Category Archives: Oklahoma culture

Oklahoma Food Cooperative Appoints New President

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The board of directors of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative has appointed Lisa Weissenbuehler president, replacing Chelsey Simpson who resigned due to a move out-of-state.

click here A descendent of Oklahoma pioneers and a native of Tulsa, Weissenbuehler and her husband David were among the first 200 coop members.

Buy Zopiclone 7.5 Mg Online She has served as general manager for the co-op and as site manager for the co-op’s northwest Oklahoma City  pick-up location. She has also served as producer assistance technician and been a member of the Standards Committee, the Treasury Team, the Producer Care Team and the board of directors.

Buy Lyrica Without Prescription The Oklahoma Food Cooperative enables customers to buy directly from Oklahoma farmers and artisans using the co-op’s website, www.oklahomafood.coop

follow url The co-op offers roughly 40 pick-up sites across the state, including several locations in the Oklahoma City area. Eighty cents of every dollar spent at the Oklahoma Food Co-op goes to an Oklahoma producer.

https://oregonsurgicalwellness.com/specialty-surgical-programs/ Weissenbuehler says co-op membership is the most convenient way for her to shop for local food and non-food items. “The Oklahoma Food Cooperative has made it possible for us to shop online and pick our order up at a site close to our house,” she says. “We buy all our meat and dairy products from the co-op as well as all of our laundry soap, bath soap, shampoo, lip balm, moisturizer, cosmetics and even greeting cards.

https://nerdexp.com/about/ Not only are we making a decision to support Oklahoma producers and keep precious dollars in the local economy, I also have the comfort of knowing EVERY ingredient that goes into each product.”

https://calciumhealth.com/increase-your-functional-medicine-and-patient-satisfaction-calcium/ The co-op has experienced rapid growth since it was founded in 2003, and is poised to expand into new markets in the next two quarters.

Xanax Buy Without Prescription “The Oklahoma Food Co-op is on track to facilitate over $800,000 in sales this year and has over 4,000 members—that’s huge considering we were only founded eight years ago,” says Quentin Bomgardner, the coop’s vice president for customers.  “I am confident that Lisa is the right person to lead us forward.”

Buy Valium Online Without Prescription The co-op is online at www.oklahomafood.coop

An Event We Think You’ll Appreciate: The Red Barn Boutique!

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Kellie Ebert chats with me about the upcoming Red Barn Boutique sale. We were eating lunch at Cafe’ Bella in downtown Stillwater and I highly recommend their hummus! But even more…I recommend grabbing all your friends and showing up at the Red Barn Boutique for a day of fun and rummaging. Seriously.

source url Here is a “cool things about Oklahoma” list that I keep in my head…

https://www.adaptx.ca/services/compliance/ 1) Creativity

go to site 2) Ingenuity

https://hsprental.com/rentals-and-sales/ 3) Ability to make much from very little

4) Warm and endearing people

5) Activities of which you want to be a part Continue reading An Event We Think You’ll Appreciate: The Red Barn Boutique!

RDC Tall Tales Contest ~ “A Fish Tale Whopper” and “When Big Crow Came to Town”

 

Dear RDC friends ~ In August, we sponsored a “Tall Tales Contest” wherein the winner earned a his & hers Annie  Oakley fragrance set purchased from the Cherokee Trading Post.  The competition was enjoyable, and we decided to award the runner-up a gift from the trading post as well.  Then Red Dirt Kelly went to China…and to a conference…and we’re FINALLY publishing these Tall Tales! We’d like to thank every one who participated in writing these fun little stories. We have a penchant for Tall Tales around here, and are so glad our reader friends do too. Special congratulations goes to Robert Stemmons, the author of our winning essay, and Mary Bone, author of the runner-up essay.  Enjoy! ~

source url A Fish Tale Whopper

Buy Zopiclone 7.5 Mg Online by Robert Stemmons, aka “The Whistler”

Just earlier today I was fishing with a buddy. We hadn’t caught much except for one small one (by him) and three or four state records and one national, by me.  Even after all that fishing success, however, I was feeling a bit down because of my weight. Continue reading RDC Tall Tales Contest ~ “A Fish Tale Whopper” and “When Big Crow Came to Town”

Throwback Post: A Butterfly Effect Redux: Birds, Humans and Relationships

Saturday morning Mick and I were up early preparing food for the Bedlam tailgating festivities.  We decided a grocery store run was inevitable and made plans to go together, thus dividing and conquering the massive WalMart Super Store.  I was finishing up something in the kitchen when Mick walked in and looked at me.  He said, “Kelly.  Something bad happened.  Do want to see this?”  He hesitated.  “I’m not sure you want to see this.”

His face conveyed the kind of message sent when a pet dies, or one of our children has broken a bone.  So then I hesitated.  “What happened?” I asked.

“A litle bird somehow flew into our garage and got stuck in one of the glue traps.  It’s really, really stuck,” he responded.

“Well, let’s see if we can somehow free it before we think about other options.”  I was thinking out loud.  I knew it would be frightened, so I grabbed a tea towel, a pair of kitchen shears and headed to the garage.  I was just thinking that when you want to lead a horse somewhere, sometimes you cover it’s eyes.  Maybe cutting out any outside distractions would help it stay more calm.  I wasn’t thinking that the tea towel would ALSO get stuck in the trap.

Continue reading Throwback Post: A Butterfly Effect Redux: Birds, Humans and Relationships

Time For A New Chapter




by Rob Loeber

It’s a strange, painful feeling typing these words, but the time has come for me to step away from the Red Dirt Chronicles.  For the past year, I have had the amazing privilege of writing sports pieces for this site.  Every Friday I had the opportunity to share part of myself with you, our loyal readers.  It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

Being a part of the RDC renewed my love of writing.  It challenged me creatively, and gave me a sense of fulfillment that is so rare to find in any kind of work or pursuit.  Most of all, it gave me a sense of freedom.  There were no boundaries to what I could put on these pages and that is really the best part of this whole project.  I could be serious, funny, sad, sarcastic, satirical, biting, glib, self-deprecating or even controversial.  Writing proved to be such a fantastic outlet for me and what I hope came through in my words is the passion I have for sports.

I have never tried to start any arguments with my writing or the subjects I’ve chosen.  I believe the best sports writing sparks conversation and debate.  Good sports writers should never take themselves or their topics too seriously and I always tried to keep that in mind when I picked up my pen and notepad every week.

I remember when Kelly first approached me about contributing to this site.  There’s no way I could have turned her down.  “You mean I get to write whenever I want about whatever I want in the world of sports?”  Sold.  Continue reading Time For A New Chapter

Red Dirt Rambler: Smokey the Bear, The Three Amigos, Okie Bambies and Ferdinand -The Hotter Than Hades Bull




Can we talk here? Don't you love the uber-retro look of older state park signs? Coming upon this particular specimen, I suddenly felt like I was driving in a 1964 Oldsmobile F-85 Station Wagon, rubber necking at the "Don't Feed the Bears" signs.

Honk, honk! "Don't feed the bears, dear!" "Okay, darling." "Thank you, dear!" "You're welcome, darling!"

 During my “Western Oklahoma, Ho!” tour, I had one ‘burning” question I really needed to investigate.  click How are Oklahoma wildlife affected by the drought?

Finding the answer was a three step process.

I didn’t know it would be a three step process; I thought it would take one. One step. (I just imagined Count Dracula saying, “Von…Von Step! Ahhh-HA HA HA HA HA!”)  But I was wrong. Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Smokey the Bear, The Three Amigos, Okie Bambies and Ferdinand -The Hotter Than Hades Bull

Red Dirt Rambler: A Melancholy Journey Through Foss, OK




This structure looks like it was formerly a church of some sort. I called. The sales price was $20,000 and it had been verbally sold, "...but if he doesn't come through, do you want me to take your name and number? Are you interested?" Well, I was interested, but not about buying it. I was interested in the history of the structure, how it came to be for sale, who decided to close it down...and why.

If you do a quick internet search on the contemporary status of Foss, Oklahoma you’ll find several summary terms that seem to attempt a wrapping up, tying down or finishing-off of the township:  “Ghost town; semi-vacated; being abandoned; only a few people left…”

A review of the source history of Foss encapsulates quite a different picture from earlier years: “In its prime, the town had dozens of businesses spread a block north and south on Adams Avenue, and another block east and west on Main Street;” “Foss had two newspapers, the Foss Enterprise and the Foss Banner. It was served by the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad (Rock Island) railroad;” and, “By 1912, Foss had an electric plant, two hotels and an opera house.”

I hadn’t completed an internet search, however, last week when I serendipitously turned off the interstate to finish exploring one last small town in rural Oklahoma.  I hadn’t looked at the map; I didn’t know there was a lake and wildlife refuge ahead of me only a few miles past Foss.

All I knew when I began circling the small town for signs of life was what the historical marker on the tallest point in town chose to share with me…the original settler group stayed closely together “for protection from the Indians,” Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: A Melancholy Journey Through Foss, OK

Red Dirt Rambler: Erick, Oklahoma




The sky was reluctantly giving up the last sprinkles of moisture when I saw the “Erick” exit, veered off the interstate and headed south.  I was amusing myself with a “see how long I can go before turning on my windshield wipers because I’m just so glad it’s raining” game when I gave up and cleared my view.  I was glad I activated the wipers because I almost missed the local humor:

A “dryline” is a term used to describe the formation of a moisture boundary between warm, dry air and warm, moist air; it’s one type of weather front. In the Central Plains of the United States, dryline formation often leads to the formation of severe thunderstorms and the potential for tornadogenesis.  (Information from About.Com)

In other words, the western Okies are not only weather savvy, but they’ve probably seen their share of tornadoes and decided to joke about living in the ying-yang vortex of atmospheric possibility.

“Touche’,” I thought.  Little did I know that the artistic expression around Erick, Oklahoma had only just begun to reveal itself.

Not a mile further down the road, I spied what I can only describe as a Twister-esque image of farm-life, sculpture and practicality. Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Erick, Oklahoma

Red Dirt Rambler: Western Oklahoma, Ho!




On Tuesday afternoon, August the 2nd, I had reached my physical limit of everything: all the days I could work in a row, all the advising sessions I was able to think through with students, all the assignments I could possibly grade and all the hours I could sit in my office chair moving through task after task of summer responsibilities.  And while I’m sure I could have mustered the energy to grade one more paper if someone were holding Pistol Pete hostage on the university lawn screaming over a bull-horn, “We will NOT let Pete go until you grade one paper past your perceived limit!” I’m truly glad I didn’t have to.

I was done and just needed to get away.  This happens to me every Spring or Summer and is becoming a tradition.  Mick knows the power of my “I’m leaving for a couple of days, I’ll call you and let you know where I am, I’ll be safe, goodbye” message.  In fact, he now tells this to people on the phone.  I’ve heard him.

“Oh, she just has to get away for a few days.  A full school year has passed and she just needs to roam.  She’ll be back in a day or two.”

In Australia they call it “going walkabout.”  In Oklahoma, I call it “time to explore.” Or maybe, Relief. Release. Defragging. Breathing. Running Away.  One or perhaps all those descriptions work.

The problem this year, however, was that I knew wherever I chose to go I would be met with the same thing: insufferable heat, evidence of drought and swimming pools crammed with too many people trying to cool off.  So my exploration decision had nothing to do with getting away from the heat.  This time, it had everything to do with going toward the heat.  I wanted to see how bad things really were.

For weeks I had been monitoring the “OK Fires” Twitter feeds, watching as new fires were daily being reported in southwestern and western Oklahoma.  I had also monitored “#agchat” which is a weekly conversation among farmers about current issues.  They were suffering.  I don’t know why I so desperately needed to see the suffering up close and personally, but I did.  Although I haven’t lived on a farm since I left my childhood home, I still feel like an Oklahoma farmer in many ways.  I feel comfortable around farm life and people, I like to learn about agricultural issues, and I empathize when “my people” are hurting.  I made two phone calls, found a Bed and Breakfast in Elk City, booked my room and headed west early Wednesday morning.  My colleague had warned me to “Pack a water jug, Kelly.  If you break down, it could be the difference between surviving and dying.”  She’s a smart woman.  I packed a large water jug, two changes of casual clothes, sunscreen, my sunglasses and headed out the door. Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Western Oklahoma, Ho!

Narratives on Child Abuse and Neglect in Oklahoma




Two years ago, I had the privilege of attending the Interdisciplinary Training Program for Child Abuse and Neglect.  This two-semester program was sponsored and taught by the faculty at the University of Oklahoma Healthy Sciences Center for Child Abuse and Neglect within their Child Study Center.

Every Tuesday night, masters and doctoral students, faculty and community professionals, attorneys, people who had been abused as children, etc. would convene for a three hour class covering some detailed aspect over the topic of Child Abuse and Neglect (CAN).  Some evenings were fairly tough.  We watched videos; the footage had been taken from hidden cameras to catch adults abusing children and sometimes even infants. We listened to doctors as they showed us x-rays of spiral fractures and described why Shaken Baby Syndrome is so lethal.  We traveled to a prison to speak with child abuse offenders, went to children’s therapeutic, residential homes where abused children were going to school until they were returned to their families or aged out of the OKDHS system.  We sat through a Mock Trial for which we had prepared almost a semester, each of us playing our roles as a case to terminate the custodial rights of parents were reviewed by a real judge in a real courtroom.  And, we all completed a project.

My project was to examine Oklahoma’s contemporary narratives on CAN, to see if they have shifted over time, how people learn about CAN, and what it would take in order to continue reducing the rates in Oklahoma.  I traveled to the Ponca Tribe in Ponca City, interviewed a family from the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, a couple in southwest Oklahoma City, an individual in Yukon, a couple in Minco and an individual in northwest Oklahoma City.  The following video is a half-hour documentary, describing in some detail, what Oklahomans are saying about the CAN issue.

I invite you to watch it when you have time.  And, I invite you to share it as well.  It will be posted on our Oklahoma State University College of Human Sciences website this week, and it may run on a few local cable channels.  It is my hope that the data I gathered from this project, and the subsequent video you’ll see, are helpful in educating our public.  Please feel free to contact me through the RDC “Contact” page if you have follow up questions after watching. Final note – this video has content that might be disturbing to some. It is not for all audiences; my guess is that the content is generally a PG rating, with a possible PG-13 topic area in one scene.

Thank you, [kelly]

I Love You More Than The Sun Loves The Sky




A friend and co-worker recently lost her mother to cancer.  The day of her mother’s death, my friend posted to her Facebook page, “I love you more than the sun loves the sky.” 

I’m sure I’ve heard this before, but I started thinking about moms and daughters.  In seconds, I attached quite a bit of imagery and emotion to the phrase, knowing what it’s like to be the center of my mom’s universe but also having the experience of being a mom and devoting myself wholeheartedly and without regret to my kids’ needs.

While I’m not the most skilled poet and it’s been many years since I’ve attempted to write in this genre, I felt compelled to pen some thoughts on the theme. 

Hug your mommas, dear friends.

I Love You More Than The Sun Loves The Sky

The sun is often credited for the brilliance of the sky.

Mesmerized by a dance of whimsy, we watch her daily rise and fall.

Even the sky delights in the sun’s performance,

Smiling as she holds court in majestic rooms of gold.

 

Mankind claps an ovation of praise, a tribute to all things beautiful. Continue reading I Love You More Than The Sun Loves The Sky

Silent Sunday: Little Bird




Friday night, Mick was turning the sprinkler on in the front yard when he noticed a tiny bump on the lawn. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a small baby bird. He called me to the area and we watched it for a while...it was shaking, rocking back and forth, and was constantly holding its head up as if to get food from its parents. We waited for a while, but didn't see the parents. Pretty soon, ants began to crawl all over the baby bird. Occasionally it would open its mouth but the call was so weak we became concerned. So, we went inside and began to research "how to take care of a baby bird who has fallen from its nest."

Continue reading Silent Sunday: Little Bird

Tall Tales by Pistol Pete: “Trot-Line Fishing”




Rolla Goodnight and Frank Eaton at the Oklahoma State Capitol Building, 1950

Amoxicillin 500mg Buy Online Trot-line Fishing

Once upon a time Fred, Rolla Goodnight and myself thought we would do a little fishing.  So we made us a good boat about 14 foot long and four foot beam and also made a trailer to haul it on.  Then loading up our trot-lines, tools and bedding we all started down on the river to fish.  We put our boat in the water and it was in good shape and waterproof, then we started out to get some bait.

On the bank near us was a big cottonwood tree with a long straight limb sticking out and was about 15 feet long.  It showed marks of being the roosting place for wild pigeons but there were none there at the time.  Now trot-line fishing has its many difficulties and one of the worst is getting bait.

We scouted around not doing much good, for the Democrats had taken over and the jackrabbits were scarcer than hen’s teeth. Continue reading Tall Tales by Pistol Pete: “Trot-Line Fishing”

Sweet and “Cool” Summer A, B, C’s…Inexpensive, Fun and “In Real Life”




Summertime ~ Chasing Fireflies. Photo by Andrew Sullivan via Flickr. All rights reserved by photographer.

go to link by Joey Rodman
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we’re smack dab in the middle of an Oklahoma summer, complete with blistering heat and a dry spell that’s threatening life as we know it. Hey, at least it’s not humid right? Summer in Oklahoma can be a tough pill to swallow. For those of you who are barely holding on until fall, here are a few activities that can maybe help you enjoy the summer while it’s here. Get your friends and family together and try these out!
What you need:
Ice
Rock salt
Quart sized sandwich bags
Gallon sized freezer bags
Milk
Vanilla
Sugar
Patience
  1. Fill a gallon sized bag for each person about halfway with ice and rock salt, seal them up and put them somewhere cold.(like the freezer if you’re indoors or the ice chest if you’re outside)
  2. For each person put 1/2 cup of milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla in a quart size bag and seal it.
  3. Put the little bag into the big bag, make sure both are sealed well.
  4. Shake it up! It takes about 10 minutes for your “ice cream” to get to a consistency similar to soft serve. You can eat it right out of the bag. Make sure you shake it and mix it well or you’ll get pockets of sugar that are gritty. Continue reading Sweet and “Cool” Summer A, B, C’s…Inexpensive, Fun and “In Real Life”

Silent Sunday: Motes Farm, Stillwater, OK




Jim and Barbara Motes have a 20 acre-farm northeast of Stillwater, OK. Early in the morning, the sun shines across the tops of the corn tassels.

Beehives line a tree grove at the front of their space. It's always a good trade..."you pollinate my crops, I'll let the bees make their honey here."

Continue reading Silent Sunday: Motes Farm, Stillwater, OK

On the Horizon: Rocket Man




A half century has passed since President Kennedy challenged our nation to do what most thought to be impossible: Land a man on the moon. Yet in just eight years, Neil Armstrong made that giant step for mankind…thanks in great part to the work of several Oklahomans.

Per capita, Oklahoma has more former astronauts than any other state and many were in attendance at an event to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the race into space.  Former astronauts and NASA workers gathered at the Oklahoma History Center to commemorate the 50th anniversary of JFK’s challenge to Congress:

“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.” – John F. Kennedy

Few people embody Oklahoma’s pioneering spirit more than General Thomas P. Stafford…a man whose mother came to the state in the back of a covered wagon, while he later rocketed into space. The same passion that took General Stafford to the moon is still evident today in his work to educate a new generation about science and technology.

This week in our video blog, we visit the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma to look into our country’s aerospace history, as well as, the life of an extraordinary Oklahoman.

go site ~Rob

On the Horizon: Rocket Man from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Small Town: BIG Fun




Crickets.  Do you hear them?  That’s because I’m not at The Ranch.  I headed back to my hometown of Chickasha, Oklahoma for a 30 year class reunion.  A lot of times people head back to their childhood homes and think everything seems small.  That was not the case for me this week.

Now this is some summer fun!

You remember playing in the sprinker, don’t you?  The 100 degree temperatures were trying to dry out the grass on the sod farm.  I guess it just wasn’t going to happen today.  I had to drive out to the motor and get a closer look at this.  I think the neighborhood kids could be quite happy after lunch once this got turned on.

wind turbine
Wind turbines have moved into Minco.

Wind mills were never a rare sight in Oklahoma, but since I’ve been away, several wind turbines have moved into my home state along Highway 81.  The famous Oklahoma wind is going to be harnessed by these incredibly large “windmills” and turned into usable energy.  These turbines are growing in popularity and come in a variety of sizes.  The blades alone are about 116 feet long and are placed on top of a 212 foot tower.  The three blades cover about an acre of air space as they turn.  These two wind turbines in the photo to the left make the trees in the same photo look like shrubs.

pancake
I ate fifty cents worth of a $2.00 pancake.

Also in Minco located at the southwest corner of the stop light sits the Coffee Cup cafe.  That location has been some kind of restaurant since I can remember.  I stopped in to have a cup of coffee and a little breakfast one morning after checking out the wind farm.  I ordered just one pancake and some bacon.  When I spun around on the stool to face my plate, I was amazed! Continue reading Small Town: BIG Fun

Silent Sunday: Relay for Life at South Intermediate H.S., Broken Arrow, June 3, 2011




Thank you to Mark Rusling, Melissa Davis and Preston Power of the Tulsa Digital Photography Group, for sharing their work this morning.  Our thoughts go out to all victims, survivors, families and friends of those affected by the vast number of cancers in the world.  May your Race bring you the Cure you are seeking. All the best ~ The Red Dirt Chronicles Writing Team Continue reading Silent Sunday: Relay for Life at South Intermediate H.S., Broken Arrow, June 3, 2011

B.N.F.M.K.




I’ve spent a lifetime involved with educational systems, and I don’t just mean as a student.  My dad was a school teacher and administrator for over 20 years, and I have worked in higher education administration for 13+ years.    Suffice to say, I’ve seen some of what goes into trying to make it all work; making the sausage, you might say.

Few things are as important to a society as their educational systems.  And yet, it is an area where American society does not always invest as much as might be optimal or even necessary.  Good school systems or bad, it comes down to personal commitment and relationships.

Commitments at home.
Commitments at school.

Commitments to learning.
Commitments to discipline.
Commitments to the kids.

As constituents of our educational systems, we don’t always agree with decisions, directions, and disciplinary actions by the schools and their agents.  Or, maybe we agree with many policies, actions, or individual decisions, BNFMK: “But not for my kids?”

Regardless, when the smoke clears and another school year is in the books, we should be thankful for those in the trenches with the scores of energetic and hormonal kids for a day, a week, a month, a year…or even 39 years (the Edmond years of service record, I believe). It is a higher calling.  Commitment indeed.

So, thank you, teachers.  Thank you, principals and administrators.    Thank you, parents.  And thank you, kids!

And now, school’s out for summer!  Enjoy!  The learning opportunities may be temporarily ending for some…, BNFMK(s):

Vicksburg, here they come!

Note from the Editor:  We’re pleased to introduce Jeff Bingham, RDC’s newest contributor, to you.  He’s a thoughtful numbers-cruncher and I’m sure will have lots to offer our community.  Welcome, Jeff – it’s good to have you aboard. ~ RDK