Last week I missed the deadline for submitting Town Talk to the paper. My husband and I were busy moving the last of our belongings out of our Bartlesville home; those belongings which we now refer to as “junk.”
Writing my article just slipped my mind.
During our move we had to take a load of our “junk” to the dump in Bartlesville.
We were charged $52 for one trip. I have taken many items to the dump in Stroud for no charge.
It was a large landfill like I remember Stroud’s was when I was a child. Much like our previous one, the stench was unpleasant, and you basically just pulled your car into it and unloaded.
Many of you “oldtimers” like myself, I’m sure, remember when our dump was just like this. We should be grateful we live in a community where the dump is not only free but clean.
Thank you, Bob Pearman, and our City workers.
I was reminded through another situation about the benefits of living in a small town.
I bought gas at Kid’s last week and the credit card reader on the pump wasn’t working. It said, “pay inside after fueling.” I am so used to paying at the pump that afterwards I drove off without paying.
I returned a few minutes later to fill up my mom’s car. The manager came out and told me she had just tried to call me to tell me I forgot to pay.
I was grateful she called me and not the police.
Speaking of calling the police, that’s another benefit of living in a small town. Last Thursday night Gideon and Jason decided to pull a practical joke on my mom and me.
They, along with C’Anne had gone to OKC for ballgames and we were the poor unsuspecting babysitters. If you know me very well, you know I’m a big “fraidy cat.” They put a fake snake in the floorboard of my mom’s van.
I went to her car to run an errand, opened the car door and looking at me was the most realistic coiled up rubber snake I had ever seen.
I slammed the door and ran into the house yelling at mom to call the police. In my small hometown of Stroud, I knew the police would save me.
Thanks to dispatcher Mike Dunn they got there in record time, but I had already alerted others of my plight who came to save me, also.
Upon arriving, the officers just looked at me, smiled and shook their heads.
No ticket, no anything even though I’m considering asking them to write Jason a citation for scaring me to death. Surely there is a law against that!
Again, I counted it a blessing to be from a small town. As you can tell, it’s been a rough week.
We are laying the weed barrier this week on the golf course and will start putting the shell of the holes in place.
David Evans, John Owens and Elbert Wells are helping build/renovate a club house and we hope to begin that this week, too.
If you missed out on donating to the “holes” but would still like to be a part of this project, we are taking donations for the club house. You may send a check to Town Talk c/o me at 301 West 6th Street. Thanks to all of you for your generous support.
Former Stroud resident Carl Johns had a daughter who passed away unexpectedly this past week.
Our condolences go out to Carl and his family. The Johns family has been a part of Stroud for many years and all four of the Johns boys are Stroud graduates.
Carl was married to Dana Biggs, who was my high school journalism teacher. Dana passed away several years ago after a battle with cancer.
Recently Carl remarried a former classmate, Harry Terry so this family has deep ties to our community. Roy and Wanda Gilman, another long time Stroud family recently buried two of their three children within a month of each other; Melissa and David.
Our heart breaks for the Gilman family. Their surviving daughter lives in Stroud, also, Melissa Gilman Stewart.
My pastor at FBC Stroud buried his father this past Saturday. Stroud has suffered and continues to suffer an unusual number of deaths over the last few months. We grieve with each one of them.
A new banner is up on Main Street honoring two of our veterans, Paul Davis and Marcelino Arvizu.
Thank you to their families for honoring their loved ones. We are Stroud Proud of all our veterans.
Mom was looking for something at Williams Grocery that she had bought there in the past but thought they were no longer carrying the item.
She asked Brownie, the store manager, and was told it had just been moved.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for from one of our local retailers, just ask them.
It might be in a new location, or they might be able to order it for you.
Have a great week and thank you for choosing to shop and dine local……..…………. first!