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A Football Weekend

Posted on November 1, 2009November 1, 2009 by Dot

My family in Oklahoma invited me to come enjoy a football weekend with them, when Oklahoma State University would play the University of Texas. (There’s orange and then there’s burnt orange.)

Our relationship with O.S.U. began over forty years ago when my husband was Assistant Sports Editor for the Oklahoma Journal and his assigned duties were to cover sports at Oklahoma A&M (as it was then called).  Often the whole family would attend the home games in Stillwater.  Now, with one grandchild holding a degree from OSU and soon to have another graduate there, I am still a fan of the Cowboys.  This weekend was an opportunity for me to revisit some old memories and also to experience something new.

For the very first time in my life, I was a part of  – Tailgating.  This activity is rather like a potluck family reunion. Four couples were the organizers of our gathering on the OSU campus about a block from the stadium.  They brought a tent, cookers, ice chests, camp chairs, folding tables and tons of food. Oh, and we weren’t the only tailgaters. Tents and cookers dotted two square blocks (at least) of that end of town. Friends and relatives of the four original couples came and went, sampling food and talking about football and life. Friends of friends and in-laws of relatives also dropped by.  Children with trick or treat bags appeared. We were ready for them since more than one of us had thought to bring candy.  A carload of people stopped, unloaded chairs, cake and wine. They had come to celebrate the 84th birthday of someone’s mom. I never was sure of the connection there, but we all sang our best wishes to her.

About 30 minutes before game time we walked to the stadium, covering the food, but leaving everything at the site. I was assured “No one will bother anything,” and this was true.  After the game we returned, cleaned the area and loaded up before heading for home. 

I had not attended a college football game in years, and had never seen Boone Pickens Stadium at OSU. Much different from the venue of the Sixties, this sports complex with three tiers and skyboxes seats 60 thousand people.  And the battle between the Texas Longhorns and OSU Cowboys on Halloween night was a sell out.  I loved  the spirit and energy and excitement of the opening ceremonies. The “Oklahoma State University Cowboooooy Marchingband” spread across the field and the crowd was invited/urged to sing the state song, “Oklahoma.” A six-or-seven year old behind me sang out, not missing a word.  Then we were invited to sing as the band played the National Anthem.  This is the tradition I grew up with and I prefer it to listening to a soloist’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.  Again, the child sang with gusto, making up the words he didn’t know for sure, a children will do.  Where did he learn that song? Are the schools of Oklahoma teaching the children to sing the National Anthem?  I hope so.

None of us had any illusions about how the game would end, Texas being rated #3 and OSU #14.  And it sounds like sour grapes to mention that there were some bad calls, though the huge screens showing the instant replays bore this out.  Even when it’s my team winning, I hate to see a score of 41-14.

Well, I’m home again.  I have a slight case of indigestion and my OSU sweatshirt smells like wood smoke, but I had a wonderful time with my family in Oklahoma on a football weekend.

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The Last Time They Met

Posted on October 24, 2009October 24, 2009 by Dot

A friend recently loaned me this novel (written by Anita Shreve in 2001) saying, “I thought you’d like to read this – it’s different.”

The Last Time They Met is the story of Linda Fallon an Thomas Janes, writers who meet at a literary retreat after not having seen each other for 26 years. It’s obvious from the tension (well done by Ms. Shreve) that they have a history together.

Usually a flashback is used in a book to bring the reader up to date on the backstory before moving the events forward again. In this ambitious (and accomplished) effort, Anita Shreve moves the story, via flashbacks, from the end to the beginning of a love affair.

When their time together at the retreat is over, the tale of Linda and Thomas moves backward to when they were 26 years old, meeting again for the first time since they were teens. The last leap is back nine years, to when they were seventeen and fell in love.  Each glimpse into their lives gives us a deeper understanding of the characters and why they felt eternally connected.

While I found the ending disappointing and hard to believe, Anita Shreve’s technique of crafting a story and constructing a novel is brilliant.  This book is a worthwhile read.

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Where Your Treasure is …

Posted on October 18, 2009 by Dot

Over 1.2 million dollars were spent on Arkansas lottery tickets the first day of availability.  Wonder how much more it would have been if we were not in a recession (aka depression)?

One lucky winner was able to catch up on his child support payments, willingly or not, since the dead beat dad registry is checked before the winnings are released.

Another big winner was arrested the same week for soliciting the services of a prostitute, who turned out to be an under cover police officer.

A young lady who walked away with $125,000 on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, said she planned to use the money to pay her VISA bill.

A heavy duty televangelist from Dallas, speaking at a church in Little Rock, told congregants that if they tithe they will become wealthy (like he is). With the announcement the offering would go to the evangelist, the plates were passed a second time and “even those who are facing poverty” were admonished to “dig deep and give.”  My question: Does the televangelist also tithe? (His financial records are being audited by the Feds, so we may soon know.) May I suggest worthy causes for a tenth of his millions? The Christian Outreach Food Bank, where the people who have filled his pockets can receive help no questions asked.

When the game show host asked – as they always do – how the young man would spend his winnings, he said, “Well, I’d buy my Mama a new house … and I’d go back to school … and I’d get some therapy.  Everyone can use a little therapy.”

I couldn’t agree more.

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A Flag Full of Stars

Posted on October 9, 2009October 9, 2009 by Dot

This novel, written in 1964 by Don Robertson, is one of the 15 books that will always stick with me. (Noted in an earlier blog.)

The story takes place on November 1-3, 1948, election day and immediately before and after. Thomas Dewey, Republican, was challenging Harry Truman, Democrat incumbent, for the Presidency of the United States. Making fun of Harry Truman had become the nations’ favorite passtime and everyone assumed Dewey would win by a large majority.

But Truman and Dewey are not the main characters of this book. Instead this is a tale of common and not so common folk who each had something to gain or lose depending on which way the election went.  The small town politician planning to ride to victory on Dewey’s coat tails … the down-on-his-luck gambler playing a hunch and betting everything against the odds … the newspaper editor uncertain of which wire service prediction to follow as he writes his morning headline.  Don Robertson artfully weaves several sub plots together to keep the reader engaged, even though we know who won.

I received A Flag Full of Stars from the Book of the Month Club the year of its publication and then in 1968, an election year, I decided to read it again. I followed that practice until I don’t know how many times I brought the book out to re-read during an election year. I love the story of the pundits and predictors being wrong. I love an upset and wish that today there were still the excitement and mystery and surprise in our presidential election process as there was when Truman beat Dewey.

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We’ve all been there

Posted on October 2, 2009 by Dot

Hugh Jackman made the tabloid media this week, TMZ and YouTube. This happened on the same day more serious news shows were talking about a tsunami that hit the Samoas. I found the Jackman story when I went on Yahoo to check my mail.

It seems during a preview performance (aka dress rehearsal) of his new play “A Steady Rain” scheduled to open October 6, Jackman and co-star Daniel Craig (James Bond in the movies) were on stage in a tense scene when someone’s cell phone went off. Some say Jackman broke character and said to the offender, “You want to get that?” When the ringing continued, he said, “Come on, just turn it off.” Then he walked about the stage until the noise stopped, before resuming the play.

This incident should bring only empathy for the people involved because most of us have been there. Any person who has performed or spoken in public, been to a movie, play or any performance starring your kid has probably been irritated by a ring tone.  We, too, have longed to yell at the careless person who ignored the reminders, yea the pleas to silence cell phones. We’ve been there.

And we’ve been the poor schmo who forgot to silence a cell phone, then when it goes off, decides to ignore it. Fake it out. Pretend it belongs to someone else. Look straight ahead and let it ring, perhaps glancing around ready to glare once the culprit is located.  Don’t deny it, you’ve been there. As bad luck would have it, this phone must have been one of those that rings softly the first time but continues to grow in volume each successive ring and doesn’t stop until it gets attention. 

Think about it: Hugh Jackman’s playing a tough cop, in a tense scene, during “hell” week (last rehearsals before opening). Some say he broke character to ream out the cell phone owner, others say that he was still very much the tough cop, ordering the person to take care of it, pacing the floor until it stopped.

And how about the person taking the video on his cell phone? We’ve all heard the announcement “no video or sound recording permitted.” This is not just a control issue for the theater owner, it has to do with copyright laws. So someone made an illegal video. And put it on YouTube. And TMZ showed it on national television.

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Dot Hatfield

Dot Hatfield

Dot Hatfield is a member of the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame and a Certified Lay Speaker in the United Methodist Church. She is the author of 7 books.

Dot’s Books

  • Worth the Candle
  • Did Anyone Read My Story?
  • An Ordinary Day
  • R.I.P. Emma Lou Briggs
  • To Find a Home
  • The Last To Know
  • Every Day a New Day

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