The Autumn Cometh...

Autumn has begin, but the smell in the air is more of a lingering summer than the crisp breeze I'm used to. Something tells me that our Halloween will be a lot warmer than our previous one in Colorado. Still, I can see some of the leaves are tinged with yellow, and the feeling that I get during this furiously anticipated season is as exciting as ever.

We were thinking of flying back to Denver for Halloween, but with all the recent expenditures of moving, it was just too much of an undertaking. So, we've decided to spend our first Halloween in Oklahoma City and are gearing up to decorate our new house.

Costumes are being designed (pictures to come...) and the plans for decorating the house are coming along. I'm still trying to figure out how to get the decorations I've stored in Denver all the way out here for the party, but I'm sure we'll figure it out somehow. I can't imagine having a Halloween party without my trusty animatronic butler!

This time of year is going to be so hard for us...This is a notoriously busy and crazy time of year for me, and I've got a feeling there will be a large empty place in my holiday that was previously occupied by all my amazing Denver friends. Especially Gillian, and Joe & Megan. They all really went over the top on their costumes and it was so much fun waiting to see what they'd turn up in every year. They are also the only ones who probably appreciate the insane detail that I put into our costumes...*sigh*

Work has finally settled down this week. I was struggling to get ahead on all my projects but finally had a bit of a lull today which was SO refreshing. I've had more time to cook decent dinners for Tim and work on little projects around the house.

Oh, by the way, HOME PROJECTS. When you own your own house, it's amazing all the little projects that come into focus. It's a good thing we're going to be here for a while. There are so many little things I need to do! Not the least of which is hanging some art on these empty walls. I'm having such a hard time committing to anything, the walls are still much more bare than I'd like.

I need to go clean off the outside table... Now that it's cooling down a bit, I think we may enjoy an al fresco dinner.

More to come...

Have I mentioned how much I love Jon Stewart?

For Those of You Who Missed It

Some footage from our Wedding. Four years later... It's about time!


Wedding Ring Exchange from Erin Cooper on Vimeo.

More to come!

Labor Day Weekend

Here are a few pics from last weekend at the lake:

Mystery Manners

When I was growing up, our family dynamic was much the same as it is now. We all talk on top of each other, we interrupt, and chatter at the speed of light. My youngest sister developed this way of talking that still serves her today. She just couldn't ever get a word in edgewise; so she learned to dispense with pleasantries and jump in when she could, speaking at ten times the normal rate of human speech. I realize that she's not entirely to blame.

My mother is a "chatterer", as am I, and my other sister. Chatterers just get progressively louder and faster until the time space continuum unravels. My Father is a "pauser", but god-help-you if you try to interject something into his pause. He likes to say things like, "You know what that is.........*interminable pause*......", meanwhile you're thinking, "What??? WHAT IS WHAT THING??? PLEASE TELL ME!!!!"

My brother is fairly polite, but because he is the youngest in a family of gabbers he prefaces any question he has with, "Can I ask you a quick question?" as if to say, "PLEASE let me say something, I promise it won't take too much time, I just need to squeak out ONE teeeny tiny question, please let me talk!"

I think it's fair to say that in most difficult situations I'm not known for saying the right thing. I've always been a blurter. A leap before you looker. A blab before brains type. It has gotten me into trouble on a number of occasions, but as I get older and I try to become more evolved, it's something I'm working on. I'm making a decision to really try to listen more and be more polite in my conversations with people.

Most people think that what they have to say is the most important thing going on, but when did expressing our opinions come at the cost of pleasantries and polite discussions? Miss Manners says that the idea of etiquette is that you make other people feel more comfortable, more important and better about themselves. If you're too busy waiting for them to finish speaking so that you can interject your own tales of woe, or to top their accomplishments, or out "funny" them, then how will people perceive you? What feeling will they have when they leave the conversation?

I want to enjoy more pleasant exchanges in my life and leave parties and gatherings without a cloud of concern about something I may have said. It happens to me more than I care to mention. So, it's a little early for New Year's Resolutions, but it's always a good time to try to be a better listener and a kinder person. * leaf officially turned over *

whirlagig - family update!

Hello all! I wanted to apologize for my lack of "real" updates recently, but you know how it goes in the summer. Everyone is so busy going here and there and such, the time really gets away from you.

We are doing well in our new abode. It's finally starting to sink in that this is home and even though we still miss Colorado (and all our peeps) we are getting to know and love our new town.

I think having visitors come to stay with us provided us unique chances to visit some of the cooler things in town and made us appreciate all that OKC really has to offer. It also doesn't hurt that we've made lots of new friends. Having friends always makes a place seem a little more homey.

Work has been terrifically busy. I can't complain... This month alone has been one of my personal best, just with the amount and relative size of the projects I've landed. I'm really reaching my stride as a project manager and web designer. I'm busy working on a total revamp of my website as well as our new business website which we hope to launch before the new year.

My family is doing really well. My parents are busy as ever, but things out at the farm have quieted down now that they are emptying the nest a bit. Jackson is still in high school but is growing up into a strapping young man. He tried out for football this year and will be playing the defensive end for his school team. He's also gotten his driver's license and will be seen tooling around in Dad's little pickup when he starts his junior year this fall. Can he really be almost 17? He was 6 when I left home for the Air Force and when I look at him, he still seems a bit like that chubby little tow-headed shredder. :)

Mary and her family are all settled into their new life in Pennsylvania. They have a lovely little house and their 3rd baby is due in October. They are thinking of buying a house out there, so it looks like this relocation may be for good. But, you never can tell with her. Mary is sort of a fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of gal. ;)

Emily is busy planning her wedding to Tyler. Next summer seems like a long ways off, but as any engaged girl will tell you, the wedding planning can make a year seem like a month. They are planning a lovely outdoor wedding and I have already seen her AMAZING dress. I actually choked up a little seeing her wearing the veil. My little Emily is going to be married! It hardly seems like she is old enough to be doing anything so serious!

That's the round up for now. I'm off to bed with a busy day ahead of me tomorrow. We are planning on joining Tim's entire family up at the lake house for the holiday weekend, and I'm finally in charge of my first holiday dinner. I am actually not SURE how much food to make because I'm not clear on how many people there actually ARE in his family. They are an ARMY, no joke. :) I'm really loving getting to spend so much time with all of them, but especially the younger ones. I love getting to be "fun" Auntie Erin. Last time we were at the lake, I dazzled them with my amazing sand castle building skills.:)

I'm composing some future posts in my head, not the least of which is my Halloween party inspirations. This year is going to be awesome and I can't wait to decorate the new house. I'll give you a hint - my dining room is going to be transformed into a mad scientist style dungeon! ;)

More to come...

There and back again...

Princess Bananahammock's round up of the weekend here


Pictures below:


Will blog more when I can think in full sentenc.......zzzzzz......zzzzzzzzzzzzz

OKC - Watch OUT!

 

Wink DeVille and General Lee Fabulous are taking over the town this weekend! Wheeee!

Well Howdy Doo!

Tonight we had our first big thunder storm since we've lived in our new house. The first few crashes sent the kitties scrambling, and I must admit, made me jump as well. It really reminded me of that one summer we visited my Aunt in Lawton and we all sat out on the front porch watching the lightning fill the sky.

I'm getting used to our new life in OKC and am finding my way around fairly easily. I have managed to get lost a time or two though without the mountains to point me in the right direction. I am embarrassed to say how much I depended on them as a reference point while living in Denver. I'm going to have to get a compass installed in the car, otherwise I'm going to keep ending up in Kansas every time I try to go to the supermarket.

The visit with my parents was a big success. They really loved the new house and we had some great moments hanging out with them. We visited the botanical gardens, the OKC bombing memorial, and the western heritage museum...All places I'd never even seen before. I keep forgetting what a big city this actually is. We're somewhat sequestered over here on the NW side, and it really feels a bit like a small town to me.

Here are some photos from the past week:


I'm planning on taking pictures of the finished rooms in the house tomorrow so everyone can see what we've done with the place. We're keen to show off some of our new purchases (ahem....42 inch flatscreen HDTV, perfect for watching the OLYMPICS in HIGH DEF BABY!) as well as our recently inherited upright piano. :)

More to come...

Happy Birthday To Tim!

The 'rents are still in town, and I have lots to talk about this week, but it will all have to wait. So, for now, here are the pics from Tim's birthday party!

Okie Twist Off

The 'rents are coming to town on Thursday and we've got all kinds of stuff planned while they are here. One of the things I'm most excited about is the Okie Twist-Off. It's a Rockabilly Music & Car Festival sponsored by the RBA.

I'm sure it will be loads of fun, even though my Dad might get distracted and start telling me they are all a bunch of criminals.... (of COURSE they are criminals! That's what makes them so BAD ass. If they weren't criminals, then they'd just be ASS.)

We are also planning a big shebang for Tim's 31st birthday and are trying to get the house all set up for that.

Oh, and we went and bought a King sized bed yesterday and are SUPER excited to get that set up in the master. Wheee.... think of all the room we'll have for cats! ;)

Anyway, we've got a crazy week ahead of us, so I better get started on it!

Two Turtle Doves...

(photo by Tim Cooper)

The first week we moved into our house, we discovered (using our telephoto lens) that we had two Turtle Doves living in the tree in front of our house. A day or two later, my sister-in-law stopped by with her girls and noticed that a baby dove had fallen from the the nest and was under the tree flopping around in the hot sun.

We weren't sure what to do, but with all the animals that roam free in our neighborhood and the blistering hot sun, we knew he probably wouldn't last without his parents help. So, Tim went to the garage and found a 2x4 and nailed a little cardboard box to one end, pulling a flap down on one side, so as to slide the baby bird into the nest. He wore gloves and carefully placed the baby in the box and lifted it high into the air.

The mother dove in the nest flew away with a start after seeing a shoe box full of baby bird coming towards her. It didn't work QUITE as well as we'd hoped, but after a few tries, he succeeded in replacing the baby bird in the nest. And we waited...for some sign that the baby was okay. A couple days later, I came home from the store to find the mother dove sitting very still in the yard. I walked closer and saw that she was sitting next to a lifeless baby bird. I ran inside, grabbed Tim and we both walked closer to be sure that nothing could be done. The mother sat VERY still as we came closer and closer and then flopped away down the driveway.

She'd obviously been injured and couldn't fly. There are kites everywhere in Oklahoma and we both were concerned about how exposed the nest had been in our little tree. We assumed that she'd been attacked, possibly by a kite or even by a neighborhood cat. We realized that we couldn't really do anything else, and scooped up the lifeless baby and started to walk to the garage trash bin. Then we noticed ANOTHER lifeless baby bird on the side yard of our neighbors house. Apparently this was NOT a good week for our little turtle dove family.

Anyway, after disposing of the baby birds, we both sat around pretty morose about our little avian tragedy. It's tragic that the babies died, but sadder still that the mother was injured. Turtle doves mate for life, and if she doesn't make it, her partner will be alone. So, we are watching anxiously to see both of them together again soon...And hopefully, the next round of babies will be more successful.

For LenaBena

Here is our most finished room. It's really coming together, but I'm not happy with it yet... There are some blank areas and I could use some suggestions about the art above the sofas. Any ideas?

Also, my office is really coming together. I'm hoping to have it all set up by next week, so I'll be uploading those pictures soon...

We miss you guys so much! Give Truman a kiss from us. Tell Shivani I've found a great indian place down the street, you guys will have to give it a try when you come visit.

Lotsa love!
~e

Open Letter to Oklahoma

Dear Oklahoma (and the people living here),

Your collective low self esteem as a state and a people is troubling me. I can't count how many times I've been somewhere and people find out that I'm from Denver and give me this apologetic look and say something like, "well, it's not THAT bad..." or "I'm sorry...", or "why the heck did you move HERE?"

What is so wrong with Oklahoma? Seriously! I'm from a small town where there wasn't much to do, but even they didn't spend this much time apologizing for themselves. Sure, Oklahoma isn't Hawaii or California, but so far, I think it's a pretty cool place to live. The only real thing you guys should be apologizing for is your lack of a Whole Foods market and more vegetarian restaurants!

I asked some Ol' Timers about this propensity for over apologizing and they seem to think that it stems from the Great Depression and the idea of "Okies" and the dust bowl... But I think everyone needs to stop and look around! The land here is lush and green everywhere I look. There are birds and flowers and healthy grass everywhere. There is a beautiful lake in the center of town with trails all around, and plenty of water sports. It's hot here, but this last week, things have cooled down and it's pretty pleasant. The bugs seem to be mellowing out as well, which is a huge relief.

I bought a sweet house for an unheard of price, so that alone endears me to you. Sure, downtown doesn't have QUITE as many options for dining as Denver, but so far all the restaurants on the Northwest side have made up for it. The shopping has been great, and I'm really looking forward to this Tax-free weekend coming up! The cost of living here is much cheaper in general and I've been able to find a lot of bargains on stuff for the house, so that's great too.

Sure, there are no Rocky Mountains here, but there is a rich and vibrant lake culture. Sure, the dining isn't quite as varied, but it seems to be improving all the time. Sure, the state is mostly conservatives, but there seems to be a strong little pocket of some left wing liberals and they serve GREAT coffee. :) Sure, there aren't as many museums here, but the ones that do exist are interesting and full of history. Besides, how many times can you go to a museum? Even the ones in Denver start to get a little stale after a while...

So, buck up! As an outsider, I can say that it's not as bad as you all make it out to be. Maybe you're just not getting out enough... Have you ever been to Great Falls, Montana? Now that is a town that ought to be apologizing to some people...

Thanks for listening,

~erin

P.S. Order up that Whole Foods. SERIOUSLY. I mean it.

Girls Night

My friend Jessica invited me out last night to meet some of her girl friends for happy hour at Belle Isle brewery last night. They were all super nice and we had a pretty good time, considering I'd never met any of them before.

I was so distracted with the stories and chatting that about 3 drinks in, I realized all I'd had to eat was some chips and two fried pickles. THAT'S RIGHT PEOPLE, I ate a fried pickle. It was so tasty, that I had another one. How OKIE of me! Anyhoo, the rest of the night was a bit of a blur and I was reminded of my Martini rule that I DIDN'T follow...

Martini's are like breasts, one isn't enough, but three is too many.

We ended up hanging out at Tim's parent's place with a bunch of people from the family, and just having a good time chatting. Tim's dad leaves for a week-long mission aid trip to Peru with some of the the grand kid's today, so we all wanted to say goodbye and wish them luck on their venture. It was a great night, but when it's all said and done this morning, I wish I'd eaten more dinner and had less drinks. That's one ratio that I regret screwing up. Eeesh...

At least today is Friday and work should be relatively quiet today...

The Red Cup

We discovered a super cool new cafe in OKC called The Red Cup. It's sort of a cross between St. Marks/Vine St. Pub/Watercourse Foods and a cool deli I once visited in Haight Ashbury. Yes, it's THAT cool.

We had a great lunch and while we were sitting there, soaking up the ambiance, the following conversation ensued...

Erin: Isn't it awesome that no matter where you go, there will always be these little pockets of coolness?

Tim: You mean this place?

Erin: Yeah...with it's funky art and whatnot...It's just cool that there are always these types of people, no matter where you live, and they congregate in places like this.

Tim: Well sure...Where else would the Pinko Commies be hanging out?

Erin. Ya, It's the RED cup. R-E-D. I think I'm gonna like it here....

Life - Slightly Blurry

The past two weeks have been just NUTS, as I'm sure you all can imagine. Here are the photos from our recent move and the trip to the lake this weekend. Click HERE if you want to seem them larger and with captions.



More to come soon...