To commemorate the event, towns throughout the state are having parades and picnics and concerts and such all this year.  On November 16th, the children and I drove with Grandma to celebrate Statehood Day in Guthrie (our state’s original capital).  There was a huge parade and a picnic.  Many people were dressed in period clothing.  The town had even chosen to recreate the menu offered 100 years before:  a slice of bread, a piece of beef, a pickle, lemonade and coffee.

This was what it looked like walking along the parade route.  Besides all the people you can see ahead there were just as many behind and even more around the corner where the parade turned toward the park.  I overheard an official say they estimated over 4,000 people in attendance.

For the two horse-loving girls with us, the Clydesdales were a great favorite.  I suppose God knew that because He arranged for us to get a wonderful close-up look at them not once but twice.  First, since we didn’t have any clue where to park, we ended up walking through the parade staging area.  This picture was taken there.

Then later during the parade there was an especially long pause and what entry stopped right in front of us for several minutes?  Yep, the Clydesdales.

All in all we ended up walking about two miles that day.  Not so much for an adult but it almost did Brother in.  We were so fortunate to find a space on the trolley for the ride back to our car or that distance would have been doubled & my arms would have fallen off from carrying the exhausted Brother.

(This pic was taken mere moments before I stepped into a ginormous hole which I didn’t see because I was looking through a camera lens.  - Since this is not the first time something like this has happened, I’m thinking of changing the name of my blog to “The Graceful Photographer.” )

Finally, back at the car after a full day we decided to grab a snack before heading out of town.  This would have been an easy feat if we actually knew the town’s layout or even if the main thoroughfares (closed for the parade) had been opened.  After much wandering we found ourselves exactly back where we started at which point Sister helpfully noted, “Hey, hey grandma!  I think we’ve been on this street before!”

There was one bright point in our wanderings:  a sign which I’ve recreated below.

I mean no disrespect if you’re last name is Brown or Gross but knowing how a bride agonizes over all the details of her wedding I can just imagine the conversations surrounding this one.

Bride: Should it be Brown/Gross or Gross/Brown?’  Could we get away with just saying ‘B/G wedding? 

Groom:  Oh, the heck with it.  Let’s just elope.

Anyway, thanks Mr & Mrs. Brown-Gross.  You gave us a good chuckle when we needed it.  We hope you had a lovely day - neither gross nor brown.

In summary, a good time was had by all.

____________________________

In honor of our state I leave you with these fascinating facts.

Most people think of the stage play ” Oklahoma !” when they hear our state’s name mentioned, but there is so much more to Oklahoma than “beautiful mornings,” “fringe-laden surreys ” and “a girl who cain’t say no.”

Oklahoma is not only the home of Ado Annie and AuntEller from ” Oklahoma !” but of the parking meter(invented in OKC) and the shopping cart (invented in Ardmore ).

The electric guitar also was invented in Oklahoma, by a Beggs musician named Bob Dunn. The first “Yield”sign was installed in Tulsa .

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes Oklahoma as having the most diverse terrain of any state in the nation. The state, according to EPA, boasts 11distinct eco-regions.

The state has more man-made lakes than any other, which give us more than a million surface-acres of water and 2,000 more miles of shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts combined.

The Sooner State has produced more astronauts than any other state in the union. Owen Garriott is an Enidboy, while Tom Stafford is from Weatherford, Shannon Lucid is from Oklahoma City, WilliamPogue is from Okemah and the late Gordon Cooper was from Shawnee.

Oklahoma is home to the Amateur Softball Associationand Hall of Fame, a world class zoo in OKC and more F4 and F5 tornadoes than any other state.

Oklahoma is the third-largest natural gas-producing state in the nation and ranks fourth in the production of wheat, cattle and calves, fifth in the production of pecans, sixth in peanuts and eighth in peaches.

The state’s colors are neither OU’s crimson and cream nor the orange and black of OSU but green and white.

Oklahomans practice 73 major religions. The largest is the Southern Baptist Convention, with nearly 1,600 churches and more than 960,000 members.

Oklahoma gave birth to Dick Tracy (cartoonist ChesterGould is a native of Pawnee) and Donald Duck (Clarence “Ducky” Nash, the original voice of Walt Disney’s Donald, grew up in Watonga).

The number of famous singers from Oklahoma is too long to list here but includes Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Reba McIntire, Woodie Guthrie and Roger Miller.

Oklahomans have survived the Dust Bowl, any number of killer tornadoes, the 1995 bombing of Oklahoma City ’s Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and various oil booms and busts. Oklahoma is populated by people who are caring, giving, hard-working, patriotic and fiercely independent. Oklahoma is a good place to live, work and play.

If that’s not enough check out these links.

• http://www.computerlabkids.com/oklahoma.htm
• http://www.shgresources.com/ok/facts/
• http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002026.shtml

We’d love to learn something about your state too!  Leave us a link in the comments.

That’s hubby in the middle - from which you may rightly assume I did not take this picture. I love it though because of the light pink tones that lend an air of nostalgia…. and because hubby is so darn cute!

Did You Play?

Will’s grandmother is an amazing lady. Her work will be featured at the State Capitol. Here’s the link to the article but I am including it below as well since I am unsure how the Arts Council archives their web pages.

Mary Spurgeon -Reflections on Western Ways

(Governor’s Gallery - August 7 thru October 6, 2006)
Oklahoman Mary Spurgeon’s exhibit Reflections on Western Ways is reminiscent of the great western artists of the past. Like famed painter and sculptor C.M. Russell, Spurgeon actually worked as a cattle hand growing up with her pioneer parents living near Dodge City, Kansas. Russell worked as a cattle hand in Montana, which in turn would become the inspiration for his world-renowned western scenes. Unlike many western artists such as Frederic Remington who only visited the frontier, Russell and Spurgeon engrossed themselves within the lovely and often harsh land.

 

Her exhibit focuses upon the partnership between man and horse and how important horses were to the survival of men during the time of the Old West. Horse and man traveled together, worked the lands together, and played together. Horses were so vital to the western lifestyle that horse thieves were often put to death for their crimes. Even in today’s technologically advanced society, a horse performs tasks a machine may be incapable of and is essential to the success of many working farms.

Spurgeon survived through some of America’s most historically tumultuous times, including the devastating dust storms of the 1930s, the Great Depression, and World War II during which time she married her long-time love, Bill. Together, they raised four children in a large ranch home they built themselves from 70-year old bridge timbers.

After much success as a painter, Spurgeon began sculpting at the age of 72. Her work can be found in galleries across the country. Her Wyatt Earp statue will be the first work in a series that will be placed along the Dodge City Trail of Fame. A recent nominee to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Spurgeon lives on a ranch near Gate, Oklahoma, close to an area settled by her husband’s grandparents. Her independent spirit is a testament to the genuine nature of this cowgirl’s amazing life.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov

The Governor’s Gallery is located on the 2nd floor of the State Capitol outside the Blue Room and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00.