Amy's Birthday

Tomorrow marks 31 years since I became a mommy, a role I was both terrified and excited to take on. Yes, it's Amy Goldsmith's birthday! Happy Birthday to our baby girl.

Ginger and giant glasses mommy

She was the kid who made us wait a whole extra week past her due date for her arrival. (Due 10/7, arrived 10/14). Those were seven long days. Let's just say I wasn't a pleasant person to be around. I wanted that baby out of me! She had her own ideas. She still does. We are so proud to be her parents.

Parents sometimes think their kids should be little "mini-me" people. Just like us but smaller. But they aren't. I was amazed to watch our children grow up to be themselves. I can see some of Paul and me in them. Is that narcissistic? Okay it is. I bet neither Jud nor Amy calls the TV remote the "TV button" anymore. They've broken away from our spell.

Amy is an artist - a graphic designer. She wanted to be an artist since she was little. It's always been difficult for Paul and me to understand. That isn't our language. But when your child loves something positive, you grow to love it too. She is also many other things, including a business owner and accountant thanks to running her own biz. When I looked into that little face 31 years ago I didn't foresee all of those things. But I imagined the possibilities. And now they are here!

It's been a year of many events and accomplishments for our daughter.

• She moved with Corey Park from Atlanta to Pennsylvania
• Amy researched the possible places to live and selected the burg of West Chester, just outside of Philadelphia
• She was a bridesmaid in Jud and Kara's wedding in April
• Her boyfriend Corey asked her to marry him while they were on a trip to Denver, surrounded by friends
• She said yes!
• Amy and Corey traveled to Croatia on vacation
• They began planning a wedding
• She said yes to the dress

Thirty one years ago I wasn't thinking that Amy would some day find a partner. I didn't ponder the fun I'd have wedding dress shopping with my baby girl. I remember looking into my daughter's eyes and feeling the type of love I'd never imagined before. The "I'd give my life for you" kind of love. I was lucky enough to feel it again two more times with Judson and Patrick.

I'm looking forward to the year to come. It's going to be some year!

Everything and Whiz On It

Our long weekend in the Philadelphia area was everything I dreamed it would be and more! Ever since our lovely daughter became engaged to Corey Park, I've been looking forward to shopping for "the dress" with her. You see I was thinking of good memories with my mom and sister shopping for my dress - finding "the one" at Regency Bridal in Omaha.

I was thinking that wreck in the West Roads parking lot happened when Betso got married but she says that was my shopping trip. But Bets says she got her dress in Colorado, so Mom rammed into another car shopping with me! It was minor, anyway.

George at Valley Forge

Paul and I headed to Pennsylvania on Thursday. That afternoon we visited Valley Forge, just north of West Chester where Amy lives. George Washington and forces wintered there in when the British overtook Philadelphia. There is a museum and quite a large area where the troops lived. It was beautiful to walk around - one could feel the history. That night we sat outside in West Chester at one of the cute restaurants - enjoying family time. We took Franklin the Wonder Wienie on several walks.

On Friday we ventured into the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. We visited Independence Hall after I snapped a walk-by photo of the Liberty Bell - that line was long. Sad I didn't get a picture of the crack.

We decided to go super tourist and ride the double decker bus. It was a great way to see all of the sites and we even stopped at the steps that Rocky ran up in the movie. Later in the weekend we watched the movie. It's still good - Adrian! My college girlfriends and I were just goofy over Sly Stallone, ya'll.

We hopped off the bus to go to Pat's, a local joint known for Philly Cheesecake sandwiches. Corey scoped it out. He coached us on ordering - you can't stand there like a dummy when it's your turn. You must know what you want. Paul and I split a sannie with onions and whiz. That's Cheese Whiz. Oh, you can get real cheese, but it's just not right according to the pros. It was drippy delish!

Amy and I don't have the best track record shopping together. My recollection of school shopping with my artsy girl was of her inventing an outfit in her head that didn't exist and we'd spend a day trying to find it. Frustrating! She and I learned to split up and shop separately - meeting up later to compare notes and purchases.

Philly Street

I know Amy too was a bit concerned about how the two of us might go about finding a wedding dress for the big day in August. The kid did homework to get ready. She pre-shopped in her hometown of West Chester and even the Big Apple. Amy's been watching "Say Yes to the Dress" episodes and knows the dress designers. Gee before my wedding all I did was buy a copy of Modern Bride magazine.

Amy made an appointment with a fine wedding dress establishment. We took the train in to the city from near her home. It took about an hour. We had a few extra minutes before our appointment so we walked through a historic alley on our way there.

A lovely young lady helped Amy select dresses to try on. My daughter had figured out the styles and designers she was interested in. She tried on several before she found "the one". I must admit I got choked up for just a second. (okay I had to blow my nose too). Success was a good feeling. The dress is coming on a slow boat from China just like mine did (translation it's taking 8 months or so to arrive from wherever). After filling out all the paperwork we were so happy we walked across the street to Fork and had salads and drinks. Later Amy and I went to another shop to check out bridesmaid's dresses. Success again. The train ride back was a happy one. That night we tried another local establishment.

Sunday I talked everyone into visiting King of Prussia Mall - the biggest in the Universe or something. Corey wasn't wild about the idea, but I played the Mother-In-Law card. We got back to West Chester in time to attend the Chili Festival - 50 or so types to try! I only managed to gulp down 12 or so, but they were yummy. We tried bowling after that. I was a failure, but my muscles are still reminding me how much fun it was. 

   

Tailgating thoughts

It's been an emotional week. A friend, Len Klein, father of ISU Cyclone great AJ Klein, passed away. Len had been battling a rare cancer for the past two years. He was 55 years old. We met Len and wife Jean, plus many other family members during AJ's years playing at ISU. They tailgated in section D2 with the McKim group and the Kevin and Kari Ehrecke. The Kleins are a fun-loving close-knit family. We are thinking of them during this time. Prayers to you all.



At the ISU spring football game, AJ was invited back to be an honorary captain. It was so fun that Jean and Len decided to attend, staying with Kevin and Kari in their Ames home. It was a gorgeous April day in Iowa. We ended up tailgating late into the afternoon with the group - McKims, Ehreckes, Kleins and AJ stopped by with some other former Cyclones. AJ told us a few things about life in the NFL. He plays linebacker for the Carolina Panthers. Len was feeling pretty good then and it was a grand time. We laughed until my ribs hurt!



This Saturday was another early game for the Cyclones. They played ranked Big 12 foe Baylor in a tough game. ISU lead until the 4th quarter but most fans recognized the Charlie Brown script where the victory (ball) is whipped away at the last second. My logical side knows that we are simply looking for improvement from this team and we certainly are seeing that. Young players are making plays all over the field. My fan side says "Just Win" dammit!



Once again we kicked butt in tailgating. ISU does have that down to an art. Yesterday was "Good Beer Bad Beer day" with our tailgating neighbors Bobbie and Bill. They brought a horse tank and everyone was to put in their beer. The tank was covered with a sheet and you had to pick your poison - caution to the wind and all that.

I stuck with my own good/back mix right from our own cooler (I know, snooty) PBR (thanks Dave Bullock for raising right) with tiny Miller High Life for the good stuff. We took breakfast pizza from Casey's for early and grilled after. Steve in the next camper served us marinated pork shanks that were awesome! Bobbie and Bill's little guys Max (3) and Hank (1.75) were about - providing entertainment. Max got dipped into the horse tank as he demanded.

We enjoyed seeing several Crestonites at our tailgate - former neighbors the Hartsocks. Sam is a sophomore at ISU, transferring from SWCC this year. His dad Tommy switched his usual Nebraska garb for ISU colors - nice to see. A Cyclone recruit, Trevor Downing (aka Farm Strong) was their with his folks and the Van Gelder family. It's always fun seeing the Conovers also former Creston neighbors. Jane and Susan (with husband Denny) Flack stopped by briefly, and some of Paul's work pals dropped by. It's like a neighborhood party in D2!



Near the end of the evening we had a special moment - lifting one to our friends Len and Jean. Len would have liked that. He spent a lot of time in this little section of the world. RIP Len.

 Iowa State University has been getting some bad press in the Des Moines Register of late - and rightfully so. The university president, Steven Leath, seems to be treating the university and the state as his own "good 'ol boys club". I don't like that. I think he has the wrong impression of what it's like to be the president at my school. He's not that special. We don't have kings in Iowa.



I'm afraid I got spoiled by our longtime President Geoffrey. He was humble and one of us. He was not looking for free stuff and figuring out how to work the system.



In my opinion Dr. Leath still just doesn't get it. Though he has apologized, I think he's mostly upset that this has come to light. He believes he can pay for the damage to the plane and quit flying it - and this issue will go away. Not true. Now we all know his true colors. I think he needs a "sniffer" - a person or group of people to be his conscience or ethics guidance. He is paid a large salary and other perks. He is not special or a rock star. Just ask Troy Davis - all time football great who Ames police arrested this weekend for public intox when he was in town to accept an award. This isn't a place where people look away. It's been a bad week for my beloved school - but it's about more than just a few people. Those tailgaters yesterday proved that. We are the university. Fellowship through good times and bad.

House Hunters

red haired chair climber

I love house hunting - even when it isn't for me. Last weekend we visited Jud and Kara in St. Louis. It was a weekend filled with many fabulous foods and beverages. In addition we got to go on a couple house hunting visits with them and their realtor, Stephanie a Washington, Iowa native who played college basketball at Wisconsin during the Jenny Lillis at Iowa era (now the Drake coach).

We played the Iowa game with her - an offshoot of the Creston game. "Do you know so and so?" Yes, we used to lived right next door to...and so on. Nice young women. Of course. Iowa nice. Meeting Stephanie made me recall the realtors Paul and I have worked with during our lives. We have been fortunate.

Our first realtor way back in 1986, was recommended to us by Paul's predecessor at his Union County NRCS job (it was the Soil Conservation Service back then). Betty Brown knew her way around town. She showed us several properties during our trip to Creston, all while not quite 1-year-old Amy stayed with my parents in Atlantic for the day. Mom said she was happy climbing in and out of a child-sized rocking chair.

view from the north - degreened the siding to

There was really only one house that we had our hearts set on - the one we purchased. It was at the top of our price range but it was one I could be excited about, though it still needed some work. For one thing - it was all green. With some rosy pink fixtures in the bathrooms. Yippy! How very 60's. There was even flat green carpet in the kitchen. How could you?

Our first home had some wonderful qualities too. I loved the light from the large pictures windows, and the entryway. There was a recently installed hot tub in the basement. Mom had a dream that Amy was drowning in it, and she had a broken leg and couldn't rescue her. That didn't come true. Sure, Amy allowed Jud to linger under the water a bit long one time. And Moki the dog tried to turn himself into a boiled puppy once. Thank goodness no real tragedies occurred - phew.

The day we replaced the kitchen carpet - by then stained with Amoxyl pink liquid antibiotic - with oh so 90's linoleum (cream with country blue check) I was in heaven. Then I learned how grimy those little pockets in linoleum can get! Our wonder-dog Moki discovered how easy it was (where there's a will there's a way) to jump onto a chair and make his way onto the built-in desk and across the cabinets to the kitchen counter to eat left-overs. Jud's Spaghettios didn't stand a chance.

Paul and I attempted exactly one wallpaper job together. Evidently he didn't like working with someone suffering from apoplexy when the edges didn't match up well. He worked better with our friend Cheri Finken. Those two paired up to offer themselves up at auction for wallpapering job for bid at the St. Malachy auction. Cheri is much calmer than I am.

A couple times a year the bar sink down stairs would start to gurgle pretty badly when the washer drained. So I'd call Willets and Woosley to come do the Roto-Rooter thing. Soon after we moved in we discovered the furnace was pretty much shot. So we bought a new one through Carrier - and took on more payments. Welcome to the Money Pit! Our concrete block wall slowly creeped inward. After several years of that, Kirby Berry and crew propped up our house on stilts and re-did that corner of the house for several thousand $$. In the meantime we did our best to re-carpet and de-green the place.

In the driveway

We loved most (not all) of the neighbors too. Sharps lived across the street. Amy was one of our first teen sitters. Her brothers were always playing with trucks in their garden. Reicks lived behinds us - both Jenny and Jonathon went to St. Malachy and were both were sitters for the kids. I've often wondered how Jonathon is doing - he had a stroke like brain injury as a very young man. Don and Betty Tyner lived right behind us and they were like pretend great aunts and uncles, loaning Paul their truck to haul things. Betty would ask Amy to play the piano, gushing over the resulting tinkle of the keys. Jud loved watching the construction of their screened in porch when he was 3 or so. He became the builder's best (or worst) friend. "What are you doing now?" The Owens family lived just north of Tyners. Leanne liked to come play HORSE and other games with our family - such a nice kid.

The location of our first house was perfect for school. We could walk the kids one block (Moki even came along) so they could board a bus to take them right to St. Malachy. One year Jenny Reick stopped by to walk with Amy who was so proud in her Velcro Ariel shoes.

As the kids grew up we had a lot of parties there - mostly for kids. For a while the McFees would come over on Sundays and we'd split up the meal - Bobbie would say, "I've got stuff for salad and some chops." and I'd say, "We have beans and some bread" and we'd make a meal together. I so enjoyed those times.

We loved that house - warts and all. It was our first home. There was a lot of living and love there.

great patio

Hanging with Mr. & Mrs. Goldsmith

Paul and I packed Odie up Friday and headed the Subaru south to visit Jud and Kara in St. Louis. We hadn't seen them since the day after they got married way back in April. Wow! We had a lot of catching up to do. We've been places, they've been places. Sure, we've talked on the phone, but it's just not the same as in person, you know.

The theme of the weekend was mainly food (and family togetherness). We arrived in a rainstorm Friday evening. Henry the grand puppy was so happy to see us. He is such a lovely boy - I don't believe I've ever heard him growl or bark. He does like to jump up and greet you right in your lap - so hold onto your drinks. Odie was not impressed.

Odie watches Henry like a hawk

Friday we headed out in the rain for yummy cornbread crust pizza. Our son the gentleman, dropped us off at the door and arrived a big soggy at the restaurant. I forget how funny and full of information the guy is. He loves to podcasts and NPR. Kara likes to give him crap when he spouts less than factual information - as a good wife should.  They make a great pair! My mother used to believe everything my dad told her - no matter how far-fetched!

Farmer's Market

Saturday morning we attended a Farmer's Market in the Soulard neighborhood. It was all under roof, which was interesting. There were live chickens and fruit I'd never seen before.

Jud, Kara and Paul place their orders

Ribs!

Next, we arrived early at Jud's favorite Barbeque joint, Pappy's - just to make sure Jud and Paul could get Burnt Ends.
That afternoon, we went with J&K to look at a couple houses - just like house hunters on HGTV. It was fun! I like house shopping, though the kids are getting a bit tired of it. The market in town has been very tough - with houses going above asking price, and quickly! They are trying to be patient, but it's hard when they are so excited and ready to move into their very own place. So we went for Ted Drewe's Frozen Custard at a local place that obviously quite popular. Yum. Of course we had to rest and watch football after that.

Jud and Kara live in the Grove neighborhood where there are lots of cute restaurants and bars. That's what we did last night, when it was so nice out. We walked a few blocks over to the Cowboy bar, which is surrounded by bamboo out back. We could only muster up enough appetite for a few chips and wings. No surprise right? Then we stopped at a couple more bars that were still pretty quiet as the night was young. The Urban Chestnut Brewery is always fun. Odie and Henry were happy when we arrived back at J&K's apartment.

After we left this morning, the kids were going to look at yet another potential future home. We wish them luck! I remember when Paul and I purchased our first house in Creston. It took a while to settle in, but we made that place on Prairie Street our own. We lived there 12 years!

The good news is that we'll see Kara and Jud later in October when they come up for a football game. Yay! Life is good.

Bull Creek

Up Bull Creek without a paddle?

I've blogged before about my idyllic 60's childhood. It wasn't perfect, but in my "Wayback Machine" mind, it was pretty good. We Bullock girls and friends wandered the south edge of Atlantic on foot and on two wheels, investigating it all. No need to worry about property lines, barbed wire fences or culverts.

During work this week I had reason to search the Atlantic, Iowa (hometown) website. On it I saw references to a Bull Creek Culvert. Ah, the memories! There was a culvert at the bottom of the hill by my elementary school so scary cool. It was dark and cool, with just enough water in it to get my shoes wet. There were bugs in there - and an occasional frog!

Above my pal Robyn's house before they built the church, there was a barbed wire fence and a pond. The challenge of crossing that fence was huge! Challenge accepted! You had to step by a post, where the wire was more stable. I imagine we ended up with lots of bug bites, a few scrapes and very dirty. But oh the fun we had. Can you imagine a stinky crew of kids marching in for Kool Aid and Hydrox cookies?

Nostalgic much? Yes I am.

At my Cedar Rapids Grandparents' home around age 7

Hats off to the workers of this great country

Labor Day 2016. I owe a nice day off to celebrate the working man and woman who make life as I know it possible. Just like many of our holidays, many people don't even care or understand what or who we honor on this day. I do.

I started early in life working with some really awesome people that didn't need a four-year degree from college to make a living. They make it in life with talent, intelligence, and hard work.

My first job was working at a gas station with a talented mechanic who had some of the best customer service skills of anyone I've ever worked with. Harry Hjortshoj loved sending me out for warm donuts from the store a couple blocks away when certain people brought their cars in for service. Or we'd take his old pickup with a tire-covered front bumper to collect their vehicle right from their home. I'd drive their car back to Harry's station, and he liked to bump into me at stop signs. I was a new driver and it freaked me out! He'd smile and wave. What a character that guy was.

When I graduated from college, I landed a job (during a depression no less), at a grocery wholesale biz. There were lots of smart, creative people working there. They taught me about working in an office, banking for businesses and how to get along with a bunch of women in an office. The sales staff and the drivers were pro's. Except the ones who weren't - and everyone worked together to either work around them, or eventually ditch them. Face it, there are losers in all levels of occupations.

After we got married, Paul and I moved to northern Iowa and there I experienced my first factory job - Fox River Mills in Osage. I was in the computer department where Karla Smith and I had entered orders. I've always been fascinated by factories - I think it came from those early kid's TV shows where they showed how to make pencils and stuff. And touring the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling plant in Atlantic. The people working at that factory were (and are) good hardworking people that make excellent socks and gloves right here in the USA.

Fast forward to the mid-1990's when I worked in Creston at Gits Manufacturing as a production planner - one of the most stressful jobs I ever had, (not so) magically making purchased parts and manufactured parts come together to complete a complex part to sell to the automotive and other industries. Workers would take pressed sheets of steel and make them into parts. Others would had bolts and vents. It was tedious work, and could be steamy hot. Some of the people at that shop could fabricate anything. How cool is that? These people, and all the service people make our lives possible. We thank you!

I love Sundays when we have Monday holidays. Yesterday our friends Bobbie and Jeff came up and we rode bikes down by Cumming. Fun time - seeing friends and having a couple beers. Later we sat on our deck and chatted, then watched that exciting Texas Longhorn victory over Notre Dame. Life is good!