by Terry Zinn

The Gallery at 11 North Central, Idabel, Oklahoma will be serving visual martinis with a photographic canvas art exhibition and sale during the annual downtown Fall Festival, October 7-8, 2023. MARTINI TRAVELS is a dozen or more images from photographer Terry Zinn’s fifty canvas prints presenting cocktails against a backdrop of travel locations. Some of the fifty photographed locations might include, Berlin, Germany; Boone Hall Plantation, South Carolina; Oak Alley and of course Oklahoma City; among other locales. The exhibit was inspired by Zinn in 1995 after having a luncheon with Idabel native and international artist, Harold Stevenson where he recalled his tales of an extraordinary life over his favorite cocktail, the Martini..
The Gallery is the anchor of downtown Idabel, created and owned by another Idabel native, Robert Henderson. The Gallery was opened a couple of years ago after extensive renovation to the historic 1930’s building that had been vacant and dilapidated for years. “We never charge artists a fee to exhibit and / or sell the work at The Gallery. Arts are an important element to our social society. Bringing the arts to the community, while remaining affordable, is an important mission of our work,” explained Henderson.
The Fall festival hosts craft and food vendors, Miss Fall Fest pageant, chili cook-off and corn-hole tournament. Downtown streets will close with live music and entertainment throughout the event.
Zinn will provide a gallery talk at 7 p.m.Saturday, OCTOBER 7th at the reception along with Dian Jordan, Ph.D., of Hochatown, OK.
Martini Travel images have been previously exhibited in Oklahoma City at the Photo Art Gallery and at the 50 Penn Place Gallery. The exhibit will be accompanied by Zinn’s photographic images of Harold Stevenson, Portraits of Harold. Many of these private images have never been exhibited before. They were made with the endorsement from Stevenson which documented his studios, homes and exhibits from 1995 including locations of: Idabel, Oklahoma; Wainscott, Long Island New York; Long Island City; SoHo, New York; Key West, Florida; San Francisco; Dallas and Oklahoma City. In addition to Zinn’s documentation in photographs he has made over 13 hours of taped interviews of Stevenson over the years. That material is the foundation of Zinn’s play, Last Call: All I Ever Wanted to Be Was Tall, which is available for production.
Jordan’s reception talk is highly anticipated as she will discuss the importance of Stevenson’s inclusion in recent exhibitions. Jordan curated Art in Community: The Harold Stevenson Collection in 2020-2021 at the Museum of the Red River, Idabel. The exhibit was then followed by Stevenson being included in New York: 1962-1964 held at the Jewish Museum of New York in the fall of 2023. That exhibition explored art and culture and how artists living in New York responded to the socio-political changes of the time. Stevenson was also included as one of the 35 legacy artists for We Fancy at the 100th year celebration of the Art Students League, NY, also in 2023. Stevenson won a national scholarship to attend the prestigious school in 1949. Jordan has previously spoken on Stevenson’s place in the canon of 20th century art for the Oklahoma Museum Association’s annual conference, the Oral History Association National Conference, and the International Art in Society Conference.
Zinn was employed for twenty-six years as Photography Processing Manager at the Oklahoma Historical Society/State Museum. His work has been published in numerous outlets. He has exhibited at the Oklahoma State Capitol, I.A.O. gallery, 50 Penn Place Gallery, Photo Art Gallery, and on permanent exhibition at the Gallery of the Plains Indian and the Oklahoma Judicial Center.
While in Idabel feel free to visit the Museum of the Red River and the Phil Silva vintage car collection. Or take the nearby drive to the ever popular Hochatown community known for Broken Bow Lake and luxury cabin vacation homes. The near by twon of Hugo is of interest with its Elephant Cemetery.
Zinn resides in Oklahoma City where he is cataloging his works and seeking permanent homes for his collections. He can be reached at t4z@aol.com.

On Saturday, September 9, from 1-4 p.m., the Oklahoma History Center with host an introduction to cross-stitch workshop. Participants will learn the process of cross-stitching and create a cross-stitch bookmark to take home.
The cost of the class is $20 for Oklahoma Historical Society members and $25 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is Saturday, September 2. All materials and instruction will be provided, along with light refreshments.
The Oklahoma History Center is located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr. in Oklahoma City. It is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Please call 405-522-0765 or visit
https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter for admission costs and group rates.

Ruby Miller

(Right) Ruby Miller was 100 on April 10, 2023. She lived in Hominy all her life and was a meat cutter and caregiver until retiring in her 90s. Ruby loves Christmas, having the family together, seeing grandkids happy and cooking big meals.

Georgia Friedman

(Left) Georgia Friedman celebrated her 100th birthday today in Bartlesville. She loves music from the Big Band Era, a big pot of spaghetti for the family & meatloaf.
Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday because of the food & watching her family play the annual touch football game called “The Turkey Bowl!” She loved to wear hats so her words of wisdom for younger people: “Take care of your skin; wear hats; use sunscreen; work hard & enjoy your family!”

Loretta Marshall

(Right) Loretta (Keller) Marshall of Hydro celebrated her 100th birthday earlier this year. She was a farmer, homemaker, mother & housekeeper. She keeps her yard & its many flowers & cactus in beautiful condition & mows a half acre lawn. She was the only church organist for her Parrish (Hinton Sacred Heart Catholic Church) for 52 years.

Bill Eugene Muncy

(Right) WWII Army Veteran Bill Eugene Muncy celebrated his 100th birthday today in McAlester.
He enjoys family gatherings, traveling, fishing & being outdoors. Candy bars were the only gifts he requested for his birthday. Thank You for Your Service and Welcome to the Centenarians Hall of Fame.

KNOW A CENTENARIAN?
If you know of a Centenarian you would like to honor, please visit
http://centenariansok.com/ and download and submit our form.

https://www.harborchase.com/harborchase-south-oklahoma-city/?utm_campaign=gmb

Seniors from Oklahoma participating in the National Senior Games which was held recently in Pittsburgh, PA represented the state well, finishing with a balanced number of medals, 22 Gold, 23 Silver and 24 Bronze for a total medal count of 69, this number does not include the number of ribbons that were won for fourth through seventh place finishers. While the Oklahoma athletes finished in the lower tier of the medal count, they faired well. The state with the highest number of total medals was Florida with 586 with 19 states gathering at least 100 total medals. View the final results at https://nsga.com/results-2023/.
The next National Senior Games will be in Des Moines, Iowa in 2025. Oklahoma seniors can begin preparing for that competition this September through October. While not a qualifying year, preparing this year will get you headed to qualifying in 2024. Check out the list of events and dates the OSG Facebook page or on the website, at https://okseniorgames.com.

Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor

Senior citizens 55 and over can celebrate near-space travel with free admission to the fairgrounds on their special day with events from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sept. 20. The festivities are in the Special Events Area at the south end of the Modern Living Building at the Oklahoma State Fair.
Sponsor OG&E energizes the day along with others who support the “Out of This World” themed event with alien and flying saucer decorations. Senior activities, a photo booth all day, entertainment, exhibits, door prizes and health screenings are designed especially for the golden ager.
“Our 46th annual Senior Day at the Fair fits the 55+ fair goer in many ways,” said Cindy Dimit, longest serving committee member. “First, you have access to the total experience of the fairgrounds, while others come to the Modern Living Building to enjoy the Senior Day, never leaving the building because of our many exhibitors, screenings, and entertainment.”
The Okie Stompers kick the morning off with their combination of tap with line dancing as their ten performers dazzle with their ultimate toe-tapping’ clogging and bright outfits show. They perform again at 11 a.m. for late arrivals.
Area independent and assisted living and long-term care communities have created a one-minute video of their residents “In Motion.” The entries were judged, and the top 10 will be shown all day for the public to select the winner.
Along with the many senior-oriented booths making their services available, Senior News and Living will give away the September issue at the booth all day. The publication will supply a door raffle prize from the stage and raffle prize at the booth.
The audience can participate in themed activities on the decorated stage. At 1:20, audience singers take the stage to perform in the “Out of This World Karaoke Contest.” The otherworldly experience is offered to everyone seated throughout the day.
This year again features back-to-back Elvis tribute artists in the late afternoon and evening. Back from his popular performances for the last two years, Mike Black sings Elvis’ songs at 6:30 p.m. The Choctaw resident has opened concerts for major acts Percy Sledge, Eddie Raven, The Grass Roots, Three Dog Night and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Shawn Klush kicks off the most significant tribute to Elvis outside at 7:30 on the Chickasaw Country Entertainment Stage. He has starred as ‘Elvis’ in the award-winning Las Vegas show “Legends in Concert.”
Klush has sung in the “Elvis Birthday Tribute Tour” with Elvis’ former musicians, singers, and friends in major venues in multiple cities. He portrayed Elvis in the “The King and I” episode of HBO’s historical drama TV series “Vinyl” produced by Martin Scorsese and Mic Jagger.
Activities planned for the day that saw 4,000 seniors last year include a robust lineup of free health screenings: Blood Pressure Screenings, Blood Sugar Screenings, Pain Management Assessment, Vein Testing, Depression and Memory Screenings, and Diabetic Foot Screenings.
Passport Health will offer Flu, 65+ Flu, Shingles and Pneumonia vaccines at a cost. Attendees are asked to present their insurance card if it covers their shots. They can file to the following plans – Aetna, BCBS and all affiliates (Anthem, BlueLincs, etc.), Cigna, Global, Healthcare Highways, HealthChoice Oklahoma, Humana (Medicare Advantage only), Medicaid/Sooner Care, Medicare/Medicare Advantage, UMR, and United Healthcare (not if the card says “referrals required”).
Those without insurance or a plan not in Passport Health’s network will have to pay at the time of service. Vitamin B-12 injections are $20 cash. The day also features 24 other senior health and recreation exhibitors.
Door Prizes are offered (Registration: Session 1: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Session 2: 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. & Session 3: 3:30 – 6 p.m.) Pick up your ticket at the prize table for a chance to win one of many donated gifts. There will be multiple drawings in the morning, the early afternoon and then again in late afternoon. Each session’s tickets will be discarded after the end of their respective time. Please register again for both afternoon door prize sessions.
“Since January, the volunteer Senior Day committee has been working hard to plan an excellent event for Oklahoma Seniors 55 and over,” said Robyn Holly, Fair Special Programs & Events manager. “We look forward to a successful Senior Day and Fair.”

A full listing of what goes on “Out of This World” is available online at https://okstatefair.com/uploads//senior-day-event-details-2023.pdf

The Oklahoma City Skydance Bridge will join other nationwide landmark bridges as part of a news stamp series by the U.S. Postal Service beginning August 24th. famous OKC landmark will soon grace collectors’ books and the corners of envelopes nationwide. The Skydance Bridge will be featured in a new stamp series (one of four) by the U.S. Postal Service starting Aug. 24.
Inspired by Oklahoma’s state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher, Skydance bridge soars over Interstate 40. The bridge is a 380-foot-long pedestrian bridge with a 197-foot-tall sculpture.
The bridge opened in 2012 and connects Upper and Lower Scissortail Park. The bridge was built at a total cost of $5.8 million for the pedestrian use, designed and structurally engineered by S-X-L, a local business. Visit your local post office or shop the USPS online at: https://store.usps.com/store/product/stamp-collectors to purchase these iconic stamps.

Across
1 __-relief
4 Sacks
8 Loose strands of hair
13 Tonsillectomy doc
14 Class struggle?
15 Point of contention
16 Binary pronoun
17 *Genetically engineered retriever?
20 Many a Riyadh resident
22 Family chart
23 NYC airport near Citi Field
24 *Colleague of an Idaho farmer?
28 Care follower
29 Relatively small upright
30 Tammy of country
32 NFL stats
33 Socket set
35 Let up
36 *Advice to someone who doesn’t want more kittens?
39 Star in astronomy
42 Of all time
43 Hr. to go
46 __ knot
49 Successful candidate
51 God with good aim
52 *Teaches tricks to circus animals?
54 “Better Call Saul” network
55 Interminable time
56 Nevada city
57 *Food and water supplied during a marathon?
62 Future louse
63 Clip
64 Draft category
65 New prefix
66 Nonsensical
67 Holiday song, and, phonetically, an apt description of the answers to the starred clues
68 Start to sneeze?

Down
1 “You should smile more”
2 Barometer type
3 Soprano Teresa known for her recording of Berg’s “Lulu”
4 Sack
5 Body spray brand
6 Beetle juice?
7 Clobber, biblically
8 Port producer
9 “Amazing Grace” ending
10 Abbreviation on old maps
11 Young hens
12 Data storage company
18 Got bigger
19 Exposed
21 Shut out
25 Promotional links
26 Chalcedony with black and white bands
27 One who’s well-versed
28 Exhausted
31 Not as far
34 Binary pronoun
36 In things
37 Square
38 Hibernian, e.g.
39 __ jar
40 Meteorological concern
41 Ristorante dumplings
43 __ Aigner: fashion house known for accessories
44 Sneaks on the court?
45 Classic autos advertised with the Cole Porter song “It’s De-Lovely”
47 Cow owner in a Rockwell painting
48 Real hoot
50 Caboose, e.g.
53 Salad topper
55 Shrinking Asian sea
58 Caterpillar roll fish
59 Peace activist Yoko
60 Word that indicates a name change
61 ESPN reporter Paolantonio

A world-renowned lupus expert at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation will lead a study aimed at detecting the disease sooner and preventing the resulting damage.
OMRF is accepting study volunteers for the Autoimmune Drivers and Protectants (ADAPTS) study, which is funded through a $6.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, said OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D.
James’ team is seeking volunteers at high risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, because of a family history or a positive autoantibody test.
“Some people have blood markers for lupus but never get sick,” said James, who is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. “Others have the markers and develop some symptoms but never get the full-blown disease, while in others, it ravages the body. We want to better understand why and ideally how to prevent the transitions.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes unbalanced and attacks the body’s own tissues. It can result in damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, heart and lungs and is a leading medical cause of death among women of childbearing age. Although only about 400,000 individuals in the U.S. have the most severe form of the disease, perhaps up to 1 in 10 individuals will have blood markers that look like lupus.
The cause of lupus is unknown, but studies have identified links to genes, immune and inflammatory influences and exposure to environmental factors.
James, who leads OMRF’s Arthritis and Clinical Immunology Research Program and holds the Lou C. Kerr Endowed Chair in Biomedical Research at OMRF, will collaborate with scientists and clinicians from Vanderbilt University and New York University.
“Finding people at high risk of developing lupus before they get sick is a challenge,” James said. “It will require a team approach, using the expertise and the patient samples that each of our three institutions brings.”
Jill Buyon, M.D., director of the NYU Langone Health Lupus Center, will provide samples from study volunteers who, despite being asymptomatic, receive what Buyon called “a double-whammy” diagnosis during pregnancy: they have autoantibodies found in people who have lupus, and these autoantibodies have caused their infants to have lifelong heart damage.
Some of these mothers ultimately develop severe lupus or another autoimmune disorder called Sjögren’s disease, while others develop only mild symptoms or none at all, Buyon said.
“If we can unlock the secrets of what makes someone progress from benign autoimmunity to clinical autoimmunity, that would be revolutionary,” she said. “Then we could tell a woman, ‘You have these factors, so we might want to put you on preventive therapy,’ and in others, we could avoid putting them on medicine unnecessarily.”
By analyzing thousands of patient samples, James said she hopes to discover genetic or environmental protections against lupus.
To volunteer for the study or receive more information, call 405-271-7221. OMRF will enroll individuals for autoantibody testing and potential follow-up into the Oklahoma Cohort of Rheumatic Diseases, a collection of tens of thousands of blood, urine, saliva and tissue samples donated since 2001 by patients in OMRF’s Rheumatology Center of Excellence.

by Greg Schwem

One of the greatest joys of having adult children is knowing I now have the freedom to criticize other parents and their disciplinary methods.
OK, maybe “criticize” is too harsh; “actively observe and silently disagree” might be a better phrase.
My children are 26 and 21, independent (more or less) and free to make their own decisions without my guidance. Which leaves me with plenty of free time to notice, in grocery stores, airports and other public facilities, millennial and Gen Z couples who have chosen to have children instead of dogs and now realize you can’t cage a child if it acts up. Like my parents, I find myself cringing at what this new breed of procreators consider to be acceptable punishment.
I don’t envy today’s parents and the challenges they face. Suffice it to say none of the other parents in my daughters’ kindergarten carpools would have marched into their schools and demanded their severely underpaid teachers stop reading “The Little Engine That Could” because it’s too “woke.” Well, come to think of it, a mother of seven who lived on my block and attended church several times a day may have if she’d been familiar with the word and its meaning.
Social media was a novelty in my daughters’ middle and high school years and certainly not the harmful behemoth that, today, is the gateway to bullying, ostracization and, in some cases, suicide. Yes, they both had cellphones at young ages and there were moments I had to lecture them about proper phone etiquette. Was I too lenient in certain situations? My father certainly thought so and wasn’t shy about voicing his opinions, usually at holiday gatherings. I would fruitlessly explain that he may have a different view if cellphones had existed when I was under his tutelage.
So maybe I’m overstepping my bounds when I question today’s parents about their punishment tactics. But I am generally curious. At the very least, can somebody with children please answer the following three questions?
1. Have you ever actually gotten to ”three”?
Time and again, I see children misbehaving, only to silently snicker as their mom or dad says, “Logan, I am going to count to three.” What follows is the slowest, most drawn out recitation of “one” and “two” that I have ever heard. If I were a professional boxer, got knocked down in the ring and had 10 seconds to get to my feet, I would want one of Logan’s parents to be the referee. The Logans of the world aren’t stupid; they know they still have at least 20 seconds to do whatever has drawn their parents’ ire before backing off.
2. What exactly are “privileges”?
Because I am always looking for future comedic material and column ideas, I recently started driving for Uber. While taking a couple and their two children to the airport, I heard the dad telling his son if his behavior didn’t improve, he would lose all “privileges.” It’s not the first time I’ve heard that, and now this inquiring mind wants a definition. Maybe it’s because I don’t remember having any “privileges” when I was growing up. In my father’s eyes, being born was a privilege.
3. What, and where, is the “Circle of Trust”?
I first heard that phrase when Robert DeNiro famously uttered it to Ben Stiller in “Meet the Parents.” But that was a fictitious movie. When the Uber dad reminded his son that he was approaching a Circle of Trust violation, I wanted to stop my vehicle and ask if I could view the circle some time. Is it actually drawn somewhere in the house? What are the dimensions? These circles must exist somewhere, because I have heard multiple parents refer to them.
Parents of young children, if I receive the answers to these questions, perhaps I will no longer roll my eyes or mumble under my breath when your little darlings are throwing tantrums at the bank or the hardware store. Even though my father never understood my concept of parenting, I want to understand yours. So I eagerly await your replies.
Don’t make me count to three.

(Greg Schwem is a corporate stand-up comedian and author of two books: “Text Me If You’re Breathing: Observations, Frustrations and Life Lessons From a Low-Tech Dad” and the recently released “The Road To Success Goes Through the Salad Bar: A Pile of BS From a Corporate Comedian,” available at https://www.amazon.com/. Visit Greg on the web at https://www.gregschwem.com/.
You’ve enjoyed reading, and laughing at, Greg Schwem’s monthly humor columns in Senior Living News. But did you know Greg is also a nationally touring stand-up comedian? And he loves to make audiences laugh about the joys, and frustrations, of growing older. Watch the clip and, if you’d like Greg to perform at your senior center or senior event, contact him through his website at https://www.gregschwem.com/)