If you want to truly experience autumn in all its glory, take a trip down to the Dallas Arboretum in Dallas, Texas. The feature right now is Autumn at the Arboretum, and you will not ever see a more spectacular Fall display than this one! The garden has been transformed with over 50,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash to create a storybook Pumpkin Village, in addition to the normal beautiful displays of plants and landscaping.
The colors, shapes and sizes of the blooming fall flowers at the Arboretum blend together to create great opportunities for fall family photos throughout the garden; you will see pumpkin-lined pathways and radiant displays of chrysanthemums. You can also take home a jack-o-lantern from the Tom Thumb Pumpkin Patch, with thousands of pumpkins to choose from in every shape, size and variety. There is also a Hay Bale Maze and Cinderella’s Pumpkin coach drawn with corn stalk horses! You can even take pictures sitting in the pumpkin coach!
There’s a famous quote that says, "It’s better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."
Under normal circumstances, that is such good advice. However, there are times where you simply MUST open your mouth!
Professional golfer Tommy Bolt (who was better known for his temper than his swing) was playing in Los Angeles and had a caddy with a reputation of constant chatter.
Choctaw continues to dominate the One Act State Play competition with the sixth state tech crew award and ninth state championship under the direction of Mary Jane Burton.
The tech award is given to the school that scores the highest for set design, make-up and costuming, lighting, sound and load on/off set. Heath Weselak, set construction leader, explained, "Tech is behind the scenes. [We are] everything that happens magically. [We are] the support of the cast. We’re back stage making sure everything is running smooth and making everything as perfect as possible."
The tech crew sets the scene for the play, deciding how the audience will see the actors on stage.
This year the stage turned dark with the production of The Bad Seed by Maxwell Anderson.
Opening this weekend are two drastically different films, but both embracing the sci-fi epidemic.
"About Time" and "Ender’s Game" widen the scope of movies available for audiences over the weekend, and even manage to do it without overt corniness or cringing.
"About Time" follows Tim Lake (Domhall Gleeson) in his quest for love. Upon his 21st birthday, he discovers that the males in his family can travel in time, always backwards, but never past their present moment, and dedicates this newfound power to his search for love.
He encounters Mary (Rachel McAdams), and through time travel trial and error, manages to fall in love and start a family. It is after this the time travel rules set in place by his father (Bill Nighy) go out the window.
Donuts are a quick cheap way to start your morning.
A drive-thru window allows customers to stay in their warm cars as the weather turns colder, however for those who want to stop in and eat, Douglas Donuts provides a quaint cheery atmosphere for its patrons.
This weekend I tried the cinnamon bun and a jelly donut.
My cinnamon bun was perfectly moist, with a delicious center. The taste was only trumped by the size; I couldn’t even finish my entire bun.
As the autumn season progresses, many of our annual and perennial flowers are sporting seed heads or fruit. If you examine the tops of spent flower spikes, you will usually see a nice seed head with lots of seeds – plenty for next year’s crop of flowers!
It is not difficult to collect and save seeds from your garden. Many annuals and perennials like cockscomb, zinnias, black-eyed Susans, cleome (Spider flower), and hollyhocks can simply be harvested and dried to use next year. You can also save seeds from vegetables like pumpkins and squash, but be sure not to save hybrid varieties, as they are often patented. Also, you may not get what you expect when and if the hybrid seeds bear fruit!
Here’s how to save flower seeds: Cut the stems of your flowers and tie them into small bouquets to dry. Just hang them upside-down in a dry place, such as a kitchen window or in a utility room. You can also put them in a cardboard box to store them, depending on room available in your home.
Numbers 32:23 in the Bible says, ". . . and you may be sure that your sins will find you out." If you don’t believe it, consider THIS modern day parable:
A hiker was charged with killing and eating an endangered species while hiking in the woods of California. After hearing the man had eaten a condor, the judge quickly passed a harsh sentence of 10 years behind bars.
The man pleaded with the judge to hear his side of the story because he felt circumstances justified his actions. The judge was interested to hear how anyone could rationalize killing a protected bird so he allowed the man to speak.
Johnny Knoxville and the Jackass team have done it again with another hilarious movie. Bad Grandpa stars Knoxville himself as "Irving," the grandpa, and Jackson Nicoll as "Billy," his eight-year-old grandson as they head to North Carolina.
Billy gets dropped off at his grandmother’s funeral as his mother heads to jail, again. Leaving his grandfather to drive Billy cross-country to his father, a drug addict who only wants Billy for the money he might receive from the government. As the pair travels cross-country, the recently single grandfather attempts to rekindle his youth, dragging Billy into inappropriate situations.
Along the way, a bond forms between grandfather and grandson. The audience was rolling the entire film at the grandfather’ failed attempts to get women, and Billy’s childish reactions to the situations he is forced into. Grandpa assumes he could get any woman, often putting the women in uncomfortable, but funny situations. The grandfather also used his age as an excuse in several situations to get himself out of trouble.
Long before WikiLeaks reached global notoriety from the release of the Iraq and Afghan War Logs, Julian Assange was hard at work revealing the secrets of large businesses and governments the world over.
"The Fifth Estate" chronicles the time from 2007, when Daniel Berg (Daniel Bruhl) joined the organization, through the publishing of the documents in 2010. Berg initially joined WikiLeaks, believed the ruse that Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) had an army of volunteers, when in reality, it was just the pair that soon took on Swiss Bank Julius Baer, the Church of Scientology and both British and American politicians.
Unfortunately, for a movie so focused on telling the tale of WikiLeaks, it manages to leave the most important part of the organization’s history to the tail end of the film. For well over an hour, audiences are treated to the drawn out history of Assange and Berg and their efforts to recruit and gain a following within the hacking society. We are left itching for the real meat of the story that, unfortunately, never comes.
Do you have lots of green tomatoes on your vines? Last week’s cold snap reminds us that we will soon have a killing freeze in our area, probably in the next few weeks; your tomatoes will most likely not ripen before that freeze comes, usually the first week in November. So how do you harvest them and what can you do with green tomatoes?
There are two methods of picking and ripening your green tomatoes, and both of them require that you pick your tomatoes before the vines are killed by a hard freeze.
The first method is simple, requires some space, and involves pulling up your entire vines. When a freeze is predicted, you should pull your entire vines up by the roots, being careful not to bruise the fruit. Simply hang the vines in a garage or crawl space where the temperatures remain at 50 degrees or higher.
I don’t know if you’re anything like me but, sometimes my mouth works faster than my brain. If only my mouth would slow down and consider the consequences of what it’s about to say, I could avoid so much embarrassment. Then again, maybe what I need is a faster brain! Consider this modern day parable:
A young man had just started his new job in the produce department of a grocery store when a woman came up to him asking to buy a half head of lettuce.
As politely as he could, the young man said, "In this store, we don’t sell half heads of lettuce, we sell whole heads of lettuce."
The Oklahoma Welcome Center in Midwest City is quite the welcoming place 363 days out of the year.
Closed only for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, the center first opened in the fall of 1998 and sees thousands of visitors seeking travel information, directions and clean restrooms.
Visitors have come from everywhere from Australia to Czechoslovakia, manager Susie Hall said.
With "Argo" taking away the Best Picture win at the 2013 Academy Awards, it only proved that Hollywood can, and will, churn out the real-life dramas that can only be real in their inexplicable insanity.
This year’s real-life drama is "Captain Phillips," based on the 2009 cargo ship hijacking of the Maersk Alabama and the kidnapping of Captain Richard Phillips by the crew of Somalian pirates.
The film shows both sides of the story, opening to both Phillips departing home for a plane to Oman, and the Somalian pirates picking their crews to go in search of a ship.
Spencer’s, located at 9900 NE 23rd St., has brought great food and terrific service to Nicoma Park for 25 years. This family owned restaurant serves complimentary rolls and apple fritters, made with real apples with every meal.
Have napkins ready because both my rib sandwich and half of a chicken were covered with Spencer’s homemade Bar-B-Q sauce. Here is a place you can taste quality. The sauce covered, high quality meat tasted great, and you won’t leave hungry.
Spencer’s also has a private room that can hold up to 180 people for special events. For more information, call Spencer’s at (405) 769-8373.
Do you ever do something so embarrassing that you’d like to find a hole to crawl in? We all embarrass ourselves from time to time and, if you’re like me, most of the time it happens as a result of making assumptions about other people.
Now if you think about it, an assumption is really nothing more than just a conclusion based on incomplete facts. Does that sound like a good way to make decisions? And yet we ALL do it! And it will get us in trouble almost every single time!
Have you ever seen a toad lily? With a name like that, do you imagine an unusual or less-than-beautiful bloom? Toad lilies are, in fact, lovely and resemble very small orchids; they are ideal if you have plenty of trees in your yard, and lots of shaded flower beds. They are the perfect solution to discovering beautiful flowering plants that grow well in a shady environment, and they are idea for our Oklahoma climate.
A name like toad lily doesn’t bring to mind images of beauty, but this easy-to-grow fall bloomer certainly does not resemble its name. With flowers that look like orchids which come in colors of white, purple and yellow, it is the perfect plant for beginning and experienced gardeners alike because it takes very little care; it is a perennial, so it will come back every year to add color to your shade bed.
Mr. Sprigg’s Bar-B-Q Since 2004, when the restaurant opened, Mr. Sprigg’s has been serving Bar-B-Q with flavor and good plate proportions.
The ribs were a little dry but my chopped brisket sandwich packed in flavor with every bite. For a side item I tried the curly fries. They tasted perfectly crisp and not overly greasy.
Drinks and a side are included with every meal and family proportions are available.
A group of Carl Albert students are taking part in a different kind of fundraiser. Instead of raising money for themselves, they are raising money for people they will likely never meet, who live in places they will likely never visit, and whose life challenges they will likely never experience.
Starting Oct. 21 for two weeks, the group of about 100 will take part in a program known as "The Water Challenge." This fundraiser benefits people in Africa who do not have access to a sustainable water supply.
The water challenge asks participants to forgo all non-water beverages for two weeks and divert that money from personal consumption to a donation to www.thewaterproject.org. In other words, no money has to be pulled from savings or contributed by other people; money is simply repurposed.
As fall approaches, we still have a lot of gardening left to enjoy, but as cooler nights become more common and winter draws nearer, it is time to consider our fall gardening chores and think about putting our gardens to bed.
Here are some tasks you should consider doing now, while we still have some lovely days to work outside.
First, pull up old annuals and weeds before they get dry and drop their seeds. Leaving them in the ground will create more work in the spring, when you really want to begin planning for your garden and planting.
Ephesians 4:26 says, "In your anger do not sin." That’s pretty good advice, especially considering this modern-day parable from a REAL news report:
On Thursday, Diane Fittipaldi, 2013 Sunset Lane, who had been arrested during a domestic dispute, told Municipal Court Judge Levi Grantham that she had launched the attack as part of a long-standing feud with her husband about housekeeping.
"Oliver is a horrible neat freak," Fittipaldi said, "and he drives me nuts about keeping everything tidy."
The weekend of October 4-6 was a special weekend for geeks in the Dallas area, and further. Like in May with Dallas Comic Con, C2 Ventures, Inc. organized Dallas Comic Con: Fan Days.
This event, the largest in the immediate region of Oklahoma and Texas, brings in some impressive names in the pop culture industry.
Dr. & Mrs. Steven Ditto of Choctaw announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Jordan Ditto, to Colton Lovelace of Blanchard.
The couple will exchange vows at 4 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 12 in an outdoor ceremony at the home of Don and Mary Moore, grandparents of the bridegroom, 189 East Maple, Washington, OK.
There are a variety of spring-flowering bulbs that are ideal for our area, and among the most popular choices are daffodils and hyacinths. Other good options include tulips and crocuses. This week let’s look at some specific cultivars that will add beauty and color to your yard.
Daffodils (Narcissus species and hybrids) are probably the most successful of the popular spring bulbs for naturalizing in Oklahoma. There are cultivars of large flowering, trumpet, double and late-blooming daffodils, all of which make great additions to your landscape. The bulbs are rarely eaten by animals, and deer generally do not care for them either! Plant daffodils in well-drained soil where they will receive at least six hours of sun each day while they have leaves. They should be planted 6 to 8 inches deep, less for smaller species bulbs; space them 3 to 6 inches apart, depending on size.
The Midwest City Police Department headquarters, located on Reno, became a permanent drop-off location provided by the Oklahoma Burean of Narcotics for safely disposing of prescription drugs.
Now community members have the opportunity to dispose of unused or expired medications. Thursday, October 03, 2013
The weather is cooling down and football is in the air; and it’s also time for Soccer.
If you have a child or know a child that can kick a ball and is between the ages of six and 14, then bring them down to the soccer field and let them give it a try.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Your Metropolitan Library System joins with Oklahoma City’s Wookies, Padawans and Jedis to celebrate all things Star Wars. And reading, too.
The Second Annual Star Wars Reads Day is Saturday, Oct. 5, and MLS has scheduled special events at five libraries.
With the arrival of the fall season comes a season of equal importance, when movies striving for awards love start releasing in droves.
The movies of smarter caliber are released closest to when ballots for awards like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards start being drawn up, so to be fresher in memory than those from earlier in the schedule.
This year has an abundance of Benedict Cumberbatch and movies based on real events, and if last years record-breaking box office for these films is any indication, these films are a draw for audiences as well as critics love.
It’s not often that the awkwardness which sometimes happens in everyday life is portrayed as anything but corny in modern cinema. Such is the not the cause with Fox Searchlight’s “Enough Said.”
This somewhat unconventional romantic comedy is the product of writer/director Nicole Holofcener.
Holofcener may be familiar to some in the indie crowd for her earlier films, 2006’s “Friends with Money” and 2010’s “Please Give”.
As the weather turns cooler, a gardener’s thoughts often turn to spring-flowering bulbs. Favorite varieties include daffodils, crocus, tulips and hyacinths, but if we are to enjoy their beauty in the spring, we must plant them in the fall.
These bulbs can be planted everywhere – in flower beds, in lawns, around trees, or in pots and window boxes.
In fact, most early-flowering bulbs can be planted under deciduous trees since the bulbs will be going dormant by the time the trees provide heavy shade.
For some kids the longest hours of the day are the ones between the end of school and supper. Now that time can be filled with a variety of art projects.
“’After School at Your Library’ is a series of fun afternoon events,” said Metropolitan Library System Young Adult Services Coordinator Emily Williams.
The Midwest City Police Department is sponsoring a new type of fundraiser, called a Golf Ball Drop, on Friday, Sept. 27, at John Conrad Golf Course that will benefit Special Olympics.
“Each year law enforcements agencies throughout Oklahoma conduct fundraising activities for Special Olympics. This year, the Midwest City Police Department wanted to try something new, so, one of our officers, Sgt. Terry Tilley, came up with this idea of a golf ball drop,” Sgt. Roland Branham said.
Participants may purchase golf balls, one for $20 or six for $100. Each participant will be given a numbered ticket that will correspondingly be placed on a golf ball. Wednesday, September 25, 2013
During the past few years, the key to a successful computer animated film has been the balance between humor aimed at kids and jokes meant for adults.
As with any formula that is part of movie making, sometimes this balance is achieved (see Pixar’s “Toy Story”) and other times it is not (see Pixar’s “Cars 2.”)
This “humor balance” as I like to call it is important me as a viewer because I want the movie to be on my level.
Comedian Lewis Black has decided to make his performance at Rose State Performing Arts Theatre at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 a benefit show to provide relief for the victims affected by the recent tornadoes that devastated the cities of Newcastle, Shawnee and Moore along with other cities throughout Oklahoma.
“As soon as the tornadoes ripped through Oklahoma this summer, I decided that whatever I made that night would go to assist those who were in their destructive paths,” Black said. “I have always kept a place in my heart for the good people of Oklahoma, as my father graduated from the University of Oklahoma. Wednesday, September 25, 2013
I’m not a race care fan and by that I mean in general I don’t watch sports related films but this Ron Howard directed flick hit me bang on.
The movie is based on facts of the racing rivalry of two Formula 1 drivers, James Hunt a British racer, and his opposite Niki Lauda an Austrian race car driver.
The film is set across 1970 to 1976 and the soundtrack, costumes and backdrop all take you back very convincingly.
I’m always up for a comedy (romantic or otherwise) that tries to flip the script and offer something new to the genre. When I first read the description of Fox Searchlight Pictures’ “Baggage Claim”, I was cautiously optimistic.
The film follows the tale of flight attendant Montana Moore (Paula Patton) as she tries to find a date in time for her youngest sister’s wedding.
On August 24, BancFirst hosted an event in Oklahoma City where 116 high school basketball players and 104 coaches from 45 BancFirst communities across Oklahoma had the opportunity to meet one of the biggest stars in the NBA.
Russell Westbrook, point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, sat in the Devon Auditorium and fielded questions from Oklahoma student athletes and coaches with Bob Barry, Jr., Sports Director for KFOR, moderating the two sessions.
Student athletes and coaches from Carl Albert, Choctaw, Del City, Harrah, Jones and Midwest attended the event.
I’ve always been a fan of black comedy seen it as a British specialty, with films like “Keeping Mum” and the original “Death at a Funeral,” among other notables like “Dr. Strangelove” and “A Clockwork Orange.”
American black humor has always seemed a bit more violent than thoughtful, so when trailers for ‘The Family” started popping up, I was intrigued, yet skeptical.
“The Family” is based on the French book “Malavitas” or “Badfellas” in English.
Over the last three years, Kelli Foster has learned more and more the impact of the words, “If tomorrow never comes.”
Being the parents of Kannon Foster has not been an easy journey but it’s one Zach and Kelli Foster would not change for a lifetime. On Sunday, Sept. 29, the community will have a chance to show their support for Kannon by participating in the Tee Off For Kannon! Charity Golf Tournament
OKLAHOMA – Students are in the full swing of a new school year. Here are some healtthy recipes from the Made in Oklahoma Coalition. The recipes include ingredients from MIO Coalition members.
Fall is one of the best times to plant a tree in your yard; cool weather allows the tree to establish roots in its new location before it adds new top growth, which requires a lot of energy. Proper planting techniques will ensure your new tree adds beauty to your yard for years to come.
First, be sure to choose the right tree for your area. Local garden centers and nurseries have many trees on hand which will do well in Oklahoma. Also, be sure to match the tree to the planting site, especially taking care to avoid planting too close to buildings or structures.
The Girl Scout community will gather in Choctaw Sept. 24 for an annual town hall meeting for the #638 Service Team.
Beginning at 6 p.m. the meeting is open to Girl Scouts, volunteers, alumnae and community leaders in Midwest City, Del City, Choctaw, Nicoma Park, Harrah-Newalla, Jones, and Spencer.
There are only so many stories to be told, and whether it is the budding author or the seasoned professional, the monthly meeting of Mid-Oklahoma Writers encourages writers to not only tell these stories, but how to bring them come to completion.
Writers gather at the Rose State College’s Learning Resource Center in room 110 to give each other tips how to improve their writing, for constructive criticism and to welcome guest speakers
Vin Diesel is back in theaters this weekend as the title character in this third part of the Riddick series.
This one is just called “Riddick.” It appears to be an effort to continue the chronologically confusing titles of the first two installments, “Pitch Black” (2000) and “The Chronicles of Riddick” (2004).
‘Riddick’ features our anti-hero stranded alone on a harsh, desolate planet in a galaxy far, far away.
The film follows the tradition of the series as Riddick soon finds himself battling hoards of alien creatures.
As a music lover, any time you visit a festival there is bound to be something worth remembering.
In the case of the Gentleman of the Road stopover in Sept. 6 and 7 at Cottonwood Flats in Guthrie, memories were being made left and right.
The festival-like event, which debuted in 2012, is the brainchild of English alternative rock/folk group Mumford & Sons. The two-day event drew an estimated 35,000 fans to the Guthrie, Okla.
The headlining Mumford & Sons brought the house down once they reached the stage around 8:30 Saturday night. Within a few moments, the quartet had launched into fan favorite “Little Lion Man.”
Despite the fact actor Simon Pegg did not intend his final installment to the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy to serve as a parody, "The World’s End" nonetheless serves to do just that, as it manages to poke fun at the apocalyptic genre that is a wild favorite in the early 2010’s.
"The World’s End" is about five men who return to their hometown to finish The Golden Mile, a twelve-pub crawl requiring a drink at each location, ending at The World’s End. Gary is the man-child of the group who has managed to not grow up since high school in 1990. His pals, Andy, Steve, Oliver and Peter, are drug along on Gary’s quest to finish the crawl, despite the robot invasion of their hometown.
At first glance, Focus Features’ "Closed Circuit" could be Law & Order: UK gone big screen. All of the elements are there: the opening crime, the police and the legal system. However, such a summation would miss the subtleties of the film.
Director John Crowley (Boy A) does a solid job of bringing screenwriter Steve Knight’s script to life. Knight, the Eastern Promises penman offers an array of engaging characters. Most of the characters are well acted and keep you guessing to the end about their motivations.
The film opens in a crescendo as on an early morning, a busy London market is devastated by an explosion. In quick sequence, a lone suspected terrorist cell member survives and is arrested for the crime. His name is Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), who is arrested and jailed. Preparations begin for what promises to be the trial of the century.
From Massachusetts, the new leader of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Midwest City will be welcomed into the church when she is installed this Sunday, Sept. 8.
The 4 p.m. special rite ceremony, which will be led by the bishop and other local clergy, will be followed by a reception. All of the events are open to the public, she said.
O’Shea is the fourth pastor in the church’s history. While small with 45 to 50 members, St. Mark is made up a strong, loyal gathering of followers and is welcome to new family members.
Have you noticed how active hummingbirds have been recently? They are getting ready to migrate back to the south mid to-late September. Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures, delightful to watch and always welcome visitors in our yards. If you don’t have hummingbirds, there are many things you can do to make your garden a haven for hummers.
Three species of hummingbirds are regularly found in Oklahoma; two species, the Ruby-throated and the Black-chinned, nest in our state and are here during the summer months. The third species, the Rufous Hummingbird, does not nest in Oklahoma, but migrates through our state during the spring and fall.
Hummingbird feeders are a great way to entice these beautiful little flyers to your neighborhood; feeders are plentiful in local stores and nurseries, and they are generally inexpensive.
Have you ever noticed how often motivation makes the biggest difference? Some of the most important things in our life will be left undone because we’re just not motivated to take care of them.
On the other hand, some of the things that ought to be the hardest are no problem for us when we have just a little bit of solid motivation.
Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma and its Community Service Team serving Eastern Oklahoma County are co-hosting a recruitment event 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church's Family Life Center in Midwest City.
Activities will include: crafts, paper making demonstration, tattoos, indoor camp, games, video presentation and Girl Scout cookies.
Celebrating its 100th Anniversary last year, Girl Scouts is now offering six different pathways (troop, events, travel, series, virtual and camp) and provides programs for girls at six levels to meet their interests and needs: Daisies (grades K - 1), Brownies (grades 2 - 3), Juniors (grades 4 - 5), Cadettes (grades 6 - 8), Seniors (grades 9 - 10) and Ambassadors (grades 11-12).
This fall promises to be a wonderful one for growing those cool season vegetables. Our local weather forecasters are promising a cooler-than-normal September and a warmer-than-normal October – ideal for our fall season gardening.
Gardening is a year-round activity, and some of our best quality garden vegetables in Oklahoma are grown and harvested during the fall season, when warm, sunny days are followed by cool, humid nights. When these conditions occur, plant soil metabolism is low and so more of the food manufactured by plants becomes high-quality vegetables!
Hollywood is still in search of its next phenomenon. Despite the success of "The Hunger Games," with the new installment due out in November, the movie mill is churning out young adult book adaptations left and right, with seeming little success since "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" ended.
Sadly, the trend seems to have continued with the adaptation of "The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones," released Aug. 22.
The film follows Clary Fray, a seemingly normal girl until she sees a group of teenagers kill another boy. Or what she thought was a boy.
Have you ever heard the phrase, "The devil is in the details"?
It’s actually a derivative of an earlier similar phrase, "God is in the details." Though they may sound religious in nature, both phrases are based in practical experience: Details are important and if you ignore them, you’ll pay the price every single time.
Hi there! It’s me Reggie. I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from Ellie and me; I hope you haven’t forgotten about us! I have been telling you about cool places in Oklahoma, but our latest trip took us far away from home.
Gatlinburg, Tenn. was our destination this time. It was a long way to get there and I don’t like to sit still for very long, so we stopped a lot and stayed all night at a few places along the way.
The first place we stayed was Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. Man, what a beautiful place! Ellie loved the lake and going to eat at the lodge, the view was amazing so we went back to eat breakfast there. I just wanted to hike.
A simple request on Facebook from Schwartz Principal Rondall Jones to the school’s PTA led a group of more than 40 volunteers to have a work/clean-up day at Schwartz Elementary on Saturday, Aug. 17.
An overwhelming response from parents, students, teachers and other community supporters turned out to beautify the school grounds.
"The generosity of those who gave of their time, tools, and teamwork to make our school look great on the first day of classes was overwhelming," Jones said. "Our school’s theme this year is centered around baseball. Our volunteer team truly hit one out of the park!"
It’s a long proven theory that children will be honest at the most inopportune times! They repeat the things you would never want somebody else to know you said and they mimic the things you don’t want anyone else to know you do.
Every day, it seems, they can find new and exciting ways to embarrass you if you aren’t careful.
Consider this modern-day parable from a mortified mother:
Oklahomans definitely have a love affair with our crape myrtles; in many areas you can see them on practically every street. And why not?
Few plants can match the crape myrtle’s spectacular summer flowers, colorful autumn foliage and attractive sculptured wood. Known as the "lilac of the South" they are truly versatile plants; here are some tips if you are thinking about adding a crape myrtle to your landscape.
Crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, have many landscape uses: planted together, they make a great hedge or screen for your yard, while a single plant can create a distinctive focal point in a garden bed. Crape myrtles also make wonderful foundation plants around your house.
Summer is a great time to buy crape myrtles because it is easy to see bloom color.
Much like the earlier summer hit "Now You See Me," the Relativity Media release of "Paranoia" wasn’t on my radar until well into the summer.
It hit my list of must-sees with a starring cast of Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth and a potentially thought provoking commentary on the current have’s vs. have not’s makeup of our world.
Set in New York City, the film features the rivalry between two tech-giant owners, Nicholas Wyatt (Oldman) of Wyatt Corp. and Jock Goddard (Ford) of eikon.
The man caught in the middle of this corporate battle is Adam Cassidy (Hemsworth) as Goddard and Wyatt compete to be the first out with an industry changing product. Wyatt is willing to do anything, even stealing trade secrets, to get the product that was envisioned by Goddard’s firm, eikon.
Ralph Duncan came to Wickline United Methodist Church on the first Sunday in July 1983.
Since that time, he has been at Wickline leading the choir, heading the music program, arranging and providing special music for 30 years.
Of course, when he auditioned for the position and when he became the director of music, he had no idea that 30 years later, he would still be using his gifts in that position.
Duncan said however, it is a blessing to still be working with the Wickline choir.
He has always been interested in the performing arts — or at least since his early school years. He believes that he has been blessed to have many of the instructors and mentors he has studied under and with.
One characteristic that many of them shared in addition to their musical knowledge was enthusiasm. They were eager to encourage others in their love of music.
Duncan said he has followed that example in all of his endeavors.
The City of Midwest City’s parks and recreation department has a busy few months ahead of them.
Starting next Monday, Aug. 26, the first session of recreation classes begin. On Monday nights, cheer and pom class for ages seven to 12 will start at 5 p.m.
Cost is $54. A combination class of ballet, tumble, jazz and beam for ages four to six follows at 6 p.m. Cost is $69.
The first session of classes goes from Aug. 26 to Oct. 21. The second session is Oct. 28 through Dec. 9.
A Safe Kids Self Defense class also is available for ages four to 15. Held Tuesdays at 6 p.m., the class cost $5 per class with $5 registration fee.
He wants to be a pilot and dreams of being able to fly, but it doesn’t matter to him if it’s in the clouds or floating in space.
To become a pilot would be a dream come true for the 12-year-old, who said he is soaking up everything he can in science class and always makes A-pluses on his tests in the subject.
Hutcheson said he wanted to attend Rose State College’s Kids Camp for something to do, but more importantly, to help him achieve his dream.
Just five years after the last installment of Sam Raimi's "Spiderman" series, Sony has set out to re-establish the web slinger in theatres.
"The Amazing Spiderman" opens May 3 and stars Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spiderman and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. Sally Field and Martin Sheen play Aunt May and Uncle Ben and Rhys Ifans plays the conflicted villain Dr. Curt Connors and his counterpart, the Lizard.
At 11:45 a.m., Monday through Friday, children form a line inside the Midwest City YMCA basketball gym.
They wait patiently, some more quiet than others, to be handed their brown paper sack lunches.
On Monday, bags were filled with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fruit and string cheese.
Then there was the choice of beverages to drink: either milk or chocolate milk.
Laura Schwartz, the summer feeding worker at the YMCA, said the chocolate milk is the first to go. It can be difficult to get children to drink the "white" stuff, so she has had to get crafty and only put out a certain number of chocolate milk cartons, she said.
OK, now her secret is out, but shhhh... don't tell the boys and girls.
With summer's arrival comes a journalistic convention that seems more and more dated. It is the "summer reading list" of books, often beside a graphic showing a bathing suit and sunglasses.
Sure, I'd like to check out Douglas Brinkley's biography of Walter Cronkite and Hilary Mantel's sequel to "Wolf Hall." Heck, I'd love to read Joan Rivers' funny and shorter book, "I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me."
Problem is, few of us worker bees will be packing a steamer trunk of volumes to while away the lazy afternoons. Average working Joes now put in a month more of labor a year than they did 25 years earlier, and much of that time comes out of summer vacation's hide.
Whenever an overly generous soul praises me for my alleged "success," I thank them and gently remind her (and myself) of the unearned luck of my life.
Consider the following: I was born during the Great Depression, after the nation's birthrate had reached a new low, and I was one of approximately 11 people born that same year. This meant that when I graduated from high school, college admissions offices - desperate to fill empty dorms and classrooms - were eagerly recruiting almost anyone who wasn't under indictment or detox, and maybe some who were.
This also meant that when I got out of college and the Marine Corps, and sought to enter the revered "private sector," it was the decade of the 1960s, during which the gross national product of the United States was actually doubling - and because there were so few people in my generational cohort, for us lucky ones there were almost more jobs than there were young people to fill them.
Last week, I wrote about our expanded news staff and the freelance writers who continue to contribute to the quality of our newspaper.
Much to my chagrin, I failed to mention one of the most important people on the staff. She's not a reporter or photographer, but she certainly keeps the wheels of business and commerce going for EastWord News. Her name is Kristina Boehlke and she's our operations director.
Red, White and Blue Potatoes - Just in Time for July 4th
By Judy Kautz, Master Gardener
Gardeners like to experiment with new and unusual plants and vegetables, just to keep things interesting in their gardens. And one of the most exciting things about experimenting is sharing with fellow gardeners, especially if the experiment turns out to be a success.
Theresa, one of the master gardeners in our area, decided to try her hand at raising potatoes this spring. Of course, potatoes like cool weather and they mature in early summer, so this is the prime time for harvesting this year's spring crop. Not satisfied with plain old potatoes, she decided to plant red, white and blue potatoes for the 2012 crop.
Zero 2 Sixty sets itself apart from packs of other cover bands by putting its own spin on arrangements, tinkering with its set list of songs from the sixties, seventies and eighties, according to lead-guitarist/vocalist John Carnuccio.
"Well, a lot of cover bands play exactly like the recording," Carnuccio continued.
However, Zero 2 Sixty doesn't abide by this convention, he said.
And tonight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the group Zero 2 Sixty plays a free show at Joe B. Barnes Regional Park in Midwest City, as a part of the Midwest Twilight Concert Series, put on by Midwest City's parks and recreation department.
It's a good thing the speed limit down Sunnylane Road is 40 miles per hour because if it were any faster you might miss one of Del City's almost-hidden treasures, J.T.'s Bar B Que & Catering at 505 S. Sunnylane Road. It's not just the ambience of the parking lot surrounded by large shade trees but also the homey, inviting indoor décor. And if you're not wooed by the antiques and eclectic touches then the aroma of heavy smoke will win you for sure.
"My wife has great taste, she decorates everything herself, she and my niece just redecorated the place," J.T. Moon said.
J.T.'s Bar B Que is very much a family enterprise. Moon, his wife Susan and daughters Misty and Angie have been serving up southern style barbecue since they moved to Del City in June 1994. Misty still fills in part time despite her duties as a registered nurse at Integris Baptist Medical Center, and Angie lives in Indiana but helps when she is visiting "home".
