The Griswolds Live in Edmond

My six strings of icicles pale in compari-son to the symphon-y of color and sound at this house! The lights and music are on a motion-sensitive switch so they go on when a car drives up. And believe me, plenty are driving up.

Utensils of My Own

I don't drink coffee, so I feel very left out when I visit restaurants where regular customers have their own coffee cups. But now, I've found my spot. Dot Wo, my favorite local Chinese restaurant has offered special chop sticks to regulars. I have my own little paper container that holds them. Since my name isn't actually on the chop sticks but on the container, I don't want to think too hard about exactly how this works. I mean, I don't want to put the dirty chop sticks back into the little envelope. Our server tonight had a bit of difficulty with the language and couldn't answer my question. Fortunately, the manager came and took chop sticks and paper envelope saying she would take the chop sticks to the kitchen and wash and sterilize them and put them back in the container. Aside from the food being good, I feel so special!

Show Me Your Market Share

Well, this just sucks the mean weenie! Son-in-law Simon got comments from the Harper Collins editors who praised his work, Evil Unltd., then explained why they weren't interested. It won't sell. According to them, sci-fi readers don't want humor and humor readers won't read sci-fi. Tell that to Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Simon has two more books up on http://www.authonomy.com/ -- Kip Doodle and the Armchair of Lost Dreams for young readers and Tortenschloss. So if you get tired of watching football this weekend, please check in and give him a bit of a read. I like them both but think maybe there's a better chance of Kip Doodle getting published. Don't know how it will do on authonomy -- though it's in the top 20 -- because I don't know how many people check out young adult fiction.

Maintaining Scrapbook Silence

Sorry about the quiet week, but I've had my scrapbooking stuff all over the dining room table for a couple of months -- trying to catch up. Well, I'm having Thanksgiving dinner here next Thursday, so it's crunch time. I have spent the last four days hunched over my photos and have managed to get through 2006! I'm calling it quits now. It will take me another day or two to get all my papers, stickers, cutters, etc. put away but I will succeed!

Getting Wicked in the Wichitas

Weight Watchers was a disaster this morning -- and I know why! Jack, my brother-in-law Dick and I took a road trip to Medicine Park yesterday to check out the Winery of the Wichitas and their wonderful Buffalo Bistro. Wine isn't really my thing -- my first drinks were Mogen David mixed with 7 Up and my palate hasn't progressed much from there -- but food is, and this place is a doozy! Executive chef Anna Banda (a graduate of Chef Kurt Fleishfresser's apprentice program) has taken old favorites and given them a new twist -- meat loaf sliders with caramelized onions, grilled cheese sandwiches made with Gruyere, Swiss and Cheddar. And what she has done to the peanut butter sandwich elevates her to the heights of gourmet goodiness! The dessert, pictured above, called the Vinny (after her husband, who loves it), features peanut butter on walnut-raisin bread, toasted, and topped with honey and caramelized bananas. I thought that sounded awful but, oh my goodness, just a sample bite wouldn't do -- I did real damage! Of course, there are much more figure-friendly items on the menu but as a working journalist, I felt compelled to try the specialties. So, reading public, this pound's for you!

Hallelujah!

I just got home from a choir rehearsal -- Oklahoma Choral Artists has invited the choir from Oklahoma City Centennial High School to join us for one of our Christmas concerts. The kids will be singing "Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light," and "And the Glory" and "Hallelujah Chorus" from "The Messiah" with us. I would be willing to bet that few of these kids had ever heard "The Messiah" let alone sung any of it. We had a joint rehearsal tonight and they're doing a great job learning this difficult music. As we were leaving I watched one of the high school altos skipping down the hall singing bits of the "Hallelujah Chorus." Hallelujah! The concert will be held at First Presbyterian Church at 25th and Western in OKC, Sunday, December 7 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5 (available at the door) will proceeds going to Infant Crisis Services -- a worthy cause any time of year, but particularly appropriate for a season celebrating a wondrous birth.
I hope you'll put this on your calendar.

Et Tu, Tuva

Big doin's at the library this morning. As part of their "Our World" series, the Metropolitan Library System presented a concert by Huun Huur Tu Tuvan Throat Singers. Tuva is a small republic squashed between Mongolia and Siberia. Throat singing is an ancient art -- its origins lie in prehistoric religious rituals and communication with spirits. The five singers/instrumentalists sang ancient songs and more contemporary compositions. They began the concert with plucked notes on a stringed instrument. The singing began with a primal growl -- kind of a cross between wind blowing through a great cave and a giant tiger's purr. Throat singers are able to sing two or three tones simultaneously. Above a ground bass-like growl, flute like warblings are produced -- an amazing sound. The musicians were dressed in robes of rich fabric, three in brown tones, two in shades of rose and mauve. One was a rich mahogany with medallians of embroidered gold thread. Over 200 people showed up for the concert -- a number of them had to stand outside the doors. Who says we ain't got culture in Oklahoma?

Missing Period

I just finished a story about Frisco, Texas, and included a paragraph about their cool Dr Pepper Ball Park. I called the team (Frisco RoughRiders) public relations department for some information and not only got what I needed but an offer to check what I'd written for accuracy. Dane Brugler, their p.r. person, gave me an A+ for the paragraph but pointed out that there is no period after Dr in Dr Pepper. Curiosity piqued, I went in search of the missing period. Here's a little history. Dr. Pepper was invented in 1885 by pharmicist Charles Alderton, working in Waco, Texas. I found two stories about the name. The company site, in classic corporate butt-coverage style, prefaces their version with "legend has it..." and says that the drug store owner, a Mr. Morrison, named the drink after the father of a girl he had once loved. The other version also credits Morrison but leaves out the romantic embellishments. Popular in Waco, the soda gained wider acceptance after its appearance at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. In the 1950s, the period was dropped "to improve legibility on bottles." And the admonition to drink it at 10, 2 and 4 came after a 1920 study that stated that a person's blood pressure was lowest at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. All you really need to know about Dr Pepper is that it RULES!!

The Cat's Meow

We've been so lucky with the weather on this press trip! It was cloudy yesterday and we were expecting rain and a cool front. Both graciously arrived while we slept and were out of town before the sun came up. It was bright, cool and clear when we arrived at the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, just outside Eureka Springs. This is the largest, open-to-the-public, big cat refuge in the world. Strictly professional, it is one of the very few USDA licensed facilities for large carnivores in the U.S.

One of our first greeters was a very small cat -- an 11-week-old leopard named Spike. Actually, he didn't greet us but let us watch as he explored the front lawn of the facility. We were then introduced to some of the over 100 big cats -- lions, tigers, leopards, mountain lions and bobcats -- who have been rescued by the center. Each has a special story but most of them involve stupid people who think having a tiger (or other big cat) as a pet would be fun. Did you know that there are more big cats in private homes than in the wild? Dumb de dumb dumb! Several of the animals suffer from improper declawing they received as babies; others have other disabilities exacerbated by ignorance. Here, all the animals receive excellent care and even animals who have suffered from their early keeping now live good lives.

You can stay on the property in several different types of accommodations. In two of the rooms, you can look into tiger cages. A tree house provides a cosy room for two with sleeping in a loft. My favorite rooms were tent-like structures in the Safari Camp. Built on a deck, around a fire pit, the five "cabins" are decorated with original artwork and each feature a private deck in back. There's also a large hot tub available. Though farther from the cats, the Safari Camp is often visited by local wildlife -- deer, sometimes coyotes. And all the rooms are serenaded at night by "caroling" lions.

This is a great destination and a great cause. Please check their web site: www.tiger.tc

Journalist's Idea of Hell

We were told yesterday that there would be no TV available last night!!!!! I was already having withdrawal -- no TV at my B and B and I hadn't watched CNN or read a paper since Sunday morning. Most travel writers on press trips are good sports and go with the flow. Not yesterday. The troops were definitely testy. We arrived last night at the Buffalo Outdoor Center in Ponca, Arkansas. The cabins had TV, but all but one were only working with VHS and DVD. One of the cabins was able to get PBS through a blizzard of snow on the screen. After dinner, some of us gathered in that cabin to watch the little TV with a picture so bad we couldn't read any of the graphics. But it was live; it was happening and we were able to savor history being made. A little after 10 we shared a bottle of champagne. I couldn't imagine living through the long months of the presidential campaign and not watching the election returns come in. It would have been like reading a 1000 page novel only to find the last page torn out!

I woke this morning and walked out on the front porch of my cabin. The sun was just coming up and I could see for miles across the valley and hills. What a great day!

I'm in Love with Charles Banks Wilson

Charles Banks Wilson with a reproduction of a portrait he painted of Will Rogers -- Wilson was 14 at the time.

Fayetteville, Arkansas -- today we visited Charles Banks Wilson at his home/studio. What a lovely, gracious and talented man! He let a gaggle of travel writers invade his space and offered to answer any questions we asked. We asked, he answered -- with great wit and patience. I wish I'd had my tape recorder -- pearls were dripping from his lips and I could only grab a few. My favorite -- advice to parents -- "give your children what they need, then get out of their way." This was in answer to a question about how his parents felt about his wanting to become and artist. He felt that they had done just that. I'll never look at the paintings in the Oklahoma State Capitol the same way -- I have touched the hand that held the brush. And it was really special.

"Suzanna and the Elders" painted by Wilson in 1978. "I drove over a hill and there was this woman bathing in a stock tank. She waved at me and I waved back. I think the Herefords look like lecherous old men."

Teddy-a-go-go

Wow! What a wild and busy week! Two articles due -- done and delivered -- campaign phone calls to make, rehearsals for last night's Brahm's to Broadway concert -- it went great -- Cal's birthday -- lunch one day and "W" the next afternoon -- and watching Simon's book on http://www.authonomy.com/. And yes, Evil Unltd. finished in the top five. Hurray! It's promised a read by a real live book editor! He has a new book up on authonomy now -- a children's book, Kip Doodle and the Armchair of Lost Dreams. As with all his writing, this one is brilliant -- so if you get a chance, please check it out and "Back this Book." I'm wondering if being a children's book will make it harder to make it into the top five. As for now, I'm off to the airport. Teddy Bear (the SATW travelin' Teddy) and I are headed for northwest Arkansas and, hopefully, some beautiful fall foliage. Teddy's got a full schedule in the next month. He's been invited to visit Mary Hendron in St. Louis -- and go with her to Ireland for Thanksgiving! You go, Teddy. Come to think of it, why isn't Mary taking me?

Southeast Oklahoma: Up-to-date in the Boonies

Please don't think I'm just a capital city snob -- but the southeast corner of Oklahoma really is in the boonies. It's closer to Dallas than to Broken Bow from here. A big timbering area, this part of the state has suffered economically for a long time. What Okies and others are discovering is that this remote region is possibly the most beautiful area of Oklahoma. It boasts brilliant, blue, Broken Bow Lake, clear mountain streams and lots of wildlife including the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. With mature hardwood trees and tall pines, this is a prime spot for fall foliage color. And the Beavers Bend Folk Festival and Craft Show is scheduled for the peak of the season. For a complete article about the festival, check my column in the Edmond paper next Saturday, November 1.

Tourism is becoming big business -- beautiful new lodgings are available and first class dining at Abendigo's is a must. Oklahoma's kickiest (if not most serious) winery is Girls Gone Wine where the labels are bound to bring a smile (a Christmas white wine is called Ho-Ho-Ho -- and, yes, there are three girls, you do the joke!) and the gift shop carries a lot of fanciful and attractive items.

A few miles south in Idabel, the Museum of the Red River is a surpisingly sophisticated institution with a premier collection of arts and crafts of indigenous peoples of the Americas. And you can't miss the giant dinosaur skeleton whose scientific name pays tribute to nearby Atoka County where the first specimens were found.

Another discovery for the area is the blog "Today in Idabel Oklahoma." The product of four interesting women, its entries range from significant local happenings to exchanges on politics and religion (probably sex, too, but I haven't read all the posts yet!). Some of the entries are funny, others poignant, but they are always worth checking out.

Carousel, Confessions of a Chorister

Life's been busy this week with rehearsals for a concert presentation of "Carousel" starring Shirley Jones, Patrick Cassidy and Miss America Lauren Nelson here in Oklahoma City. The Edmond Community Chorale is singing the chorus parts -- we're sort of aural set dressing. This is not one of my favorite musicals with its sad ending and a theme of domestic abuse and the excuse of "he's your feller and you love him, that's all there is to say." Still, the music is wonderful -- with extended chunks of orchestra in the prelude, entr'acte and ballet -- it's a great chance to re-appreciate the genius of Richard Rogers. Shirley Jones is singing the part of Nettie while Lauren Nelson sings Julie, the role Miss Jones made famous. Now in her 70s, Jones is still trim and beautiful and although her voice is no longer the clear, light, high voice of her youth, she brings vocal warmth and maturity to her role. Her son, Patrick Cassidy, is a treat to watch. With the striking silver hair of his father, Jack Cassidy, he caught every eye with his good looks-- until last night, when someone decided Billy Bigelow shouldn't have silver hair. Oh my gosh, the wig looked like a poodle on his head! Bring back the real Patrick Cassidy -- it's totally believeable that Julie Jordan would go for him. (Other than the fact that he's a pretty awful character!) University of Central Oklahoma students take a couple of the other roles. The girl playing Carrie, Madison Bookout, has a wonderful voice and Mr. Snow's (James Avance) soaring tenor overcomes the fact that his character is a real prig. Lauren Nelson does a fine job as Julie. Of course, the real star is Shirley Jones. Most of the chorus know her from reruns of the Partridge Family -- they're such babies. A few of us know her from the 50's movies "Carousel" and "Oklahoma." A few of the kids are too young for either group. But I'm sure they can tell they're in the presence of a real star and a real lady. Performances are at Oscar Rose tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow at 2:30.

Even with a magnifying glass, you can't tell much from this picture taken last night during rehearsal -- but Shirley Jones is on the right in the white pants suit and Patrick Cassidy is in front in the red sweater. The men are standing, singing "Blow High, Blow Low."

Who Knew?

I don't know what the fastest growing city in the country is -- but I'd be willing to bet that Frisco, Texas, is high on that list. Next door to McKinney and closer to Denton than downtown Dallas, Frisco has grown from approximately 32,000 in 2000 to about 102,000 today. Where all those people live, I don't know because Frisco has a real open, small-town feel with some big amenities. Like sports -- you'll have to look hard to find a prettier minor league baseball park, Dr. Pepper Park. Also, the home of Dallas' major league soccer team -- and enough playing fields to keep a soccer mom confused. Big stars like Jimmy Buffet have appeared in the soccer stadium -- Pizza Hut Park. Did you notice that even the sponsors are family friendly? Art -- lots of public art and a beautiful private sculpture collection scattered throughout a spacious business park. Favorite Friday night stop -- the Double Dip for ice cream. One of the coolest educational venues for kids, Safety Town. Yeah, I know, I thought that sounded boring, too. But it isn't. The little buildings in Safety Town are so beautiful, I could live there! As you can see from the top picture -- Teddy liked it, too. Shopping -- they're missing the biggie Nieman's and Saks but everything else is here. I did the Sam Moon marathon! Frisco will feature in my column in the Edmond Sun on November 15 -- God willin' and the crick don't rise. Catch the complete story there at http://www.edmondsun.com/.

Silence of the Hams

Having too much fun to blog!!!! What a treasure it is to have Zoe here -- she's the rare person who finds humor in the same things I do. I don't have to explain my jokes or the little things that strike me funny. It's so great to get the giggles together. Alas, she leaves tomorrow and a little of the light will go out of my life. But, oh my, I have loved her visit here. Just knowing she's in the house -- where I can hug her or tell her whatever pops into my head -- well, the telephone and the internet just don't quite cut it. Still, they're better than nothing. Now I want to start planning when I'll see her again. Thanks, Jack, for my great birthday present! Sending her the ticket to come visit was the best present I ever received.

My Son-in-law, the Author

My son-in-law Simon Forward (isn't that just the most delicious English name you ever heard) is an author and is participating in a new program created by the publishers Harper Collins. I'm going to let my daughter Zoe tell you about it. I hope you'll take time to participate. I love Simon's writing. Even though science-fiction/fantasy isn't my genre of choice, I just adore his elegantly crafted prose!

Hi, this is Zoe. Anyway, Harper Collins came up with a brilliant way to deal with slush piles: create an online community and get them to do the reading for you! Only on its third month, over 600 manuscripts (some complete, some partial, all at least 10000 words) have been posted to the website at http://www.authonomy.com/. The community grows every day, and there is a lively forum in addition to the books. To participate, simply go to the website and register (it's easy, most of the info requested is optional). From there, you can upload your own manuscript or simply browse around and read other's works. In order to cast your "vote" for your favorite books, click on the "back the book" button - this puts the book on your bookshelf. You can have five books on your bookshelf at any time, but if you choose to rotate the books on your shelf to give support for newer items, the vote is not subtracted from any book you remove. You can also put books on your watch list to read later. The more books you read and put on your shelf, the higher your reader ranking. The big list at the top of the page is the editor's list. The top five books on this list at the end of each month get read by the editors at Harper Collins. The author gets a full critique - and, we hope, contracts may be offered! The editor's list will not contain any books which have already been read by the editors, so you will see a slight difference between the editor's list and the list of most popular books. You can sort any list by genre and immediately find the top choices of your preferred kind of book.

At the time of this writing, I am very proud that Simon's manuscript, Evil Unltd (TM), has made it to #5 on the editor's list after less than 4 weeks on the site. Now all he has to do is maintain his position in the top 5 and he will have the opportunity to impress the HC editors. It's been a very positive experience for him, as he has made many new friends amongst the other authors on the forum, and he has received excellent comments from his readers. If you have at least 10000 words of the Great American Novel, or at least the Great American Short Story, I would recommend you check out the site. And if you don't mind reading on the computer, I would urge you to check out the hot new talent (including my husband).


Okay, Elaine again. Zoe's nice and polite. Me, I just want you to read Simon's work and put it on your bookshelf!!!! He's a great guy and a good writer and I'd like to see him do well!

Teddy Takes a Holiday

Teddy's been on vacation while I've been working. Okay, so working and Rosemary Beach are oxymoronic! My work consisted of living like the other half -- more like the other one per cent! Rosemary Beach is elegant and expensive and oh, so relaxing. My apartment was a in carriage house -- upstairs over a garage with a loft bedroom. The chauffer never had it so good! Teddy didn't enjoy the beach as much as I did. He wasn't fond of sand in his fur. But he did like stretching out in a beach chair and, later, doing the same by the pool. Now we're back home and Teddy is getting acquainted with his Edmond digs. My daughter Zoe is visiting from England and Teddy's been a bit on his own. He's resting up for his next trip -- to Frisco, Texas -- so we'll be writing more then.

Flyin' to Florida

Just arrived in beautiful Rosemary Beach, Florida, having survived a flight not checking my luggage! Fortunately, both planes were small so my carry-on, which was technically legal but I had great doubts about being able to hoist into the overhead bins, got gate-ticketed (no charge) and all I had to worry about was schlepping it through the Memphis airport. Thank goodness, my suitcase has four multi-directional wheels -- so much easier than the two-wheeled draggers. I'm waiting now for my carriage house to be ready -- about 15 minutes -- and then, though I'd love to hit the beach, I will probably hit the grocery store for a few supplies for breakfast. THEN, beach with the most gorgeous blue water, here I come! Eat your hearts out!!!!!!!!

Travelin' Teddies

SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) Central States Chapter, with Build-a-Bear Workshop, has an educational program called Travelin' Teddies. There are three dozen bears, each associated with an elementary classroom, traveling around the country with SATW members. Mrs. Kysar's class named their bear Teddy and he went with me to New Mexico. While he was there, he met Oso, the official New Mexico Adventure Bear. And, thanks to Oso's creator, Jill Lane, Oso now lives in Oklahoma. The photos of Oso and Teddy were taken at Jill's place, Elkhorn Lodge, near Chama. Oso will hold down the fort in Edmond while Teddy goes to Florida with me. It's going to be a tight squeeze because we're flying on one of those airlines that charges for the first checked bag. I'm trying to get everything in a backpack and a small carry-on. We'll see how that works but I think I'm going to hear some serious growling from Teddy.