Welcome To The Jungle

We just started school this week, but the two weeks before school started were full of visits from family.  My kiddos had a great time with their cousins.  The weather was not hot enough to spend a day in the pool (Oklahoma... in August... what??) but it was absolutely perfect for a day at the zoo.  
You are either a zoo person, or you are not. We are zoo people.
For my sister and I, the day was a time of reflection from zoo trips as kids.  My mom was quick to mention the polar bears mating at my 6th birthday party.  My sister had sweet memories of riding on the train with our grandfather.  Me?  I just love the zoo.
I'm fairly certain the boys' memories for the visit will revolve around seeing this.

I wonder what has captured the boys' attention?

I have video (of course!) but I will not make you watch the horrors we witnessed. We went straight from butt-picking monkeys to nose-picking statues. That's how it is when you have boys.

Picking the Chia Head's nose...

My oldest son, Michael, took a selfie with a goat in the petting zoo.   I guess this goat gets his picture taken a lot because he put a nice big grin on his face!

Say CHEESE!

Every trip to the Tulsa Zoo involves spinning the world around.  If you've been here, you know what I am talking about.  No matter how many times you come here, they must must must spin that thing.

My two boys with my three nephews

When it was all said and done, big red (my Michael) carried little red (my nephew) out of the zoo so we could go get some ice cream.

And in case you were wondering, the ice cream was my favorite part of the day.
Fall is almost here and the weather will be perfect for being outdoors. How will you spend your days?




Mrs. Priss
Hanging outdoors for a change like...

Praying for Oklahoma

Our great state has suffered yet more loss due to tornadoes. I was glued to the television and Facebook all afternoon and evening, as I'm sure everyone else was. First, in fear of it coming my way and then later, sadness over the devastation in Moore, OK. The tornadoes that hit Edmond and Shawnee were horrific as well.  
Last night my six year old looked out the window and noticed the sky was a very eerie orange color. It looked completely amber outside. I went outside to try and capture a picture with my iPhone and it just didn't capture the amber color at all. I immediately noticed how calm and quiet it was, along with the amber sky. It took me back to when I was a 6 year old girl living in Moore, OK. My dad was on in the highway patrol there. He had come home for a dinner break during his shift. When he left we all went outside with him. It looked and felt exactly the same way as it was tonight. 
My mom had been typing at our table, in front of our big bay window in the kitchen. My brother, age 3, playing under the table. I had been sitting at the table as well. Directly behind our backyard was the fire station. About 30 minutes after my dad had left the tornado sirens started going off. My mom grabbed some candles and took my brother and me to our bathroom. It seemed like we had just gotten in the bathroom when the back side of our house was hit by the tornado. It brought the back wooden fence straight in through that bay window where we had just been sitting. It was also during that time that my dad, in his patrol car, was being lifted numerous times off the ground. We were certainly fortunate we weren't hurt. That house ended up being hit a couple of other times by tornadoes over the years before being completely destroyed by the May 1999 tornado. No, you could not pay me enough money to live in Moore, OK again. It is truly "Tornado Alley." 
My husband has finally decided it's worth the expense to have a storm shelter installed in our garage. It will just give us and the rest of our family a peace of mind. Do you have a shelter? Where do you go if you don't? I have a few friends with shelters/cellars/basements who welcome us anytime there is a tornado warning. It will just be nice to have something right here at home. 
I, along with the other housewives, will continue to pray for all the families affected, the service helpers and those children who lost their friends at school. I'm hesitant to watch too much news today, as I know the sadness will likely just be too much. 
I saw this right before I started writing this post and LOVED it. I don't know who to give credit to, but know whoever created it knew it would likely be shared. Join us Okies in praying for our great state. 

~Mrs. Albright Praying, like a... 

Skywatch Friday (or Thursday)

Today we are participating in a meme that our good friend Yogi is hosting called Skywatch Friday.  It's pretty simple, really.  You just post a picture of the sky in your area of the world and share it with the others.  The trick of it all is that they post on Thursday afternoons.  Those tricky tricksters.
I've seen Yogi's posts for a long time now, but today was the first time I checked out some of the others.  Apparently, I have been missing out.  There are posts from all over the world. I could lose myself for hours.
If you tend to take pictures of funky clouds or beautiful sunrises and sunsets - this is the meme for you!
Anyone who knows me even a little is probably aware of the fact that I truly hate getting up in the morning.  When my alarm goes off at 6a on the weekdays I have to force myself into motion and begrudgingly begin my day.  As a way to stick my tongue out and nanny-nanny-boo-boo the weekdays, I stay in bed on Saturdays long after I wake up.  So there, Monday - in your face!  
My neighbor and I take turns driving our teenage boys to the bus stop in the early morning hours and sit in the car with them until it arrives.  Waiting in the cold at the bus stop is one of my least favorite childhood memories, so I took that one out of the running for my kiddos.  During these treks, I see some beautiful sunrises. These sunrises make getting up so early a little more bearable. I'm still going to tell that I wouldn't get up in the morning just to see one.   I'm stubborn like that. My picture today is from last week when I was driving home from the bus stop. It's iPhonography at its best!  You know... fuzzy. It still shows you the beautiful colors peeking through the trees and houses.  I prefer my sunsets to be peeking through trees.  It shows off the intricacies of the trees with their branches with a spotlight!

I'm hoping you will participate in Skywatch Friday with us!  All you need to know is on their website HERE and their Facebook page.  Be sure to pop over and tell Yogi a big hello in the comments! We will be linking up our post this afternoon. Will you?



~ Mrs. Priss

Making the most of her mornings like...

Did Someone Say... Snow?

Nothing gets an Okie more excited than talking about the weather.
A big storm headed our way means news updates every five minutes on the television.
I'm really not kidding.

If you aren't from here, you need to understand this fundamental Okie fact.

Last winter, we were disappointed in the lack of snow.  It was a devastating season.  But, hope springs eternal and the possibility of a snow day is still out there this winter.  As I type these words, snow is arriving in our area of the state and people are flooding the grocery stores for two items.  What two items?

Bread.
Milk.

Don't believe me?
He's hitting it a little too close to home.

 

The hilarity and honesty of it all hit as Michael and I went to the store to purchase... what? You guessed it.
Bread. Milk.
We documented this fine moment with a video of our own while strolling through our local Wal-Mart.

Mrs. Albright's daughter is a big fan of bread & milk. Michael's video merited a video response of her own.

Yeah. They've got this down. When they grow up to be responsible Okie adults, they will be fully capable of taking their own panic-driven trip to the store when the 2 inch Snowpocalypse threatens their home and livelihood.  

For those of you enjoying a beautiful snow, please post your pictures on our Facebook page today!



~ Mrs. Priss

Stocking up on hot chocolate supplies (and bread and milk) like...

Buy Local

As a local business owner "Buy Local" is near & dear to my heart. I have so many friends who own businesses as well & I want to see their businesses thrive.

Do you think about where you shop, where you spend your money? Several studies have shown when you buy from a locally owned business  75% of your money spent stays in our community. You are supporting local families. You are continuing to strengthen the economic base of our community. My friends own Batteries Plus in Tulsa. They are supporting the entire family from grandparents to grandkids from their two locations. I shop there for not only my batteries, but my light bulbs too. Did you know that every October they give away FREE 9 volt batteries for your smoke detectors to support fire safety month? Non-profit groups report receiving 250% more donations/support from local, small businesses vs. national, large businesses.

I posted a casual survey for my Facebook friends to post their favorite local business. I was so excited to see just how of my friends are supporting local families. We live in an awesome part of the country with so many creative, talented people. Where else can you go to Pooches Place, Dwelling Spaces or Loops? Businesses like these make our community stand out across our state. They make our community a tourist destination & a fun place to live.

There are so many reasons to buy local. Bottom line, it encourages our local prosperity. The girls at the RHOK locally shop, eat & create. We love to give back to our community non-profit groups as well. Won't you join us in our quest to Be OK, Be local & Buy local? Tell us your favorite locally owned business. We love to try new local things.


xoxo- Mrs. Montgomery Hanging in the Blue Dome District Like...

          Mrs. Montgomery was not paid nor given any of these products to demo in lieu of this post. 
               If anyone would like to send Mrs. Montgomery businesses to review please email her 
                                  as she would be happy to try a few.

My Own Little Antiques Roadshow

Are you a junker?  Do you like going to Antique stores full of garage sale items?

My friend Lisa always finds treasure in these places, but I just find some great things to point and laugh at.  Lisa has a talent that I don't have - she can make trash look like treasure!  I may not love these places on my own but I always have fun walking the aisles of the store with Lisa.

I know you're hoping I'm about to show off Lisa's treasure, but I'm not.  And as cute as Lisa is, she refused to be photographed.  

I'm going to show you what is trending at the junk antiques store in Jenks, Oklahoma.  I must warn you - I am not the iPhone-ographer that Mrs. Albright is.  I snap 'em and I show 'em - without the editing.  

Just keeping it real.  

Or being lazy.  

Whatever you want to call it.

Are you ready?

Doll collectors and makers - this is your place.  

And... your place is creepy.

This is where serial killers go to find ideas for body disposal.

baby in a bag

parts in a jar

I saw this in a 1980's horror film

peek-a-boo... I see you

This is where Cabbage Patch dolls go to die.

The "beautiful designer doll"

Never fear, junking is not only for doll collectors!  You can buy clothes appropriate for anytime from 1970-1985.  I am seriously coming back here for Halloween.  I did score a totally hot Christmas sweater for $4 with all of the bells and whistles.

I'll just show you a few more exciting things I found before I sign off.  Something has to get your mind off of those creepy dolls, right?

*** shudders ***

I should have tried this on.

toilet seat cover - complete with pee stain

silver arm

Can we have a crazy Easter sweater party?  

Satan called.
He wants his puppet back.

Everyone knows that old saying about manure.
And everyone wants it framed on their wall.

I think this was a Stephen King movie.

A wreath with a random girl's picture in the middle?

c'mon... vogue...
(picture Madonna's video)

Used toddler potty seat cover - I did not check this for pee stains

Now I will leave you with a wink and a smile.

Or a wink and a grimace by way of these evil babies.

Makes me think of a bald Chucky doll or The Shining.

I can almost hear them saying "RED RUM" while riding their tricycles.

Hey, hot stuff... wanna ride?

Are you a junk store aficionado?
Where are the good places to go and what do you find?

Mrs. Priss

Sorting through the trash like...

who narrowly escaped the serial killer who followed us through the store.

ACHOOOO!

We housewives would love to let you believe that we never have days like this.

But since we live in Oklahoma, it's assumed that you will experience snot overload in the fall... or maybe the spring... or maybe year-round.  Oklahoma City and Tulsa are both in the top ten most challenging places to live with fall allergies.


...And you thought you wouldn't learn something here today.

While my nose has been leaking like a faucet, my lungs have also begun shutting down.  I'm wheezing day and night.  I can't take it anymore!  For the last two weeks I have been cursing the presence of these:

I'm not a fan of the cold weather, but...
CAN WE GET A FREEZE ALREADY?
Geez.

How are you holding up?

~ Mrs. Priss

suffering not-so-silently like...

Volunteering: Life's Lesson from Generation to Generation- A Guest Post

When I was a little girl my mom would take me on her Meals On Wheels route.  The thing that I remember most was how happy those old people seemed to be to see me.  They didn't even know me but how they would gush and want to hold my hand and ask how old I was.  In the few brief minutes we were guests in their home a shy little girl with auburn hair would bring them a breath of fresh air along with their lunch.

Fast forward a few decades and here I am with my very own route.  When I was at a place in my life where I had the time to commit to community volunteer work the first thing I did was call up my local Meals On Wheels office to find out about driving a route.  I've been doing it for four years and love every week.  When my 1st grader was in pre-school I would take him on my route with me.  Most of the time he would clam up and not say much but the clients loved seeing him.

Driving Meals On Wheels has been a life lesson for both me and my son.  It teaches us to serve those in need.  For the clients who are home bound and unable to make their own way to the grocery store this service is essential to their daily survival.  It teaches us kindness and compassion.  For some of these folks their driver may be the only other person they see all day long.  No person is an island unto themselves and no one deserves to be left alone all day.  We all need interaction with another human being even if it is as simple as a friendly smile, a pat on the hand or a quick chat.  It teaches a sense of community.  This service is a vital part of our community that would not survive without it's volunteers.  It's important to give of yourself, your time and resources without expecting anything in return.

One of the most important life lessons for me has been humility.  There were many times I had to explain to my tender little boy that not everybody lives in a big house with nice things and lots of toys to play with.  Not everybody has someone to take care of them, cook them dinner everyday, play with them and kiss them goodnight every night.  Not everybody can keep their house clean and smelling nice or have new, clean clothes.  Not everybody can just hop in the car whenever they feel like it and go out to eat at their favorite restaurant or buy lots of groceries without worrying if they will have enough money.  These are difficult life lessons for a little boy and sharp reminders for an adult.  But one lesson that would follow up the "not every body has..." lesson is that even though the people we delivered to had less than we did, what they did have is the assurance that they could depend on us to bring them their lunch that day.

After all these years, Meals On Wheels means to me:  Service, Kindness, Compassion, Community and Humility.  I'm so glad my mom knew to haul me all over town with her. 

Stephanie Clinton
Guest Blogger, Volunteer, Wife & Professional Snot Wiper...
and in our world that makes her officially

Today's post comes to us from Oklahoma guest blogger Stephanie Clinton. Stephanie is a SAHM to two boys ages 6 and almost 2.  She loves their hugs and kisses but does not love wiping their snotty noses.  In her past life she has been a Gymboree teacher, an activity director at a retirement home, a business manager and a celebrity sighter.  She likes to think of herself as a pretty decent cook, artistic, crafty and sort of okay with a sewing machine.  Stephanie and her husband have been married for 11 years.  The first 7 years of their marriage was spent having fun in Los Angeles but they knew it was time to come home to Norman after their first son was born.  In her free time (if there ever is any) she can be found reading, cross-stitching, avoiding housework but most of all blogging about her stay-at-home adventures. Her blog can be found at Hugs, Kisses and Snot.

It's Official - TV Has Run Out of Ideas.

I'm tired of talking about the heat.  I spend most every minute of every day trying to figure out a way to stay home with the air conditioning.  Since I've already cleaned out several closets, I'm now watching more TV than ever.  I've watched all of the good shows, re-watched all of the good movies on HBO, moved on to the mediocre shows that I could stand and now that leaves me with total crap on the tube.
When you watch the crap I've been watching, you get to see ads for some FABulous new shows.

Based on the advertising I'm seeing, I think they have run out of ideas for new television shows.

First, I was stunned to see this:

Hillbilly Handfishin' on Animal Planet

Noodling is a Yeti sport, you know.  Apparently.
Do you see the hair all over that dude?
With the cash he earns from his new stardom, I hope he considers laser hair removal.  They might require it before his stint on Dancing With The Stars.

If you just can't get enough, you can watch the promo here.

The best part about this show is that it spotlights the great state of OKLAHOMA and our finest.  And by finest, I mean two expert noodlers who act as guides to city slickers who think they should noodle to find the meaning of life - or at least a little excitement in their life.
The fact that a "city slicker" would need to scare themselves silly by reaching under rocks in the muddy water to grab giant catfish is just dumb and gross.  If they would just spend an afternoon with noodlers it will give them all the excitement they need.

You're not a noodler, by any chance - are you?

It's not like we don't have noodling shows spotlighting fabulous Okies already.
Or do we...?
Like maybe here or here...

Thank goodness for the second show I'm spotlighting today.
It is not an Oklahoma exclusive.

Whisker Wars

I don't have a problem with facial hair.
What I don't understand is creating art with your facial hair and competing with it.

When the ladies start competing, I'm gonna watch this show.
In fact, I think the RHOK will have their own beard war.  How much would you pay to watch this?

Priss, Hart & Albright
"RHOK Whisker Wars"

This is soooooo gonna happen.

Maybe the problem is that I just hate reality TV.  The Doc and I just happen to be the only two people on this planet who don't want to watch real people on TV with their scripted real-life stories.  We like the fake, unbelievable stories better.  Our two favorite new shows are Franklin & Bash and Alphas.  Have you seen them?

Just for fun, I'm going to share the movie trailer I saw tonight. It's going to give me nightmares, how about you?


Nothing left to watch at home and the kiddos are b-o-r-e-d.
This is how I ended up having to see The Smurfs yesterday at the movies.

Please tell me there are better things coming.

~ Mrs. Priss

la-la...la-la-la-la... like...

In Your Neck of the Woods: Discoveryland, USA!

If you live in the Tulsa area and have never been to see Oklahoma! at Discoveryland, then shame on you.


SHAME ON YOU!

We try to go every year and I have the whole darn thing memorized.  I should probably be ashamed of that, but I really do love it.  It's a great way to honor our Okie heritage.  I'm always amazed by how many people from other states and countries (for real!) end up in Sand Springs to watch the show.

This year, I brought my parents and niece with me.

Totally entertained.

I made them go early enough to see the Indian War Dancer and the PreShow.

Western Review Pre-Show

Jacob took the opportunity to ride on a pony, too.

About to start the dancing...

Enthusiasm abounds.

I even made my very reluctant niece pose with the Indian War dancer.  I totally forgot how humiliating it is to be a 13 year old girl.  Sorry, kiddo.

Moo.

Pow.

When she posed for these, she told me, "You can't post these on Facebook."  Being the honorable aunt that I am, I didn't.  

I also didn't mention that I have a blog and they would be on it.

Everybody's happy.

Will Parker

And although everything is up-to-date in Kansas City...

They've gone about as FER as they kin go...

My folks were disappointed that everything at the ampitheater is not.  I guess I forgot to warn them that it wasn't going to be fancy.

We all agree that the talent on stage is fantastic.
If you have a chance to go see it, you really should.
I still have song lyrics running through my head!

If you go, I don't recommend the food.  Maybe it's just me?  I say eat before you go.
Bring your bug spray and wear cool clothes and you will be set for a fun night!

And now I want to know what's going on in YOUR Neck of the Woods.  Link up with the RHOK today! Grab our button and include it in your post, then head back here to link up!

We are nosy.  We like to know what you're up to.

<a href="http://therhok.com" target="_blank"><img alt="The RHOK" src="http://i371.photobucket.com/albums/oo160/ajsouthern/neck-1.jpg" /></a>

~ Mrs. Priss


A Girl Who CAN Say No, and...