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I know it’s just a fraction of the many things you could hear. But I only wrote down the following few.
“If you’re not winning, you gotta drink. That’s what I always say. Or run over something.”
“Lucky? Oh geez…now I got a nickname. That’s scary.”
“How much do I have to lose?”
All of the above (and much more) are why I’ve stuck by my choice to not play the infamous game of poker. But it can obviously provide lots of entertainment in a number of ways.
I finally got around to getting this video up. Yes I did a bit of editing and usually this type situation is watched as raw video. But considering I stood there for more than 30 minutes, I didn’t want to post all of that. Oh, and no jokes about a double rainbow. I am the only one that can point out how awful my commentary really is.
As a volunteer at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital, there are a lot of things to see and hear. Some things must remain confidential, but there are some things which are safe to share and too cute to keep to oneself.
Recently I was visiting with a young boy. He was cheerful and spoke with a strong southern accent. We played with an animal puzzle and he told me about his dog.
“It’s a white dawg. He likes to eat bones. Them white bones but we had to go to Walmart to get some more.” (last word had 2 syllables)
Me “Do you like bones?”
Boy: Scrunches nose. “No.”
Me: “Do you eat chicken?”
Boy: “I like chicken. I like them little macaronis and cheeeeese!”
He told me how he had his tonsils taken out and …”it didn’t even hurt. I drank grape juice. It was goooood. They put scissors in there and just took em out while I was asleep! It didn’t hurt.”
In the shadow of more serious reasons he was there, the tonsillectomy seemed minimal.
Later I walked past a room where an older boy was playing a toy guitar. I popped my head in and did the “Rockstar- stick your tongue out- hold your hand up” pose. He smiled and just kept jammin’.
In other news on the hospital campus, they’ve been undergoing some renovations and improvements. This beam was prominently displayed in front of the main entrance for passers-by, staff, volunteers, and patients to sign before it’s used in the South Wing. A little way to let the community be a part of the ACH family and show some support.
A signature with a marker, a puzzle with a child. The little things are what the big things are made of.
I know commercials began in early August to celebrate this special time of year. Everybody tries to save money when stocking up on crayons, hand sanitizers, notebooks, and even clothing. But–surely there was a miscommunication between the financial analysts and the display boy!
Load up the shopping cart!
What a sweet spot I found when popping in to the Brown Sugar Bakeshop inside the Rivermarket’s bustling Ottenheimer Hall. The places around town who specialize in cupcakes could probably be counted on one hand, with their secret recipes, unique flavors, signature icing. Kristi shared with me a few things the average customer may not know (or think to ask) about. And what a perfect feature flavor she chose for Arkansas’ sweltering summer months!
Somebody mentioned watermelon? Just a seed of info for you: The Hope Watermelon Festival is a huge event each August spotlighting one of our state’s juicy jewels and all the ways to enjoy it! This year the 34th annual event is August 12-14 and maybe Bill Clinton will find it the perfect casual homecoming after being in the spotlight for his daughter’s recent extravagant wedding. I bet Chelsea wishes she had watermelon cupcakes at her reception.
Sometimes I am amused when I’m out on the scene and I just can’t snap a picture the way I want to. Sometimes it’s the lighting (or lack thereof.) Sometimes I can blame something happening in the background. Sometimes my subjects blink. Sometimes I catch the sneaky bra strap peeking out of a woman’s blouse, or someone’s eyeglasses reflect back at me or someone has spinach in her teeth while at a reception, or maybe someone’s skin color is not flattered by the backdrop. Sometimes I just can’t put my finger on what’s wrong….but I gotta keep snapping. Sometimes you just need another friend to join the picture to make everything all better.
This weekend one of my friends, we’ll call her…Ambrella, celebrated her 25th birthday. She is a jovial little thing and always spunky, ready to have a good time and doesn’t get embarrassed easily (about anything). She stands at a threatening 5 ft. 0 inches and laughs loudly. She wears some of the cutest accessories a girl could own these days. I saw her for a few minutes during her birthday. She had chosen to visit many places around town to really pack in lots of celebrating. I know she went to Sticky Fingerz, Markham St. Pub and Khalil’s Pub where supposedly the karaoke commenced. At each stop her padres followed along and set this cake as the centerpiece each time.
With crazy goggles and clown nose
Because she needs a lot? I think?
When asked about this, she told me she doesn’t love cake anyway and would rather have a steak. Later someone else says she goes to the restroom…often. Another friend said she always has several people over at her house and people constantly depleting the toilet paper supply. Whatever the reason, it’s her day and her cake and she can have her cake and …use it too.
I have no idea what’s gotten into me. Hopefully it will subside soon. Symptoms include: my eyes are suddenly drawn to any youngster w/ the colorful bracelets which, 5 months ago I would have dismissed (or even been annoyed by). Now I can’t help but notice them. I find myself eagerly approaching the kids for no other reason than to ask “Which is your fav? What colors do you have? Do you share them and trade them with your friends?”
As seen below in a previous post, I was enlightened on this quirky trend of Silly Bandz by a 13 year old girl who ended up sharing a red cat-shaped Silly Band with me. Since then I’ve not been lucky enough to get another. (I refuse to go buy myself a package of them. I think they can only be cool for an adult if it’s given to them as a gift from a child.) One little girl I saw was actually in the hospital and only had 2 on her wrist. Though she tempted me by saying there were more at home, I would have felt terrible even telling her I wanted one. Another girl’s mom pushed her to give one to me but she was “oblivious” (or just played dumb so she didn’t have to give one away!)
This week I scored. While covering an event for Sync, I snapped a pic of Pete with his mom. I saw his wrist and didn’t resist. I went through my standard questions and he wasn’t shy. His mom suggested he give me one because I’d just taken his picture. He offered and I felt bad. *Meanwhile thinking to myself “Keep cool, Lauren. Don’t let him see how nervous and hopeful you are he’ll actually take one of those and hand it over. Keep cool!”
And guess what. Yep. He took off one. It was red in the shape of “911″ (I know crazy, huh?!) Then put it back on. A little tease. Then he took off his only pink one and offered it to me! “No, no you don’t have to give me one…just…you know…if you really want to.” He replied “Well I have another one just like it at home and I don’t really like pink.”
The cop car would be pretty cool.
So here’s my shoutout–to little Pete and his generosity and cool freckles and being mature enough to hang out in an art gallery at the age of 9, and cool enough to put up with the somewhat immature side of a 27-year-old who just took his Silly Band.
Oh you want to know what shape? HELP You read that right. It’s in the shape of the word “help”. He probably chose that one for me thinking, “she needs this more than I do for a a few reasons!” Thanks again, Pete.
The girl who can’t say “no” to a small road-side produce stand. That’s me. I have no doubt my appreciation and love for them was ingrained into me when I was a youngster who frequented my Paw’s produce stand on Main St. He sold purple hull peas, tomatoes, okra and peaches.
Oh man, did he know his produce. People all over Howard County were blessed by his garden and orchard…whether immediately by biting into a juicy tomato or down the line by enjoying a heavenly peach cobbler at a family gathering.
Fast-forward a few years. I am now my own grocery shopper and chef and I am genuinely giddy when I find a few minutes to feast my eyes on the goods the farmers offer under their tents or out of the back of their trucks. *I love the local farmers markets but this post is dedicated to road-side stands, thanks.
So I share you with you a little find: On Monday afternoons there is a make-shift “market” with only 3 to 5 Arkansas farmers setting up shop on the corner of Napa Valley and Hinson in West Little Rock. And I checked it out. *Sometimes I don’t need groceries, necessarily, but always find at least one thing to take home. This day it was a cucumber.
My cucumber, me and Farmer Carney
Bell peppers, tomatoes, watermelons and cantaloupes covered the tables and I learned how to test a cantaloupe for ripeness from one of the guys at Hardin Farms. But it was the cucumber I chose to take home. Farmer Kelly Carney from North Pulaski Farms was very friendly and informative and I was probably more inquisitive than his average customer. I hope I didn’t annoy him. He told me about this Tyria cucumber, sweet, seedless and wonderful for slicing and eating on the spot. It was only $1.00 and I was excited to try it. So I bought one. A few minutes later he brought another from his truck saying it would be better than the one I’d chosen. But it’s like the pumpkin you choose for your jack-o-lantern = I wanted this one and probably wouldn’t change my mind. So he gave me both. Both for $1.00 and they were both delicious. I think I ate them each in a whole setting. And the story that goes along with my love of produce stands and my memories I will forever have of them made them that much sweeter. Not sure what I’ll get next time.
Don’t need many words for this one.
You see dumb people? Hey! I do, too!