Thursday, December 10, 2009

New Adventures Coming Soon!

Look for information about new adventures coming soon. Christmas break is going to give us time to plan. There will be some projects for school age students and teachers! This story never gets old. Donna and I have talked to a couple more groups this fall about the boys. I told them to imagine how excited I was then, since I am still so excited now!
LOL

Monday, September 14, 2009

Quick Update!

I know it has been a while since we checked in with everyone.....It has been a busy time since our last post! I was fortunate to meet Raymond Plank in May at the OU Education Banquet! What a great man….He humored me and signed our book, Bud and Me!
Then, another blessing arrived in May! Donna and I were named the Oklahoma Raymond Plank Award winners. Thanks again to all of the people at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence and the Tulsa Community Foundation who have provided wonderful opportunities for us and the students we teach.
In June we headed for Frederick and the Crossroads Ranch Reunion. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. Later in the month, more people were interested in hearing our story. We were privileged to speak to audiences at the Tulsa Historical Society and the OSU Emeriti. It is so fun to tell people about Bud and Temple.
At the beginning of September, we set up a table to showcase our Fellowship at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence annual meeting! I think I am just as excited today as I was when we were traveling. Stay tuned for more adventures….

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Remembering the Ride

Thanks Matt! "Remembering the Ride" is super! So glad you finished the project.... it made Donna cry today! WOW! You are very talented---and what great material we gave you to work with....however, you need to remember that I am still the mother, and I should get to veto pictures I don't like! LOL!
Hopefully, I will figure out how to put a link on here and everyone can watch the video!
Will post again if Matt gets an award.

I just have to say again, Bud and Temple were just amazing kids....the students talk about them like they are real!! We had such fun following their path....

Monday, March 23, 2009

Molly and Donna Show

I forgot to mention that the "KUSH Girls" have the Molly and Donna show every mornig from 7:00--10:00 AM....tune in to find out the latest in the area.... Thanks again for having us on your show!

1600 KUSH

The excitement continues! Over spring break several interesting events happened regarding our fellowship. I (Melody) spoke to the Cushing Lions on Tuesday, March 17. Kym Skinner asked me last fall if I would be willing to speak when she was in charge of the program. Of course she didn't have to twist my arm very hard for me to agree. What a lovely gracious group of people. I shared the story of Bud and Temple, and then I showed them a slide show of our trip. I tried to explain a little of what we tried to accomplish along our journey--research; getting fingerprinted; taking Atlantic Ocean water to the Pacific etc! I appreciated what a great audience they were. Afterwards, Molly Payne from KUSH radio in Cushing, asked me if I would ever consider coming on her show to talk about the Abernathy Boys! Obviously, she doesn't know how much I love them! LOL I asked her if Donna could come along, and she said that would be super! Luckily, Donna didn't have plans for Wednesday, and she was willing to get up early and drive over!
What another unexpected blessing! Meeting Molly and her friend Angie was another opportunity we had to share Bud and Temple with people who loved the story and genuinely seemed to share our excitement about the impact this story makes on the lives of children!
They let us talk over an hour!! Yes, I felt like I was in heaven getting the chance to talk about two of my favorite boys, and Donna even managed to get a few words into the conversation!!
Sitting in the radio station while we were being interviewd was a new experience for us! The last radio interview we had with a Frederick station was completed over the phone---fun, but seeing the inside of the station was a new learning experience for us. Donna says, "It was almost like being on our trip again, and having those unexpected encounters with fascinating people who liked hearing about the boys and then hearing their stories!" It felt like Molly and Angie were old friends we just hadn't ever met yet....
When I told Mr. Vollmer about our spring break experience, he said, "The next thing I know, you all will be on the Today show!"
That would be great! I would love to tell America the story of Bud and Temple and great qualities they possess, and how children of today relate to these little boys from long ago.
Sunday night I recieved an email from Megan Carter. She is going to undertake a "long ride". She is going to ride the perimeter of Oklahoma which is 1200+ miles. CuChullaine O'Reilly, Founder of the Long Riders Guild, had given her my email. I am so thankful for the connection we made with him. I know we are not officially longriders, but we now have a tiny glimpse of what they do......
I am anxious to connect with Megan and hear her story and let our students compare her journey to Bud and Temples.

More soon.....
Melody

Sunday, February 8, 2009

More Speaking Opportunities

I've had the great opportunity to speak about our trip to the POE ladies in Cushing lately. Rep. Lee Denney asked me to be her guest and share our story with her friends. I had a wonderful time, and it was amazing how much I could share in such a short amount of time. I appreciate Mr. Vollmer watching my students so I could have this opportunity to share.
On President's Day evening, Donna and I have been asked to relate our adventures with the Oilton Chamber of Commerece!
Also, the Tulsa Historical Society asked us to speak later this summer. Stay tuned for more details.