Next Gen, Cake, Creston Loving Arms

I've been sifting through generations of stuff at our home. Thinking about what the next gen might want. We've been hauling around Bullock/Morehead stuff for 30+ years now. Add in all of our own stuff. I don't want to stick our children with all that. Sure we have a nice big place now, but what happens when we downsize again?

HGTV has made an impact on furniture "hand-me-downs". Suddenly (okay over a period of 60 years), the Ethan Allen cupboards my parents and grandparents handed down to me are looking outdated. They have served our family well, but I don't see them moving to the next gen. End tables, inherited from my parents, are looking beat up. Wear and tear have caught up with them. It's time to move on. And what about all those knick-knacks? Our children may want a few, but some may need to go as well.

I cleaned out the kitchen area last week. I knew there were some containers and items I hadn't used since we moved to Des Moines five-plus years ago. I must admit failure when it came to a few key items pictured below. In the end, I put these back in the cupboard. Amy and Jud could score big someday!

30 year-old blender, snazzy ice bucket

The angel food cake pan above was never on the chopping block. I took a photo of it to send to our family. It was a walk down memory lane that had started when we traveled to Jud and Kara's just after Paul's 60th birthday. They had asked what Paul's favorite dessert is, and I replied angel food.

Jud took on that challenge - despite the fact that he and Kara do not have a cool cake pan like the one above. If you've ever made an angel food from a box, you might have noted that there is an alternative recipe for loaf pans. Our loving son related the story of how he attempted to halve the recipe, dumping some of the cake mix on the floor in the process. Clean up on aisle Goldsmith. I'm sure the dogs helped! Then he must have undercooked it a bit (these cakes are tricky). And you must prop them up upside down so they don't collapse. Oops. Still, I'm so proud that he cared enough to make his dad's fave treat.

The birthday boy with Jud and Kara

Kara and Jud rescued the cake with lots of whipped cream, strawberries and love. They served it that night after taking us out to a yummy steakhouse. That night we talked about the cake pan and memories of cake baking. Paul usually baked those cakes - many times for of our angel Patrick George's birthday. Amy would draw birthday cards (early artist in action). Paul loves eating the crusty angel food top hot out of the oven - a great memory from his own childhood as well. It was a wonderful family evening. That pan is priceless.

Speaking of family, a big shout out to the SW Iowa towns of Creston and Corning. Tragedy struck when the Sharp family lives were cut short. On vacation in Mexico, an unknown gas killed the family of four in their condominium. This is unimaginable.

I've spent the weekend trying to come terms with it. It seems impossible. I am not a close friend of the family. Kevin grew up across the street from our first house in Creston. I met Amy when I worked at the landfill and she worked at the courthouse. Still, they are part of the Creston family. In a small town, this is how one feels. They should still be there. This story should be about a family I've never heard of from somewhere else. It hurts. When it is someone you don't know it is worrisome, but it doesn't hurt like this.

Family takes care of each other. Already the Adams County Speedway held an event honoring the family. Kevin was a racer there - in Corning, the town next to Creston. More events are scheduled to surround the families with love. Individuals and families will step up and deliver meals, hugs memorial money, prayers and thoughts. That is why we raised our children in this area. I trust that the loving arms of the communities will do what can be done. Such a loss. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Barbra Streisand Cloned Fido

I read a NY Times article last week about Barbra cloning her beloved dog, Samantha. Miss Scarlett and Miss Violet were cloned from cells from Samantha's mouth and stomach. The old girl passed away when she was 14. Babs loved the dog so much, she wanted to copy her - for an estimated $50K.

I find this idea somewhat ludicrous. Each dog has its own wonderful spirit. You can always select a breed with certain characteristics you enjoy. (Facebook hounds me with articles like this all the time). Now you can even adopt a "homeless" dog that has been fostered. That way you will know all of its nuances and habits ahead of your decision. If I get another dog someday, that is what I plan to do.

In my life, three totally different dogs have blessed me. Have they all really been the same spirit? Sometimes I believe so. Perhaps it's just me seeing what I want to in their little bodies. Let's compare:

Jud the dog

Jud Bullock. Yes, I named my son after a dog. In all fairness, the from my childhood was named after my dad, David Judson Bullock. So our son is really named after him. But he could have done worse to be named after the loyal and determined 25-pound doggy bro of my youth.

Jud was a full-sized dachshund, reddish-tan. He was born March 25, 1958, so his 60th birthday will soon be here. One might wonder why I remember a long-dead dog's birthday - but cant' recall your name. Ah, they say short-term memory is the first thing to go. Jud lived to be 15, passing during my freshman year in high school.

Jud was loyal and true. He made like McGruff the Crime Dog, following the Bullock kids all around the neighborhood, ensuring our safety. There were no leash laws back then. Our Jud had the run of the area, luring the neighbors into feeding him. Jud's short little legs couldn't keep up with our bikes - yet he eventually showed up wherever we went. If any neighbor kids encroached on our playhouse - Jud went into attack mode, barking like Kujo. Jud was a good boy.

Amy, Jud and Moki all make funny faces 

Moki Goldsmith. I can't believe I waited until I was nearly 30 to get a dog as an adult. I am a very pragmatic person. I don't believe in getting a pet when you can't properly care for it. I had to "try out" parenting with kids to know I could do it. haha. I would not recommend having a puppy and a one-year-old at the same time though.

If Jud were cloned - chubby tan wiener dog, lays around all day. Loyal? To food.

Moki came to us thanks to a puppy advertisement in the Creston News Advertiser.  Paul and I had learned to love West Highland White Terriers thanks to my sister Susi's sweet dog Mac. Paul named our new white fur ball. Moki means great white bear. Bears are very creative when it comes to getting food - so the name was a good fit.

Another fitting middle name would have been Houdini, a whiz at getting out of the kennel. Even after Paul fastened a clamp on the top. Moki would do anything to get people food. I'd holler at him and he'd put himself in kennel "timeout" for a couple hours. He thought of himself as Jud and Amy's sibling. Smart dog, good boy.

Moki clone - comes complete with a Houdini outfit, he lives on the street. No kennel can keep him. Moki sneaks into people's homes to dine like a king.

Odie with mustard

Odie Pearl Goldsmith. Moki passed away in 2004. He'd lived a good life - considering he'd had diabetes for 7 of his 13 years. We were dog-free for six months. It was lonely. Amy was away at college. Jud wanted a bigger dog. Paul wanted another Westie. I wanted something different. My sis Betso had a couple miniature weiner dogs. Dad's girlfriend Kay, a dog trainer suggested that breed for us. So we got Odie - named after a cartoon character and the dog in the Spenser (Robert B. Parker) novels.

Puppies are so cute. I never want another one. Training them is ridiculous. Chewing and potty. Doxies are stubborn exceptionally stubborn. That said, once Odie was potty trained, Odie became a model doggy. She is a lover of people, especially women. Odie is a model traveler and houseguest (except for those pesky black hairs). She knows where her meals come from, so she never runs away. Odie does love people food, so she is a beggar. My bad for teaching her that our food is yummy.

Clone of Odie - already a good jumper, new Odie can leap even higher, allowing her to snatch food right off the counter.

If only our pets could live as long as we do. No doubt that's what Barbra is looking for by cloning her pet. For me, there's no replacing my best friends with new dogs their genes. The heartbreak when you lose your pet is rough - but worth it.

I enjoyed a day with my bestie this weekend. Deb drove up from Creston. Odie made a big deal about it - moaning and howling, expecting belly rubs. We tried an Ecuadorian place for lunch. One I couldn't get Paul to go to....it was great! Then we shopped at a couple consignment shops - Deb loves those. I found a cool jacket. Last stop - Taco Hangover for a beer. All the while we talked - fam, jobs, and politics! Love that girl. It was a great day. Just ask Odie.

Meet me in St. Louis

St. Louis was never a place I thought I'd be visiting often - until Jud and Kara moved there a few years ago. Even then, we thought the city might be a "passing phase". Now it seems they've settled in quite nicely. Kara travels and works from home. Jud is enjoying his new job at Purina, managing lines of pet food. They have lots of friends to hang out with. We're so proud of both of them. 

We hadn't really seen them since our family gathering in St. Louis for Thanksgiving. Sure, we glimpsed them briefly at ISU's fab bowl game in Memphis. But that was a few words in here and there, mostly on historic Beale Street. Not really the quality time one is hoping for with our kids, though celebrating that victory together was priceless! They seemed more excited about seeing the winning players instead of us on Saturday night.

So we scheduled this early March trip to STL - just after Paul's birthday. It worked out well. Mother Nature is trying to hang on - snow showers fell on the way there, and back. During our time in the Gateway City, the weather cooperated just fine.

Odie went along to see her "people" and to put up with the boys, Jud and Kara's dogs Henry and Archie. She didn't have to tune them up as much as usual - the boys are growing up and are past the puppy phase. I was tempted to purchase a pill organizer for her meds. She's now on 3 meds for her heart, but those seem to make a difference. 

We were all overjoyed to arrive at Jud and Kara's home on Friday night. Once we had the tour of all the updates they'd been working on at their 1920's home, we visited a Cajun/Cuban restaurant.

The next morning, we stopped at a kolache bakery right in Jud and Kara's neighborhood. We could choose from pastries filled with cream cheese, eggs, sausage, and fruit. Warm and tasty.

Later that morning we headed downtown to tour the Fabulous Fox Theatre. In Des Moines, we have a fine modern theater in the Civic Center and are fortunate that it pulls in awesome Tony Award winning musicals each year. That building cannot compare to the truly fabulous Fox Theatre, originally built in 1929 as a movie theater. When the building fell into disarray (damn you 1970's rock concerts), Fox Associates purchased and refurbished it - reopening in 1982.

Organ Player

Above the stage

The tour was historical. It included a short performance by the organ player - he and the organ slowly raised up out of the floor as he played dramatically. We traipsed through all areas of the large building. We got to see where the rich people sit and the dressing rooms with posters drawn on the walls everywhere - for Broadway shows and music groups. We stood on stage. The whole thing took over an hour, up and down stairs.  We heard about ghosts at the theater - one of the employees died on the job, running the movie machine.   

You can book this for your wedding for $25K

On stage

That night we celebrated Paul's birthday at a great place Kara and Jud discovered, Twisted Tree Steakhouse. The salad dressing was super and my filet was really good. Thanks to K&J for taking us out! Later we sat up and talked, sharing a nice bottle of red wine.

Have I mentioned how much I like adult children? It's fun to talk about work, tell them family stories and hear about their friends. Jud entertained us with stories from his new job at Purina. It seems they have culinary events at work. And no they don't taste the dog food.

Archie thinks Henry is his pillow

All too soon, it was Sunday morning and time to head home. It's hard to leave when we don't know when we'll see them again. Summer? I hope so. Both sets of our children have weddings here this summer. Yay. We also have a date in August in Washington for our nephew Alex's wedding. Some dates to look forward to. 

Rob the Cradle

Paul turned sixty years old this week. Now he's my age once again.

As his birthday approached, I sensed he was apprehensive about this age milestone.

Sixty seems like reverse puberty. We'll be going through some changes during this decade. Aging bodies and finishing up our careers. It's exciting! And scary. I wrote the blog about this very thing when I turned sixty. March 1 was Paul's turn to join the 60 Club. He warned me - he wanted no surprises.

What does one do if he doesn't want a "party" for his birthday? We planned a pub crawl of course! Our tailgating pals, Ehreckes and McKims came to DSM to celebrate with us on Friday night. It was Kari's big bday earlier in the week, so we had 2 to celebrate.

Initially, Paul planned about five stops. I reminded him that we're 60 (except those youngster McKims).

We started at Peace Tree. It's a Quonset hut brewpub in the East Village. The place is named after a magical tree in the area that is now Lake Red Rock, near Pleasantville. As you can tell, I didn't think to snap the photo until we nearly drained our beers. We did take our own snacks - something that is welcomed at the places that don't sell food.

Then we went to the larger joint, Confluence in a warehouse area off Bell Avenue near Grays Lake. Paul and I usually enter through the other door, biking in. Confluence sells beer all over the state and one can find their beer on tap many places. After I took this pic, Kevin and Kari's daughter Kacie joined us. She recently moved back to Iowa from California and said she had fun hanging with the oldsters. It was nice to see her.

Our last stop before supper was Carl's Place. Because you need a good dive bar to bring you back to your small town Iowa roots.

Carl's is located near Hoyt Sherman on Woodland Avenue. It was hopping - filled with young people. In fact, Donnie tracked down one other group of older people for us to talk with. They too had noticed that we raised the average age of the joint. We watched the end of the ISU/Oklahoma game on the big screen. The Cyclones young team gives us reason for hope for next year. Plus ISU is really a football school, right? haha

We stopped at Gilroy's Kitchen for pizza on our way home. The conversation had me laughing so hard. Watching Paul laugh was fun too. Kevin can be quite entertaining and is a good artist. When we got home, Odie was so overjoyed to see that we brought friends with us.

Saturday morning we tried a breakfast casserole I put together Friday afternoon. Sausage, hashbrown, eggs, and cheese - nothing fancy, but filling. We are already excited about the football season and tailgating. Seven games this year! This is a good group to be sixty with. 

Calvin Take Me Away

You gotta love SpellCheck.

No, not really. The app that fixes one's spelling "errors" seems to mess up what I'm trying to say more often than it helps. And it's so sneaky, sliding a change in stealthily after I've viewed text I'm ready to send. I'm sure SpellCheck laughs its ass off over how it dupes people into sending idiotic texts.

Last week my girlfriends and I were excited about gathering for our annual vacation. This year is special because we all turn 60. Most flew into Orlando on Thursday. Watson and I didn't arrive until Friday - to meet up with them for an evening flight to Key West. Paula was already on site in KW. On Thursday, Robyn, Sal, Pam, and Julia were trading group emails about meeting up. I was slogging through a series of work meetings, preoccupied with packing and my friends.

As our group text message string grew, I attempted to send a photo of the PowerPoint from my meeting. I typed "Calgon, Take Me Away" to go with it. SpellCheck changed Calgon to Calvin. Of course, I didn't notice it until later when someone else posted a reply. Ugh! Robyn said she knew what I meant. Watson said she wanted me to bring Calvin along - so this became a running joke. This group is witty and funny - a must for buddies. They fill my bucket. 

What about these bucket fillers? It all started 11 years ago with our 50th birthdays when we pulled a group together to honor our pal Theresa Faust, who had passed away. Since then we have grown to be fast friends - something I truly need at this stage of my life. They are my support and advice. Hey, it takes a lot to be a woman of our age.

We've been gathering each year since our 50th, sometimes at our class reunion in our hometown Atlantic. In addition to Nebraska and Iowa, we've been to Oregon, California, Florida, Texas, and Florida. For our 60th we chose Key West, Florida. Paula found a lovely townhouse on VRBO. It is on Stock Island, adjacent to Key West. The gang arrived on a prop airplane at about 6 PM on Friday night. Our pal Paula, trip planner extraordinaire, picked us up.

Our puzzle fits nicely

Have I mentioned what good cooks my friends are? Paula had purchased a grouper at a local fish market. She grilled it and Julia also performed some magic. We had fish tacos that night. The grouper melted in my mouth! Robyn is a super bartender. I am on cleanup duty. We had 60 cake and did a puzzle Paula made her own self. My talent is listening to audiobooks.

The next day we walked to the local Botanic Garden and sat by the pool in our complex. We had the place all to ourselves for a while. It was like our own little Atlantic Golf and Country Club pool.

Rob & Jules hydrate

That evening we wished to see the sunset from the pier, so we taxied down. Then we walked to Duval Street - the commercial happening spot on the island. I insisted on buying Red Headed Slut shots for all at the Smallest Bar. This was in honor of our 60th birthday. It's a fam tradition as I'd done this for my sister Cindo's 60th on my first visit to the island.

Love how the sun shines on us

So pretty! 

Smallest Bar - shots! 

The next day was a bit rainy. We paid for a tour bus to take us around the island. The driver was very knowledgeable about the history of the place. There are several military bases in the area, and we noted flyovers at Stock Island quite frequently. We hopped out and some of us visited the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, where I felt like I was in a Disney movie. Paula and I walked over the KW Cemetery, but it was closed, and nobody hopped out of a grave to let us in.

After winter in Iowa, it was nice to see green plants and butterflies

The flamingo was trying to impress his mate

KW is full of chickens and a rooster woke us up each a.m. 

We ate at a Cuban restaurant that afternoon. I think the Cubano sannie in the East Village in DSM is just as good.

Hey there sailor! 

Monday was the day we celebrated our birthdays. Most of us are already 60, but Robyn's is coming up soon and Sal's is not until August. We took an 8-minute boat ride to Latitudes on Sunset Key for a lovely luncheon overlooking the most beautiful view anyone could wish for. I ordered a lobster roll, which was delicious. After lunch, we shared desserts, of course!

Giving Paula selfie lessons

Luncheon View! 

Sixty is grand!

After lunch, Paula and I decided to stay on Duvall and listen to music. We heard a good band at Sloppy Joe's - the older bar in town. The name came from how messy the place was from ice melting and the owner's name - not the sandwich. The gang stopped at the store. When we arrived back at the ranch, we ate shrimp and celebrated our last night together by playing Cards Against Humanity. I did not win - I think Pam was the come-from-behind victor.

In between all of our activities we spent time on our deck and watching the Olympics. We had discussions about our parents, health, jobs and volunteer activities. At one point there was a half pill on the table. Whose was it? We Nancy Drews figured it out. We talked about future plans. This stage of our lives is exciting and scary! It's best to be in it together. Cultivating friendships isn't always. But oh, the payoff is sweet. 

Aren't they adorable?  I adore them! 

On Tuesday three of us headed back to their real lives. Away from the rest of us. We remaining four carried on as best we could. We went to lunch at Hogfish. It was yummy. I love the open-air joints. We hit the pool one last time. Leftovers were on the menu that night. I hate that part. Cleaning out the frig, stripping the beds - all pointing at the reality. The party's over.

Marina on Strand Island

Flying sucks. I'm not a genius when it comes to traversing airports. I bumbled my way through Orlando (exiting and going back through security) yet still made my flight to Houston. My flight to DSM was delayed for two hours. Still, my honey collected me at the not quite DSM International airport at 11 PM that night. I was happy to see him and Odie. I was not happy to see the wintery Iowa weather and my job. Calvin. Take me away!

VIPs

Looking back, there have been many Very Important People (VIPS) who have touched my life when I needed a helping hand, guidance or maybe just a hint. Wayne Rodgers, my friend Sally's father, provided equine and life guidance when I was in those tender junior high hears especially. He was a great role model. Wayne, the General Manager of Walnut Grove Company in Atlantic, was an intelligent, quiet, mostly serious man who I looked up to. 

Me with Frosty - Wayne is in the background

When I was in 7th grade, my mom asked Wayne to help find me a horse. My parents (and grandparents) got me a horse for my birthday. He accepted that challenge, hunting down my first mare, Frosty. She was owned by a family in Yale, Iowa. Wayne and I drove together to pick her up. I was overjoyed to be getting a horse. I must have talked his ear off. One year later, the family wanted Frosty back, so I "traded up" for a 3-year-old registered quarter horse gelding they had by the name of Poco Hi Jack. Then my new young horse needed training - Wayne helped with that and he lined up all our horses (he/Sal had some too) medical and shoeing needs.

Wayne and I went on many a road trip together - sometimes with my friend Sally, other times it was just he and I. We talked about many things in life, but mostly stuck to horse talk. Years later, when Paul and I were dating, I was so pleased that he got to know Wayne and his lovely wife Anna Day when he helped Wayne build a shed at their home in Atlantic. Paul agrees with me. Wayne was a VIP - to many people.

I read today about another VIP. He meant a great deal to many young people at a school in Ohio. Dan Wirth was a custodian at the school. I read about him in a Washington Post Article. Mr. Wirth passed away recently after a short illness, and the students were saddened. He was a "security blanket" in their young lives.

Many of the students are from low-income families. They relied on Mr. Wirth as a "steady Eddie". He swept up messes and helped coordinate departures at the end of the school day. It sounds like he did his duties with a smile. I read that this man was a former steelworker and owner of an electronics store, who found himself working as a custodian. He might have considered that this job to be beneath his skill set. But he didn't. We need more Dan Wirths in our world. I'm sorry we lost him so soon. RIP.

I told Paul about this story, and we decided Creston has had a similar VIP gem in Darwin West, bus driver extraordinaire! Darwin drove bus routes and drove the bus for sports teams. He always had a bright smile for everyone - and a few smart comments.

I bet you have VIPs in your lives too. Take time to thank them - if you can. I get to see Wayne's daughter Sally soon. I'll tell her how much her father meant to me. 

Super game?

I was raised on football. Today is Super Bowl day. I don't have a favorite but will pull for the underdog Eagles. Paul and I listened to the audiobook "Silver Linings Playbook" recently. You may have seen the movie the book was based on. The main character in the book is a huge Eagles fan, which encourages me to appreciate the team, its fans and the "Fly Eagles Fly" song.

I grew up watching football on TV and at the Trojan Bowl, where our school team played. Sure insert condom jokes if you want to. We Trojan fans are used to it! The Atlantic Trojans were good at football - especially in the 60's and 70's. In the 60's, our team featured the great Eddie Podolak, who went on to star for the Iowa Hawkeyes (I cheered for them too, once upon a time). Then he went on to play for the Kansas City Chiefs. He now does color for the Hawkeye football games - wearing his black and gold heart on his sleeve (tongue).

AHS teams seemed to always be at the top of the conference. Coaches sent players went on to college teams. Just this year, I read that our former A-town neighbor Tom Hayes is retiring as defensive coordinator at Kansas State University, after a long career as a player and coach. Football was in the Atlantic water. 

So proud of my football jersey

I don't have any brothers but was (am?) what used to be called a "tomboy".  I'm not sure that term is even proper anymore. I knew that beyond the backyard and Powder Puff variety, I'd never get to play the game in any real sense. That didn't stop me from asking for a football for my birthday. I'd punt it in my backyard and run and catch it! Behind Tyler's house, up the hill from Buck's, there was an open space where we used to put together neighborhood games. I liked being the wide receiver. Sue Tyler made a good QB. 

My family worshipped television. When I see homes where the TV isn't a main feature in the living room, I think, "whaaaat is this about?" Sure, an office or library without a television - makes perfect sense. But the room where one lives? No way. Our own home features a big TV, just how we like it.

I have fond memories of watching football with my family - including my grandparents Momo and Bubba. They too worshipped the TV god. We'd go to their place for "drinks". I remember watching the Dolphins vs. the Chiefs when Eddie played. The Fins came out on top of the longest NFL game ever played. My grandma, Momo loved the Viking's Fran Tarkenton and Roger Staubach of the Cowboys. Had a thing for the QBs, I guess. 

I don't know what the future of football is. Head injuries are a major concern. How can some players go through life not showing the trauma from head injuries, yet other are so damaged? More work needs to be done to change the game - or it may just fade away as parents quit funneling their boys into it. And Millennials paying for cable TV.

Meanwhile, I continue to be a fan. College football is my passion. And tailgating! I'm a winner at that - thanks to our Cyclone tailgating pals.

Go team!