Pop Can Tabs

Note the little gray paw at the top of this first photo...Lizzie Tu tries to help me with every craft project and every photo I try to take. She is our cat that has to know about everything going on in this house.

For this craft project you will need to collect 110 or more pop can tabs to make a 35 inch belt.

Ribbon or cord at least 2 feet longer than the finished belt measurment. As you connect the can tabs together it will use more ribbon than the belt length. This is my first attempt at making a pop can tab belt and I will use more ribbon next time!

I used two pieces of ribbon to weave through each side of the pop can tabs. My thought was that it would make the belt stronger. Next time I will only use one piece, because it was too hard to get both ends through the small holes in the tabs.

Tie the ribbon or cords together about 8 inches from the ends. Thread the ribbon through each hole of one tab. Thread on a second tab so it overlaps the first tab. Push the ribbon back through the holes of the second tab and the holes of the first tab. Turn it over and cross over the ribbon to make an "X" on the back side of the tabs. Continue threading through the tab fronts and crossing over the ribbon on the tab backs. It is hard to get started, but easy to do!

You will need to leave enough at the ends to knot together and use the extra ribbon to tie the belt. I also plan to check for belt hooks later to see if that would look better on the finished project.

My granddaughter thought this was a cool belt when I got it finished. When I first started putting the pop can tabs on the ribbon she thought I was crazy. Funny how a finished project can look different!

What craft ideas do you have for pop can tabs? Leave a comment on this blog....

James N. Walters

Goodbye friend. This is a tribute to James N. Walters. A wonderful man who will be missed by all who knew him. He and his wife Rita Marie Walters were always the first to offer a helping hand to those in need. He always had a big smile and I can hear his laughter as I write this post.

BENTON COUNTY — James N. Walters      1926 - 2011

BENTONVILLE — James N. “Jim” Walters, 84, died Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, at his home in Bentonville.
James was born Feb. 25, 1926, in Kansas City, Mo., to the late O. Neal and Martha Ellen (Watters) Walters.
James moved to Bentonville in 1964 with his company, Neal Walters Poster and General Business Forms Inc., of which he was president. He was an active member of Rotary International and the Mason’s for 64 years, president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1966-1967, a recipient of the Chamber Outstanding Achievement Award in 1978, a founding member of the NWACC Foundation and a member of the Benton County Fair Board since 1964.
He was chairman of Ozark Guidance and a board member for five years and a recipient of the R.E. “Ed” Buck Leadership Award in 1982. James was appointed to the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in 1974 by then Gov. Dale Bumpers and was re-appointed by subsequent governors for 23 years. In 1986, James was made Knight of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II for outstanding community, church, and political service, the highest award for a Catholic layman. James was also the county campaign manager for Dale Bumpers for U.S. Senate, David Pryor for U.S. Senate, and Gov. Bill Clinton.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 7, 2011, at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Bentonville, with a private burial at a later time.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in James’ name to St. Stephen Catholic Church; or NWACC Disability Resources.
Online condolences can be made at http://www.callisonlough.com/.

One year Rita sent out their Christmas card with a note that she was sorry the cards were late, because she and James had gone to the White House to have dinner with President Clinton and Hillary. It made me laugh because how many people would be worried about Christmas cards if they could be having dinner with the President of the United States.

James was a YELLOW DOG DEMOCRAT, but he was loved by all...Democrats and Republicans alike. The photos below were taken at my uncle's 80 birthday party. My uncle was a Republican County Judge. Senator Jim Cauldwell and Preston Bynum are both members of the Republican party, but James Walters brought out the best in people no matter their party!

Rita Walters, Senator Jim Caldwell, James Walters

Preston Bynum, Rita Walters, James Walters



My daughter, who grew up with James and Rita in her life, wrote this beautiful note on the online guest book:

Rita,
You and James were a very memorable part of my childhood. I learned the importance of being a "YELLOW DOG DEMOCRAT" at a very early age. I even received a letter for my 18th birthday from President Clinton because James pulled a few strings. I felt very special and it is still a topic of conversation in my home, because its proudly displayed on my living room wall. Anytime I have a visitor they ask me how I got a letter from the President and I simply reply because I'm special. Thank you both for making me always feel special.

Love,
Kennda

THAT IS EXACTLY HOW JAMES N. WALTERS MADE EVERYONE FEEL....SPECIAL! BECAUSE HE WAS A VERY SPECIAL MAN. GOODBYE FRIEND.

Crazy Weather & Gas Prices

A couple of days ago I posted on this blog about how cold it was here in Western Oklahoma. Well, today as you can see from this first photo, the temperatures have gone up and the gas prices too! On our Saturday outing to the grocery store I snapped these photos of gas prices along main street. Can you believe 2 degrees to 62 degrees in the same week.

This is the temperature reading from my van as I waited for my husband to grab the groceries.

I can't get excited about the weather, because we are suppose to get more snow this week!

Ella Hunter Building Ardmore, OK

On a trip to Ardmore, Oklahoma I saw this neat rock building and wanted to know more about Ella Hunter. Doing a little research I found that Ella Hunter was an early day business woman in Ardmore, Oklahoma. She owned a boarding house and a small cigar stand in the Whittington Hotel.      

According to the information I found Ella Hunter was a young widow and reared three children. She would buy property anytime she had extra cash. She ended up owning property as far away as Houston, Texas.

This building at A Street and 2nd Northeast was listed for $59,900 on a recent website.

Brrrrrr It's Cold Outside

On the way to work yesterday the thermometer in my van was showing a few degrees warmer than the radio had just announced. The radio DJ Vanessa said it was 0 degrees on Coyote Hill. Brrrrrr It's Cold Outside. So I took the photo to remember just how cold it was in February 2011.

About that time the thermometer changed to a degree colder. Which was still one degree warmer than what the bank sign said. So it was either 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 degrees, depending on what was giving the report. Doesn't much matter, because that is really cold!

Later in the day on my way home the temp kept switching from 26 degrees to 27 degrees. We were having a regular heat wave! Since the photos I shot on the way to work turned out a little fuzzy, I decided to wait until I got parked to take the heat wave photo.

I had just shut the van off, so it was not out of gas, the gauges had stopped for the day. I was glad to be back home after another long day of work. Brrrrrr It's Cold Outside!

Black Olives

Black olives are always a part of our family dinners. They add extra flavor to a variety of recipes. Black olives provide color on the relish tray and we love eating them.

Granny's Love found another use for black olives.

He likes to have his own bowl of black olives. He puts them on his finger tips and then eats them off. This gives another meaning to have fun with your food!

1st Loose Tooth!

Granny's Love has his first loose tooth at the age of six! I have been saving this book to give him for this special occasion. He is all smiles about having a loose tooth!

He thought it was great fun taking a photo of his loose tooth.

He showed me how loose his tooth was by wiggling it with his finger.

He opened wide to show me a new tooth was coming in to replace his loose tooth!

Cotton in Oklahoma

The History of Cotton in Oklahoma information provided by OSU Extension Service via the internet. OSU Extension Service provides more information and so many learning opportunities across the state. If you have never been to the extention service office in your county you should stop in and check out the free brochures and other educational materials they offer. If you live in another state check to see where your extension service office is located.

I found this field of cotton right along Interstate 40 in Custer County, Oklahoma. I only caught my shirt twice on the barbed wire fence trying to get close enough to get these photos.

Amazing how they pop open and there is the cotton.

During the years after the land runs of 1889 and later, farmers in Oklahoma were just learning what would grow well in the new territory. During the 1890s, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins featured research on such subjects as wheat, fruits, potatoes, cabbage--even wine making. In 1895, George L. Holter published research entitled "Food Value of Corn Scorched by Hot Winds."

However, by the early part of the century, researchers were beginning to look at cotton as a valuable crop for Oklahoma. In 1908, the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, at Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University), published Bulletin No. 77, "Cotton Culture." The authors, L. A. Moorhouse and J. F. Nicholson, concluded:


Cotton is a banner crop in Oklahoma. This crop has been tested for several years in succession in the two territories, and the practical grower has reached the conclusion that cotton can be cultivated with profit in the new state.

(NOTE: In my research about my husband's hometown Ardmore, Oklahoma in Carter County, I found information that said Carter County was the largest inland cotton market in the world in 1890's!)


By 1922, cotton was the most valuable cash crop in Oklahoma. In fact, in that year Oklahoma ranked fourth among the cotton-producing states, and the Experiment Station had been doing cotton variety tests for several years. In 1928, Oklahoma A&M cotton specialist L. L. Ligon published his report on "Varieties of Cotton for Oklahoma."


Today, cotton is still an important cash crop for Oklahoma's farmers. During the 1990s cotton has consistently ranked within the top three or four cash crops for the state, behind winter wheat, hay, and at times, peanuts. The year 1996, with unusually good corn and sorghum crops, was an exception. The value of the cotton crop for that year put it in sixth place. Nationally, Oklahoma ranks 14th in production of cotton.


Most of Oklahoma's cotton is grown in the southwestern part of the state, although cotton can be grown as far north as Kay County, bordering Kansas. Wheat and cattle may be the dominant agricultural commodities in Oklahoma today, but cotton, which has played a significant role in the state's agricultural history, continues to be one of Oklahoma's most valuable crops.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OCES Cotton IPM            Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
Oklahoma State University

THANK YOU OSU EXTENSION SERVICE FOR THE HISTORY OF COTTON IN OKLAHOMA.

COTTON AS FAR AS I COULD SEE

THANK YOU FARMERS FOR GROWING SO MANY THINGS WE USE IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES!



Steam Engine

Ardmore, Oklahoma in the South Central part of the state has some of the neatest sites to see and historic things they have saved, for the education of future generations. This steam engine is just one of the many things I enjoyed seeing on a trip down I-35 to Ardmore.

Can you imagine traveling on this once "modern" mode of transportation?

Ardmore,Oklahoma had two major disasters that destroyed most of the town. In 1895 a fire destroyed the town and in 1915 an explosion and fire destroyed it again. As the sign says this locomotive brought doctors and nurses to Ardmore after the 1915 explosion.

Ardmore is rich in history! Ardmore is the hometown of the Williams Family,  Bill Dalton-outlaw, Rue McClanahan-actress, S.N. Goldman-shopping cart inventor, Mark Gastineau-football player and Samuel Lloyd Noble-oilman.

Outdoor Amphitheater

McLain Rogers Park in Clinton, Oklahoma has one of the two remaining outdoor amphiteaters in the state. This 400 seat amphitheater was  built between 1934 and 1937 as part of the WPA. It has an impressive Art Deco brick entrance complete with neon letters that welcome visitors from Route 66.

National Register of Historic Places

The Amphitheater is a WPA masterpiece you need to see for yourself!

The amphitheater is not the only thing in McLain Rogers Park. You will also find putt-putt golf, pavilions, tennis courts, picnic tables, playgrounds, ball fields and lots of beautiful landscaping.

Pork Loin

This is another version of a pork loin cooked in the crock pot. My husband put the pork loin in the crock pot with whole red potatoes and a whole onion before we left for work. He only seasoned with black pepper and salt on top of the loin. He put a cup of water in the pot to keep the loin from sticking to the bottom. He set the crock pot on high.

When we returned home 10 hours later the pork loin had the house smelling so wonderful.

He cooked Kentucky Wonder green beans with some of the crock pot juice to give them added flavor. Took the loin out of the pot to cool while he whipped up a batch of cornbread. This was a wonderful meal for a week night dinner.

Since the loin was too big for us to eat before we got tired of it, we put enough slices in ziplock freezer bags to have for dinner a couple more times. We also freeze extra meat such as loin or meatloaf to pack in our lunches. We just take them out of the freezer and put in our lunch plates the night before. By the time we are ready to microwave our lunch at work the meat has thawed and is perfect.



Another way he fixes pork loin in the crock pot is to pour half a can of pineapple in the bottom of the pot and then pour the other half of the can on top of the pork loin. This gives the pork loin and good flavor.

Scrapbook Hints

I love to put together a scrapbook to give as a present commemorating a special event. I try to plan ahead and usually have a scrapbook or two on hand. I always check the scrapbook section of the store to see if they have any scrapbooks or supplies on sale. My favorite thing to do for a big event is to have those attending sign in on a few of the scrapbook pages rather than have a guest book. Then I can incorporate the pages right into the memory scrapbook of the event. This is one of the pages used at a surprise birthday party.

Another thing I have started doing is to find a scrapbook that has very colorful pages. I use a variety of craft scissors to cut around the photos and glue them directly on to the pages. Make sure you use acid free glue that is photo safe.  I love using stickers that say things, plus I hand write on the pages as well. When I first started scrapbooking I would cut the borders and back the photos and all kinds of extra work. Then I decided I like keeping it simple and they turn out just as neat.

Make sure when you are at the event that you pick up table favors and other items to include in your scrapbook. Leave several pages to add the greeting cards the person received at the end of the scrapbook. The goal is to put together a complete memory of the event.

There are so many types of scrapbooks and scrapbook page designs you can find the appropriate pages for the event or the person's personality.

If the scrapbook is about a special trip or vacation you can get maps of where you traveled and mark the route with a bright highlighter like I have below. If you cross several states make the pages next to each other so the route traveled will connect and continue.

You can also pick up brochures or other items from stops made along the way and include.

 Try to take photos when you stop at special places along the way.

Scrapbooks are fun! I get a lot of enjoyment out of putting together a gift of memories. I get amused at people who think a scrapbook has to be perfect, because they don't! A scrapbook should only show the love you have for the person who will be the recipient of the scrapbook. I promise they will not see it as having anything wrong with it! So if you do not scrapbook, it is time to start and have fun!

Stafford Air & Space Museum

Looking for a winter activity? I recommend a trip to the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma just off Historic Route 66. The Stafford Air & Space Museum is the premier museum of its type in the southwestern area of the United States. The museum has some of the best flight exhibits and space artifacts in the country. The museum has expanded to 40,000 square feet since it was founded in 1981.

The museum mission is to promote the adventurous spirit of flight and space travel, while encouraging science and math excellence. It has an interactive aviation gallery that spans the history of flight, more than 20 historic aircraft, and exhibits displaying the history of rocketry. You can see the giant F-1 Saturn engine down through the Gemini and Mercury space programs, Explorer, Sputnik and other artifacts from the Shuttle program, Hubble telescope and the Mir Space Station. Many more exhibits than I have space to list in this post.

Thomas P. Stafford, Lieutenant General, USAF (RET.) NASA Astronaut (Former) was born in Weatherford, Oklahoma and has been instrumental in obtaining funding and displays for the museum named in his honor.