"Bringing Our Pioneer Spirit of Yesterday Forward Into Tomorrow"
"Bringing Our Pioneer Spirit of Yesterday Forward Into Tomorrow"
Most of my adult life I have engaged in some sort of regular physical activity. The motivation derives from an effort to keep my weight somewhat in check and maintain a level of health. Plus I just plain feel better when I am exercising. This activity has taken various forms over the years, jogging, extended walks, bicycling, or lap swimming.
When my children were younger, (more…)
Minnie Mae Austin was born May 2, 1891 in Newton County, Arkansas, the ninth child of John F. Austin and Nancy Ann Trobaugh Austin. She married Thomas Henry Carr on March 31, 1909 and together they had 11 children. They moved to Oklahoma in a covered wagon with Katie, Treseye, and Irene and settled near Sallisaw, Ok. and later to Warner, Ok. (more…)
GRANDMA KATIE
By Diane Frame Bertone for all of her grandchildren
Our Grandma Katie came to Oklahoma from Arkansas in a covered wagon pulled by two mules, “Pepper and Ader”, when she was only five years old. The family milk cow was tied to the back of the wagon. The trip took five to six days. Grandma Katie passionately told about crossing the river at Webber Falls on a ferryboat. She was so very scared that the wagon would fall into the river, and she said her little feet nearly froze off. The family cooked on a campfire (more…)
I was backpacking with my brother Jeff. As one is prone to do in those situations, we were discussing a wide range of topics attempting to solve all the world’s problems. Please just ignore the fact that it was a short two day hike that would barely allow us to get past the first dozen or so.
We were discussing something which for the all the pot in Humboldt county, I cannot recall. I do remember it involved an ethical decision on how to proceed in some circumstance. We rocked on for a couple (more…)
One story I have shared with many folks over the years is about 
Aunt Peggy. She had some cards, may still have some for all I know, that she carried in her wallet.
Upon the cards were the words, “I see you smoke, well I chew. If you do not blow your smoke on me, I will not spit on you.”
I never saw her hand it to anyone, but I am betting that she did from time to time. It was certainly a nice, humorous way to get your point across.
My father passed away 5 years ago February 19th. He had a massive stroke back around 1996. He basically cheated death at that time, and my mother always referred to the ensuing years as “their bonus” years. And they were.
Even though he had been in poor health for many years it is still a shock when your partner of 50 plus years dies. My mother was cast adrift in her grief for a considerable period of time. But time is (more…)
What is the tag line for the web site? “Bringing Our Pioneer Spirit of Yesterday Forward Into Tomorrow”
Here is a story by young Caleb Matthews doing exactly that.
Click here to see Caleb’s story
You will need Adobe Reader to see the story, but chances are it is already on your computer. If you do not have it, it is a free download.
My dad was a loyal OU Football fan. We never (OK, once, the fall before he died, when he simply could not stay for the rest of the game) left until the game clock showed 0:00. Didn’t matter if OU was up by 60 points, or behind by 60 points. You stayed for the end of the game to support your team. Five and one-half years after his death, we still carry on that tradition (OK, once again, broken once, when there was a lightning delay, with a considerable downpour, we left – it was right around half-time – and did not come back). (more…)
When I was a young teenager my father had a hi-fi stereo, state of the art. We boys were not supposed to touch it, but of course we occasionally did. In my father’s LP collection was a comedy record that we had been explicitly charged with not listening to…under any circumstances. That ranks right up there with waving the old proverbial red handkerchief at “el Toro”, with telling Brett Favre he should retire, or Mt. Everest beaconing Sir Edmund Hillary. It became a challenge. I had to hear that comedy record.
Well I found myself alone in the house one day, (more…)
Outsized would have described my Uncle Sam, Irene’s husband. He had an outsized personality, and he was prone to tell outsized tales of questionable veracity. He was physically a big man. 
I do not know what his height was, but he always seemed taller than my 187 centimeters. He was a man who loved eat, and his weight showed it. He was just a big man.
Although I never thought about them, he had one physical (more…)