5.6

When we moved to Oklahoma in 1993, we knew that bad weather was part of the deal.  But we never expected earthquakes!

In November of 2011, there were a few small ones and then one very big one that hit in the middle of the night.  It was interesting, to say the least.  At the time, it was the highest on record for this area.

Until yesterday morning, that is.  We were sitting on the couch enjoying coffee and discussing out plans for the day at about 7:00.  Maggie Moo was acting really weird.  She's an affectionate little fluff most of the time and likes to be with us.  But she was acting like she wanted to glue herself to me, she was leaning on my leg and acted like she was surgically attached to me.  We also noticed at about the same time that the morning bird chorus was suddenly silenced.  At 7:03, we heard a very strange sound almost like a sander or grinder and it was coming from the direction of the outer kitchen wall which is the west side of the house.  We looked at each other, Bill said "what is that?"  Then the couch started shaking and the floor rippled - we figured out that it was an earthquake at that point, obviously.  We got up and went very quickly to the door frame and Maggie Moo went right with us - I called her name but she was going anyway.  We had the tv on and I must have turned it to one of the local stations because the channel changed and the weatherman was on.  He was in the midst of a forecast when he suddenly started saying things along the line of "OK folks, we seem to be having an earthquake."  It seemed to last for a long time, the hardest part of the shaking was probably about a minute but the actual quake was a few minutes long in duration and we felt most of it.  Once we could tell that it was over, the tv was still moving slightly and we could hear what was probably everything in the china cabinet vibrating still.

It took a little while, but the strength was revealed to be a 5.6 which is a pretty big quake.  It was centered in Pawnee, which is about 50 miles west/northwest of Tulsa.  It was shallow, just a few miles deep, which is why we could feel it so strongly.  It was huge and was felt as far as Memphis, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, parts of north TEXAS.  There was quite a bit of damage at the epicenter, no deaths but one injury and at least one fire caused by either the gas lines being ruptured or the electric lines.

There have been several aftershocks, although we haven't felt any.  According to the news this morning, there were at least ten.  It also appears that it was a previously unknown fault.

Maggie Moo was a goosey girl for a while, but she got back to normal after a couple of hours.  The birds did start singing again, but we didn't hear them for several hours.  There was a weather radar picture released that was taken at the time of the earthquake hit - all the birds took off and there were so many of them and so fast that it appeared on radar!

We didn't have a lot planned for this weekend, I got my flu shot Friday afternoon and I can never tell how much of a reaction I will have.  Otter went with me, we decided to get them at the same time.  She got hers first and then I got mine.  It was 5:39 when I got mine.  About 3 minutes later, I felt cold - not like a severe chill but definitely cold.  By the time we got to the front of the store and got cokes out of the fridge section, I was feeling warm. Not hot flash warm, but warmer than normal.  I dropped her and J off (he was visiting and went along with us) and headed on home.  I felt ok then, but in the 15-ish minutes it took us us to get home I started to crater.  We had Digorno's pizza for dinner, I had a drink and went to bed early. I felt like I had a low grade fever and was slightly achy, I didn't sleep too well and woke up with a headache yesterday morning.  I didn't feel as bad as the night before but I did not feel too good.  Bill had a couple of errands and I decided to ride along with him.  Obviously, that was after the shaky start to the morning!  But mostly I spent the day parked on the couch, with a crochet hook in my hand part of the day and the tv remote as well. I didn't actually nap, but I did rest and stayed on the couch.  I went to bed somewhat early last night and slept better.  I woke up this morning with a slight headache and didn't feel 100% but I was still better.  I've been taking it easy for the most part today, although I did ride along when Bill went to the booth.  It's been a much lighter reaction this year than last year.  I am not complaining at all about that!

OK, Froggy. I blogged.  I told you I would, and I did!  :)

Shaky Situation

There have been a lot of earthquakes over the last 24 ish hours.  I haven't felt any of them, but they have been felt in my area and I think into Kansas.  At about 10:30 last night, Bill was still awake and he felt the bed shaking for a couple of minutes.  Twice!  I slept through it all, but from the reports on the news this morning they were pretty big quakes.

We've been busy this week.  We have company coming this weekend, so we cleaned the carpet in the guest/front/craft/YARN room.  Which means that Maggie Moo is not allowed in there are the moment.  She is not amused!  Bill moved the futon out into the living room and got the carpet cleaner going on Tuesday evening.  The cleaner has a fairly pleasant scent, but it was just enough to send my already iffy allergies over the edge.  He also cleaned the carpet in our bathroom, which for some reason didn't actually work - there are now spots in there that we couldn't see before he cleaned it.  Anyway, because my allergies were on overdrive he suggested I sleep on the futon in the living room that night and since I couldn't breathe through my nose at all when I got even close to our room I decided to take him up on the suggestion.  Maggie seemed to like having me in there.  She showed her happiness by snoring all night long.  Loudly!  Wednesday morning, I vacuumed in there again since the carpet was dry and then Bill put the futon back in there that evening.  Maggie has been blocked from there since then.  She's not pleased.

We have a fairly good chance of winter weather on Saturday but it could also just be cold and rainy.  Sunday is supposed to be very cold.  Bill brought in a load of firewood.  So far, we've only used the fireplace once this winter.  By this time, we've usually used it several times.  Today was overcast and grey, the forecast was literally "gloomy" and they were right about that.  But gloomy makes me think of one thing only:

Love me some Eeyore!

But I don't like gloomy weather.

Bill's car was acting up yesterday and he finally decided to just call Chevy and talk to them.  He told them all the things it's doing and what he's done so far, they said that they would like to look at it and to plan on leaving it there a couple of days.  It's kind of got everyone stumped.  That will probably happen next week.  Of course, today it was fine with no problems whatsoever!  I drove it when I went to the grocery store tonight and it acted perfect.

Otter's cell phone had a problem, the "end" key wasn't working.  So we took it to Verizon yesterday and had them check it.  She was going to go early in the day since she was off but since the account is in my name she asked me if I'd go with her in case there was any issue with her name not being the primary on the account.  I went over to her apartment yesterday after work and we went to the closest store.  They did need me to be there, so I'm glad I went.  The phone is no longer under warranty, but because we pay for the insurance on the phones (learned that lesson the hard way!) they said that she could exchange it for a new one.  They arranged to have it shipped to us and said it should be here by Friday or possibly Saturday.  But it was apparently shipped overnight because it arrived at the new mail box place today.  She can either activate it herself (they emailed instructions) or she can take it to the store and ask them to do it for her.  I'll get it to her tomorrow, I didn't have time today.

Most of the reason I didn't have time is because Bill had ordered 30 boxes he uses to ship pachinko machines in - they are big boxes.  They arrived today.  On a pallet and weighing a whole lot!  They were shipped to the new mailbox place - but the pallet wouldn't fit in the door.  They wound up leaving the pallet of boxes outside their door but it was plastic wrapped which was a good thing because it was rainy.  When I got home, Bill and I took the El Camino back there and got the boxes on their pallet.  It literally filled the entire bed of the truck and he really couldn't see over the top of them when he looked out the back window.  The boxes are now stacked in the garage.  I went to the grocery store after we got home from getting the boxes.  It rained while I was in the store and I'm really glad that the boxes were already home and inside.  He has to buy them and they are not cheap.  But he has to get strong, sturdy boxes for the pachinko machines.

And just because he's so much fun, one more Eeyore!

I thought this one was appropriate.

Way Too Early

Guess what time it is?

Its ragweed season!

It's early, but it's already started.  It usually hits in August, but it's already started to bloom here.  Thanks to the rainy, cool spring and then the rainy early summer.  I've been dealing with my summer allergies for a few days now, and I am NOT looking forward to the rest of the summer allergy season.  I think Otter is beginning to have her summer allergies, too.  I asked her if she needed anything from the store and she said one word:  CLARITAN.  At least she has an allergy medicine that works for her, unlike me.  My issues with allergy meds not working is very probably part of the Redhead Curse - the metabolism of medication part of it.

Sigh.

I know it's early, but I'm beginning to see reminders about flu shots.  I don't think anyone has the serum yet, but I generally get mine on Labor Day weekend.  Because I have a 3-day weekend and sometimes the reaction I have takes me all weekend to get over.  The reaction could also be part of the Redhead Curse, but it may not be.  A few years ago, some places started offering the shots in August and I got one the first year they offered it so early.  But then I went back to my Labor Day weekend schedule because that particular year was a bad reaction and it took me the weekend plus a couple of days.  I'll have to check with Otter and see if she wants to get hers when I do.  It may depend on her work schedule.  She does have a reaction, but it's usually pretty mild.  Although sometimes it isn't mild, but she has only had one time when it was a really bad reaction - the year that the Tulsa Health Department froze the serum and then it thawed out and they didn't know it; the upshot was that the serum was essentially worthless that year and just about everybody got the flu.  Including Otter and then me shortly after!

(Yes, I'm still getting ice cream as my after-flu-shot treat!)

Oklahoma rattled yesterday.  More than once.  Tulsa felt two of the earthquakes.  I was at work (in Tulsa) and did not feel the first one, but I did feel the second one.  I was sitting at my desk and I heard what sounded like the ceiling lights rattle, and then I realized that I felt something move slightly under my feet.  Otter was at our house (not in Tulsa) doing her laundry.  She was sitting on the couch when she realized that the couch was moving.  She called me, she sounded very surprised.  The first one was 4.0, it was as 12:49 p.m.  The 2nd one was 4.5, it hit about 1:15.  They were both centered in the Crescent, which is near Oklahoma City.  We didn't feel the first one, but it was felt in parts of Tulsa.  The 2nd one was felt in most parts of Tulsa, and quite a bit further.  Missouri and Kansas felt it and it was recorded on a sensor in Georgia.  Although we just felt it for a few seconds, it lasted several seconds.  Like Otter says, this is tornado alley - we aren't supposed to have earthquakes!  By the way, the beagle slept through both of them.  :)

So, Froggy.  Got any plans for tomorrow?  Like maybe a birthday cake?  Although I don't know what kind you could come up with, since you don't eat sugar and are mostly vegetarian.  Happy Birthday a day early!

Wiggles & Jiggles

There was another earthquake felt in Tulsa yesterday.  It actually originated in Kansas but it was felt in this area.  I didn't feel it, I was driving at the time.  Bill was home, he was working on a pachinko machine.  He has a bobblehead-style Hula Girl figurine that was a gift, the person who gave it to him thought it would look cute in the El Camino but it never got there.  It's been sitting on a shelf in the office/pachinko room, along with the Stripper Doll that Sweetie gave him last Christmas!!  Anyway, he was sitting in front of his work bench/desk when the Hula Girl started shaking her grass skirt!  (Or maybe she was just cold?!) :)

 

My migraine didn't last too long, I went to bed feeling cold last night but that is also a symptom I sometimes have.  I have a suspicion that those disgusting, bad, EVIL cinnamon scented pinecones had more than a little bit to do with the headache.  Otter went to Michael's yesterday after she got off work, she was standing by some of them herself and she started to get a migraine as well.  Those things should be illegal!

 

It's still pretty cold and will be for a few days.  The "S" word has been used, by the forecasters on all the local stations.  I don't think we're supposed to get more than a dusting, if anything at all, and it is forecast for either Saturday or Sunday.  We're prepared, but then we usually are.  IF we get anything, it probably won't be a snowed or iced in situation, just very cold.  I am going to spend the weekend inside anyway, in front of the fireplace mostly and a hook in one hand and yarn in the other.  Although I might go to a used book store with Otter on Sunday to trade in her boatload of books that she cleaned out before she moved.

 

I loaded the trunk of my car up with stuff she is donating.  I'll take it tomorrow and give it all to Goodwill.  She was over here for a while this afternoon, she helped me move the last of the pile of her stuff out of the center of the craft room, and then we moved the rest of my yarn stash in there.  I vacuumed the closet again and a part of the middle of the room.  Then we moved the sofa table to where it's more centered in front of the living room window.  Otter is going to get me a couple of boxes from work, the remaining pile of stuff will be boxed up for her to go through as she has time.  The picnic baskets are now in the closet, there is still a stack of boxes that has her notebooks and sketchbooks and will eventually be put up in the attic.  She left a plastic 5-drawer unit, it has "office" supplies, some craft stuff, some drawing pencils and lots of misc. stuff; she thinks she wants it but she hasn't had time to go through it yet.  I might move it into the closet for now.  I'll probably get that done next week or in the next few days, then I'll get the sewing machines moved to the desk.

 

I also filled up two of my seed feeders for the birds, I'll put them out in the morning.  I need to get a few more suet feeder refills.  Maybe tomorrow, but if not the birds will still be fine with the plain seed feeders.  The dogs were very interested in what I was doing, they like birdseed and seemed to be a little unhappy that they didn't get it!

 

Otter came by so Bill could check the car.  The "check engine" light came on again today, which is what it did a few weeks back.  They took the car to the auto parts store and got it tested.  It's probably a clogged valve, which will be around $80 for the part and Bill can fix it himself - when the current cold snap is over!

Tired Monday

It's been what I refer to as a "teenager day" because I've had to deal with the Teenager all day long!  I don't mind, but it's tiring at times to keep up with a 97-year old teenager!  Especially when said 97-year old can run circles around people one-third his age.  :)

Anyway.  It's time for another Frasier update.  He's great.  He's crazy like he used to be and he's acting like a puppy again.  Even more today than yesterday.  He's back to being his normal, super-affectionate self.  We're still using the tranquilizers, but I'm thinking that something this week we'll try a night without them and see if it works.  They make him drowsy and sometimes he goes to sleep pretty quickly, but he's not staying asleep all night because of them.  He's been quiet, however and I'm hoping it stays that way.  Bill stayed up later than I did last night, he was watching an intelligent movie about a two-headed shark on the Sci-Fi channel (!!) and he said that Frasier was still awake when he came to bed.  So, we're encouraged.  We're not there yet, though.

Bill's working a b(oring)oard meeting tonight.  Otter and I had a couple of errands which included a used book store that we've been trying to get to for a few weeks now.  We finally got there today.  I found one of the two Maeve Binchy books I've been looking for, the older of the two and the one that I thought would be harder to find.  I'm still looking for one more to have the complete collection of her work.  Anyway, we didn't get home until right at sunset thanks to the stupid time change.  We had several household chores to attend to and now we're just going to spend the rest of the evening (it's about 7:15) in front of the tv.  I don't expect Bill to be late tonight, but who knows - the School Board likes to hear itself talk.

Remember this?  A Shaking Experience  It's been a year today and the news has been all about it.  It was an unusual occurance, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  But at least it's a break from the constant election coverage!

We'll be really glad when the election is over.  Although it will still be a few days before the constant coverage is through - we'll have to listen to the "I Won Isn't it Wonderful/I Lost Isn't it Unfair" for a while yet.  But we're nearly through.  I have not been very political lately.  I figure that there's no reason, everybody already knows where we stand on the issues!

I guess that's it for tonight.  Back to my crochet and playing with my doggy!

Just Wednesday

Nothing particularly exciting going on, but we did manage to get through last night without any trembling!  Except for the fact that Billyboy had "kicky feet" several times in his sleep, which caused the bed to shake, which caused me to wake up and wonder why the bed was jiggling!

As a result, I didn't wake up feeling very well-rested this morning.  I might go to bed early, or I might not.  Whatever.

It's been that kind of a day today.  Whatever!

Otter's foot is doing well, all things considered.  But she's having some sore muscles in her legs which actually started yesterday, after she'd been tortured at the dermatologist's office.  She had to hold her legs in an odd position while the doctor was working on her foot, and I'm sure she was tensed up.  I warmed up the "heat thing" (we can't remember the name of it) for her while ago and she said it helped.  Along with a couple of motrin.

I just looked at my calendar and realized something.  Thanksgiving is two weeks from tomorrow!  We're going to be on our own this year, but we'll still have a traditional meal and enjoy the family time.  But I'm going to cheat and buy a smoked turkey this year.  I have cooked a couple of turkeys in the past, but I'm not inclined to spend several hours cooking one item.  Even if it is the main course!  We had a smoked turkey a couple of years ago and it was really good, so that's the plan for this year.  Along with the turkey, we'll have the usual fixins.**  Bill's famous mashed potatoes, gravy (I only use Pioneer brand since my homemade gravy is actually glue), green bean casserole (which Otter is not a fan of but doesn't have to eat it anyway - mushroom allergy and I use lots and lots of mushrooms), salad, cranberry sauce, either rolls or I'll make bread, and what ever Otter finally decides on for dessert.  And then we'll probably all have a nice long nap, even the dogsters!

**Fixin, with or without an S on the end, is an official word in the Texas Language.  In this case, it means components of something such as a meal.

Remember that old song "I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet"?

Well, we sure did last night.  Monday night.  3rd one since Friday!

Another one!

The article is from one of the Tulsa news stations, and it's by the weatherman.  We were expecting windy & potentially bad t-storms, there had been tornadic stuff in the western part of the state.  So we were already keeping an eye on things, but the 4.7 shimmy was not what we expected!  I was sitting at the table, Otter was in the living room and Bill was having to work late so he wasn't home.  It was windy, so when I first heard the window behind me shaking I thought that it was because of the wind.  Then, when I felt the floor "ripple", I realized that it was not the weather.  I commented to Otter that the house was moving, and we were running for the doorway in about half a heartbeat.  It didn't last long, and it was not anywhere near as strong as Saturday night's event, but it was strong enough.

Bill was working the audio/visual for a school board meeting, he didn't actually feel it but he was in the truck with all the equipment and not on solid ground.  Apparently, some of the school board members felt it and I think that was what got them busy and the meeting got finished quickly.  I called Bill about 9:20, since the weather front was getting close and it was packing some heavy winds.  He got home about 10:15, just ahead of the storm.  We didn't get that much wind or lightning, but we got an ocean's worth of rain.  It finally quit raining late this morning.

All in all, I think I'd prefer bad weather to earthquakes.  Although HP seems to disagree, he's studying to become a geologist and apparently this has given the students a lot to study.

Before I forget, I have to mention my big, brave dog.  Maggie was snoozing on their blankets when the quake hit last night.  She never even stirred.  Where was Frasier?  Well, he was outside.  And as soon as the tremble started, he came running inside to me.  But not in a protective way.  In a SCARED OUT OF HIS FUR AND NEEDING MOMMA way.  That's my big baby dog.

I keep trying to imagine what Dad would be saying, he'd probably be flabbergasted but I'm sure he'd have something to say.  Which would end with telling me to come home, but he would have had an imaginative comment I'm sure.

Otter's foot was beginning to bother her again, it did seem to be healing but it looked like a couple more little spots were trying to come up so I called the dermatologist and took her in this afternoon.  The large wart area was "eroding" like it was supposed to, but not really very fast so the doctor cut it off down to skin level.  Then, it was time for more freezing!  There were several spots that were frozen, and the large wart area got it again as well.  Then, the nurse put some type of a liquid medication on the spots and covered the bottom of Otter's foot with bandaids.  Otter has to leave it on until about bedtime, then she can wash it off.  We'll use the peroxide & neosporin for a while still, and she goes back in two weeks.  She's also got a prescription, it's for a medication that is normally used to treat heartburn but has also shown quite a bit of evidence towards beating down the warts.

I've spent more time looking at the bottom of my daughter's feet in the last few weeks than I have all her life!

Sunday Shakes!

(Alternate title:  Shaken Not Stirred!)

There are shakes:

And there are SHAKES:

And we've had both kinds in the last 24 hours.

Actually, we've had two of the last one in the last 48 hours.  As I mentioned last night, Friday night/early Saturday morning there was one that I slept through but Bill was awake for.

But it wasn't the last one.  Last night, sometime before midnight, we were sound asleep and were awakened by an odd noise (it was the house shaking) and the feeling of the bed trying to jump out from under us.  It probably lasted less than a minute, but at the time it did not feel like it!

# 3

My first thought was that someone had hit the house with a car, because of the noise & impact feel at the same time and I think I yelled for Bill to wake up, but I might have actually reached over and woke him up.  Or both, I'm not sure.  Then we realized what it was.  It didn't stop suddenly, it tapered off and then it was quiet.  But it took me hours to go back to sleep, which is what usually happens when I'm deeply asleep and then awakened.  I've never been able to go back to sleep easily like that, and last night was no exception.

Otter said that it woke her up as well.  I don't remember hearing any noise from the dogs, Bill said that they were moving around and seemed restless quite a bit during and after Friday evening's quake, but last night's earthquake was nosier.  As well as larger on the Richter scale and longer-lasting.  He thought he heard a couple of things falling, but none of the pictures came off the wall or anything.  Two Fenton pieces did slide pretty far from where they were originally but not far enough to fall off, some of the kitchen drawers were opened and a couple of sun catchers came off the kitchen window.  The cans we keep dog treats & birdseed in were moved slightly in the garage.  Bill walked around the house this morning and everything looks ok.  He talked to our next door neighbor (the nice one) and he said that he was upstairs in his house at the time, so he actually felt more movement than we did.  The higher structurally, the more wiggling.  At church, Pastor Dave said that they had a lot of things come off of walls.  We did see a few news reports that showed minor structural damage in the general area we live in, things like bricks coming off and so forth.  That was a national news report, by the way.

Froggy, I wonder what Dad would say?  He never mentioned earthquakes, it was always about spring storms and tornados.  I'm sure he would have an imaginative comment, which would end with telling me to come home!  :)

Anyway, Otter suggested that we get milk shakes today since it's "shake day" and we agreed.  So we went to Braums!  They were very good, she had a great idea.

OK, on to other stuff now.

Movie Review:  Cars 2.  It was ok but not very spectacular and it was extremely "political" and biased.  But we had already heard that, so we weren't surprised.  It was just not a very good movie, it had the feel of being thrown together as a money grab and that's probably exactly what it was.  Not one we'll be buying, that's for sure.  The final Harry Potter movie comes out Friday, that one is definitely on the "to buy" list.

We made pizza yesterday, and had leftovers for breakfast.  We're going to broil some steaks for dinner tonight and bake potatos.  I also have several containers of my beef/vegetable soup in the freezer and will probably make a couple of other things to freeze such as Bachelor Stew.  I like to keep a variety of things in the freezer, Bill takes his lunch most days and that way I can ensure that he has a healthy lunch.

I got some crochet done yesterday.  I didn't work on the afghan, I found a pattern for a really cute scarf that looks like a snake and Otter wants one.  The pattern was a solid green snake, but Otter's snake is going to be multi-colored.  Because it's different from the other scarf styles I've made, it will get put on the craft blog when I get it finished.  Which might be a couple of days.

OK, back to my laundry now!  Have I ever mentioned how much I hate doing laundry?

Shake, Rattle & Roll Part 2!

Read this:

Wiggly & Jiggly

This time, we felt it.  Or at least Bill did as he was up for a bathroom trip, and when he came back to bed he felt the bed jerking.  He thought I was just restless at first, then he realized that I was sound asleep and still but that the bed itself was moving.  He said it just lasted a few seconds, then gradually stopped.

Now, we've been through two of them.  I heard the first one and slept through the second one.

HELP

This is virtually the same message I posted after the Haiti earthquake.  As bad as that was, I think that Japan's is worse.  They've been hit with a double whammy, because of the tsunami.  And now, the nuclear catastrophe they are facing.


Here are a few links for anyone interested in donating to the relief efforts. Their need is so great right now, anything at all that you could donate would help them.


http://www.redcross.org/  I'm not a fan of the Red Cross, but when they do their job they do it well.

http://crs-blog.org/ You don't have to be Catholic to donate to the Catholic Relief.

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf  The Salvation Army is one of the best there is.

http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umcor/give/ This link might not work, but it's the only one I could find. UMCOR is the United Methodist Church, and they do a great deal around the world. If the link doesn't work for you, try Google and maybe you can find a better one.

Southern Baptist Church   This is the Southern Baptist Church's link. They are also in areas where quite a few people won't go.

Pray. Pray hard. And then pray some more.

Signs?

Rattled!

OK, I know that this is Tornado Alley and we expect certain things in the springtime.  I know that we are for enough "north" to get actual winter, including ice.  Sometimes, it floods in this general area.  We've had more than one hailstorm.  But this is a first:

Shake, Rattle & Roll!

There have been tremors and small earthquakes in the state before, they are usually in the southern part of the state and are fairly small.  Today's was still small in the sense that it wasn't a California-style quake.  But it was a new experience for most people.  It was so small that I didn't even really feel it, but I did hear it.  The duplex I work in was a little noisy, I heard what sounded like someone walking in the attic and it lasted a couple of seconds.  Then I forgot about it.  Then I went to a thrift store at lunch (Fenton!) and the lady in line ahead of me was talking to the cashier about it.  Apparently, the employees at the thrift store felt it.  It was minor, just a little wiggle.  The epicenter is in the Norman area, which is south of Oklahoma City.  It was felt into Kansas and south of Dallas, but the worse damage is in Norman.  And it's not much.  But the reporters are talking like we've had a fall-off-the-face-of-the-earth-into-the-ocean event!

Well, they generally do panic and over dramatize.  I guess it's their job.  If so, they do it well.

OK, on to other things.  Fenton things.  I found a signed Fenton bud vase at the thrift I was in at lunch, for $1.48.  It's in perfect shape and it's now on the shelves with my other Fenton pieces.  I was just saying this morning that my Fenton collection hadn't expanded in a long time and that it was time to find more.  Then I did, so I'm happy.  I also found something for Froggy.  I'm not telling - except that it is not crochet related although it is sewing related.  And I've already got one of them myself.

After Otter got home today, we went to another thrift store so I could give them back the suede coat I bought from them 2 years ago.  And I found something else for Froggy!  I'm still not telling, but I don't have one of these.  Otter and I think that Mom would have also liked it.

And that's all I'm going to say.