Friday Favorite: Inklings Retreat 2011 and Adams Corner at Cherokee Nation Heritage Center

Each year for the last eight years, we've had an Inklings Writing Retreat at Lake Tenkiller.  

 

We always critique,

relax on the deck,

 

  enjoy the water,

 

 take a walk,

 

and, apparently, take pictures in front of other people's stuff as exhibited here

 

here,

 

here,

and here.

We often have a workshop 

 

and try to explore something in the local area like here

and here.

 

This year, after a delicious meal at The Branch with a view of a creek that holds a spring from which Tahlequah supposedly got its name, we took a tour of Adams Corner at the Cherokee Heritage Center. 

Although the town looked like Little House on the Prairie, words were written in Cherokee, using Sequoyah's syllabary

Karen Coody-Cooper ,one of our Inklings members, couldn't join us for the retreat in a traditional sense--because she works at the Cherokee Heritage Center. So, we went to see her.

Martha Bryant, Dee Dee Chumley, Sonia Gensler, Karen Coody-Cooper (in 19th C. garb), Kelly Bristow

Karen sharing fascinating facts about Cherokee culture in Indian Territory during the late 19th Century

Due to the time, we were able to get into the museum (for free!) and catch the Cherokee Seminary exhibit. The center is on the grounds of the original Cherokee Seminary.  Below is a picture of us standing in front of three remaining columns that surrounded the first school that was destroyed by fire.

Martha Bryant, Sonia Gensler, pregnant moi, Dee Dee Chumley (Photo courtesy of Sonia Gensler)

I always gain so much inspiration from these weekends.  Not only are the ladies great writers and critics, but they're also great friends. It was another fabulous weekend.