University of Oklahoma Commencement

Last night we attended the commencement ceremony for Kristen's graduation. This was all the "pomp and circumstance" for ALL of the graduates. It was supposed to be in the football stadium but since we have had tornados and rain all week, they moved it inside of the basketball arena so space was limited. Each graduate only got 3 tickets and one was for themselves. The graduates are NOT required to attend this part - this ceremony was all the speakers and the awarding of the doctoral and honorary degrees. Some of the more outstanding students were acknowledged. Later today, Kristen's college, The Michael F. Price School of Business, will be awarding their degrees at their convocation. So I'll have more pictures later. I thought it was interesting that a group of Native Americans were presenting the colors but I found out later that it is the Kiowa Black Leggings Society, members of the Kiowa Tribe.

I took this video at the very end when one of the music professors was singing Oklahoma and the streamers came down. They gave everyone a glow stick to wave during the OU Chant, visitors had white ones and the graduates had red ones. The program for the commencement was 140 pages long and they are awarding 4100 degrees (at various times today for the various "colleges"). It was officially announced that OU is one of the top 10 universities (of both public & private universities) in the United States.

Urban Lifestyles Tour

Yesterday, as part of my mother's day, Joe agreed to go on the Urban Lifestyles tour in downtown OKC. Those of you who visited when Kristen graduated from high school remember we went to eat at Toby Keith's restaurant in "Bricktown," part of the OKC revitalization project. All around downtown OKC there are different "districts" - Bricktown, Deep Deuce, Automobile Alley, the Arts District, Midtown, Business district, etc. It was like the Parade of Homes but for downtown "urban" living. Naturally they were showing mostly high-dollar stuff. But it was so fun to go in the places. There was a free shuttle that ran between all the stops (11 of them). If you wanted to go into homes where an owner was present you had to buy a ticket, so we splurged and bought the ticket. The stops usually had 2 places to visit, one either furnished or not (for sale/lease) and then one furnished with the homeowner present so you could ask questions about urban living downtown (where do they shop, security, what they liked to do, etc.) Most of the homes were townhomes (2-4 floors) like row houses only brand new. A few were lofts, some were flats. The townhomes usually had a built in elevator in each private unit. I definitely got a butt workout climbing all those stairs; I didn't want to use the elevator. The homes were gorgeous. A couple of them were efficiency apartments that were decorated real cute.

The real reason we took this tour was to look at possible living places for Kristen and Kaitlyn in the next couple of years (although 95% of what we saw we could NEVER afford). Kristen, hopefully, after her internship this year and grad school will have a permanent, full-time job at Chesapeake Energy just north of downtown OKC. At the same time (Fall 2011), Kaitlyn, hopefully, will have to go to school at the OK Health Sciences Center (the medical school campus for OU) which is just east of downtown OKC. Kristen WILL NOT live by herself (her words, not mine) so we figured maybe they could live together and it would be convenient for both as Norman is 20 miles away from where they need to be. PLUS, they could walk to all the venues (clubs, Ford Center Arena, Redhawks ballpark) in Bricktown and daddy would be a couple of blocks away at work if they needed help on something.

I know there has to be a lot more properties in downtown OKC that aren't as "tricked out" and are probably a lot more affordable than the ones we saw yesterday. We have at least one year to scope out the possibilities AND a lot can happen between now and then.

On the way home, one of Joe's hunting buddies called and asked us to come by their neighborhood block party. He has 3 young children and we hadn't seen the twins since they'd been born so we decided to stop by. The street was cordoned off and we joined the festivities. We were drawn to one of the houses on the street. It had a BEAUTIFUL yard, complete with several fountains, a large bronze elk statue in the front yard and astroturf for grass so it looked amazingly green against everyone else's lawn. Joe's friend said the couple that lived there were gay and we could not leave without taking a tour of the house. We met both men, one was a landscape architect (no wonder the yard was amazing) and the other is an antiques/art dealer. I cannot describe the inside of that house. Most everything in it, from the doors (one was like 150 years old probably from an english castle) to the decorating, was mostly antiques, very masculine, and VERY BEAUTIFUL. The dining room was sealed off and made into a temperature controlled, wine cellar, along with a beautiful dining table and chandelier. There is no way I could possibly describe the inside of that house but I will never forget it. This is what the back yard looked like. We were standing in an outdoor kitchen with a wonderful fire pit and I took these pictures from the top of the stairs. The waterfall in this one is a hot tub complete with "grotto."

This next view is of the gazebo that has a fireplace, couch and you can close it off. To the side is another outdoor eating area. He said when they moved in there were NO trees in the back yard so they converted it to look like this. WOW! Gay men definitely have the artistic/decorating thing down better than any women I know. He also made me a Cherry limeade margarita that was quite tasty.....

My First Completed Quilt Top

Last Saturday, I went to my 2nd Quilter's Academy class (it was really the 3rd class but I missed the 2nd one). Anyway, we learned how to do a "Triple Split Rail Fence" pattern. Each of the quilts we make is the size of a lap quilt or wall hanging. This pattern we had to kind of do a mock-up before we sewed to get the lay-out correct. This picture is one I took with my cell phone at the class last week just so I could "see" the pattern when I got home to finish the top.I picked some "oriental" fabrics to make my quilt. It does have some imperfections, but I'm very pleased with the colors I picked and the way it turned out for my first time. This is a length view.

This is sort of a close-up side view.

I really enjoyed making the quilt and look forward to making many more. It's like putting a puzzle together. I can't wait to try different patterns.

S.L.U.T.S.

Jann went to New Orleans last week. She knows I collect coffee mugs and so she usually brings one back to me as a souvenir. I've seen the t-shirts that say 'GRITS' (Girls Raised in the South) but I've never seen this one. We've laughed all week about it......
In case you can't read it, "Southern Ladies Under Tremendous Stress" (SLUTS). HAHA

Weekly Wrap-up

It's been raining here for 2 days straight. Nothing heavy or dangerous, just a good old-fashion steady rain. You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. Everything is really starting to green up. However, my azaleas did bloom this past week along the back of our house and I ran out there and took a picture one morning (before the rain started a day later). Joe was so sweet to plant them for me. It really reminds me of home. Too bad I can't go out there and enjoy them very often, the dogs just want me to play; they don't care that I may want to relax and look at the flowers.

Last Sunday, we had our spring Prayer Shawl Ministry tea. The two ladies who started the ministry MAKE all the goodies we eat (and they are GOOD too). Here's a sampling of one of the plates they fixed. So we eat sweets and drink tea for an hour and share stories and have fun.

Here's some of the ladies, Andrea (the lady in purple) is a friend of mine from church and the high school. We've served on the NHS orchestra board together, we're in the same prayer shawl circle, and we go to Zumba together. And we're the same age. She is Native American, but I can never remember which tribe she's from. Her son is a senior in HS this year and was in the orchestra with Kaitlyn.

Susan Carruth (in the pink hat) founded the prayer shawl ministry at our church. Her daughter, Amy (in the peach dress) recently graduated from college and is a Kindergarten teacher at one of the local elementary schools. Christy Fisher (on the left) teaches knitting and crocheting to people in our Fall Academy classes.

I've also been to Zumba class 5 days this week and I'm planning on going today too. I'm on a streak, we'll see how long this lasts. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I've sure sweatted out some toxicities in my body!

Easters Past

Here are some of our family pictures from Easters past. As you can see, the girls have never gotten too old to hunt eggs. They still do!! Kristen must have been almost 2 in this picture. I don't think she was walking when she was 9 mos. This had been my Easter basket when I was little.

Here's Kristen with Pa-po (Joe's step-dad. She couldn't say Papa Joe). She must have been almost 3. They must have been getting ready to dye eggs.

This was the same Easter in our back yard. I made the little dress for Kristen for Easter. I was about 7 mos pregnant with Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn and Muzzy (Joe's mother) at the Southern Hills CC Easter Egg Hunt and brunch. Kaitlyn was about 9 mos old. I've always thought this picture was cute. Kaitlyn was imitating Muzzy.

Kaitlyn and I at the Southern Hills Easter Egg Hunt. She was about 21 mos old.

Kristen and I at the SHCC hunt.

A picture of the girls together in the club house. I had made Kristen's Easter basket. It was little bunnies with a braided strap.

As the girls got a little older, they still are out in the back yard hunting eggs. Only now the eggs contain coupons for Abercrombie clothes, Beanie Babies, candy and some money.
In this picture, I think they must have spied the same egg at the same time and the race was on! A picture of us before church one year. Kristen has started her growth spurt.

Joe likes to give instructions before the hunt, the "rules" if you will.....
These last two are from this year. Even college girls like to hunt eggs when they only have money in them! Both girls ended up with $70+ and coupons for free Cracker Barrel breakfast with the parental units, free car wash by dad, free load of laundry by mom, and $20 towards a manicure/pedicure, and $40 towards a hair appointment.

Bunny Cake

I decided to do another bunny cake for Easter this year. Last year's cake turned out much better. I knew I was in trouble when the WHOLE cake didn't come out of the pan very good.

You cut the round cake in half and put them together. I used the best two halves I had.

You can decorate it with coconut or color the icing with pastel colors. I just went for the simplest way with what I had on hand. Side view:

Front view:

It turned out okay. I think I did a better job with last year's cake.