28 | November | 2010 | Susan Spess Shay

Can you tell from my new header what I’m up to today? It’s knitting. (‘Snitting.)

To be honest, I started this piece yesterday. Here’s another shot.

Knitting with DPNs. (Double Pointed Needles.) That’s so I can knit in a circle and I won’t have to seam. I’m making a stocking for my newest DIL2b. #2 son got engaged this year, and I want to have a stocking for her hanging on the fireplace.

A couple of years ago, I decided we needed some knitted stockings. I didn’t have time to make the gorgeous ones you see on other people’s fireplaces, so I whipped up these for us.

There will be eight stockings hanging on the fireplace this year–if I can keep #1 son from putting them on and wearing them around the house as he threatens to do each year. (And if I get the last one finished.)

I’ve stopped work on my Shalom sweater and my knitted chick to get this finished, but that’s all right. I’ll get back to them someday.

My mom was a great one for someday. When she was in her late thirties, she started to cross stitch a red tablecloth (her favorite color.) It was going to have white stitching, which would make it a beautiful Christmas table covering. But she found out she was pregnant with her 6th child not long after she started it, with five kids already keeping her busy (aged 15 and down) she didn’t finish it for a long time. I mean a LONG time.

Eventually–oh, 20 or so years later–she got that tablecloth done. That sister (#6) owns the tablecloth now. So see? I’ve got plenty of time.

My new header is a picture of the guys where I work, ready for the big game. My niece asked if I was on the fence, since I’m wearing black. (I’m the one on the far right.)

Nope. I’m the black of orange and black. OSU’s colors.

Image via Wikipedia

Trouble is, I couldn’t get the entire picture in the header. It left Baby Sister out. So here’s the entire thing:

Image via Wikipedia

#6 is holding an OU football. For some reason, I couldn’t get it in the picture. Heh-heh. Sorry, Little Sister. No can do.

Here’s another picture–with Carollea and without Amy and Sharon.

But here’s my favorite of all. No one expected this to be taken.

Jane is explaining something to Mendy about her daughter and why she’s wearing that red color.

To be very honest, most of the group doesn’t care all THAT much who wins the game. We’d like to see “our” team carry the trophy home, but even if they don’t it won’t make all that much difference.

To one or two of the crew, though, it’s killer.

My son is one of those. He’s also an OSU graduate. In fact, many of Ray Spess’s grandchildren attended or graduated from OSU. So many, I’ve suggested they change the name to Oklahoma Spess University. 8) Just kidding!

I found this on Wikipedia:

The Bedlam Series refers to the athletics rivalry between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys, of the Big 12 Conference‘s South Division. Both schools were also members of the Big 8 Conference before the formation of the Big 12 Conference in 1996.

The Douglas Cup

In 1900, in Oklahoma Territory, Oklahoma A&M (later Oklahoma State) veterinary medicine professor Dr. L.L. Lewis assembled a group of A&M students to participate in the first territorial Track and Field Meet. Held on May 4, 1900, the event included Alva Normal College, Central Normal of Edmond, Kingfisher College and the University of Oklahoma, along with OAMC. The prize of the tournament was a silver cup donated by a local jeweler named Douglas. Surprisingly, A&M won the meet and returned to Stillwater with the traveling trophy.

In 1901, A&M won again, and a third consecutive win would mean permanent retirement of the Douglas Cup in Stillwater. The meet was held on May 23, 1902, with the Aggies amassing the most points. Oklahoma filed a protest based on the pole vault competition not having been completed due to darkness, however, Oklahoma A&M claimed the Douglas cup.

The next day the Sooners held their own vault competition and declared themselves the victor. Several weeks later, the Douglas Cup was missing from its place in a glass case at the Oklahoma A&M chemistry lab. Suspecting that OU students had stolen the Cup, a group of A&M students retrieved the Cup from Norman, supposedly burying it under Old Central for safekeeping.