Up with Tulsa: Grandmother version

My Grandmother and my KT Hara were big time Tulsa boosters. For very different reasons and through their very different lens they loved the hell out of this town. They really felt that Tulsa didn’t or wasn’t getting the credit it was due.

Grandma wanted to have respectability and belonging. She raised all her kids here and was determined to look the part of “established” Tulsa family. By established I mean families who have been here for awhile and everyone knows everyone else. Money has a lot to do with it but not everything. If you were fun and stuck around town long enough you would be in like Flynn.

Grandma bottom left. Her life work. Not pictured Shannon, Sean and Chris

In my neck of the woods it was heavily centered on Monte Cassino and Cascia people. Since we are talking about Catholics that means a lot of kids. All the kids.

My KT Hara wanted to make the point about Culture. The fancy high brow stuff. Tulsa had it, damnit. She took me to Disney movies and bought season tickets to the ballet for me and her. I was willing to accept without question everything she had to say on all matters fancy.

. KT Hara up top. Me and my underwear on the left, exasperated Chris in the middle and adorable Erin on the right.

Some of her favorites

Tulsa Ballet- The premiere Ballet Company in the Southwest. She bought season tickets for us and it was my consistent theater exposure. I loved it. I loved her for taking me.


Elan: Madame Moscelyn Larkin

Philbrook- We didn’t really visit the museum part but my Mom and I would walk the dogs over there. In those days it didn’t have fences and you could just walk on back like it was a public park. Can confirm that place is waaay fancy.

Gilcrease-We didn’t really visit more than a handful of times. But it was out in west Tulsa somewhere. Just stockpiling culture.

Tulsa University- Petroleum Engineering departments. My grandfather, her husband was the Skelly oil company boss for a time. In the time honored tradition of name dropping. KT particularly liked taking me places that had Skelly history tied to it.

Sidebar- I like going to these places and name dropping too. I am not above this. In fact it is one of my favorite things.

Southern Hills- I don't play golf but it appears to be very well thought of in the fancy circles. My main memories of the 3-4 times a year we were shuffled out there was unlimited Shirley Temples and a scary as hell high dive.

Comments

This guy, Sam edition

My mom guilt senses were tingling letting me know that I have not been giving my younger son his fair share. As a middle child I have spent the better part of my life bemoaning everyone else getting more than me. So you would think I would be better about it for Sam. Sam doing his Sam projects Well. I'm not. I am not better than my parents all those years ago who would go on cruise control with the younger children. I thought I was better but life has proven to me time and time again that I don't know jack about jack most of the time. Here is Sam at 8months on the inside. My chest is 32 years old in this picture and the reason I have chronic back pain. HeeeyO LYLAS Evalena and Amydelle Boys are a little less than 3 years apart. While I was pregnant with Sammie we started to come out of denial land about Calvin being on the spectrum. We were fully kicked out of denial land when Calvin was kicked out of his first 3 year old ...

Susan

If you know me in real life. You know one indisputable fact. I am a graceful gazelle of poise and dignity. Balanchine wishes he choreographed something as elegant me lumbering around with one kid on piggy back, 6 shopping bags, both kids backpacks in my teeth, one shoe on and wearing a tee shirt with holes and stains. This is not a new development. I've always been a beacon of art in motion. Me right now. I've been wearing this shirt for 3 days. There are running jokes in my family about me falling down stairs all the time. There were running jokes at the barn I grew up in about me falling off horses all the time. The day after I got my drivers license at 16, I had a car accident in front of my house at a stop sign. (Don't ask.Just imagine something stupid and that was probably it) I've lost track of the number of times I've had to get random stitches on my face or jacked up my ankles playing some game in inappropriate footwear.. ...

Swoon

YOU GUYS!!! I'm going through my grandmother (Margaret Hara) boxes doing research for my writing project. I found the love letters that my grandfather wrote her in 1943 and 1944. how they needed to convince their parents to get married quick and his war postings. its so sweet and romantic and my grandfather had mad game. All of this while he was a flight instructor at Lambert Field. Than later stationed as a combat aviator in late 1943 and early1944 on the USS Lexington in the Pacific theater. I will write about his astonishing military career extensively at a later date. Just know that while all this romance was in his heart most men in his unit did not come back from their missions. Dating sometime in 1943 Jan 6, 1943 Wedding day in OKC, June 12, 1943 June 3, 1944 Most adorable somewhat dirty Grandparents note ever?

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