LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 48

Posted on December 23, 2013 by peggylchambers

Christmas wine    Christmas is almost upon us.  Is your shopping done?  Have you finished your baking?  Have you told your friends and family that you love them?  Have you remembered the true meaning of Christmas?

My daughter agreed to host the family dinner on Christmas Eve at her house (thank you!) so that means I won’t have to.  It’s not that I don’t love company, but it is a lot of work and I guess I am just getting old and tired.  I’ll bring food and help clean up afterwards.  We all will.

As usual, I have too much to do during the holidays, but I have a warm home and a family that loves me.  I have it all.  The winter storm that blew through Oklahoma Friday and Saturday did little to Enid.   footprints

I heard on TV that there were power outages on the east side of town but it didn’t affect us.  We ate chili, made cookies, drank hot tea and watched a movie; a rare day in the house with just my husband and dog.  We were warm and snug.  Thankfully the storm was not as bad as forecast.  Not everyone was so lucky.

Now that we are thawing out, I’ll do a bit of writing – maybe more than a bit.  One of the wonderful things about being a writer is you can write anytime you have a moment.  Writers always have ideas swimming around in their heads just dying to get out.

I hope your Christmas will be warm.  I hope you eat too much (even fudge and cookies).  But most of all, I hope you experience love and the reason for the season.  Merry Christmas to you and yours.

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 47

Posted on December 16, 2013 by peggylchambers

Christmas tree    Several years ago I got rid of half of the Christmas decorations I had in the attic.  Seriously there were six plastic tubs of things I kept for years.  I gave three of the tubs to my daughter and gave her the opportunity to take what she wanted.  Then I donated the rest to Hope Outreach http://www.hopeoutreach.org/ .  I got a skinny tree and cut my decorations in half.  And it felt good.  This year I got all the baubles down from the attic.  Three tubs, a box with the tree, and one box.  I still didn’t put all of them up.  I have seen them for so long, I just had to quit.  I couldn’t do it anymore.

I’m not the Grinch – even though my husband loves him.  But really!  Why do I have all this stuff?  I love Christmas, but I really don’t love all the clutter that happens when I put up the decorations anymore.  Have I finally grown up?  Am I just tired?  Maybe I have finally come to grips with what Christmas is all about without all the glitter.  And maybe that is okay.

Then I wrapped the presents.  That was when I decided I needed a bigger tree.    Christmas tree II Or maybe just one that has a bigger area to put presents under.  Oh good grief.  Here I go again! Is there any cure for the Christmas decoration disease I have contracted? I may be addicted.  I don’t hate decoration clutter; maybe I just need a change.

How is your tree this year?  Do you love it or are you already prepared to take it down?

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Weatherization of Your Home for Winter

Posted on December 9, 2013 by peggylchambers

cold weather    Weatherization of your home can you help you save on your energy bills winter and summer.  Wrap your hot water heater with an insulated blanket made for that purpose to help keep the warm water warm.  Extra insulation in the attic prevents the heat from rising up and out.  You can also insulate your walls on the outside of your home before siding, or install blown-in foam insulation that requires a small hole in existing siding that is covered and then painted so the hole won’t show afterwards. Caulking around doors and windows keeps the heat in and the cold north wind out.    caulking

A simple and inexpensive idea on a cold but sunny winter day is to open the blinds and drapes and let the sunshine in!  Passive solar energy is free and helps lift your mood as well as keeping a little money in your pocketbook.   Keep them closed on cloudy days to help keep the cold from coming through the glass.  New energy efficient windows are also great to keep the cold and heat out depending on the time of year.

Check out OG&E’s Weatherization Program at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9nRgJ_xrn8

If you need help with weatherization, OG&E has a Weatherization Assistance Program to aid eligible customers.  Go to http://oge.com/residential-customers/save-energy-and-money/EnergyEfficiency/Pages/Weatherization.aspxto see if you qualify.

OG&E can help you find out where your energy is leaking.  Call for an energy audit and follow the suggestions to make your home more energy efficient. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index

OG&E has many new ideas to reduce your energy consumption like SmartHours, myOGpower and their Home Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP).  Just go to http://oge.com/environment/EnergyEfficiency/Pages/EnergyEfficiency.aspx and check out the new ideas for consuming less energy and saving money. And be sure to follow them on Twitter @OGandE or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OGEpower.

Compensation for this post was provided by OG&E.  Opinions expressed here are my own.

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 46

Posted on December 2, 2013 by peggylchambers

Our Thanksgiving was smaller than normal this year due to the flu.  It took out half the family in advance of our little get together.  But I still managed to eat enough.  We had six for a quick throw together dinner at my house instead of the thirteen that could have been.  We’ll try again after everyone gets well – maybe Christmas.    There’s always tomorrow.

Last-Minute-Shoppers    I’m not much of a Black Friday shopper.  I’m more of an early bird shopper a little at a time, slowly filling up the linen closet with gifts and checking them off my list.  I start sometime after the kids go back to school.  Boring I know but it gets the job done and I don’t stand out in the cold waiting to roll in the door with the throngs and possibly get a black eye all over a couple of dollars saved.  Where’s the fun in that?

My local YMCA http://www.enidymca.org/ always has a “Work Your Turkey Off” day on Black Friday and that sounded like a better idea than shopping.  Starting at 8:30 on Friday morning after Thanksgiving they offered Body Pump, Cycling, Boot Camp,  Zumba, or Yoga.  Each class lasted an hour each.  Everyone was welcome at no cost to members or non-members.  What a great opportunity!  Why go out in the cold and fight with shoppers when you could work out with friends?  I chose Yoga, 10:45 in Studio B.  It should be easy enough, much more so than fighting shoppers.

The instructor, Julie, told me that Yoga wasn’t for sissies.  She was right.  She seemed like such a sweet little person concerned about her students.  Did I saw students?  First of all I was the only person crazy enough to show up for class still digesting from the day before.  The room was dark and the music soothing.  So why were my thighs trembling and sweat running down my face in rivers?  Because Yoga ain’t for sissies!  I twisted and turned and stood on only one leg like a stork.  And then she gave me time for the Child’s Pose.  Ahhhhh.   Now back to standing on the other leg, now twist, now turn and switch!  download

When we were finished I lay on my back with my legs in the air up against a wall and the kind instructor put blankets over my bare feet and under my arms to warm them.  She talked her way through my body instructing each area to relax.  I’ve never fallen asleep with my legs in the air, but it almost happened.  When I finally did get up I felt relaxed, rejuvenated and that turkey hangover headache was gone.  Thanks Julie!

What did you do for Black Friday this week?

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 45

Posted on November 25, 2013 by peggylchambers

cornucopia-thanksgiving    Cornucopias represent bounty and my life is full of bounty this week.

I’m back to having more time on my hands again just in time for the holidays.  Being semi-retired can be confusing.  This week after finishing a couple of months working for a young mother on maternity leave I suddenly realized I could write again, so I began a new novel.  Young Adult this time.  Something I wanted to try for some time.  I am so thankful to have the opportunity to do both, work at the office and work from home.  My great boss seems to know I am having trouble letting go and sometimes he needs extra help, so we support each other.

I received a great honor this week when I heard from my publisher that the art work on my finished novel had begun.  I was blown away with the expertise of his craft.  I hope my writing can stand up to the fantastic art that accompanies it.   I can’t wait to tell you more about this project in the months ahead.

I am so thankful to have my family in for the holidays this week.  I’m thankful for the food and the warm homes where we will eat it.  We have so many people with different places to go; we’ll have to have two dinners this year. Oh no!

I’m also thankful for the gym to work some of those calories off afterwards.  So, let the feasting begin!!!

What are you thankful for this week?

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myOGEpower and SmartHours

Posted on November 18, 2013 by peggylchambers

steaming cocoa   Jack Frost is on the way, a time of afghans, hot cocoa and fireplaces.  You can’t avoid winter but you can avoid giant energy bills.  Have online access to your energy usage with #myOGEpower and watch when you use the most energy in your home.  It will help you find ways to reduce your energy costs.   Keeping track of when you use the most energy helps most customers reduce their energy costs.  Go to http://www.ogepet.com/programs/myogepower.aspx  and sign up so you can watch when you use the most energy and find ways to save money.

#SmartHours is over for 2013, but if you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to sign up for #SmartHours in 2014.  The #SmartHour program extends from June 1st to September 30th but, if you sign up now, you can receive a free SmarTemp Thermostat; one of the best digital thermostats on the market today.  And on average #SmartHours customer save 20% or more than those without.  Sign up now for more energy savings next summer. Check out the OG & E #SmartHours program at   http://www.oge.com/residential-customers/products-and-services/Pages/SmartHoursCommunicationsCenter.aspx

OG&E has many new ideas to reduce your energy consumption like SmartHours, myOGpower and the Home Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP).  Just go to http://oge.com/environment/EnergyEfficiency/Pages/EnergyEfficiency.aspx and check out the new ideas for consuming less energy and saving money.  And be sure to follow them on Twitter @OGandE or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OGEpower.

Compensation for this post was provided by OG&E.  Opinions expressed here are my own.

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 44

Posted on November 11, 2013 by peggylchambers

menonite 3   Every year before Thanksgiving, Enid hosts The Mennonite Relief Sale http://reliefsales.mcc.org/sales/oklahoma-mennonite-relief-sale.  They are held all over the country but we are lucky enough to have one in our community.

I always find wonderful crafts, books, food and the pies are to die for!  A lot of people go just for the pies to put in the freezer for the holidays.  Just after lunch on Saturday the pie counter had a sign that read “450 pies sold this year, get here early!”  Obviously I didn’t get any pie.  I did eat bratwurst and New Year’s cookies (a lot like doughnut holes).  Menonite 1

And then there were the quilts. My mother used to quilt and I saw how much time and effort went into them.  They were auctioned off to the public. Some of these quilts went for over $4700.00 each, all for a good cause; education around the world, disaster relief, and many other projects to help people in need.  menonite 2

Menonite 5   The homemade ice cream, not hand cranked but machine cranked outdoors in large batches and then sold inside, had people lined up across the building.    Menonite 4

I always make time on the first weekend in November.  Come join us next year or attend one in your area.    

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 43

Posted on November 4, 2013 by peggylchambers

Cultural center 1    Two weekends ago the family and I went to the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulfur, Oklahoma (http://www.chickasawculturalcenter.com/?gclid=CMDI_PbuyLoCFUhk7Aod33cAuA).  It was such a wonderful center full of artifacts, art (by great Oklahoma artists like Mike Larsen), Cultural center 2   (http://www.larsenstudio.com/) and more information that you could possibly soak up in a weekend.  And the food was wonderful too! This was the weekend of the OU Homecoming and we were on I-35 with everyone else.  And it rained.  No, it poured!  I understand the game was postponed for a while.  But if you had been in Sulfur, you would have needed an ark. We ran between buildings to make sure we could see everything but the one thing we missed out on, because we’re not fond of getting wet, was the village that was set up down the hill – where all the water was running.    cultural center 3

I thoroughly enjoyed the short film on ceremonial mounds used as calendars that have been found around the country.  They were built by the Native American people that lived there centuries ago before the Europeans came to this continent.  The theme of the center is that the Chickasaw people are still alive and well and living in Oklahoma.  They celebrate their rich culture and want to share it with everyone.  cultural center 4

I would love to go back someday and experience the center again when the weather cooperates.  My daughter and I make a “girls weekend” trip every year and think that may be the place next year.  There is a hotel in Sulfur called “The Artisan” (http://artesianhotel.com/) with massages and shops that might allow us to stay and then enjoy all the treasures that southern Oklahoma has to offer.

Just another great Oklahoma weekend!

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OG&E’s FanPower Program

Posted on October 27, 2013 by peggylchambers

ok_wind_2_30429a     Power derived from the use of wind turbines has been around for centuries.  In Persia (now known as Iran) windmills were used as early as 200 B.C. to run machines that ground grain or drew water from wells.    In 1887 the first recorded wind turbine used to charge a battery was created by a Scottish academic James Blyth to light his home in Scotland.

Today, wind farms dot the skyline all across rural areas and are a renewable source of energy for your home and business.  Everything old is new again!

As a residential OG& E customer, you can sign up for wind powered energy.  Your home can be powered with wind energy for as little as 25%, 50% or even 100% of your electricity usage just by signing up.  And after all, this is Oklahoma “where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.” The wind is blowing most of the time.

To get your enthusiasm up and running for wind power, OG & E is hosting a contest.  #FanPower could win you tickets to either OU or OSU football games. Just sign up for wind power and then tell your friends and family about the program.  Ask them to sign up too and you could win tickets to the games.  Go to http://www.ogepet.com/fanpower  to check out the #FanPower possibilities.

OG&E has many new ideas to reduce your energy consumption like SmartHours, myOGpower and their Home Energy Efficiency Program (HEEP).  Just go to http://oge.com/environment/EnergyEfficiency/Pages/EnergyEfficiency.aspx and check out the new ideas for consuming less energy and saving money.  You’ll be glad you did. Be sure to follow them on Twitter @OGandE or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OGEpower.

Compensation for this post was provided by OG&E.  Opinions expressed here are my own.

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LUCKY THIRTEEN – FIFTY-TWO NEW THINGS TO DO IN 2013: NO. 42

Posted on October 21, 2013 by peggylchambers

image001     Autumn has a special feel.  It is a wonderful time of year that never lasts long enough.  Every year I marvel at the colors, the crispness in the air and the fact that I can drag out my sweaters again!  I mean is there a better outfit in the universe than jeans and a sweater (unless it’s jeans and a sweatshirt).

But, the feelings I get from fall are restful.  The harvest is ready to be brought in and winter is right around the corner.  It is time for cuddling by the fire and not working as hard as you did in the hot summer months.

Okay, we’re not farmers and we don’t work out in the heat hoping and praying for every drop of rain, but  even city folks like fall.  Some like it so much they wind fake leaves around light poles downtown to celebrate until Mother Nature takes care of the real thing.  At least they do in Enid.  Fall leaves

There’s something about the cooling down of the heat baked summer that brings out the kid in all of us.  Raking the fallen leaves (we have a gas powered leaf-blower, blow them into a pile and run over them with a rear-bagged lawn mower) and jumping in them afterwards so you have to do it again is still fun, even though it increases your workload.

Autumn makes me want to go knit a sweater and I don’t knit.  Or maybe some mittens.  Maybe I need to learn.

I love fall.  Go jump in a pile of leaves.  Maybe your neighbors.

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