Hey baby, que paso. Well, it's a Bloody Mary morning, so could you walk this way? I got a bad case of loving you. You see - I want a man with a slow hand, I want a lover with an easy touch.

My heroes have always been Cowboys, real cowboys not Dallas Cowboys...I come from the country, and I know I ain't seen it all, but you look so good in love, that's easy to see. You know if we left now, we could be in Amarillo by Morning.

This will be an everlasting love and I'll be good to you. It's a small-town Saturday night so let's give em something to talk about. Our love is alive and so it begins...foolishly laying our hearts on the table and stumblin' in... so let's pop a top, because Heaven's just a sin away. Well, I ain't first class but I ain't white trash and you, you desperado you've been out riding the fences for far too long.

Who can go the distance, well we'll find out in the long run. There may be smoke on the water, fire in the sky and there may be a bad moon rising but there's no getting over me. Some people call me a space-cowboy and some call me the gangster of love but here I am stuck in the middle with you dancin' in the moonlight deep in the heart of Texas.

So you sexy thing, the eyes of Texas are upon you so come and get your love, come and get your love now because I am going to take a slow ride and take it easy back to Houston. Houston home of the world's biggest Rodeo. That's right H-Town.

1. Hey Baby Que Paso - Texas Tornadoes

2. Bloody Mary Morning - Willie Nelson

3. Walk This Way - Aerosmith

4. Bad Case of Loving You - Robert Palmer

5. Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters/Conway Twitty

6. My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys - Willie Nelson

8. You Look So Good In Love - George Strait

8. You Look So Good In Love - George Strait

9. Amarillo By Morning - George Strait

10. Everlasting Love - Natalie Cole

11. I'll Be Good to You - Brothers Johnson

12. Small Town Saturday Night - Hal Ketchum

13. Something To Talk About - Bonnie Raitt

14. Stumblin' In - Chris Norman and Suzi Quatro

15. Pop A Top - Jim Ed Brown

16. Heaven's Just A Sin Away - The Kendalls

17. Some Girls Do - Sawyer Brown

18. Desperado - The Eagles

19. The Long Run - The Eagles

20. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

21. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival

22. No Getting Over Me - Ronnie Milsap

23. The Joker - Steve Miller Band

24. Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel

25. Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest

26. Deep in the Heart of Texas - Gene Autry

27. You Sexy Thing - Hot Chocolate

28. The Eyes of Texas - UT Longhorn Band

29. Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

30. Slow Ride - Foghat

31. Houston - Dean Martin

32. Houston (Means I'm One Day Closer to You) - Larry Gatlin

33. H-Town - Dizzee Rascal, featuring Bun B and Trae Tha Truth

I entered this room with a purpose

Perhaps the thought of why will somehow resurface

The word was just on the tip of my tongue, if I can be frank

I just went totally blank.

If you happen to see my car keys

Could you let me know please?

Pardon me if you will, I need to go find

Just where the hell I left my ever-loving mind.

Oh, and sure I will have fries with that......

There are definitely highs, with those highs come hard punching gut-wrenching lows

I have young students who have struggles too large for their small selves

I guess we never know the true hardships that one tows

It is so sad because their childhoods have been placed out of reach on high shelves.

When kids come and search you out

You see their face and you know by their haunting stare

Their body language if it could talk would be like a strong painful shout

They need your hug, a kind word, and your love because they know you care.

I have been confided in once again countless times this year

You have to maintain composure while in the midst of that talk

You try hard but sometimes it is ok, you need to let them see that slow rolling tear

Other times you know you just have to release it alone on a silent walk.

Texas just told me I have the honor of being in the top 5% of educators in the state

I appreciate it I do; it will be on my certificate and reflect in my pay for five years

Educators know we must come ready, come early and stay late

It's all about getting kids to where they need to be constantly shifting those gears.

Again, I am honored and proud to be recognized as a Master Teacher

I know for certain though, there is just one Master

And he is truly the greatest Teacher

He hears our stories, knows our tears, hopes and prayers for He is the Master.

God, please bless all your children around the world from small to tall

please Lord hold us, guide us and calm our fears

We may stumble in life, but you will not let us fall

With your tender mercies you see us through all our years.

I just don't like dogs, I absolutely love and adore them. I thank the good Lord for them because I can't imagine a greater blessing as a companion. From the adorable puppy days to watching them grow, to the day they cross that bridge, they forever leave your heart touched.

I believe dogs and kids are just heads and tails beyond accurate when it comes to sizing people up....I believe life is just sweeter with a bestie by your side. Seriously, one who doesn't care how much money you have/don't have. One who looks at you in pure love and awe - even on those days when you are not looking your best....One who senses when you are upset and won't leave your side....one that would lay down their life to protect you. It just doesn't get better than having a good dog....life would really be "ruff" without them....

I veer in and out of conversation....a lot. I have friends that have said they need Ritalin just to follow me. Give me a topic and I will cover it but I can and more than likely will get a wild hare and up and branch off into something else or multiple things. I also snort...not coke nor any other illegal substance....but when I start laughing...there's going to be that awkward snort of laughter. I like to think I provide clever insight and anecdotes with a genteel laugh.....in reality, it is talking perhaps too much and too fast, and a donkey girl scout laugh.

I believe some people are just born dark....that they actually enter into this world missing what defines us as humans. Bundy, Dahmer, and so many others began practicing their evil very young. I also believe and the news shows sadly too often that something just goes wrong somewhere and a person who has had no criminal history commits heinous acts of violence.

On August 1st, 1966 Charles Whitman barricaded himself on the observation deck at the University of Texas Tower. He brought hell with him. The citizens of Austin were terrorized for almost 96 minutes. He killed fourteen people and injured 31 others. People just going about their day... he just randomly began shooting at them from all directions. Before heading to the Tower, he had killed his wife as well as his mother. Years later as a kid hearing the Tower story was hard enough but finding out that family friends had been in Austin that day as their daughter was going to be attending UT and that they were actually crouched down on the sidewalk hiding behind a car just blew my mind.

On October 16th, 1991, long time family friends had stopped in to eat at Luby's in Killeen, Texas. George Hennard drove his truck through and began shooting. He killed 23 people and injured 27 others. Our friends made it out from the broken glass but the people behind them were not as fortunate.

I had a Psychology professor who I shared this story with, and he said the odds of knowing people that were involved in two separate mass shootings was just astronomical. When I told him wait...I'm not finished. I went on to share that in 1987 a friend who lived in Russellville, Arkansas was caught in the middle of a shooting spree when Ronald Eugene Simmons came into town seeking revenge on people that he felt had done him wrong. He killed 16 people and wounded several others. Fourteen of his victims were his family members.

My professor just shook his head and could not believe the sad truth that I was telling him. What is really hard to grasp is that incidents like these senseless tragedies have just become routine news stories in our lives. Here we are in May of 2023, and we have had over 200 mass shootings....what on earth creates such monsters? Are they born this way? Are they searching for notoriety? Whatever the reason they have left a path of destruction and devastation for those who have lost loved ones and left communities broken.

There are truly evil monsters in this world, and they live among us, and we sadly don't know when or where any of them could strike.

Thank you for loving me unconditionally and being supportive of me through all things. Thank you for your example of walking in faith consistently no matter the trial. Thank you for showing me how to be caring and compassionate and to treat others as I would want to be treated. You truly were the most amazing example of a person who accepts others without judgment and lends a hand, shoulder or ear when needed - I really appreciate that as it has served me well on my path. Thank you for showing me what a good mother is through all things. I really appreciate you telling me, "Don't ever say my child would not do that"....saved me from eating some crow! I am so sorry for the stress I placed upon you....ohhhh those teenage years....You left us far too soon and you are missed daily. I do catch myself making an expression or gesture and in that moment it will remind me of you - I know it's a gift letting me know you are always with me. I miss your laugh and hugs. I still have your Revlon Creamy Ivory compact that when I open to this day - it still smells like it did all those years ago. You are loved, appreciated and so missed. Happy Mother's Day....

All my life I have been happy. I love people. I love to laugh and talk. I love new challenges. I have a roof over my head. I am thankful for the job that I have. I have no grudges or drama. I feel for others and genuinely want good for all.

When I pass coworkers in the hallways they always stop, and we laugh. I have wonderful friends and family. People tell me that I put them in a good mood because I'm always smiling. Smiling doesn't equal happy. They would genuinely be surprised to find out that I am really not all that happy. Life happened and there were struggles with a spouse with three long term diseases to which the stress led me to "that damn" autoimmune disease.

Thing is...I'm not depressed, but I'm just not as happy as I seem. There has been a shift within me...and it has left me feeling different...It feels a lot like the mask from the pandemic - there is a veil that I am hiding behind right now...well that I have been behind for a while.

I miss me....the unedited genuine me being simply just happy.

When you grow up in a small town you have a built-in sense of safety. Everyone knows everyone and everything. On a hot summer night when we were sixteen my friend and I encountered pure evil. We lost not only our sense of safety but were exposed to pure evil. It left us both very guarded and it taught me to be aware of my surroundings at all times. I had picked up my friend Liz and we had gone about three blocks from her house to a Circle K to gas up.

The store was on a large corner lot with the store being to the back of the lot and the gas pumps angled at the front corner edge of the lot right next to where two streets formed a T. Liz had gone to pay, and I was just finishing gassing up when she crossed the parking lot. I literally had just put my cap on and was going to place the hose back on the pump....it was dusk, and we saw car lights coming down the street in our direction so fast, in fact we commented on how fast they were going. I guess they noticed us standing under the lights at the pump and were in their sights - at a high rate of speed they swerved into the parking lot heading towards the back of my car. As they approached, we heard them yelling some really horrible and vulgar comments that we had never been exposed to. By the grace of God, we jumped in and truly just got our doors locked.

These men who were probably in their late 20s or older had jumped out of their car and were pulling at our door handles and we are sitting there terrified and screaming. Besides being so purely evil, it seemed like they were intoxicated or on something - they all had a dirty disheveled appearance...their behavior was what nightmares are made of for young girls....I didn't think to start honking the horn as the men were literally grinding and thrusting their bodies against our doors and pulling our handles all the while saying some really disturbing things. Two were on my side, one on hers and one at the back of my car. Our terrified screams fell on deaf ears. Evil never hears the pleas of those they intend to harm. We just wanted to get the hell out of there - I started my car and peeled out. At this point we are mixed crying and screaming but thought we were safe as we headed back to Liz's house.

In my rearview mirror I just couldn't believe I saw their headlights coming behind us. I screamed, "they are behind us." So now we are both screaming again...We couldn't stop at her house as we would have never gotten a chance to get in - her parents were not at home so we did not have that safety net and I think we were shaking so badly we knew we just never would have stood a chance to get that door unlocked.

They quickly were right on our bumper. At the end of the street was a stop sign. I ran it and almost caused a wreck. My car was in the right lane of the street the other car had gone into the left to avoid hitting us. Being a small town, of course we knew the people - we jumped out screaming and ran to them as the car with those four evil men quickly backed up and turned around. We knew they weren't local....our small town was on a main highway that connects those coming from the north to the coast. We had no real description of the car other than it being big, brown and old. The store clerk was unaware of what had transpired because after Liz paid, she was carrying out other duties since we had been the only customers at that time. Our Chief of Police said they would be looking but that he was confident they were just passing through and happened to see us...he felt they had taken the business route instead of staying on the main highway and just shook his head at what we had experienced. He told us the important thing was we were safe...but we felt anything but safe. We truly met with evil that day and I always prayed to keep anyone safe who crossed paths with any of those monsters.