Britanny Byrd, Mary Kay Bullard and Raegan Rogers greet guests at the Pi Beta Phi “Gathering of Angels” luncheon at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. (Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).

When members of the Pi Beta Phi Oklahoma City Alumnae Club plan a party, they pay lots of attention to detail and March 2 was no exception!

The luncheon was at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club.

Theme for the event centered around the group’s guest speaker, Ree Drummond, author of “The Pioneer Woman Cooks,” “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels” and “Confessions of a Pioneer Woman” blog. Centerpieces were cowboy boots filled with big yellow sunflowers. And the menu (the food was really, really good) featured selections from her cookbook including fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, wedge lettuce with homemade Ranch dressing and mocha brownies and angel sugar cookies.

And the speaker, Drummond, a Pi Phi herself, was delightful.  After being introduced by longtime friend, Connell Branan, she told stories about herself, her ranch, her college years, how she got started blogging and some about being on national television shows. This famous person is unique as she stays true to herself and is very unpretentious.

There were 19 baskets that were raffled to members including one with cowboy boots and a Prada blue denim tote. There were several trips included in the raffle baskets.

Drummond’s books were available at the luncheon with a percentage of sales going to Pi Phi’s philanthropies, Payne Education Center, Santa Fe South Schools, Youth Services for Oklahoma County and National Pi Phi Literacy Initiatives.

Committee members were Mary Kay Bullard, chairman; Britanny Byrd and Raegan Rogers, co-chairmen; Christi Bullard, sponsorships; Hilarie Blaney, public relations; Britton Green, Invitations; Amy Neal, graphic designer, Katie Puckett, invitations, and Regan Roff, treasurer.

Among those at the luncheon were Gerre Schwert, Lela and Mark Sullivan, Linda James, Margo Ward, Susan Hoffman, Barbara Beeler, Kathy Griffin, Margaret Wells, Patty Cohenour, Nancy Ellis, Sue Ann Hyde, Katie Davis, Chris Verity, Janell Flanery, Jane Harlow, Linda Rodgers, Betty Crow, Ann Cameron, Amy Bankhead, Martha Bradshaw, Jeary Seikel, Pam Smith, Christina Nihira, Meg Salyer, Annie Bohanon, Joan Gilmore, Kirk Hammons,  Candy Dulaney, Lil Ross, Linda Haller,  Judy Love, M.J. Van Deventer,  Ann and Bill Johnstone, Grenda Moss, Whitney Moss, Tessa Moss and a whole lot more Pioneer Woman fans!

Connell Branan and Ree Drummond enjoy time together at the luncheon.

Hilarie Blaney, seated, sells basket raffle tickets to Patty Cohenour, Martha Bradshaw and Nancy Ellis.

Susan Hoffman, Pam Smith, Jeary Seikel and Linda James enjoy the luncheon.

Lela Sullivan, Linda Haller and Gerre Schwert talk over college days. Sullivan and Schwert were college roommates.

Boots and sunflowers.

Margo Ward has a good time!

Katie Puckett, Britanny Byrd and Raegan Rogers were committee members.

Ann Cameron and Meg Salyer have fun at the party.

Christina Nihira and Lillie-Beth Brinkman talk at the event.

Ree Drummond, seated; Jenny Broughton, Andrea Baca, Allison and Susan Wallace, Nela Mrchkovska, Amy Wallace, standing pose for pictures at Full Circle Book Store. (Photo by David Faytinger).

Ree Drummond, author of “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” cookbook and “The Pioneer Woman” blog was in Oklahoma City recently for a book signing party for her new book, “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.”

The event was at Full Circle Book Store  and Beth and Jim Tolbert were hosts.

Hundreds of fans were in line with her books in hand for Pioneer Woman to autograph. Some people brought gifts for her. The beloved author/blogger answered a few questions from the audience.

She will be in Ponca City and Norman for upcoming events and will be back in Oklahoma City March 2^nd for the Pi Beta Phi alumni “Gathering of the Angels” luncheon as guest speaker.

Mary Kay Bullard, Brittany Byrd and Connell Branan talk about the Pi Beta Phi Alumni’s “Gathering of the Angels” luncheon set for March 2.  Ree Drummond is the guest speaker.

QUESTION: Help!  Football season is coming up again and my best friend and I (and our families) root for opposing teams that usually play each other during the year. Sometimes we go to the game together or watch it on television.

What are some mannerly ways to approach this? I always seem to get mad when the other team scores and only love my team, but after the game is over, I usually feel bad that I was not as good of a sports fan as I should have been.  Tell me how to be a better football fan.

CALLIE’S ANSWER: It is always fun and games! Remember that it is just a game, whether the other person is being a sore winner/loser let them be. Let them look bad! Don’t be the annoying football fan!

Scream, yell, and have fun! GO SOONERS!!

LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: It’s really fun to watch a football game when you passionately care about the outcome. Things get intense at our house when a certain team plays, and we love being totally into each play, the players and the final score. That intensity is a good thing when it means you’re loyal to your team and want good things to happen; it’s quite the opposite when you’re wishing bad things to happen to the opposing side.

Is that what happens when you’re with your friend? Do you talk trash about your friend’s team and celebrate opposing players’ missteps, bad plays or worse, like injuries? If so, tone it down and show some respect.

Recognize that those rooting for the other side care as much about their team as you care about yours. Start by finding ways to compliment the other team on a good play (after all, in every game, both sides make good and bad plays).

Be graceful and considerate whether your team wins or loses. Find common ground in the good food, camaraderie and the atmosphere. Enjoy your friendship.

Sometimes it’s a fine line between cheering for your team’s success and gloating over the opponent’s failure. Don’t talk trash when you’re in mixed company that includes fans for both teams. If you have to, leave the snide comments for when you’re alone with fans who are hoping for the same team to win that you are.

HELEN’S ANSWER: My University of Oklahoma football team is the very best! In the past I have shown zero tolerance for other teams (even if they are better than my team), but I do realize there are others out there who love their teams too. Too bad. I try to be around people of like minds when watching the game in person or on television because I am obnoxious.

But with that being said and since this question has been raised by one of our readers, I will devote this football season to better manners during games and to being a better sports fan. I will refrain from booing the other team, will never say bad things about Texas and will engage others (of the opposite team) watching with me in polite conversation.

Maybe our reader can join me in striving for better sports manners.

The Pioneer Woman

GUEST’S ANSWER: Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. This dilemma could not be more relevant in my own household, because my husband and I attended different Pac-10 schools. When our two teams play together, things are tense; on one hand, I know how much he loves his alma mater and wants to win. On the other hand, I want my team to pummel and dominate his team (and it usually does. Sorry, Honey!)

What I’ve found through much trial and error (and strife and therapy) is that if I both lay off the trash-talking and remain willing to throw my husband the occasional “that was a good play” when his team does well, it goes a long way toward saving our marriage from football rivalry-related disaster…at least for one more season.”

Callie Gordon, a college junior,  was a 2009 debutante and has been in many new social situations recently. Lillie-Beth Brinkman is a former  debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen Wallace has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees. Guest Ree Drummond is The Pioneer Woman, author of a world famous blog of that name. She has also written a cookbook called The Pioneer Woman Cooks and authored a book called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels to be released in February. thepioneerwoman.com

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 have information for every age range….Callie is 20-ish; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-plus.

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

Look for us!

helen.wallace@cox.net…lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com

Ree Drummond, award- winning blogger,  signs her new cookbook “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” at Full Circle Bookstore.  The line of people, who were carrying her cookbook and waiting for her signature, stretched throughout 50 Penn Place. The Drummonds brought 200 more books with them as the 400 copies of the book that the store had available were sold immediately.

One woman brought a box of butter for The Pioneer Woman to autograph. “She uses  lots of butter in her recipes in her cookbook,” she said.

( Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).

Full Circle Book Store owner Jim Tolbert welcomes Ree Drummond to his store.

The NewsOk team, Angi Bruss and Tanner Herriott, interview The Pioneer Woman, and Oklahoman photography manager Doug Hoke takes pictures.

The Oklahoman’s Lillie-Beth Brinkman is hoping to get her books signed. (This photo by Doug Hoke).

The Pioneer Woman’s close friends, Connell Branan, Lela Sullivan and Langley Branan, front, wait for her arrival.

Connell Branan, Alex Drummond, Langley Branan and Paige Drummond talk at the book signing party.

The line of The Pioneer Woman’s fans grew longer as the night progressed.