ranchmagazine.com

By Lesli Nolen

Published May 2012

I have determined the older I get the faster time passes by. I look at my calendar on my phone and I have red lines under nearly every weekend from now until the end of June. It’s crazy to have that much going on, and then I realize why I’m so busy. I have a daughter graduating this year, another turning 11 years old and a husband that will be 40—all this month! No wonder my days are full, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

As I mentioned, Ashley is graduating this year. She is a senior at Saginaw High School. We are headed out this weekend to watch one of her last volleyball tournaments. Then we will be getting her ready for prom and graduation. I can’t believe it’s actually here. I think all parents sit back and wonder how it all happened. Seems like yesterday she was learning to walk and talk, and then we were sending her off to kindergarten. Junior high came and went—thank goodness, those were some years. Now, in just a couple of weeks she’ll be standing on stage in her cap and gown receiving her diploma awaiting a world she has yet to discover.

By Lesli Nolen

Published April 2012

Is the glass half full or half empty? Is it tomato or tamahto? Art is in the eye of the beholder, right? Which is the correct answer, or are they both correct? The purpose of the question is to demonstrate that each can be seen differently, depending on the person’s point of view. It’s not right or wrong. It’s our perception; individually unique to our own interpretation of reality. There is no right answer; it’s simply one’s own perspective.

Perception is defined as the process of attaining awareness or understanding of the environment by organizing and interpreting sensory information.

By Lesli Nolen

Published March 2012

If you know me, you know I love to read. Some of my past articles have been on books that I have read and why I like them. So, this time I thought I would ask my friends what they have been reading. Thanks to the social network, Facebook, I posted my status asking for their help. I requested they tell me what book they have read recently, if they would recommend it and why. Here’s what my Facebook friends had to say:

Tammy Nabors Gilbert— “The Shack;” My pastor loaned it to me. Great book! Really makes you stop and think about your own relationship with Christ and what it might be like when we meet him face to face! One of those books when you start reading, you don’t want to put it down!

Sandy Stockton Harrell— “Open Season,” by C.J. Box; Murder mystery set in Colorado with the game warden being the good guy. It’s a series. The author is a native of Wyoming.

Stacie VanDeman Poynor— “The Road to Fort Worth,” by Michael Jackson Smith.

Sandra Lowe— “We need to talk about Kevin;”  Haven’t finished yet but really good so far.

Tina Nolen— “Beyond Belief,” by Josh Hamilton; A good read for everyone! Shows anyone can never give up even when they fail!
“Same Kind of Difference as Me,” by Ron Hall and Denver Moore; A true story about an international art dealer and a modern day slave (a homeless man). A true story of love and compassion and how they never die.

By Lesli Nolen

Published February 2012

One of my favorite memories of Elementary school was our Valentine’s Day Party. It was one of the most fun and exciting times for me. Something about this special day made me smile, inside and out. It wasn’t because of the things I got like chocolate or the sweet card I received every year from my dad, it was more about the emotion I felt on that day. Everyone was loved, even at school.

At school we would begin preparing for our party by making our own Valentine’s box. This box would hold all of our Valentine’s Day cards that we would exchange in class. Our box started out as an old shoe box. We would cover the box and lid in red or pink paper. We would cut a slit in the top so we would have an opening to slide the cards into. Then we were allowed to decorate it.