BLOGAHOMA

We waited in the Milo Gordon Kia dealership for Shane to complete the paperwork to our purchase of a Molten Red Kia Soul+, a techie little car ready to drive us into the next decade.  To make use of the time I began futzing around on my new Pantech Breakout smart phone. In the waiting area was a 70 something dignified little woman waiting for her oil to be changed. We’ll call her Margaret. Margaret asked if we had bought a new car and I responded I did. We began chatting about gizmos the car came with. She said she no longer wanted to learn another thing. Curious but believable. I get it, where learning something new, might tire one out. After all the amount of information and systems those over 60 have already absorbed is mountainous. It would be one thing if the new tech I was learning went smoothly like syncing my telephone book on with data back up on line. Suffice it to say, learning the new phone was not going smoothly, it took several  attempts just to get the kinks in my plan worked out.  Margaret, on the other hand, was only  interested in her church group and traveling. Margaret’s husband did even less, not even traveling.  While we waited we watched the “Occupy Wall Street” latest news on TV. Her reaction, “Why don’t they stop all this nonsense and get a job?” Margaret did not watch television or the news.  I did relate to her that my niece was part of the demonstration and she did have a job. Margaret pulled out her cellphone. It was the kind they advertise in AARP magazine for seniors.  “This” she said, “is all the complicated I want to get.”

I admit I occasionally get digitally drained, and yet there is something in me that does not want to be left out of the ongoing parade of fascinating inventions. Frustration with a new media can lead to hacking and actually finding out the stuff that is not in the sad excuse for documentation that nowadays accompanies hi tech gadgets. After a long night at redoing my contact list I am getting quicker with highlight-cut-paste and delete. For instance, I have now taught the computer how to pronounce our last name by putting in the phonetic “Fairy in” for Fahrion (otherwise I would have to say “Fa Rye In”). I have pretty much decided to leave  the learning Kia tech gadgets to my husband to work out like solving the mystery of the three buttons on the bottom of the rear view mirror. To be fair the Kia Soul manual does a decent job of explaining. Currently the car’s UVO (voice recognition and activation) does not understand my husband, perhaps there is a bit of West Virginia intonation still in his voice. But there is a solution to his dilemma, he will have to teach the UVO to understand his dialect.

What I need now is to NOT take on any more new technology for a while. Pardon me as I go over and put a piece of toast in the toaster. I’ll just turn a nob to 5 minutes and wait until I hear a very mechanical sound “ding”.

The  “Big Pasture” Offers to the Homeseeker and Business Man a Golden Opportunity..

So reads the headline of enticement in 1907 to the last land available in Oklahoma, Grandfield.

Looking Out toward the "Big Pasture" from Grandfield

Yesterday we met with the City Manager, Randy Clark to go over the details of a brochure that highlights the history of the area that Michael is putting together for the town. I’m not sure what I was expecting but what we got was a guided tour, blending of history and the present with running dialog as Randy drove us around in the Pick-up. Grandfield is located 15 miles from the Texas line in Southwest Oklahoma. Grandfield is small city that was center of thriving farm activity in its heyday. Today it is still a pretty town in the plains where you can see the Wichita Mountains in distance. I have to admit (despite the little downtown having several vacancies) I really had a good feeling about it. A few of the buildings have been recently restored a sign of a city government that cares. Grandfield has two distinct sides of town, the historic with houses going back to early 1900’s and the “newer” ranch style neighborhood where houses are from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

I am here to tell you that there is again “Opportunity” in Grandfield. Let’s say for instance you have an in home business and want to locate to a small town and away from the hubbub, you can get a home site for a dollar right near parks and schools, ready to build with utilities in place. That’s right a dollar. And it is still convenient to larger cities like Wichita Falls, TX and Lawton, Ok for big shopping. What if you don’t want to build but want a nice house? Lovely ranch styles between 2000 and 2400 square feet sell between $70,000 and $80,000, half the cost of houses found in neighboring areas. The old houses when they come up for sale much lower. Randy recently auctioned a 1920’s brick bungalow and got $10,000 and it sits on 4 lots!  It was bought by someone in Alaska.

How about opening a grocery store. There is a building that has been completely updated with freezers and coolers and whatever a store needs that is looking for a tenant. Grandfield is willing to let a grocery business move in for FREE! What’s the catch? The town will benefit from the tax revenue. And there are other vacant buildings to consider for a business.

We stopped in at the local From My Heart Bakery/ Restaurant that had just established itself in town. Being that it was midweek they had a pretty good gathering. We went for the garden salad with chicken. Or as Randy said “give me one of those salads and drag it through the garden”. (It was loaded with fresh vegetables). And of course we couldn’t turn down the mile high lemon meringue pie.

So how do you find out more? Call Randy and he can fill you in. Randy Clark is very knowledgeable about real estate, since he was a contractor for years. He received his college education in political science (I believe) at Cameron University so being city manager now fits right in. He is also a successful rancher and that was born in Grandfield and most assuredly believes in Grandfield. Peeked you interest? Call and make an appointment or go and take a look see and don’t forget to stop by for pie! And tell them Muriel from Medicine Park sent you!
Serious Seekers
City Hall
223 S Main Street, Grandfield, OK 73546
(580) 479-5215 email Randy

For my 64th birthday Michael took me on a road trip down Route 66 to Pop’s a avant garde shaped restaurant puncuated with a giant pop bottle. The fair is homemade diner style with diner prices set in a expanse of a Soda emporium with over 500 varities. Stepping away from my usual healthy food regimeI had a BELT, bacon (apple smoked), egg salad, lettuce and tomato sandwich, side of fries and a coffee malt. The most fun part was picking a couple dozen soda pops to bring home.

photos by Michael & Muriel Fahrion

The clock I chose to render in 3D is the Nelson Wall Clock designed by
George Nelson in 1948. George Nelson was a signature mid century designer. And this clock clock which produced in wood and metal both painted and unpainted symbolizes that post WWII era (the atomic age).

A full Nelson is a wrestling hold executed from the backside and so the the metaphor. Holding back time, grappling with time, wrestling with time. Interesting to note that it is not a “finishing” action and you cannot pin you opponent “time” down.

Not that either of these came to mind when executing this 3D. I liked the clock and thought “easy” to recreate in 3D.

So what’s next in my 3D brain buffer? Perhaps something by Heywood Wakefield. Mid-centure Moderne so much easier than Victorian.

Created in Cheetah 3D on a 13″ MacBook.

She didn't look up for long!

My mom is gone now, my husbands mom is a 1000 miles away and my kids, although they will call, live too far to stop by. I wanted to celebrate anyhow, celebrate by handing out Medicine Park Marauders Mother’s day cards with mini roses attached in “Random Acts of Marauding”. Some will ask to have their pictures taken with us. It will be fun.

Mother and Son have a Heart to Heart

I gathered some quotes from various sites around the Net. Many from thinkexist. Read and Enjoy.

“My mother always told me I wouldn’t amount to anything because I procrastinate. I said ‘Just wait.” ~Judy Tenuta

“The patience of a mother might be likened to a tube of toothpaste – it’s never quite all gone”

“When I was a child, my mother said to me, ‘If you become a soldier, you’ll be a general. If you become a monk you’ll end up as the pope.’ Instead I became a painter and wound up as Picasso.” ~Pablo Picasso

“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.”~ Maya Angelou quotes

“His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork. ~Mae West

“No matter how old a mother is she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.”~Florida Scott Maxwell

“Who ran to help me when I fell, And would some pretty story tell, Or kiss the place to make it well? My mother” ~Ann Taylor

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.  ~Abraham Lincoln

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” ~Mark Twain

“Nobody loves me but my mother, And she could be jivin’ too.”~ B. B. King

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day Cards from the Marauders