Playing card placecards got the Racehorse Canasta game started. (Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).

Cards and flowers decorated the tables for the dinner.

Gene Barth and Chelin Satherlie were hostesses for a lively round of racehorse canasta and a lovely dinner at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. They created computer -based system of changing partners during the evening.

Among the people at the party were Nancy Ellis, Marilyn Law, Kaye Cook, Judy Love, Linda James Sharon Bozalis, Susan Hoffman, Pam Smith, Mary England, Kay Oliver, Marilyn Balyeat, Martha Bradshaw, Susan Sigmon, Ruth Lampton, Gennie Johnson, Lu Beard, Jeary Seikel, Laurie Hyde, Kirk Hammons.

Centerpieces of red and white roses and black feathers, playing cards and candles were on the tables. Red velvet cupcakes were decorated with hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds were served for dessert.

Overall winner of the card game was Judy Love.

Gene Barth and Chelin Satherlie.

Sharon Bozalis and Jeary Seikel.

Dessert for the party was chocolate cupcakes.

This is a very precious Thanksgiving message from the Girl Scouts….we add our own message of  thank yous to those who make differences in our lives. HFW

This is the season of giving thanks to those who make a difference in our lives.

All of the staff at Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma wants you to know how important you are to the organization and, most importantly, to the girls we all serve.

Without your dedication and support to the mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place, we would not be able to provide the leadership experience to thousands of girls in western Oklahoma.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving,
From the staff of Girl Scouts-Western Oklahoma

100 paintings at the “Small Works” show at JRB Art at the Elms. (Photos by David Faytinger).

JRB Art at the Elms “Small Works” show was one hundred paintings by one hundred artists.

Gallery owner Joy Reed Belt gave each artist an 8×8 canvas and asked them to to paint or create whatever they wanted to create. The variety was amazing. Some of the artists painted miniatures similar to the paintings they create on a regular basis. A few of them added volume to the canvas.

Two of the photographer sewed photographs on the canvas in a very creative manner. Some of the artists created paintings that are very different from what they usually create. Several of the artists made elaborate collages.

The paintings were hung in a large grid and all were priced at $180.

At the reception and show Iguana and Seasons catered the event.

Gallery artists who participated in the  show and exhibit  included D.J. Lafon, Michi Susan, George Oswalt, Denise Duong, Brent Learned, Skip Hill, Kim Camp, J.P. Morrison, Thomas Batista and Beth Hammack. Guest artists included Regina Murphy, Clint Stone, John Seward, Suzanne Owens, Sharon Montgomery, Romy Owens, Suzanne Cunningham and Jan Hurley.

In addition to the “Small Works” show there was also  a show of Jim Keffer’s paintings and a wonderful 6’ hand crafted highboy he made of exotic woods. There were paintings as well as wooden and steel sculptures by John Wolfe.

Guests included Betsy and Mark Rowland, Mary and Andy Tevington, Pat Gallager, Carolyn Barnes, Stan Cunningham, Jim Turley, and Kitty and Dick Champlin.

The show will be hanging until Nov. 28 and the exhibit, set up like this years, will be the Gallery’s signature holiday show every November.

Party-goers study the art.

ETIQUETTE  QUESTION #3  on Parties Extra! – This question came to us from….Twitter

YOU ASK—WE ANSWER—YOU DECIDE!

(Callie, a college sophomore,  is a debutante this year and has been in many new social situations recently and Lillie-Beth is a former  debutante and assistant features editor for The Oklahoman and Helen has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees.

This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.)

Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers give good information for every age range….Callie is 20-something; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-something.

Please email us with your questions and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions every Wednesday on the Parties Extra! blog. Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions.     Look for us!

Helen’s answer: Ask to move away from the offender on the airplane. If that is not possible, try not to breathe.

Know your crowd, particularly at parties, during the flu season!  If everyone is coughing, go home. We all love our hugs, especially in Oklahoma, but we probably should refrain from too much hugging and just give your friends the biggest smile ever! Handshakes? Hard to give up!

Lillie-Beth’s answer: Both parts of this raise hard questions. Whatever you do comes with a cost. Do you risk being impolite and offending someone, or do you protect your health no matter what? I’ve heard more than one person note that they did not enjoy a movie as much as they would have because someone was coughing loudly and deeply behind them; aside from being annoying, who knows what germs the hackers were spreading?

First of all, though, it seems to me that people are more understanding of standoffishness this flu season because swine flu is new and unknown. I’ve noticed people are almost grateful if you apologetically refuse to shake hands or give hugs because you’ve been sick; if they’re sick, it would be nice if they did the same.

On the plane, in an ideal world, there would be open seats where you could request a move or a place that she could sit away from the crowd. In my opinion, that seems like a reasonable solution to ask of a flight attendant. But if not, you’re stuck there, unfortunately, and apart from not breathing the entire time, all you can do is offer regards and politely ask her to make sure she covers her mouth if she’s not doing so already or offer her something to use for that purpose. And then, quickly get off the plane looking for the nearest GermX and bathroom to wash your hands immediately.

In this day and age, we should all give each other some grace while we try to balance avoiding getting sick with offering respect and sympathy for those who are.

Callie’s answer: Why wouldn’t you move away? That lady is not coughing up flowers! I am more bothered when individuals do not cover their mouth when coughing, sneezing, or yawning. It doesn’t matter if she does not have the “H1n1″ virus; she obviously has something that you don’t want!

There is no serious need to stop hugging or shaking hands.

To the germ-a-phobs: nothing is wrong with going for the “Howie Mandel pound.” Nowadays, more people pound then high- five. Try pounding and not shaking hands. Although, I always keep hand sanitizer with me!

Don’t kiss people you don’t know. So college girls and boys, if you do not know them, don’t take the chance of getting sick! Significant others are not included, as long as they aren’t sick.

helen.wallace@cox.net

lilliebeth@rocketmail.com

calliezok3@aol.com

Helen interviews Cathy Blair, floral designer at Trochta’s. Cathy and Jim Vallion have provided the flowers for Parties Extra! videos all year.

David W. Parke II, Julie Parke, Will Parke, Marion, Steve and Linda Garrett were at the engagement party. (Photo by David Faytinger).

Marion Garrett and David W. Parke III were honored at an engagement party given by her parents, Linda and Steve Garrett.  The event was at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. The wedding is planned for next year in Ireland.

There were flower arrangements of Bells of Ireland, white anthurium, white orchids and white hydrangeas. Thanksgiving food was served in the Cypress Room and salmon and sushi was in Harry’s Bar. Individual chocolate tortes were served for dessert.

Special guests at the party were Julie and David Parke II, Betty Thorne  and Judge James Paul Garrett.

CLICK HERE for Parties Extra! photo gallery

Melissa Crawford, Anna Elder  and Lester Holt at the “Today Show” in New York City. (Photo provided).

A group of people was in New York City last month for the “All You Need Is Love” Gladney Gala at the Waldorf-Astoria and the Gladney Cup golf tournament at Bethpage State Park’s Black Course, Farmingdale, NY, and Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY. Among the 700 there were Susan and Eric Eckman, Marion and Craig Story, Courtney Briggs, Tim Melton, Lisa Elder.

Some of the group brought their children to NYC  and they were in the outdoor audience of the “Today Show” and saw theater shows of “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Mary Poppins.”

These events support Gladney Center for Adoption’s efforts to improve lives of children in foster care and orphanages and efforts to find permanent homes for children around the world

Josh Hammers, Miss Oklahoma Taylor Treat, Brynn Daves, Kari J. Dawkins. ( Photo provided).

Miss Oklahoma, Taylor Treat, was honored recently at a reception at the University of Oklahoma University Club in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Hosts were Kari J. Dawkins and Brynn Daves.

Treat is the former Miss OU and will be at the Miss America competition in January. Her friends got together to congratulate her for her upcoming contest.

Connell Branan, Bebe MacKellar and Jim Vallion talk about the 2009 Beaux Arts Ball.

Jose Freede, Debby Dudman, Jane Thompson. (Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).

Debbie Hampton, Kay Goebel, Barbara Butner, Lana Lopez.

Committe member Karen Mayfield with Bob and Dede Benham of Balliet’s.

The jewelry.

Gene Barth, Corey Hyde Blake.

Little heart chocolate candy served with dessert.