Sheli Reynolds Starts Organic Gourmet Inc.

Okay, so sometimes the Journal Record DOES let you access a story --and here is a good one about Sheli Reynolds who has started Organic Gourmet Inc. in Oklahoma City. Read the Journal Record article here and then check out her website.

The Women's Summit was wonderful. We were welcomed to the Capitol by State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland (on behalf of the Governor), Senator Debbe Leftwich (the Senate) and Representative Pam Peterson (the House or Reps). Keynote speaker Congresswoman Mary Fallin gave a great opening talk before we got down to work. The balance of the morning focused on alternative sentencing, a live drug court (and a fake but instructive one) featuring Terry Watkins in jail garb). Suzanne Edmondson and Barbara Saunders talked about women in prison in Oklahoma. Lunch was a great box lunch, guided table discussion identifying issues the Commission on the Status of Women should be looking into and a chance to visit the exhibit tables.

Hope You Enjoyed the 2008 Women's Summit

Marilyn Ihloff Named SBA 2008 Small Business Person of the Year

Congratulations to Marilyn Ihloff for being named by the US Small Business Administration as 2008 Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year. She is President and founder of Ihloff Salon and Day Spa in Tulsa. Read more here>>

Tulsan Maria De Leon Honored

Tulsa's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce recently presented the Hispanic Business of the Year to La Que Buena 1530 AM's owner and general manager Maria De Leon. La Que Buena has broadcast in Tulsa for nearly 11 years, and employs four full-time employees and three part-time workers. Read more here>>

Blogging from Quartz Mountain

My husband and I are at Quartz Mountain Resort. I'm sitting in the beautiful main lodge enjoying their wireless Internet connection.

Recommend a Good Book for Kenya

My Blue Plate Special recently blogged about favorite books from youth and mentioned a huge favorite of mine as a kid - Girl of the Limberlost. Would it qualify as an early coming-of-age book featuring a female (a rather rare item until recently, I think)? I've been thinking I should reread it but worry that it won't live up to my memories.

Students at Summit Middle School in Edmond have just donated over 1,000 of their gently used favorite books for the library I have helped bring about in Meru, Kenya. (I can say that because they put my name on a brass plaque at the entrance; very embarrassing for a missioner). Our book collection at that little library is weak on books that appeal to 6th through 12 graders so this donation is much appreciated. The books will wait in storage until I have collected enough to justify renting a 20 foot shipping container and have raised the necessary $10,000 to ship it to the Port of Mombasa.

So, got any ideas of "must have" "juvenile" books -- especially featuring young women -- I should add to the pile? Remember, they are going to be read by Kenyans -many of whom are very poor -- so skip the Brittany Spears/Paris Hilton bios, please!

Here is My Blue Plate Special's mentions.

Native Oklahoman Tracy Letts Wins Pulitzer Prize for 'August: Osage County'

Gads. Yippee. Hurray. Great news!!! Oklahoman Tracy Letts has won the Pulitzer Prize -- most prestigious American award for dramatic literature -- for his play 'August: Osage County.'

Chicago, Illinois (where Letts now lives) is taking plenty of credit but Tracy is the son of Oklahoma author Billie Letts so we get to celebrate and strut our stuff, too.

Click here to read the Associated Press story and also the Chicago Tribune article in which they say the award cements "his position among the top tier of living American playwrights." This is wonderful news, folks -- and a huge positive attention getter for our dear state since the play is set in Oklahoma (although it doesn't show us - shall we say -- "in the best of light").

I hope The Oklahoman will find time to report this if they aren't too busy commenting on immigration reform (HB 1804), remarks by Representative Sally Kern and "English only" legislation!

Oklahoma's Fifth Annual Statewide Women in Agriculture & Small Business Conference

Women in Agriculture - Mark your calendars. Oklahoma's Fifth Annual Statewide Women in Agriculture & Small Business Conference will be September 18 & 19, 2008 at the Moore Norman Technology Center in Oklahoma City. For more information, see http://www.greatplainsrcd.org/wiasb2.php. Questions? Contact Casey Witvoet, Project Assistant at Great Plains Resource Conservation & Development (phone 1-580-832-3661).

Junetta Davis

I am late learning of the death of emeritus professor of journalism at OU, writer and women's rights advocate Junetta Davis of Norman. The brief obit on the OU School or Journalism's website reads:

Junetta W. Davis, 82, of Norman, died Friday, March 7, in Norman. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are by Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman. Jung the word out that the memorial service is Saturday, April 5, at 11:30 a.m. at the Havenbrooke Funeral Home (3401 Havenbrooke in Norman; from I-35 exit west on Robinson and go to 36th Ave. NW; turn left onto 36th Ave NW and continue south to Havenbrooke and go left on Havenbrooke). There will be a reception immediately following the memorial service at The Chouse, 717 W. Boyd Street, Norman, OK 73069.