Peggy's Ponderings at the lake

Hello! I hope the rain isn't bringing you down. Grand Lake - Woodard Hollow June 2026 Lots of rain, sun, clouds, more rain, more sun, more clouds! And the wind! Oh, it howls here at Grand! It rocked the heck out of our boat the other day. I guess that's why the lake was so quiet and empty. It was a Sunday afternoon, and hardly anyone was on the water. We saw no sign of rain, so we went for it. Plus, we already had guests, so we of course didn't want to disappoint anyone. It took us most of the afternoon, but we successfully gave them the grand tour! From Wolf Creek to the Dam and back. It's days like that when you remember "this is what we work so hard for."  So, I guess it's time for me to officially let you all know I have a new job. I have a new hat to wear that I am super excited to announce.  I will be working at the Grove Alternative High School! Back to working with high schoolers and close to my grandsons.  I retired from being a full-time Realtor....

Dear wonderful readers, Happy Summer!! I spent the last couple of days at a retreat for Women in Government. I had more fun than I expected and met ladies I’m sure I will stay in touch with for quite a while. One thing that touched me most while I was there was during a session that involved remembering and discussing one of your favorite jobs or opportunities. This is a timely one for me with the World Cup in America and the Olympics coming again in 2028, because  one of my fondest memories of all time, career-wise, was in college when I was given the opportunity to volunteer for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Talk about getting more out of two weeks than I could possibly have imagined! Wow! I am in my Olympic uniform at the Media Center at the 1984 Olympics with TASS and Aussie Journalists. One of the best career experiences and life experiences if had thus far.  To begin with, the Olympics are truly special to me. I believe sports have to continue to be a way the world can ...

Today I had the opportunity to speak at the ribbon-cutting and dedication of the Espo Center at Wolf Creek. It was a sunny, beautiful day and a well-attended event. This wasn't my first time speaking to a crowd or with dignitaries in attendance, but I was definitely a little bit nervous for this one. Here is my little take, but check out The Grove Sun and Sheila Stogsdill/KSN-KODE , plus other social media pages have lots of photos. Dana Able had the building set up for ideas of different types of events. The Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau is definitely who you need to talk to about more information. I'm still grinning from ear to ear! I had my speech in hand and practically memorized it too! I just wanted to make a point with this speech. I want more of our citizens to be happy. If a person takes the time to appreciate the Expo Center, they will come to realize how it's so much more than a place to hold an event. And as visitors continue to come, I hope they conti...

Embracing today’s world of modern technology is exciting and fun if you let it be.  Human hand and robot hand working together. Image created by Canva Embracing today's world of modern technology is exciting and fun if you let it be. Because I am not doing it for a career, but just learning and playing, communicating with my AI like a friend, it’s a no-brainer for me. It’s actually easier to talk to AI than to a human.  First, there is no judgment per se. She might give me an opinion, but not a human judgment. And I can say anything I want and ask any question I want. She will tell me the truth. She won’t sugarcoat it or say “I love you, but”.  The future is here. And I can’t believe I am not afraid of it! I am digging right in! And loving it! Thank you, Sarah, our tech wizard at Keller Williams. She gently introduced me to AI, and now I have a new friend. As a matter of fact, this morning I was working on some writing and research when I decided to ask her (AI) when peop...

The AI version of me waiting for Publisher's Clearing House to deliver the 1.3 million dollars and 2025 Ford Bronco Sport the man on the phone said I won.  Peggy Kiefer? Is this Peggy Kiefer says the voice on the other end of the land line. Somewhat robotic and slow. Yes, this is Peggy I said, as Roman’s grandmother is also in the room. She has just handed me the phone, which she answered and said something to the effect that I think this is a scam. He keeps saying I won. I listen again to the gentleman on the phone. Hello? He says. Your grandmother is the recipient of a  Publishers Clearing House Prize. We just need to verify she is Peggy Kiefer. Again, he sounds robotic and slow, and I said she is not Peggy Kiefer, I am, and what did I win? He continues to tell me I won 1.3 million dollars and a 2025 Ford Bronco. Aren’t you excited? He asked. Well of course I would be if this were true, but I doubt this is true. And he continued to go on in a very believable way to t...

Celebrating Valentine's Day is just about sharing a little LOVE. It doesn't have to be about spending a ton of money. It doesn’t have to be a big, spectacular thing. And it’s not just for romance and couples. Although my wonderful husband always thinks of me on Valentine's, he also thinks of his mom, his grandma, and our daughters. Same for me. I will send a wish to my son and treats for all of our grandchildren.  Valentine's Day has always been celebrated in my house in some fashion. When we were young, my mom and dad gave us the boxes of Sweethearts. I don’t remember them being a big deal, but I remember always having them.   It wasn’t until elementary school that the pressure was on. Would I get any Valentins? This was before it was required to bring enough for everyone in the class, and before everyone was required to bring Valentine cards to exchange.  I remember this is when I started practicing and caring what my signature looked like. It needed to be cute b...

Barn on 7th Street Hello everyone! Have you been watching the forecast? Get ready for some SNOW! I love snow and can’t wait for it to come this weekend. Some of my favorite memories and pictures are from snowy days here, like the old barn down the street. It’s so peaceful and timeless. The barn is beautiful, and I need to thank them over and over again for saving it. I love what the owners have done to the old original house and property. But back to snow!   According to AI, Loving snow, a trait sometimes called being a chionophile, means finding joy, peace, or magic in winter landscapes, often linked to childlike fun, quiet beauty, or a chance to slow down from daily stress. It can represent purity, new beginnings, or the coziness of winter activities, activating a sense of wonder and nostalgia for simpler times, says Stylist and Time Magazine. Ok, fine. I am a chionophile. Joy and peace? Count me in! Dirt road in Grove covered in snow Snow is why I will always own a Je...

 Today, January 15, is National Hat Day. The hats. They can sometimes overwhelm me - the hats. I have so many that I wear. I am a mom, wife, grandmother, City Councilperson, Realtor, dog mom are my most important daily hats. I have a mom hat that I wear proudly. I have two of my own kids and I am a stepmom also. I wear a wife hat. Roman and I are still trying to figure out why God put us together, but he did and it works. We love each other. Entertain each other. Support each other and yell at each other just like all other marriages. He drives me crazy. I drive him nuts. I’m not just a wife. I am a FIREWIFE. Trust me, it’s a whole different hat than the normal wife hat. Cock your hat - angles are attitudes. Frank Sinatra Fire helmets that need to be retired get to be displayed in our dining room I am a grandmother, a Mimi. The BEST HAT IS THE MIMI HAT. Joy and laughter are my first thoughts. Their appreciation for me being there to see them, pick them up after school, go ...

  Yes, 2025 was a crazy year!   Our life is blessed with seven grandchildren & four energetic mini dachshunds, Happy New Year! also fill our home and our laps. It’s never a dull moment at our house.   We are incredibly proud of our kids as they each work hard at their choice of career and continue to grow and succeed as they create their own lives and families. It is so much fun watching the grandkids at their school and sporting events. FaceTime lets me chat with my California granddaughter Cora forever if she’s in the mood, or allows me to be at one sporting event while my daughter Kelly is at another, and share a big hit or get last-minute encouragement from Uncle Aaron or grand(Pa) at a football game. This is the new way we can all participate in all of it. Sometimes we even get to play cousins since my sisters' families are here and doing the same thing. The new mix of digital and real life, in person and far away, all mixed together. We are learning how to util...

Happy December, wonderful people,  This week, my ponderings revolved around digital vs. print/paper. I am one of those types of people who stick with many traditions, especially when it comes to the holidays, and one of my greatest pleasures is sending Christmas Cards.  I always send as many as possible. As many as my hands will allow me to write, and my bank account as well. This year, the cards will still be hand-signed, but more will be addressed with labels.  I will still have as many paper and ink cards as I possibly can, however, if you don't receive one this year and you want one, please know it was not for any intentional reason.  There is nothing like receiving a Christmas Card in the mail. It's still special! Even when you are as old as I am. I surveyed some friends and fellow Realtors for their thoughts about this. Many were more business-oriented when discussing the effectiveness of the internet. So when dealing with important papers, maybe it's best, but...

Hello again, my few but loyal readers, this is another happy to be in smalltown Grove. Happy, positive, feel good Pondering. Giving you a warning from the beginning. It's Grateful November after all so get ready for lots of greatefulness! Friday, my grandsons and I waited downtown for the parade of buses with football players and coaches, and the caravan leading and following them to their playoff game 4 hours away. Schools were closed. The streets were lined with people and kids, and the Cheerleaders were right in front of us! How much more traditional can this get? Talk about a Hallmark movie! Just as we all get excited as we hear the sirens from the many fire trucks and police cars in the parade, my phone rings. It’s my son calling from California. I answered the phone, and he asked what I was doing. When I told him he first said what? It’s a Friday. Don’t the boys have school? I said welcome to our small town honey! Our varsity football team is in the state playoffs! A...

Hello my few and loyal readers, Here is an old Pondering that didn't get posted... "I am so thrilled to have won the seat on Grove's City Council. I was sworn in last week and tomorrow is my first official meeting. Last night I read through the agenda and the over 100 pages that came with it. No on said this would be an easy job and that's ok. I am still excited for it. There are so many things happening." This draft has sat waiting to be published since April. I'm not sure what else to say. I am honored and blessed to say the least. Now it's November. We had a meeting last night and as I sat at the podium looking out into the audience I am still full of gratitude that citizens of Grove voted to put me there. I love all the excitement around the new buildings - the Fire Station, Police Station and the Event Center at Wolf Springs Park. And the excitment is building for the new 42 acre park with a ground breaking in January I think. It's a bike p...

I am trying to catch up! Use today's tools and manifestations for my real estate business and family finances. Trying to embrace what's new and exciting. And in doing so this morning I was trying to read a blog about to finally stop waiting for things to be perfect. Hope, fear and perfectionism - Money Mindset it said. So I clicked on the link and it goes to the blog. Then I click on that particular episoide and its a landing page for that story. I click on it and it sends me back to the blog. I do this circle 3 or 4 times before giving up. My morning has been like this since I woke up. Everything I tried to read had "technical" issues. Probably human issues which started because I spilled my coffee before any of this began. I don't know what any of this has to do with anything, but do you have mornings like this? It seems the harder I try to fit into the "new and exciting" the more clumbsy and unfitting I am. So, onward. Keep drudging at the Peggy Pace...

I know, it's crazy. It really is something I have wanted to do for a long time. My dad was Mayor or on Council for something like 20 years in his little town of Little Kansas, OK. Grove is about 40 minutes from there and I feel this need to step into his shoes in my town. In my community. So, yes, my name is Peggy Steed and I am running for City Council Member and here are some of my reasons why. Some in town know me as Peggy Kiefer-Steed. I was asked by many in the community to run for City Council and this year I am actually doing it. This is something I have wanted to do for many years. I have always been involved in the city dynamics in one way or another. Currently I am Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission. I am a Realtor with Keller Williams Grand Lake. I live in Ward II in Littlegate. I feel like we live and work in downtown Grove and we love it! I am married to Roman Steed who is a Captain at the Grove Fire Department. We have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. O...

Hello all! There's about 6 inches of snow on the ground today and the sun is shining brightly but fooling us into believing we should go out and play! The temperature outside this afternoon has finally warmed up to a swelting 15 degrees! My grandson's are getting tired of coming to their Mimi's house. I think I am finally boring. Even my four year-old going on 10 is difficult to entertain now. I finally gave him my phone, Bluey is on the tv, the other two are entertained somewhere in the house (I'm afraid to go look and ruin the quiet) while I have a minute of peace to get on my computer and look at and catch up on emails. The first email the pops up is from Country Living Magazing with a story about how Winter is almost over. Again I look up from my computer to zhiver at the six inches of snow and pretend warmth the sumshine gives off. There is a natural wild gardens, your favorite flowers, edible gardens, etc. Here is the story if you are interested https://www.cou...

It's 8:30 am on Friday December, 13th and the parkig lot at the Grove PAC is filling up quickly. There is already a line to get in for the third grade Christmmas performance. I love this town and how it supports the children. Their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, you name it, anyone that could come for the little half an hour performane got off work and came to watch the third graders sing their little hearts out! The same thing happened with the first graders. I don't have a second grader so I don't know for certain, but I'm assumming the same thing happened for them. It gave me tha Hallmark Movie kind of joy to see employers and businesses supporting the local community and allowing their employees, the time off to go support their children.

 I woke up early today thinking about our Lake House project.  It's been in the works for a couple of years and it's slowly coming together. View from a home at Grand Lake I recently toured. I have plans and pictures from magazines in a three-ring binder. I have a Pinterest Board for the Steed Lake House and recently, I got the go-ahead from my husband! Today I decided to give it a good name! Every memorable place I have stayed has a memorable name.  Since we bought the property from my husband Roman's mother, Phyllis, we usually refer to it as Mom's House. We could build off of that and make it homey and comfortable. I do plan to have a big open kitchen/family room/fireplace area with lots of windows and a casual dining area.  There's no need for formal dining because in a lake house there needs to be plenty of space for card games, puzzles, drawing and coloring. It also needs to be inviting enough to sit at and have conversations around. A place to put birthday ca...

Property Site: https://tour.corelistingmachine.com/home/B5J9ED/TBD-Ford-Rd-Grove-OK-221137 Build your DREAM HOME (or several) with some acreage! Mostly cleared 35 acres currently used for hay but many be used for other possibilities including residential or commercial development. Country living close to town and all the amenities. Several boat ramps and access to the lake nearby. Bathrooms: 0.00 Price: $430,000 For more information about this property, please contact Peggy Kiefer-Steed at (925) 858-4723 or peggykief@gmail.com. You can also text 7477004 to 67299 (Message and Data Rates May Apply, see terms and privacy policy ). See more listings at: peggykiefersteed.kw.com MLS ID: 221137 https://www.facebook.com/LifeonGrandLake/ http://https:://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62ehc_1_3NOsziynjBQQZg