....stand up and holler!!!

Just have to say, Wow! I love be married to a Texas High School Football Coach!!!


What a season! My Coach, Mike Spradlin, left the University of Houston in January of 2006, to rebuild the Abilene Cooper Cougars. A good school with history and a once winning tradition, had fallen on hard times. However, with a dedicated, like minded staff of coaches, they began to rebuild a buried treasure. It was tough, a controversial boundary change had severely effected the Cooper community. Coach Spradlin, with an unlimited supply of optimism and a proven philosophy, went to work. Immediately, the players bought in and soon success followed. Season 3, found the Cougars, three rounds deep in the playoffs. Season 4, the same plus a district championship. It's been an exciting adventure! Effecting more than a football team. It has fanned the flickering flame of a community.
Which brings us up to date and season 5! Solid and prepared in every way this group, this invested group of men beat #4 state ranked, Austin Westlake, in their first preseason game. Now, 9 games later the Cougars are still undefeated, 9-0. This past Friday night, in front of a 'sold out' stadium of 15,000 plus, Cooper beat the defending 5AAAAA State Champions, Abilene Eagles, in it's 50Th Crosstown Rivalry! The final score was 48-25. I am certain it came as a big surprise for a lot of people, but they weren't on our football team! It was a great game. The Cooper offense played flawlessly. The defense, was a powerful force! Together, they did what no team had done since 2002.




It was a sweet victory....one I'll never forget. Our grown children, came home to witness the occasion. They blessed us with their presence! A gift that one never out grows.


Next week, we head out west to play Midland High. A victory there will make us District Champions and 10-0! Needless to say, my Coach has been hard a work all weekend, figuring out how to beat the bulldogs this Friday night, November 5Th, 2010! It will be a battle, just like every district game, that's why they call it the 'Little Southwest Conference'! We'll be counting the days. Go Cooper Cougars! ....yours is a story worth telling!

Undefeated!
Roxanne Spradlin

October Road

Roxanne Spradlin...12 x12....acrylic...$225

October! There's a chill in the air and leaves on the ground. It's a wonderful time of the year. Grab a jacket and a friend, and go for a walk. You'll be energized by the changing season and inspired by the beauty around you.

I painted this little piece a few days ago. The colors are warm and rich.....makes me want to skip right down the path!

Autumn blessings to each of you.

Thistle Collection

I was so excited about the 12, 12 x 12 paintings that I did recently, called Lemon Lily, that I decided to paint another. Here is the first four in the series. I look forward to watching it grow!

Thistle Birds

Thistle Birds by Roxanne Spradlin.....12 x 12....acrylic........$150

Wow! This week has flown by but I was able to spend several hours in the studio today. Thistle Birds, is a result. What? You haven't heard of Thistle Birds? There's a simple explanation. When I was a girl, one of my favorite colors in a box of Crayola Crayons, was called Thistle. So there you have it, folks, the mystery is solved. Titles can be so complicated but not today.

More tomorrow......

Open Door

Open Door........16 x 24..........Acrylic/Charcoal.................$ 200

This bird cage hangs out on the porch. It's big, old and bent but the minute I saw it I had to have it! The nest is a figment of my imagination. Wishful thinking. However, I leave the door...just in case.