work on shifting my mindset. I want to become softer instead of harder. More optimistic instead of expecting the worst. More thankful for the little things instead of focusing on what is missing. I want to laugh more, complain less, and truly appreciate the people and moments that make life meaningful.

Summer is here.
The days are longer.
The sunsets are prettier.
And maybe this chapter still has some beautiful surprises waiting for all of us.

Thank you so much for stopping by and spending a little part of your day here with me. I truly appreciate every single one of you who takes the time to read my ramblings, reflections, stories, and little pieces of everyday life.

Now I would love to hear from you:
What are your goals, hopes, or thoughts for June 2026?

Let’s step into this new chapter together and see where the pages take us.

Have a marvelous day, friends.

Tulsa Bound

 

Tulsa, Oklahoma Bound

This weekend was finally our Tulsa birthday adventure, and let me tell you, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. Me and Cherrie loaded up and headed out bright and early Saturday morning. She made it to my house around 7:30 a.m., and before long we were officially Tulsa, Oklahoma bound. The drive takes several hours from my house, but honestly, the excitement made the trip fly by.

Our first stop was the Tulsa Farmers Market, and I absolutely loved it. There were so many vendors set up with fresh produce, beautiful flowers, handmade soaps, lotions, and all kinds of goodies. They even had a live musician playing while everyone walked around shopping, and it just created such a fun atmosphere. I was actually surprised by how many people were there. It felt lively and cheerful and was such a great way to kick off the trip.

After the farmers market, we headed over to The Outsiders House Museum. I have to say, it was a really cute setup. The gift shop alone was huge and packed with all kinds of merchandise and memorabilia. Walking through everything honestly made me want to sit down and watch The Outsiders all over again. It brought back so many memories.

Next, we made our way to the Fire Department Museum. They were serving hot dogs, hamburgers, and root beer floats, plus admission was free for the event. I’ll be honest though — I was a little underwhelmed with the museum itself. I think I expected there to be more exhibits than there actually were. But even so, I’m still glad we went. I got to take a few pictures and officially mark it off my list.

We did also get to see some of the Vintage cars that was in the Route 66 car parade. Celebrating the centennial celebration of Route 66. 

From there, we drove over to Jenks where they were hosting a food truck festival. That place was packed with people, live music, and food trucks everywhere. It was definitely one of those fun community events where you can just walk around, people-watch, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Of course, no girls trip is complete without a little shopping. We stopped at Ross where I picked up a charger, and then headed over to Ollie’s. I found a book about U.S. state parks for only $3.99 that I originally planned to decompose for pictures and journaling. But now I’m debating if I can actually cut it up because there’s so much good information in it. That’s always the struggle with creative projects, isn’t it?

Later in the day, we headed downtown to visit the Center of the Universe. I’m glad we stopped there, but they’re currently redoing and revamping parts of it, so it’s kind of in transition right now. Also, let me just say — they tell you when you stand in the middle and talk, nobody outside the circle can hear you. Not true. Not true at all. But hey, we still had fun and got another thing checked off our Tulsa bucket list.

By this point, we were exhausted. We had walked so many steps, seen so much, and taken tons of pictures. But we still had one more stop to make before calling it a night.

We headed over to the Blue Whale in Catoosa for their big celebration weekend. There were vendors, food trucks, live bands, and lots of people enjoying the festivities. We walked down to the Blue Whale itself and checked out the brand-new gift shop since it was opening weekend. It really was a huge celebration and such a fun Route 66 stop.

Finally, we made our way to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to check into our room. To top off the night, we went to see Neil McCoy in concert, and he absolutely put on a fantastic show. It was the perfect ending to a very full and very fun day.

Overall, this trip was exactly what I hoped it would be. Lots of laughter, lots of memories, lots of walking, and lots of fun celebrating birthdays with my best friend. We made it back to the hotel around midnight, which honestly wasn’t too shabby considering everything we packed into one day.