Inspiration
Take A Hike!
After I had hip surgery, I told everyone that I planned on hiking in the Wichita Mountians Wildlife Refuge during the summer. They all thought that sounded rather ambitious. Well the summer was too dang hot, but today was the day.
Here's the trail I followed.
I'm glad this rock face didn't get me.
Get it, it's a rock that looks like a face.
At the top was a spectacular view of the lake below.
With the words from a poet...
Look who came back this morning.
I thought they were wintering in Texas.
Two doves meeting in the sky
Two loves hand in hand, eye to eye
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
Two stars shining big and bright
Two fires bringing warmth and light
Two songs played in perfect tune
Two flowers growing into bloom
Two doves gliding in the air
Two loves free without a care
Two parts of a loving whole
Two hearts and a single soul
Jennifer Hudson Pulled Me Through
by Jennifer Hudson
I was in the darkness
I was out in the cold
Seemed nothing could heal this
This hole in my soul
You reached out your arms to me
Held out your heart to me
Pulled me back from the edge
Thought I reached the end.
When I was drowning
When I was so confused
You, you, you pulled me through
I was in the shadows
Lost, nothing left to lose.
You, you, you pulled me through.
Faith was so hard to find
You gave me my life back
You were my lifeline
The love that you gave me
Is love that has saved me
Your strength is what made me strong
You held me and I held on
Into your arms
Into the light
Your love saved my life
On another note, The Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry was awarded a lifetime achievement award. Gene Autry is way out on a branch of my family tree. (on great grandma Pierce’s side). Did you know there is a Gene Autry, Oklahoma?
Samba For You
Do you ever look at the searches that bring people to your blog?
Some are really strange and have nothing to do with what’s written here. Those searching for inappropriate things to do with your sister, yuck! If it’s Demi Moore, Laura San Giacomo, Anne Heche and Drew Barrymore topless you seek, this is also not the site for you.
Other searches I understand completely: hand washing, bug killing, Elmer Thomas, Carrie Underwood, Charlton Heston in Naked Jungle, Trace Adkins’ Muddy Water, Lawton La Sill ice cream, Annie Leibovitz photos, boil chicken for dogs, best gravy recipe, leg braces, dog cyst, “had that song in my head all day”, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and hot Okie Sister.
But seriously, one recent search really got to me. I wish I could answer their question in person. They wanted to know if it was appropriate to play Santana’s Samba Pa Ti at a funeral. If you are not familiar with this song, it is a beautiful instrumental piece by Carlos Santana from his 1970 Abraxas album. One of my favorite songs in all the world. Jose Feliciano loved this song so much, that in 1982 when he did a cover of it, he added the following lyrics. So beautiful. Listen here. Soy la sombra de una pena, Very, very loosely translated means: (if someone wants to email me the correct translation, that would be great) “I’m sorry you suffered a loss. I hope that you played the music you wanted at the funeral. Whatever brought you some peace and comfort. I can’t even begin to list all the times that listening to Santana lifted my spirits and filled my heart with joy. I think this song is absolutely appropriate. I consider it okay to play joyous music and celebrate the fact that you were blessed by knowing and loving the person. Peace to you today.”
Soy el eco de un dolor.
Triste soledad, que me queda hoy.
El recuerdo de que te amé
Y una extraña desolación, eyy, eyyy.
Soy la sombra de una pena,
Soy el eco de un dolor.
Quiero olvidar, quiero encontrar perdón.
Ten piedad de mi corazón
Yo te imploro mi Señor.
Borraré las tinieblas y esconderé mi llanto
El recuerdo que sufro se volverá un canto.
Volveré a la vida, volveré a cantar, ya verá,
Volveré a la vida, volveré a cantar, ya verá.
I am the shadow of grief, I am the echo of pain. Sad loneliness that I have left today. The memory of loving you. A strange desolation. I am the shadow of grief, I am the echo of pain. I want to forget, I want to find forgiveness. Have mercy on my heart I implore you my Lord. Erase the darkness and hide my tears. The memory of what I suffer will become a song. I will return to life, I will sing again, you will see, I will return to life, I will sing again, you will see.
This week I visited one of the blogs I follow regularly, Alamo North, because I just learned that Nola had lost her Dad and I wanted to leave a message. Guess what song started playing?
Things I've Learned in 2008
X Days
Let me say for a third time this year how much I’m diggin’ me some Trace Adkins? There’s a special running for the next couple of weeks on GAC (Great American Country) called Trace Adkins X Days.
"Adkins dedicated ten days to performing for 10,000 United States military personnel in partnership with the USO; traveling to remote forward operating bases (FOB's) in Iraq and Afghanistan." Trace narrates the special and tells about the moments from the September trip that touched him the most. What moved Okie Sister was Trace standing in front of our troops in Bagram, Afghanistan singing "Arlington." That was extremely emotional.
Trace earned the 2007 USO Merit Award for his support of the military. (For a picture slideshow of the tour, go here.)
by Dave Turnbull and Jeremy Spillman
I never thought that this is where I'd settle down.
I thought I'd die an old man back in my hometown.
They gave me this plot of land,
Me and some other men, for a job well done.
There's a big white house sits on a hill just up the road.
The man inside he cried the day they brought me home.
They folded up a flag and told my mom and dad,
"We're proud of your son."
(Chorus)
And I'm proud to be on this peaceful piece of property,
I'm on sacred ground and I'm in the best of company.
I'm thankful for those thankful for the things I've done.
I can rest in peace, I'm one of the chosen ones, I made it to Arlington.
I remember daddy brought me here when I was eight.
We searched all day to find out where my granddad lay,
And when we finally found that cross,
He said, "Son this is what it cost to keep us free."
He recognized me on the first day I came in,
And it gave me a chill, when he clicked his heels, and saluted me.
(Repeat Chorus)
And every time I hear twenty-one guns,
I know they brought another hero home to us
We're thankful for those thankful for the things we've done.
We can rest in peace, 'cause we are the chosen ones.
We made it to Arlington, yea dust to dust,
Don't cry for us, we made it to Arlington.
Sixteen Carnations
In his defense, I did just think of him as a friend at that time. I hadn’t given him any reason to think that he had a chance with me. Well, except for that one time.... When I was young I didn’t realize that if your husband is also your best friend, that is the most ideal relationship. So, we went our separate ways in life, both trying to make a marriage work with someone else. We weren’t too successful. When I turned twenty eight, I had an epiphany: Life is too short! Too short to live it in turmoil. Too short to live it with someone who didn’t respect me. You can’t “make” a relationship work by the way, it either does or it doesn’t. Last week Hubby brought me a bouquet of various colored carnations as he often does for my birthday. He’s sentimental like that. On my sixteenth birthday, I received a bouquet of sixteen carnations of various colors arranged in a glass bowl. They were from a male friend of mine that I enjoyed spending time with. More than that, he was someone I felt safe with and knew that I could trust. He was the only guy I ever went out with that was always a complete gentleman. Why I didn’t marry him the first time he asked me....
Well, actually, I was busy with a little thing called finishing high school and being a teenager. Once completed, he had already married someone else. I like to remind him of this fact. I called him one day to get together. He informed me that he had gotten married earlier that day. Ouch! Talk about bad timing. I wished him well.
I moved back to my home town to begin a new chapter of my life. My old friend was on the same page. His marriage was also coming to a close. Three years later, we were both married again... to each other. At the time I was not completely convinced I wanted to try this marriage route again. (There was an unfortunate hyperventilation incident at the jewelry store.) That was over fifteen years ago. Turned out to be the best decision I ever made.
Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Gonna Walk Aroun'
My younger brother just blogged about his dislocated toe and how it reminds him of Star Trek. (Pictures and story here.) This would be the same brother that twisted his ankle stepping off of his porch onto his sidewalk one centimeter below. This resulted in some "bionic metal and bolt operation" that requires him to now carry x-rays when going to the airport. While my brother was hobbling around on his leg cast several years ago, middle sister had an unfortunate roof incident. She didn’t stick the landing. This resulted in a broken ankle. I’ve written before about the family’s weak ankles. My daughter just sprained hers again stepping off of a curb, but not as bad as last time. This one reminded me of when I twisted my ankle trying to stomp my mailbox back into the ground. Dumb…da…dumb…dum. Boy that hurt for a long time. My most vivid memory of a broken bone was my arm, which also involved a mailbox. I was standing on my tricycle reaching up to get the mail out of the mailbox and the darn thing rolled off without me. Imagine that. We are not promised tomorrow; I want to really live today! My oldest brother has been very encouraging. He’s been through this too. He’s lived with a hip injury since the early 70’s and had his last hip surgery about nine years ago. He does seem a little freaked out about all these bone/hip troubles in the family. We wonder if it is GWBS, Genetic Weak Bone Syndrome. (Yes, I just made that up.) I don’t recall our dad ever breaking anything, but mom did. Mom was getting dressed one morning before leaving my house (at that time in San Antonio) for the return trip to Lawton, Oklahoma. She was putting her socks on while standing up (never a good move) and fell and broke her arm. But she didn’t know it was broken for sure until she was back to her home town and finally let my dad take her to the hospital. She wanted to be treated in familiar surroundings I guess. It must have hurt on that seven hour drive! Later in life, mom had Osteoporosis. So this is the bones of our family. Well not all of them, but isn’t this enough! Yes, some of these injuries came from making "bone-headed" moves, but other times we seem to not be able to walk on semi-flat surfaces without falling over. All this reminds me of the old spiritual song, “Dem Dry Bones.” The foot bone connected to the leg bone... etc. This song is based on the biblical message of Ezekiel 37:1-14. A valley of dry bones is used as an example of hopelessness, but the Spirit revives and restores them. Breath is blown into skeletons and they come back to life. Remember never lose hope, even if you find yourself in a valley of dry bones... or are related to me or another member of the GWBS gang. Reminds me of the time I tore the tendon in my finger. That would be my middle finger, and it rendered me incapable of bending it. So I went around for a couple of weeks looking like I was flipping everyone the bird. It still is tender to this day and I can no longer snap. And if you know me, you know how much I like to grove to my tunes.
My oldest sister just when though a similar metal works operation on her femur after a fall. As the nurse was helping her take her first few steps in the hospital, I commented to my daughter, “that will be me soon.” More on that in a minute...
I used to have pins in my femur too for a while, after my hip surgery. That was when I was a toddler. (I was born with a dislocated hip) Well guess what? I’m going to have hip surgery again in a few weeks. It will be a total hip replacement, just like my 73 year-old father-in-law had a few months ago. Having just gone through this with him, I know what to expect but I’m still pretty freaked out about it. Two doctors said I was too young for this operation because it probably wouldn’t last my lifetime. I told both of them that I'm "too young" not to be able to do all the things I want to do. (I’ll be 47 this week.)
That’s pretty miraculous, as are modern medical procedures. Hey, I don’t expect a miracle. I just wanna walk aroun' without pain, listening to some good music, while not snapping my fingers. That would go a long way to "restore my spirit."
This Is My Town
From the Business Week magazine article, The Best Places to Raise Your Kids 2009:
“We selected towns with at least 50,000 residents and a median family income between $40,000 and $100,000. We then narrowed the list of towns using the following weighted criteria: school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities; and diversity. We weighted school performance and safety most heavily, but also gave strong weight to amenities and affordability”
The Oklahoma city selected this year is none other than Lawton. Runners up are Midwest City and Broken Arrow.
Reactions from Lawton as seen on KSWO TV:
Lawton Public School Superintendent Barry Beauchamp says the "Business Week" review is tremendous for the community, especially for the schools. "Certainly it's a real reflection of the fine teachers that we have," he said. "Schools are people, they're not buildings. They're students and teachers in the classroom, accomplishing the things that they need to be successful."
The rankings weighed school performance and safety heavily in the rankings. Researchers looked at the total crime risk. Lawton Police Chief Ronnie Smith says it matches his stats. "Crime is not that high in Lawton," he said. "We are taking care of what we do have, and we have statistics that prove crime is going down."
The rankings also considered the cost of living and job growth. Lawton's population continues to grow, bringing more companies and better jobs. "We've seen the average income of our households increase significantly over the past five or six years, and all of those things play a role in this being an affordable place to raise kids," said Lawton-Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce President Dana Davis.
"It's high time that everybody knew what we knew," said Ward 8 Lawton City Councilmember Randy Warren. "We've known for a long time that this is a good place to live and raise your kids, and it's time that that message gets out to the rest of the world."
Okie Sister’s reaction is one of great pride. I feel that it’s the citizens that make this town so great. We have enormous civic pride and we support our military base and our veterans. That is one of the reasons so many retire to this area. The kids would probably say that there is nothing to do here. However, if they are safe on the streets and getting a quality education, that means more in the long run than being entertained at amusement parks and such. To be able to breath clean air, and have outdoor recreation areas, are things you don’t fully appreciate unless you are without them. Lawton is a clean city. It is growing and prospering with new businesses locating here and new housing additions being built. To be recognized on a national level is a great bragging point to prospective companies looking to located in SW OK.
Okie Sister Gets A Pat On The Noggin
Okie Sister got listed in the Oklahoma Magazine article “75 Great Oklahoma Websites.” Hear that, “I’m Grrrreat!” Who knew? Thank you to the readers of the magazine and my fellow bloggers who listed me as one of their favorite OK blogs. You humble me. I hope that something I’ve written has amused you in some small way. You are laughing with me, right? The November issue features American Idol David Cook on the cover. He was always a favorite of mine. David’s self-titled debut CD is being released November 18th.
Silver Lining
A cold front moved across the state yesterday. I know because I saw it for myself, just before sunset. The winds began to howl and the sky quickly turned from brilliant blue to menacing gray. And just when it looked bleakest, a break in the clouds for a blinding last peak at the setting sun. Glorious!
I Feel It
I now officially forgive you for that stupid Badonkadonk song. Trace Adkins, you’ve done it again! You’ve completely blown me away with your latest release.
First there was I Wanna Feel Something, then You’re Gonna Miss This, and now Muddy Water, your best work yet.
By returning to his gospel roots, Trace has captured something very moving and special in this song.
Trace says, “I’m still a bad boy, but I look back and I remember where I came from and haven’t forgotten that.”
Muddy Water
Eighteen wheeler dropped me off at that city limits sign
Sunday morning sunlight hurt my eyes
It’s a long way from where I been back to my home town
But there’s a man in me I need to drown
Baptize me in that muddy water
Wash me clean in amazing grace
I ain’t been living like I ‘oughta
Baptize me in that muddy water
Made my way to the church at the end of the dirt road
Dragging what was left of my soul
I could see the saints out back on the river bank
And I could hear forgiveness calling out my name
Baptize me in that muddy water
Wash me clean in amazing grace
I ain’t been living like I ‘oughta, no
So baptize me in that muddy water
Baptize me in that muddy water
Wash me clean in amazing grace
I ain’t been living like I ‘oughta, no
Baptize me in that muddy water
Baptize me in that muddy water
Yeah, wash me clean in that muddy water,
In that muddy water
Baptize me
Side note: If you’ve not seen the Crossroads episode on CMT with Trace and .38 Special, you need to try and catch a repeat of it because it was especially good. They sang hits Caught Up In You, Rockin’ Into The Night, and Hold On Loosely.
Senior Moment
Today I asked the girl if she could write the date and time down on a card for me because, "I can’t remember anything anymore." She said, “I just handed it to you.” To which I replied, “Well, I guess I proved my point, didn’t I!” And then we both had a good laugh at my expense.I was checking out at the Vet’s office and making an appointment next week for one of the other dogs.
The Bird Man
Someone asked me about the artist that my husband took photos of recently. Arvel Bird is a classically trained violinist. His music reflects his Native American culture; many songs are about animal totems. He also plays Celtic fiddle to honor the Scottish side of his family. Here’s a video bio about him.
We are getting some really interesting entertainment in our town these days. Support your local festivals and events. (I took the photo of him above.)
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Do you pay attention to your surroundings?
If not, you might just miss an important sign.
Giving
When I start using the word "I" too much, it’s time for me to shift my focus to someone else. People who volunteer always go on and on about how they are the person that gets so much out of it. I’ve seen this on TV, so it must be true. Right? My Mom dressed up kids up every weekend in our best clothes and shiny patent leather shoes and marched us off to Sunday School. But even with my religious upbringing, I was never really shown an example of serving others by my church. Back then there was no clothes closet for the needy, or Saturday free breakfast for the hungry. My church hosted ice cream socials for the members and built the youth a recreation room. WWJD with a pool table? And at home, the Shrivers we were not... Do you think that all the televised fund raising and internet exposure to world wide needs will help the next generation grow up being more civic minded? However, the best examples I can think of for helping others came from my Dad (the person who didn't go to church). He would help anyone broke down on the side of the road. Sticking his head under the hood of a stranger's car, so he could have a look around. He was gifted with common sense and mechanical abilities, so he was usually able to get them going again. This might consist of just pouring water into an overheating radiator, cleaning a battery post, forming a hose clamp out of a clothes hanger, or something more complex.
Another example would be of him sharing the fruits of his labor. But in this example the fruit is actually vegetables, except for tomatoes. When the back yard garden was in full harvest, my parents would distribute the excess produce among family, friends, and neighbors. Dad had toiled hard to grow these items, but freely gave them away to others. He came from humble beginnings, dirt poor farmers; but his Okie pioneer family taught him by example how to give to others. They always took in family and strangers in need, even when they had very little themselves.
Learning How To Bend
Country singer Gary Allan sings a song called Learning How To Bend. That really is the key to making relationships work, the give and take of every day life. If you don’t give, or bend, you will eventually break. Gary Allen has had enough heartbreaks in his life to make anyone break, but somehow he has managed to survive. If you don’t know the story, the short version is that Gary’s wife suffered with migraine headaches and depression. One night, she took her own life. She left Gary with six children, three hers and three his from previous marriages. Gary dropped out of the music scene for some time after that, but has now emerged stronger than ever. He has channeled all his agony and emotion into some incredible, heartfelt music. So, he knows what he sings about.
"I've got four or five people that I write with. It's very much like group therapy. We all get together and talk about what's going on in our lives. If you can talk about really emotional stuff, then you get really emotional songs." I know in my own relationship, things work at their best when my husband adopts a "Yes Dear" attitude. Sometimes it’s better to get along than to be right all the time. Of course th Learning How To Bend I'm still learning how to pray Chorus
is only works if it’s a two way street. I too have had to learn, and continue to learn, how to go with the flow and learn how to bend. Which is really difficult when you are right most of the time...just kidding! I think our marriage works because we are best friends and truly enjoy each other’s company. We have a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect for each other. Plus he does dishes, which by the way, requires lots of bending.
by Gary Allan
Trying hard not to stray
Try to see things your way
I'm still learning how to pray
I'm still learning how to trust
It's so hard to open up
And I'd do anything for us
I'm still learning how to trust Chorus:
I'm still learning how to bend
How to let you in
In a world full of tears
We'll conquer all our fears
I'm still learning how to fly
I wanna take you higher
I'll be there till the end
I'll be your lover and your friend
I'm still learning how to bend
I'm just trying to understand
It's all in someone else's hands
There's always been a bigger plan
But I don't need to understand
Following Your Bliss
Do you love your job? Do you wake up on Monday morning and can’t wait to get your week started? Or, do you drag yourself out of bed dreading another workday? Do you start Monday already looking forward to Friday and the upcoming weekend? I’ve always heard the advice, "Do what you love and then find a way to make a living at it." One of my jobs is working for an artist, storyteller, author. He uses a piece a cording to make string I handle his finances, coordinate his bookings, and manage his web store. My other job also consists of handling finances and paying bills for our family business. I was always outstanding at math and algebra in school, but this is not exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. If it was, I would have become an accountant or something. Don’t get me wrong, I am very thankful to be employed. But things are changing in my world and this time next year, everything looks to be completely different. What if you had an opportunity to start anew? What would you do? figures and weaves wonderful tales incorporating those figures. He travels all over the world to schools, libraries, churches, orphanages, refugee camps and other mission fields. He is doing what he loves and not only makes a living at it, but is able to pay me part time as well. He is following his bliss and his calling as a missionary.
What if you have never stumbled upon that ideal job? If you don’t know what will make you happy, how can you follow your bliss?
4th of July, Army Style
I can’t think of a more perfect place to spend the 4th of July than at Fort Sill with the US Army. These dedicated men and women get the job done, no matter what that entails. They make me very proud. They know how to enjoy life to the fullest. Meaning, they can also party down. There is something about being in the middle of their exuberance that is indescribably fulfilling and contagious. Plus there was a little southern band you might have heard of before, legendary rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd. I will never be able to put into words the feeling of standing in a field with 10,000 or so loyal fans, most of them military, listening to Skynyd perform Freebird. It was freaking awesome! They absolutely killed it. I was overwhelmed with emotion, and I won’t soon forget this holiday.
Inspirational View
I'm not feeling too inspired to write lately. Maybe I need to go back to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and sit up there on top of Mount Scott again. (click photo to enlarge)
The Solution
Okay, so what do you do if the local gangs keep tagging your concrete fence? Well, one local resident decided to take a creative approach and invite the city’s high school art students to paint a puzzle mural titled, "Be A Piece Of The Solution. " Local business helped with the project, the media came out to cover the story and soon it was a community wide event. Fort Sill’s MG Peter Vangjel even stopped by to paint a signature "V" down in the right hand corner. The end pillars to the fence, or wall, are painted camouflage to honor the military - Field Artillery and Air Defense Artillery. This is quite fitting since the base has always been the strong support of our community. Some of the highlights and history of Lawton depicted on the mural are: Native Americans, buffalo, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, and the Boulevard of Lights Christmas display. Central Jr. High, which was the original Lawton High School, and is now being remodeled to house city government offices. Our Goodyear Tire plant, which holds the title of being the largest single producer of tires in the world. It was a very big boost to our economy when they moved to town in the late 70’s. Back The Blue symbol to honor our local law enforcement. A replica of highway signs erected to honor our home town beauty Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson. A Calvary logo for our new champion CBA team. This little prairie dog holding up a Elmer Thomas Park sign tickled me. Two large pieces of our history are Apache leader Geronimo and Major General Henry Ware Lawton, our founding father. Lawton was quartermaster at Fort Sill and pursued the Indian warrior. After his surrender, Geronimo was jailed at the Old Post Guardhouse. Geronimo’s gravesite is located on Ft. Sill. Symbols for the fire and rescue, local schools and Cameron University. Wayne’s Drive Inn, a local eatery that has been in business since 1950; when three boys Wayne, Charley and Marvin each started a drive in. I’ve spend many hours at Wayne’s enjoying their delicious fountain drinks. Former residents always stop in at Wayne’s when returning for a visit. Tag - "To mark or vandalize (a surface) with graffiti."
Goodbye Girl
Earlier this month my father-in-law lost his beloved Great Dane, KC. KC was a grey-haired old lady. Her health had been going downhill since my mother-in-law passed away last year. KC had been Mom’s constant companion since she was a pup. She was a gentle, loving dog and the reason that I started rescuing dogs. KC was my dog Trixie’s first friend. Sweet KC will be missed. "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went." - Will Rogers
I Like Lichen
It was a beautiful 95° day yesterday in SW Oklahoma. The kind of day that makes you want to drive out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and drive up the winding road to the top of Mount Scott. It was well worth the effort as I was rewarded with beautiful views of prairie grasses and flowers growing amongst the lichen covered granite boulders.
Music, Hotdogs, and Fireworks
In honor of Memorial Day weekend, I want to share more about last Saturday’s Armed Forces Day events. After the parade marched through Elmer Thomas Park, my husband and I walked around looking at the various booths and displays. The largest one was the Go Army "Strength In Action." They were making dog tags for the kids, they had a rock climbing wall with motovational words on each level, and a video game simulator that blows up tanks. What could be more fun that all that?
Of course somebody I know was on a search for the perfect hotdog. There were Nathan dogs on a grill, one of my personal favorites, but the local restaurant booth serving them only brought little squeeze packet of condiments. Not too exciting or very green of them.
The winner had to be the Chicago dogs. This booth loaded them up with your choice of the following: catsup, mustard, tomatoes, dill pickles, relish, assorted peppers, onions, and sauerkraut. They also served sausages on a stick or bun.
Several musical groups performed including the 77th Army Band. The kids lined up for the bouncing houses and the parents lined up for roasted corn, funnel cakes, and snow cones. Some folks just sat on the grass and enjoyed the exceptional weather.
On the other side of the park several beer tents were busy with afternoon customers. The local police were keeping a watchful eye over all. I saw no troublemakers the entire day. The police were seen on foot, bikes, and carts. They even stopped to sample the food from time to time.
On the main amphitheatre stage, The Army Volunteers Band keep the growing audience entertained with familiar oldies. When they switched to patriotic music, the entire hillside of people stood and sang along to God Bless America and I’m Proud To Be An American. It was quite moving.
Then the crowd was entertained by magician and illusionist Kevin Ridgeway and his wife Kristen Johnson, who is an awarding winning escape artist. She was buckled into a straightjacket and hoisted up in the air by an enormous crane. And of course, she escaped and was able to lower herself safely back down to earth. Later she performed the "full view water torture cell" escape. She’s pretty awesome. (Click here if would like to see a video of her.)
Next, country singer Michael Peterson took to the stage for an enjoyable concert. He has to be the nicest celebrity I have ever seen. People were able to walk right up to him before the show and talk to him or get his autograph. Peterson is traveling across the country right now on the "My Real Life, Strong For America Tour." It is supported by the US Army and it’s purpose is to build
community support, promote youth mentoring and encourage volunteerism at a grass roots level. Peterson had been in town all week giving motivational presentations to local groups. Along with Ridgeway & Johnson, he had performed and spoke at each city high school.
This whole presentation and concert at the park was free of charge to the public. After the concert, the night sky lit up with an impressive fireworks display over Lake Helen.
Remember all our brave service men and women this weekend. Honor all those past and present who fought for our freedoms.
Then get out and enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of the perfect dog.
Blog Buddy
Some days it’s harder to blog than others. You might not feel inspired; or you might be busy living life, be out of town, or have company; or you might just have a Jack Russell’s tushy in your face.
"Um...Jackie, you’re making it difficult for me to see my monitor."
"Hey Mom, what are you doing up here? Can I help? Are you sure you want to say that? What does this button do? Hey, hey, hey..."
"Okay, you have my undivided attention now. What can I do for you Miss Jackie?"
"Mom, I need a hug."
"Me too, Jackie Blue, me too. Feel better now?"
"I’m just going to rest my eyes until you are finished blogging and then we can.........zzzzz!"
July 2010
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Recent Posts
Recipes
- Apple Desserts
- Beef & Cheese Skillet Casserole
- Calypso Cooler
- Challah Bread
- Cheddar Potato Soup
- Chicken Enchiladas Verde
- Chicken For The Dogs
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Squares
- Cream Cheese Brownies
- Ed's Diner Food
- Muffaletta Supper
- Pineapple Ice Box Pie
- Sausage Gravy
- School Hot Rolls
- Texas Chili
- Tortellini Soup
- Ziti for your Sweetie
Blogs I Read
- 77 counties - 77 distinct images
- A Broad Abroad - Okie Traveller
- A Gathering of Thoughts
- A Quiet Place In My Mind
- A View From The Pines
- Alamo North
- BlogOklahoma.us - Exploring OK History
- Bounded Rationality
- Burnettiquette
- Cari Okie
- Chickens in the Road
- Cozy Little House
- Crafty Little Devil
- Decisionally Challenged
- Dispatches from the Island
- Extreme Gardener
- Fire Horse
- Frantic Home Cook
- From the Faraway, Nearby
- From the Front Porch
- From the Marbles - NASCAR
- gather
- How To Cook Like Your Grandmother
- I Am Bossy
- JenX67
- Jill Shalvis
- Just Joycee
- Lecks Learning
- Medicine Park Posts
- Momo Fali's
- Neil Crone - Enter Laughing
- OklaCookiemaker Quilts
- Oklahoma Women's Network Blog
- Pressing On
- Randy's Photo Gallery
- Re-Ramblings
- Red Dirt Ramblings
- Red Dirt Report
- Rocks In My Dryer
- The 7MSN Ranch
- The Bliss of It All
- The Greasy Skillet
- The Pioneer Woman
- This DVM's Wife's Life
- Today In Idabel Oklahoma
