Peggy's Ponderings at the lake

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...

What do you want for Grove? Peggy's Ponderings from the Lake Local officials have asked the community to give input on what improvements they think would be best for Grove. Photo from Facebook I gave my input at the recent open house and visited with city council members and other city officials but then I decided to drive around and try to see what Grove ALREADY has to offer. Here are some of the ideas I came up with. Grove has a historic downtown and downtown is trying so hard to improve. The recently painted murals on Grand Lake Sports Center and the old-time signage across the street are wonderful. Plus the remodel and improvements to this building were a huge improvement. And who am I to judge what kind of business is there? I don't like sushi but would say the same thing if it was a sushi bar. And thank you Dominoes Pizza for the remodel and update to your corner. If there isn't any money to remodel, fake it!  Personally, I think we should have a m...

High water at Grand Lake reach the steps to this deck in Grove earlier this month. Fighting the Flood Flood-Friendly Improvements and Repairs for Your Grand Lake Home By Peggy Kiefer-Steed & Dezirea Burnett Water levels on Grand Lake have continued to go down in recent days, and finally past the 750 ft. mark. As of 10 am Friday morning, the lake level was 748.49, still 9.49 feet above full pool of 739. So far, the flooding has claimed dozens of properties, rendering some uninhabitable while others remain simply marred by debris. According to Markwayne Mullin’s website, 27 counties in Oklahoma have been designated for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance: Alfalfa, Canadian, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Garfield, Kay, Kingfisher, Logan, Mayes, Muskogee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner, Washington, and Woods.              ...

Look what happened! It's par for my life this summer. I just finished writing my Blog for Fall and guess what? This summertime blog never got posted! Well, even though it's late, it still rings true, especially since my next blog is called Adios Bugs, Hello Fall. Lions, and tigers, oh my!!! Except here at the lake it's more like, bugs and more bugs, oh my!!! Although we live in town, this town is in the middle of nowhere. This lake is in the middle of nowhere. We are surrounded by woods and trust me, these woods have eyes! Lots of ugly bug eyes! I spent a couple hundred dollars this summer on bug retardant plants and still, we can't sit on my back porch day or night without getting bit by something. And most of the time we don't know what that something was. These ferocious man-eating bugs are quick and agile.  My daughter and I were watching HGTV the other day, discussing our dream place to live.  We moved to Oklahoma eight years ago together and ...