If you live in the Ponca City area or nearby, join us for the concerts in the park at the Pioneer Woman Museum on Thursday evenings. More information can be seen on this flyer.

Pioneer Woman Museum to host Heart to Heart Tea Party Honoring Writer Joyce Carol Thomas

The second annual Pioneer Woman Museum “Heart to Heart” Tea Party will be held on Saturday, July 3rd from 11 am to 1 pm at the Pioneer Woman Museum. The theme of the party is “Together, We See No Boundaries” and is being hosted by the Pioneer Woman Museum Advisory Board. Founding sponsors are First National Bank of Oklahoma, Eastman National Bank, Ponca City News, Home National Bank, RCB Bank, Cable One, Silvertop Farm & Vineyards, and Evans & Associates. Women and girls of all ages are invited to attend and wear tea party dress. Hats are optional, but strongly encouraged to add to the ambience of the event. Prizes will be given in several “hat” categories. Food and refreshments will be served. Admission for the event is $15, seating is limited, and tickets are available at the Pioneer Woman Museum. The event proceeds will be used for museum building repairs.

The Pioneer Woman Museum Woman of the Year award will be given during the event to Joyce Carol Thomas, Ponca City native and resident of Berkeley, California. Ms. Thomas is an African-American playwright, author and illustrator of more than 50 children’s books, winning numerous prestigious writing awards. The setting of some of her fictional works is in Ponca City. A graduate of Stanford University, Ms. Thomas is fluent in Spanish and French, and has traveled to Australia, China, Ecuador, Guam, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Nigeria. She has taught from grade school to the university level, including the University of Santa Cruz and Purdue University. Her last teaching appointment was as a full professor in the English Department at the University of Tennessee where she taught creative writing courses in poetry, drama, and fiction. Signed copies of her books will be available from Brace Books.

Mary Anne Potter, owner of Herban Renewal Farms and Pioneer Woman Museum Advisory Board Chairman, said that the event is being held to honor the special relationships in our lives, specifically those between sisters, friends, and mothers and daughters of all ages. “The motto of the Pioneer Woman Museum is “I See No Boundaries” and we really wanted to honor this same spirit with the relationships that help us overcome obstacles and enjoy our own pioneering journey through life. We also wanted to bring our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends to the museum to appreciate the journeys our pioneering ancestors have made and our living role models are making, such as Joyce Carol Thomas.”  Herban Renewal Farms will be providing special herb tea bags for each participant. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to purchase the teapot centerpieces at each table and teacup planters provided by the Pioneer Woman Museum Advisory Board.

Pioneer Woman Museum Director Jean Winchester indicated that the museum has several projects that will need funding this year. “In particular, the museum building and roof needs major repairs, both of which are critical to the operation of the museum,” Winchester said.

Mary Steichen, Co-Owner of Silvertop Farm & Vineyards and Museum Board Member, encourages women and girls of all ages to attend. “We are working hard to make this a special event that women and girls of all ages will enjoy,” Steichen said. “We are making this an annual fundraising event to help maintain the Pioneer Woman Statue and Museum, one of the main symbols representing Ponca City, for many years.”

Mary Anne Potter, Pioneer Woman Museum Board Chairman greets guests at the first annual Pioneer Woman Museum tea party held in 2009 at the Pioneer Woman Museum.

Contact Mary Steichen at 214.458.1340 or Dolley Rolland at 580.304.5696 for more information.

The Northwestern Creativity Project will be presenting its 3rd photography show & workshop July 23-24 in Alva called “Picture My Weekend.” The group currently is seeking photographers who are interested in volunteering their time to share their info & expertise with the attendees, as well as seeking people who want to come and learn.

If you know of anyone who would like to be a session leader to share info, please email picturemyweekend@gmail.com & comment on what photography topic you’d like to share with attendees. Also, to get a feel for what the event is, visit http://www.nwosu.edu/picture-my-weekend.

For more information, email picturemyweekend@gmail.com.

The Conservation Youth EXPO will be held Friday, June 25, 2010, from 9:00 A.M. to noon at the Merchants’ Building of the Woods County Fairgrounds. There will be all types of hands-on activities for children of all ages and they will all be available for a fun-filled morning.

View the event flyer here.

East Woods County Conservation District sponsors this event.