Dani's Dirt

Deposits are being made, plans are coming together, notice has been given at work, boxes are being packed and the countdown app on my phone is showing numbers like “4” on it.

In honor of my favorite, not ladylike phrase to use, “Shit is getting real.”

And it’s getting real, fast.

I’ve begun throwing around sentences that begin with, “Well before I’m gone forever, I need to do…”

“Gone forever?!?!? You act like I’m taking you away, to never return to Oklahoma.” My Someone says.

Okay, so maybe I’m a little melodramatic.

Just a little. 😉

And I have to admit, the closer the wedding, the more excited I am about moving and the less Kentucky feels like some strange foreign land.

On several accounts I’ve even heard, “You’re from EASTERN Oklahoma… Pretty much the same thing as Kentucky anyway.” Whether they mean that to include the lay of the land or our ‘reputations’ — definitely not the same thing, but whatever, y’all.

Anyway, I digress.

When I first started thinking about the move, I wanted to create a list of things to do before the wedding that were specific to Oklahoma, but as life became hectic and the wedding date moved up, I decided to make the list more personal to my area.

Henceforth, (<= I’ve been looking for somewhere to use this word.) I give you my “Before I’m gone” to-do list of things close to this little eastern Okie’s heart:

•Spook Light– Extremely specific to my home county, the Spook Light is something everyone around home goes and tries to spot. The light is an unexplained orb that floats around, it appears in different colors, doesn’t like loud noises or large crowds and is known to appear more between midnight and 2 a.m. in the fall and spring. It’s a temperamental little thing. I’ve seen it once, and would like to at least try and spot it one more time.

•Powwow– I come from the heart of Indian Territory, growing up absorbed in Native American culture is a pretty common thing around home. So you can imagine my confusion upon discovering this is not the case at all in Kentucky. Ideally, I want to drag along that blonde hair, blue eyed boy I’m marrying. Since, I recently heard tale he’s never been to one. *gasp*

•Soak up dirt roads– Moving to a county without a single dirt road. Enough said.

•Take pictures of the Coleman– I practically grew up in this historic theater, so I wanted to have one last hoorah in it… BUT as it turns out the wedding of #DaniSquared will have something major happen here. So, two birds, one stone, you know the drill.

•Ottawa County Fair– If you’re in Ag, no matter where in the U.S. you’re from, home county fairs are a big deal. Fried goodness and fluffy cows, it’s a beautiful thing.

•Tulsa State Fair– See above, but on a more massive scale.

•Return all my fire gear– Turning it in officially closes that chapter of my life, I’ve been putting it off for a while. Time to grin and bare it.

•Dance– According to My Someone, “You’re from Oklahoma, Two-Stepping is like in all y’alls blood.” That it is.

•Ranch Rodeo– Want to know a secret? I would rather attend a ranch rodeo over a regular rodeo any day. Shhhhhh don’t tell. 😉

•Movie at the Admiral Twin- Two movies under the stars, bring in your own snacks and do your best to block out the noise of Tulsa traffic, sounds like a good night to me.

•Twin Bridges Park of Lights– Christmas lights! Christmas lights! Christmas lights!

•Rhema Christmas Lights– See above, but on a more massive scale. (Sound familiar?)

I feel pretty confident I can accomplish most of this before Day W, but we’ll see. Will there be updates? Well yeaaahhhh…

What is specific to your home or region that you would want to do if you knew you were soon-to-be moving? Are you an eastern or northeastern Okie as well? Let me know if I missed something.

Let’s discuss!