Fab Holiday Gathering

You know how when you plan things - they don't usually go quite to plan. I dare to tempt fate even further by creating a spreadsheet with food, activity ideas. Don't be impressed - it didn't help. I ended up going to HyVee and other stores five times in four days. 😑

I didn't get any pictures with our guests - except this kitchen shot. And our annual group shot on the steps. 

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday food prep cluster, the long weekend lived up to pre-event anticipation. Our kids/Nell arrived Wednesday night - no drive/flight issues. Nell is 15 months old - an age I remember as being "busy, requires constant attention". She's all of that but was content getting into cupboards on the approved list. She totters about in an adorable singsong voice chattering. Her parents have trained her to use sign language to indicate hunger, and full - so helpful. Nell still sleeps around 12 hours at night - waking up cheery. She's a messy eater, and is experimenting with utensils. Green food is not her favorite. 

On Thursday, Paul rose early to put the 17-pound turkey in. I'd made 2 batches of fancy (sour cream, cream cheese) mashed potatoes for the Crock-Pot, and whipped up Mom's Scalloped Corn recipe. Paul baked 2 pies the day before - Key Lime and pumpkin. Paul's sis Carol, her daughter Barb and family - husband Mike, and kids Greyson and Mandy were our guests. Carol and Barb brought salad, stuffed mushrooms, and a chocolate dessert. With all of that and stuffing (thanks Carol for gravy duty). We had plenty to eat. It was so fun to hang with family, especially after spending 2020 Thanksgiving alone. 

Thursday night we switched to Christmas with our kids. We ate leftovers and opened presents. Then we played trivia-type games, always witty with this group. 

Nell's first tailgate!

On Friday our whole gang - Paul and I, kids, and Nell drove to Ames to tailgate at the last ISU home football game. We loved it that they got to visit with old and new family friends including Jeff McFee, Steve Crittenden, Conovers, and our tailgating buds, McKims, Ehreckes, and Chaneys. Jud, Kara, and Paul went to the game - big win over TCU. The rest of us enjoyed Nell time. We may not have followed Jud's explicit directions, but she thrived despite our rookie moves. 😉

We went to Booneville for a Waveland breakfast Saturday morning and Amy and Corey caught a flight out that afternoon. We were sad to see them go. We're not sure when we'll see them again as they begin a new adventure - moving to NYC at the end of December. They were anxious to pick up their dogs - Franklin their alpha weenie had suffered a dog bite at the dogsitters. It sounds like he's on the mend. Jud and Kara's dogs Archie and Henry were at our place. Henry has epilepsy, so he takes meds, but he wasn't feeling well the first day. I hope he's on the mend too - such a good boy. 

Thanks to great weather Nell got to visit a playground. She loves slides and climbing on things. We love to watch her enjoying things.  

Paul made a prime rib that night and we savored that treat along with twice-baked potatoes (thanks HyVee). Chatting over and after a meal with your adult kids is so gratifying. After supper we watched "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" - a funny/touching old holiday movie with Steve Martin and John Candy. I got to serve breakfast to smiley Nell before she and her parents/dogs packed up (babies and dogs require a lot of gear!). Paul headed south to sit in a treestand and I putzed around doing laundry, putting things away - while glowing from a special family time. I'm still glowing. 

On December 2 we celebrated Patrick George Goldsmith's 30th birthday. Grief hit me that morning and I got a bit weepie, thinking of what we lost by not having him physically in our family. Six days is all we had due to a congenital heart issue - hypoplastic left ventricle. I remember the love our family received during Patrick's brief life and funeral - from family, friends, and even strangers. Patrick continues to impact our lives - we try to turn our grief into gratitude. But sometimes the hurt breaks through. Thanks to all who help us remember him. His angel food cake is delicious. 

after C Section - breech baby. That hair! 

Patrick's tree

What's Your Sign?

Granddaughter Nell is a Virgo - likes: Animals, healthy food, books, nature, cleanliness

The CBS Morning Show had a piece on astrology this morning. Astrology is about "fun and empowerment" said one person interviewed. They said millennials are into it. I remember Astrology being in when I was a young girl. "The Age of Aquarius" y'all!

According to the Google machine, the Babylonians created astrology 2,400 years ago. Three hundred years later it spread to the Eastern Mediterranean, becoming popular in Egypt which was under the control of a dynasty of Greek kings. Wow - they gave us Baklava and Astrology? 

The late 1960's was the first time I remember hearing of Astrology. There are twelve astrological (also called zodiac) signs set to calendar dates that may vary a bit. Each zodiac sign has its own specific traits, desires, and attitudes. I got information for this piece here: https://www.astrology-zodiac-signs.com/

 I'm a Scorpio. 

Element: Water
Quality: Fixed
Color: Scarlet, Red, Rust
Day: Tuesday
Ruler: Pluto, Mars
Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Cancer
Lucky Numbers: 8, 11, 18, 22
Date range: October 23 - November 21

Strengths: Resourceful, brave, passionate, stubborn, a true friend
Weaknesses: Distrusting, jealous, secretive, violent
Scorpio likes: Truth, facts, being right, longtime friends, teasing, a grand passion
Scorpio dislikes: Dishonesty, revealing secrets, passive people

Water is my element. No wonder I adore swimming and my soaker tub! While blue has always been my favorite color, I've got a lot of red in my closet - supporting the ISU Cyclones. The site says Scorpios are passionate and assertive. It has taken me a long time to become assertive. Even now I often choose not to be assertive unless it's absolutely required. In a family of four girls, as the third daughter, I learned to get along. At times that comes with a price. 

Back when print newspapers had lots of space (once upon a time) they made room for horoscopes. Our dormitory floor, Schilling House - 6th Floor Maple Hall at Iowa State University, received the Des Moines Register in the Den/TV Room every day. I could read mine and any that of any fella I had my eye on.  

In the 1970s, the paper not only printed daily horoscopes, the paper published "Biorhythms" - charts of physical, emotional, and intellectual cycles. Do you ever have clumsy times that last a day or more? I still blame those on bad biorhythms. It's not me - it's the calendar! 

Life is full of mystery! Through time people have looked for ways to bring sense to the mystery, horoscopes, and biorhythms can be ways to help do that. 

Where work gets done

I've mentioned how I'm finding calm in re-listening (is that a word?) to books by authors I enjoy. Authors that let the Good Guys win. My tender psyche seems to need a dose or more of that in these scary times when an invisible enemy has invaded.

One author I enjoy is Lee Child who writes the novels with Jack Reacher as the main character. Reacher is a former marine military policeman who travels the country like a hobo, finding wrongs and righting them. All with only the clothes on his back and a toothbrush. Don't get me started on the two movies where they cast Tom Cruise as Reacher - a guy who is supposed to be six foot five inches tall.

This week I listened to the Reacher book "61 Hours" again. It's set in cold snowy South Dakota. In the book, Reacher needs military information, so he contacts one of his former offices where a female officer serving in that capacity ends up assisting him. In repayment, she wants to know the lore behind the big dent in the big metal government desk she sits at. She'd heard rumors that Reacher put the dent there with a colonel's head.

It took nearly the whole book before Reacher reveals the story about the dent. The colonel was corrupt and had been selling MRE (ready to eat meals) to enemy forces while Reacher and his team were starving in Afghanistan. And he used the money to buy stupid things - like a 1980 Corvette, the worst Vette ever made, which added insult to injury. It's those kinds of details that make the Lee Child books excellent. They add texture to Reacher's character that not all books attain.

Listening to the author describe that desk put me into the "Wayback" machine. I started thinking about all of the desks I've sat at through the years.

I have the very first one downstairs. Mom purchased an unpainted desk somewhere and probably had Pearl the Painter match it to the wallpaper in the room lil sis Betsy and I shared. Our room had blue carpet with cream wallpaper with a blue design. So the desk was blue at that time. But the beauty of the desk is that it can be any color! When Mom gave it to daughter Amy, it was purple at one time. Because - of course, it was! Amy loved colors! Now it's blue again to match the guest room (Amy's room) in our DSM home.

My next desk memory is at Washington Elementary School when we had those little desks with the lid that opened. Inside we kept all of our stuff: Elmer's Glue, crayons, pencils, a ruler, scissors, and paper. The hinged lid allowed us to hide from the teacher at times. That created opportunities for hijinx like make faces or talk to neighbors unseen. Or one could slam it on one's hand. After elementary school, I found that desktops were smaller as students were mobile for classes. I didn't get as attached to those desks.

My first job was at age 15 at an Atlantic gas/service station - Hjortshoj Fina, where owner, the wonderful Harry Hjortshoj, taught me to help keep the books. I remember a big old desk in the station office but not if it was wooden or metal. I do remember Harry stashing beer in the soda machine for "after hours" when his pals would stop in.

Loraine Dunn (my first roomie) and Chris Deardorff (visiting from U of I) lounging in my first dorm room

When I went off to Iowa State University, I discovered that I needed to be flexible when it came to study/workspace. My Maple Hall dorm room had built-in desks like the one pictured above. And I studied in various buildings around campus. Note how the desk is being used to prep to go out for the night. Not study! Wow - those curlers were definitely not mine. #icantcurl

My first job post-college at Gamble Robinson, a grocery wholesaler in Sioux Falls, SD, came with a nice, fairly new office desk. I was proud to learn the office skill of running a 10-key adding machine (without looking) at the desk. I got educated to the fact that I didn't learn all that much in college, even with a Business Minor, that would help me to be an office manager. I've come to the realization that college prepared me for life after college: how to live on my own, dealing with adversity, and how to recover from alcohol poisoning. haha

After a year in Sioux Falls, I had the opportunity to transfer with the company to a branch in Omaha - right near the Old Market on 10th Street. The branch there was an old warehouse complete with old furniture. My desk was wooden with a large file drawer that I'd open in the morning and close at night - because it was heavy and rickety. I have fond and vivid memories of that job. It was during that time I got engaged and married to Paul who was living in Oakland, IA - the best decision in my life!

I continued to work for Gamble Robinson even after we moved to Osage - in Northern Iowa. I traveled to Wisconsin and Michigan (UP) for the company, working at small grocery company branches, helping them implement IBM System 32 computers. They were huge with a tiny screen. I helped assign numerical codes to every type of product they handled to computerize them. I sat at many old desks and tables.

When Paul and I decided it was time for a family, I was lucky to land a job right in Osage at the woolen mill, Fox River. They are a family-owned company that manufactures fabulous socks and gloves. I worked with another young woman and a contractor to "computerize" company ordering. Karla and I would take order sheets and input them (IBM System 34) manually. We only had tables - no desks. For years I could spout off-color numbers - like Heather Gray is 7600, something like that. Crazy!

In 1986, Paul landed a new gig in Creston. When we moved there we considered another stop along the way - following his career. Amy was one year old. Something happened along the way. We met wonderful people (and some weird ones) and settled into the town. We got involved in activities and the great Catholic elementary school there. Creston became our hometown. It's a small community - with limited employment opportunities. Good thing I'm so flexible!

I started at First National Bank in Creston as a bookkeeper - in the basement of the bank. As a bookkeeper, you float around at all the positions - so no desk. One cool thing was the proof machine that we used to key by hand all the checks the bank got for deposit. The machine $ amount had to match the adding machine tape attached to the stack of checks. On other days we all sat around tables set in a square and stuffed bank statements into envelopes. That is how I learned how to pronounce all of the Creston names that don't sound like they are spelled. And I learned all the gossip - working with Cathy Lacina, Sandy Hysell, and Pam Grey. Fun times!

Credit - Creston News Advertiser from Bank website - FNB was purchased right before Paul and I moved to Creston

During my bank years, a position came open for a Loan Clerk - upstairs with a window! That desk was a built-in one, in a hallway. It was a great location out of the public eye. Sharon Higgins and Danny Purdum sat in offices behind me, both great people. The ever-so-nice Pat Barkalow sat down the aisle. That is when I really got to know the staff of Loan Officers gem of a person, Lamona Bilderback and crusty exterior, gooey inside Dan Porter - whose daughter Katie Porter is a California US Representative. Steve Crittenden is one of our best and longtime friends. The big boss back then was Dick Anderson - whom I nicknamed "the Dickster". Nuff said.

A year or so after Jud was born, paying for childcare but a crimp in fulltime outside employment. I quit working at the bank and had an opportunity to be on call and deliver home oxygen around SW Iowa. My Chevy Lumina and later a light blue Grand Caravan woody with a clipboard were my desk. Once I was a few months pregnant with our son Patrick, I was laid off from that job. I guess they didn't think I could haul a heavy O2 machine upstairs in my condition!

After we lost our infant son to a heart defect, I was at a loss for what to do next. I was fortunate that a local couple reached out to me to ask me to help with their financial planning business, to hang in the office when they weren't there, and to help with marketing. The office was on Pine Street in Creston. Mike and Judy always have their offices done upright, with nice furniture. I will always appreciate the Moffits generosity for letting me sit at their desks.

Once both kids were in school all day, the Goldsmith budget told us that I needed to work fulltime. I applied for a job as a planner at Gits Manufacturing, a local plant that manufactured automotive and other metal parts. When I first started, my newish desk was up front, in a big room with sales and accounting. Later, Cynthia Wolf, Jeanne Piel, and a purchasing person Juliann Sinn were moved to a small office in the middle of the plant called "the Blockhouse". We got brand new office systems type pressed board desks there. I think it was a tradeoff for being in a sunless blockhouse. We did enjoy our privacy out there. Being a production planner in the automotive industry was a high-stress low benefit job. I enjoyed my co-workers, but I couldn't wait to find something else after 2 years.

My salvation came in the form of a "Help Wanted" advertisement in the local newspaper. The landfill was looking for a recycling education person. Pick me! And they did - for a two-year grant-funded position, 30 hours per week. My first office was at Creston's City Hall with a modern desk borrowed from the city.

Once the job turned into a fulltime director position at the landfill, I was tasked with outfitting the new scale office and my office. I decided to hit the KSIB radio waves to beg for unused desks and chairs.  Creston peeps came through - I hit the jackpot with a big old metal desk like the one Jack Reacher described. Solid! It came from the Central Iowa Power Cooperative north of Creston. That was my favorite desk - so much character and history.

As a Department of Natural Resources employee, I worked in a cubicle. My desk was a countertop built into the 5 foot sidewall. In the last few years, I had it raised so I could stand up to work, or sit in a tall chair. There were plenty of drawers and flippers for storage. I miss the people there but not the cubicle. #loudtalkers

I can picture Dad's desk in the living room of our Atlantic home with a big huge adding machine on it. Dad mostly worked in his chair too. 

Now I work at home, my "worky" stuff is in my Dad's desk in our office, with the printer on Paul's side of the room. But the magic mostly happens when I'm sitting in my big chair with ottoman and my laptop. Or at our kitchen counter when I need to spread out more or do a video meeting. Have I mentioned I'm starting a business in June? Goldsmith Environmental Consulting (little 'ol me). I hope to work with solid waste agencies, counties, and cities on environmental stewardship. Stay tuned!

Books and Tailgating

My book club assignment this month is "The Library Book", by Susan Orlean. It's not my fave book ever, but I did find some parts I enjoyed and learned from. So - a win.  I like it when I'm forced to read outside my genre. I don't make myself do it otherwise. I'm a suspense reader - mindless relaxation.

"The Library Book" is by a New Yorker reporter. She investigates the devastating 1986 fire that burned the  Los Angeles Public Library fire - all while weaving in the story of her love affair with books and libraries. The style is hard for me to get into, but I pulled out some gems that I loved.

Like this. All through time bad people have been trying to squelch information and books by burning them. Think of the Nazis. They hurt the Jewish people to the core by burning their beloved sacred books in public bonfires. Also - several months ago a religious activist burned LGBTQ books at the Orange City, Iowa library. He paid a fine.

As you can tell, written words are important to me. That's why I have such a love/hate relationship with social media where anyone can write anything. Anonymously or not. Like this blog. For now, I'll continue. Tomorrow I'll attend book club - so I'd better finish that book! I enjoy meeting with this group.

Football pageantry fan

It's not all about the game. My first tailgating memory is from Iowa City. That's irony for ya! Okay, I was raised a little Hawk fan - all those 60-3 drubbings we attended with the Pellets and other Atlantic fans in the 1960s and early 1970s. We cheered on our hometown hero Ed Podolak.

When I chose Iowa State for college, we didn't tailgate. We simply lugged our booze right into the stadium. Our cars - parked all week in the football field parking lot, overflow for our RCA (Maple Hall) dormitory and later our apartment parking. Come game day, we had to remove cars from stadium parking by Friday night. My roomie Jane found out the hard way (twice) what happens when you forget. Lucky the towed car lot was near our apartment.

So my first tailgating experience was in Iowa City at an ISU vs. Iowa game. We partied with my roomie Vicki's folks and their Hawkeye fan friends. They had an RV and lots of food and liquor! This is the life I thought to myself!

Post-college we met our friends for football games in Ames annually until our own children's' activities tied up weekends. Back then we could pay $15 and get a spot where we park now. Now those same spots require a hefty donation and season ticket purchase. Times change!

We have so many great memories of tailgating during Amy and Jud's college years. Creston friends, Don and Diana McKim upped the game by becoming the owners of a '92 Pace Arrow RV - a fab tailgating unit.

When Amy and Jud were at ISU, our friends' kids were there too. In 2008, Amy (and Kristina McFee and Ryan McKim's) senior year, Don parked the RV in the student section. Jud was a frosh. So many Creston kids and adults stopped by that day and some watched the game on the RV TV. It was "off the hook" (Guy Fieri quote there)

2012

2019

Last weekend our college friends were back - being empty nesters has benefits. They came to our place Friday night - Moose and Kay even brought blow up beds for overflow sleeping! So fun to see everyone. Walking tacos were on the menu - thanks to McKims and Ehreckes for their hospitality (and walking tacos). The weather cleared up and ISU clobbered TCU. What a day! College gave me so much more than an education.

So Chill

I don't recall just when I became such a cold wimp. Did it happen overnight, or was it a gradual thing? The fact is that cold is now more than a mere inconvenience for me, it's a pain!

Bundled at a football game fall 2018

Snowbirds - nickname for people who go south for the winter. My grandparents and parents were snowbirds - escaping Iowa in October, returning in the spring. My mother's parents, Nelle and Herb Morehead, actually retired permanently to a place in Dunedin, Florida. Dad's parents rented a condo (we'll use the short version of the word because my grandpa could never quite pronounce the full word, condominium (ninium, minum..?)) in the St. Petersburg, the Redington Beach area.

Weeks like the last few in Iowa have me daydreaming for warmer places. I love Iowa and our life here. But my bones (and other parts) are tired of being cold - she types with fingerless gloves on, covered with a heated blanket. 

Showing off in ski gear - 1970's Jennifer Deter, Vicki Behr, Steve Hauser - Breckenridge

Memory lane has me playing outside for hours, only surrendering to the cold when I couldn't feel my toes anymore. When we went to Sunnyside Park to ice skate on the flooded tennis court, they were wise to put heaters in that little shack - for a warm-up hut. I skied in cold weather before thin but warm fabrics were invented. Ski boots weren't warm and socks and mittens/gloves got better through time. I started in cotton athletic socks and woolen mittens.

Before schoolboards came to their senses and girls were allowed to wear pants to school, I walked to school in dresses. Sometimes we put pants on under, but you know how fashions are. In upper elementary school, that became "uncool". I remember rubbing my red frozen thighs to get them warmed up after the four block walk. Yikes!

In college, we sat at a few super cold ISU football games way back - before HotHands were invented. I remember thawing my toes out by a heat register. That is painful.

These days I'm much colder and smarter. I get cold just sitting at my desk or in my chair at home. Ugh! I envy those who are warmer blooded. Dare I say "hot" - yet they complain about being uncomfortable in their state too. There are pockets and people on 5th floor of the Wallace Building that are warmer. The rest of us bundle up. I plan ahead for where I'm going and the layers I will need. If I get too cold at events, I leave. (not work - haha).

Those who live and winter in the south are righteously trolling those of us getting nailed with winter weather. Sister Betsy who lives in typically moderate SW Washington has received an amazing amount of snow recently. They don't have snow handling equipment in that area. Seattle got some white stuff too. 

We are expecting more snow and more cold weather in the next week. It's a good thing we are hardy souls - with lots of layers! 

The Adventure Continued

Do you ever fly Frontier? That airline is much like dining in an ala carte restaurant. They ding you for everything you order. When you look at the menu, it looks like such a bargain - a steak for $16.99! By the time you add a side salad and baked potato, you are closing in on $30. My east/west coast readers are like WHAT? So cheap! I'm talking Iowa prices. #heartofbeefcountry Our flight from Denver to the ISU bowl game in San Antonio was on Frontier, where there is a $38 fee for bags - carry on or checked. Seats, drinks, snacks? Cha-ching $$.

We landed in San Antonio, Texas just before Jud and Kara and shared an Uber into town from the airport. One of our New Year resolutions is to use this service more when we go out at night. Now we both have the app on our phones. Yep - it's only taken years. #olddogsnewtrick J&K went off to find their hotel when we arrived at ours.

Mandy, Barb and Mike Archer

The weather in Texas was a big change from Colorado (plus 50 degrees). Our tailgating pals, Ehreckes, and McKims (note - I don't need to add apostrophes to make their names plural - my pet peeve) were already in town - at a pep rally for our fave team, the Cyclones. Paul and I walked around the Alamo and then found a table at a Riverwalk bar Durty Nellie's to hang out at - complete with dirty limerick piano guy. We enjoyed people watching and snagged another table when our friends arrived. Niece Barb and fam sited us! Many others stopped by to say "hi". Cyclones fans were everywhere - in boats, walking by, in restaurants. Ames Far South.

Eventually, we decided to rustle up some food. Always good to get a base for your beer. If you've ever been to San Antonio you know that you walk upstairs to get the street level from the Riverwalk. We ended up at the Number 1 (and only) Sports Bar in town - right across from our hotel.

Busch guy - next to Donnie

If you aren't from Iowa you may not know our people are known for drinking (hangs head) Busch Light beer. (Black Velvet is the number 1 liquor - so it figures. We like cheap). We drank Memphis out of that beer at last year's bowl game. Budweiser, who distributes Busch, sniffed out a marketing opportunity and sent us the Busch Light Guy and plenty of Beer! So guess who stopped by our table and gave us a beer and stickers. He's very handsome in a beer guy way...

We ate corn dog appetizers and pizza. And were back at our hotel by 10 PM. Yay old people!

Photo courtesy of Kari

The next day was game day.  The weather was a bit chillier. We'd decided to do the Riverwalk boat tour early - to beat the crowd. We bundled up and hopped on a boat to get the historical water tour of the area. Very interesting. Then we walked through the packed Alamo - doing a self-tour. It is very important in the history of the State of Texas.

Don's college roomie Jim and wife Rita arrived in town that morning. We met them for lunch, which was delish but was completed on southern time. The hospitality we experienced in SA was slow. Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the cardinal and gold. Staff at many places just don't see to move in an efficient manner. No wonder Iowans are popular hires wherever they go.

College pals reunited! 

We decided to settle somewhere on the Riverwalk for the afternoon since the game wasn't until 8 PM. We walked out of the restaurant and heard cheering from the other side of the river. What? Jud, Kara and their college buddies were perched riverside at Rita's on the River, cheering when boats went by filled with Cyclone fans. We decided that was our place too! We ran into several friends while hanging out - including our former neighbors Todd and Suzie Stofferahn.

The group decided we needed a brief rest before walking to the Alamo Dome - just under a mile from our hotel. When we got to the stadium it was exciting - music, food, tailgaters. We had to walk down around under train tracks. Don's niece was tailgating near a group of former ISU greats including Coach Dan McCarney and Sage Rosenfels.

Gumbo booth - very good! 

Kevin, Kari, Paul and I decided to walk around and soak in the atmosphere - boy-howdy there was a lot. Huge motorhomes, families with kids on scooters and a band. There were flags from many teams proudly waving in the parking lot - OSU, Nebraska, TTU and more. Then we ran into a guy in an LSU shirt. He offered us gumbo - so sure! Kevin ate 2 cups! It was good and hit the spot. We listened to his spiel about a Wisconsin game he went to - a good 'ol boy with quite an accent.

At the stadium - it looks like a riverboat at night

Finally, it was time to go into the Dome! We drank Fireball shots for luck. Guess I should have finished mine. GRRR. I wish our team would have performed better - even so, we were still in the game until the end. Congrats to WSU for playing a game with very few errors - that was enough to win. Their quarterback was elusive and they had good team speed. Leach is a good coach. On to next year! ISU returns many players. Our clan did a group hug at the hotel. We have a great time win or lose - but winning is more fun.

A 6 a.m. flight made for a short night - but it was nice getting home early. What a week we had. I'm an anxious traveler. I don't like packing, am a nervous flyer - not the flying part but the checking in and airport part. I know - it will all work out in the end, but I don't like things blowing up plans. This trip came out better than any expectations I had. All week before we left I coached myself to just live in the moment. I wasn't perfect - a work in progress. 2019 - live it! Happy New Year!

Language of Love

Bundled with my baby

Paul and I attended a Marc Cohn concert Thursday - he of "Walking in Memphis" fame. He is a singer-songwriter whose songs tell stories - about his family, career and what else - love. One love song, "Perfect Love" is about his brother and wife who have been married for over fifty years. Marc says his brother tells him the song should be entitled something more like "Enduring Love" - because no love is perfect - especially love in marriage. True dat.

Marc Cohn Temple of Performing Arts

pre-concert martini

It may be hard for newlyweds to believe, but that giddy romantic love doesn't last. Not for 36 years anyway. It takes perseverance and some laughter. My honey and I had that this past week....he's been bowhunting. It's that time of year - when I usually start feeling a little cranky. It's my birthday dammit, and he spends days at a time in a tree. I don't mind alone time - but it can get old.

So last Friday I got a "take and bake" HyVee pizza that we ate after he rolled in from his tree down in southern Iowa. I ate a couple pieces sitting my comfy chair. When I went to put my plate in the dishwasher, I saw a black thing on the floor by my ottoman. Hmmm - sock fuzz? I picked it up and immediately recoiled - flinging it to the ground - it was squishy and warm. Worm! I appealed to Paul to save me. He picked it up - putting it right up to his face. Olive - he declared. We had a good laughed! He wished he would have popped it into his mouth.

On Sunday I was getting ready for a nice warm bath when I noticed a bug in my happy place - my tub. "Bug in the Tub", I yelled. Paul appeared in the blink of an eye. "Backrub?" he inquired (that's what he thought he heard), always hopeful, he. I pointed to the offending critter. The perks of marriage - bug removal. Yes, I'm a bug wimp.

What does the Internet think of you? Judging from the advertisements I see when I'm online, it's got me pegged as someone who really needs old lady slippers, pee proof underwear. I've tried to click on the slippers to get rid of the ad that hounds me on the New York Times. Even if I wanted slippers, now that they are trolling me, I refuse to consider Mahabis brand. Ever. And I'm not in need of pee proof undies - unless my girls make me belly laugh with a full bladder (bladder weakness courtesy of 2 9 pounder babies I believe).

huddled in the trailer - pregame

Yesterday's ISU game was one of the coldest I've attended. Big shout out to our fave tailgater host/engineer Kevin. He rigged up the generator to 2 heaters and we sat inside the small trailer eating soup, drinking beer. I suited up in ski pants and many layers with HotHands, toe warmers. Ugly but functional. Still, I shivered. Clones are now bowl eligible! This team just keeps winning. After the game we sat in the trailer again. McKims and Ehreckes are just fun to hang with. We laugh so hard - mostly at ourselves (but I didn't need the pee panties). Phew! Paul and I are off to visit our pal Paula Bacon in Austin for the Texas game next weekend. WooHoo. Hope there are no bugs there. 

Robyn sent me this pic on my bday. Friends for going on 58 years. We were adorable. Wonder who cut our bangs? Mom always put me in cute dresses for parties.

Big Vic and Baby's Birthday

Corey and Amy came all the way from Denver for the Iowa State University Cyclones vs. West Virginia football game. A Clemson grad, Corey is a bit spoiled as a fan. His team won the national championship two years ago - he was there! Our team...finally made a bowl game last year after a drought. Corey is a good sport about being a fan of our team. He's even got his wife somewhat interested in football - never her fave sport. 

They flew in Friday evening and we took them to the Cheese Bar on Ingersoll in DSM. It's a small joint that specializes in - you guessed it - cheese. We started with a lovely tray of meats and cheeses with nuts. I had a yummy specialty drink - and they have beer and wine on tap. We finished up splitting a grilled cheese sandwich and some ribs - not made of cheese. I saw some others eating fondue. You sit at long tables - so it's easy to spy on other's food. Din din was a success! 

The Cyclones didn't play until 6 PM on Saturday, but we had some tailgating to do - so we left just after noon. Amy and Corey had to go to Scheels and get some Cyclone gear first. It was a brisk day - nice in the sun, but we were glad Kari and Kevin put the side on the tent. Our tailgating neighbors provided entertainment - dressing in authentic Octoberfest lederhosen with hats, swigging beer from steins. Later they played musical chairs. Is that a German game? 

Paul grilled up burgers and brats. Amy and Corey got to see plenty of pals including Conovers and McKims. I'm glad they got to meet Ehreckes. Fireball shots sent us into the stadium for the game. Things didn't start out great. Our QB threw a pick and our kicker got a field goal try blocked for a touchdown. Despite those setbacks, our defense was marvelous. 

Corey didn't know why we weren't going crazy before halftime!?! We've seen this before - only to see our team fold. But no! The Clones came out strong after half, holding the Mountaineers to very few yard and points. In the end, the crowd rushed the field - celebrating a win over #6 West Virginia. 

Sunday was our baby girl's birthday! Wow. I've been a mommy for 33 years. I joked that Amy should come lay in bed with me so I could tell her the story of her birth - like I used to every year that we lived together. She loved that! It was a special day - overdue by a week. She was born a little after 7 PM, just after the Cardinals beat the Dodgers - Ozzie Smith homered. Yes, I had a labor plan with lovely music on cassette tapes I brought to the birthing suite. But...baseball....for my husband and doctor. It was distracting. 

Amy with Rachelle, Jenna - college? 

Making the phone calls to our parents (long distance ya know) was so joyful. She was beautiful and perfect! Just like she is today. Once the nurse wheeled me into my hospital room - and put her in the nursery, I thought I'd sleep. Nope. I was too pumped up. I was a MOM. And every part of me hurt like a little 9 lb 7-ounce truck had run over me. Even my fingernail hurt. We had a bundt cake at the football game - it was delicious. 

Amy attended a baby shower for her college pal Rachelle - due to have a baby boy in a few weeks. Later she and Corey spent the evening with friends. Paul and I recovered from Saturday. Being outside all day is exhausting! 

On Monday, Paul and I got to each lunch with Corey and Amy in the East Village. They worked at our house that day - before their flight that evening. We'll get to see them at Christmas - still it was hard to say goodbye. What a fun weekend of having them around. Special times. 

Amy's birthday - not this year

Big Screen Memories

Do you remember the first movie you ever saw? For me, movie memories are similar to songs - who was I when I saw this movie?

One special movie memory is from 1967, when I was ten years old. Gone With the Wind was re-released and our mother took my sisters and me to see it in a big city - Des Moines? The theater had a curtain that closed at intermission. Mom cried during the opening credits - she'd seen this show before. The saddest parts of the movie to me, even then, were when Scarlet rode the horse to death. And when Rhett shoots the pony.

I have many more wonderful memories of "going to the movies". My movie love affair started even before age ten. Our school and the local theater had a summer movie deal. We could buy a sheet of summer movie matinee tickets - giving our parents (moms really) a break from the kids during the endless school break. We saw movies like Frances the Talking Mule and The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (Don Knotts Y'all).

The tickets were valued at something like $.25 each. The real money for the Atlantic Theater came from concessions. Popcorn and candy! Back then, soda pop came from a machine in the lobby - a thin dime for a small cup that would shoot out, be filled with some crushed ice and Coca-Cola. It was fun just to watch the machine make the magical mixture! But wait...there's more! If you got the "lucky cup" you got to go to a movie FREE.

Face it, in small town Iowa, there aren't a lot of options when it comes to activities. So we went to "the show" a lot. It was exciting to see the movie marquis - to see what we could go to next. One theater in the whole town of 7,000 people. Comedies, RomComs, Horror - we went to them all. I went with girlfriends. In junior high, I met my boyfriend Mike Carlson there. We held hands. It wasn't all it was cracked up to be. My hand got hot and cramped. I wanted to move it, but was scared to....that boy/girl stuff was hard. In the balcony at the theater there were actually twin seats - with no arm in between. Sweet! My high school boyfriend, Mike McCauley and I went to Funny Car Summer - a movie about drag racing. Hmmm, must have been teen love - that movie sounds horrible to me now.

I saw a few more movies with my mother that were important in my life. I was in high school when the movie Summer of 42 came out. It was rated R so I needed an adult to take me. Sally's mom Anna Day and Mom took Sally and me to that show - a coming of age story about a teen and an older woman who loses her husband to the war. Mom and I cruised over to Omaha to see the movie Jaws. She left to go use the restroom and didn't appear until much later - after I began to get worried about her. She said she ended up sitting down in the back - because she didn't want to miss the action. I also saw John Travolta's Staying Alive with her. She became a huge BeeGees fan after that movie. These memories of Mom make me smile.

Okay - when I said there was only one theater. That is true. But in the summer there was one other movie option. The Drive-Inn! I don't remember our family going there. As a teen - you can bet my friends and I went. With beer! We saw all sorts of crazy movies - like Death Race and Blazing Saddles. It was easier for me to go to horror movies at the drive-in - I could distract myself there - not as scary. Wednesday night was Buck Night - we'd all pile in one car. Lots of good Drive-Inn memories.

College was another great movie memory time. There were some classics from that era. My college pals, Sally, Vicki, and Jane loved Rocky so much. We listened to the soundtrack endlessly. We had the poster. Adrian! One Saturday, after a long week, we attended a sobfest The Other Side of the Mountain - the Jill Kinmont Story". It's about a skier who becomes paralyzed. Then we went to a party and drank beer. Oh, college. Ghostbusters, Animal House, Halloween, Monte Python, High Anxiety, Kramer vs. Kramer, Grease, Heaven Can Wait, Goodbye Girl. I could go on...Halloween scarred me for life against horror movies.

We've come a long way from buying sheets of movie tickets for summer school break. Paul and I went to the new "A Star is Born" Friday night. I loved it. Stefani Germanotta (Lady Gaga) was perfect in her role, as was Bradley Cooper. Lady Gaga's voice has it all. I really appreciated a chance to see her without all the glamour of makeup. It was her first acting gig and she nailed it.

We live right by a huge theater complex. We used to look up movie times, arrive at the theater and buy tix. No more. There's a new way to buy movie tickets - it's complicated! I miss the days of real people. Yesterday I got online to buy tix on the Cinemax website. I needed to login with a new password and select the time and seats. Then I needed a password for Visa. Sure it may be less complex next time I get tix. If I remember my password. And my seat did recline - even better than those twin seats at the Atlantic theater!

Paul and I like to re-watch some movies - sometimes over and over again. We especially like comedies. I tease Paul about his go-to movies. Gladiator, Twister, Shawshank Redemption. He just can't seem to flip by those on the TV Guide without watching. We must watch Animal House, Caddyshack, Vacation and Ghostbusters every few years.

Paul and I don't to nearly as many movies as we used to. We have Netflix. There aren't as many that we wish to see. Movies are expensive (and tix are complicated). But I'm glad they still keep making them. Movies are important in our culture and as stated in this blog, they help make up the framework of our lives.

Take That, Lucy!

Charlie Brown kicked the ball this time. And it felt so good!

So many times, Iowa State University football fans have been used to getting oh, so close to a big win - then in the blink of an eye, the football gods whisked the victory away. A fumble, a missed field goal - you know the drill.

Saturday, Paul and I were able to watch our team beat Texas Christian University, ranked #4, making our team 4-0 in October. Say, what? It's been a beautiful thing. I hope it doesn't stop, but my Cyclone past tells me "one game at a time".

Saturday was chilly. Good thing Kevin and Kari have sides for their tent. The little radiant heater we purchased at Costco came in handy too. It was nice to see Krissy and Caleb Carroll - they had a day off from parenting as their baby girl Lenny, in Creston with the grandparents. I bet Bobbie was loving it. Jeff had to sneak in time with her during harvest.

I was glad my hunter husband brought along some "Hot Hands". Even though the sun was shining, it got chilly quickly. We did do a bit a jumping around during the game - one of Matt Williamson's buddies was a great high-fiver.

Toward the end of the game, the Cyclones were perched precariously on a 7-point lead (14-7). TCU was driving. They were inside our ten yard-line. Lucy was getting ready to grab the ball away when Charlie approached. Time was ticking down and overtime didn't bode well. Just like that, our defense came up with a turnover! And then to end the game, another turnover. Cyclones win!

Celebrating after the game was what fans live for. Cyclone fans are a loyal lot. We've stuck with our team through thick and a lot more thin. Still, we love our Clones. And partying in a parking lot. I admit I got a little choked up watching the fans rush the field. We sang Sweet Caroline. It was marvelous! After the game, we waited out the crowd by tipping a few beers in celebration. It was a joyous bunch - the same people who have gathered after many a tough loss. This was more fun!

Life isn't all sports, although at our house - sports consume quite a bit of our time. On to other topics. There has been much published of late about sexual harassment. I am fortunate that I don't have any stories to share. I have much sympathy for anyone who has had to endure this type of attention.

A Des Moines Register columnist wrote recently about all of the decent men in her life, which allowed me to reflect on this in the same manner. How fortunate I've been to work with many decent and honorable men (and women). It's my hope and desire that anyone who is treated unfairly, sexually harassed and assaulted will now be emboldened to speak up. And that they will be heard, not discounted. If they aren't heard the first time, they will tell another. Those who have felt like they could take without asking. Time's up!