A Few Good Reads

There's one or three blogs I've ran across lately that I'd have to say are definitely worth a look.

Life on a Colorado Farm

...is homey and farmy and country and all those things I like, but my absolute favorite part of it is published every Friday. It's called "The Adventures of Fuzzy and Boomer on Friday" and is an ongoing saga written in the words of the farm's two dogs (yep, that'd be Fuzzy and Boomer). I'm pretty sure these two live a more exciting life than I do. :)

Retrospect

I loves me that photography!

On the Outside Looking In

Want to read something that will make you appreciate all that you have, whether it's a little or a lot? This one will do it. Although there's no way I could swear it's for real, it has certainly made me think of the what-ifs.

Not Worth a Title

I'm sitting here watching a re-run on TV. That in itself is not unusual, but I'm watching a re-run of the last presidential debate. Self-torture!!! I have no idea who I support and this is not helping one bit. I want lower taxes (the tax rate for single, no dependents is just stupid), the strongest military in the world, and the government to get the hell out of everybody's life. That is probably too much to ask, am I right?

I went to a grappling match this morning. Raise your hand if you know what that is.

While I was there, Charlie the Lawn Guy came by the house and mowed. In February. It already needed it. At this rate my lawn care budget will be gone by May.

I turned off the wv on the comments by popular demand. I'm now getting all kinds of comments from some guy named anonymous. He's making the majority of his comments on posts that are years old.

Maybe that spam filter doesn't work for everybody. Then again, maybe there's a secret to it that I don't know about? Pffft.

The Lookout Church

This little building, way out in the country in western Woods County, is what is left of the Lookout Union Church.

Or, that's what was left until a couple of weeks ago when it (FINALLY!!) rained, and then...





It looked like that.


I've looked everywhere for a picture of it when it was still in use, but for a little church that's been around for a hundred years, there doesn't seem to be a single picture of it when it was actually painted white.

I did find this one.


I'm guessing that picture was taken in the 30's or 40's, but that's purely a guess. I am certain that the picture belongs to child #2, for some reason.

Anyway.

I went to church there with Mom just about every single Sunday until probably my junior high years when I started going to church in Freedom - which was probably around the time that the Lookout Union Church closed its doors for the last time.

Being a little country church in the corner of a pasture, it was mostly attended by the farmer's wives and the assortment of children that were dragged along. I really only remember one man who attended regularly with his wife - Horace Parker, who always sat on the left-hand side, second row from the back. I suppose his wife, Helen, sat there with him but I don't remember that. I do remember that the members of the congregation (I'd guess the average attendance was eight or maybe ten people) got to choose the songs that were sung. You chose them by the number of the song in the dark red hymnal. I raised my hand every week until I got old enough to be embarrassed and picked "Mansion Over the Hilltop" every time which was and is my favorite church song. And that would just crack Horace Parker up every week.

We also sang it every week. So there.

Now, when it came Christmas or Easter time, we kids would put on a special program for the holiday. I don't recall much about the Easter programs but I do remember the Christmas ones. As best as I can recollect they were on a Saturday night and involved singing and cookies and punch and hard candy. Lots of hard candy. And, all those dads and grandpas that didn't go to regular church would make their semi-annual appearance. Looking rather uncomfortable...not because they were in church but because they had on neckties.

My Aunt Jean taught the kid's Sunday School class. It was held in the lean-to addition on the right side of the church. She had this little trivia game, yellow flash cards in a red box, that we played every Sunday. Those that know me now might not think I learned much at Sunday School, but I dang sure remember what Noah's three sons were named. I think I won the game more than once on that question.

The preachers at the church, during my days there, were students (I guess theology or seminary) from Phillips University in Enid. The only one I remember very well was a man named Edmundo Aquino, who was from Puerto Rico. He and his wife came every Sunday for quite some time.

If you are familiar at all with Northwest Oklahoma in the 1960's and early 1970's, you will know why Mr. Aquino was an unusual choice for the job by the University. That was most certainly my first contact with anyone who was from a different part of the world and a different culture than white farm-folks. I imagine it was also the first time many of the adults had such an experience too. He was, though, completely accepted. I believe that, several years later, when Horace Parker passed away, Mr. Aquino returned (he had long since moved on from Lookout) to preside over his services at Mr. Parker's request, made before he died. I didn't, at the time, realize what a statement that was.

Then there's Pauline and Goldie and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"...but those memories deserve their own post.

When I was trying to find a picture of the church, I ran across an obituary of a gentleman who passed away in 2009. Jack Hart must have had fond memories of his time in Lookout to have had it mentioned so prominently in his obituary! Besides that, he sounds like he was just one of those people that you would just want to know (football fan, check).

His tenure at Lookout was a little before my memory but my sister tells me that he and his new bride would come to the Lookout area on Saturday and stay with one family or another, and then provide the church service on Sunday before going back to Enid. I noticed when I read that obit that he was probably the pastor at Lookout when I was born. That, as we all know, was, like half a century ago or something.

I wonder how long the old church can keep standing in its current state. I guess the building itself doesn't matter that much, because the pictures in my mind will keep it standing forever.

I sure do hate to see it go though.

Here and There

It seems like I think about posting something here everyday and then the day gets away from me, or something..... Maybe it's the fact that I leave for work around 6 in the morning and I get back home around 6 in the evening, then I do that again the next day, and the next day, and then the day after that too. The other thing is that, since about all I do is work, and I don't write about that, so Hells Bells!! I don't have anything to write about. Unless you want to hear about dishwashing and laundry and vacuuming the dog hair carpet? No?? I can't understand why anyone would want to miss out on THAT exciting reading. Heh.

So if you live in Oklahoma, you've no doubt heard by now that the new fancy-Schmancy I-40 crosstown has opened. That is, the eastbound lanes have opened. It's kind of a surreal experience to drive on it because it's just enough farther south of the old one that you're looking at the back side of all the buildings that you used to see the other side of. Not only is the sight an eye-teaser, that last sentence is a tongue-twister of sorts.

Anywho, you're driving down this supersonic 4-and-5 lane highway and it's really slick- all these gorgeous bridges were built to the south to cross the "Oklahoma River" which is really the South Canadian River, but got a slick new name a few years ago, and then you drive under this:







which is a pedestrian bridge with a sculpture (duh) that is supposed to represent a scissortail, I think. It was sort of disturbing at first and all the traffic would slow down to stare at it.

Speaking of disturbing, it's strange how this new highway has a 4th lane (and a 5th that hasn't opened) but it's like nobody can bring themselves to get in that far left-hand lane. Kind of like it's just over there for NASCAR. Actually, I think that, subconsciously, it's like it doesn't exist because there has never been a 4th lane before, you know what I'm saying? You just can't get your head wrapped around it.

And the westbound part of this new highway? Not open yet. And yes, as recently as TODAY another hole appeared in the old westbound that's still being used. Big enough that 2 lanes had to be shut down. One of the previous "holes" was measured at 2' x 6'. That would get your attention, wouldn't it?