Poetry Sunday

Back to my blog.  I’ve been away for a while and have neglected to update this blog for several days.  It’s time for an update.

We returned home from Springfield after another extended stay.  In some ways going back to Missouri is like returning to civilization after a period in the wilderness.  After all, Oklahoma did not become a state until 1907, decades after Missouri became a part of the union.

I went to church this morning, having missed the last two weeks.  As part of the revised Sunday service procedure, I now play piano in the minutes before the service starts, while the church pianist, Edna, makes her way to the church.  Edna is also the church pianist for another church which has an earlier service time.

Today was Poetry Sunday.  Several of us read poems for the service.  I read “O, Kharma,
Dharma, Pudding and Pie” by Philip Appleman.

There have been a couple of big changes in my life this month.  The first involves my parents in Springfield.  I’m afraid I can’t say any more about this at this time.

The other big change involves a health scare for Gail, my partner of some eight years in playing piano duets.  She is undergoing medical tests.  We have not played together since March.  She had lung cancer two years ago.  We fear it is coming back.

To Springfield and back

We took a trip to Springfield, Missouri and stayed eight days.  We got back home on Monday, April 8.  The reason for the lengthy stay will have to be withheld.  Suffice it to say that both of my parents are still alive.

Monday evening was the date of the Methodist Book Club.  We uniformly agreed that the selection for April was a dud, with the exception of Kat.  I found the humor of the book to be juvenile.  The author of the book is Jenny Lawson, and I think her favorite word is "fuck."  The book's title is Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir).   Next month the selection is by C. S. Lewis.  The title of the book is The Great Divorce.

I have had to miss the last two duet practice sessions.  Maybe I will be home next Monday.

I got my hair cut on Tuesday.  I was a bit overdue for one.

The Jesus Diet

On Maundy Thursday, we gathered at the Family Life Center about a mile from the house.  The meal was the kind of diet that Jesus ate: nuts, raisins, apricots, dates, grapes, and fish.  The beverage was water.  Soft drinks were not around in that time.

This morning, I went to the worship workshop held at Restoration.  For almost three hours we went over every aspect of the morning service.  Joy was asked to volunteer to be a greeter to greet visitors.  The church pianist, Edna, also plays for Vernon AME church, which is down the street from Restoration.  She usually arrives just before the service starts.  It was decided that it would be nice to have some piano music for about ten minutes prior to the service starting.  I volunteered to play during that time.

The "Welcome" which had been coming around the middle of the service was moved up to the top.  The children's offertory was eliminated, in favor of having a collection bowl for coins which can be used at the beginning of the service.  The service used to end with the extinguishment of the candles.  Now music will be added as we exit.

Photos

 

This is a picture of the exterior of the library in Springfield, MO. 

 This library was not here when we moved from Springfield in 1986.

 

 

 

Here is a view inside a coffee shop within the library.

 

 

Here we see a couple of the stacks.  To the left is the teens area.

 

 

Inside the periodicals area is an exhibit on Route 66.

 

This picture and those below were taken on a volkswalk in Tulsa. 

Here we are looking at the 23rd St. bridge.

 

 

 

  

There are two paths along the west side of the river. 

One is for pedestrians; the other is for bicyclests.

 

 

This is the view underneath the 23rd St. bridge.

 

 

 

Here we see the west side of the 23rd St. bridge.  The two paths

become one, but the two areas are separated by stripping.

 

 

Here is another view of the 23rd St. bridge.

 

 

The tall cylindrical building is the University Club tower.  On election night in 2008, we watched news coverage from Barbara Frey's apartment on the 20th floor.  The building has been in the news recently as it was the scene of a murder.  A woman pushed her husband through a window, and he fell 17 stories to his death.

This is a view of the Arkansas River.  Due to the drought,

the river has dried up considerably.  Tire tracks are visible in this view.

 

 

 

 

Here is another view of the University Club tower.

The week in review

Last Sunday I went to Church of the Restoration at 10 am for the Religious Education hour.  Following that was the service at 11 am.  Vanessa was in charge of the service.  I had no meetings after church, and I came on home.

The next day, Monday, was duet rehearsal day.  We looked at some of the new music I bought while in Springfield.  Some of the pieces we played were The Pink Panther, Raiders of the Lost Arc, and I Got Rhythm.  (I'm leaving out the quotation marks to save time  because I'm lazy.)

On Tuesday evening, we went to the southeast campus of TCC to hear two concerts: the TCC Band and the TCC Symphony Orchestra.  We have a friend, Patty Mandrell, who plays percussion in the band.

Piano practice

Last Monday we were in Springfield and I had to miss my weekly piano practice with Gail.  We rescheduled the practice for Friday.  Because Gail had a tight schedule, she invited me to come to her house for today's practice.  I put my music in a canvas tote bag and drove to her house, about 20 minutes away in Tulsa. 

I bought some new music while in Springfield, some of which I took with me.  We also played the piece we are hoping to play at the next Humanist Sunday service.  We played from a new book some pieces by John Williams.  We finished up with Dvorak's Slovanic Dance No. 4.

Gail has three dogs who were excited to see me.  They sniffed and licked with abandon.  After a while, they settled down.

Nick got back from Colorado today.  Ayla is spending the night with us.

A trip to Springfield

Last Sunday we drove to Springfield, MO and visited my parents and my sister.  We came back to Sand Springs on Wednesday.  We took Paula out to Wal Mart where she did her grocery shopping.  My parents are still doing well at age 90.  Dad no longer drives due to macular degeneration.  Well, almost no longer drives.  He gets out a little bit, now and then.

Tonight we went to the Oklahoma Observer Discussion Group.  There were five of us there.  I asked that between now and the next meeting that the participants contact a person in government and express the view on some issue.  I read two letters I had written in the last month -- one to my Congressman and the other to the Governor.

A volkswalk and a HAT meeting

The title above pretty well sums up what I did today.

First we drove to the River West Festival area which was the start point for the monthly volkswalk sponsored by the Tulsa Walking Club.  After registering, we proceeded south along the west bank crossing the river on the 23rd St. bridge.  Then we went north to the 11th St. bridge where we crossed back over to the west bank and came back to the start point.  In all, it was 3.1 miles.

In the afternoon, we went to the HAT meeting at the Genealogy Center.  There were eight people present for the meeting.  It lasted for two hours.  Afterwards we ate dinner at the nearby Villiage Inn.

A Concert at TCC

Tonight we went to the TCC Southeast campus for a concert.  We heard the TCC Madrigal Show Choir, a Jazz Combo, and the Jazz Band.  The program began with two French madrigals, followed by two English madrigals.  Next was Hava Nagila, an Israeli folk song.  Last was Joyful, Joyful by Beethoven.

The TCC Jazz Combo performed Paul Desmond's Take Five.  Also performed was Charlie Parker's Yardbird Suite.  The TCC Jazz Band played music by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, and Count Basie.

We drove on the Creek Turnpike, avoiding the traffic of Tulsa.

Quoted

“We atheists lead happy lives, never concerned with the-dying-and-burn forever-in-hell nonsense. We know better. We enjoy happiness with our friends and neighbors and ignore all the greed and rituals that pay the parasite priests. Let them wallow in their medieval superstition while we enjoy all the wonders of our God-free universe.”

—Harry Harrison

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Day's activities

Today J and I went to a Lutheran church in Tulsa which was hosting a Hyechka performance.  First an organist played a few pieces on the church's organ.  Next the Hyechka chorus sang three or four pieces.  Closing out the program was a performance by Vicki Smith on harp.  Our reason for attending was our friend Gail Storey was one of the singers in the chorus.  We also saw and sat with Gail's sister Shirley and their friend Patti.

This evening we went to TU and heard Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow.  She spoke to a full room at the student center.

Week in Review

This week I saw my neurologist and got the results of the scans I had taken recently.  All is well.  There was no change since the previous scans taken in 2011.  My next scans will be in 2015.

We drove to Springfield on Wednesday and drove back on Thursday.  Paula said that after my parents are gone that she might want to move to Sand Springs.

Ho-Hum

One day has been pretty much like the next recently.  I noticed it has been just over week since I last posted anything, and lest anyone think I was missing, I decided to type something.

The big news lately has been the weather.  A cold front is moving through, and it appears we might get a little bit of snow.

Gail came over for our weekly practice today.  We usually play at 10 am, but this morning Gail came over at 2 pm.  She had a visit with her oncologist in the morning.  She got a good report from her doctor.

Tomorrow I will get the results of the scans (MRI & CT) which I had done about two weeks ago.

Yesterday, we had lunch at the Cracker Barrel.  We had a gift card we needed to use.

This and that

This past week was a washout, from my point of view.

Things started well enough with Gail coming over for our Monday piano rehearsal.  I had scans scheduled for Tuesday at 7:40 am.  I needed to be there at 7:10.  That meant we had to get up early to get over to Tulsa.  I had both an MRI and CT scan done.  About halfway through each procedure a contrast agent was inserted into a vein.  I have had this done before, but this time a contrast agent was introduced with both the MRI and CT.  I wasn't feeling at 100% prior to going to the hospital, I might add. 

We ate breakfast at the Crescent Cafe afterwards.  Then we came on home.  This was Tuesday the day Pres. Obama gave the State of the Union speech.  Being the political junkie that I am, I was looking forward to watching the speech; however, by that evening I was in bed feeling miserable.  I skipped hearing the speech in favor of trying to get more rest.  As the week wore on I regained strength.  I curtailed my activities and stayed inside to get rest.  Here it is Sunday, and I am back to where I was prior to getting the scans.  I was unable to make the Wednesday morning appt. to get the results of the scans.  That will have to wait another week and a half.  The scans are done to see if the tumor which was removed from my brain in 2007 is growing back.

On Saturday, I heard Dr. Stanley Rice of Southeast Oklahoma State University give a speech on Charles Darwin and Oklahoma.  While Darwin's ideas have been accepted throughout the world, here in Oklahoma he is still thought of as controversial.  There were around 40 people present to hear Dr. Rice.

Contemporary U.S. history was the topic for discussion in R.E. today.  The service was led by Rosemary Powell.  After the service three of us talked about chapters 7 and 8 of Zinn's A People's History.  Edna told me she would have to be absent on Mother's Day and asked me to fill in for her at the piano.

Another update

Last week we drove to Springfield on Tuesday and came back on Wednesday.

On Friday we attended the Tulsa Town Hall at the PAC.  Ann Compton of ABC News spoke.  She told about being with President Bush on 9-11.  She was the only news correspondent with Bush on the trip.

Friday evening at 7 pm was a meeting of the poetry group.  We are using the book How to Read a Poem by Burton Raffel.

Saturday I spent several hours reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak.  That is the next book we are reading in the Methodist Book Club.  I finished the book today.

Today was Sunday.  Normally I attend Church of the Restoration; however, today I stayed home since I was not feeling 100%.  I drank lot of orange juice, hoping that it might have some salutary effect on me.

This evening we went to the Family Life Center (Methodist) for a chili competition.  Many kinds of chili were available as well as desserts.

Back from Springfield

Last Saturday night we were set to go to Randy's for Movie Night.  Randy called about an hour before the movie was to start and said he was at work and would have to stay there until they got a problem resolved.  Randy is a computer programmer.  I called Marilyn to let her know Movie Night was cancelled, but she had apparently talked to Randy and was aware of the cancellation.  She invited J and I to go with her to see a play being performed at the Heller Theater.  The play was Time Stands Still by Donald Marguiles.  The theater is small with seating for about 100.  The play contains much shouting and quarreling.  It was not my cup of tea.

The next day was Sunday.  We had RE at 10 and then the service at 11.  It was Humanist Sunday and the message was delivered by Larry Roth.  He gave a brief history of Humanism in the U.S.  There were about 15 people present.  Gail and I played "Cleopha" by Scott Joplin as the special music for the service. Afterward we shared a potluck dinner.  There was a young man there who played a drum that is often kept in the sanctuary.  I struck up a conversation with him and told him I used to play in a drum circle.  He expressed interest in getting into a drum circle.  I told him I would talk with Vanessa about starting a drum circle at the church.

On Monday, Gail came over and we worked on "Simple Gifts," a Shaker hymn.  That will most likely be our next selection to play on Humanist Sunday in March.  We also worked on Dvorak's "Slovanic Dance, Op. 46  No. 4" and Brahm's "Hungarian Dance No. 5."

Monday afternoon I went to St. Andrew Lutheran Church where a blood drive was in progress.  I donated a unit of blood.  They were short by two people and had to double up on the tasks.  It took longer than it usually does to donate blood.  After making the donation, I drank three small cans of cranberry juice.

Tuesday we drove to Springfield.  Dad's macular degeneration has affected his eyesight to the point where he does not get out driving like he once did.  I drove Dad to the barber shop.  Paula needed to be driven to a few places, so we took her around to those places.  We came back to Sand Springs today.

2013 Oklahoma Legislative Primer

If you ever wondered how state laws are made, the primer below can answer your questions.

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Randy Pausch addresses student

I just finish reading a book titled The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.  The book is about Pausch discovering he has pancreatic cancer and only a few months left to live.  Below is a link in which you can watch a video of Pausch as he speaks to students at Carnegie Mellon University.  You will have to scroll down a little to find it.

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The last few days...

It has been a few days since I last posted here.  So to catch up here is what has been happening.

Last week the Mrs. and I saw the film Lincoln at the Promenade Mall.  The movie runs for two hours, but I did not get antsy.  Usually I will want to know how much time the movie will take.

On Thursday night, we attended the Oklahoma Observer Discussion Group at the Brookside Library.

Saturday morning, we took part in a volkswalk at Woodland Hills Mall.  We walked 3.1 miles inside the mall.  It was walk number 260 for me.  That afternoon, we went to the HAT meeting at the Genealogy Center.

Sunday, I went to church.  Attendance was low: just eight people were there.  (We had nine at the HAT meeting.)  The program at church was organized by the Religious Education team.

Today, Gail came over and we played piano duets for two hours.  We also watched a couple playing a duet on YouTube that we are playing.  We also watched a video of the Swingle Singers singing a Bach piece that we are working on.

An old poem rediscovered

This evening, J was looking for something and came across an old, yellowed piece of paper folded up.  I suspect at first she thought it might be an old love letter.  She unfolded the paper and found a poem I had written many years ago.  Here is the poem.

                               The Merry-Go-Round


Horse and rider spin about
There's many a ride and many a mount,
And I would say beyond a doubt
This merry-go-round whirls fast.

You riders close to the center pole
Whose slow-paced steeds are not so bold,
Dismount, move out, and leave the fold.
Take a horse on the outer ring.

The horses out here are not the same.
The ones out here you'll never tame.
You may even be thrown for occasional pain,
As you travel a wider orbit.

From here there's no encumbered view.
As riders discover the world anew.
Move out here where the riders are few.
Take a horse on the outer ring.

Freezing rain

It has turned cold in Oklahoma.  Yesterday, as I was about to leave for church, I discovered that we had received some freezing rain overnight.  I was unable to open the door of my car.  There was a sheet of ice covering most of the car.  I was able to gain entry into my car through the passenger side.  I crawled over into the driver’s seat and started the car.  From the inside of the car I was able to get the driver’s door open.  I went back into the house and filled up a glass with warm water and poured it over the car windshield, melting the ice.  I had to do that three times with two glasses of water before I was able to gain enough visibility to drive the car to church.

I was ten minutes late getting to church.  Mary was already into her lesson.  The lesson for the day was based upon a Bill Moyers program which we watched.  He was interviewing Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Religion and Politics.  (It’s available on the Kindle for $15.)  Rev. Gerald Davis gave the sermon.  He is now blind and has to be led around, but he is quite cheerful and upbeat.

I bought a few bargain books yesterday for the Kindle: Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and  Thriving At Work, Home, and School by John Medina, Merriam-Webster’s Book of Word Histories, and Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends by David Wilton.

This morning I picked up Nick at Midas where he had taken his car to get the brakes worked on.  Later, Gail came over and we played duets for about an hour.  I think our next performance piece will be “Cleopha,” a march written by Scott Joplin.

An amusing website

While surfing the web tonight a came across a group based in Oklahoma City which looks into spooky things.  It seems they operate mostly at night, the best time for spooky things.  They can be found at www.okpri.com.  Once you click on the site, looks for "videos" in the left column.  You might want to watch a few.  The Stone Lion Inn is among the spooky sites.  It is located in Guthrie.  We stayed there once, but we did not see anything strange.

Playing solo

Last night was Movie Night at the Bradleys.  Gail and I had planned to play a duet on the piano before the movie started.  We had been there about 20 minutes when Gail called on the phone.  Her 90 year-old mother-in-law had fallen.  She managed to reach her phone and called the Storeys.  The Storeys went to her house and took her to the hospital.  She was x-rayed but no broken bones were found.

This morning Gail called again to say that she and Glenn would be spending the day with Ruby.  I took my binder of musical selections that I love to play with me to church.  I played a solo this morning instead of a duet.  I played “Seagull in the Sky” by the French composer Chabon.  I received several complements afterwards.

We had a guest speaker today, Dr. Davis Joyce, a retired history professor who had taught at Tulsa University and East Central University in Ada.  Joyce spoke about historian Howard Zinn.  We are presently studying Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States at Restoration.

A trip to Okmulgee

We had received a recall notice from Saturn in December saying that we should arrange to take our car to South Point Chevrolet in January 2013.  The recall purpose was to replace a cable of some kind.  Our appointment was for 10 am on Thursday.  I pulled in at 10 am and went to the waiting area.  I told the manager to check the battery also since the manager at Same Day Auto had told me that the battery was weak.  He did so and said the battery was fine.  It took about an hour to have the work done.

We get on the Creek Turnpike at Sapulpa to go to Tulsa.  As we got off the turnpike, I headed in toward Sapulpa and went to the post office.  There I bought a sheet of commemorative stamps which were issued on the 150^th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. 

J had been looking for a new pair of boots.  The pair she was wearing had worn down quite a bit and needed replacing.  She had bought them at a Payless Shoe Source store.  The store in Sand Springs did not have any in stock.  Since we were in Sapulpa, we decided to check the Sapulpa store.  It is almost directly across from the post office.  They did not have any in stock either.  However, they checked their computer which indicated that the store in Okmulgee had one pair.  We called the store to confirm the computer inventory check.  We were told they had one pair and would hold that pair for us.  Sapulpa is about 10 miles south of Prattville, and about a third of the way to Okmulgee.

On the way out of Sapulpa we stopped at a Long John Silver’s for lunch.  I had the two-piece cod on rice with green beans and corn on the cob.  Delish.  We got back on the road (Hwy 117) and headed for Hwy 75, which goes into Okmulgee.  Going south on 75 there was an eighteen wheeler ahead of us also going south but in the other lane.  All of a sudden, “Ka-boom!”  The truck ahead blew a tire.  It threw “alligators” about the roadway.  Fortunately, none hit the car.

We found the Payless Store on the south end of Okmulgee and bought the shoes.  We got back on Hwy 75 and returned home.  Back in Sand Springs, I drove to the Case Community Center and walked three miles.

Recent happenings

Last week we made a trip to Springfield.  We were gone three days.  I thought I lost my Kindle twice.  On the first occasion, I brought the Kindle into my parents' apartment.  However, I was unsure about that.  I was even unsure I had brought the Kindle with me.  Anyway, I was thinking I had set the Kindle down somewhere in the apartment.  I was going to read a bit before going to sleep and noticed it was missing.  I went back out to my car twice looking for it.  In the morning my mother told me she thought the Kindle was hers and had put it into a drawer.  So it was within three feet of me all the night long, and I didn't know it.

The next instance was when we were heading back to Sand Springs on Sunday.  As we were on the James River Expressway, I asked about my Kindle.  We pulled off at Chesterfield Village and looked for it in the trunk.  We couldn't find it so I phoned my Dad.  He did not see it in the apartment.  I found it as I was talking to my Dad.  It was on the dashboard of my car.  My parents probably think I'm a dork.

I did not go to church last Sunday.  We were on the road at that time.  Next Sunday is Humanist Sunday.  On Monday Gail and I rehearsed for our part in the Humanist Sunday service.  We will be playing a bluesy piece titled "I'll Wait For You."

Work a puzzle

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Surgery last week

I had surgery this past week.  It was scheduled and did not come as a surprise.  I had a rapid recovery.  It was done on an outpatient basis. 
The year is winding down to a close.  The world did not end on December 21, although for some 150,000 people on the planet it did end.  That was the day of their death.  150,000 is the approximate number of deaths that occur each day.

Looking back on 2012, I see that I met my goal of reading 15 books (from cover to cover) during  the year.  In fact, I read 17.  My favorite book was George Lakoff's The Little Blue Book.

I walked 426 miles during the year.  That is dedicated walking.  It does not include the everyday walking one does.

I lost about 15 pounds during the year.

For 2013 I will strive to read 15 books, walk 365 miles, and lose another 15 pounds.  The most difficult of these goals to achieve will be the weight loss, I suspect.  I am now at 215 pounds.

Quoted

We have come to regard ourselves — and the world has come to regard us — as a country that’s so gun happy that the right to traffic freely in the most obscene quantities of weapons is regarded as far more precious than an American’s right to health care or a good education.
                                                        --Gail Collins

A trip to Springfield

Last Tuesday we drove to Springfield to see if we could be of any help to my parents.  I drove my father around to accomplish some errands.  We went to Walgreen's and then on to Harter House.  Both are on Republic Road and are close to where my parents live.   We also picked up my sister Paula and took her to a few places she needed to go.

Driving to Springfield, I almost hit a deer.  It jumped in front of the car, but just as quickly did a 180 degree turn and got out of my way.  Looking in the rear view mirror, I saw it cross the road behind me.

On this trip I did not visit a music store.  Lately I have been printing a lot of sheet music from the website Free-Scores.com.  They have quite a selection of sheet music which you can print for free.

On the way home, we stopped in Joplin at the Red Lobster for lunch.

Getting ready for Christmas

Earlier this week I took a box of Christmas gifts to the post office and mailed them to Houston for my cousin Vicki.  A few days later I went out and completed shopping for my spouse.  Tonight we attended a Christmas play at the Methodist Church in Sand Springs in which Ayla had the lead role.  Afterwards we all went downstairs for cake and punch.  Gail showed up to give her support for Ayla.

The tree is up along with all 36 ornaments.  Each year we buy a Hallmark ornament for Christmas.  The tree is now heavily laden with ornaments.

My favorite aspect of Christmas is the music.  As a subscriber to BBC Music Magazine, I receive a CD each month along with the magazine.  This month is the Christmas issue, and the accompanying CD is of Christmas choral music.  I am listening to it now as I type this posting.

Concerned about media consolidation?

More and more media are coming under the control of fewer people.  Read the information at the link below to learn what you can do about this situation.

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Back to the blog

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted anything here.  I guess we have been too busy.

We hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for family members.  We had to start several days before Thanksgiving to get everything in place for the event.

Saturday was Movie Night at the Bradleys.  We watched Zeitgeist.  It is a dense movie.  By that, I mean the claims made in this film come so thick and fast you can't evalute them on the spot.  The film is available for viewing on YouTube.  I hope to rewatch it sometime and read more about the claims made in the movie.  The film runs for two hours.  I would be interested in hearing from any of my readers as to what they think about the film.

Gail and I played duets at church last Sunday.  We played "Jingle Bells" and "Still, Still, Still."  We had to cancel our practice today.  Church activities will be at a minimum for the remainder of the year.

The last few days

In the last few days, we attended a lecture at Tulsa Town Hall on Friday morning.  We heard Dr. Andrew Weil, a popular writer and speaker, talk about health and nutrition.  I have started reading his book Healthy Aging on my Kindle.  (I downloaded the free portion -- roughly, the first chapter.) 

Saturday morning I did a volkswalk here in Sand Springs.  The start point was about a mile from the house.  I followed the course which was 3.1 miles in length.

Then that afternoon, I went to the HAT meeting.  I wrote an account of the meeting which is posted on the HAT blog.

That evening Vanessa sent me an e-mail to let me know that Edna, the church pianist, was not feeling well and that I would be needed to play piano at the Sunday service.  So I filled in for Edna this morning.  For the special music,  I played Erik Satie's Gymnopedie No. 3. There were about a dozen people at the service.

Check out this new blog

Here is the link to a new blog you might enjoy:

http://oddoklahoma.com/

A Visit to Springfield

Since we were gone for several days we had our mail held at the post office.  Since today was a holiday, there was no mail delivery.  I will pick up the mail tomorrow.

Gail and I had our weekly practice today.  We mostly played Christmas music.  Next time we perform we will play "Jingle Bells" and "Still, Still, Still."  We are also working on "Give Thanks."  Some people might find it strange that two atheists would be playing Christmas-oriented music, but we do not let religion get in the way of enjoying music.  We both love to play hymns.

While in Springfield I finished reading The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe.  I read it as part of my participation in the Methodist Book Club.  The group meets tomorrow night, but I will have to miss that meeting.  I plan to attend the Progressive Book Group which meets at my church.  We are reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.  We take just a chapter or two per meeting.  It will take us two years to get through the book, at our current rate.

Interesting stats (from Fox Business.com)

Election Day

Election day has arrived.  If you have not already voted, I hope you will do so today.

Chris Rock on the whiteness of Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDxOSjgl5Z4

Quoted

The following is a portion of a letter from Michael Moore:

I cannot believe it is possible that, after a group of rich plutocrats wrecked the economy, threw people out of work and stole our future, we may actually hand the keys to our country over to...a rich Republican plutocrat who made millions by throwing people out of work! This is insane, and despite all the legitimate criticisms of Obama, he is nothing like the tsunami of hate and corporate thievery that will take place if Mitt Romney is president. As bad as it feels now, it will only get worse.

I need your help to stop this. I can't promise you that your life will get better, easier under Barack Obama. I do think he cares and I know for sure that if the other guy is sitting in the Oval Office, I can guarantee you that not only will your life not get better, it will get much, much worse. Don't take my word for it. Just ask your parents what life was like before a 30-year pillage by the Republicans of the middle class. Your parents bought a house and eventually owned it outright. They weren't in debt. College was free. They bought a new car every 3 or 4 years. They took vacations and were home for dinner by 5 or 6 PM. They had a savings account in the bank. They didn't live in fear of not knowing if they'd even have a job next year.

That's all gone. I don't know if we can get it back, but I do know that Mr. Romney would love the chance to complete the final elimination of the middle class and the American Dream.

Romney's Storm Tips

Click on tips to enlarge image.

On Obama

"What can be said without equivocation is that Obama has proven himself morally, intellectually, temperamentally, and strategically. In my lifetime, or my parents,' he is easily the best president. On his own terms, and not merely as a contrast to an unacceptable alternative, he overwhelmingly deserves reelection."
                            -- Jonathan Chait, New Yorker magazine

Quoted

If President Obama is re-elected, health care coverage will expand dramatically, taxes on the wealthy will go up and Wall Street will face tougher regulation. If Mitt Romney wins instead, health coverage will shrink substantially, taxes on the wealthy will fall to levels not seen in 80 years and financial regulation will be rolled back.   --Paul Krugman

Early voting in Oklahoma

Early voting in Oklahoma starts today.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning J and I went walking at the nearby fitness center.  Normally, on a Monday morning Gail and I have piano duet practice together, but Gail had an appointment with her oncologist this morning.  As we were driving home, I got a call from Gail who had just arrived home from her appointment.  I hurried home and vacuumed the living room and mopped the kitchen and dining room.  Then I took a shower and got dressed.  Gail had received a good report from her doctor.  She has been cancer free for over a year now.

This morning, we went to the copy shop and made copies of some insurance papers.  Next we drove to the post office and mailed the papers.  Then we paid a city utilities bill.  I took a nap, and then we walked the Katy trail for two miles.  I have reached 368 miles miles walking this year, thereby reaching my goal of a average of a mile a day.  After the walk, we went in to the May's Drug Store and I got a flu shot for this season.

Election question

Given the choice of voting for a Christian or a Mormon, which candidate do you vote for?

Recent and coming events

On Thursday, Oct. 18, I met at Restoration with Larry R., Marilyn, and Gail for the first session of our study of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.  We had a good discussion, which lasted just over an hour.  Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the church.  One thing I learned from the first session was that in the 1600s some colonists got so hungry that they dug up corpses and ate them. 

Today we had the HAT meeting at the Genealogy Center on Harvard.  I read a poem by my favorite poet, Philip Appleman.  It is titled "Hymn of Praise to the Intelligent Designer." We have moved the meetings back to the Genealogy Center by popular demand.  We had about ten people there today.  HAT will continue to fill the pulpit at Restoration on the first Sunday of each month.  I will be the speaker in November.

Bill Doolin, deceased

This photo was taken of the outlaw Bill Doolin following his death.

Daily activities

I gave an interview this afternoon with a reporter from Urban Tulsa Weekly.  We met at the Coffee House on Cherry St.  We talked about 25 minutes.  He is doing an article on the growth of atheism in Tulsa.  He said the article will appear either in November or December.

Gail came over for about an hour and a quarter starting at 3:00 pm.  We practiced the piece we will be playing on Humanist Sunday in November.  We also played a few other pieces.  Next Monday Gail has an appointment with her oncologist.  We plan to practice on another day.

Next, we took Ayla to her piano lesson.   We took Ayla home with us and later went to Braum’s for dinner.  Then we took her home.

Vacation, part 10

The pictures show the Ingalls Hotel in Ingalls, Oklahoma.  It is the site of the biggest shootout in the southwest.  It was here that Bill Doolin of the Dalton Gang was involved in a shootout with a law officer in 1893.  E. D. Nix, a U.S.Marshall, learned that Doolin was at this location and sent a deputy and a posse of 13 men to capture him.  As things turned out, three marshalls were killed.  Two bystanders were killed.  Three of the gang members were wounded.  Arkansas Tom Jones was wounded and captured.  Doolin was wounded but shot and killed Richard Speed, a deputy marshall.  Doolin was later shot and killed in Oklahoma.  Ingalls is about ten miles to the east of Stillwater.

Vacation, part 9

Look at the structure in the top picture.  Can you guess what the purpose of this tall building is?  Hint: It is located behind the fire station.  Firefighters would hang their hoses from this building to let them dry out before storing them on the fire trucks.  The picture below the top one shows a performer inside the Blue Belle Saloon playing and singing.  How about the third picture?  Looks like a cedar tree, right?  What you are looking at in this picture is a geocache hidden in the cedar tree.  The last picture is a close up of the tree showing two camoed containers about the size of a 35mm film canister.  The log was inside the first container.  I'm guessing trade items were in the second.  I signed the log and replaced it in the container.

A double dose of Sunday

Today I went to church twice.  My first visit was at All Souls Unitarian Church on Peoria Ave. for the 8:30 service.  They now have three services on Sunday: a Humanist, a Contemporary, and a Traditional.  The music was fantastic.  Rick Fortner played jazz piano, accompanied by a saxophonist.  Marvin’s topic this morning dealt with his recent visit to Romania, specifically Transylvania.  He was part of a group of people taking a tour of the area.  As they went by a school they noticed a sign that said something to the effect that the Unitarian church operated the school.  They decided to step inside for a visit, which resulted in the group being invited to return the next day and address the school children.

They were asked about where they would be going next.  Upon telling the group, they were warned about what to expect.  They were told the people in that country could not be trusted, to be careful and cautious.  However, once they got there, the people seemed okay.  However, before they moved on, they were once again warned about the people in the next country.  This seemed to happen repeatedly.  Each group of people was warning about the people in the next country.  But once the tour reached the next country, they found the people there just as trustworthy as people in the last country.

It seems that people are naturally suspicious of differences – all kinds of differences -- differences in race, ethnicity, and religion.  Why do we have the tendency to think the worse about people who are different from us?  Marvin then said that few people ever learn how parochial their beliefs are.  We grow up just believing the religion of our parents is the one, correct, true religion. 

Ask yourself this question: How much does my religion differ from the religion of my parents?  If it differs not very much or not at all, were you just lucky to be born into a family with correct beliefs?  Almost everyone thinks so, be they Islamic, Hindu, Jehovah Witness, Adventist, Primitive Baptist, Northern Baptist, Southern Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian,  Lutheran, Christian Science, etc .  There are literally thousands of denominations, and each believer thinks that he or she has the truth when it comes to religion. 

Few people ever realize that they were indoctrinated with the beliefs they hold to be true from the cradle onward..

Moving along, after the service at All Souls ended, I headed north on Peoria and stopped in at Gateway Market and bought potato salad for Second Helping, an after- the- service meal at Restoration.  Today our minister spoke.  I played the piano, since the regular pianist had to be elsewhere today.  There were about 15 people there today.  During the RE period, Mary read a paragraph which resonated with me.  I asked if I could make a copy of what she just read.  She handed it to me and five other people asked if I could make them a copy also.  Here is the statement:

It is very easy to pretend to understand what one does not understand.  Often the degree to which we oppose a thing marks the degree to which we do not understand it.  Sometimes we use our opposition to an idea to cover our own ignorance.  We express our dislike for things, sometimes for people, when we do not understand the things we pretend to dislike; when we do not know the people for whom we have the antagonism.

Following the service we had our Second Helping in the Congregation Life room.

Vacation, part 7

Just outside the Blue Belle Bar we met a man giving free rides in his horse-drawn wagon.  So we hitched a ride with him.  The third picture shows the violin shop of a man who had closed up fo0r the day so he could attend the International Oklahoma Bluegrass Festival.  At bottom is a close-up of the door to his business.  The sign reads, "Gone Fiddlin.'"

Vacation, part 6

The four pictures above were taken inside the Blue Belle Bar, which is a block to the west of the Pollard.  For two years the actor Tom Mix worked as a bartender here.  Notice the stained glass above the doorway in the second picture.  Another impressive metal ceiing is shown in the third picture.  The waitresses were dressed in period costumes, as you can see in the fourth picture.

Vacation, part 5

The picture at the top shows the metal ceiling in the breakfast room at the Pollard Inn.  This kind of ceiling is found in other buildings dating back to the first decade of the twentieth century.  The next photo was taken in out room at the Pollard Inn.  The ceiling was very high.  Notice the distance from the ceiling fan up to the ceiling.  I would guess the ceilings were 16 to 20 feet above the floor.  The next photo shows our car parked in front of the Pollard Inn.  The Pollard Theater is where the green awning is.  Above the awning are the rooms of the Pollard Inn.  The three windows with the curtains open is where we stayed.  The breakfast room is to the left (on the corner).  The last photo in this series was taken inside a store that sold a hodge-podge of things, including deer heads.

Mainstream Baptist: Robin Meyers on the Attempt to Repeal Affirmative Action in Oklahoma

Mainstream Baptist: Robin Meyers on the Attempt to Repeal Affirmative Action in Oklahoma

Vacation, part 4

The top picture was taken from our room at The Pollard Inn looking down on our car.  The next picture shows the view looking southwest out a window.  We were on the second floor of the inn.  The third picture shows the flowers which were in our room.  Not shown is the box of chocolate candy and the bottle of apple cider.  The last picture shows the grand piano in the breakfast room.  It actually works and was in tune.  I sat at the keyboard and played for a bit.  This building was at one time a bank.  Notice the vault behind the piano.

Vacation, part 3

The two pictures above show something called Gravitram 2.  This is one exhibit that I remember from previous visits to the museum.  Two separate devices lift steel balls the size of a large marble to the top and release them.  The balls then travel to the bottom my means of gravity.  Along the way they pass through switches and gates which affect their speed and direction of travel.  It is facinating to watch the balls as they travel to the bottom.  Sometimes the balls go so fast you can barely see them.  Other times a ball may get delayed by having to wait on another ball before proceeding.

While in OKC we stayed at the Best Western on Santa Fe in north OKC.  The hotel has a restaurant inside where we enjoyed a catfish dinner that evening.  Also staying at the hotel was a black vocal group.  We caught just a bit of the group singing gospel music as they were about to go out to a concert.

The next morning we packed up and headed toward Guthrie.  Along the way I saw a music store.  I had to go inside and see what they had.  They had a good selection of sheet music.  I bought four books of music.  The store is comparble to Saied's in Tulsa. 

When we arrived in Guthrie, we noticed the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival was about to start.  We bought tickets for that day and went inside the grounds.  In the picture above, you see a group of five musicians.  It seemed as if it was about to rain, but it never did that day.

Vacation, part 2

Here are four more pictures I took during my recent trip to the Science Museum in Oklahoma City.  The top picture shows a play area for children.  This must be a tree house to top all tree houses.

There is an area in the museum dedicated to space exploration.  The next picture shows a space capsule painted orange and white.  As to the words "F 6 Adios MF,"  I don't have a clue about that.

Next picture shows a rocket engine which is used to lift rockets into space.  To get some idea of its size, look are the artwork hanging on the wall at the center left.

The last picture shows the planets Saturn and Jupiter as models.

Vacation, part 1

 We got up last Wednesday morning, went to Braum's for a sausage and egg biscuit, and then got on the turnpike for Oklahoma City.  We drove directly to the Science Museum, formerly called the Omniplex.  We had visited the Omniplex several years ago.  It was completely transformed from the way it used to be.  Many of the exhibits have changed from the past.
The picture above was taken from the cafeteria inside the building looking out a window at a garden.  If you look carefully, you can see the reflection of my fingers and the camera.  The picture below, taken from the same spot, shows the back wall of the museum and a greenhouse.

 The picture above is of a railway coach.  How did they get that in the building, I wonder?  The picture below is of the rogue's gallery.  Shown are four notorious outlaws:  Pretty Boy Floyd from Sallisaw, Machine Gun Kelly from Tulsa, and Bonnie Parker and Cylde Barrow, better known as Bonnie and Clyde, who while not from Oklahoma, terrorized many Oklahomans, especially citizens of Commerce, Miami, and Joplin, Mo.  They were stopped by a hail of bullets in northern Louisiana in 1934.  They are buried in Dallas, Texas. 

I think it was last year that we went by the grave site of Ma Barker and her sons who are buried not far from Vinita, just to the east of a small community called Welsh.  Only one of the graves has a stone; the others have only paper tags.

 

There is a lot to see in the Science Museum in Oklahoma City.  We saw the planetarium show, a physics demonstration, and an IMAX film title "Tornado Alley."  The film was quite impressive shown on the big screen.  You get the feeling you are close to a tornado.

More to come later.

Frank Schaeffer quoted

The whole unwashed mob that is now the "Republican Party" -- a theocracy movement dedicated to imperial world domination, greed and gated communities, all in the name of a half-baked "Jesus" serving "his" masters on Wall Street who hate the rubes who vote for their bought and paid for "family values" candidates -- is struggling in the grip of their collective God-delusion. Or they are pretending to share that delusion even if they believe in none of it so they can stay in good with the mostly evangelical fact-deprived "Tea Party" crowd.
They don't want gay people to marry in case God doesn't like it. They don't want peace in the Middle East in case it screws up God's timetable for his "return." They don't want to believe our President is a "Real American" because he's black and he's the "wrong sort" of Christian. They won't believe that global warming is real because the two groups they hate and fear most -- scientists and the US government -- say it is. They believe in a vengeful retributive nasty god who will send everyone not like them to hell.

Back from vacation

We were away on vacation last week.  I took a lot of pictures and will post some as soon as I can get around to it. 

We went to Oklahoma City and then on to Guthrie.  I will go into some detail next time I post.

Oklahoma Knowledge: Science and Nature

Here is the sixth and final quiz over Oklahoma Knowledge.  I have taken the questions from the book Oklahoma Trivia by Ernie Couch.

1.  Situated near Tulsa, what was the first sizeable oil deposit discovered and developed in the state?

2.  In 1929, what oil company acquired the Marland Refining Company in Ponca City?

3.  In the south central part of the state, what mountain group covers an area approximately 20 by 60 miles?

4.  What Oklahoma town is known as "The Pipeline Crossroads fo the World"?

5.  Where was astronaut Gordon Cooper born?

6.  What lake serves as a water supply for Norman, Midwest City, and Del City?



(Scroll down for answers)

















1.  Glenn Pool Field

2.  Continential Oil Company (Conoco)

3.  Arbuckle Mountains

4.  Cushing

5.  Shawnee

6.  Thunderbird

Oklahoma Knowledge: Sports & Leisure

1.  What gaming center in Tecumseh offers-state-of-the-art bingo, simulcast horseracing, a Las Vegas roon, and even bowling?

2.  What is the name of the "biggest pep rally in Oklahoma" held each September at Oklahoma State University?

3.  What is the name of Tulsa's AA baseball team?

4.  What is the name of Tulsa's minor league hockey team?

5. In the 1912 Olympic Games, what Oklahoman became the first to win both the decathlon and the pentathlon?

6.  What Oklahoma City para-mutual facility offers almost year-round racing?


(Scroll down for answers)





















1.  Fire Lake Entertainment Center

2.  Orange Peel

3. Drillers

4. Oilers

5. Jim Thorpe

6. Remington Park

Video find

http://onetermmore.com/video_subtitles.html

Oklahoma Knowledge: Arts & Literature

1.  Where did anti-booze crusader Carrie Nation publish her prohibitionist newspaper, The Hatchet, in 1905?

2.  What Oklahoman composed the classic folk song "This Land Is Your Land"?

3.  Shawnee's first newspaper, the Shawnee Chief, was renamed and moved to what adjoining town?

4.  What nationally famous pottery works was founded in Sapulpa in 1933?

5.  Where is the State Capital Publishing Museum, which features vintage printing equipment and newspaper memorabilia?

6.  What Tulsa facility is home to the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of American western art?




Scroll down for answers.






1.  Guthrie

2.  Woody Guthrie

3.  Tecumseh

4.  Frankoma Pottery

5.  Guthrie

6.  Gilcrease Museum

Oklahoma Knowledge: History

1.  Where did William Wrigley manufacture his first package of chewing gum?

2.  In the 1920s, what Oklahoma town had more milliionaires per capita than New York City?

3.  What WWII submarine is on display in Muskogee?

4.  Consisting of 400 city blocks and some 2, 169 structures, where is the largest urban historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places?

5.  What notorious Apache chief was sent to Fort Sill in 1894, where he remained under military supervision until his death in 1909?

6.  Following statehood in 1907, what did the first law passed by the Legislature establish?


Scroll down for answers.








1.  Guthrie (113 North Division Street)

2.  Okmulgee

3.  USS Batfish

4.  Guthrie

5.  Geronimo

6.  Segregated public transportation

Oklahoma Knowledge: Entertainment

1.  What nickname did Will Rogers receive early in his career, while working in wild west shows?

2.  Prior to pursuing an acting career, Tom Mix served as deputy town marshall in what community in 1912?

3.  What 1970 song with an Oklahoma theme was a country hit for Merle Haggard?

4.  In 1958 what western-styled theme park opened on the northeastern side of Oklahoma City?

5.  What is the hometown of country superstar Garth Brooks?

6.  Okeema is the birthplace of what activist folk singer of the Dust Bowl era?


Scroll down for answers.











1.  The Cherokee Kid

2.  Dewey

3.  "Okie From Muskogee"

4.  Frontier City

5.  Yukon

6.  Woody Guthrie

Oklahoma Knowledge: Geography

Check your knowledge of Oklahoma Geography by taking this six-question quiz:

1.  Where was the Creek (Muscogee Nation) Council House constructed in 1878?

2.  In Pontotoc County, what town is named for the daughter of the area's pioneer mail carrier and settler?

3.  Where is the Chisholm Trail Museum?

4.  What town served as the capital of the Territory of Oklahoma?

5.  The 1933 Creek settlement of Adams Springs was the precursor of what present-day town?

6.  Where is the largest Scottish rite temple in the world?






(Answers below)





1. Okmulgee

2.  Ada

3.  Kingfisher

4.  Guthrie

5.  Sand Springs

6.  Guthrie

Tomorrow's quiz will be on Oklahoma entertainment.

Lyrics

Lyrics from an old song:

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

Not a great week for us

Monday went fine.  Gail came over for our weekly duet practice.  We went over the piece we plan to play at the next humanist Sunday service on October 7.  The piece is titled "Festival Suite."  It was written by Robert D. Vandall.

I was sick this week, but am getting better now. 

Later that evening, we noticed the freezer was not keeping the food in it frozen.  It turns out there was a build-up of ice at the bottom preventing the door from closing properly.  We defrosted the sucker, and it seems to be working well now.

John Olson on healthcare (video)

Catch this response from Jim Bridenstine on the Affordable Care Act.  He is being questioned by John Olson.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D0eEegRzso

Progressive Book Club first meeting date set

The Progressive Book Club will hold its first meeting on Thursday, Sept. 20, at 7 pm. at Church of the Restoration, 1314 N. Greenwood Ave.  We will discuss the first two chapters.

Saturday activities

About 30 supporters of John Olson met this morning at the Democrat Headquarters of Tulsa County on the 10th floor of the Sun Building in downtown Tulsa.  We started at 9:00 am and finished around 2:00 pm, breaking for lunch which was catered in for us.  This was a day of training for precinct chairs.  I am the chair of precinct 855. 

John Olson is a veteran of Afghanistan who is opposed by Jim Bridenstine.  Bridenstine is supported by the Tea Party.  Bridenstine has called for the elimination of the capital gains tax and the estate tax.  Both actions would benefit primarily the extremely wealthy.  He would replace the loss of revenue by imposing a 30% national sales tax.  Such a draconian tax would likely cause the economy to come to a grinding halt.

I have been reading a fantastic book written by Thomas J. Mooney titled Live Forever or Die Trying.  As soon as I finish the book, I will have more to say about it.

The Progressive Book Club

Please reserve the date September 20, a Thursday, 7:00 pm for a new venture at Church of the Restoration: a Progressive Book Club.

The first book we will read and discuss is Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.  Please read the first two chapters prior to our first meeting.  They are: (1) “Columbus, The Indians, and Human Progress,” and (2) “Drawing the Color Line.”  I will prepare some discussion questions prior to our first meeting and send them to you by e-mail.

We will need to talk about future meeting dates.  It may be that the third Thursday is not the best time to meet.  We are open changing our meeting date and time so as not to conflict with other obligations you may have.

I am sending this e-mail to my list of progressive friends, but after the first meeting, I will set up a list for the Progressive Book Club.  If you cannot attend the first meeting but would like to be included on the list, please send me your e-mail address.  Vanessa says that www.zinnedproject.org may be a useful site for our discussions.

The first meeting will be held at Church of the Restoration, 1314 N. Greenwood Ave., at 7:00 pm on Thursday, September 20.

In the news

Last week was something of a busy week for me.  I was still in bed when the phone rang last Tuesday.  I let the call go to voice mail.  It was Erin Christy from Channel 2 wanting to do a television interview.  I went walking at the fitness center.  While I was there I got calls from KWGS and KRMG radio stations, both of which interviewed me over the phone.  I got another call from KTUL (Channel 8) asking for an interview.  I agreed to let them come to my house at 11:00 am.  I walked only for 30 minutes then left for the house.

I took a shower and put on clean clothes.  Soon the cameraman and Latoya Silmon showed up.  We talked about my plan to give the invocation at the Thursday Tulsa City Council meeting.  I suppose they read the article in the Tulsa World which had a headline something like “Atheist to give prayer at city council meeting.”  Seeing the piano in the living room, the crew asked me to play.  I played piano for them.  The interview (including me playing piano) was shown on the local news at 5 pm and at 6 pm and again at 10 pm.  At the end of the interview, the reporter said there would be extra security at Thursday’s City Council meeting.  Not wanting to put my life in danger, I decided to let future calls go to voicemail.  In all, I did two radio interviews and one TV interview.

I thought there might be people at the City Council meeting to protest, but nothing happened.  The invocation went off without a hitch.  Two of my friends were there to observe the proceedings.

In reporting the story, a Christian online newspaper mistakenly reported that I was a former Baptist preacher, and that the Humanist Association of Tulsa is a chapter of the ACLU, instead of a chapter of the American Humanist Association.