Number 9: The spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountains majesty AND the fruited plain can all be found within our boundaries. Continue reading Red Dirt Kelly Says: “Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Oklahoma”
I am the internship coordinator for the undergraduate “Child and Family Services” majors in our department. Every semester, the student interns enrolled in my course submit journals, time logs and assignments. They also respond to a discussion question I post every week in our online classroom. One week, I posted this prompt:
“You are currently utilizing knowledge from your studies, information you learned while being trained for that position and your own set of skills and personality. You collected these “unique” skills along life as you grew to this particular point. Write about one special skill you have unique to you, that helps you find creative ways to do your job.”
A student who was serving her internship at Judith Karmen Hospice wrote this:
“I make weekly visits to an older gentleman who is dying. He has no family in the area, and most of his friends are already dead. He’s in lot of pain. One day, I walked into his house and heard him listening to classical music on a small radio. It happened to be a violin solo that I knew. I’ve been playing the violin since I was five. So the next week, I brought my violin with me and asked him if he would like me to play. He nodded, and I played for him. I played every week for the next five. I played him right up to death’s door. My music helped him deal with his pain, and it accompanied him as he died. So, is that what you mean by your question?”
Well, yes. That’s what I meant.
This is why I teach, and why I think I usually learn more than my students.
(Note – this is a reprint from last year, retitled. We hear that NOW is the time to be in the mountains if you want to see the foliage this year. What do YOU hear?)
Good morning, Red Dirt Country. We haven’t had a “Friday Morning Shout Out” in a few weeks, so I thought I would provide you with a little treat. I’m going to take you back, back, back…all the way to November 13th of this year. Was that just one month ago?
It was a beautiful day, and a few members of the Tulsa Digital Photography Group were winding around the hills of Oklahoma’s famous Talimena Drive. Sometimes they’d wind all the way over to Mena, Arkansas. But, then they would hop right back into our great state once again…shooting the autumn beauty in “God’s Country” all the while.
The borders of Oklahoma and Arkansas get a little fuzzy when there is so much beauty in one place. And, photographers like Brian Favell did their best to capture all of what the perfect drive for Fall had to offer. It seems that every year is different; who knows what 2011 has in store for the beholder? But for this year, and for that day, and for this Shout Out, we’re going to share with you what Brian found – through his eyes, on his journey down the beautiful, twisty, turvy, upsy and downsy Talimena Drive of Eastern Oklahoma.
Thanks Brian, for the tour…and thanks, Oklahoma mountains, for once again showing us what you’ve got!
Joe Hartin’s eighty year-old knees popped five times as he kneeled down to meet my five year-old stature. His bloodshot eyes looked massive through his prescription eyeglasses as they sized me up with a long gaze into my face. I squirmed, terribly aware of the drooping eyelids covering half his pupils while the other half bored a hole through my early childhood psyche. The eyelids fluttered while his brain worked on the next sentence to come out of his mouth.
“Well, well…you knew quite a few Bible verses. I’ll let you choose a coin for a reward. Which one would you like?”
It was 1967 and any one of the “monies” in Joe’s open, weathered hand was fascinating. “I think that’s a dime,” I thought to myself as I stared into his palm full of coins. “I think a Hershey bar is a dime. Maybe I could eat one square for twelve days if I took that coin.”
I was hesitating for too long as I thought through my options. I looked up at Joe’s face and saw him grimace, then slightly shift. He was hurting and I needed to choose.
I took a breath and said, “I’d like THAT one.” I timidly reached out and touched the biggest silver coin in his hand. I didn’t know its value; I only understood its size in relation to the others
A few too many seconds went by before a smile broke across Joe’s face. He looked up to my father who was observing the scene, then shakily stood back up. With his other hand, he carefully picked up “THAT one” and handed it to me, patted me on the head and walked away chuckling.
I still have that half-dollar in my jewelry box and I’m never going to spend it.
Today’s post is brought to you by the letter M, and by the number 12.
The University of Missouri is working on leaving the Big 12 Conference. Missouri starts with the letter M. So do words like Mountain (as in Mountain West Conference), Mojo, Momentum, and Money. It was the celebrated 1980’s era lyrical philosopher Cyndi Lauper that crooned “Money; money changes everything.” More on that thought later.
First, a bit of pigskin history. It was 1991, in Fort Worth, Texas. My wife, aka Little Frau, was a recent graduate of TCU, and we lived a mere one half mile from the university’s Amon Carter Stadium. A good friend was a graduate of Texas A&M, and suggested we get some tickets and go watch these two Southwest Conference rivals duke it out on the gridiron.
It was a night game in November; the forecast called for freezing rain and bitter wind chill factors. Back in those days, only two or three games per week were televised by ABC, so a seat in the stands was often the only way to watch. We were young, so it seemed okay at the time. Only after arriving at the stadium did we figure out that our seats were in the now former upper deck, and that we were the only souls braving the cold north wind from such a high and lofty perch.
Back in those days, Texas A&M had momentum. They had defeated arch rival and SW Conference companion University of Texas for five years in a row. They also had mojo. Texas A&M’s fearsome defense had been dubbed “The Wrecking Crew.” The game I’m recalling was the date of what has been dubbed “the hit.” As a hapless TCU receiver ran a quick slant route in the second quarter, his head was immediately removed by future All Pro NFL linebacker Quentin Coryatt. He went parallel to the turf while still airborne, and then fell to the ground shaking, his jaw broken in two places. A video follows for those who are not faint of heart… Continue reading M Words
(Originally published Fall, 2010) While sitting at the breakfast table as a young girl, I could look out the window this time of year and watch the squirrels scamper like mad up and down the trees just across the fence line along our garden. They were scrambling to see who could harvest and store the highest number of Oklahoma native persimmons, the bright orange to dark amber fruits tempting them to work extra hard. Even by squirrel standards. Occasionally, I would wander outside, cross the fence and collect a few of the fruits I knew for sure were ripe, but at that age it was a guessing game for me.
Sometimes I would choose them at a stage too firm and orange (green) and suffer the consequences of a horrible experience – something like all the moisture being sucked out of my mouth, with no way to quench the thirst! But the ripe persimmons…ah, those were nice. And still are.
My father brought some to our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and luckily not all of them got eaten. I have them now and I thought I would share a few basic pieces of information in case you are outside and see them in a tree somewhere. They are worth your harvesting time.
(Note: Originally published Oct. 1, 2010)
by Rob Loeber
College football is full of rivalries, and there are some great ones…
Michigan/Ohio State has tradition, but hasn’t been worth much the last few years. The Iron Bowl between ‘Bama and Auburn is the best of what the South has to offer, but it still misses the mark. Oregon and Oregon State call their battle the Civil War, but something about Ducks fighting Beavers just doesn’t inspire me all that much. Bedlam is up there for sure, but you get the feeling it means just a little more to the side in orange.
OU/Texas is the gold standard in rivalries and here are the reasons why.
The Cotton Bowl is the perfect setting. It’s almost exactly halfway in between Norman and Austin. The stadium is split at the 50 yard line. Sooners on one side, Longhorns on the other. Show me another event like this in all of sports. Go ahead show me. You can’t do it. The atmosphere alone makes this game what it is because you can feel the tension in the stadium and all around the fairgrounds. Nothing but burnt orange and crimson as far as the eye can see. The Texas State Fair is part of the experience. Ride the ferris wheel, win a teddy bear, eat something fried, eat something else fried, almost get sick, drink beer, feel better, watch football. If I’m not mistaken that might just be the meaning of life right there. Continue reading OU/Texas: The Best Rivalry In College Football?
I realized yesterday, as I strolled down each aisle of my local farmer’s market, that harvest has not nearly come to a close. Nor has it in my own garden. Aside from the fact that we have seen very little moisture, the weather is grand for fruits and vegetables. And, our water supply is still giving, so we’re still getting. I’ve decided to share just a few photos of the beautiful harvest I’ve seen over the last month or so…some is mine, some is other producers’.
Enjoy – and have a wonderful Silent Sunday, [kelly]
Continue reading Silent Sunday: Gardens and Farmer’s Markets in Oklahoma
by Bob Waldrop
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.A descendent of Oklahoma pioneers and a native of Tulsa, Weissenbuehler and her husband David were among the first 200 coop members.
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.
The Oklahoma Food Cooperative enables customers to buy directly from Oklahoma farmers and artisans using the co-op’s website, www.oklahomafood.coop
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.
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.
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.”
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.
“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.”
The co-op is online at www.oklahomafood.coop
Here is a “cool things about Oklahoma” list that I keep in my head…
1) Creativity
2) Ingenuity
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!
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! ~
A Fish Tale Whopper
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”
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
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
During my “Western Oklahoma, Ho!” tour, I had one ‘burning” question I really needed to investigate. 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
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 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
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
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!
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]
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
