Pet Peeve!

I love to see businesses and individual homes flying the American Flag. It is a grand ole flag. Old Glory. A beautiful reminder that we are proud to be Americans.

 BUT MY PET PEEVE IS TO SEE SOMEONE FLYING A FLAG LIKE THE ONE IN THE PHOTOS BELOW!!!!

JUST LOOK! THE ENTIRE BOTTOM STRIPE IS TORN AWAY!!

JUST LOOK! THE ENDS OF THE FLAG HAVE FRINGE!!

FLAGS DO NOT HAVE FRINGE!!

JUST LOOK! THE POOR THING IS TRYING ITS BEST TO FLY PROUD!

THE TOP STRIPE IS ABOUT TO RIP OFF TOO!!

FINALLY THIS BEAUTIFUL SYMBOL OF OUR FREEDOM HANGS IN SHAME!!

LOOK AROUND YOUR COMMUNITY AND SEE IF THERE ARE IDIOTS FLYING OUR BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN FLAG IN A DISRESPECTFUL WAY. MY TWO OLDEST GRANDSONS WEAR THEIR MILITARY UNIFORMS WITH PRIDE. THE OLDEST SERVED A YEAR IN IRAQ! THEY AND MANY MANY OTHER YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM TO FLY THE FLAG, SO WE NEED TO FLY IT WITH RESPECT!

Old High School - Ardmore, OK

This old high school building in Ardmore, Oklahoma is a wonderful example of architecture at its finest. I have searched and searched to find historical information about the building, with no luck. The most historical information I know is that my sister-in-law and brother-in-law both graduated from this high school. Just look along the top at all the details included and the huge columns on the front of the building.

I tried to look up and see if there were dates on the top like a lot of old structures and all I could see are the words high school. Check out all the different brick patterns laid so artfully.

They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

These details are incredible!

It is my understanding that a private individual in Ardmore purchased this fine old building to keep it from being torn down. My hat is off to him!

Dogwood Tree

This Dogwood Tree is the only one I have been able to find in our town. Several years ago there was a trio of pink and white Dogwood trees on another street, but they did not survive. Dogwood trees just do not thrive in our area. I have personally planted nine of them in my yard and did everything possible to make them live, with no luck. This tree is old and was planted with only a small piece of dirt, surrounded by a sea of concrete. It is planted in direct sun, most Dogwoods I've seen are more in the shade of other trees. It is in front of the former funeral home building, so I figure that one of the Lockstone family must have planted it.

Every year I watch to see if it is going to bloom.

As you can see by the trunk it is quite large for a Dogwood.

Peering down in one of the holes, I see the trunk is now almost hollow.

Over the years some of its branches have been cut.

It might not look like it now, but once upon a time it was a beautiful tree.

Every morning it greets the rising sun.

On a recent trip to Arkansas, I was in awe at all of the Dogwood trees in bloom. Dogwood trees just grow wild there. The hillsides were just dotted with splashes of white Dogwood blooms, among the other trees. My brother was surprised that we did not have Dogwood trees here in Western Oklahoma. He was also surprised we did not have lightening bugs either. I told him the wind just blew too hard for them to fly around making their tails light up. The first time he came out to see us he said, "You guys don't have any top soil out here." I laughed and said, "Yes we do it is just red dirt not the black stuff you have at home."

Gift Packet

We received this cute little GIFT PACKET for Grandparents day, but it could be used as a teacher gift, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc. by changing the words on the list to fit the day.

GIFT PACKET

Hand Lotion - to remind you that children need lots of soft touches

Safety Pin - to help remind you to be safe

Lifesaver - to remind you that grandparents are lifesavers

Small Mirror - To remind you that you play a very important roll in the life of your grandchild

Wipes - for cleaning up those little messes

Candle - to remind you that you will be the light of your grandchild's eye

Peppermint - to remind yo that you are worth a mint

Brag Book - so you will always have your grandchild near

Mounds Bar - for the mounds of wisdom you will pass on to your grandchild

Starburst - for that extra burst of energy when you wear out but they don't

Hershey's Hugs and Kisses - because you deserve them!

Most of the items can be found at the dollar store and they were enclosed in a quart zip lock bag. Our grandson's daycare teacher put these together for all the grandparents. She is one of those extra special ladies that thinks and plans ahead for every occasion.

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie is such a wonderful tasting dessert. Much like a pumpkin pie the sweet potato pie is just better tasting to me. My husband also loves sweet potato pie. We like them plain, but I have seen them with meringue baked on top like a cream pie. This recipe for sweet potato pie is easy and really good! Remember sweet potatoes are good for you too.

SWEET POTATO PIE

1 (9-INCH) UNBAKED PIE CRUST

2 CUPS PEELED, COOKED SWEET POTATOES

1/4 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER

1 CUP MILK

1/4 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON

1/4 TEASPOON SALT

2 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

1/2 STICK MELTED BUTTER

(Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.)

Using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling  into the pie crust and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool before serving. 

Sweet potato pies ready for the oven in this photo. You might want to put aluminum foil around the edges to keep the pie crust from getting too brown during the cooking process.



Gas Going UP!

The news has talked about the gas prices going UP and driving through our town I see our price jumped a dime over night! Twenty miles west of us the price has been $3.75 for more than a week, but when I saw this $3.79 per gallon it made me do a double take.

Every thing we buy will be going up too, because with diesel at $3.99 it is going to cost lots of money to run the trucks that deliver our food, etc. We are paying more attention to grocery sales and try to stock up on things we know we will use.

I remember when diesel was so cheap, we used it to pour along the fence rows to kill the weeds. WOW that was a long time ago!

My Daddy always use to say that it is just as cheap to keep your gas tank full, as it was to let it run close to empty. In this day and time I think we would all be smart to never let our tanks get more than half empty! It would be "cheaper" to only put in a half a tank of gas. It might save us from having a stroke at the price of filling up a completely empty tank.

What is the gas price in your area?

Happy Birthday and Happy Easter

Today is Easter and it also falls on our Granddaughter's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

TO OUR

GRANDDAUGHTER!

These photos above are of the first Easter she was big enough to carry her own Easter basket and hunt eggs. The middle one is after church, with a Precious Moments bible. The curly red hair one will always be my favorite. Not even big enough to sit up and she is just too cute!

These three photos always make me smile. So many joyful moments we have been blessed to share. We were very very lucky when she was little, that Uncle Johnny owned a dress factory and would provide us fancy dresses for special occasions.

Now she is growing up so fast!

Last Easter we were in Arkansas, as you can see by her Easter basket...it is no longer eggs!

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF YOU

AND

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST

GRANDDAUGHTER

IN THE WORLD!

ALL OUR LOVE

Cotton Ball Chick

COTTON BALL CHICK

two yellow cotton balls

two craft eyes

little piece of orange construction paper

1/2 plastic Easter egg

glue

Glue the two cotton balls together and then glue down in the bottom of the egg half.

Cut a little chick beak out of construction paper and glue on face of chick.

Glue the two eyes on the chick face and you are done!

Even very small children can do this project if you cut the beak out for them.

These would make cute tiny table decorations for Easter dinner.

Granddaughter's 3rd Car

We found our Granddaughter another (3rd since last May) used car at Smart Choice Auto Credit in Yukon, Oklahoma! Exit off I-40 on to Garth Brooks Blvd. and go north. Curtis Ray's car lot is at the intersection of Garth Brooks aka Main and Historic Route 66 across from the Love's Store.

Here is Poppy and our only Granddaughter.

Really dark green with tan leather (heated) seats, Bose sound, lots of power stuff.

Another Pontiac, but a Grand Prix GT this time not another Grand Am.

Please pray that no one else runs into her!

If you need a car or a grandkid car, I highly recommend Curtis Ray at Smart Choice Auto Credit in Yukon. He will finance if you bring the stuff listed on the back of his business card, I have scanned and show below. He will also let you pay in cash like we did for our Granddaughter's car.

He is the nicest young man and goes out of his way to help. He was sending our Granddaughter photos of this car from his phone to her phone, while we were there making the deal. I really liked a couple of the SUV's he had, and of course he has several pickup trucks and even a big motor home!

He also has a deal for people who buy a vehicle from him, that he will give $100 for every referral you send and they buy a vehicle from him! That is pretty cool....you should have seen him laugh when I reminded him that we were referring ourselves, since we just bought her last car there in February!

Mom's Exciting Day

On Monday my Mom had her 76th birthday. My sister, mom and I went shopping at the Allen Canning Factory outlet in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Then my sister said we were going to the casino in West Siloam Springs, just across the Oklahoma line, she was driving so Mom and I were along for the ride:) Of course she didn't have to twist our arms!  It is a big beautiful casino!

This is a photo of Mom with one of the big winnings of the day!

This is a photo of Mom signing for another of her big winnings of the day.

This photo of Mom is with her 3rd big winning of the day. She was singing "happy birthday to me!" Now, please note that neither my sister nor myself are shown in any photo winning anything at all! We were there the same five hours she was there, but only kept our heads above water. Mom won our share of the money!

This is my Mom's birthday dinner later that evening. My niece, my sister-in-law and my brother are in the photo. Also attending the dinner were my husband, my stepdad, my nephew, mom and myself. It was fun to get together and not have to cook or clean!

When I left to come home yesterday, Mom said she had a great birthday! It was a fun weekend in Northwest Arkansas.



Survivor Tree OKC

A 80 year old American Elm Tree in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, survived the bomb’s blast April 19, 1995 and witnessed one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil. Today, we call it the Survivor Tree.

Before the bombing, the tree was important because it provided the only shade in the downtown parking lot. People would arrive early to work just to be able to park under the shade of the tree’s branches.

On April 19, 1995, the tree was almost chopped down to recover pieces of evidences that hung from its branches due to the force of the 4,000 pound bomb that killed 168 and injured hundreds just yards away. Evidence was retrieved from the branches and the trunk of the tree.

Tree farmer Steve Bieberich plants the Survivor Tree seeds at his arboretum SUNSHINE NURSERY Highway 183 North, Clinton, Oklahoma. The seeds were collected from the OKC National Memorial & Museum Facilities & Construction crew this spring, and he prepares them for the 2011 crop that is given away at each anniversary. He plants the seeds that will grow into the foot high seedlings that the Memorial distributes each spring under watchful care of Mark Bays, Urban Forester with the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Steve grows them into the Survivor Tree sprouts and then he hand transplants them individually into the container they will grow in for the next year. Other seeds are sent to American Forest where they can be purchased online at www.historictrees.org all year long. Our thanks

to Steve and Mark for continuing this tradition for more than a decade!

The Survivor Tree is only one of hundreds of trees that Steve Bieberich painstakingly hand plants and grows at SUNSHINE NURSERY in Clinton, Oklahoma. It is an amazing place with trees, shrubs, bedding plants, garden plants, tools, and all kinds of accessories needed to maintain a beautiful landscape.

Mom's Painting

Today is my Mother's birthday and this a a photo of me and her when we were much younger!

This is one of the oil paintings (18"x24") my Mother gave me. She is an oil painting instructor.

My Grandson "Granny's Love" says this painting is of him.

We have a running joke around Mom's house that if we really want something we write our name on the back of it. My Mom had got this painting down at her studio, to give to my great niece, and there was my name on the back of it! So she painted another one for my great niece.

My Mom paints landscape, flowers, wildlife, stills, etc. She is an awesome painter and instructor, but most of all the is the best Mom in the world!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Santa Fe Depot - Ardmore

Santa Fe Railroad arrived in Ardmore, Oklahoma in 1887 and operated out of tents. I found different reports of when the Santa Fe Depot was actually built either in 1916 or in 1918. The recently remodeled depot is quite beautiful.

Early Ardmore had a couple of big set backs when the town burned down in 1895 and was destroyed a second time by an explosion in 1915. Oil was discovered in the area in 1913 and continues to be one of the largest oil producing areas in the State of Oklahoma.

Traveling the State of Oklahoma you will find these beautifully painted buffalo. Spirit of the Buffalo originated as a public art project combining art, commerce and civic pride in Oklahoma featuring Oklahoma artists.

To see the Santa Fe Depot in Ardmore, Oklahoma just travel south on I-35. Ardmore has a lot of things to see if you love beautiful architecture and history.

Salute to James Clyde Bolain

My Uncle James "Jim" Clyde Bolain passed away on Sunday. We will all miss him. He was funny, loving, onery and opinionated. He was a wonderful husband, brother, father, grandfather, and uncle. My little brother was named after him, because he was my Mother's oldest brother.

Pictured left to right: Donnie Bolain, Ralph Bolain, Avaon Gastineau, Herb Bolain, Jim Bolain and Ed Bolain.

Nedra and Jim Bolain

My Uncle Jim loved to have family around him as you can see in these photos. His wonderful memories will keep him alive in our hearts forever.

My favorite Uncle Jim story is long long ago when I was really young....Uncle Jim bought my Aunt Nedra a new car. He and my Dad went out to look at the car in the driveway. My Uncle Jim pulled out his pocket knife and took off the gas cap. He started scratching around on the inside of the gas tank opening and my Dad ask what he was doing. Uncle Jim said he just wanted to be the first to put a scratch on the new car. I can still hear my Dad laughing at that and my Uncle Jim was always doing stuff like that.

James Clyde (Jim) Bolain

James C. Bolain (Jim), decorated World War II Army Veteran, entrepreneur, fisherman, poker player, and world’s best husband, father, father-in-law, friend, and “Papa,” passed away on April 10, 2011. Jim was born June 4, 1926, on the family farm in Bella Vista, Arkansas to John Wesley Bolain and Edna Jewell Petty Bolain, the first of seven children. He spent most of his boyhood years in “Bear Holler,” Missouri and had many wild tales to tell of his misadventures with his brothers. Jim married the love of his life, Nedra McGinnis, on September 7, 1950. He always said he wanted nothing for himself, but wanted her to have everything she ever wanted. Nedra spent over 60 years helping him fulfill that wish! Jim and Nedra’s children, Diana Lynn Ingraham and James Ricky Bolain, their eight grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren were his pride and joy. Jim co-owned two businesses: J&J Motor Services and Bolain Equipment, the Blue Bird Bus franchise for the states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas, with his brother Herbert D. Bolain. Jim was active in the Tulsa Moose Lodge #862 and the American Legion. He served four terms as Governor and earned the Pilgrim Degree, the highest honor bestowed by the lodge. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Herb. He is survived by his wife, Nedra, his daughter, Diana, her husband Michael J. Ingraham, his son Rick, his wife Donna F. Bolain, eight grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by five brothers and sisters: Ralph Bolain, Edwin Bolain, Pansy Pearl Bolain Gastineau, Donnie Bolain, and Sharon Evans. Jim was loved, admired, and respected by all he encountered. A celebration of his life will be held at the Tulsa Moose Lodge, 11106 East 7th Street, Tulsa, OK 74128-1644 on April 16, at 1 P.M.

Moore’s Southlawn 663-2233 share memories at www.moorefuneral.com