Journal Entries: A breath of fresh air power

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Welcome to Journal Entries, an occasional feature in The Oklahoman. These are the kind of everyday, slice-of-life stories that you'd tell your best friend. They might make you smile, laugh or even cry. Send us your journal entries, 250 words or less, along with your photos and your name, address, phone number and e-mail address (not for publication) to city@oklahoman.com or write to: Journal Entries, City Desk, The Oklahoman, P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.

A breath of fresh air power

WEATHERFORD — I'd seen them from highways and side roads. I'd even seen them carried by trucks. But I hadn't walked up to one of the long white blades until we stopped at the Wind Energy Center display in Weatherford.

This includes not only the blade but information displays, as well. The FPL Energy facts informed me that each blade is more than 122 feet long, and each turbine is 262 feet tall from the ground to the center of the blade hub. From ground to tip they are 380 feet tall.

The Weatherford Wind Energy Center has 98 General Electric 1.5-megawatt wind turbines. These are located on more than 5,000 acres near Weatherford in Custer and Washita counties.

According to the display, these produce up to 147 megawatts of electricity. At the display you can learn not only more about wind energy, but also more about Weatherford. Some people may know a lot about each of those subjects. I didn't, and I think it's usually nice to slow down long enough to learn something.

Bryan Painter, Columnist

Tasting sweet holiday memories

Residents of Grace Living Centers had many years of holiday memories to recall as Christmas trees, Christmas cookies and Christmas carols ushered in another celebration this past week. Myrtle Stinson, 78, who lives at the center's Buffalo location, recalls a memorable Christmas when she was only 4 and her father made her doll accessories.

“We lived in Laverne in a house with a full basement, and I kept hearing sounds from down there. ... I played with my table and doll bed all the time, and later my son's little girl enjoyed it and still has it. I never had to share it with anyone because my only sibling was a brother, and he sure didn't like dolls,” she said.

Ella Simmons, 67, who lives at the center's Edmond location, remembers sweet memories best.

“We made crepe paper rings to drape around and long strings of popcorn. There were always sugar cookies and my mother's specialties: caramel cake, coconut cake and chocolate cake. These she kept safe from us kids in a pie shelf, but unlike my brothers and sisters, my fingers were small enough to slip between the wire mesh and reach the icing,” she said.

Wendy K. Kleinman, Staff Writer