I'm Back and man do I have a story for you!

My life has been busy to say the least. It has gone from one crazy event to another. But that's okay - it keeps me on my toes. So much has happened I really don't know where to start.

I will start with my attendance at the first ever Five Tribes Story conference were I was ab

le to be a part of two panel

s (actual moderate one) and perform at the evening concert. This was an exciting time in my life ...to share the stage with so many other storytellers. I was invited to t

ake part in this event by Tim Tingle, Choctaw author and storyteller and Greg Rodgers, Choctaw author and storyteller. The conference had over 250 in

attendance. It was more than I was expecting really.

Okay actually I had no idea how many to expect but it wasn't 250!This was a special event for me as a storyteller. It was a feeling of finally being recognized for something that I do alone.

As a performer and storyteller. I was able

to be a part of a panel and speak of my own experiences and talk about what it means to me on so many levels. How storytellingis my spirtual path, m

y calling, and my duty. I also performed three

new stories that I had not done in public before. Actual two I had never done and one I keep rewriting. I told the Butterfly Lovers story that I learned in China. It is their version of Romeo and Juliet. I also told the Native American story about the Wind Horse which was challenging for me because it reminds me of my cousin Steven. But being able to tell it and not fall into tears was

a big step for me. I ended my concert with Unbreakable Love, the story I wrote for my sister and her son. It was another big night for me because my brothe

r, mother, and a special friend we

re in the audience. For the first time I actually wanted them to see me perform. I guess this means I am really getting out of my shell and like being on the stage. I am a totally different person on stage....it's like I leave one world myself and enter into another world.

And now introducing Payton Robins!! This is a little girl who has entered my life in a unique way. She is such a happy baby that when I see her and hold her and laugh and smile with her I can't help but think how people have such a hard time to put her first. But due to personal reason her parents can't

. Therefore my sister and her husband of guard

ianship of her now

And believe me it has made a world of difference. We weren't sure how Brody would take to her...we worried actually. Like most big siblings he didn't care too much for her in the beginning. When she cried he would at her and say, "Payton hush!". But now he is a very protective big brother. And when he enters the room Payton just smiles. When he cries she cries and vice versa. Here they are on Halloween. Brody is Nemo (he went dunking for pears) and she is a Flower Fairy. Nikki actually made the costumer herself. I was very impressed. Brody even won fist place at a Halloween Party for his age group! He was excited...he won a whole bag of candy. I wonder ever happened to that bag?

Brody and his girls (Makynlee and Cydnee) had their first video experience

They had a blast. They were to run over a hill with red paint on their hands. Brody was in heaven...anything to do with running and he is there. He didn't exactly know what was happening but he was having a good time and so where the girls. They were little professionals. The showing of the

music video took place the this years State of the Nation Address. It actually started the mornings events. Brody and I, along with GG and his momma stood in the back of the room to watch the video. He was excited when he saw himself on the screen. He looked at me and said, "that me TT?"

That should kind of catch everyone up on what has been happening in my world. As you can tell it still revolves around Brody and now Payton.

Almost Here!!!!

It's almost move in day!!!! I know it has been awhile since I have last posted anything on this site. But life for me has been crazy. Both personally and professionally. Since Lowak I have had my heart severally broken to the point of question if it would ever be whole again. I lost a very dear friend this past winter and his death has made me appreciate every person that is in my life as well as live with no regrets. I had an aunt diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and cousin, who I am extremely close to, experienced a scare with breast cancer. After these past five months I wonder how it is that I have faith at all because believe me - my faith these past couple of months has really been tested. I keep wondering will when the testing stop? But maybe that is a test as well. Moving in to this house is going to be bitter sweet. When I first received news that I was going to get a house I pictured myself moving in with my family. Maybe that is to come later. Who knows?
But here is the most recent phote (I took it this morning) my house. As you can tell it has windows, doors, and is bricked. And now I have grass!!!!!! I have a lawn!!!! It has taking many months to get to this point. This process has been long but very much appreciated and I can not wait to move in. I have been going back and forth on ways to decorate, what colors am I going to use in the bedroom, living room and the kitchen? How am I going to decorate my bathroom, my dinning room, or spare room? It has been overwhelming at times. But, I have made a few decisions. My master bath and bedroom will have the colors of Chocolate and Tiffany Blue (how can a girl not like the color of a Tiffany's box!). My kitchen and dinning room will reflect Tuscany and a vineyard so there will be grapevines, sunflowers, rustic colors of yellow (burnt yellow) and burgundy. There will also be copper and weathered wood blended in here and there. My living room I'm still pondering. I want it to be welcoming because I plan to have many family moments in this room. I will eventually be painting the walls in these room but only when I am able to. That will be a whole new overwhelming issue for me to get through.
Even though life has happened to me these past months doesn't mean that some good hasn't come out of it. Because it has. I'm looking at it as a new chapter in my life that has started. It's like I have a clean slate but this time I decide what is written on it. This time I keep close watch over my life and not let others direct me. I've learned to try and not hold anger towards those who have hurt or angered me because that just makes me an angry and bitter person. And I don't want to look at what happened in the past. I want to move forward and what better way to do that than to move to a new address.

Christmas Traditions

What can I say about Christmas. Since Brody has entered our lives Christmas is amazing. The statement, "a baby changes everything" is so true in so many ways. When there is a child involved we want them to believe in Christmas Magic and we, adults that is,will do anything to make sure that the Christmas Magic is just that......MAGIC. How perfect was it this year for us to receive snow over Christmas. We actually had a white Christmas and we were able to celebrate Brody's first real snow and white Christmas together. The day was absolutely perfect. Of course the new traditions took place prior to Santa's arrival. My mother, or otherwise known by Brody as GG, has started a tradition with him that is messy but fun. We put together a gingerbread house and he decorates it. Of course this year for some reason we had some issues. The roof of the house kept sliding down. Of course Brody didn't care but his mother and I did what we could to keep that roof on. We each have roles when it comes to this tradition. Nikki and I put the house together (which translates to we are the ones that get sticky with the icing), and then GG pours out all the candy and then Brody gets to decorate it......all by himself! In a perfect world this process would be just right. But it never fails.....Nikki and I end up with icing everywhere and Brody ends up with his shirt off because he ends up wearing the icing. But who could complain as you watch this great kid have the time of his life as he places each piece of candy on his gingerbread house with the exclamation of, "I did it!" We had other issues with the house to.....well really we didn't....the roof simply would not stay on. So we did what any other construction worker would do.....we made re-enforcements out of pretzels.....don't laugh...it worked. I only got in trouble once because I bought the cheap jelly beans....note to self....remember to purchase real Jelly Bellies next Christmas. Clete said the cheap jelly beans probably brought the value of the house down, ha ha. He buys one house and he is already an expert. On this same night we also opened our Christmas ornaments that my mother gets us every year. I of course got Barbie - I love Barbie. Nikki received her traditional Eeyor - which I did not touch (long story). Wesley got an OSU football that blinked and Brody got his "choo-choo" or other wise known as Thomas the Train. I don't know how we are going to top this Christmas. We had snow, sweets, and family. What more could we have asked for?

Loksi, Loksi, Loksi - Minti

Loksi, Loksi, Loksi - Minti

Those are probably four of the strongest words I have ever said during a performance. Being a part of Lowak Shoppala' has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. A lot of preparation went into getting ready for the production. I spent many late nights reading this wonderful story written by Chickasaw author and Pultizer finalist Linda Hogan over and over again. I had to make sure that when I told the story I was to the point that I new the story just as I knew any other traditional story that I have t0ld. I had to feel this story.....I had to become part of this story. I had to be able to feel the river when I spoke about it, I had to feel the emotion the girl felt when she was being made fun of, and I had give off the feeling of how proud this woman was to give such a magnificent gift to the Chickasaw people. The gift that allowed woman to dance. True emotion was coming from my lips. Images where feeling my head as the words floated out of my mouth. Images of dancers, gatherings, and what the Chickasaw people did in ancient days. I was on top of a mound, of course built out of wood but still a mound and all I could think of was, "I wonder if this is what it was like when stories where being told when..." The music playing while I told the story only made the story stronger. The music was elegant, strong, and breath taking and written composed by my great friend Jerod Tate. I gave the story breath the music gave the story a heart beat. And with each powerful word the beat grew stronger making me raise my voice to ensure that everyone could hear me call the turtles. I wanted the audience to get chills when they heard me call the turtles. I wanted their heart to race just as mine did as I commanded the turtles to come. The feeling was amazing. Afterwards I was complimented on my performance. I was even told that I did in fact give e the audience chills.

"And now WE have respect for the Turtle because THEY gave US our dance."

It looks like home to me

Well how do you like it now?!  The brick  has been delivered, windows and doors are in.  Plus every room now has sheet rock.  YEE HAW!!  And as of yesterday the rest of my driveway has been poured.  I wonder what my nephew would think now trying to run around inside, lol.  The last time he could run through the boards.... now....not so much.  I'm sure he would find a way to get through the house quickly.....he's a fast little guy.  

Ataloa Theater

19 days until the premier of Lowak Shoppala'.  I wasn't nervous until I walked on the stage where the actual performance will be.  I bit intimdating and exciting all at the same time if that makes sense.

There is a lot of excitement in the air about this production.  It has people from all walks of life.  Professional performers, dancers who have danced for years, children and adults.  I am the storyteller...I know that is a stretch for me.....ha.  I am actually reading a story written by Nobel Prize finalist Linda Hogan.  I know impressive right.  This performance will tell the story of the Chickasaw from before removal to removal.  It will tell small stories with words, dances, songs, and music.  The costuming is by Margaret Roach Wheeler, who is know all over.  And yes I will be wearing a piece designed by her.  Again, impressive!!  I can't wait to see what it looks like.  I have seen the other costumes she has completed and they are amazing.  So I can only imagine what mine looks like.  Even the most simplest of costumes are breath taking.  She made a dress for one of the dance troupe member to wear and she looks as if she stepped right out of a history book.  I actually got weepy.  To know the history and then to see it unfold as it is .....is AMAZING!!  

It's taking shape

For the past few weeks it has done nothing but rain, or mist which turned to rain, or flood. It seemed as if there was never going to be another dry day again. I just knew my house was never going to get framed. Then finally this sun came out. It really scared me at first because I hadn't seen it in so long. But then the next day........you got it. It rained. My mom and I still drove by the house site just to see if in that one day that was sunny if something had been done. And from the road we could see that the trusses had been delivered. Then the days to come...more rain. I knew construction would probably be stopped for awhile due to the weather. I mean the house that I rent had a pool in the front yard now. So I could imagine what my house site that was nothing but dirt would look like.
I, of, course knew I was just getting impatient because I knew that once the framing started that the process would take flight.  I so badly want to move into my new house. I was to the point of praying to God asking him to stop the rain. But then I realized how selfish that was. So then I was praying to stop the rain during the week and only rain on the weekends. And again I knew I was being selfish thinking only of myself and my house. So then I just asked  God to give me patience. So I stopped driving by my house. When people asked me how the construction was coming along I would just say, "I don't know. I figured because of the weather things had probably slowed down." Then this past Thursday morning,October 22, my dad called me and asked, "when was the last time you went and looked at you house?" So I told him about a week. That's when he said,"you might want to go out there because I think it's framed." My first thought, "FRAMED!" Surely not. I mean it has done nothing but rain....for days. So that afternoon after work my sister, mother, and nephew drove to my house to see.  And there it was.....framed along with a roof! I was estactic! When did all of this happen? How did it happen? My house site now has a house on it. Not just a foundation. A HOUSE! My house! And a drive way.....I have my own drive way! Of course the day we go out there it had been raining all day....no surprise there. So the ground all around is somewhat soft....okay it was pure mud. And my nephew could hardly wait to get down  in it.  It was as if the mud was calling his name and only he could hear it.  Of course we didn't put him down until we were inside the house but that didn't matter because the first thing he did was find where the back door was going to be and ran out it with his GG running after him. But not fast enough. He ran across that mud before any of us could get out the door.....and he just looks at us and smiles. How can you get on to him after making that cute face? You can't.  There my mother is stuck on the only semi dry patch of mud there is and it's  barely big enough for both of her feet and on the other side of the yard is my nephew planning his next escape.  It took both me and my sister to make a path with discarded roof shingles all at the same time yelling at my nephew..."don't you do it Brody" and he would just squeal and stomp his feet.  After what seemed to be a chase scene from the Benny Hill show (minus the half naked people) we finally get my nephew back into the "house" (hee hee I love saying that). He of course is running from room to room and then he figures out he is able to run in between the boards and we adults.......can not. It's game time. Let the second chase begin.

Walking through the framing I have made out the living room area.  The picture window will actually face what will be my back yard.   

Today, the house has windows and doors...no door knobs which for right now I'm okay with because once the door knobs are put on the doors will be locked and even I won't be able to go in.  They construction workers are getting ready to put the air system in.  Imagine the living area filled with silver tubes...I can only imagine what my nephew would do if he saw that!!  Mental note...don't take Brody back until the silver tubes are placed.

The ground is almost completely dry now and the weather looks as if it is going to be really nice this entire week!