Tonight was a very fun night…Tulsa style.
Coach and I had plans to go downtown – to the Tulsa Arts District, to be specific – to have dinner with friends.
If you are not familiar with Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is quite a foodie town. Our reservation was for 7 pm at The Tavern which is one of my [many] favorites downtown, so I was quite eager knowing that we’d have great company, great conversation, and great food!
At approximately 5 pm I was scrolling through Twitter when I saw this:
I immediately flew into a frenzy, told Coach I was Ubering downtown, and I would meet him there.
“Are you kidding?” he asked, clearly forgetting to whom he is married ❤️
In the ten minutes it took the Uber driver to arrive at our house to pick me up, I’d changed for dinner, put on some makeup, and touched up my hair (that’s a joke…y’all know what my hair looks like, and there is no such thing as a nice, quick touch up, but I did attempt to make it look presentable).
I rambled and jabbered the entire 14-minute drive from pick up to drop off, and I am positive that my poor driver, Preston, checked to be sure both of his ears were still attached when I jumped out of his car in front of Ida Red.
The Ida Red General Store is a fun and funky little shop that “celebrates the cool culture of Tulsa” and has a “strong commitment to products and vendors that give back.” The environment is very #918 and the people who work there are quirky and kind and have a great vibe.
Today when I arrived at the shop, I was greeted by an adorable sign and very impressive balloon display:
National Strawberry Shortcake Day
Did you know that National Strawberry Shortcake Day exists?
I am absolutely thrilled to find this out, and I fully intent to make the most of it come June 14th! That’s the day it falls on every year as that is the height of strawberry season.
I love Strawberry Shortcake
Of course, the dessert is scrumptious, but I’m referring to the adorable and cheerful character and all her fruity-scented pals. I remember spending hours upon hours of my childhood playing with my Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Muffin, and Orange Blossom dolls.
I loved reading the books and then creating my own stories and adventures for them to act out.
I got tremendous joy out of those characters, and today I had a very special opportunity to tell their creator and illustrator, Muriel Fahrion, how special those memories are for me. I told her that she’s had an incredible impact and touched many, many lives with kindness and smiles and friendship.
She called me Sunshine and told me that she loved my yellow dress.
She reminded me of my precious Momadele, and just being there in that moment made my heart swell.
I was able to have two items autographed. The first is a sketch of Blueberry Muffin that I asked Muriel to sign for me to keep. I’m still a scrapbooker – the old fashioned kind that holds photos, cards, stickers, ticket stubs, programs, newspaper articles, ribbons, and all other mess of memorabilia – so I wanted something flat to save for a double-page spread to honor this experience.
When I told her that my name is Ashli-with-an-i she told me that she’d suffered a stroke last year and that it takes a little more work to process things like unique spellings. We talked about the type of stroke she’d endured, a very rare kind that affects only 2% of stroke victims and damages the back of the brain. I told her that I am sorry she had to go through that ordeal. I told her that she’s recovered beautifully. I assured her that she is amazing.
The second item Muriel signed is a coloring book filled with characters called the Cameow Cats. She drew them in 1986, but they were never published nor licensed. Now, 35 years later, Muriel has compiled her drawings and paintings to share with the world.
When she asked me for whom to make the autograph, I told her that I wasn’t sure of the recipient.
I explained how I have a nonprofit quilt business that connects quilters – and those who love quilts – with the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease, and I shared my intention to design a Strawberry Shortcake quilt to use as a fundraiser for Quilt 2 End ALZ. I went on to say that I want to pair the autographed coloring book with the quilt once it’s finished to create one very unique gift.
Muriel loved the idea!
And then she shared her Alzheimer’s story, that she lost both of her grandmothers to the horrible disease.
I wish I could have stayed longer.
I’d have shared my daughter’s love of Strawberry Shortcake, Angel Girl’s Strawberry Shortcake themed 3rd birthday back in 2003, and how many hours I’ve listened to Strawberry Shortcake DVD’s coming from the backseat of my car when the kids were little.
But, there was a line of other fans waiting behind me and a fabulous dinner with friends waiting ahead of me, so I thanked Muriel for sharing her imagination and her art and for adding such joy to my world. I thanked her for being here at Ida Red today and tried my hardest to convey my appreciation for her spirit and her heart which is evident in her characters but even more so in person.
And I got an adorable photo:
First Friday Art Crawl
The rest of the night was just as spectacular as the beginning!
Upon entering the restaurant, I saw two friends that I haven’t seen since our girls graduated high school two years ago, so it was a treat to say hello.
Dinner was really good – I had the pork chop with parmesan polenta, spring vegetables, and a tangy mustard sauce.
By the time we were done, First Friday Art Crawl was in full swing.
We’d only walked a half a block when I ran into another sweet friend and her husband who were enjoying a date night out.
We meandered our way through the art booths and galleries and displays and vendors to settle at Guthrie Green where we listened to some live Tulsa Jazz and a couple of very talented saxophonists.
While there, I saw a new Mahjongg friend, and had a great time getting to know her a little more.
As Coach and I were driving home, I thought about what a gift it is to see our vibrant city opening back up after COVID quarantining. I am immensely grateful for the vaccines that my family has received and the peace of mind I feel as we are getting out and about again.
I am especially thankful for the people that make our city unique and diverse and colorful and distinctively cool.
It feels like home, and that is a blessing in and of itself 🙏
I hope your weekend is also off to a terrific start and that it will be full of rest and relaxation 💛
With love and hugs,
Ashli
Susan says
What a great experience! I love your enthusiasm, your kindness, your passion to end Alzheimer’s, and your creative thinking. Cheers for you and Coach 💜
John Taylor says
What a wonderful post, I would have loved to meet her as well but I was busy running the Jazz event, that you so kindly mentioned. Sounds like you had a wonderful evening, thanks for hanging out with us!
Narissa says
I too love Strawberry Shortcake memories ! Great post ! Thanks for sharing you are so talented!