Mr. ♥ Mrs.

This old Hallmark box sitting on my table doesn't look like anything special, it's hunter green with pictures of Christmas cards on the front.  Inside are 34 pieces of treasure.  I pick up the first one and it feels as if it may crumble in my hands.  I carefully navigate a piece of faded brown paper, which has been folded twice to make it the size of an index card, out of the torn edge of a tattered envelope.  There's a three cent stamp and two addresses on the front of the envelope-  Box 721, Dewar, Okla. and Mrs. John H. Work, Boswell, Okla.  

The ink that was probably once black in 1940 has settled into a deep navy, strewn in perfectly straight lines of magic.  It's not like bunny in a hat magic.  The kind that Little Girl Jaguar Paw daydreamed about finding someday-  I'm not talking about the last unicorn although I did daydream about that as well.  You know, the kind of thing the greats wrote poetry about.  The thing all of my favorite songs are written about.             ...shoot, the thing I write all of my songs about.  

Today I'm sharing two letters from my Paw Paw to his darling.  My grandma.  She misses him every day.  She still wears his glasses even though they're broken.  One of his shirts hangs in her armoire at the nursing home.  

Be thankful for the time you have with the people you love.

September 18, 1940

Dewar, Okla.

My Darling Hiahwahnah:

I'm so lonesome for you. Golly- It seems like I love you more and more every day. I want to see you so badly. If I can get any money, I will be down this week and I think mother and Robbie are both broke. I wish there was some way for you to come up here.

I went hunting yesterday afternoon with Peck and Monk. We left here about 3:00 and went out east of here about 16 miles. We walked the birds up until the sun started going down and then went to a pond and waited for them to fly in to water. We got 42.

Last night Peck and R. and I went to the show. We saw "I love You Again"- with Myrna Loy and Will Powell. It was a swell picture. If I ever get a chance, I'm going to see it again.


I'm going in to see a guy about a job in a little while. This afternoon I have to make some signs advertising R.'s football team. R. thinks they are going to win all of their games this year. I hope they do.


We are invited to Aunt Daisy's tonight for supper. She said she wished so much that you were here and could come too. So do I. Russell and Aunt Daisy all think so much of you. They say I'm a darn lucky guy to get a girl like you. I know I'm lucky. You are so sweet and beautiful and good. I love you bunches and more than anything on earth. Please darling, don't ever stop loving me.


Gee! I'm so glad that we are married. I will be perfectly happy just as soon as we start living together. Be a good girl and remember, no love scenes in that play.


                                                                                                            All my love,
                                                                                                            John

Paw Paw, Grams, and my Uncle John

(photo taken somewhere around 1944 I'm guessing.)

Dewar, Okla.

September 24, 1940

My Darling Hiahwahnah:

I was so glad to receive your letter this morning.  I was awfully worried about you.  Geepers-  I'm so much in love with you.  You are all I can think of.  I couldn't go to sleep last night because I kept thinking about you and wanting you bunches.

I am enclosing a clipping from the Okmulgee paper about our marriage.  I thought you might like to have it and show it to your folks.

It is now 10 min. until four o'clock.  I guess you are leaving school for the day or getting ready to leave.  I wish I was out in front of the building waiting for you.  Darling, doesn't it seem like a long time until Friday?  I can hardly wait to see you.

I'm so awfully much in love with my wife.  I think you are the most beautiful girl on earth.  You are so darn sweet and precious.  I wish you were here now.  It is cloudy and almost cold.  I have the fire turned on.  If you were here I would take you to bed with me and hold you close in my arms and kiss you bunches and be awfully fresh.  Do you think you would like that?

We are having supper with Aunt Daisy tonight.  Afterwards R. and I are going up to Mr. Lamb's to play bridge with Mr. Lamb and Pick.  He (Mr. Lamb) said that if we would come, he would serve ice cream and cokes.

R. just came in with one of his football players who he believes has a broken arm.  He wants me to take him to the doctor.  Guess I better hurry.  The darn kid looks like he's going to faint.  -Be a sweet girl and write me lots. 

                                                                                                       All my love,

                                                                                                       John

It's Thanksgiving and I'm thankful love exists in the world.  And that my Paw Paw told my Grams he wanted to get "fresh" with her.  Giggles.
♥ jp

count the stars.

You know what sucks?  Being sick the weekend before you host Thanksgiving at your house.  You know what else sucks?  Grocery shopping  in crowded stores, fighting to get to the cream cheese while you feel like you might faint at any time.  Yes, it's true, I do like to exaggerate BUT-  this is no exaggeration.  I thought I picked up some really horrible virus from the germy surfaces of Jack's school but no.  Went to the doc this morning and it turns out the fevers, severe back pain, rib pain, and overall feeling of death is because I have a kidney infection.  A what?!  I've never had one before but did you know they give you pain pills for that sort of thing?  Dude.  I totally understand why.  I feel like I was hit by a bus.  I even cried a few times, you guys.  I didn't even cry when I was in labor for 12 hours.  

What a crybaby.  This is too much information but who cares.

And in addition to going grocery and household item shopping, I would love to say it feels good to come home, clean the house, do laundry, clean the litter box, take out the trash, clean out the fridge, do the dishes, make all the beds, put up the toys, pick Jack up from school, keep Jack entertained and happy, and cook dinner-  but it doesn't.  It's miserable and I just want to go home to my mommy and let her take care of me.  Husbands are not good at this sort of thing.  It's just not on their husband resume.  Don't tell me yours is good at nursing you because then I'll just be pissed.  

I think I already posted pics of this outfit?  I can't remember.  I'm losing it.

These are a little old but I forgot about this outfit and I like it.  Must wear again.  

I think I just like the fur thing though.

I almost went out to watch the OU game at a bar on Saturday night at the request of Husband but I just couldn't pull it together enough to walk out the door.  As my sickness worsened, OU worsened as well.  I tried to sleep instead of watching OU but my back pain and fever kept my eyes glued to the TV.  

Almost 2 weeks ago, I had my first shellac manicure.  If you live in a cave and don't know what that is, it's a gel manicure that dries instantly (under a special magician lamp) and it lasts for at least 14 days.  (The pic above is before the shellac.)  Before going with the shellac, I was a little scared I wouldn't like it purely because of the commitment problem between nail polish colors and I.  I like to change it up every couple of days.  I know that sounds like a big hassle but I actually enjoy doing my nails and it's one of the little things I do with my free time.  (free time meaning around midnight on a weekday, once Husband and Jack are asleep.)  

I wish I had taken a pic when my shellac was fresh and gorgeous.  Of course Ashely from Salon Zen did my nails.  As soon as I walked in I knew I wanted something bright and cheery.  If I'm paying a little extra for this miracle manicure, I might as well get something with some POW to it.  Shiny, glossy, bright red!  I love it.  And it still looks good!  I played a lot of guitar the weekend I got it so it's Oh Johnny! Girl approved!  Ashley can mix special colors or do fun 2 tone stuff like french shellac manicures for you.    I know exactly what color I want to do next.  Of course you'll have to wait and see!  

Like you totally care and stuff.

Today Jack picked out the cutest panda bear hat and gloves at Target.  I'll take pics of the cuteness tomorrow.  He's just looks so happy when he puts them on.  It makes me feel SO HAPPY.  Totally forgot about my back pain for a second.  That's what kids do.  They are hard to handle but they make you so freaking happy.

Watching Husband try and put duck decoys together is pretty entertaining as well.  

He's, like, wrestling them on the living room floor.

That's it for my rambling today.  Lots to do tomorrow!  Mom and Grams are coming over for Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday and I can't wait.  

♥ jp

p.s.  Husband just called one of the fake ducks "bitch."  Too funny.  Time to read the directions, Babe.

couldn't stay away.

My brain is fried from a few days of Gossip Girl netflix marathoning and my body is tired from a week of working out.  My back hurts from picking Jack up when he cries for mommy.  Complain, complain, complain.  

Really though-  if this little boy were streaming baby tears down his cute face and asking you to hold him, you would.  And then your back would hurt like mine and you'd complain about it too.

My sweetie pie plays his guitar.

My sweet chicken wears a VIP pass for "his band."

My sweet baby tunes.

Picking up Jack from school.

I think the teachers were surprised-  I usually wear Calvin Klein workout gear and a hat.

Had a nice dinner at O and a drink at Blackbird last night with Husband.

Watched the OSU game and then caught up on episodes of The League.

My favorite show.

Can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here!  

Grams and my mom are coming to our house this year.

Looking forward to cooking up a storm and drinking wine with my favorite ladies.

♥ jp

just some way.

Sometimes we have time to blog.

Sometimes we don't have time to do anything.

We always have time to take a picture before school.

Even if it makes us late.

Every morning it's a struggle for Jack to eat his breakfast before we leave.

He puts it off and stares at Sesame Street for a while.

Takes a drink of apple juice.

Drinks his yogurt smoothie.

Plays trucks.

Reads books.

Wrestles into his clothes.

Does not want to wear shoes.

Decides he wants to wear shoes.

Does not want to brush his teeth because his juice will "taste."

"Taste" is baby slang for when apple juice tastes gross after brushing your teeth.

Finally brushes his teeth.

Getting out the door is such an ordeal.

Everyday.

Played an awesome show this weekend.

Pics up soon.

Working on new songs for my other project.

Gosh he's cute.

♥ jp

details.

Jack loves the park.

Some days it's too cold now.

With the time change, it's almost dark when Husband comes home from work.

Some days we have earthquakes.

(loud rumble, the house shakes, the car shakes, things rattle, nothing broken, nobody hurt.)

This is a new thing and it's very strange.

Some days we have tornados.

(if you've never seen one, they're terrifying.)

They usually come in the spring but have been making fall appearances.

Very, very strange.

I do not like it.

I do like these guys.

Don't watch the news about us because they will put interviews with hillbillies on tv and make all Oklahomans sound like idiots.  

(I'm only an idiot some of the time, thank you.)

I have one million cute pictures and stories about Jack to post but we've been busy playing with trucks and slaying dragons.

Thanks for missing us though, that's sweet.

♥ jp