DURING THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH BUILDING A PLAYGROUND IN OUR COUNTY.  THIS IS NOT JUST ANY PLAYGROUND!  IT IS DESIGNED FOR ALL CHILDREN BUT ESPECIALLY GEARED TO THOSE WITH DISABILITIES.  A DESIGN GROUP OUT OF NEW YORK IS BUILDING THEM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.  THEY ARE TOTALLY BUILT WITH DONATIONS & VOLUNTEER WORKERS.  THEY ARE CONSTRUCTED IN SIX DAYS!!  BY A "GRASSROOTS" EFFORT, $450,000 WAS RAISED.  WE HAD 2,789 VOLUNTEERS HELP BUILD.  THEY WERE FED 2 MEALS PER DAY ALSO.  THE PROJECT WAS SO INSPIRING TO ME THAT I WROTE THE POEM THAT YOU WILL FIND WITH MY PICTURES BELOW.  IT WAS TRUELLY AN AMAZING EVENT TO BE A PART OF!!  WE HAVE A WEB SITE AT.......POSSIBILITY PLAYGROUND.ORG.........PLEASE TAKE A LOOK! 

         I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ASKED HOW I CAME TO BE CALLED "BUTTERCUP".  WE HAVE TO TRAVEL BACK IN TIME ABOUT 43 YEARS.  I STARTED DATING MY HUBBY-TO-BE AND HE LIKED MY EYES.  EVENTUALLY, HE CAME TO LIKE MORE OF ME.....BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY!    SOOOOO, AS TIME WENT ON, HE TOOK TO CALLING ME "KOO AUGEN",  WHICH IS "COW EYES" IN GERMAN!  ODD AS THAT SOUNDS, IT BECAME A TERM OF ENDEARMENT FOR US.   AFTER GOING TOGETHER FOR 4 LONG MONTHS, WE FINALLY MARRIED!!!   I GUESS AT 18 "LOVE" REALLY IS.......BLIND, DEAF, DUMB,, ETC. ETC.!!  ANYHOW,  ON OUR HONEYMOON...........A TRIP TO J.C. PENNYS.........MY DARLING SPOTTED A SET OF "COWS".  IT CONSISTED OF A LARGE COW COOKIE JAR & A SET OF CHUNKY COW SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS.  WELLLLLLLL,  HE HAD TO REALLY SWEEP ME OFF MY FEET [ again ] AND BUY THEM!   NOW I WAS STUCK WITH THE  "OH-SO-SWEET" CERAMIC BOVINES AND THE EQUALLY SWEET "KOO AUGEN" !!!    AS THE YEARS FLEW BY, MY HERD GREW AND GREW AND GREW SOME MORE.  I HAD ENOUGH "CRYSTAL CATTLE" TO OVER-RUN TEXAS!  OUR FAMILY GREW ALSO.  THREE CHILDREN WHO HAD, OF COURSE, MULTITUDES OF PLUSH COWS!  MINUTES LATER, THE "GRANDS" STARTED ARRIVING.  AND SOON I GOT THE NEW TERM OF ENDEARMENT......GRANDMA COW!   O.K. FAST FORWARD TO 1992.  EVEN THOUGH I HAD TO BE GRANNYCOW TO A FEW,  I WAS, IN SECRET, A WILD, YOUNG GROUPIE OF GARTH BROOKS!  WHEN THE LOCAL COUNTRY RADIO STATION ANNOUNCED A CONTEST TO MEET GARTH,  I WAS RIGHT ON IT!!  BUT YOU SEE, YOU HAD TO TELL THEM SOME MAJORLY OUTRAGEOUS THING YOU WOULD DO TO WIN!  WELL....ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS COWS............DON'T KNOW WHY!  HA-HA    LONG STORY SHORT........WE TOLD THEM WE HAD A COW THAT WOULD SING A GARTH SONG WHILE BEING MILKED!   LUCKLY FOR ME THAT DARLING HUBBY WAS STILL IN LOVE WITH THIS BOVINE!!!  ALL OUR BRAINS WENT INTO OVERDRIVE WHEN HE SAID....."HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT"?  AND I SAID....." I HAVE NO IDEA, I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE A FINALIST"!!   NOW HERE COMES THE "BUTTERCUP" PART............ I GOT IN THE FINALS, HUBBY SPENT ALL OF HIS VACATION WEEK "BUILDING" A BOVINE THAT ACTUALLY GAVE MILK, AND I TRYED TO LEARN THE WORDS TO A GARTH TUNE!  OF COURSE, IF I WANTED TO WIN, I NEEDED A "STAGE" & "PROPS" TOO.  WE BORROWED A FRIENDS PICK-UP TRUCK.  STOLE SOME HAY BALES.  MADE A BARN OUT OF A PACKING CRATE.  AND ADDED HALF A HERD OF STUFFED HEIFERS!  CONTEST DAY ARRIVED AND I REALIZED IT WAS GOING TO BE "LIVE" ON THE RADIO.  SOOOOOO, WHEN THEY ASKED MY NAME, I PROMPTLY SAID..............BUTTERCUP!!!!!   WELL, I WON THE CONTEST, GOT TO MEET GARTH & HAVE BEEN KNOWN AS BUTTERCUP EVER SINCE!    AND I STILL HAVE THE SAME WONDERFUL HUBBY AND THE VERY FIRST COWS.    P.S. YOU CAN SEE "BUTTERCUP" IN MY PHOTOS.........AND A 1992 GARTH TOO!