Edmond Outlook: 5 Years (2005-2010)
Five years ago, Dave Miller invited me to write for his new magazine, Edmond Outlook. I agreed and trotted off to my first assignment—Andy Boatman’s glassblowing studio with no AC in the scorching August heat. Not a comfortable afternoon, but what an adventure. I was hooked. Over the years I counted it a privilege to…
Read More >LTJ: Sunburns and Seashells
It was the summer of 1960 when my older sister invited me to take a vacation with her to Galveston, Texas—just the two of us. I was fifteen years old and had never seen the ocean. What could be better? Jerlene and I packed the car on a Saturday morning and headed south. Hard to…
Read More >LTJ: Celebrate Life!
Hard to believe that half of 2010 has passed. Some highly organized people are probably already shopping for Christmas. Thanks, but no thanks on that. Being a procrastinator, I will wait until I feel the icy blasts of cold weather and winter snow before I hit the malls. So far, this year has been filled…
Read More >Letters from Louise: Fired from the Peanut Patch
I had no idea how to “shake” peanuts nor did I care. At ten years old I was just happy to get away from the house and not have to scrub dirty, bug-infested fruit jars for Mama’s canning. After a half-mile walk, my brother, Jimmy and I arrived at the peanut patch. I don’t know…
Read More >Letters from Louise: Happy Mothers-in-Law Day
Mothers-in-law get a bad rap! They are the brunt of comedian’s jokes and are often vilified in movies and TV sitcoms. But in spite of such negative press, most moms-in-law have great relationships with their children’s spouses, some even becoming like a second mom. I was blessed to have a mother-in-law who adored me. Being…
Read More >Louise Tucker Jones: The Great Train Ride
It was the trip of a lifetime. Our third grade class taking a train ride! No matter that we were boarding a small mail car, bound for a destination just fifteen-miles away. We were as excited as if we were boarding the Orient Express, not that we had ever heard of the infamous train. Our…
Read More >Love and Commitment
June is here and “weddings” are in the air! I often wonder why so many couples choose June to exchange their vows. I need only look back at my own wedding to answer that. Trust me, March is not the best month of the year to be married, especially in a cold climate. My husband…
Read More >7 Minutes of Terror
What part of your daily routine takes only seven minutes? Is it your morning shower? Breakfast at home? A quick stop at Starbucks? Seven minutes sounds short-quick-fast, but sometimes it can feel like an eternity. On April 20, 1999, sixteen-year-old Crystal Woodman Miller spent seven minutes of terror, crouched under a library table at Columbine…
Read More >Wishes & Dreams
When I was 30 years old I gave birth to my youngest child, James Ryan Jones. “Jay” was quickly diagnosed with Down syndrome and soon after with congenital heart disease. My little bundle of joy was a very sick baby. His immune system just didn’t kick in and he struggled to take even a two-ounce…
Read More >Capturing Life Through a Lens
Darrell Barton has been in most wars since the mid-1960s. “I fought in Vietnam and filmed the rest,” he said, speaking of his years as a cameraman with ABC, NBC and CBS news. Born in Arkansas and growing up “all over” but mainly in Kansas, Barton had an interest in cameras from an early age,…
Read More >A Place to Call Home
When Gary and Shouna Olson began planning for their son’s future, they found nothing in the state that met their desire: a Christ-centered group home. The Olson family attends Henderson Hills Baptist Church where Preston, an 18-year-old young man with Down syndrome, is involved in numerous activities. He is also active in the community.“I want…
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