I am officially 40 Under 40

I was acknowledged for my contributions to Oklahoma City by OKC Biz. According to the article in the October edition announcing our names, “Forty Under 40 extols the achievements and community involvement these young people demonstrate while exhibiting work/life balance.”

 I am grateful. I do work hard and it’s nice to get a public you’re doing a great job by someone who isn’t my dad. I can’t say that I feel very balanced most of the time, but it’s nice to think someone else thinks I do. Life is pretty hectic most days. 

Want to know a secret? I nominated myself for two years in a row about 4 years ago, confident that I was a shoo-in. Both times never worked out and my second rejection letter convinced me to give up. Those were the immediate post-divorce years and I was desperate to be told I was awesome, because I sure didn’t feel awesome. 

But this year, someone else nominated me. I had a hunch I knew who and asked the suspect at breakfast one day. She confirmed, but it didn’t make me feel any less loved. It was nice. 

Getting this acknowledgement felt more like a gift to the Sheri back then than to the Sheri today. She worked really, really hard back then because she didn’t know anyone. Didn’t have a whole lot of friends. Life was harder, the village was smaller. She deserves this. 

The gift to today’s Sheri was this ad that my company placed in the current issue of the magazine. That evening when I got back from the reception I was on the sofa texting friends, telling them about my evening. As I was flipping through the magazine to see what else there was to see, I ran into this. Totally a surprise to me. I texted the pic and he responded, “You are loved.”

Indeed, I am.

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Tornadoes suck.

Oklahoma was struck with tornadoes on Sunday and Monday this week. It’s terrible. The sadness is everywhere. The hope and human spirit is everywhere, too. 

I have friends who lost their home on Monday. Friends who had a baby about two weeks ago and have spent every day since at the children’s hospital because their son’s birth went awry. I’m going to assume that seeing Baby was the reason they weren’t at home on Monday when the tornado tore through their neighborhood. I’m having a hard time understanding how people get through two, severe blows like that. And why they have to. 

First, I’m listing my friends’ donation pages. If you want to give directly to some seriously awesome people who have been through too damn much, give to them:

http://www.gofundme.com/Fisher-Family-Fund

http://joshfisherphotography.com/fisher-family-relief-fund/

Or here are other ways to give and help if you are so inclined. I plan to give in several of these places and a few others. 

Donations of $10 to assist those affected by the tornado can be made by texting STORM to 80888 for Salvation Army, texting REDCROSS to 90999 for Red Cross, or by texting FOOD to 32333 for the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank. Make online gifts here…

DONATE: American Red Cross

DONATE: Salvation Army

DONATE: Oklahoma Regional Food Bank

 If you’re near Oklahoma, grab some work gloves and start driving. There’s plenty to do all over. If you need a place to crash while you’re doing that, my door is open. 

A Mighty Brunch, Indeed.

This past Sunday I hosted a brunch to benefit Charity: Water. I’m heading out on Thursday to Camp Mighty and every camper is tasked with fundraising at least $200 for this charity so that the entirety of the campers can raise at least $20,000. Some people are selling wares or teaching workshops or drawing pictures. I decided to make 192 mini muffins and turn them into a tree.

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We made other things, too. Here’s the spread…

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Kale and apple salad with poppyseed dressing, truffled deviled eggs, breakfast casserole, bacon roasted potatoes, The Source of All Bacon, fruit salad, muffin topiary (almond, pumpkin and cardamom pear) and Thank You Toffee.

I asked one of my friends to shoot pics as I assumed I wouldn’t have the attention span to do so. He did. Not that his attention span is much better.

Here’s one of me and his very patient wife, Stacy…

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Here’s one of just Stacy looking at him like she does…

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Here’s one of him (Andy) that I hope that she captured…

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I’m getting off track.

So, I hosted a brunch and lots of my friends attended. I was a little self conscious and didn’t want the party to be too big, in case I failed at hostessing. Mostly I just invited besties, people who have held my hair as I partied too hard and people who know my snarky side. Or any combination of above.

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Not a bad turnout, I say.

Greg and Moran came and brought their cherub of a son, Dashiel. Here he is with our fur baby, Shiro.

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Behind them you can see Dash’s mom alongside Casey and Marek. I think Marek is maybe driving the convo somewhat.

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My sweet puppy tried to scam my good friend, Megan, on whom Shiro could probably smell “total sucker for dogs.”

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My lovely beau, Clayton, offered his scrumptious breakfast sandwiches made fresh to order. Here’s a sample… Toasted sourdough spread with spicy mustard, topped with arugula, cilantro, bacon, sauteed onions and jalapenos…with an egg over easy. Or as I like to call it, “The Reason I am With That Guy.”

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There were endless Mimosas.

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Very adjacent to the donation bowl.

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And anytime a big, crystal bowl is at a party…someone has to make this joke:

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I love my friends. Thanks, guys, for helping me make my goal and giving me a most excellent send off to Camp Mighty. See you on the flip side!

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