I enjoyed attending, taking photos and interviewing folks at Fourth of July Celebrations in Grinnell and Montezuma last week.
My hat goes off to the promoters in both towns. It’s hard to beat small-town celebrations and both Grinnell and Montezuma did a great job this year. I love walking in the parades and sometimes talking with the folks on the floats and on old tractors while they make their way along the parade route. I like to walk alongside the parade entries so I can get better photos. I’ve never been one to sit on the sidelines and hope I get a good photo. I like capturing all the smiles and happy folks enjoying life. At Grinnell, I struck up a conversation with a fellow dressed in a Confederate War uniform. It was a nice day for a parade, but wearing a uniform made of wool had to be hot. “Are you hot?” I asked. “Yes,” he said. We visited for a couple minutes when I noticed Duane McCune taking photos of me walking with this fellow. Duane is an avid Grinnell photographer who does a lot of photography for the Grinnell Fire Department on fire calls. He then shared the photos on my Facebook page. “It occurred to me that while you are out doing the photography and writing the stories of the subjects, you're behind the scenes and normally not seen by the public, so I took a few photos,” Duane said when I reached out to say thanks after the parade. I visited with others and took lots of photos during the parade. The Grinnell parade is the longest of the two communities, covering just over two miles. There were at least 70 entries in the parade. Montezuma’s isn’t quite as long, traveling under a mile from the school to the town square, but this year was one of the best and biggest I’ve covered in several years. There were about 75 entries from churches to tractors, Legion members, businesses and lots of patriotism and candy. Parade Marshals Jo Ahrens, Barb Albin and Marg McVay enjoyed being in the spotlight and I captured some good photos of the ladies waving at the large crowd gathered along the parade route. Long-time announcers George Salnave and Marvin Ferneau returned to Montezuma, after both recently moving to the Des Moines area, to spread good cheer and announce the parade entries. The two men announced that Rick Warden, the long-time Montezuma parade organizer, was stepping aside after 25-years of getting parade entries lined-up and ready to go. When asked what he enjoyed the most about being the parade organizer, Warden said, “The people who come to be in our small town parade.” As I did in Grinnell, I enjoy walking alongside the parade entries and talking with folks. I talked to one fellow on a Farmall Cub tractor about an old Farmall 130 tractor my dad gave me that I later sold. I visited with a few others and waved and said hello to many making their way along Main Street in Montezuma as I milled about the parade entries. The Montezuma square was a buzz after the parade with the annual Montezuma Lions Chicken BBQ in the Memorial Hall. The Lions cook the nearly 900 half chickens on three open pits across the street from the Memorial Hall. Each of the nine racks holds 50 half chickens and the first batch hit the coals shortly after 4 a.m. There were also a couple of other food trucks on hand and blowups, a dunk tank, miniature golf and firemen games for the kids. There were a number of area vendors on the Courthouse Square including Debbie and I with our books and our nephew, Gavin, sharing about his meat goat business. He’s doing quite well selling goat meat. I’ve tried the goat sticks and I recommend them. I haven’t been brave enough to try goat chops, goat brats or a goat roast. It was a great weekend. I got some extra rest, enjoyed sweet corn and a couple family cookouts, a family fireworks show and Debbie and I made a trip to Pella to shop and eat at Culvers. Next up on the agenda is the Poweshiek County Fair. The animal judging gets underway on Wednesday, July 17. This will be my 25th year to cover the Poweshiek County Fair. I haven’t missed a hog show in all those years. I can’t image not taking hog photos or spending my summer days at the county fair. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.
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It’s hard to believe that it was 21-years ago this week that I was the Montezuma “Let Freedom Ring” Celebration and Parade Grand Marshal in 2003.
Jo Ahrens, owner of Three Sisters Fabric and Fashion along with Keith Brake, a local newsperson, named me grand marshal after only three short years in town as the local editor. Ahrens and Brake were head of the Montezuma Community Boosters at the time and they wanted me to represent the community in the parade. Brake wrote an article about me and I was the star of the parade that week. I even got a parade marshal hat to wear. I asked Ahrens and Brake to make sure I was in the lead vehicle so I had time to ride the parade route and get back to the parade in time to take a few photos for the newspaper. I got up early and visited the square to snap a few photos prior to the parade. I then made my way toward the school where I would catch a ride in the parade in a Chevrolet Corvette driven by Doug VerMeer, owner of Vannoy Chevrolet. I walked about block where I met Mike Phillips, who was parked on the eastside of the Presbyterian Church along Fourth Street. He asked me how I was doing and I said something about making my way to the school. “The grand marshal needs a ride to the school,” he said, moving chairs out the way to get his vehicle ready to roll. It was just a short three blocks, but important enough to Phillips to give me a ride to the school. That was kind of him. I remember the day well as I took pictures from the front seat of the Corvette and waved at the crowd. My future wife, Debbie, who I had not met yet and Carole, my future mother-in-law, were in the crowd along Fourth Street. Debbie had been following me in the pages of the Montezuma Republican since I had arrived in town on July 20, 2000 and was hopeful to meet me. God worked that meeting out just a month later when I first met her at the Iowa State Fair Campground while doing a story on Montezuma area campers. I interviewed Carole during the fair as part of my story. And thanks to the now late Farrell Johnson and his wife, Iona, who camped on the other side of where the Tindles camped, I met Debbie. I had stopped to visit and Iona saw Debbie, Carole and grandma Louise Tindle were at their camper. “That’s three generations,” Iona said. “Go over there and take their picture.” When I arrived to take the photo, Debbie handed me a cold Pepsi and all was the good with the world. I returned home and ran the story in the next issue of The Republican. Debbie wrote me a card after it was published and thanked me for including her family in my story. The rest is history. I was a little slow responding, but finally asked Debbie out and we went on our first date on Nov. 9, 2003. I took her to a Mexican restaurant in Newton and of all places, Wal-Mart, so I could get some color film developed. And of course, I had to fill my city slicker pickup, as Debbie called it, with gas on the date. Debbie doesn’t care for Mexican food, even though I fix tacos often in the Parker house. I wasn’t hitting the bullseye on our first date, but it got better and our love for each other grew. I proposed to Debbie on the banks of the Mississippi River in Hannibal, Mo., on May 1, 2004 and we were married less than five months later on Sept. 25. This year marks our 20th wedding anniversary. We’ve bought a house, self-published six books, started a writers’ conference and this year, held our first vendor fair at the school. There’s much more in the works. We love to dream and see what comes from it. I’m always amazed that God brought me 550 miles from my hometown of Tulsa, Okla., to Montezuma, Iowa where I would met my wife, Debbie, at the state fair campground. We’ve enjoyed many adventures in our nearly 20-years together and I’m sure there will be many more along life’s way. Enjoy the week and celebrate this great nation and its many freedoms. And while you are at it, take a few moments to thank God for his many blessings in your life! Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. As a community journalist, I’m always looking for unique and different stories.
A week ago I saw a post on Facebook about young mister Coyce McNaul who attended the College World Series in Omaha with his grandparents, Jim and Bev Smothers. When their grandchildren turn 12, they take each of them for a one or two day trip. Coyce, who isn’t quite 12, wanted to go to a world series baseball game. While watching a game between Tennessee and Florida State, Coyce caught a home run ball hit by Volunteer first basemen Blake Burke in the top of the ninth inning. The catch was caught on television and his mom, Mindy, saw the catch from Montezuma. Check out the complete story in this week’s edition. I enjoy interviewing young people as they have some of the best stories and experiences. Talking with Coyce reminds me of back in the day when I played baseball. I was in the first or second grade and played for the Lanier Lions at my elementary school, Sidney Lanier, in Tulsa. I was scared of the ball and would stand in the outfield hoping that it wouldn’t come my way. All I wanted was the win and the cold Pepsi all the players received after the game. My next door neighbor, Mr. Belknap, who I called Mr. Bell, was a big baseball fan. He grew up in the small town of Harris, Iowa in Osceola County in the northwest part of the state. Born in the late 1890s, Mr. Bell left Iowa to attend college at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth. Just the thought that he was able to attend college in that day and age is amazing to me. He met his wife, Blanche, while working for the Pinkerton Agency in Texas. He later sold advertising on ink pens, keychains, rulers, calendars and much more. I always enjoyed raiding his garage and taking home many of his old samples. I don’t have any of them these days and have know idea what happened to them. The couple were married for 60 years and lived many of those years in Tulsa. Mr. Bell had season tickets to the Tulsa Oilers baseball games. The Oilers were a minor league team that existed on-and-off in multiple leagues from 1905 to 1976. The team’s stadium was three levels and had circle ramps. It was near the Tulsa Fairgrounds and less than a mile from my boyhood home. In April 1977, part of the stadium collapsed during a major league exhibition game. It had started raining and fans had sought cover on the ramps, causing the stadium to collapse. Thankfully, no one was killed in the incident, which injured 17 people and children. The Tulsa Oilers became the Tulsa Drillers that same year and moved to a new stadium one-half mile east. In 2010, they moved into their new home, ONEOK Field in downtown Tulsa. Anyway, I used to go to some of the old Oilers games and later the Drillers games in the 1970s with Mr. Bell. One year when I was a little fellow, he bought me a mini baseball bat, which I still have to this day. I keep it in my dresser drawer. I spent many days at the Belknaps home playing dominos with Mr. Bell in his office on an old card table. He had a nice set of white double six dominos. When I was age 7, my parents bought me a new bicycle. Every day after school, I would go to Mr. Bell’s house and feed the birds. He had a trash can lid he used for a feeder and a water bath in his backyard. On my birthday, I went to his garage and opened the door and there was shiny new red bicycle. I don’t know if I got the birds fed that day. I always mowed Mr. Bell’s yard when I mowed our yard. Our front yards connected, so it was just easier to mow both of them at the same time. I even mowed his backyard many times through the years. And many times when I would stop to see the Belknaps, Mr. Bell would cook me a batch of popcorn with butter on the stove. We’d set at the table and eat it together and talk. He had an old step stool that doubled as a seat. I would sit on it while he cooked the popcorn. Every so often, when I wasn’t looking or thinking about it, he’d cup his hand and slap me on the knee. I would jump six inches off the seat and yell, “Ouch.” I have lots of good memories of boyhood days hanging out with the neighborhood kids, playing the piano, going on family vacations and just enjoying life. For some of us, we need to take life a bit easier, slow down and take time to enjoy it. There’s always going to be work to do and busyness going on in this world. Turn on a game, cook a batch popcorn and enjoy an afternoon of rest and relaxation. Your body will thank you! vHave a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. The places I go, the things I do and the people I meet!
Life is amazing. I attended the “Wave Fore the Kids” Golf Tournament at the Montezuma Country Club on Saturday, June 15. The event was a fundraiser for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City. Herky the Hawk, the University of Iowa mascot, was in Montezuma and I had a chance to meet and have my photo taken with him. I just happened to be wearing my Oklahoma Sooners ball cap. Herky saw it, pulled it off my head and acted as if he was rubbing the name off the front. He even gave it a couple squeezes under his armpit and then gave it back to me. He was a good sport about it. I decided to wear my ball cap backwards for the photo. Maybe I should have worn my Mizzou Tiger ball cap. That was my first time meeting Herky and it made for a fun Saturday. There were a lot of nice folks and all the volunteers were great. I pitched in a few dollars and enjoyed lunch while at the golf course. Herky was posing for photos with kids and adults alike and having fun with everyone. He even took a golf cart loaded with youngster and tooled around the course meeting the golfers and having pictures taken. It was an awesome event that raised an estimated $30,000 for the children’s hospital. A big thanks goes out to Siraj Thomason, farmer and owner of the Longhorn Saloon in nearby Barnes City, and all those who worked hard to make this event possible. I’ve met the Iowa State Cyclone mascot and saw the Kansas Jayhawks mascot from afar. I also saw the Sooner mascot some years ago at an OU vs. Kansas basketball game in Norman. I once met the Washington Redskins mascot many moons ago after going to a Monday Night football game that pitted the Dallas Cowboys and Redskins in Dallas. Dallas thumped the Redskins, 44-0. It happened that the Redskins mascot was staying in the same motel as I was and I got a chance to meet him the next day after the game. I saw his limo parked outside by his room and the next morning I asked the desk clerk who was staying there. She told me the Redskins mascot and then asked me if I wanted to meet him. “Sure,” I said. She called him in his room and he said to send me down. I ended up buying a Washington “Hogs” T-shirt, a Redskins ball camp and ink pin, all for about $30. That was a lot of money back in the 1980s. Anyway, I enjoy golf and have watched numerous games on television through the years, but only recall playing the game once back in the day with a friend in Tulsa. LaFortune Park in south Tulsa had a lighted nine-hole golf course. My good friend, Scott, and I decided to play a round. I’d played a lot of miniature golf, but never the real game, and never at night. My friend grabbed his set of old clubs and off we went. I was wanting to look and act like as if I knew what I was doing. So, I grabbed an iron and begin working on my stoke as I waited to tee off. I got a little too close to the dirt and knocked a divot of God’s creation from its resting spot and hit a fellow in the side of the head. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I kept telling the fellow as he shook the dirt from his hair. I’m thankful I didn’t hurt him, and even more thankful that he didn’t punch me in the nose. I’ve covered state boys’ golf here in Iowa and while a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, I was sent on assignment to cover golf as a staff photographer with the Columbia Missourian at one of Columbia’s finest courses. I show up with a camera and a 300mm lens to capture the action. I might have gotten a few good photos, but nothing worth writing home about. I do OK when players tee off or are putting on the green, but have a tough time covering golf. I would much rather watch golf on television and spend my time covering football and basketball. Even then I have to keep an eye out for players getting too close to the sidelines. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. While checking out the nice variety of cars and pickups at the annual Brooklyn Ruritan Car Show last Sunday, I discovered a customized 1967 C-10 Chevrolet truck. It was decked out with a bright coat of red paint, custom wheels and an aftermarket big block Chevrolet engine with lots of chrome.
It reminded me of the time my parents bought a brand new 1967 white Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck from Bradley Chevrolet in Broken Arrow, Okla. The truck featured a 283 cubic-inch engine with two-barrel carburetor and a three speed on the tree and no air conditioner. And it had a pushbutton AM radio. Every now and then I would sit in the truck and turn on the key and listen to the radio. I didn’t listen long as I was afraid I’d run the battery down. Our first trip right after buying the truck was to Six Flags over Texas in Dallas. I remember we stayed in a motel and my mom took me swimming in the pool. A couple weeks after buying the truck, my parents bought a Chief brand shell camper with a walk-in door. My mom had three beds made in the back and ordered three customized mattresses to fit the beds, which were narrower than a standard twin mattress. We stored our Pepsi ice chest and Coleman cooking stove, picnic basket and our luggage under the beds. My younger brother, Tom, slept on a mat in between the beds. I can still hear my dad. “Load and unload, that is all I do,” he’d say while putting our camping gear in the truck. We took many trips in that truck through the years including traveling to San Diego, Calif. in August 1975 to see my mom’s cousin. We drove across the Arizona desert with no air conditioning. The trip also included a stop at Disneyland in Anaheim. In August 1972, we traveled to Niagara Falls on both the Canadian and America sides; and we traveled to Nashville where we visited Opryland in 1974. We didn’t get to attend the Grand Ole Opry because the truck broke down and it was in the shop at a gas station about 100 miles west of Nashville. The mechanic got us going again, but it was too late to get opry tickets. We took many trips to Southeast Missouri, where my mom was born and raised, to see family and go camping and fishing. I remember one trip when we left late and hadn’t quite made it the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri and had to stop for the evening at a campground. It was about 400 miles from Tulsa to the Bootheel. My dad said he wasn’t dragging all the cooking gear out that late, so we stopped at a nearby restaurant for supper. I saw another family enjoying a pizza, so I ordered one and ate the whole thing. We also took the truck to see family in Alabama and Mississippi and on our trip to Niagara Falls, we spent a few days with my mom’s uncle in Flint, Mich., who was a retired GM employee. I was just shy of my 13th birthday at the time. My mom’s uncle lived in a rural area outside of Flint and up the street I saw some neighborhood boys playing baseball. I asked if could join them and they welcomed me. I wasn’t too good at hitting the ball, so those boys let me swing until I hit it and ran the bases. I will always remember their kind gesture and generosity. To them, it wasn’t about winning or losing, it was a game and everyone was welcome. We also made a stop at the Kellogg Company in Battle Creek, Mich. where we enjoyed a shortened version of a company tour. We arrived just after the last tour, so the staff gave us the shortened tour because we had driven so far from Oklahoma. I received a 3D baseball card that was being put in the cereal on the tour. The guide took it right from the machine. One year we went camping and fishing at Grand Lake northeast of Tulsa when I was about age 10. I went fishing and caught a huge fish. I was so excited that I dropped my fishing pole before getting the fish reeled in. My dad stepped into the edge of the water and grabbed the pole before the fish took it into the lake. It was four-pound carp. My mom cleaned it and we ate it for supper. We also camped and fished a number of times at Greenleaf Lake southeast of Tulsa near Muskogee and also at Oologah Lake northeast of Tulsa. My dad could sit on the riverbank all day with a line in the water. Even if he didn’t catch any fish, he loved being outdoors and finding folks to visit with him. In talking with the owners of the customized truck, the fellow told me that it was an old farm truck with a hayrack. He had planned to rebuild the engine, but opted instead to by a crate engine because it cost about the same. A crate engine is a fully assembled engine that is sold as a standalone product, and comes in a wooden crate. I think the truck won a special award at the car show. It also brought back lots of good memories of time spent with family fishing and going on vacation. I hope you are able to enjoy some vacation time this summer with family. It is time well spent. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. It was one of those life moments that I will never forget.
On Saturday, I traveled to Ames with my oldest nephew, Gavin, to help man his Boer Certified Meat Goat booth at the farmer’s market. It’s good to have a second person on hand at these events to help out when needed. We left at 5:45 a.m. as everything had to be set up and in place before 8 a.m. We had a good day and I met some nice folks. I walked around the market twice and stopped and visited with people, including one vendor selling fresh vegetables who I talked with about being from the south and enjoying okra. “I love okra,” he told me. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any for sale. Another family from Ames was selling homemade ice cream made in White Mountain ice cream coolers powered by an antique John Deere small gas engine. The market lasted until 12:30 p.m. After packing up, we traveled to Duff Avenue in Ames to fuel up at Casey’s and eat lunch at B-Bops. The drive through eatery was closed, so we traveled a few blocks to Culver’s, one of my favorites. After getting lunch to go and heading home, we were at a stop light in Ames when Gavin said something to me about the time he and I traveled to Iowa City to attend a post card show and enjoy lunch. I believe that was 2015 as Gavin was 15 at the time. “I’m returning the favor and you are going with me,” he said. It was a nice moment and reminded me of the importance of family. And it was icing on the cake of what was already a great day. On the way home, we had to make a stop in Newton at a family member’s home. When we pulled into the subdivision, we saw a sign for a garage sale and had to check it out. It ended up being three garage sales. I stopped at the first house and it was stocked with all kinds of goodies. I ended up buying seven antique cast iron seed planter plates to hang up in the garage with my dad’s old saws, old singletrees and other farm implements. I always wanted a few after seeing them in the red barn at Helm’s place north of Montezuma. I also bought a nice antique buck saw and a fence post driver with handles, a must need on any farm with fencing. I think the one we have is borrowed, so now we have a nice one to keep and use. I then made my way across the street where I found some Denim Days figurines. We have a bunch of the Denim Days figurines at our house, and I thought the price was right and bought five more for $5 each. We have way too many, but a few more isn’t going to take up too much space. True words from a mild hoarder. After stopping at Gavin’s home in Montezuma and unloading, we headed to my mother-in-law’s place north of town to watch the end of the Oklahoma Sooner vs UCLA softball game. The Sooners won the game, 1-0, and have one more game to play on Monday against the Florida Gators for a chance to make it to the finals for the fourth straight year. UCLA played them tough, but the Sooners prevailed with the great pitching by Kelly Maxwell, a cross-state OSU Cowboys transfer. As Debbie said, “she had ice in her veins.” I’m happy to be living in Iowa, but I will always be proud and cherish my Oklahoma heritage. My parents did their best to teach me right from wrong and share with me the truth of the Good Book. They took me to church and taught me to be truthful. They also taught me the value of hard work and giving my best in everything I do. No matter where life takes me in the days ahead, my wife, family and friends love me and that makes life good. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. One of the most aggravating things in life is no internet.
Since we rely on the internet to tell us how to live life, it is unsettling and downright upsetting when it goes out. That has been the case in the Parker house over the last month, not once or twice, but four times. We’ve had the repair technician visit us the first two times the internet went out. He had to replace the modem both times after they both bit the dust. Our internet went out twice again. The third time was more broad and was fixed in a couple days without a visit by the technician. The fourth time, a week ago, I called the service folks after it went out again. They set up for service technician to stop after Memorial Day. I then received a phone call saying the issue was an identified network outage. I was told they would fix it and get us back in service soon. I’m still waiting. It seems like every time it rains or storms, our internet goes out. It’s getting a little bit ridiculous to have to keep calling the service folks so we can go about doing our daily business. It’s amazing how much we rely on the internet. And of all times, it went out during the college softball super regionals and forth coming national championship tournament that gets under way this week. We’ve had to settle for watching the games on our cell phones using data. If we want to use the computer or watch a game on television, we have to turn on our hot spot on the cell phone. We have unlimited data on our cell phones, but not hot spot use. Debbie has already drained her hot spot use limit watching softball games and I’m about halfway through my limit doing newspaper work and working on freelance photography projects. Our hot spot use doesn’t reset until June 3. Being without internet is a good time to be thankful for what life has to offer or tackle a project or follow a dream. A little work in this department is much needed in my life. And in the scheme of life, there are so many things that are much more important than posting a photo or sending a message on Facebook. I admit, sometimes it’s kind of nice to have no social media. It’s gives me and I’m sure others a chance to find our way using an map or looking up what we need in a dictionary. I’ve done neither this week, but maybe I should. I do have an old set of encyclopedias in the basement that came with the house, but I haven’t cracked one of them open since moving here in 2006. Using these old-fashioned tools have become boring now that the world is at our fingertips thanks to the internet, which is currently out of service in the Parker house. I remember numerous times my mom would visit the AAA service in Tulsa getting directions for our annual August vacations. They actually had live people who helped you map out the best route on old-fashioned maps to get you where you wanted to go. We often left AAA carrying a white plastic bag filled with a dozen maps and numerous brochures for stops along the way, depending on our planned journey. Many tourist rest stops and hotels still have racks filled with brochures advertising area attractions and stops. When staying in a hotel, I usually take a few moments to check out the area offerings. We camped on our vacations in my dad’s 1967 Chevrolet S-10 with a shell camper on the back. My mom had three custom-made beds in the back. One for her, one for dad and one for me. My brother slept on a mat in the middle and we storied our suitcases and camping gear under the beds. KOA Campgrounds were our most used destinations on our travels. We had a KOA Campground in east Tulsa and my mom would drive there and pick up a catalog of all their campgrounds across America. That’s a very handy tool when traveling. A lot of that information is now available on the internet as is state maps, which surprisingly are still published. I usually pick up a new Iowa map each year at the Iowa State Fair and toss it in a pile somewhere just in case I need it, if I can find it. If you find yourself without the internet, take the time to get to know your neighbors and reconnect with your friends in person. You might actually like it. Now when is that internet repairman coming? Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. Debbie and I were in Brooklyn the other day taking a little league team photo, which happened to be on the softball diamond.
Before leaving, Debbie nudged me toward the pitcher’s mound, where she stood and reminisced about her days of youth. She played softball in middle school at Montezuma and often talks about the time the game was on the line. She got up to bat, hit the ball and then ran into the other team’s first baseman, who was blocking the bag. It must have been quite a collision as she ended up with skinned knees and elbows. “I wasn’t going to be denied,” she said. The coaches took Debbie out the game to patch her up, but her extra effort helped the Bravettes win. Her winning attitude, fighting spirit and passion for life are three of the many things I love about Debbie. And her love for the game of softball continues well into her adulthood. She and I are both fans of the game and the Oklahoma Sooners, who won the softball national championship in 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023. We got to see the Sooners play two games in Lawrence, Kan. in late march and have seen them play a number of games at Iowa State University on four different trips to Cyclone nation. We also watched the Missouri Tigers a few years ago in a playoff game in Columbia. And we’ve watched four pro softball games in Chicago, Columbia and East Peoria, III. We have a trip to Norman and the new Love Field to watch the Sooners play on our bucket list and we also hope to attend the World Series of College Softball in Oklahoma City, someday. Hardly a weekend goes by from early February through the national championship in early June that our television doesn’t have a game on. And there are the midweek games. Debbie loves watching and analyzing all the games. And this past weekend (Friday, May 17 – Sunday, May 19), I would estimate that Debbie watched parts of 30 different games, including both games between OU and the Oregon Ducks. The Sooners won both games, 6-2 and 3-2 to advance to the super regionals against the Florida State Seminoles. The winner of the best of two games out of three will advance to the college world series. The Seminoles, who have struggled a bit this year, won it all in 2018. The Sooners also run-ruled Cleveland State in the opening round of regional action. At one point in game two, the Sooners were up 2-0. I left the room and soon after the game was tied two all. I was encouraged by Debbie to find my way back to the living room to send good vibes to the Sooners. Sooner Magic, as it is called in Oklahoma, must have worked as they won the game. It doesn’t hurt that the Sooners are loaded with talent and when they are on their A game, they are unstoppable. Two teams that didn’t make the next round, but played lights out in the regionals, were the University of Omaha and Liberty University. Both of those teams should be on the softball radar to look out for next season. Other teams that have advanced to the super regionals to keep an eye on as the playoffs continue are Texas, Tennessee, Duke and Florida, who is playing much better of late. Alabama is usually always in the thick of things, but they don’t have as strong of a team this year. The Roll Tide Head Coach, Patrick Murphy, is an Iowa boy. Missouri and Arizona are two other teams on a roll and should give whoever they play a challenge. Outside of watching softball, there’s plenty of community events, parades, rodeos and the county fair on the horizon to keep me busy this summer. If you see me out and about, stop and say hello. I always enjoy visiting and talking about life. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. Debbie and I love being an aunt and uncle and supporting our nephews and family.
And last week took the cake as all three of our nephews were in the limelight. Our youngest nephew, Peyton, a sophomore at Montezuma High School, was inducted into the National Honor Society. Our middle nephew, Sawyer, a 2022 graduate of Montezuma High School, graduated from the John Deere Tech program at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) in Calmar. And our oldest nephew, Gavin, a 2021 graduate of Montezuma High School, completed his BS Degree in Agricultural Business with a minor in Entrepreneurship from Iowa State University in three years. It all started on Wednesday evening, May 8, as Debbie and I attended the NHS induction at the Montezuma High School. We are so proud of Peyton and his work ethic and good grades in school. On Thursday, May 9, we headed northeast to Calmar to attend two ceremonies. The first, which was held at the NICC campus, was focused on the 24 young men graduating from the John Deere Tech program. These young men not only learn to use a wrench, they learn to use a computer. Afterwards, we enjoyed a luncheon and a tour of the facilities. The young men learn everything John Deere from working on engines to fixing planters, tractors, combines, plows and anything John Deere. According to the John Deere website, there are 24 John Deere Tech programs spread out across the country with the only Iowa location in Calmar. That evening, the family enjoyed pizza at Mabe’s, a Decorah institution located a short 10 miles from Calmar. We then attended a campus-wide NICC graduation that evening at the Center for Faith and Life on the campus of Luther College. It was a beautiful ceremony. While some of the family returned to Montezuma that evening, Debbie and I stayed the night in Decorah and returned home on Friday, May 10. We followed Sawyer home as he is moving back after two years. He will work at Van Wall John Deere in Grinnell beginning in June. It was up and at it at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 11 to get ready for a trip to Ames to attend commencement exercises at Hilton Coliseum for Gavin. Debbie was up shortly after 4 a.m. to feed the animals and I followed suit more than an hour later. I’m thankful she does all that work getting us ready to go. If it was left up to me, we might have gotten there when it was over. Gavin’s graduation started at 9 a.m. and included both the School of Business and the School of Agriculture in one ceremony. It took just more than two hours to hand out diplomas to more than 900 graduates. That was one of three ceremonies being held that day at Hilton Coliseum. Gavin is going to work for Farm Bureau Insurance and is working to build his goat meat business, Boer Certified. I tried the goat sticks and they are pretty good. I’ve heard the goat brats are good grilled. After the ISU ceremony, we enjoyed lunch at a nice restaurant in nearby Boone. And that evening, we returned to the Des Moines area for a graduation celebration supper for the entire family. I’m sure we put more than 500 miles on our Suburban over a four day period, and every minute we spent and mile we drove was worth it Several times tears welled up in my eyes and I’m sure Debbie was touched as well as we watched these young men graduate and be honored for their hard work. Our three nephews spent many days out our house as youngsters under Debbie’s care. I remember making several trips to Sam’s Club and purchasing school supplies as Debbie held summer school for several years. She’d open the garage door on nice days and the boys would color or paint what they saw first. And sometimes that would be deer in our yard. There was playtime, rest time and study time. It all made a difference as she played a big part in their lives that started when they were still in diapers. And as proud of our nephews as we are, we know that the future is looking bright for these young men as they find their place in life and go on and do great things in the world. Outside of a relationship with God, there is nothing more important than family. This Oklahoma boy is proud of my Iowa family and my lovely bride while planting my roots in this fine state. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. Beginning this weekend, numerous area high schools and many trade schools, colleges and universities will hold graduations.
It’s a special time of the year when high school seniors prepare for the future and reach their dreams. And for college graduates, many will complete internships or enter the workforce in their chosen field. Some will continue their educational pursuits. I remember when I graduated from high school in May 1978 and opted to enter the workforce. I trained in the printing trade in a high school vocational program and during the last semester of my senior year, I took an English course in the morning and then went to a job at a print shop a few miles away where I ran a letterpress (the old lead type). My job was printing three-to-a-page business checks using a press called a “Jumping Jack.” I continued in the printing business for almost a year after graduation before pursuing a different direction. I held other jobs including working as a custodian at the an all-night grocery and drug store, setting up double wide mobile homes with my uncle and working at a factory that made sieves used to move steel cables in cranes. I spent 7.5 years working for the circulation department with the Tulsa newspapers and a couple years selling and delivering waterbeds and oak furniture made in Tulsa. I returned to college in my late 20s after winning a camera in a weight loss bet with a co-worker a few years earlier. I started studying photography in 1987 at a community college in Claremore, Okla., a community about 30 miles northeast of Tulsa. After earning my AAS Degree in Graphic Technology (photography) in 1991, I decided to continue my educational pursuits. I left Tulsa in August 1992 after being accepted at the University of Missouri-Columbia. After graduating from MU at age 38 with my BS Degree in Agricultural Journalism in December 1997, some 19-years after high school, I moved to Iowa and began my community journalism journey. I have shared many stories in this column through the years of overcoming challenges and setbacks while working my way through college. I spent hours and hours being tutored in algebra and math. It took me three tries to get into journalism school. Thanks to hours of tutoring, guidance and studying, I passed the required 100-question grammar test with a score of 82 on the third try. I needed an 80 to pass. I remember the day well. It was my 36th birthday and while I and the other students, all a dozen or so years younger than me, waited to take the test, I found a place of solace at the other end of the building where I started to pray. I walked back and forth on the sidewalk praying. Every so often, someone would walk by and I’d stop praying and greet them. I then would go back to my business of building my faith. While praying, I told God that I might not understand it all, but that I believed I belonged in that (journalism) school and that I was going to get in. I’m glad I didn’t give up and let my past failures dictate my future. Through my life experiences, I have garnered a bit of wisdom that I believe will help you on your life journey. Here they are: • You will make mistakes. Don’t let a mistake define you. I’ve missed it more times than I’ve ever gotten it right. If you fail, get up, knock the dust off your hands and feet, forget the blame game and get on with life. • You will hear the word “no” many times in your life. It will come from family, co-workers, well-meaning trusted advisors, neighbors, friends and an assortment of other places. Don’t let “no” be the final word or end to a dream. Don’t quit. It’s like running water that hits a rock. It doesn’t stop, it goes over or around the rock and keeps flowing. • Be kind to others. Treat others as you would want to be treated. It’s something that I’ve taken to heart my entire life. It’s some of the best advice my momma ever gave me. • Hold the door open for others. Don’t forget to say thank you or send a “real” thank you card through the mail. • Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Knowledge is power. No matter your age, you don’t know it all. • Treat your elders with respect. Learn from them. They have years of wisdom. • Take time to meet and get to know your neighbors and others around you. There are people who will cross your life path and are there to help you be successful. • Don’t pay much attention to the news or believe all the doom and gloom and propaganda on social media. I heard a story once of a car dealer in Arkansas. Sales had been slow for months. He challenged his employees to turn off the evening bad news and ignore the bad reports about the economy. Employees started speaking and praying good things over their business and before long, sales at the car dealership rocketed. It works! • It’s okay to turn off social media and live life. I need to do that more. Take an afternoon drive, call a friend, spend time with your significate other, work a puzzle, start a hobby, clean out the garage or go fishing. • It is always better to give than receive. Do something good for a neighbor, a friend or even a stranger. Buy a gift card or some movie passes and give them away. Purchasing a sack of groceries for a family in need is a great way to give to others. Pay it forward! • Volunteer your time to help others. Make life better for others and your life will be better. • No matter where life takes you, don’t forget about where you came from. Your family and friends love and believe in you. • Slow down, pray and be thankful. You don’t have to do it all in one day or an afternoon. Take a vacation or day off and live life. • Take ownership of your mistakes and learn from them. Don’t give up, keep on walking. • Don’t be afraid to make a change in life. It’s never too late no matter your age to start over or try something new. • Some of the best wisdom I heard was from a friend – “People will forget everything about you, except how you made them feel.” • And lastly, don’t be late to work. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. |
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