Fully Dressed

Life according to Annie: "You're never fully dressed without a smile."

"Who cares what they're wearing
On Main Street or Saville Row?
It's what you wear from ear to ear
And not from head to toe that matters."

It was easy to smile last week when I collected on my birthday present, one that was definitely worth waiting for. Randy got me tickets to Music Theatre of Wichita's production of "Annie."

I didn't realize it until we got to Century II, but the tickets were on the second row.

Leapin' Lizards! It was close enough to check out the orchestra pit just by standing up. And you could see every expression on every actor's face.

It was this musical lover's dream come true! Even better, he didn't have to pay extra for the seats.

If you leave a performance of "Annie" with a frown on your face, it must be a really bad day. The whole musical is filled with optimism in the face of a "Hard-Knock Life."

Our Wichita trip also gave me a change of pace, so to speak, on my daily walk.

I couldn't believe it when I saw the hay bales just off the walking path behind the Marriott. (We are usually more Motel 6 or Super 8-type people, but the Marriott was where the Wheat Profit Maximizer summit was held, and that's the real reason we were going to Wichita in the first place. More on the wheat profit event in tomorrow's blog ...).

Some farmer had to get through the traffic on Webb Road in Wichita to bale this little field of Johnson grass. I didn't envy him, but it sure made me feel at home.

It was a beautiful morning for a walk, with the sun just peaking out and making a drainage area look more like a picturesque oasis.

I'm used to finding hidden treasures along the way as I walk. Among the grasses was this pretty purple flower being explored by a brilliantly-colored insect.

I had a great walking companion, too.

Wichita was the perfect little getaway.

But then it was back to reality. Sometimes reality is a little hard to smile at.

I must admit it was a little tough to find my inner "Annie" after about 3 hours on the phone with my internet provider this weekend. Nothing like trying to converse with customer service people in India to ruin a day.

My hubby suggested a break, so I rode with him to check rain gauges and pastures.

And who can stay upset when surrounded by a beautiful sky like this one?

It took a walk to straighten out my attitude and realize that Annie was right: The sun will come out tomorrow. (Who knows what time that happens in India, but that's another story, right?)

It was just another instance when it doesn't hurt to live with an eternal optimist. The rain over the weekend seemed to mirror my mood - dark and stormy and a little indignant after my customer "service" nightmares.

And, yes, it rained again on our swathed hay. Pretty much every bit of hay we've put down this year has been rained on. (You can send your thank you notes for your timely rainfalls to The County Line!)

But again, it was just in time to help the milo crop. There had been a few heads popping up in the field. The rain will help fill the heads with grain.


It gave the emerging sudan feed crop a great drink of water.

It helped green up the pastures after a week of 100-degree-plus weather.

So, with a little help from the hubby and glimpses of beauty on The County Line, I guess I'm back to being more like Annie and less like the nasty Miss Hannigan in the play.

I will endeavor to keep it up. Hope your day produces its share of smiles, too!