One funeral, a wedding, and noodling
Yesterday ended one of the more personally memorable weekends for me in recent years. I celebrated the life of a colleague at his funeral; witnessed the marriage of another friend; missed my parents wedding anniversary by one day (not proud of that); and was on-set for the production finale of “Noodling”. Saturday, August 7, began with the funeral of Pauls Valley Police Chief Scott Robbins in Wynnewood, Okla. Saturday then ended with the wedding of Ryan Willis, and... Read More
Five Days to Seven Years, pt. 5
The day we continued… The cake has been eaten, and the presents unwrapped; the guests have all gone home. The wedding is over, and the tuxedos returned; the marriage has “officially” begun. Now what? Welcome to the best-of-the-rest days of your (wedded) life. The future will be what you, and your spouse, choose to make of it. Understand, the statistics are stacked against you. The latest online figures report that half of all marriages in America today end in... Read More
Five Days to Seven Years, pt. 4
Four Keys to a Happy Marriage: #1 Five days, four keys, one marriage, and it all comes down to the “secret” that is no more once I share it. This tidbit of marital insight was caught (versus taught) just within the past year, and a-half of our matrimony. It’s return-on-investment is worth its weight in gold to me, and I dare say that every woman—every wife—wants this from their husband. So here it is, the number one key to a happy marriage: husbands,... Read More
Five Days to Seven Years, pt. 3
Four Keys to a Happy Marriage: #3, and #2 With the recent celebration of a seventh wedding anniversary, a time of personal reflection only seemed appropriate; a time for remembrance, and sharing. Among the things that I’ve learned these past seven years are: how to be a husband, how not to be a husband, and that the “seven year itch” is a matter of choice. There have been pearls of wedded wisdom shared with me by married men along the way, but much of my marital... Read More
Five Days to Seven Years, pt. 2
Four Keys to a Happy Marriage: #4 Having been married seven years—yesterday—I’ve learned a lot about myself, and my wife, Nicci. Namely, that we’ve changed. We’re not the same exact people now that we were the day we wedded. Life happens in a span of 2,555 days: a job change, a broken bone, the death of family members, multiple trips to California, a remodeled home, and this blog to name a few. All things that have shaped my wife, and I in personal... Read More
Five Days to Seven Years, pt. 1
The day we began… Seven years ago, today, we did. My fiancée, and I said “I do” before God, and a chapel filled with a host of Californians who would soon became my family. We laughed, I cried A LOT, and a marriage began. Let me clarify that it first took two years to reach our wedding day, and several hours to pull it off. Seven years ago, today, we began our life as a husband and wife. Now, seven years later, we’re still together; she’s still... Read More
Stevenson Bar-B-Que Keeps it 'Old-Fashioned'
According to Velmer Stevenson, the story behind Stevenson Bar-B-Que—the business—begins in the backyard of his parents Pauls Valley (Okla.) home in 1958. Fifty-one years of growth and three re-locations later, this small town business is still family-owned and operated. “(Mother and father) started selling barbecue right there beside the house,” said Stevenson, one of three brothers and his parents only remaining son in the business. “They had a... Read More
Two Birthdays and An Anniversary
Today marks a special day for my family: today is my mother’s birthday. Notably, last week—Wednesday, February 25—was my dad’s birthday. My parents (pictured to the left during their first year of marriage, ca. 1977) are still as vivacious, and often as color-coordinated, today. Their wedding anniversary is August 7; this summer marks their 33rd year together. Though their style of clothing and haircuts may have changed, their love for one another and... Read More
