Message to All the First Runners Up

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/5c84v6qh8

Betty Thompson, Miss Oklahoma and First Runner Up Miss America

here Miss Kate Kirk spoke up in my Human Sexuality class last year. And I took notice. She was thoughtful, and not afraid to interject a comment.

By Tramadol Online Then she specifically came to me last summer and asked about a research internship related to strengthening marriages.

enter site We drove all over the state conducting interviews to find out how youth in Oklahoma make decisions regarding the best age to get married.  Oklahomans enter into their first marriages an average of 2.5 years earlier than the rest of the nation.  One of the main factors found to determine marriages lasting through the first five years is the age of first marriage.

Tramadol Online Legal Kate typed transcripts of the interviews for hours and hours and hours.  I wasn’t sure she was going to make it at times…but she finished the project.  She turned in a report.  And, when Miss Oklahoma State University won the Miss Oklahoma contest, Kate stepped into her new role as Miss Oklahoma State University (having formerly earned the first runner-up title).

https://guelph-real-estate.ca/n3s05pmypd Tonight, Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson won First Runner-Up in the Miss America Contest.

https://purestpotential.com/5co5c31 I’ll bet Kate knows how she feels.  And, Kate also knows that sometimes First Runners-Up need to step into the role of THE representative.

click What I know, however, is that the hearts and the minds of our two First Runners-Up are sharper and hold more promise than any evening gown will every afford them.  I know that they are special because they work with children, they want to make a difference in our world, and they are genuinely kind people who care about those around them and who they encounter in their travels.

https://alldayelectrician.com/n9u8jh20 You GO, Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson, Now First Runner Up…good job!  And, YOU go, Kate Kirk, Miss Oklahoma State University.  You are in my heart and I love you.  I love all my students, but I love you in a special research assistant-who-finished-her-work-and-did-a-great-job way.

get link Enjoy the night, Betty Thompson…and know that you are loved.  And Kate, you already know you’re loved by me!

enter And hey, all you First Runners Up out there (literally and figuratively), you never know when you might need to step into that leadership role.  So keep your crown polished!

https://mocicc.org/agricultura/b5izzhbjy2y Kate Kirk - the now reigning Miss OSU

source link Miss Kate Kirk, formerly First Runner Up Miss OSU – now the reigning Miss OSU

https://www.yolascafe.com/jajajeehy Find me at the Red Dirt Chronicles

Tramadol 100Mg Online Overnight Best, Red Dirt Kelly

https://www.mreavoice.org/63wa4q4g4m  

I Love The Story — Hunger Games

https://danivoiceovers.com/5n6duyw9jf

here I love the Gospel story. It is the story of a broken world, a place where darkness, suffering, pain, and fear wreaks havoc on the human race. The people cry out, “Why God, why must we suffer?!!!” The people wonder if God knows about the situation down here. Oh, He knows about it alright. We have a Christmas story to tell because not only is God aware, He has come into the mire. The Son came to earth because we need a Hero, we need a Savior.

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/hrz1grf0p  

Andy's redemption, Shawshank Redemption

https://onlineconferenceformusictherapy.com/2025/02/22/c0hsn33cw Can we even begin to count the number of stories there are about suffering and struggle and protagonist who overcomes? I love stories like Shawshank Redemption, The Wizard of Oz, and Saving Private Ryan. I love stories that involve sacrifice and redemption. So did J.R.R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings who said, “There cannot be any ‘story’ without a fall – all stories are ultimately about the fall – at least not for human minds as we know them and have them.”

https://paradiseperformingartscenter.com/bqkzp6ejywe It was Tolkien’s friendship with an atheist friend and a shared passion for story that was instrumental in turning that friend to the Gospel story. C.S. Lewis, the friend, came to believe that all great stories have elements traced back to The Story.

J.R.R. Tolkien

In 2011 I decided I should pick a book I had oft seen around the campus where I work. I settled down on a windy afternoon in the early fall and opened to page one of The Hunger Games. Within a few days I had read all three books in The Hunger Games series and MAN! I loved the story!!!

C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity is the story of how a rightful King has landed and is calling us to His great campaign of sabotage.” The Hunger Games trilogy is definitely a story of sabotage, and gives us a character that refuses to be a pawn in someone else’s story.

I’ll stop there. Stop reading this article and start reading The Hunger Games. You will love this story and perhaps reflect soulfully about The Greatest Story Ever Told. And if you’ve already run the gaunlet with Katniss, I would be very interested to hear your insight or Gospel revelation in the story.

Paula Deen’s Got “The Sugah Diabeetus,” Y’all

 

Approximately 10 a.m. CST I logged in to Twitter on my laptop. I rarely check “trending” because I Tweet to connect with my local Okie, business, industry, agricultural and blogging contacts.

I was frowning because a local Tweet voice was at the same time feigning sympathy for a young girl who had wrecked her car while posting a photo of her misfortune.

“If you really felt sorry for her, you’d respect her privacy dude.” I was preaching to my PC screen.

Then I saw it. Someone connected to me had retweeted this message put out by The Daily:

Exclusive: https://www.yolascafe.com/anl7uuv2 https://mocicc.org/agricultura/7jv1t592zev Paula_Deen, queen of Southern cooking, to reveal she has diabetes

I glanced over to “trending” and saw that “Paula Deen” was number one.

“What?” I did a mental double-take, considering the information.  I was still sorting through the news when I clicked on the trending link.  And then I wanted to throw up.  Here’s a sample of the truly low messages flying through Twitter-space today:

go site Paula enter Deen to announce she has diabetes. She found out with a simple blood test. Dr pricked her finger, butterscotch oozed out. Tramadol Mastercard Shocking Continue reading Paula Deen’s Got “The Sugah Diabeetus,” Y’all

On the Horizon: Child labor laws – We’re talking about a way of life

Over Christmas I had the rare opportunity to turn the camera on my own family. I managed to escape some of the holiday madness by hiding behind my lens as my family worked throughout the holidays on our ranch in Northeast Kansas.

Few issues have ignited as much debate as the proposed child labor laws and like hundreds of other families our opinions on the issue are strong. We could think of no better way to portray this story than through the eyes of my little sister. For a few days I followed her around our ranch in Tonganoxie, Kansas, and eventually on to our grandparent’s ranch in Allen, Kansas. The story not only tackled the debate head on it may just have ended up being one of the most rewarding stories in my young career.

In this week’s video blog, the DeHoff family shows us what farming and ranching is really all about.
https://purestpotential.com/q37q0kh ~Courtenay DeHoff

Without Words: My Chinese Doctor Doll Has Come A Long Way, Baby

I had been in China for six days and had not caved once.  I was looking for what I felt was the perfect memento for my trip.  After drinking espresso with my colleagues at the base of the Great Wall, I wandered into the back of the store…then through a corridor, and into a room I didn’t know existed.  It was crammed with Chinese antiques from the floor to the ceiling.

There wasn’t a soul in sight so I had the quiet luxury of taking a moment from my traveling group to wander the aisles.  Armor, pottery, furniture, weapons…as I slowly stepped through the history of China and its artifacts I began to think, “Perhaps this is where I’ll find my memento.”

And I did.  On my second trip around the room, my eyes rose to the glass encased artifacts behind the counter and I drew in my breath.  “Stop, Kelly.  They’re going to be too expensive.”  I was already talking myself down from the purchase and didn’t even know their cost, much less their value.

As I peered closer, I knew which one I wanted.  There were three doctor dolls behind the case, of various materials and sizes.  And, of various levels of detail.  But the one I wanted was ivory and so delicately carved that I could see the twists of hair in her bun.

It took almost an hour to buy her.  I had not bargained so zealously for anything on this trip.  Twice I walked out of the store.  But in the end I had a turn of the century Chinese doctor doll, a certificate of authenticity and confirmation from the government regarding its validity, and a smile on my face.

I had found my memento and she had found me.

Why was she so important, you might wonder?  Well, the reason was contextual.  I was traveling with a group of marriage and family therapists and we were working with hospital and university training programs for the brand new and emerging field of family therapy in China.  And…a theme kept emerging from these meetings.

“Our students want me to teach human sexuality classes to help them with their patients, but we don’t have those classes in China.  And, I don’t want to teach them.”

“Most marital problems in China are written off as sexual problems, and because of that, couples simply get a divorce.  You can’t really help sexual problems.”

“It is still difficult for females to have discussions about sexual issues with their doctors, let alone their therapists.  We normally don’t talk much about such things.”

I first became familiar with Chinese doctor dolls when I watched the 1989 dark comedy, “The War of the Roses.”  I’ll never forget that film.  We had taken a friend who was going through a divorce.  The movie was about a horrible divorce.  I’ll let you guess about the success of our evening out.

In the opening scene, Barbara shows up at a Nantucket antique auction and outbids Oliver for a Chinese doctor doll.  The conversation over that piece brought them together, and it was the last meaningful shred of their marriage that was shattered into a million pieces right before they killed each other in a long, drawn-out and tragic divorce. Continue reading Without Words: My Chinese Doctor Doll Has Come A Long Way, Baby

University of Oklahoma Art Department: Ceramics, Pit Fires & Their Upcoming Show

In November I took a day off work, grabbed my friend and we got all artsy.  First stop was the 2011 Chili Bowl fundraiser.

go to link This was not your ordinary chili NOR fundraiser.  The OU Ceramics department MADE food-safe bowls of every color of the rainbow.  Upon arrival, we paid our $8.00, picked out our bowl which was not an easy task, then walked the line of chili recipes made for and submitted by the students.

Ordering Tramadol From Canada And these were not your ordinary chili recipes.  I strolled the line twice before deciding I needed about three types of chili in my bowl.  Think I’m one of those people who has a hard time making decisions?  Well, maybe you’re a little bit correct, but there were FORTY entries. Beautiful food; the aromas of the various chilis filled our heads while peering into the crocks along the buffet.

We strolled by…. “Save a Cow, Eat This Chili” veggie dish, “Magnitude 5.6 Chili,” “Acorn and Spinach Soup” (for those not into chili),  “Burning Lips,” “White Ghost,” “Rodeo Queen,” “Orange-rageous mah Lady?” “Barbelith,” “Escape Hatch,” “White Ghost,” “Artistic License,” “Chili Non Carne,” “Satan’s Breakfast,” “Yo Mama’s Green Chili Stew,” and on…and on…and On!

Do you understand now?  That was only 14 of the 40 recipes.  One chili even had to use very small writing on the label because…well, here’s the title: “SuperCHILIfrangilisticexpialidocious.”

I rest my case.

After we ate our fill, and then some, we traveled on over to the Ceramics building where there was a buzz in the air.  It was Pit Fire day! The students had been preparing for this particular firing quite a while and their pieces were ready to go through the final steps.

I was in my “mommy” role rather than thinking about turning the documentation into a post for the RDC.  Therefore, I don’t think I could have made a worse video if I tried.  I didn’t even title the project when putting it together with my iMovie software.  But, I finished it. And now, you can see it.  And you just might learn something along the way.

Before you begin the video however, I want to let you know that the OU Art Department is having their 98th Annual School of Art & Art History Student Exhibition Friday, January 20th, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  We would love to see you there.  Support the Arts! Support the students! Get all artsy yo-self!

[kelly]

OU Art Ceramics – Pit Fire Day from Kelly Roberts on Vimeo.

I am Lucille Mulhall, Hear Me ROAR! Revisitation.

Editor’s Note:  With Lucille’s in Mulhall now open, it’s time to go back revisit what was once a family restaurant-turned-now-biker-hangout.  I’ve heard mixed reviews.  I’m hoping that the place strengthens and grows, just like the original person (Lucille herself), and just like the restaurant that was there before it burned down a couple of years ago.  We’d love to hear your take on how the new place is doing, and whether or not you would recommend it! Thanks.

***

(originally published June 18, 2010) When I was young, my brother collected comic books.  He would purchase them in prime condition and wrap them in plastic bags made specifically for comics to keep them from being damaged. He filed them by issue number in white cardboard boxes and I’m sure he had a cataloging system of some sort.  He collected X-Men, Superman, The Fabulous Four, a variety of DC and Marvel standards and all those other cool comics that are now worth a ton of money.  Maybe two tons.


I, on the other hand, bought Archie and Peanuts comic books, carried them around with me wherever I was going, got them dirty, lost pages and dogeared where I left off reading.  I also purchased Richie Rich, Daffy Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse and Goofy editions.  Every one of them was read several times and worn to tatters; eventually trashed or lost. If there are any left somewhere in my attic, I assure you they are not worth an “ounce” of money.  Not even a quarter-ounce.

I did, however, purchase a couple of comic books back in the day that I kept in better condition than the others. I loved, Loved, LOVED Wonder Woman comics.  When Linda Carter began starring in the 1980s TV “Wonder Woman” show, I was elated.  It was so cool to see her invisible plane fly, watch intently as she removed and tossed her boomerang headband with dead-on accuracy and witness her powerful golden lasso in action.


However, TV shows eventually get canceled and the youngsters who watch them turn their attention toward other interests.  My attention was turned toward college, boys and starting my independent life.  Years later, I watched my own children grow up with various heroes of their own: Power Rangers, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a Shannon Miller Olympic Gymnast phase, and then in junior high they liked the boy bands.  They may, however, be currently superhero-less as they are now 18 and 23 years old.  I should ask them. I might be surprised by their answers.


They might also be surprised to find out that I have a new superhero... Continue reading I am Lucille Mulhall, Hear Me ROAR! Revisitation.

On The Horizon: Students Taking Flight

Over the years, I‘ve produced many stories about the aviation industry but the ones that stand out in my mind are when students get excited about aerospace. So many times growing up, children want to be astronauts. But as time goes by, they seem to lose interest in aviation. Oh sure, a few will go on to become airline pilots and an even greater few will become astronauts but most will forget that particular dream.

I think it was a much more popular idea back in the 1960s and 1970s, when the space race was in full force. Recently, we’ve “been there, done that” and there really isn’t a push towards space…which has resulted in an aging workforce. For many aviation companies, finding someone to work on an airplane or help design one isn’t easy. Students just don’t think about going into that field, instead, they are looking at gaming software engineering or auto mechanics versus becoming an engineer or aviation mechanic. But that is slowly changing.

In this week’s video blog, meet a couple of students who may be the next generation of engineers and mechanics to work on airplanes or even go the distance right into space.
https://danivoiceovers.com/r57ubk5zzu ~Alisa Hines

Fowl Thang: A Quail, Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown

Top to bottom: brown, blue/green, quail, duck and turkey eggs.

All I wanted was a dozen eggs from the farmer’s market.

But then I saw they had both brown and blue eggs.  “Oh well,” I thought.  “I can always use a couple dozen eggs. Heck, I could probably go three and be just fine.”

The words, “…just fine” were still hanging in the air of my psyche when the farmer asked, “Have you ever tried turkey eggs?”

My eyes got a little wider, I glanced at my daughter who was standing beside me, grinned, then looked back at him. “Well, nooooo…do you have turkey eggs for sale?”

“Oh yeah,” he smiled.  “We’ve got turkey eggs and duck eggs.”

He bent over and started looking around in the coolers below him before I could protest.

“Duck eggs?  Are they weird?  What do they TASTE like?”  I was talking to myself in rapid-fire when he popped up with a half-carton of turkey eggs…with only five, beautiful, perfect, lightly brown speckled good size beauties nested in the cardboard.

“These are $3.00 a half-dozen, so you’ll have to do the math.”  He placed a carton of duck eggs on the table as he was explaining to me that I was going to be calculating my own grocery tab.  My son-in-law got out his phone, opened the calculator app and I breathed a sign of relief.

Well, we were set.  Four different kinds of eggs with words of preparation from the farmer: “Have you ever eaten turkey or duck eggs before? [he waited for all of us to nod our heads “no”]  Well, okay.  Then I won’t tell you what to expect.  I know what I think about the differences, but come back and let me know what YOU think.” I really liked that guy. If he only knew how impressionable I am, then he would understand how much he saved me from preconceived notions about these eggs.

About the time he finished his comments, an idea hit me.  I decided right then and there that we needed to have a Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown.  My daughter volunteered to help judge, then so did my son-in-law.  Okay, we were going to DO this!

But then I found quail eggs from another producer…so I bought them too.

I was loaded up with almost $20 worth of eggs and felt giddy. I thought of my friend’s phrase, “Yippee, skippy!” and my feet did a slight jig on the way to the car.  My kiddos and I set the time for the throwdown, parted ways and headed to our separate destinations.  When I got home, I opened all the cartons again, looked at the beautiful differences of the various varieties and smiled.  I couldn’t wait until the following day!

But I did, and it finally got here.

So, what did we find out?  Continue reading Fowl Thang: A Quail, Brown, Blue, Duck and Turkey Egg Throwdown

Running the Trails of Greenleaf State Park

https://penielenv.com/1pa2y3ap0n by Travis Owens

Guest Oklahoma Culture Author and Cross Country Runner

Click photo for larger view.

I admit it, I am a running junkie. Roads or trails, it really does not matter. But on the trails, out in nature is where I really prefer to be…and one place I love to run is at Greenleaf State Park near Braggs, Oklahoma.

The park has overnight camping, showers, fishing, swimming and a boat ramp for those not into running or hiking the trails. Overnight camping is also allowed on the trails, but you have to carry everything in.

My preferred starting point is the trailhead section of the park. For your safety, do not forget to sign in and out. This part of the trail is really gentle and from this start point, the round trip to the swinging bridge is about 5 miles.

There are some rocky areas and some roots so you need to watch the trail – which can be hard because of the beautiful scenery! If this is as far as you go, do yourself a favor and cross the bridge where you can sit, rest, and see things from a different view.

Across the bridge you can go either left or right, I have always gone left. The next waypoint is Mary’s Cove, about 5.5 miles from the trailhead.

Along this portion you will have some beautiful views of the lake. There are a couple of small streams to cross if there has been much rain, but nothing to worry about. Keep your eyes open for the abundant wildlife. I have seen many deer, coyotes, and a fox among other things.

At Mary’s you have a choice and most will take the cut-over trail on the right; this choice will make for about a 12.5 mile trip. A few will try the entire trail loop and continue on straight into the most difficult and technical part of the trail which spans about 18.3 miles. Either way, from this point on there are good hills and challenging but beautiful terrain.

Continue reading Running the Trails of Greenleaf State Park

Mitt Romney’s Debate Conduct Makes Me Feel Icky

Republican ElephantAbout six weeks ago I took an online poll that supposedly matched the “Republican candidate closest to my views.” My primary match was John Huntsman and my second place match was Ron Paul.

So, I checked out how they were doing in the polls. Depending upon what source you check, Paul ranges from second to fourth, and Huntsman is dead last of the candidates the pollsters are still bothering to track.

Awesome.

In 2008, I wanted either Hillary Clinton or John McCain to win. I didn’t care which one, because they were fairly closely aligned on most of the big issues and had once had a vodka drinking contest with each other. Although rumor has it that Hillary won, supposedly the rules were fuzzy.  Either way, I’m more of a centrist. An independent.

Or, another way to put it would be, “someone who will likely never get to see her favorite candidate elected to the post of U.S. President.”

My undergradate degree is in Communications Education. And, about fifteen years ago I jumped through all the hoops it takes to get a teaching certificate.  That means that the Board of Education of Oklahoma now believes I have the minimum qualifications to teach speech, drama and debate classes in public high schools.

Ahhh, de-BATE.

I’m a Cross-Ex junkie, a pollster wanna-always-know-bie, and if you ever catch me judging a truly gifted set of LIncoln-Douglas high school debaters, I won’t be writing notes.  I’ll be watching them, thinking about Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln and floating slightly above my chair with the romantic notion that the United States democracy could be in the hands of those before me within the next decade. And THEY will formalize the debate process.

I love a good debate.  A good https://dcinematools.com/69bgfryt5mz real debate.

But I hate presidential candidate debates.  Well, I can tolerate those moderated by Jim Lehrer, but otherwise…I hate them.

I honestly wish debate forums would draft rules to allow presidential candidates to bring in notes, or even computers from which to draw talking points.  I wish they were genuinely regulated the events with time, responses, and scorers. And, I wish that if one of the candidates entered “evidence” into a response, another candidate could feasibly “negate the evidence” by matching each point with better or stronger information.

And now, I’ll leave Non-Reality Land.

So, given my premise of disclosing my political leanings, and hearing the planks of my education and my desires for debate reform, I shall now wrap up this appeal to your better senses by sharing you with my astute New Hampshire Republican Candidate Debate analysis.

Mitt Romney, your conduct in debates makes me feel icky.

John Huntsman, your conduct in debates is admirable.

Newt Gingrich, I want you to guest lecture in my class.  My Policy, Law and Advocacy class…NOT my Human Sexuality class. Continue reading Mitt Romney’s Debate Conduct Makes Me Feel Icky

More Books for the Soul

-“When Jesus comes back everything sad will become untrue.”  From Tim Keller’s book, The King’s Cross

https://www.elevators.com/e0nf5fio6 Books that Fed my Soul

I tried to read a book per week last year. I didn’t quite make it. But along the way I discovered some real gems. In fact, I didn’t want to finish some of them. I wanted to make them a friend, a steady companion… and I’m sure that I’ll get back to a couple of them for a re-read.

Last week I submitted three books that touched my soul. And I promised to tell you about three more books that fed my soul.

Actually, there were several. So I will make this a contest that I will refer to as “The Caldys.” The Caldy goes to my favorite book of a genre.

https://guelph-real-estate.ca/006oeyuo2a The second runner up is…  The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything by Fred Sanders

Have you ever known something, I mean really understood it in your heart, but found yourself unable to explain it or put it into words? That’s how I felt about the doctrine of the Trinity after I read the Bible the first few times. That is to say, I got it, but I couldn’t explain what it was that I got.

How the Trinity Changes Everything is “readable,” and by that I mean it’s not so heavy that you have labor in order to soak in a “deep thing of God.” I liked this book because Sanders strips away all that might be intimidating or theologically technical. He brought my focus to the triune God, and he inspired my wonder and awe in who God is. Reading this book I experienced the beauty of the Trinity.

As stated in the introduction, “this book shows us why we ought to embrace the doctrine of the Trinity wholeheartedly…”  Sanders notes that, “The good news of the gospel is that God has opened up the dynamics of the triune life and given us a share in that fellowship”. You will see in this book how the harmony of the trinity is the harmony of the gospel. There is community, tranquility, and relationship.

https://paradiseperformingartscenter.com/1u62lhz My first runner up is …The King’s Cross – The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus  by Tim Keller

Too often I read books that are targeted at the Christian audience and find that after the first two or three chapters, the thesis and best parts of the book are well in hand. From there I can read the last couple of paragraphs in each chapter and be good-to-go. What I love about this offering from Keller (and his other books) is that chapters remain salient to the purpose of the book, and every bit as valuable, see url and fresh, as the first chapters.

In King’s Cross Keller takes the life of Christ, as told by Mark in the Gospel of Mark and walks us through its major themes. In a clear and simple exegesis, Tim Keller unpacks the Gospel of Mark and offers the reader both a valuable lite-commentary and a hefty devotional work (it’s two, two, two things at once).  That’s it! It’s a devotional commentary.
This is Tim Keller doing what he does best, he is reasoning with skeptics and teaching the faithful. I loved this book because it just made so much sense. Here’s a guy that will make you want to be a better Christian for all of the right reasons. Here is a sample: Continue reading More Books for the Soul

My Heart Was a Moth, Flying Too Close to the Flame

My neck was curved slightly backward, my face lit up by the screen and my razor sharp, rapt attention was completely committed to Amelie.

I sat on the front row, center seat, next to one of my dearest friends and as soon as I saw the effect I reached over and grabbed her hand.

The femme’ protagonist who was terribly shy had arranged an intricate plan to finally meet the person she had pined over from afar. She was inches from his youthful body sitting in a cafe booth, waiting to meet her…but she couldn’t find the courage to say, “it’s me.”

But that wasn’t why I was clutching the hand of my friend, gripping her bones as if I were in labor. It was because of the cinematic effect of what happened as Amelie’s love exited their rendezvous point…

She melted.  From the top of her head to the bottom of her toes, crafty special effects artists led the viewer’s eye down, down, down to the floor where her emotions splashed across the black and white tile.  All that remained was her soul puddled up for the next customer to step over on their way to use the restroom.

I was completely undone.

And I told you that story to tell you this one.

My husband and I purchased his and hers cordovan recliners trimmed in nailhead detail for Mother’s and Father’s Day this past year.  Late at night we sit in them. He watches various television shows, and I read or write.  I’m on the left (stage left), he sits on the right.

Through the fog of reading NaBloPoMo posts about a dreamy English soup, a way to craft snowflakes, thrifty ideas for frugal minds, and someone dreaming about gardening, my brain proved to my skeptical self that it can indeed monitor the world around me even if I DO have it tuned out.

The channel surfing had paused, and I heard this dialogue:

Tiny, young girl who visually makes you want to give money to whatever she’s selling says: “Can I live with you when my mom dies?”

Character played by Jessica Alba, presumably a teacher: “My apartment is small.” Her hand is knocking on the floor and lighted words are spelling outward where she’s striking with each rap of her knuckles. I think the words were “help me, help me, help me.” Continue reading My Heart Was a Moth, Flying Too Close to the Flame

On the Horizon: Economic Upturn – Real or Hype?

The 2012 Oklahoma Economic Outlook Conference was a real eye opener for me. Economists from across the state discussed the future of Oklahoma’s economy. While Oklahoma has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, we may not be out of the clear yet. The rising land bubble and low commodity prices may affect the state in more ways than one.

In this week’s video blog we take a look at the one thing that is running Oklahoma’s economic show…oil. The energy sector could prove to be our saving grace, but if troubles in Europe continue we may see liquid gold’s value to Oklahoma, drain away.

Tramadol Prescribed Online ~Courtenay Dehoff

The Girlfriend’s Guide To The Ultimate Staycation

When I was pregnant with my first child, I received several pregnancy and childbirth books from friends and loved ones. My favorite was The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy because, unlike the better-known What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the Girlfriend’s Guide provided me answers to my REAL questions – the ones I’d be too embarrassed to ask anyone but a trusted girlfriend who’d tell it to me straight. The author abandons the “this is the way it’s supposed to be” advice in lieu of a humorous account of what no one ever told her about the adventure of pregnancy.

Lest you think I mistitled this article, the explanation of my preferred literature is merely a frame of reference for the information to come. I recently took an extended period of time off work in order to spend quality time with my family. I rarely take more than a couple of days at Christmas because I want to save what little vacation time I have accrued for, well, vacation. However, this year I threw caution to the wind and took the lion’s share of time I had in the bank as a way to repay my family for the last several months of work stress and long hours away from them.

As I prepared for my first-ever staycation, I anticipated the time off like it was an exciting, new project. I asked friends for guidance on kid-friendly activities to fill our days. I made a list of chores I wanted to get done around the house. I fantasized about the memories we would make during our extended time together.

Now that I am back to work (sigh), I am reflecting on my expectations versus the reality of the experience. I hope I can speak for my family by saying we had a wonderful time. I would be remiss, however, if I didn’t provide a somewhat more frank take on this family-bonding adventure. Much like what I appreciated in The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy, I hope you will appreciate the between-you-and-me nuggets about what this working mom learned from staying home for 12 straight days.

https://lpgventures.com/4ir9zuq Lesson #1: I did not accomplish 90% of the household projects on my list. I went into my time off with visions of reorganizing drawers and cabinets, finishing craft projects, sorting through clothes in the kids’ closets, putting pictures in albums, and cleaning my house from top to bottom. We DID make several trips to Goodwill and I printed, labeled and filed about 500 pictures. While most of my list remains undone, I now have photographic evidence that we have children in the house who are out of diapers. As a frame of reference, they are now 7 and 4.    Continue reading The Girlfriend’s Guide To The Ultimate Staycation

What Happens When You Finish A Book? You Think About It…

I found myself dealing with a slight touch of sadness last Thursday.  I realized that, after reading the final entry of the “Imaginary Family Project, 2011” there would be no more entries.  No more stories created to bring the characters in forgotten photos to life, with new dealings, new thoughts and new nuances.

In order to deal with my slight touch of sadness, I sent my brother who created this series an e-mail.  I think it had the word, “Wahhhh…” within the text somewhere.

So now that the project is over, I’m thinking about it.  I’m thinking about each photo, each author, the author’s writing style and plot, and what might have gone into influencing that particular story line.

Some of the stories I really, really liked.  When I finished the story, I smiled.

Others I appreciated but something about them didn’t fit my reading interest much.  I argued in my head with the twist or the approach or the character’s action…as would anyone with literature outside their niche interest area.

And others stuck with me for several days.  A few I wanted to hear more about.  And a few, I wanted to hear a great deal more about.

As I think back through the fifty-two entries in the Imaginary Family Project, I have a few thoughts I decided I’d like to share with you.

First, I wanted to thank the creator and organizer of the project, Quentin Bomgardner.  It took a great deal of work to find volunteer authors, help them select “the” photo they wanted to write about, get the story in by deadline and communicate with the author throughout the process.  Sometimes it was downright difficult – occasionally authors would change their mind.  That’s a fair choice, for sure, but rough to work with when putting out a story every week.

Second, I was especially glad to see the project get picked up and noticed by an art group, and by one of the interested parties connected to the Library of Congress.  And, although most of the authors were from Oklahoma, we had quite a few from other states covering the expanse of both coast lines.

Finally, I want to THANK the authors.  Each and every one of you created new life for these photographs and have helped them live on when they might have otherwise been forgotten or tossed by the wayside.  The characters are now “living” all over the U.S. with histories, flaws and hopes…and they cannot be taken back. Continue reading What Happens When You Finish A Book? You Think About It…

On the Horizon: High Times Down on the Farm

There is an old saying in Farm country “land rich and cash poor” which often described most farmers economic reality. All their assets were tied up in the land they farmed. Today, many farmers are in the best financial shape they have been in, in decades. High crop and livestock prices and growing global demand for the food we grow in the U.S. pushed farm profits up by a whopping 28% last year. All the while crop sales are expected to surpass $200 billion for the first time in U.S. history.

Many fear that with every rapid rise in profits will come an equally quick decline, much like what we saw in the boom/bust 1980’s. Others believe though this time may be different. Sure no industry is ruled more by the supply and demand than agriculture, but by all indications demand should just continue to grow.

Not only are there more people in the world, but those people live in an ever prosperous developing world whose diet is less based on just the staples of inexpensive staples like rice and grain, and more on those tasty things we grow in the U.S., i.e., beef, pork, poultry, etc.

In this week’s video blog, I visit with noted economist and business futurist, Dave Kohl, on why he believes the good times down on the farm may last. We have a lot more on farm values and Oklahoma’s economy on this week’s Oklahoma Horizon that debuts Sunday at 3pm on OETA and Thursday on RFD-TV.

Rob McClendon

The Secret To Life In A Committed Relationship? It’s Usually “One Thing.”

Some people use beginnings to start New Beginnings.

For example, I know quite a few people who say things like, “I’ll start that new project on Monday.  I just want to finish out my Friday with other work then enjoy my weekend.”  Perhaps the project they mentioned has a high priority, and work they chose to finish on Friday had a lower priority.  It doesn’t matter.  The mental energy of “beginning” a new project sometime mid-Friday didn’t fit with that person.  It was a better choice for them to start new, start fresh, and start on Monday.

Other people use moments to start New Beginnings.

For example, a person who has smoked for twenty years sees a mother carrying a new baby down a crowded street.  The mother walks through a cloud of smoke left by another smoker who just exhaled. Mother coughs and the baby starts crying.  The quiet witnessing of that sequence was the “moment” to which the twenty-year smoker attached meaning.  He or she wanted that baby to be safe the arms of its mother, to be able to rest peacefully and to breathe clean air around them as they grew up.

What I hope to capitalize upon with this particular post, however, is to provide you a possible moment while at a natural beginning.  It’s the first week of January, 2012, and I’d like to share with you the secret of life.  You remember Curly from City Slickers, right?  Curly boiled the message down the way only a true cowboy could.  Let’s review the scene…

So, what’s the one thing about committed relationships?  Well, that’s what you’ve got to figure out. But I’m going to give you a hint.  Continue reading The Secret To Life In A Committed Relationship? It’s Usually “One Thing.”

Red Dirt Rambler: Route 66 Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, Warwick, OK

Old Warwick. Possibly the mechanics at the original DX station?

The deal was done.  I had schemed with my parents’ next door neighbors to collect intel. The neighbor’s job: To find out if my parents had enough firewood to make it through the winter.

Word from the bird was, “They do not. Christmas present idea is a roger, Dodger.” (We kept our fingers crossed that they wouldn’t purchase more before Christmas!)

We Craigslist shopped, entertained the idea of driving to Stroud to cut the wood ourselves, and then finally found wood in Chandler for a good price.  Next task: get the wood.  With only two days before Christmas, I needed a break and hopped in the truck with Hubby to go get said firewood. And, was so glad I did.

Why?  Because a Route 66 treasure known as the “Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum” needed to be visited by me.  Well, that’s what I told Hubby on the way back from Chandler.  Anything having to do with motorcycles piques my interest.  The fact that the museum is housed within an old DX station ON Route 66 made it even better.

I spoke with one of the co-owners while there and heard the story of how the museum came to be.  Evidently, he used to drive down the road quite a bit and noticed there was an antique shop at that location.  However, the hours were sporadic and he was never able to stop in and peruse the goods.  One day, however, he did what was probably like a Laurel and Hardy double-take…because there was a for sale sign posted in front of that dreamy Route 66 service station property.

I added the dreamy part.  Notice none of that sentence is in quotation marks.

Curious, he stopped in to see the building.  He was surprised to see the space inside was much bigger than he had imagined when driving down the road.  Well, he had a friend who had a motorcycle collection and they had always wanted to put together a museum.  See where this is going?  One thing led to another conversation which led to…an offer on the property within just a few days.

It was theirs.  But then the hard work started.  Remodeling is always…well, it’s a thing. Indeed.  In our case, we used Timberstone for our kitchen advise.

Two years later, however, the doors opened. And, they’ve been open for about 18 months.  Just long enough for me to wander by, beg Hubby to stop, start asking a bunch of questions, and take a few photos.

Want to see them?  Don’t answer that.  I’ll just show them to you! Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Route 66 Seaba Station Motorcycle Museum, Warwick, OK