Category Archives: Man Cave

Family, Man Cave, Oklahoma culture

BOOK REVIEW – Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus, and All Things Pink

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photoReviewing a book about father-daughter relationships, in my own mind, introduces the potential for irony.

In a world where societal views about male and female roles are more than a little diverse, clarity and direction in this subject area is fuzzy at best.  Add a generational component into the mix, focus specifically on the relationship between fathers and daughters in the 21st century, and some might even feel downright muddled.

In fact, when thinking about this topic right now I can almost hear the thoughts of fatherhood echoing across the stratosphere:

How far do I push her in life, sports or school?

How do I be there emotionally for her in a way that honors my position as dad…and her position as a developing female?

When do I set rules? When do I break them?  And, how do I feel good about the parenting decisions I make day in and day out as her father?

There are far more questions, I’m sure, if we were to put our ear to that stratosphere that connects to the hearts and minds of fathers today.  But thank goodness, there are answers as well.  One resource with a great number of these type of answers is the book, “Life Lessons for Dad: Tea Parties, Tutus, and All Things Pink” by Michael Mitchell.

The birth of his first child influenced Mitchell to reconcile his own questions and answers, and then begin to share them through his “Life to Her Years” blog.  And, as most good things do, his project grew an audience (regular readers number in the tens of thousands, and some links have two-million+ shares) and then grew a book.  Now, that book is ready to read and share with whomever you think could benefit from the well-written and illustrated content.

I spoke with Mitchell today over an early breakfast.  His heart is full to the brim of passion for fathers of daughters, and I have no doubt we’ll be hearing more from him in the months to come.  “Life Lessons for Dad…” is a solid, well-balanced read and a book-gift worth giving.

I’m glad Oklahoma grows dads like Mitchell, and I’m greatly looking forward to hearing about how you and others respond to his first published work.  Order yours here: Via Amazon

[kelly]

Every Point on the Map, Man Cave

EPOTM: Carney, Oklahoma

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The learning curve was steep.  Our final cut isn’t where I’d like it to be.  But, our first documentation piece for Every Point on the Map has reached the “good enough” standard.  Now, we’re ready to share it with you.

We’re grateful to Assistant Volunteer Fire Chief Robbie Clark, and self-described “rookie” Micheal “June Bug” McCorkle for their time and thoughts.  And, we hope you enjoy this glimpse into the lives of two citizens of Carney, Oklahoma.

[kelly]

If you’d like to read more about Carney, check out THIS LINK written on Carney history from OSU.  To read demographics about the town, and other general information, here is the Wikipedia link.  And, here is a KOCO video of the tornado from last year.

For other Every Point on the Map posts, click here.

27 Hats, Man Cave, Relationships

I was never in Sumatra

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When I was a kid, we had a special edition of the classic board game “Clue.” This version paired the cutting edge 1980’s era technology of a VHS VCR (remember those?) with traditional play in this renowned game of mystery.

In one video clue scene, Miss Scarlet looks out a window into a passing storm, and speaks fondly to Colonel Mustard of her memories of “the winds of Sumatra.” Mustard replies, “Remember that summer in Sumatra?” Miss Scarlet flatly replies, “I was never in Sumatra.”
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Today’s featured hat, number 1 of 26, was likely never in Sumatra either. But when I pick it up, I can smell the fields, and the sweat, and maybe the game bag it was carried in. You see, today’s featured hat, a true hunter’s cap, belonged to my Grandfather, Joe. And like our fictional Miss Scarlet, he is somewhat a man of mystery to me.

Joe Bingham passed from this life a few short months after I arrived on the Earth, sometime in the year that was 1967. I have no real memory of time spent with him, of the sound of his voice, or what his personality was like. But, I have a few of the stories shared by my father. I have a small segment of silent movie showing him entering a room recorded in black and white images on 8 millimeter film, another cutting edge technology of days gone by.

A few of my Grandfather’s office effects adorn my office at a university in Edmond today, 50 years and 200 plus miles removed from his old haunts as an engineer with the Texas Highway Department. And, some days, like Miss Scarlet, I look out my office window at a passing storm, or a group of young engineering students walking by, and I wonder about his life.

I was never in Sumatra. That is not just denial, as with our fictional Miss Scarlet. I never really got to know Joe Bingham, either. But, I feel his presence in small trinkets and shared memories.

And I smell it in the winds, preserved in the fabrics comprising Hat 1 of 26. And I like it.