Wedding at Woolaroc Lodge

Woolaroc is a 3,700 acre ranch and wildlife reserve some 12 miles southwest of Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Frank Philips, founder of Philips Petroleum Company established this ranch in 1925, and said the following to describe it;
"This isn't all a dream about something, but a place where I can get back to nature. The great difficulty with the American people today is that they are getting too far away from the fundamental things in life. Too much time and money are spent on things which leave no record and which add nothing basically to the present nor to the future. To build permanently and wisely is to benefit all mankind. The conservation of wildlife now will mean much to future generations."
Ranch consists of a lodge, museum of Western and Native American art/artifacts and of course a wildlife refuge for native and exotic animals.
Recently we attended our friend's, wedding at the lodge. Bride and groom had their first date at Woolaroc and love nature and Western lifestyle, therefore they wanted the wedding  right there at the lodge. A small gathering of family and friends as well as the bride and the groom had a great time.
(Sadly I forgot my camera, had to use my phone instead.) Here are a few pictures of the ranch and the ceremony, please enjoy!

No, these are not Nazi symbols :)

Balcony inside the lodge

AN Indian Chief's head dress

Bride and Groom exchanging the wows

Maya Angelou

I was going to do today's post on a recent visit to Woolaroc, Oklahoma, but then the news of beloved Maya's passing away. It is a tragic loss, what a sad day....

He Took Me Under His Arm!

I have been running full speed for quite some time, not for any meaningful purpose but just for the sake of it. Last week a dear friend of mine (a Neurologist by profession) invited me to join her and her dear husband at her hospital for a lecture on "Mindful Living" by a prominent Psychiatrist.

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that it was not a typical and complicated "shrink" talk. Rather, Dr. Krishna's message was simple; slow down, calm down and start enjoying the moment.

In my slowing down moment I came upon this poem of Rumi, I have read it before but it did not stir me up the way it did now. Since all good things should be shared with family and friends, here it is, who knows it may stir you up too:

He Took Me Under His Arm

I was dead, but came back to life.

I was the cry, but I became the smile.

Love came and turned me

into everlasting glory.

Here’s how it happened:

He said to me, “You don’t belong in this house.

You’re not nearly crazy enough.”

I went and became raving mad

and bound myself in chains.

He said to me, “You are not drunk. Get lost.

You’re not from this land.”

I went and got pie-eyed drunk

and filled my life with music and dance.

He said to me, “You’ve never annihilated yourself

so music and dance can’t touch you.”

I passed out of myself right in front of him

and fell to the ground.

He said to me, “You’re a sensible, learned man,

full of reflections and opinions.”

I became a silly fool

and cut myself off from people.

He said to me, “You’re a candle,

The light to these people.”

I gave them all up.

I became smoke and spread myself around.

He said to me, “You’re the Sheikh, the head

the one who walks at the front,  the guide.”

I told him I’m neither Sheikh nor guide.

I’m the follower of your order.

He said to me, “You have arms and wings.

I don’t give anything to you.”

I told him that I desire his wings so that

I can cut mine.

His glory then spoke to me and said,

“Don’t give up now, you’re almost there.

I’ll soon grant you the favor you seek

and come to you.”

And so he said to me, “O old love of mine

Don’t ever get out from under my arm.”

And I said, “Yes,” and I stayed there.

Rumi

Memorial day

Have a good Memorial Day everyone. Will be back soon in the blog world.

Boy Scouts and their car show!

As a car-classic/antique car enthusiast I try to visit car shows whenever I can. Last weekend of March, along with some friends I had the opportunity to visit to Enid. Enid is a small town approximately 90+ miles northwest of Oklahoma city. This very well organized show was a fund raising  event for and by Boy Scouts. It was a pleasant surprise for a lot of us to see some very interesting and impressive cars. But then Enid has a lot of oil and agriculture money.

Interestingly I was not very well organized as I discovered that my camera ran out of batteries after few shots, and I had no spare batteries with me. However here are a few interesting cars that would like to share. (The event was indoors and the most of the cars were parked very close , it made it difficult to get clean shot of a particular car.)

1937 Cord. The same color actor Tom Mix had

Cord

1933 Packard-1937 Cord

1937 Packard

Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster and 190SL

1973 Mercedes-Benz 450SL

Chevrolet Corvette

1912 Geronimo a car made in Enid, Oklahoma.
620+ were produced

Geronimo has hand made wooden wheels

1937 Packard 120

Ford Thunderbird

Buick wheel with chrome and white wall tire

Perhaps from the movie "Transformers"

Baking French Macarons

Pistachio Macaron

I have been baking regularly this winter, and trying to perfect few recipes. Macaron de paris have been high on the list. Yesterday was Pistachio Macaron day. My very first macaron had "feet", and that brought tears to a set of eyes that hardly get wet. However the second crop got bad because of over confidence.

The effects of all this baking on the mood has been very pleasant but on my cholesterol and blood sugar; anything but pleasant. My doctor's warning email is a witness to that.

But these are small joys of life, would these be sacrificed because of a few point rise in your cholesterol or blood sugar?
Please excuse my self praise :) I think it is "kosher" once in a while. Have a nice week.

In case you want to try yourself and need the recipe, let me know, it is a tweaked version of Martha Stewart's, will be more than happy to share.

Max Ginsburg

Self Portrait

 I have great appreciation for the work of American contemporary artist, Max Ginsburg. Born in Paris, France and educated in New York, Max has portrayed American social and political issues for more than four decades. But his still life paintings are no less forceful than the ones on social /political issues.   

Mr. Ginsburg lives in New York and is currently represented by Gallery Henoch of New York, NY and Cavalier Galleries of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Hope you will enjoy some of his work here.

Self portrait 1969

Going shopping-1975

Instant Coffee-1976

Chicken Soup-1979

79th & Broadway-1979

Don't walk

Dreadlocks-1999

Meier's Upholsterers

Two Worlds-2003

Blind Beggar-2006

The Discussion-2007

Donna-2007

Unemployed online-2013


Picture credits: Max Ginsburg
To see more of Max Ginsburg work please visit his website: www.maxginsburg.com