Aunt Toni Chooses to Grace Us With Her Presence

Aunt Toni chose to spend part of her mid-Winter break with us and we were glad she did. We haven't seen her in something like 18 months or so - the last couple of times we've passed through her home state of Georgia on our way to and from Florida we haven't been able to hook up. About time, is what I say.

We didn't do much of anything special, which was fine with everyone. She dropped by the office on Friday and I showed her around - lunch time and only Terra and Kyle and Charles were around. That evening she took the girls to see the new Pink Panther movie. Saturday we took in the Oklahoma History Center.

Here's the only picture I got from the museum, the Winnie Mae, Wiley Post's airplane:

(Insert your own joke about how the two airports in Oklahoma City are named after aviators who died in the same plane crash.)

Very interesting museum and, like most, not nearly enough time to see everything there. Oklahoma has a unique history and the museum does a great job presenting it. Oh, and this appeals to the accountant in me: it's only 5 bucks! Go there today!

Monday was a holiday so I took the day off and we went to another museum, The National Cowboy & Western Museum. Haven't been there in ages and it's quite different than how I remember it. Less rodeo history - though there's still plenty of that but re-done in a you're-there-in-the-chutes kind of way - and more about frontier and cowboy life. Best of all: a fine exhibit about western movies. Plenty of John Wayne memorabilia to keep Aunt Toni, Queen of the John Wayne fans, more than interested.

Here's she reads the information thingie about John Wayne and his relationship to the Western Museum.

And here she tries not to be too distracted by the big man's big gun.

I was a little confused about where I could and where I couldn't take pictures - museums are touchy! - so I didn't. But we had a great time. You can't help but have a great time with Aunt Toni.

A final pose with the girls:

She headed home Tuesday morning after we did a bagel and coffee at Panera. The ride to work without her around was exceptionally quiet.

Good to see her. Hope it isn't too long before we see her again. Maybe the annual trip to Florida we'll be lucky.