2nd Saturday Free Day at Philbrook Museum of Art

Saturday was the second Sat. of the month, which means, free admission to Philbrook! Eric and I went and enjoyed a great lunch before seeing the exhibits. We figured, since we didn't have to pay to get in, we'd try out there restaurant, la Villa. I'm glad we did! Their spicy clam chowder was the best I've had so far! After lunch we went out back to walk the paths in the garden until the rain forced us inside.

The exhibit, Object Project was great. 15 different artists were given the same 5 objects to incorporate into their piece. The five objects were: twine, a mirror, glass of water, bone and a butterfly. It was fun walking around trying to find each object in all the paintings and seeing how each artist depicted them in their own ways.

Not only is 2nd Sat. free, but it's also family day. There were 3 different art projects going on for the kids; making 3-D frames, painting still life and making mini puppets. A great idea and fun way to get the kiddos interested in art.

I was also really excited to walk around the other rooms to see other great works of art! So check it out!

This is a Kidney Stone...on my finger.

Several people have asked how big the kidney stone was that I passed. I was a little hesitant to post one showing the scale because it looks so much smaller that it felt!!! So, here's my massive 3mm stone:

Fishing at Skiatook

Well, it's been a while but I think I've passed my other kidney stone! Yea!

So we went to the lake on Labor Day and had a BLAST watching my nephews fish! They really got into it. From picking out the worm, cranking the reel, to holding up their catches, they had no fear. I remember when dad took me and my sister fishing when we were little and I don't quite remember wanting to touch the bait! Boys will be boys. So here are some fun shots of the boys on the boat. The last one is of Hudson with a fish stuck on his finger! Dad was showing him how to lip the fish to hold it up when Hudson decided to shove his finger down the fish's mouth. The fish clamped on, Hudson screamed and waved it around and Ashley, his mom, nearly flew off the boat trying to avoid the flying fish. Wish I could of got a shot of that! Hope you all had a great Labor Day.

This is a Kidney Stone

For those of you that have had a stone (or stones!) you might appreciate the following picture. For those of you that have been fortunate to have never experienced what some say is the most excruciating pain one might ever know, I hate you. Not really, but you may think this is gross. After passing this little (a grin came across my face when I wrote "little", that thing felt like it was the size of a golf ball-covered in spikes) anyway, when I passed this massive beast I couldn't help but think about the other stone hanging out in my kidney and how most women will never feel this pain. I get to feel it twice! Actually, I get to feel it four times, I've had two stones previously. Did you know kidney stones affect approximately 5 percent of women? I guess my and my aunt are anomalies. Anyway, I'm glad to have passed this one!

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Eric's favorite thing to eat is probably cookies. Chocolate Chip probably being his first choice. I decided to make him some Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies while the strudel filling was cooking (see post below). I don't make cookies very often, mainly because they don't last long in my house and this time was no exeption. The second batch came out of the oven at about 4 pm and by 1:30 am, they were all gone. The recipe was from Everyday Food but instead of using raisins, I opted for chocolate chips.

Out of the Oven:



About 9:30 pm



Gone:

Strudels and Stones

I am sitting at home with two kidney stones. Bummer. Since I can't really do much right now, I decided to update with some recent baking!

Saturday was quite the day of baking. We had a family dinner that night, full of grilled burgers, fried home-grown okra, fresh cucumber salad and potato salad. I made a couple of apple strudels for dessert and my aunt brought an incredible cheesecake with a three berry sauce. Here are a couple shots of the strudel. This was my first attempt at this dessert and it turned out pretty good. As usual, I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine. It does take a little time, but I think it's worth it!

While I Wait

I'm sitting here watching the Olympics and am getting anxious for the men's final relay. I thought I'd try to distract myself by sharing another fun FREE event in Tulsa. My friend, Daniel, sent the link to me. QuikTrip is celebrating their 50th anniversary September 20th with a music festival and firework show! If you like the 4th of July spectacular, you don't want to miss this and what their website states will be "almost twice as many fireworks as Tulsa’s annual 4th of July celebration." Check out their website for more info and make sure you don't miss the FAQs page, hilarious!



For great shots around Tulsa, check out Daniel's Flickr photostream!

Go Phelps and team USA! And I just watched Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal in the 2008 Olympic games!!! Amazing!

Summer's Fifth Night

Free summer fun!



Every Thursday night from 7-9 pm Utica Square hosts Summer's Fifth Night. This FREE summer concert series has everything from jazz to rock with each week being something different. With the weather being unseasonable cool, it's the perfect time to have a picnic dinner with family, friends or both! This past Thursday featured country and the Red Dirt Rangers are scheduled to play this Thursday. So grab a blanket or chairs, pack a picnic dinner, round up your pals and enjoy one of the last free concerts this summer.

Fishing at Grand Lake

We have been loving the cooler weather this weekend and took the opportunity to go fishing. While I did not catch one single fish, although I had a pretty good one on but it broke my line, Eric caught a few. This is one of the little guys he caught, a blue catfish!

What Does Your Birthday Mean?

Your Birthdate: October 5

You have many talents, and you are great at sharing those talents with others. Most people would be jealous of your clever intellect, but you're just too likeable to elicit jealousy. Progressive and original, you're usually thinking up cutting edge ideas. Quick witted and fast thinking, you have difficulty finding new challenges. Your strength: Your superhuman brainpower Your weakness: Your susceptibility to boredom Your power color: Tangerine Your power symbol: Ace Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?