{"id":2536,"date":"2016-12-27T01:43:21","date_gmt":"2016-12-27T08:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/?p=2536"},"modified":"2017-01-15T04:00:24","modified_gmt":"2017-01-15T11:00:24","slug":"oklahoma-visit-december-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/oklahoma-visit-december-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Visit \u2013 December 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Home away from Home (Sallisaw, Oklahoma)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I made a quick, last minute trip to Sallisaw, Oklahoma recently.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2537\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"311\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png 400w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 311px) 100vw, 311px\" \/><\/a>Although Sallisaw has never been an official place of residence for myself nor my immediate family and I did visit there for a week at least once every year for my entire life. Sallisaw is where my Dad, Floyd Neal, and all of his incredibly kind family was from. This is truly my Home away from Home. Let me please share a just a few of my highlights visiting this wonderful city and awesome people of Sallisaw, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Family of Fantastic Furr\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2538 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"332\" height=\"212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred.png 960w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tammye_fred-786x500.png 786w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px\" \/><\/a>I had the great pleasure to finally meet, in-person, two of the most wonderful people to walk the face of this Earth; Tammye and Fred. They are the amazing furr-mommy and furr-daddy of 8 \u2013 yes, 8 \u2013 animals of all sorts from cats, dogs, horses and even a rabbit!<\/p>\n<p>These two-wonderful people have organized, and execute, a beautiful Sunday morning service of prayer, education as well as just bringing people together for a local independent living facility. I was so fortunate to participate in one of these awesome events on the Sunday while I was there and the joy that it brought to the residents was so amazing!<\/p>\n<p>Tammye and Fred are simply outstanding examples of decency and they deserve only the best in life. They are precious people and I\u2019m so glad they are my friends. Love you both tons!!!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>The decency of strangers<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sallisaw_High_School\">Old Sallisaw High School<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/old_sallisaw_high_school-e1482827330913.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2539 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/old_sallisaw_high_school-e1482827330913.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"94\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/old_sallisaw_high_school-e1482827330913.png 450w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/old_sallisaw_high_school-e1482827330913-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/old_sallisaw_high_school-e1482827330913-375x500.png 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 94px) 100vw, 94px\" \/><\/a>Sallisaw High School was the root of many great stories. So many great people and awesome relationships were born at this wonderful place. Although it\u2019s no longer useful as a school it is still an extremely useful historical landmark that helps share the terrific memories of Sallisaw history.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aokprinting.net\/\">AOK Printing<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I had a simple printing need while in Sallisaw and I happened to come-across AOK Printing which is a professional printing company. My particular request was easily satisfied and I would like to give a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/aok_printing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2540 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/aok_printing.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"190\" height=\"56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/aok_printing.png 501w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/aok_printing-300x89.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/a> huge shout-out to the great folks at AOK. They can expertly fulfill any sort of major printing or marketing needs and I will certainly be calling upon them for their business services in the near future! <a href=\"http:\/\/www.AOKPrinting.net\">www.AOKPrinting.net<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=14+Flags+Museums+sallisaw&amp;espv=2&amp;biw=1366&amp;bih=638&amp;tbm=isch&amp;tbo=u&amp;source=univ&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwidrN3m8ZPRAhWDYiYKHYQeANEQsAQIOg\">14 Flags Museum<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2541 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"139\" height=\"104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum.jpg 2640w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum-175x131.jpg 175w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/14-Museum-667x500.jpg 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 139px) 100vw, 139px\" \/><\/a>Sallisaw is certainly a city in transition between respecting old-school tradition yet allowing for modern growth. One of the old-school traditions that is quite prominent is Sallisaw is the \u201c14 Flags Museum\u201d which is beautifully displayed proudly on Main Street.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>14 Flags is a historical landmark with a fantastic history as a gas station, stage-coach stop and authentic living quarters. It\u2019s a really great place to visit if you are ever on I-40 between OCK and Ft. Smith.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sallisawchamber.com\/\">General Sallisaw demeanor<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Overall I would like to make a general comment about the folks of Sallisaw, Oklahoma. I would like to s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Sallisaw-City-sign.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2543 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Sallisaw-City-sign.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"162\" height=\"82\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Sallisaw-City-sign.png 778w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Sallisaw-City-sign-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Sallisaw-City-sign-768x388.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 162px) 100vw, 162px\" \/><\/a>ay that they are kind and compassionate people. This has been my opinion from years of experience of socializing within their community and it is always so wonderful to visit this great place.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I love this place like my Home and I feel a special kindship there. I have great hope that Sallisaw will also be a decent place of great humanity.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Dad\u2019s Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2544 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-1024x768.png\" width=\"174\" height=\"130\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-175x131.png 175w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Floyd-Neal-headstone-667x500.png 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 174px) 100vw, 174px\" \/><\/a>This was my first visit back to Sallisaw, Oklahoma since my dad went to Heaven on 4\/21\/2016. So, naturally, I wanted to visit his marker and pay my respects to a truly wonderful father.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly, I visited this place several times in a few days during my visit to Sallisaw. Sometimes with family but many times without; it just felt like the right thing to do to be there. The Sallisaw Cemetery is really a beautiful place. You would think that a cemetery might be a grim or sad place to be but this one is anything but. The grounds are beautifully taken care of by the wonderful staff.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Delicious Dining and Stimulating Conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-2545 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"166\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner.png 2640w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner-175x131.png 175w, https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Mylas-dinner-667x500.png 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 166px) 100vw, 166px\" \/><\/a>On my way back to the airport for my early morning flight, I was graciously invited to stay overnight with my terrific family in Tulsa, Les and Myla. Myla (with Les\u2019s positive encouragement) had prepared the most scrumptious meal ever! I was the fortunate recipient for one of the most delicious meals I\u2019ve ever experienced. After this great meal and some chit-chatty while eating it was time to discuss \u2018real business\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>For Les, Myla and myself \u2018real business\u2019 consisted of nothing more than shooting-some-poop discussing a wide range of topics into the early-morning hours. I feel sorry for keeping them up so late but it was such a joyous time to get to spend quality time with such great people.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In summary, my Oklahoma 2016 trip was a beautiful experience. We shared great memories of the past and we also shared fantastic vision for the future. I am so proud to recognize my family and friends in Oklahoma because you are all so special. God Bless you, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!<\/p>\n<p>Love,<\/p>\n<p>Kevin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home away from Home (Sallisaw, Oklahoma) I made a quick, last minute trip to Sallisaw, Oklahoma recently. Although Sallisaw has never been an official place of residence for myself nor my immediate family and I did visit there for a week at least once every year for my entire life. Sallisaw is where my Dad, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[92,4,105],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-friends","category-life_and_family","category-travel"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1-300x188.png",300,188,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1-175x131.png",175,131,true],"coral-dark-medium-large-2x":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false],"coral-dark-large-2x":["https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/sallisaw-map-1.png",400,250,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Home away from Home (Sallisaw, Oklahoma) I made a quick, last minute trip to Sallisaw, Oklahoma recently. Although Sallisaw has never been an official place of residence for myself nor my immediate family and I did visit there for a week at least once every year for my entire life. Sallisaw is where my Dad,&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2536"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2550,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2536\/revisions\/2550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kevinneal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}