Perfect Pairings – “Pure Joy”

We retrieved SuperPizzaBoy from his summer camp about a week ago.

(Yogi Photo)

He attended Charis Hills Camp northwest of Fort Worth, Texas. Charis Hills is a summer camp for kids with learning differences. They are a Christian based camp and all the kids are given a Bible along with their water bottles.

(Camp Photo)

SPB got to do a lot of stuff including horseback riding.

(Camp Photo)

When you register for the camp the parents and the kids list their preferred activities in order of preference. The staff does their best to match everybody up as best they can and it seemed to work out pretty well. Note that video games and texting were not among the activities listed. (Yee Haw as they say in Texas.) In fact no electronics are permitted at all, not even digital cameras. We gave SPB some recyclable cameras to use.

(Camp Photo)

So SPB got to stretch himself a little bit, archery wasn’t one of his preferred activities but hey, I think he liked although it was challenging.

(Camp Photo)

Now, drama and performance, that is right up his alley.

(Camp Photo)

Everybody does swimming every day.

(SuperPizzaBoy Photo)

Everybody also does an academic component called Nova. In Nova they learned about the Chisolm Trail, and other things having to do with the history of the area. Much of it is hands on like learning how to make root beer and hard tack.

(SuperPizzaBoy Photo)

They woman who taught Nova is a public school teacher from the area and also participates in Civil War reenactments and could really bring the lessons home.

(Yogi Photo)

What really makes the camp go are the Camp Counselors. We got to meet many of them. You won’t find a harder working, more engaging and compassionate group of young people anywhere.

(Camp Photo)

They are also a bunch of hams.

(Camp Photo)

To engage kids of this age you really need high energy and patience.

(Camp Photo)

And these folks have it.

(Camp Photo)

SPB was worn out by his experience and was ready to go home but he had a great time and learned a lot.

(Yogi Photo)

At the awards ceremony you could tell that they went to great lengths to make sure that every kid had a special experience.

(Camp Photo)

Plus you have to love a place that has a camp cow.

(SuperPizzaBoy Photo)

So I used this verse a couple weeks ago when I posted about taking SPB to camp and said that he needed to “Man Up.” Well he did, now I’m focusing on the “Pure Joy” part of the verse.
Perfect Pairings

We are big fans of Charis Hills Camp.

Note about the photographs. The camp staff posts online photographs taken during the camp. They also make available at nominal cost a USB drive where they burn the photographs taken during the days of camp. All told there were well over two thousand photos taken and uploaded and burned onto the drive. So that was cool. We were able to pick out bunches of photos of SPB engaging in the various activities. I’ve designated who took what photo underneath the photos above.

Weekend Reflections – Gulf Shores

Its that season, we are trying to figure out where to go on vacation this year. This pic is from our vacation last year to the Redneck Riviera of Gulf Shores, Alabama. We had a great time. This year SuperPizzaBoy wants to go to Washington, D.C. Are there any beaches in the D.C. area?

Where are you going (or have already gone) on vacation this year? Do you have any tips for me?

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday – Sunset on the Arkansas

An after dinner sunset stroll on the river.
Skywatch Friday

Graffiti Wednesday – Broken Arrow “Chalk It Up” Art Festival

On June 9 a couple weeks ago the cool people had taken over Main Street in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

They were checking out the city’s Chalk It Up Art Festival. For twenty bucks artists could register and get your own sizable chunk of asphalt to show your stuff.

I just happened upon it toward the end of the affair. They were all done when I got there, 15 minutes later they opened up the street and the art degraded rapidly. Not a good way to treat works of art. So to me it was kind of like reverse graffiti.

Oh well, what do you want for $20? Posterity costs money. I love the above for the 3D effect. Please note that I cheated on these photos. I used the “Enhance” function on the Aviary online photo editor to bring the colors out more. Do you still like me? Oh, you never did like me! Full disclosure is fun isn’t it?

I liked the colorful sea theme above. Reminds me of Destin, Florida.

I liked this one also, big butt and all.

Another fish theme, a koi I think.

Now a trout.

I really liked this one also, even though it wasn’t a fish theme. The thing I wonder though is, well I hate to bring it up, but am I the only one that noticed that the lady is nekkid? What is up with that Punk Pixies Designs? Goes to show you that despite what you may have heard, Broken Arrow is hotbed of Democratic Liberal Socialism. Tell you what, if Mitt were President, he’d be out in the street himself chalking on a good sturdy Republican brassiere on that lady.

This is popular also, the Oklahoma City Thunder is the toast of the State right now. Even Tulsa has choked down their jealousy of Oklahoma City for now to enjoy the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals.

So, sorry, no graffiti this week. Street Art is a close cousin, okay not really butI hope that you don’t think I misled you.

Graffiti Wednesday

Our World – Stoneburg, Texas

Sweetie and I have been traveling down to north Texas a bunch lately. We passed the house below four times in Stoneburg, Texas, on the fifth time I told her that I was taking a photo of it on our way back. Stoneburg is so small that even if you don’t blink you might miss it.

It is an old stone building and I think it is beautiful.Surely there should be something on the world wide web about it, right? That is why Al Gore invented the internet, to satisfy our curiosity without actually having to do much work, right?

Well, it is on the web alright, but just photos. No information about what it was although one source says it was a gas station. May be, I don’t know. It is made out of melted glass, old bricks, stones, and locally sourced petrified wood. All of which is cool.

So I didn’t find out much about the building. I think it is great all the same.

It turns out though that Stoneburg, Texas has made the news for other reasons. Most recently it was burned over in a horrific wild fire of 25,000 acres back in 2009. The other reason that Stoneburg made the news is the notorious serial killer Henry Wayne Lucas. He lived for a while at a religious commune near Stoneburg. He confessed and later recanted to killing thousands of people. It was enough of a mess that the then Governor of Texas George W. Bush commuted Lucas’s death sentence to life. He is dead now. If you lived in Texas back in the 80’s as I did you should remember the name. I remember that he confessed to a murder committed near where I lived in Conroe, Texas just north of Houston.

Our World

Happy Father’s Day Dad

My Dad was a dapper young man.

With an eye for Vargas Girls in college.

Starting a family with my late Mother, that’s my older brother with the worried look on his face.

In addition to a Grandson and Granddaughters he has a Great Grand Son, Mr. Beans.

There we are, Sister, Ellen, Brother Bob, Dad, and yours truly.

Gramps always has something to say. If you are wise you will listen.

Happy Fathers’ Day Dad!!

Jersey Boys – the Musical

Last night Sweetie and I ventured downtown to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center to see the touring production of “Jersey Boys.” It is the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons starting from way back when a few kids from New Jersey gathered under a street light and came up with their new sound.

They get into the business and go on tour playing clubs all over the USA looking for their big break under names “The Lovers,” “The Royal Teens,” and “The Romans” looking for the big hit.

A little past halfway in the first act the band finally finds their hit “Sherry.” When that song starts it almost explodes off the stage and has a visceral effect on the audience. These guys nail the song and they follow it up with “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man.” It might be the best three consecutive songs I have ever heard in a musical.

From then on the production is about band dealing with their success and the pressures and problems of trying to keep a family together while touring. It is also about the complicated business dealings in the musical business and the effect that has on the band. It is also how the band held their own against the British Invasion of the 1960’s.

It also shows the musical evolution of the group from upbeat teen pop songs to more grown up and introspective fare such as “Stay”, “Bye Bye Baby”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, and “Rag Doll.”

I loved this show, Five Stars out of Five for Musicals as far as I am concerned. It’s here in Tulsa until June 24 and then it goes to Denver. Go see it, you’ll love it.

Skywatch Friday – Flag Day

June 14 is Flag Day, it is not a national holiday but maybe it should be.

Skywatch Friday

Graffiti Wednesday – Downtown Finds

I was headed home from work the other day and I caught the writing below out of the corner of my eye. I was on a one way street and so turned off and went up an alley back to it and took a picture. I got home and saw my big ole fat thumb on the edge of the photo. So I went back the next morning to try again.

It looks to me like an overlapped work judging by the background. The core area of downtown is pretty much devoid of graffiti. Lots of big empty walls and they are just blank. Actually I’m thankful. A little bit of graffiti goes a long ways.

If you look closely though you can spot micro Graffiti. (I just made that name up. Feel free to use it though.) I found the above and the following in the “Blue Dome” District of Tulsa’s downtown, just east of the core downtown area.

This was pasted on paper. I have no idea what it means, do you?

More signs just a few inches tall on a street sign. I like how the colors of the sticker and the sign are similar. You can bet that the writer’s belt and shoes match, and his murse.

Even the standpipes have stickers on them.

Another example of sticker graffiti.

I also found a micro poster on an electrical junction box cover. I’m all excited about all this micro-subversion (another term I invented, please by all means use if you feel led) going on in here in Oklahoma. It is going on right under our noses. Ironically the micro poster and and micro graffiti above are all within about 100 feet of the first geocache that SuperPizzaBoy and I planted a few years ago Tulsa Time which has been found 370 times so far. I hate to admit this but it is a “microcache” ( I didn’t invent that term.) Does that make me part of the microsubversion going on in the Blue Dome District?

Check out Graffiti Wednesday by my friend Jen, she posts about Graffiti quite frequently on Wednesday.

One last thing, from the Broken Arrow, OK “Chalk it Up Festival” this past weekend.

THUNDER UP!

My apologies to Miami Heat Fans. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the only major league professional sports team we have, if you don’t count the University of Oklahoma Football Team that is. I’m a huge Thunder fan, have been for days.

Let me ask you: Have you seen any micro-graffiti where you live? How about micro-subversion? I want to know!

Perfect Pairings – Off to Camp

Sunday morning we loaded the kid up. We had a very detailed list and Sweetie got everything packed and checked it twice.

We drove way down into north Texas (right into north edge of the Barnett Shale Gas Field, for you other Gas Guys and Gals out there.) Here is a sight just a few miles from the camp.

$#fracking #barnett #shale #texas$
They are fracturing a well! Sweetie asked me if it was dangerous. I told her only if something went wrong. Uhh, I had to add that nobody off the site was in any danger.

Sorry, back to the matter at hand. SPB is attending Charis Hills Camp. It is a Christian based camp for kids with learning differences. We went down and toured it last week, we think it is a great place and SPB is going to have some major fun.

SuperPizzaBoy got a top bunk. We really do hope he doesn’t fall out! (I’m not trying to be funny)

Saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. He couldn’t wait for us to leave. And… he was told that he would have to wear a life jacket during swimming, and … well you know there are some other ands.

But… the verse below is his cabin’s verse this week. I can’t read it either, here is a translation:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1:2-3