Grandma Goldie Rolled Over in Her…Casket

Goldie Bennett of Tuttle, Oklahoma was one of the few people I knew personally who regularly had her hair treated with bluing. Washed, bluing-ed, rolled, teased, styled, sprayed, and… good for another week. Goldie was my great-grandmother. Her son Frank married my grandmother Emma Lee a few years after Emma Lee’s first husband passed away. Frank was a joker. Goldie was stoic.

Well, Goldie was generally stoic. She did have her moments. Take for example my wedding day during the summer of 1985.

The scene: Family photo-taking after the ceremony is all a-whirl. As the photographer worked through grouping after grouping of the bridal party, the groom’s party, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, Goldie waited patiently on the front pew.

“Grandma Bennett, it’s your turn,” someone cued from the midst of the hubbub. She slowly rose and moved to her position in front of the communion table, turned around and waited. A few jokes came from the onlookers. “Goldie, where’s your smile?” “C’mon, Goldie, this is a happy day! Smile for the camera!”

Goldie hadn’t moved and neither had her facial muscles. This wasn’t unusual, however, as Goldie had a face that quite frankly reminded me of The Grinch. I loved my grandmother Goldie, make no mistake about that. But young children tend to get signals from their elder’s faces, and the vibe she generally sent the world was one that uncannily resembled Grant Wood’s famous “American Gothic” painting. No, not the female. Put an older woman’s hairdo on the farmer holding the pitchfork and you’re getting close to her expression.

“Goldie, you better smile. You don’t want Kelly’s picture album to have you frownin’ now, do you?” came a third comment. Goldie hesitated, her face staid. Continue reading Grandma Goldie Rolled Over in Her…Casket

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Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: Sunny and Share

See! I told you there was a LOT!

This spring the rain has been abundant and the sun intermittent, but many of my hardy plants have come back from last year in multiples.  I am happy to share them with friends.

Last week I overheard my friend Anna say that she’d like to plant some Lemon Verbena.  Lucky for her, I have tons.  Her only job was to provide me a list of its uses.  I am going to try it as a tea.

I gave my friend Deauna a bunch of oregano that came back from last year.  She is a great cook, so I know it’s something she will use.  I kept a little for myself.  I will try to cook something with it…but no promises as to how it will come out.  The good thing is that I have plenty to use in my culinary experiments.

herb garden
My herbs are planted in a wagon wheel-six herb plants fit perfectly!

Continue reading Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch: Sunny and Share

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Barbershop Theology: Identify Theft

"Lady Barber," ~ WW II era, photo curteousy of Carol Pearse

Who are you? The class clown? The jock, the drama girl, the tall guy, the dud with the funny laugh?  He’s the cowboy, she’s the artist. It’s interesting how we identify ourselves and others.

Sometimes our profession becomes our identity.  I am a doctor, a teacher, a plumber, a mechanic, or a zoo keeper.  That’s a good one — Zoo Keeper.

For a part of her life my mom was “the lady barber.” In fact, I was with her just the other day and she referred to herself as a retired barber. I thought it was odd at the time, I mean; she does about a hundred other things really, really well. She is a singer, an artist, a collector, a genealogist, a Sunday school teacher, a mom and she is Grandma.

Back to the “lady barber” moniker – Dad’s shop had two barber chairs and he was particularly busy on Tuesday afternoons and all day Saturday. Mom got her barbers license and went to work on those days. If you called her a hair dresser you would be corrected immediately. She far prefers the title barber. Believe me, she would have no problem setting that record straight. Continue reading Barbershop Theology: Identify Theft

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Sherree Chamberlain’s Quarter-Life Crisis: A Journey Down Her Musical Path

Sheree Chamberlain singing at the OKC Farmers Public Market, 4-07-11

When you sit in an espresso bar like Coffee Slingers, the spot you choose determines how you can then divide your attention.  Sit by the window? Watch life pass by on the sidewalk or streets outside, or perhaps carry your gaze across the shop interior and watch the scene inside.

Sit behind a laptop? You’ve just planned to fade the espresso bar and exterior buzz, and crank up your “inner brain buzz” for a bit.

Sit across from Sherree Chamberlain?  Be prepared to take the metaphorical hand she reaches out to you, walk by her side, and hear what she’s been up to for the last nine years.  At least this process was my own experience a few weeks ago when I met with her.  Armed with our drinks (she had tea, I drank an iced latte) and carrot muffins, we settled in for some catching up.  The last I had seen of Sherree in person was while I was working with her as her secondary schools Drama Coach during our production of “Oklahoma!”  I learned at least two things that year:  1) Never test the fullest load shotgun blanks by firing them inside a university auditorium for the first time; and, 2) Sherree Jane Chamberlain could sing. Continue reading Sherree Chamberlain’s Quarter-Life Crisis: A Journey Down Her Musical Path

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Oh Yes I DID Just Block That Shot!

OKC Thunder Fans got to see this KD face several times tonight. After an excellent offensive possession, after he blocked a shot, after his three-pointer...I mean, after several of them. Thunder won, and they move on to the next round. What a night! For all OKC official photos (including this one), please click this photo and you will be taken to the official OKC Thunder site!

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Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.