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

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.. ...

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Why have I started writing journal style on a public setting? Is it to make my family's eyes roll right on out of their heads? Is it because I am a special snowflake and think my words are important? Is it because I am bored and angsty ? Do I need money and I have to work irregular hours because of my irregular household? Is it because being a writer is my secret hope have been to scaredy cat to give it a shot? Is it because if I don’t try my brain will just be turning it over and over anyway? Yes. Yes to all of these. Repressed Artist. 8 year old pic. I thought I was so cool looking ;) Bless my late 20s heart. The topics I want to zero in on are Special needs parenting Tulsa history and culture Interviewing women who inspire me AND THE BIGGIE I am going research and write my Grandfather's story. Jim Hara is a mystery, a Goliath and a skeleton in my closet. The Hara side of the family is 75% skeletons but he is ...

Parental Scramble: Episode 1: The Phantom Menance

I often imagine how other families deal with challenges. What do you do when your kid gets sick and you have to work? What do you do when the cost of childcare is more than what you as an individual make? How do you get all the laundry done? I have little windows of understanding but mostly I am still left wondering how other people do the things. Do people cry as much in the bathtub as I do? Do people think about other people crying in the bathtub as much as I do? I kind of hope people cry in the bathtub so I wouldn’t be the only one but that’s pretty fucked up to want. Maybe I’m a sociopath? My brain goes at 100mph is weird directions. Especially under stress. I have never been so rapid fire funny as when I was giving birth to my kids. I was cracking jokes like my life depended on it. Because in a way it was. I was dying on the inside from stress, worry and physical pain. Instead of looking inward for strength and zen birthing from within w...

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