Published: August 20, 2008 11:58 am            

Adult children can surprise parents if they ‘think outside the box'

A common complaint from adult children about us senior citizens is, “I never know what to give you for any special occasion. If you 'need' a particular item, you go buy it. There’s no way to surprise you.”

Now, I’ll admit there’s truth in what they’re saying, but I offer two examples this week of adult children who were able to really surprise their parents by “thinking outside the box.”

My first example is the 50th anniversary of Robert and Bobbie Vick. Their daughter, Karla Mackey and her husband, Alva, wanted to surprise her parents. She planned a party involving members of New Bethel church where the “old folks” are active. She got the message to the Prayer Chain captains who spread the word. Several friends outside the church were contacted by phone. (Karla wisely put nothing in writing.) She enlisted some other family members to call the honorees and invite them out for dinner. Once the honorees were inside the host automobile, they were delivered to the Fellowship Hall at New Bethel that was packed with all their friends. The Vicks were overwhelmingly surprised because they had not mentioned their forthcoming anniversary to anyone.

Karla had put together a slide presentation featuring her parents from courtship days through the 50 years. Bobbie says she was so keyed up that she was unable to sleep that night. She read and re-read all the greeting cards they had received, and she cried lots of happy tears.

My other example is the milestone birthday of Freda Flatt last month. Her daughters Gail Libbin, Los Cruces, N.M. and Foretta Frow, Alamosa, Colo., managed to make her birthday really spectacular.

It all began when Freda received a mysterious letter telling her to reserve July 21-27 on her calendar, and not to ask questions. Later, another letter arrived listing clothing and accessories she would need, and again cautioning her not to ask questions. Another letter arrived a few days later telling her to come alone at a prescribed time to Will Rogers Air Port in Oklahoma City. Since Freda did not want to leave her husband, Bob, alone while she went gallivanting, she summoned his son from Amarillo, Texas, to visit him while she was gone.

Her destination from Oklahoma City was Dallas where she changed planes and flew to El Paso. An airline attendant asked Freda where she was going, and Freda replied that she didn’t have a clue but added that this trip was something she was sure her two daughters had dreamed up as a birthday surprise.

Another flight attendant arrived a few minutes later with a gigantic chocolate chip cookie, the nearest the airline could come to a birthday cake. Then an announcement came over the intercom, giving Freda’s name, age, seat location and the fact that her destination was unknown. All the people on the plane applauded as the steward pinned an American Airlines emblem on Freda’s blouse.

Gail, Freda's younger daughter, met her in El Paso and drove her to Albuquerque, N.M., where Loretta, the older daughter, joined them, and the three of them boarded a plane destined for Orange County, Calif. A rented car awaited them, and they drove to their lovely reserved motel suite.

The next day they spent a half day at the world famous 'Sawdust Art Festival.' Following an afternoon stroll on Lagunna Beach they went to the renowned ‘Pageant of the Masters’ where art comes to life. They marveled at seeing famous paintings and sculptures portrayed by live human beings in the theatre’s 75th anniversary performance.

Mission Basilica of San Juan in Capistrano was their destination the following day. The mission is famous for the regular arrival of swallows in March, but Freda says the area is equally impressive in July. The trio spent the entire fifth day at Getty Art Center at Los Angeles where wind blew Freda’s hat into a fountain. She was able to retrieve it, wring it out and put it back on her head. The damp hat helped her keep a cool head while they took in the special exhibit of Maria Sibylla Merian and her daughters. These were women of art and science who were first to offer beautiful and accurate illustrations of science texts.

On day six, they started home, reluctant to leave, and on day seven, Freda arrived in Oklahoma City where her artist friend, Skip Thompson and her husband, brought her back to Byng. As Freda says, “WOW! What a birthday!”

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The Benefit Consignment Auction scheduled Aug. 30 at 9 a.m. has a variety of items and services that will appeal to as wide range of people. Items such as hay, pipe, plows, straws of semen from prize-winning bulls, and trailers will appeal primarily to farmers and ranchers, but a new entertainment center and miscellaneous furniture will be of interest to the feminine members of the family. The event will take place at the Meek Machine and Manufacturing, located five miles southeast of Ada on State Highway 3E. Derrel Meek, a Byng alumnus and Clay Young (phone 320-7877) are contact people for the auction. Lunch will be available on the grounds.

The auction will benefit the Bill Dixon family. Bill and Sanda’s 16-year-old daughter, Sara, has been ill for more than two years and has been at treatment centers in Arizona, Utah, and Texas. She is currently at the Juliette Fowler Residential Center in Dallas, and she appears to be making some improvement.

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A Two-Tom outing last Saturday night provided a lot of fun for members of New Bethel church. Tom Alexander hosted a cook-out in his enormous backyard at Pickett. The other Tom involved is Tom Cooper, the church’s chief cook. (Tom put in a lot of years as cook in the Army, at men’s prayer breakfasts and at Falls Creek) and he just naturally was the grill master. Forty-some people, including 14 youth who were involved in a lock-in at church but detoured long enough to help us put away a few hamburgers, hot dogs, and homemade ice cream, enjoyed the unusual cool August temperatures, the fellowship and the food.

        

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