I would have blogged earlier, but I began having terrible pain in my newest crown. The doctor worked me in yesterday.... partial root canal and a temporary crown on top of it. I was honestly in pain all yesterday, and all night. My jaw hurts to just talk today. It's not in the tooth.... it's in the jaw and cheekbone. Alas, even though I feel like I'm dying... I will live.
Here's a recap of my Oklahoma trip. I left Tuesday morning. I did really good till I got to my first turn in Oklahoma off of Hwy. 75 onto Hwy. 48. I had gone about 4 miles and ran in to a detour. It lasted a while, and it honestly took me more west than Hwy. 48 normally would, but I wanted to go my old route, so I made my way back to Hwy. 48 once the detour was completed. It took longer, but it is more scenic. When you're driving alone.... do what makes your trip the most fun. Here is a picture of Holdenville lake. It is really low. Stella couldn't go swimming because the water was so low that the boat ramp ran out and she didn't want to get muddy (me be happy with that).
My first stop was in Cushing to say hi to Frank, my step Dad. Visited with him for a few minutes, then headed to Stillwater to stay with my Aunt Evelyn, my mom's only sister. She is 86, and still going strong. She lost her husband years ago, but 2 years ago, she lost her only daughter, Gay. Gay was mentally handicapped, so she'd always lived with her parents. My uncle had passed years ago. It has been very hard on Evelyn, but she is a strong lady. In more ways that one. Not only is she emotionally strong, that lady goes for a walk every morning. If her neighbor wants to tag along, that's fine, but Evelyn is going rain or shine. Nope, I didn't go with her.
I walked the dog the first evening, since she'd been trapped in the car all day. Evelyn walked with us, but it was a leisurely stroll because Stella had to smell everything. I didn't walk with her the next morning, cause I was going to walk the dog. Well, my dog walk started out strong. We walked about 1/2 mile, and I tried to turn around, but Stella would have nothing to do with it. She wanted to go on. So, like and idiot, I gave in. We went past the 1/2 mile mark, and had got about 2/3 mile when Stella decided to quit walking. I mean QUIT! She laid down and wouldn't get up. I carried her back, and though surely she'd walk part of the way. I'd put her down, and she'd walk to the nearest grassy spot and lay down. I did end up carrying her all the way home. That was, by the way, her last walk.
Not sure of the order on most of this, but she and I had lunch with Lynn, her youngest son. We had a good visit over Schlotzsky's sandwiches.
That night, we invited my Uncle David and his wife Cherie out to dinner. He's mom's baby brother. David wouldn't go, but his wife did. We went to Joseppi's, and Italian restaurant, part of the Eskimo Joe's family. It was OK.... make that ok. I ordered bruschetta as an appetizer, and when our meal was delivered before we got the app, I told the waitress to cancel the appetizer. She looked at me like I was crazy. She had no idea what I was talking about. She told me it would be out as soon as she finished serving the plates on her tray. I informed her I no longer wanted it. Off she goes. The manager comes over and says, don't worry, I will be more than happy to remove the appetizer from your bill. I said, of course you'll be happy to do it. I never received it. He informed me that I could get it to go. WTH? No thank you, just remove it from the bill. He didn't understand why I didn't still want it. I explained that in Texas, we consider an appetizer like an appetite teaser. It gets your palate ready for the meal. He looked at me blankly and said it had already been prepared. Well? It ended up he said he'd pay for it if I'd take it home. I told him I didn't want it. End of story.... free had nothing to do with it. What it so difficult about knowing what an appetizer is? Oh well..... the food was ok, but nothing to go back for. Next time we'll do Olive Garden.
In our spare time, Aunt Evelyn and I read cook books and looks at magazines. We have a great time looking over recipes and discussing them. We decided on Thursday to visit the remaining Sneed boys... William and Harry. I can't remember how old David is, but Harry is turning 88 next month. That means William is probably 83 ish. Anyway, we went to Harry's house. His daughter, my cousin Marsha was there making soup. She goes over weekly to help them out. They live in the country about halfway between Tulsa and Oklahoma. Harry's wife, Peaches has Alzheimers. Marsha helps get the house in order, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning. She lives in Okla. City, so it isn't an easy task.... but it is a labor of love. She invited my Uncle William and his wife Pat to join us for lunch. We had a delicious soup..... she didn't have a name for it, but it was a combo of potatoes, onions, cabbage, bay leaf, oregano, carrots, and sausage. It was really good. A little history.... my Uncle Harry lost a marble manufacturing business once to a fire.... no insurance. A couple of years ago their house burned down.... no insurance. Anyway..... Marsha and I were sitting at the table talking, and I'll be darned if the stove didn't catch fire. Not sure what started it, but between Marsha, Uncle Harry and me.... we got it out. Scary though.
Evelyn, William, and Harry
We had a great visit, and enjoyed Marsha's soup. Other than the fire, the only other problem was when I flushed the toilet and it overflowed. I tried to use the plunger, gave up when it came out of the base of the toilet and all over the floor. I cleaned up the floor, and left. They were going to call a plumber. Now that it was just an uneventful visit, I mean just a fire and a stopped toilet..... I was good to go. We headed to Frank's house for a quick visit.
After that, we went back to Evelyn's house and relaxed. Friday, my cousin Elda (Provine side) came over. Evelyn had a doctor and hair appointment, so off Elda and I go to visit my only two living Provine Aunts. First up, Pawnee Oklahoma to see Loraine. She is 90 something, and unfortunately, didn't remember me. She didn't remember my dad, Kenneth, her brother either. Her memory is pretty much gone. Not Alzheimers, just confusion, I think. She still lives at home, but her son-in-law (well, her daugher died while married to John... and John has since found a new love interest) is executor of her estate, and he takes good care of her. To make it possible to stay in her home, he has hired companions for her, so she has someone with her 6 days a week, Monday thru Saturday. On Sunday he and his children take care of Loraine. He is the ultimate son-in-law. We all love John. While talking to her companion, I was explaining who my parents were... Kenneth and Bama. When Loraine heard me mention Bama, she got so excited. She remembered my mom, but funny part, not dad, her brother. She asked where Bama was, and I told her she was in Quay, just outside of Yale. Well, that's where all my Provine relatives are, along with lots of Sneed relatives, including my mom and her parents. I saw no reason to bring up the negative part of the fact that it's a cemetery. Here is a picture of Elda, Loraine and me. BTW, Elda is my fathers deceased sister, Bertha.
We stopped at Click's Steak House in Pawnee. It was established by Loraine's first husband (after they divorced). It has had several owners over the years, but his name has always been associated with the restaurant. It is ALWAYS busy. We ate the buffet, cause they had all you can eat frog legs. I can only eat a couple, but damn.... that skinny Elda can put those suckers away. 
We then headed out for Bartlesville to see my Aunt Ruby. We went thru Pawhuska on the way. I lived there for a few years, til I was about 6 years old when we moved to Tulsa. I found out old house. I also found the stairs we would find and hide under whenever there was a tornado warning. The women and kids would get under them, and the men would stand outside and watch the skies. There were no bricks at that time..... lord knows we'd have been killed if it had taken a direct hit.
I think I posted the recipe before, but they're just so good and easy, I'm reposting it.... maybe.
No comments:
Post a Comment