[Kater]

Originally Posted by suzlasvegas

My husband and I are looking for a small town with a friendly community to retire. We both work backstage and are able to travel for work. We have been told that Grove is a lovely community with lots of golf courses and mild winters. Any more info would be appreciated

Hi Suzlasvegas,
While Grove is a lovely area, please don't overlook Tahlequah. Our unemployment rate is lower than most neighboring counties, we have excellent medical facilities, a thriving arts community, friendly people, low cost of living, low crime rate, the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller. We have one 18-hole and two 9-hole golf courses, NCAA sports, gorgeous historical homes........
Kater

[GStambaugh]

I grew up in Blanchard - A very small town, with access to the bigger cities - Blanchard has about 1800 people - with quick access to Norman, 20 min and OKC 30 min.

You also might want to look at Chickasha - little bit larger with Quick access to OKC through the Turnpike - and they have the best burgers in the state @ J&W Grill

[Payne]

Best towns in Oklahoma: Norman-if you can stand the football crowds during football season. Edmond-great place close to everything. Shawnee-small shopping mall & all good shopping areas on both sides of interstate. Avoid Lawton & Tulsa-gang problems galore. Oklahoma City--too big. Stillwater-traffic, traffic, traffic.

[StillwaterTownie]

Stillwater has its football crowds, too. Just don't live near OSU. The traffic in Stillwater reflects that it's the fastest growing city in Oklahoma outside of a metro area. It may hit 50,000 in time for the 2010 census. If you're an OSU sports fan about ready to retire, then, of course, Stillwater may be the ideal place to settle down for retirement.

Maybe Stillwater's traffic will settle down somewhat when all the current street construction is completed, including reopening Hall of Fame Ave next year. However, more street constuction for the future is in the works to further deal with the traffic issues.

[jmccamey]

Originally Posted by bjb123

We are planning a trip to Oklahoma in the fall to check-out some areas on the eastern portion of the state for possible relocation (we're in n. central Ohio now). I keep seeing Grove mentioned in a few of these threads so I'm curious & from what I've seen on the net, it looks real nice. We're quite a ways off from retirment so jobs are always a concern.
Can someone tell me what the local residents do for employment? Is the area strictly a retirement community? Or, do the locals just commute for jobs?
Looks like this area will be on our list for one of our stops, so if anyone has any info on local restaurants or lodging I'd appreciate your opinion too. (We enjoy "Mom & Pop" types of eateries )
To nmnita: 6 days, 5 areas & 4 realtors you must be exhausted .


Any info would be helpful. Thanks.....

To tell you the truth, those of us living in Grove without any kind of technical experience or college degrees work in the nearby poultry production facilities to make our livings, as they are the best paying jobs in the area. Not glamorous work, but the pay starts around 7.50 to 9.00 an hour depending on the job one hires in with, and you can usually get a 1 or 2-dollar raise within or by your first year of service. Benefits are good, too. That is the most common industry in this area, and I have lived in the Jay/Grove area for the last eleven years or so. As for the local eateries, the best restaurant in town, in my own humble opinion, is El Vallarta, located on Main Street in the shopping center next to Taco Bell, but that is only if you like good Mexican food. As for mom and pop eateries, I cannot bring a single one to mind at the moment, but our Braum's makes pretty good breakfasts! I hope this helps, and should you have any more questions about our beautiful little community, I'll try my best to answer them. Best wishes in your quest for info!

Janie

[Mattie Jo]

One of the best jobs to create in Oklahoma is to be a handyman. People are begging around here to find someone to fix things or do yard work.

[Jammie]

JMC, that's interesting to know. I was curious if it's the same type of farm that is about 30 miles away from my house so I sent you a PM asking specific questions about it.

Jessaka, that is nice to know. My DH loves doing lawn and handyman work, but the problem is that I'm several years younger and I still need a full time job with the health care option. Grove would be a dream place to live, but we may have to stick to a larger city for employment reasons. The population of Tulsa is a bit more then we're used to, but it sure is a beautiful city. If I could master driving there and finding my way around, I think we could actually be quite comfy there. They have a lot of full time employment and their rent and also condos are so reasonably priced. Their real estate is actually more reasonable then it is up here.

[cloudmine]

Originally Posted by Synopsis

jessaka,
Here are more pictures of the gardens and grounds at The Philbrook Museum of Art.

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/55313072-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/3717443-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/3701095-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/3701097-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/3701098-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/3717444-L.jpg (broken link)

http://cloudmine.smugmug.com/photos/55313067-L.jpg (broken link)

Hi.. I know this was posted a couple of months ago, but I just found this post a few days ago. I must agree.. the grounds of the Philbrook Museum truly are beautiful, and well worth a visit or two..

I honestly don't wish to embarrass, offend, or upset anyone, because this seems to be a very friendly community, but if anyone here decides to take photos from google, etc, please at the very least, give credit to the photographer.

The photos shown here were taken by me. At the time, photography was simply a passionate hobby of mine. But now it is also how I attempt to make some sort of an income. In fact, it is now my only current source of income, now that I can no longer do what I used to do for a living, due to an occupational injury. And to put it simply, my photography royalties don't even come close to paying any of my basic utility bills at this point, let alone my mortgage.. And as a single woman / new homeowner who is also the sole breadwinner, that's not a good thing.

I really feel honored that someone found my photos special enough to use them as an example for Philbrook. But at the same time, I would appreciate getting credit for my work, just like anyone else. Another important point to raise here: At some point in the future, these very photos may very well be taken down from my personal site, and offered for sale as stock photos. If and when that happens, I will let you know to remove them from this site. Because, even if I were to take them off my own site, they could still be taken, free of charge, from this site, if you get my drift... And that wouldn't be fair to the consumer, nor myself.

Even though I did place a statement on my online gallery asking for people to please ask permission before using my photos, I am not asking you to take these particular photos down at the moment, because I love Philbrook, and I love the idea of promoting it to others. But please, at least credit the photographer! I know you often do credit them, but in this instance, that minimal courtesy seems to have been overlooked.

Regards,

Monica
CloudMine Images

[Jammie]

Monica, we are so sorry for overlooking this and not crediting you for your talent. You take absolutely beautiful pics and we thank you so much for sharing them with us on the internet.

Sorry to hear that you're having health problems.

I also want to thank you for your kindness in your post. We're just honored to have your pics here because so many of us enjoy them. When it becomes necessary for them to be removed, please don't hesitate to contact us. Maybe you'd like to stick around here and chat with us from time to time. Welcome to the forum.

[cloudmine]

Jammie, thanks for the quick and friendly reply. I really appreciate your understanding, and I most definitely accept your apology! I truly was honored to see my photos here, but I also wanted to make sure folks were aware that some of the photographers in google-land are not only trying to promote their work, but also earn some sort of an income with it. And it's almost always copyrighted by default. But a credit to the photographer can sometimes smooth the ruffled feathers of the copyright holder.

Thanks as well for the concern about the injury. It's a nerve-damage thing in my hand (ulnar nerve - aka 'funny bone' nerve - kind of like carpal tunnel, but it originates in the elbow and affects the outer fingers and hand..which in my case, has been affected - and has left me out of work - for over 7 mos now), so it's hard to type much in forums, but I would be glad to stick around and contribute when I can. By the way, if anyone has a good idea for a new career for an ex-accounting clerk with a mostly unusable left hand (and some photography skills), let me know! Seriously....I need a job!

Thanks again for the warm welcome, and for your considerate and thoughtful reply.