MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID SLOW DOWN!

       This past Friday was a very busy day at the Burg Grocery. I suppose it had a lot to do with the fact that it was Friday, or Halloween, or there was no school for whatever reason, or the fact that a grocery store in nearby North English is closed or maybe it was a nice sunny day and people just felt like getting out!

       I guess it didn't really matter. Being busy makes the time go faster even though your feet are screaming at you to get off them. With every employee rushing around like a crew working on a race car during a pit stop, it reminded me something my mother used to say a lot! "Slow down. We're not trying to put out a fire!"  And, I think as we get older we do learn it is best to pace ourselves!

OLDER PEOPLE CAN BOOGIE!

      The football season and a snide remark about my age this past week reminded me of a related story fro years ago. It involved attending an Ohio State vs Iowa football game at Kinnick with my friend, Jan Rowley, during the late 1990's. By halftime the score was something like 35-0 in favor of the Buckeyes.

     At that point, I suggested that we go downtown and start the party early at the "Fieldhouse" which was a huge multi-level bar and dance club. There were not that many patrons in at that early hour, but, the music was being played from the disc jockey nest.

     When a good fast tune came up , we went out to the dance floor and did a little bogeying. I will always remember this young guy coming out to the edge of the dance floor when we were done and saying something like it was so nice to see a couple of "older" people out there dancing. We were only in our early to mid 50's at the time! Old! I should have smacked him!
I have news for him! At 71,  I could still get out there and shake a little maybe just not quite as fast! 

EDMUND FITZGERALD WEATHER!

        This past week we had one of those cold, windy, and rainy days that comes up and introduces us to the fall. Most people complain about and always say that it lets us know what is coming later! My first response is for us to just take one day at a time and that there will be other nice days ahead in Autumn.

      Beside, call me crazy, but, there is something about those days I kind of like. Don't get me wrong I prefer those nice crisp, sunny fall days.I guess everybody wants nice! Years ago, while traveling up the coast of Maine, I had said I wanted at least one day with a storm to experience the wrath of the ocean waves. I got my wish the first night and it was fantastic.

       I have always had a fascination with the Great Lakes and the song by Gordon Lightfoot about the  iron ore ship,"Edmund Fitzgerald" and its sinking in Lake Superior in 1975!
A few years back we had traveled up the North Shore of Lake Superior and stayed one night in Duluth. A waitress, at this restaurant just 200 yards off the lake, had told us about  a storm that caused waves to crash into cars parked close to the restaurant and that many yards from the lake.

       Maybe some day I will stay on top of weather reports and high-tail it to one the Great Lakes and experience it all from a safe distance! If there are people chasing tornado's and getting a kick, then why not a "big wave chaser!"
    

     
   

LAUREL & ITS COP!

      Yes it is true! There was a time when the small town of Laurel had its own police department of one! His name was Emery Wunn and this was the mid to late 1950's and at least until I graduated in 1962.

       According to another classmate of mine, he drove this early 50's Oldsmobile Coup that was a pale blue. Because Emery was a large man and drove around generally by himself the car leaned heavily to the driver's side. 

       He and his family lived in a house on the west side of Main Street or highway 14 on the south edge of Laurel across from the school. Many times he would park on that last street and would wait for cars that  might be speeding through town. In those days there were no radar guns, but, they would just estimate with a watch and markings on the highway. I am not sure if the speeder had to pay on the spot before leaving town?

        Maybe today it seems silly to have had what in some ways was private security for the town. But, looking back, even if he helped slow cars down going through our little "Mayberry" and making it a little bit safer for everyone that was OK. I don't think that he was given enough credit or respect for the job that he did do! 

       

DOES ANYONE MISS THE SMELL OF BURNING LEAVES?

CUBS 1ST NITE GAME OR WHY I BECAME FAN!

      August 8, 1988. It was to be the first night "lighted" baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. It was a big deal! Wrigley ws the last major league baseball park not to have lights. All their games until then were played in the afternoon. The diehards didn't want it. What about tradition? What about the quaint neighborhood that surrounded the park? Television and big money won out. Times were changing!

      John McCarten, my sales manager at 1st Realty, 801 Grand West Des Moines, at the time invited me to go with him, his two sons, and brother-in-law and his son, to go to the game. However, he could get tickets to the second night as the first night had been sold out due to the historical  ocassion. The second night was OK with me. I was happy to have been invited. 

     We went to Chicago the night before and stayed at a Holiday Inn just off Michigan Avenue and the Magnificent Mile! What a treat! And, here came the "kicker." The first night's game was rained out and our night, the 9th of August, became the first night!

      For you sports enthusiasts, I couldn't tell you who all played at the time or who they played. I think it was the New York Mets and the Cubs won 6-4. The next day, Sunday, we sat through a three hour delay for that game. It was cool to see Harry Carey, the legendary, broadcaster for the Cubs.

     One important thing happened for me with this trip. I fell in love with Wrigley Field. It is what a major league baseball is supposed to be like.  Years later I took my two grandsons, Grant and Christian, to a Cubs game. Hope to write about that experience one day! 

HALLOWEEN PRANKS & MORE AS A KID IN LAUREL!

      I've got to say that I did my share of pranks and a little mischief as a teenage boy. Nothing ever really destructive but, like all pranks, there was always the possibility of someone getting injured! And, there usually were consequences. Well, at least some of the time!

      Like with kids at Halloween it usually included pumpkins somehow. One year while in high school, a group of us invaded a local farmer's pumpkin patch, stole a few and took them back to Laurel. And, for reasons unknown we smashed them on Main Street! Brilliant! It always seems like a good idea at the time. We got caught by the local cop-Emery Wunn and spent the next morning cleaning our mess up! It's hard to believe that Laurel, pop. 200 or 300, had its own cop! Another story some day!

      One little trick that was fun to pull any time of the year was to "pull" was to get someone on the other side of the street and pretend to pull this pretend rope across the street just as a car was approaching. Of course, they would usually slow down or stop. That prank was pure genius!

      Or.... how about getting a ladder and hauling vegetables, fruit, eggs, etc, and heaving them off at night at cars at night off the old hardware building on Main Street! That one, looking back, was bad! Or.... throwing snowballs at cars in the winter and running and hiding then in the enclosed bathroom behind the old Skelly Station on Main Street. If anyone stopped to look for us they never would have found us. Maybe! Or.... on the 4th of July night, my friend Rick and I would circle the town through the corn fields and set off a barrage of fireworks. Ahh! Those were the days!

     

      

HE COULD HAVE DROWNED WHILE SLEEPING!

      I have told about a restaurant and bar in West Des Moines called Jimmie's American Cafe that was a going place especially in the 1980's and the  1990's. The owner's name was Jimmy Lynch and as far as I know still has several restaurants in the mid-west including the 801 Chop House in downtown Des Moines.

     The story was told by my old friend Bob Merritt who lived next door to Lynch in the same condo complex called West Park in West Des Moines. Jimmy, among other things was  known as a big drinker to say the least. On this particular ocassion it was raining fairly hard and Jimmy had come home late one evening from his restaurant and bar to his condo. Instead of parking  inside of his attached garage he just parked  outside in the drive way.

       The car was a Mercedes convertible and the top was down. For some reason Jimmy fell asleep or possibly passed out in the car parked outside. It was a little unclear, but, somehow Bob Merritt saw Jimmy parked out front and saw that his head was tipped back and his mouth was wide open with it raining! Bob's punch line to the story was "I had to get him inside or he might have drowned!" 

DOING COMMERCIALS-part 4

      Have you ever heard of Jimmie's American Cafe in West Des Moines? During the 1980's, it was THE place after work to see and be seen! Each evening after work, especially on a Friday night, the huge bar area and covered patio was jammed with patrons. 

     On one ocassion, Jimmy Lynch, the owner, must have decided he wanted to do a TV commercial and yours truly got to be a part of it. There were two groups of actors picked. One group was placed around a table in the restaurant area, like they were eating, and there were two of us that were sitting in the bar area acting like we were enjoying the after work festivities.

       It took the better part of one afternoon to shoot that commercial and the funny part of it all was that Jimmy would not pay for lunch or dinner for those of us involved. He was a little tight with his money, but, he did run a "good ship" as they say.

SORRY LOUIE! THAT ONLY TOUCHDOWN!

     One story I love to repeat this time of year is when  I scored the only touchdown in this particular football game against our rival, Baxter, back in the late 1950's and when I was just a sophomore at Laurel High School.

       The big game was played on their turf and it was just the first play of the game or so it seemed. Somehow I got free as a halfback should with excellent blocking and ran 70 yards give or take for the touchdown.  It was the only touchdown for the rest of the game. We lost something like 27-7!

       Throughout the years, I would run into Louie Sach from Baxter and who was on their team at the time.And, through those years we became good friends and he would always introduce me to someone as the guy who scored the only touchdown against Baxter that year. 

     Finally, one time and somehow did I realize he was talking about THE ONLY touchdown that was scored against them all year and not just our game!  Now I felt elated. We, Laurel, ruined their entire year by scoring THE only touchdown. I never was so happy about losing the rest of my life! Sorry Loiue! You made my day!  

A DARK AND FOGGY NIGHT OUT CAME---!

      After a Saturday night in the big city of Marshalltown during the early 1960's, one headed back toward the small town of Laurel, generally sometime after midnight. This could be after your important date with your favorite sweetie or a night of just loop-scooping in M-Town!

      The ten miles south to Laurel from Marshalltown on highway 14, was pretty uneventful and you could generally put your brain on automatic co-pilot and even negotiating the S curve south of Marshalltown a couple of miles. 
    
      On this particular Saturday night during the fall in the early 1960's, coming back in my 1957 Chevy, I encountered fog off and on all the way back to Laurel. As with fog, you have to pay attention a little bit, but, I had made it to the outskirts of Laurel because I saw the sign that said Laurel-population 200 and-something! 

       As I was on Main street or Highway 14, and as I was coming up the slow rise from the north into town, IT came out at me like the headless horseman! Out of the swirling and smothering fog! Out of nowhere  along the side of the street or highway!

      It was this GIGANTIC faceless head of some type on top of a human body! It was a wonder that I didn't have to change my shorts later, but, my heart did stop a second or two and the hairs stood straight up on the back of my neck!
  
      When I finally pulled into the "guys after date rendezvous spot," The Standard Oil & Gas Station on the west side of Main Street, it was still coming after or at me! Then- it removed its head! It was none other than Bill Brown, an upper class-man, who came back earlier from Marshalltown and decided to play that trick on the next chump coming back into town. I was the random target. 

       To let you out of suspense, he used one the "crowns" that sat up atop the gas pumps at the gas station. He did show a bit of "foggy night" brilliance with his one man caper! Even though the joke was on me , I always appreciated the effort. It was a good one! And, scary!   

DOING COMMERCIALS-part 3

     One commercial or ad that was done during this time that was just fun to watch and one that I did not participate in involved orange juice. The shoot was being done for Anderson Erickson Dairy in Des Moines.

      The one thing I remember was the carton of the orange juice sitting just on this all white covered table. and next to it was a bowl of oranges that they kept squirting with a bottle of water spray to make the oranges  look especially juicy!

       And, just like most all photo shoots, they just kept clicking off picture after picture to get that just ONE perfect photo! The thing that made it all an interesting experience for me was witnessing all that time and patience it took to achieve the end result!  

IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!

      As I am sitting here on this beautiful fall Sunday morning and writing a few ditty's, I am also thoroughly enjoying a  slice or TWO of Jaarsma's Coffee Cake that was purchased yesterday in Pella!

     Just because I can, I put a few slices of butter on them for just the added pleasure of it all, I guess! This is so good and incomparable to other coffee cakes, it should be declared illegal! It isprobably a good thing that Pella and that bakery is one hour away from me or otherwise-----! Yum!

DOING COMMERCIALS-part2

      Again, during the 1980's I was called upon to do a commercial or ad if it called for a mature guy that was wearing a suit. This one ocassion, Better Homes & Gardens,Real Estate Division was doing a printed piece about "The selling of a home" and tips etc. They needed someone at this site which was at this actual  home down by the Governor's Mansion off Grand Avenue in Des Moines. 

     I was in my office in West Des Moines at the time and I guess was the only man they could find that had a suit on? The shoot was having a couple standing there in front of this beautiful home , a for sale sign that had a SOLD sticker on it and then along with the Realtor shaking their hand. I was the Realtor.

       The thing that always amazed me was that it took dozens and dozens of shooting exposures on that camera of the photographer to get ONE good picture of that hand shake! He had to have taken three rolls of 36 exposure film to do it. None of this fancy stuff of today with the digital cameras and "smart" contraptions! No, sir! That little pamphlet was used through-out the United States in 100's of real estate offices and probably will always be my biggest nation wide claim to fame!

A CELEBRITY OF SORTS DOING COMMERCIALS! part 1

      This past week as I was doing windows uptown and ran across some cobwebs it reminded of an experience back in the 1980's. My ex-wife, May, worked for at the the time, a production company that actually did the layout work, etc. for advertising companies and in turn represented the client or customer.

      I was used frequently back then in various ads and commercials because of my age, 40ish, and I suppose looked like just an average kind of guy, especially when they needed someone with a suit. (I sold real-estate and in those days you wore a suit!)

     On this one ocassion, I acted as a guy who was bored with his job and was sitting at his desk looking  the part. For an added spoof, the had a small hand held "thing" that looked like a hair dryer and blew out stuff that appeared to be cob-webs! Now I really looked bored and at my job too long! I don't remember who the client was! Probably an Employment Agency!  

A SCARY SITE ON I-80!

      This year Halloween will be this coming Saturday and for lots of people or kids trick or treat will be that night. I plan on going to the Iowa vs Maryland football game at Kinnick which starts at 2:30 pm that afternoon. I am sure I will see lots of costumes around the stadium besides the usual Hawkeye garb. It should be fun!

     It reminded me of  years ago, again back in the 1980's and we were traveling to an away game in Champagne, Illinois and the Hawks were playing Illinois. Driving down I-80 on two different ocassions cars passed us and looking over there was someone driving down the road with some hideous mask on! This Saturday I hope to be a little more prepared!

WILLARD THE WILDCAT-IF HE HAD TO GO?

      
     After watching recently a football game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Northwestern Wildcats, it reminded me of a cute story about going to a game there many years ago.

     It was during the Haydon Fry era and when his football teams beat a lot of opponents by a wide margin. This was in the early 1980's and it just was something to do by driving in to the Chicago area and attending a football game especially the Hawks!

     Northwestern University is a spectacular setting right on Lake Michigan and many huge beautiful mansions in the area. And, of course with all the fall foliage it was something!

     The sad part in a way was that you could drive in and park right outside the stadium and scalp a ticket very cheap and sit right on or near the 50 yard line. The gentleman that sat next to me was a doctor alumnus. I am sure he paid dearly for his seats!

      By the first quarter the score was something like 21 to 0 in favor of the Hawks. Now the mascot for Northwestern was called Willard the Wildcat. The guy or person in the uniform also came out in this huge cage on wheels. He had to remain in there until Northwestern scored.

     Northwestern never scored! The final was something like 63-0 Hawks! I always wondered what that person inside that cage did if he had to go the bathroom? Well, wouldn't you?

     

SHOOFLY PIE GAVE IT A TRY!

      Yesterday evening after we returned from Prairie City, we were invited to a birthday dinner for our friend Brandon with his mother Mary at their home in Conroy. Mary prepared a very lovely meal along with a cake that we brought along for Brandon. 

      Mary had also prepared a Shoofly Pie that really only started out as joke. Mary had prepared us several strawberry pies on ocassion and at one time I asked Brandon if he thought his mother could make a Shoofly Pie.

      The joke was on me. They had just returned from visiting family in the Amish country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and she brought back a few recipes for the pie, which is popular there, and gave one a try.

       I wasn't real keen on it, but, it was so nice of her to have made it and now I can say that I have at least tried Shoofly Pie!

       

JACK AND JILL-THE SONG!

      One of the songs that gets played over and over on the service at the Burg Grocery is the 1978 hit by Raydio(Ray Parker, Jr.) called Jack and Jill. Are you kidding me!

      I could just imagine the person who wrote the lyrics to that and had first brought it in to a record company or music producer! The writer sits down to explain that he has this song about Jack and Jill. I am sure the first thought of the producer would have been something like "Are you nuts!"

      "You want us to back a record about a nursery rhyme." It would be interesting to know how that song made it through. Somebody took a chance and become a top 10 hit!  Funny!

FAB LUNCH & PLACE W/ JERRY & JUDY ROBERTS!

      One of my favorite things to do on a  Saturday or any day is to take a leisurely drive down to Pella, Iowa and purchase some of our favorite pastries at Jaarsma's  Bakery. Then head on over to Prairie City to meet good friends, Jerry and Judy Roberts at one of my favorite small eateries, Goldie's, for a one of the best tenderloins in the state. Don't get excited! I said one of the best! 

      When you can have a day like yesterday, it is like hitting the tri-fecta. Life can be simple and very good if you just try!  

THE VACUUM @ THE INDY 500!

      It was a little chilly the other afternoon at a recent grandson's football game here in Williamsburg. One of the parents mentioned about keeping warm with a little "something" in the coffee and then that brought up how much alcohol used to be brought in at football games at places like Kinnick Stadium many years ago until they really tightened up!

      Then, of course, it reminded me of an interesting memory of the days when I used to attend the Indy 500 every year back in the late 1970's and 1980's. You were allowed to actually bring a"case" of beer in with you in a certain size container set by the track officials!

       After the race was over, you can't imagine how deep the beer cans were under the bleachers. On one ocassion, I remember watching a guy operating this huge tubing affair which was actually a vacuum cleaner attached to this huge truck. I never had or have seen that much stuff being sucked up so quickly! They probably have a little smaller one used   for dug-outs at major league baseball parks!

MY FOOD MENU CRIB SHEET!

      Today most of you I am sure keep various lists on your tablet, lap top, or phone. I am still back in the dark ages where I like to keep most things on paper. Remember paper?

       One of them is my little handy dandy 3x5 lined card that has most every category of a food menu item that I ever would want to prepare for a meal. The front side is  divided twice so that I can get about 30 plus meal ideas on that one side. Everything is simple-hotdog, pizza, tenderloin, tuna casserole, omelette, lasagna, and on and on. You get the picture. On the back I have it about half filled. So maybe around 50 or so meal ideas always on hand plus recipes tucked away in my vault!

      But, working at the Burg Grocery and fetching ideas  there plus my food computer mind constantly working 24-7, I really never have to resort to pulling it down off the refrigerator.
Just in case though! 
      

LET'S JUST MOW IT ALL DOWN!

       Everybody seems to wonder where all the Pheasants in Iowa have gone. I have always believed that there never is just one answer to a problem or question , but, several!

      Here is my opinion on some of the answers to the dilemma. First of all we have shortened the the yearly hiding places for them by harvesting corn and soybeans much earlier and all the stocks and etc. get mulched into the ground unlike the standing corn stocks of years ago. We also used to have timber along creeks and streams with more pastures, oat and hay fields.
Other words, there is no place to hide!

      And, one that really gets me and I am sorry if I am stepping on some toes, has to do with everybody out in the country having to mow everywhere. Farmers and Acreage-ites seem to be possessed with getting on their big old John Deere mowers and flatten every thing in site around the homestead! No! I don't feel sorry for you when you tell me about all the time you spent or wasted this week-end on that mower.

      Some have to mow along the roadside in front of the house a long ways in both directions. Very few plant native grasses or taller plantings, even me in town, around the home to provide protection for many types of wild-life including birds and butterflies.  And, yes I have a nice mowed yard here in town thanks to family help!  

OTTERTAIL LAKE & STORIES ABOUT CANADA!

             I ran into a Senior guy at the Burg Grocery this past week that had on this sweatshirt-OTTERTAIL LAKE! I asked where that was located and he indicated it was in northwest Minnesota near Fargo, North Dakota. He had been going up there for years or so. Somehow we got into the fact that the only time I had done any big time fishing was with a friend that took me to Canada to fish. We caught so many big ones that it really spoiled me from ever doing much fishing in Iowa or even Minnesota.

       The fellow mentioned that he had fished a lot in Canada and "really had  many good stories to tell about fishing up there." Of course, that was right up my alley! I mentioned to him that he should write about them sometime as family, I am sure of it, would be extremely interested in reading about his adventures or at least most of them.

       It was always my goal to interview one fellow in Laurel that used to go fishing with my dad in Minnesota years ago. He died before I really got into family story writing. If you have the chance don't miss the opportunity! 

THE MONDAY WASH DAY HUB!!

      I know I have made our basement scary sounding in a previous story, but, that wasn't all necessarily true. The washroom in the southwest corner was a fun place and full of activity on   a Monday. 

     In that room was the old fashion Maytag washer with the two rinse tubs. Washing was an all day affair back then. A clothes line was mounted just back and to the northwest of our house with thick gauge wire. I can still see my mother out there on a cold winter day wiping the line with a damp cloth before hanging out clothes with those wooden clothes pins. 

     The talent was hanging sheets so they would blow just right with a billow! Nothing compared to that smell of fresh hung out towels or sheets. Nothing!

     Also in the basement, was a shower that was rigged up in the open. As I got older a shower down there was quicker than taking a bath upstairs. The downside was that it was cold down there and you didn't dilly dally. You dried and very quickly headed back upstairs.

     I that same room was a wide large door on the west side leading up some concrete stairs to a pair of storm doors that opened out and laid at a 2 degree angle or so. We never used it much, but, it was good for hauling larger items up and down like the storm windows and screens.

     The foundation was incredible for its time. The walls and floors all the way around were poured concrete. And, that foundation was said to be at least 18 inches thick.

AT LEAST KEEP A LIST OF STORIES!

      I have,  over the last ten years, put my money where my mouth is! It dawned on me one day that the one person that should start with documenting personal and family stories was me. And, besides, I love telling a story so why not just write it down!

     To date I have written close to 1,000 stories of some kind. Some have been just a few lines, but! I know lots of people never will write their stories and would be uncomfortable doing so. One thing I wish I would have done with my mother was to have least kept a list of all the stories she told-some many many times! I know I have remembered a lot of them, but, if only I would have kept a list.

       If you have lots of good stories you have passed along to family members at least keep a list of them tucked away. Even if THEY don't get to read the real deal someday they will have the reminder to get that beautiful memory started! Sometimes I do wish my mother was still around to tell me a story or two over again!

HOW DO YOU EAT THAT ELEPHANT?

      Sometimes we get involved in a project of some kind and it seems somewhat overwhelming. I have started to work on a project that I am not sure where it will take me, but, I just know I want to do it.

      At first, It seems like I get so excited about something that I just want to try and tackle everything at once. Once I relax and take another look at a situation I start to focus and say to myself "Just take one step at a time!" I guess that is why keeping a "TO DO LIST" handy each day on a 3x5 lined card keeps me focused on knowing what to do each day even if it just a few tasks!

      I am not real good at multi-tasking and I guess being in retirement I don't have that many balls to juggle, but, I like just plugging along and checking those jobs of my list! Somehow it just makes me feel better and worthwhile!

MUSIC MEMORIES-CAN TAKE YOU BACK!

     The other day at the Burg Grocery, I was listening to the Oldies that are piped in overhead. One song that was being played was from the late 1970's, Bachman Turner Overdrive, BTO, "Roll On Down The Highway."

      It is amazing how one song can take you back to a certain time and moment even. It was around 1978 and the concert was at Vet's Auditorium in Des Moines. My seats were balcony just right of the stage so I could see the action from the side. The group of guitarists were plugged in to their amplifiers in back of them and were constantly moving back and forth to the front of the stage. 

       They were also wearing tall platform shoes with bell-bottom or flared pants and wide collared shirts and long hair flowing. And, all the time singing "Takin Care Of Business" or "Roll On Down The Highway!" 

      It is funny how some songs can put you right there and some songs just take you back to just good memories over-all. Either way remember!  It's OK to go back as long as you don't stay there! 

OUR SCARY BASEMENT! part 2

      Now that I was down and in the furnace room the real test would begin! Once in there you were greeted with the huge coal-fed monster with steroid-induced heat pipes all leading upward that engulfed two thirds of the room. To the back and right of the furnace was a dark vacant area that you knew was awaiting something else "very bad." To the left, walking into the furnace room was a smaller room used for cobs and kindling to stoke the furnace. It had been a bathroom at one time possibly. Even that little room someone could have come out and said BOO!

      Each evening, as it was my job to fill the stoker with small, chipped coal that was then augured into the furnace, I would have to gather up the courage to open that door to the "coal room." First, just thinking about opening that door the hair on the back of my neck would rise up! My heart would be throbbing. This was bone chilling stuff!

     I knew, opening that door each evening, there would be something monstrous lying behind the coal mound toward the back of that room. That feeling never went away. It was a wonder that my mother didn't find me lying there frozen in fright or at the very least sitting in the corner babbling to myself!  

REMEMBER! TODAY WILL BE SOMEONE'S GOOD OLD DAYS-GET WRITING!

IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT-BUT CHANGE ANYWAY!

      This morning I went over to the NAPA auto parts store in here in the Burg to seek some help in putting a blinker bulb  that I purchased there a while back. Oh, in case you didn't know I am one of those men who is totally inept when it comes to mechanical stuff.

      When I got there I was greeted by a young lady who, after I indicated what I needed, went out with me to the car. Like a lot of cars today everything fits real snug under the hood and I knew if I tinkered around in putting the bulb in myself,  I would make matters worse.

     This young lady looked at the situation and after sliding a couple of plastic sleeves up, she had the whole light unit out and the bulb replaced in under 3 minutes. It just wasn't right that she could do that!

      I know my situation is out of the norm, but, it was amusing to have the assistance of this young lady with mechanical needs just like getting assistance from many young women at places like Menards!

     Times have definitely changed since I was a young guy. Today you have eight year old grand kids teaching you how to use a laptop or smartphone and young women assisting you at auto parts stores. Whats next? An old man that enjoys cooking?

THE ATTIC-A LITTLE SCARY TOO!

     Our attic was the size of the entire house. It was finished off with wide plank flooring, windows that looked out to the south, east, and the west. Also, of significance was the cone shaped cupola in the southeast corner with no windows. It was kind of cool, but, real dark with no windows. The little attic above the main attic had a a half moon shaped window to the east, south, and at least west. Some might have referred to it as a widow's peak. Only remember being up there once or so because you needed a step ladder to get up to here.

       The scary part about the attic was that the stairs down to the second floor were just to the side of my bedroom. At night, on occasion, I swore I could hear someone up there walking around. If they ever came down to get me I would have been a dead man because they would have blocked me off from going around to the stairs going down to the main floor. If I would have jumped over the railing and down I would have broken no less than my leg or neck!

  

  

YES! IT IS STILL SCARY!

      I grew up in a rather large  farm home south of Laurel, Iowa. To give you an idea of its size we had five bedrooms on the second floor and had an attic on top of an attic. Don't ask me the logic of that one!

      The basement had five large rooms including the landing area once you were down. The foundation was poured 17 inch concrete. I digress. This little story is about that basement and looking back still to this day was at certain times one scary place.

      The south half of the basement was OK as the southwest room which was used for laundry, a shower, and water pump and water heater. The other middle south room was used for what ever including used for a Halloween party by my sister Doris and where I set up my Lionel  train for a time. The southeast corner room was used for storing canned goods and other garden items for the winter.

       It was the north half of that basement that gave me the chills of freight on too many occasions! Let's start with that most evenings in the winter it was my job to go down to  feed the furnace with coal from the coal bin and discard the "clinker's" or ashes from the furnace and spread them onto our driveway.

     On those winter evenings I would descend those stairs, sometimes reluctantly, to do my chores. I would start at the landing that had a door coming in from the west side of the house and a door with  a few steps that came down from the main floor bathroom. The landing was used primarily for the hanging of my dad's overalls.

      Here we go! First of all, about halfway down those narrow stairs was an open stair back plate. You always knew that this hand or claw or whatever was going to reach out and trip or grab your ankle! You always knew that there was someone or something lurching in that dark area underneath those stairs. God only knows what that thing would have done after it tripped you up. And, why didn't we ever seal up that back splash plate in the first place?

      If you made it safely down, the door to the furnace room was usually propped  open and you, again, knew that someone was behind it ready to say HOWDY!

Now the real test of nerves was to begin entering the furnace room! TO BE CONTINUED!-----------

AGAIN, I SAY-TOO MANY FOOD CHOICES-TOO LITTLE TIME!

     A lady at the Burg Grocery the other day was looking for Fish Juice of some kind and was going to be using it for a Thai recipe. Of course, we didn't carry it and she indicated she would look for it at one of the bigger stores in Corralville or maybe New York City.

      I know it is because I am OCD with food and some guilt thrown in there. Or, you might think that somehow I am just a hay seed because I haven't tried certain types of food.Several people in my life can't understand why I don't like anything that is spicy hot! I just don't!

     On the other hand  in my lifetime I have eaten, still like, or at least have tried the likes of Escorgot, Oyster's Rockerfeller, Cornish Game Hen, Liver Patte', Pickled Herring, and Caviar. 

     Tonite I am preparing  my recipe for Cajun Shrimp Gumbo. I don't consider that fancy or that different unless you don't like shrimp. And, I don't spice it up much.

      So please don't be too critical, I have tried lots of different things in my life and just because I don't want to try too many new things at the age of 71 I am OK with it. Just let me enjoy those recipes that I am now comfortable with. I have more of them than I can eat now on a regular basis. My significant just reminded me that we haven't had Gumbo for nearly a year. It was last New Year's Eve, but, who is keeping tract! 

PICK-UPS TODAY TOO BIG!

      I am always reminded every time I assist someone to their vehicle with their grocieries how big pick-ups have gotten. I have nothing against them and their size and the fact that now they come with a back seat along with a back door that swings open to the back. Kind of like the old suicide doors on the Lincoln town cars from decades ago.

      No, my complaint or more like an observation has to do with the height of the truck and the open cargo area in the rear. When I was a kid on the farm I could remember men leaning over the edge of that open area to visit. Even if you weren't very tall you could still look over the edge and could see what was on the floor with ease.

     Not today! At my mere 5' ft 8'" height, I am lucky enough to just toss something over and hopes in lands safely and doesn't break! Ah! The good old days! 

A HAWKEYE DAY/THAT BROUGHT FOND MEMORIES!

      On September 19th, I went to the Iowa vs Pitt football game and as usual I enjoyed the beautiful fall day and the whole experience of big time college football. Again, being near Iowa City and being able to drive there and enjoy the day there is one of my lifetime pleasures.

       That week-end was no exception. The Hawks won a tough fought game, the Hawkeye express train ride was a usual treat, and  scalping a scalper out of a near 50 yard line ticket 30 rows up on the east side in section K was also a kick. $35 for $60 tickets ain't too bad!

       The section I sat in brought back good memories when I used to have season tickets with friends nearby in section R and the 21st row. This was during the Hayden Fry era when he brought exciting football back to Kinnick.

        And, even sitting there and enjoying the feel of the low afternoon fall sun in my eyes, it was a true pleasure. Go Hawks!

IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT LOW SUN!

       There is only one thing about the fall that I have never really cared for and that is the low sun, especially in the afternoon. I know some of that will change the first of November and the time change-still!

       Just yesterday I washed the car at the local car wash and then left it out in the sun in our drive and cleaned the windows while the sun was hitting them low. I hate seeing smeared car windows with the low sun coming in. 

     And, as I am still cleaning windows as a business, it is much harder with the low sun. Also, driving into the sun this time of year is really a menace. It seems like I never can get the visor in the car low enough. A few years ago while going home on west Lincolnway in Marshalltown, I was almost blinded by the low sun and realized that a jogger had passed in front of  me on the passenger side of the road.

       But, as they say, if that is the worst thing about fall then so be it. I still love it so!

FALL/HAWKEYES & WINDOWS!

      Two things that I enjoy very much come to mind this time of year. The Iowa Hawkeyes football games and cleaning windows. Yes, I said cleaning windows.

       When I was just a young kid, one of my jobs on the farm was to go out in the Spring and Fall and clean our downstairs outside windows. That meant taking off those big wood frame screens and bringing up from the basement wood frame storm windows in their place. 

      Of course the outside windows all had to be cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water and then wiped down with paper towels or old rags. It was a bit of hard work, but!

      Of course it had to be a nice sunny fall day to do it and I always had near me my portable blue imitation leather covered portable radio. At one o'clock that dial was on WHO Des Moines, Jim Zabel, the announcer and life was good. The Hawkeyes back in the 1950's had great teams and with Zabel doing the play by play life couldn't have been better!

       So I guess all three things have carried forward for me. Yes! Even doing windows!

FALL GROVE CLEANING/THE REWARD THAT FOLLOWED!

     No doubt about it! Fall is almost everyone's favorite time of the year. It also brings great memories of family and events during that colorful time of the year.

     One that always brings warm memories was when as a family we would go out in the fall and clean and rake up our grove just to the north of our farm home. My mother was always cleaning and that even included the outdoors. Couldn't have a messy grove now could we?

      But, there was one thing I will always remember after picking up sticks and twigs from one end of that grove to the east end near the road that went by our farm house. We would build up a pile of those sticks and branches and prepare a bonfire for our wiener roast. That was the reward! Mom would take time out and would go in the house and bring a tray out with goodies for our supper roast. That was living. I would love to do that one more time!
   

AN IA PORK CHOP RECIPE THE BEST EVER!

      Once in a Blue Moon it seems I come with a recipe that not only looks really good, but, the taste is out of site also. In this case I put together my own mix and here it is. Again, don't laugh at me because I know most of you have been cooking for decades and make great stuff all the time.

       PORK CHOP/RICE BAKE SUPREME!

2 Iowa Pork Chops 
1 cup long grain rice uncooked
1 10 oz. beef broth
addl. water to make 2 cups liquid
1 small can of mushrooms or fresh.
1 packet Lipton beef onion soup mix
4 Tbl. butter
------------------------------------------------

Brown chops in veg oil and season with Lowery's. Remove from caste iron skillet and set oven at 350 degrees. Next pour in uncooked rice, liquid and mushrooms and stir. Set chops on top and add onion soup mix along with the butter. Bake for 1 hour. 

MY GRANDMA/ \NO ORDINARY CUB FAN!

      My Grandma, Wilhemina Marie Fredericka Schultz Smith(1889-1984) was no ordinary Cubs fan. Minnie could have conversed with the best of the sports commentators. Any of them!

     Up until the day she passed away she followed her Cubs. On several of my visits. in her later years at a nursing home in Marshalltown she continued to astound and embarrass me on Cub info. and major league baseball in general.

      She knew the salaries, batting averages, who was and had been traded to whom and why it was a good deal or not. All I could do was sit there on many visits and let her go on. It wasn't right for her to know all this stuff. She was a girl. A ninety plus year old girl!

       She didn't like basketball because it all moved too fast for her on the TV screen. And, she wasn't a big football fan either. But, she grew up with baseball as her husband and my Grandpa played baseball. She was amazing. Harry Carry would have loved interviewing her. Wouldn't she be loving this 2015 team now! 

        

NO ROOM @ THE INN!

       This past week-end after arriving in Praire de Chien, we decided to look for lodging and catch Pikes Peak and McGregor the following morning. No such luck. I know, you are telling me I should have made advance reservations. It was about a week early for peak foilage color and in the past we have never really had a problem.

     I have learned in the last few years to check out what I call clean "ma and pa" type motels. There are still a few around and normally much cheaper than the bigger chains. A guy at a service station told me about  a motel close by and I gave it a whirl.

     A big burly guy was at the front desk and the first thing out of his mouth was that he only had one room left. Heard that one before! I asked him a dumb question like what was going on to make rooms so tight. His response was that it was "This is Praire de Chien!" Rippy Skip! Then I asked him the price. $90! Get out of here!

      After informing me that he was the last locally owned motel not owned by "India" Indians, I thanked him and left. The next one I tried I was greeted by two what appeared to be two India looking men? How much? Same price as the first guy and the only had one room! My first thought was can't they come up with a better one than that.

       After checking out other lodging, we decided to just hit the road, view Pikes's Peak and head home. Maybe it was just the attitude of that first guy, but, it wasn't like we were out in the dessert a hundred miles from nowhere!

       

      

       

BLACK COFFEE CAN BE GOOD FOR YOU!

      It is always comforting when you find some article in the newspaper or on TV that backs up something that you have done for a  long time, and, you doubted it because you were told or read to the contrary!

     A while back in the Des Moines Register(Iowa Life) was a piece about studies that now claim three to five cups of black coffee can be good for your health. It can reduce heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's and even computer-related back pain. But, you better drink it black. No sugar. Good for me. I have been drinking it that way all my life.

       I like reading those kind of articles  or at least until the next one that comes along and says differently!

MY FAVORITE MUST FALL JOURNEY!

      Being the second week-end in October,  it was supposed to be the perfect time to few the fall foliage in northeast Iowa. We were a week early possibly, but, this was our week to go and away we went.

     It was October 10th and we we were first headed straight to the Mississippi River and heading north on the Illinois side up highway 84. The whole idea of heading this way was to stop at a little quaint cafe for a mid morning breakfast in Albany. That was going to be my high point of the morning along with going through the Palisades State Park just north of Savannah. The Cafe was closed for good. How could they! My trips foundation was built around this destination for breakfast and a close-up view of Old Man River. 

      Well, second choice was at Fulton, Illinois and a BBQ lunch outdoors at the Fulton Meat Market near the River, sitting outdoors on a sunny yet cool day. It wasn't according to game plan, but, a very enjoyable lunch.

     From there we headed up to Palisades and across the bridge just north of Savannah and over to the island town on the Iowa side of Sabula.If you never been in this little river town you must check it out sometime.

      We headed north to Dubuque along scenic highway 52 which we had taken before only the other way going home one time. There are very few homes, farms, or buildings of any kind along this stretch.  Just a lot of beautiful rolling hillsides and lots of beautiful trees.

      Once north of Dubuque, we crossed over into Wisconsin and traveled the rest of the way to Prairie de Chien along the Great River Road. We had never taken that route before and actually got onto some county roads which took us through some state park area. It was very scenic looking back across the river and beautiful bluffs on the Iowa side near the Balltown area of Iowa just north of Dubuque.

      After arriving in Praire de Chien and not finding accommodations, we just decided to
head down through McGregor and view what we came to see in the first place-Pikes Peak and the amazing and beautiful overview of the Mississippi River. I never get tired of that view. The foliage, I have seen better, but, it is always worth the trip. I will always say that is one of the top 20 views in all of the USA!

     From there we decided to just head home. We did view one of the most colorful sunsets that evening that either one of us had seen for some time. Lots of deep reds across the entire western skyline and with the setting made for spectacular silhouettes of farm building sand scenery.  Until next year. We will be back!
     

WAS THERE A CHICAGO WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG?

      A story came to mind the other day about age and remembering things from along ago and younger people looking at you like you must be ancient. A young guy at the Burg Grocery couldn't believe that I was around and could remember when John Kennedy was assassinated.

        Several years ago my son took his family to Chicago for some big festival downtown. All the kids were fairly young and I would have never attempted to do such a thing with four youngsters.

       When they got back my youngest grand-daughter, Paige, asked me if I had ever been to Chicago. Well yes, I went there when I was a senior in high school by train for our Senior Skip Day. We had also stayed at the same hotel, The Palmer House, as they had stayed when they had gone to the festival.

       My grand-daughter got this real blank look on her face and made some comment about there actually being a Chicago that many years ago? It was funny and it shows that young people sometimes think that just a few short few years is such a long span of time.

     It was just like myself with the Great Depression. When I used to hear my mother talk about it when I was a kid in the 1950's, the 1930's seemed like a hundred years ago and not just a mere two decades or so!  

TICKLE MONSTER GAME RAN ITS COURSE!

    One game I used to play with my grandsons when they were very young was what I called the "Tickle Monster" game. It was pretty simple and went like the following:

      Grandpa would lie on the family room floor face up and would be constantly moving my legs and arms about while the boys would run by, back and forth, to avoid me. Of, course I would eventually catch one of them and tickle them while they giggled and laughed.

      On one occasion when I knew we had to stop playing this game was when they got a little older and bigger. One of them would get up on the sofa and attempt to swan dive down on me. 
I knew very soon that someone was going to get hurt and that somebody was probably going to be me! It was fun while it lasted.

DON'T KEEP RUBBING IT IN!

      The other day a lady was checking out at the Burg Grocery and another lady waiting in line exchanged pleasantries and then asked how her husband was doing. That was wrong to ask!

     The first lady then let let it be known that her husband had died six years ago to the date. She kept telling the questioner that she should have remembered because she had worked for her husband. She then preceeded to go on and on about the lady not remembering. 

     When an embarrassing situation arises, we should not make the person feel worse than I am sure they already do. Just say something like "Yes, I have forgotten a situation like that before too!" Don't keep rubbing it in! 

SHOPPING W/ GRANDSON'S NO PICNIC!

      When my grandson's, Christian and Grant,  were up for a visit in Marshalltown it was decided to go out to the local shopping center store for some back to school clothes.

      My oldest at the time, Christian, wanted to buy nothing but dark and mostly black stuff and my youngest, Grant, wanted to buy everything with sports stuff on it. The clothes with the skulls and so on offended me the most and I kept trying to get him to try other clothing without much luck.

       I didn't win out either, as I recall, about trying  to convince them both that they could be really cool by getting clothes that had nothing on them. Just plain! That would be different instead of looking like a walking billboard for Halloween or from head to toe of every major sports team in the USA! 

       Nobody said it would be easy!    

WELCOME TO ILLINOIS!

Recently, a note at the Burg Grocer  directed to employees reminded me of signs you see when entering another state by highway. It goes something like the following.


      The first thing you see when entering lets say Illinois is this huge sign that says -WELCOME TO ILLINOIS- THE LAND OF LINCOLN!

     A few miles down the road is one that says YOU better buckle up or you will pay a heavy fine. Then come another one about littering and the heavy fine you will pay. It goes on with    more signs warning you about the heavy penalties if you speed or the death count from texting and the like!

       Lastly, as you are leaving the state there is a big sign that says in a very pleasant manner- Thanking you for your visit and PLEASE COME AGAIN!   

CIERA/ THE ARTIST!

     Years ago my daughter, La Risa, worked in a restaurant in West Des Moines called Maxie's. It is still there on Grand Avenue and doing quite well. On occasion, I would drive down from Marshalltown and La Risa would reserve me a special booth and serve me!

      And, on occasion, Ciera, my grand-daughter, would also join me for dinner there. When we started the routine, Ciera, was probably only 3 or 4 years old. It was really a nice way to spend time with both of them and usually later would stay with Ciera until mom came home after work.

      One thing I will always have as a good memory was when they would bring out the paper mat with crayons for Ciera to color with while waiting for our food to be served. The one mat was a map of the United States. Ciera could always not only color very well with soft strokes, but, keep her different colors in the lines of the states. 

    And, the one thing that really impressed me was that she could color the different states and use various colors and spread them out evenly over the whole country. Other words, she would make sure there weren't two red states together and so on. I am not sure what that is called in the art world but, she had some kind of perception! For someone to be that young and careful and with such a "soft" touch! She had a gift! 

CLAIRE'S-NEVER AGAIN!

      Have you ever had what you thought to be a really great idea and then it turns out to be the worst ever? The following was one of those that I never should have touched.

     One week-end I had all three of my grand-daughters, Ciera, Cora, and Paige, up for a visit in Marshalltown. I don't know how the idea came up, but, we all went out to the Marshalltown Center and it was decided to go into Claire's and do a little girl's shopping. They were all in that pre-ten year old stage as I recall.

     I decided to give them all an equally set amount to spend and let them go in and have at it. It didn't work out as planned. First, one was picking out something more expensive than her budget or more expensive than the other girl. Or, they wanted to trade with the other and it made the other one upset. 

      I didn't realize either how expensive some of that in-expensive "stuff" in there was. Somehow it all I worked out I guess, but, of course there is that thing about THREE people or kids not working real well to boot!  I always thought it would be cool to take a grand-daughter shopping! Maybe not three at a time either!

HEY! NO FIGHTING IN THE BACK SEAT!

     One of the first times when my grandson's, Grant and Christian, came up to Marshalltown to stay the week-end, the trip up from Ankeny was a fun experience. My first mistake was having them both sitting in the back seat. 

      When we finally got to Marshalltown and for some reason our first stop was out by the Marshalltown shopping center.I pulled over and said to them with some authority that if they didn't arguing and bickering that I would let them out at the mall and they would have to figure out how to get back to Ankeny as they didn't know anyone in Marshalltown.

      Any child expert knows that was not the right approach, but, it did seem to work. At least it did for a while!

YOU CAN GO BACK!

     Yesterday evening we drove up to Marengo and ate at the Lucky Six Lanes bowling alley. Several people around here had told me that the food was really good so we decided to give it a try.

       Here it was a Tuesday night and this cozy and surprisingly very clean and with newer decor was really hopping. It was darned near packed. I am not sure the last time I have actually eaten in a bowling alley, but, this was a nice treat. We both just had plain cheeseburgers and I had fries with mine. I have always liked just onion and ketchup on my burger and I felt like I was eating something out of the past. Along ago past! Even my lemonade tasted like real lemonade, but, I am sure it wasn't.

      Next time and there will be a next time, we both plan on trying their tenderloin. I doubt we will be disappointed. As they say it doesn't hurt to go back in time once in a while as long as you don't stay.

A PERFECT MOVIE & DINNER DAY!

         My idea of the perfect afternoon is a good movie followed by a great meal at a favorite eatery! Sometimes it is the little things in life!

     Ilah and I hit the matinee  in Coralville and went to see Black Mass starring Johnny Depp. It was about Whitey Bulger, the Mobster back in the 197"s in South Boston. I love any descent mob movie from any period of time and this was no exception.

      After the movie, we hit the old Olive Garden just a stone's throw away for a  little Shrimp Fettuccini  Alfrado! Boy, a love it so! Nice afternoon!

SCARY STORIES THAT AREN'T SCARY?

      I always tried to throw in a scary story at night with my grand-kids when I could. A lot of them I never really made up, but, were from old TV shows that I had seen or old movies. The kids never knew the difference.

      On one occasion, I had my grand-sons, Grant and Christian, who were staying with me in Marshalltown and we went out and stayed at the AmericInn that had the pool. It got to be time for bed and we got tucked in for the evening and Grant who was only 5 or 6 at the time slept with me and was nearest the inside wall.

       I proceeded to tell a story about The Marshalltown Blob who only came out and night and would find its way into the motel and find its way under a room door that had no lights showing! Before I could go ay further, Grant stopped me and said: "Grandpa, can you tell a scary story that's not scary?" But, then it wouldn't be a scary story? It was then lights out! 

THE MOUSE HOLE/MELBOURNE!

     One fun thing that I experienced with my grand-kids was the Mouse Hole in Melbourne, Iowa. It was basically a tunnel on the northeast of town that went underneath an old train track or path of some type.

      It was fun to drive through and honk your horn and listen to that special "blast" bouncing back into the car! And, you couldn't just go through once. Sometimes, if it was near dark, I would stop the car and tell the kids about the old man, as the legend goes, who lived in the wooded area and once in awhile was spotted in his long grey beard and long flowing "robe."
And, once in awhile I would point and say something like;  "I think I just saw him running through the trees around the tunnel!" Then, there would be an occasional scream!

      It was also fun to drive fast going on the road adjacent to the tunnel. Gaining enough speed the car would almost leave the road at a certain area that ascended up and then dropped dramatically. It was a fun place to experience!

DON'T MESS W/ MY GRANDSON'S!

      On this particular occasion, my two grandson's, Christian and Grant, were up staying with me in Marshalltown when I first lived on 410 1/2 West Linn Street. Grant had gone outside just ahead of me while I was still inside on the three season porch.

       I had my eye on him and he had taken some old piece of metal that for some reason was laying on the "parking" in the next door neighbor's yard and threw it out into the street.

       The neighbor lady was outside and went over to Grant and started to scold him for doing what he did. I saw the incident and came out and down my front steps like a angry mother bear!
I told her in no certain terms that if she had an issue it was best to take it up with me and not my grandson. I remained on good terms with my neighbor, but, it is amazing how your protective instincts will kick in sometimes.
     

NEW'S YEARS EVE W/ YOUNG PRETTY BLOND!

       When my grand-daughter Ciera was very small, no more than 2 or 3, I agreed to stay one New Year's Eve with her while my daughter and husband went out for the evening. They lived in Windsor Heights and I drove down from Marshalltown and spent the night.

         I was always with pride that I could tell people that this old guy was going out New Year's Eve with this beautiful, very young, blond for the evening and would be staying the evening! And, it was one of my favorite all time New Year's Eves. Very special indeed!

SWIMMING MADE FUN @ NO FANCY AQUA CENTER!

     Many of times when my grandkids were very young and came to visit the one thing  we did on a regular basis was go out to the Americinn Hotel out on old highway 30 on the south edge of Marshalltown and swim. They had a program that you could pay $3.00 or so per person to the general public and swim as long as you wanted. Especially in the winter that was a great deal and  also a fun way to entertain and be totally involved with my grandkids.

       This place had no diving board or any other "extra's" except a hot tub and pool table. I always came up with games to play in the pool. One that always made the girls giggle and scream was when I played the "Shark" and started the sounds from the movie Jaws! Everyone I was after would always head toward getting out of the pool. Loved those little screams!

       Another fun game I came up with was putting one grandchild on my back and pretend I was a bucking bronco. They would put a pretend quarter in the pretend slot around my neck and it would start me a bucking and twisting all around. They loved it! Or, I would put someone up on my shoulders and let them dive off.

        It was amazing that we could swim and play for 3 hours or so and no one wanted to leave and no one ever asked for food or drink. Sometimes it is fun to make your own fun and not rely on "things" to do it for us.

BREAKFASTS @ GRANDPA'S/LAST DAY!

      Every time my Grandkids came up to my home in Marshalltown on Lily Lane one thing they could count on was at least one big breakfast. You know the kind. It was either homemade pancakes, French toast, or waffles along with sausages or bacon.

     It was always fun, especially for the girls to set the table with my assortment of the new Fiesta dinner ware. With all the different colors it was fun for them to choose and pick out what colors everyone wanted. Sometimes it led to disagreements, but, usually in good fun.

       The one thing it took Grandpa some time to figure out was not to have the "BIG" breakfast on Sunday and especially if the kids were packing up in the morning and getting ready to go back home. It was difficult to plan a big breakfast, and at the same time when they were really younger to make sure they had everything packed and ready to go back home.

      I learned eventually t it was best to have that special breakfast on Saturday and just stop off at Mickey D's on the way back to Des Moines or Ankeny. With 4 or 5 small grandkids and just me on occasion it was a little to stressful and I have to admit some of it was my own doing as I liked to also have the rooms picked up and kitchen cleared before leaving the house.

       Those Breakfasts despite the anxiety at times of my own doing were a very special time and especially when I had a good little helper like Paige to make sure everything was packed and all set to go out to the car.

UGLY BUT HOW BOUT THOSE HAWKEYES!!

FIRST MOVIE WITH GRANDSON!

      When my oldest grand-son, Christian Michael,  was only four or so, I took him to his first movie at a theater in Ankeny. It was the original or sequel to the movie about the kids hockey team in LA. I believe called "The Mighty Ducks."

     Christian lasted about five minutes into the movie before he was up and moving around the theater. I first realized it when these little hands from behind me went over my eyes and I heard a "Guess Who?"

     From there he was all over the theater talking to anyone who would listen or not. I am not sure we even lasted 2 minutes of that movie before we left and went to a local park and played. Yes, maybe he was a little young for his first solo movie, but, Grandpa will always have the memory!

THOSE PRECIOUS FINGER PRINTS!

      We all have had our grand-kids come and stay at our home and usually it is nice when they leave so we can rest up and clean up! Not that the memories do not remain!

      I was living on West Linn Street in Marshalltown when on one occasion I can remember when my grandson's, Christian and Grant, were very young and it was one of their first visits.

     One early event when they came always seemed to be letting them jump up and down on my bed. Also, near the bed, and looking back now was dangerous, was a window that looked out to the three season porch.

      They had left finger prints on that window and for quite some time I never cleaned them off. I wanted that memory to linger and as long as possible!

GRAND-DAUGHTER W/ GRANDPA TO THE END!

      When my grand-kids were younger, pre-teen, and would stay the week-end, one of our traditions was watching rented movies later in the evening. There were lots of movies that we probably shouldn't have watched but we did.

      One reason I purchased a sectional with my new house on Lily Lane in Marshalltown was to keep me and my grand-kids closer together at times like when we watched movies. Also, I would spread out an old crazy quilt that I had for several years in front of the sectional for additional spread out room.

      I do remember on more than one occasion when after falling asleep during a movie, that my youngest grand-daughter, Paige, would be lying real close to my face as I woke up and inform me that she was the only kid that was wide awake with her Grandpa! It was always so precious to see her pretty face and those big brown eyes looking straight at me. You don't forget those moments! No Sir!

      

MORE THAN I NEED TO KNOW!

      The other day the guy from the dry cleaning place in Marengo brought in a batch of dry cleaning. The Burg Grocery is an outlet in Williamsburg  for dry cleaning, our commercial floor mats and mop heads.

     I was up front and spotted him bringing in one item that I couldn't resist commenting on. I yelled over that I was glad to see that he brought in my black and white floral print jacket. It was a ladies of course. 

      He looked over at me and said; "That's more information than I wanted to know!" It cracked me up! I always love it when I am trying to be cute, stupid or funny and I get a fast funny and clever reply.   

ON MY LOCAL BUCKET LIST FOR SURE!

     This past week a guy came into the Burg Grocery with a faded baseball hat with "Kalona Livestock Auction" on it. He was a rather large man with worn overalls and a little wear for the worst.

      He indicated that he goes to several livestock auctions around the state and when it comes to food the one in Kalona is the best. In case you didn't know that eating destination has been on my list for some time, but, I just haven't been able to get there yet.

       He told me that there are Mennonite ladies that cook there and their dessert items are the best. Since, the gentleman's name was Schultz I had to believe him as my grandmother Smith maiden name was Schultz.

       It seems like a silly goal but, when I was in high school around Laurel, I worked for a guy west of town named Bernie Klaunburg, and we would drive down to the Baxter Livestock Barn at lunch time. The memories of that food remains vivid. Especially those hamburgers and malts. Yum!

      As soon as I can clear my Thursday calendar you will find me down in Kalona. Hope to see you there or if not I will report my findings for sure!

     

GO HAWKS BEAT THOSE BADGERS!!!!

BRANDON'S JOKE OF THE WEEK!

     Why don't basketball players go on vacation? They would get called for traveling! 

THAT'S NOT CHICKEN!

      When my youngest grandson, Grant, was only about six or seven he came up to stay with me in Marshalltown one weekend and it was lunch time. I decided to go to Haley's on North 3rd Avenue to get some really good broasted chicken In my opinion it is and was the best and something a little different than  McDonald's.

     When we got back to the deli part of the store, you could look down through the glass enclosure and see the various food items. When I pointed out the chicken and for Grant to decide what kind of  he wanted, he looked at it all with a puzzled look. He said, "that's not chicken!" " Yes it is" I replied and back and forth we went.

      I am not sure he ever got chicken at home and was thinking that chicken was supposed to be chicken strips or nuggets like you get at McDonald's. Of course, I said something like if you don't eat this we wouldn't go swimming later. I am not sure what he ate that day, but, I know I gave in and we went swimming. Times have and always will be changing!

GRANDKIDS ON A SWING!

      One of my favorite activities with all my grandkids involved a game I made up while they were swinging at a local park or in their backyard. It was quite simple and yet created much delight and laughter from all of us involved.

     I would get behind one them to help push while they were swinging. Then I would usually say that I was getting tired or I was upset about something and was going to leave or sit down. Then, as I walked in front of them I would let them push me from behind and give me a big push in the behind and then act like it almost knocked me over.

      I would turn and act like I was mad that they kicked me in my behind and point my finger, but, then turn to leave so they could kick me once more. I almost cry from joy just remembering the laughter it created at the time. Those kinds of memories can never be forgotten.

HAPPY OR MARRIED?

      After a visit one week-end several years ago, we were taking Ilah's grandsons, Kyler and Clayton to Grinnell from Marshalltown to met up with their mom and then on back to Williamsburg.

      The boys were in back of my van watching a Three Stooges movie. In one episode Curly asks this lady if she is "Happy or Married"? Then follows up with his Yuk, Yuk, yuk! Kyler, the youngest at around six at the time, caught the phrase and yells up to his Grandma-Hey Grandma are you Happy or Married? It was a stitch that he even caught the drift!

PLAYING CATCH WITH PEAS!

      On one occasion many years ago, involved my grand-daughter Paige when she was only six or so. It took place at The  Spaghetti Works when the whole family was dining there one evening.

     We all had gone through the salad bar back at the big fire engine and it went from there. Paige set beside me and for some reason the thing that seemed like we should do was start a peas tossing contest. We both took peas from the salad bar so we both had our ammunition.

     The whole concept was to open your mouth and let the other goy see if he could land a pea in the other guys mouth. Needless to say there were lots of peas on the floor. Maybe it wasn't something that a Grandpa should teach his grandkids, but, it was fun and worth a memory!

WRITE THOSE MEMORIES NOW!

      I have advocated for a long time to write about personal and family related special memories to preserve them for future generations. Pictures are fine, but, they don't always tell the story behind that picture. A picture isn't always worth a thousand words! For my dollar I am betting that my grandkids and their kids will get extra enjoyments out of reading special moments that they may or may not remember and times spent with Grandpa.

      Obviously, if I am doing it, it must be pretty easy. That's why I set up a Blog and write down memories as they come to mind. Minute Man Printing in Marshalltown does a nice job of printing the stories off the Blog and putting them in a personalized binder. If ever you want information about getting started contact me @ dennismlaverty@gmail.com.

     In the upcoming few weeks I will publishing a few of my favorite stories or memories of my grandchildren when they were younger. I hope if nothing more they will prompt you to write down a few of your favorite stories in any way or form you chose!