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Mah Jongg Group is at it again.
Giving fun and memorable parties while doing absurd skits is the norm for our Mah Jongg Group. The group was so named as we played that game some 30 years ago. Though many of us still have our mah jongg sets, we either have them shoved behind the treadm
Mah Jongg Group is at it again.

Giving fun and memorable parties while doing absurd skits is the norm for our Mah Jongg Group. The group was so named as we played that game some 30 years ago. Though many of us still have our mah jongg sets, we either have them shoved behind the treadmill that we also no longer use, or, we cant remember a bam game tile from a dragon tile. But skits we do!

Adorable Stephanie Stewart is marrying Blair Naifeh this month, and since Connie Naifeh, a member of our Mah Jongg Group, is a dear friend for dozens of years, we loved giving a dinner and shower. Blair is the son of Connie and Frankin, and Stephanie is the daughter of Linda and Jim Stewart.

Leslie Wasson hosted the party in her sleek, sophisticated and art-filled home, and the hostesses were Gale Bollinger, Bev Smith, Betsy Hyde, Linda Carpenter, Tanya Turner, Leslie and I. These are all chiefs and no Indians, so we kept revising the script. We had very little clue as to what wed actually do at the moment of our entertainment, though wed practiced three times. It was hilarious!

Bev, in a black wig and designer sunglasses, was Connie in the skit, nailed the impersonation by having her mannerisms down to perfection. (That girl has a future in theater!) Gale morphed into Libby Naifeh -- to Libbys delight. Betsy made a darling Monique Naifeh-the-doctor, Linda was a hysterically funny Stephanie, Tanya was moderator and Leslie and I did cameo appearances in a variety of parts. Emailing Stephanies bridesmaids gave me a feel for the sweet and innocent nature of this bride-to-be, and some wonderful stories with which to work. Gale put it all together, and we giggled our way through the practices. Linda was in all three acts as Stephanie, and nothing fazes that woman!

Apparently Stephanie was in an Alpha Chi Omega rush week skit as Carmen Miranda, and just loved the costume, singing and dancing. But Linda portrayed her as over the top! Coochie, coochie sang out Linda as she took over the stage wearing a huge hat festooned with bananas, a pineapple perched on top along with strawberries and bunches of frisky grapes that dangled and jiggled rakishly over her ears, eyes, and nose.

In act 3 when the thespian sisters-in-law, Connie, and the new bride sat down to discuss holiday plans, the script grew wacky, as did the characters. Dont know if the guests had fun, but we delighted ourselves with the silliness of it all. After all, weve revved up with some sort of bizarre skit ELEVEN times  and collectively only have three more kids to marry off.

Guests putting up with us were Kay Gustafson, Gay Kirby, Karen Ingram, Claire Kennedy, Barbara Beeler, Barbara Dahnke, Cindy Dugger, Toby Walker, Leslie Russell and Leslie Samara.

Enjoying dinner around Leslies pool were Anita Jo Patterson, Carol Man, Bonnie Naifeh, Dianne Meacham, Sue Homsey, Marilyn Bethea, Fanny Bolen, Sandy Childress, Terry Bradley, Patti Marshall, Valerie Naifeh, C. K. Clifford and Jeaneen Naifeh.

OKC Beautiful really really wants you to participate in the 7th Annual Mayors Invitational Golf Tournament, at OKC Golf and Country Club. Mayor Mick Cornett and former Mayors James Norick, Ron Norick and Kirk Humphreys will spend the day at the 15th hole to tee off with each team.

OKC Beautiful has been improving the image and appearance of OKC for 35 years through its various projects. Come on and make up a corporate team, or sponsor a scramble. Its fun, theres lunch and then a shotgun start at 1 p.m.  ooooh, and yes, there are prizes. Have fun for a good cause  contact information is Katie Sutton at 525-8822.

Being a grandmother, I know cute babies when I see them (I have several). But I must admit that Martha Bradshaw and Marilyn Torbett share a really precious little granddaughter, Claire Louise. Maura (Torbett) is married to Jason Bradshaw, and brought baby Claire for a visit.

All of us tried our hand at being the baby whisperer  Nancy Ellis and Cheryl Browne seemed to have it down pat. Delicate and gorgeous little Claire was in pink and lace, a girly girl. But Maura admitted that these were her baby dress-up clothes, she normally was dressed in something more conducive to spit up and the other stuff babies do.

Admiring the charming centerpieces were Claires aunt Libby Nelson, Sue Ann Hyde, Pam Smith, Sally Bentley, Sue Timberlake, Nancy Olney and Elyse Hull. Adorning the table were flowerpots with flowers and greenery. But fashioned from greenery, the tall letters of C-L-A-I-R-E with bows and all the adorable frou-frou girl stuff topped the flowerpots. There were tea sandwiches, fruit, cheese and beautifully decorated cookies in the letter C. Little Claire seemed perfectly at home with all the attention, a well-bred little princess.

A couples shower was given for Katrina Drain and Brian Diggs. Katrinas parents are Mary and Tony Drain. The poolside dinner was held in the lovely Oakdale Farm home of Rusty and Marla Johnson. Guests came from as far away as Florida to attend the party for the couple who will be married in early September in Guthrie.

You think the big fundraising events just fall off a turnip truck? Definitely not! Hard at work are the committee members planning the Nov. 8 event for OU Health Sciences Centers CARI (Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Institute).

Laurie Hyde and daughter Margo Tebbe tantalized the group by showing the spectacular handbags they discovered to be auction items. Youre really going to want one, so wear your boxing gloves to duke it out, as everyone else will be vying to buy one too!

The kick-off meeting was held at the home of Linda and Steve Haneborg. Just some of the over 30 members of the committee are: Judy Austin, Janet Jackman, Carole Harrington, Dee Dugan, Pam Ivester, Linda Garrett, Jenny Love-Meyer, Judy Hall, Jenee Lister and Elissa Norwood.

Comedian Jeff Garlin from Hollywood will definitely entertain the crowd during the fall luncheon, but give a strong message in his testimony. He traveled to OKC to be treated by CARI co-founder, Sonny Jackman, a life-saving move. Underwriters for the event are Helen and Will Webster. Turn those calendar pages to fall and jot that down.

TRAVEL TIP

The Wall Street Journal did a feature on obsessive Web watchers who pounce on travel fare errors. One resource is FareAlert.net  and there are some doozies! One such mistake was a Holiday Inn resort room in Thailand for three cents a night. You can go to FlyerTalk, which is the online epicenter of travel-deal discoveries.

Not every airline, hotel or travel Website always honors these prices. But if you wish to fly to business class to Europe for $33 plus taxes, you just might comb the Web for these error-pricing deals  often they are honored.