Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on our lives and the many blessings we all receive.
      I am most thankful for my wife, my family and for the many opportunities that have found their way to my door.
    I am also thankful for the people who have crossed my path and who I have made a positive impact on in some way with the talents God has bestowed upon me.
    My life has been rich because of it. Thank you for reading my stories and columns and looking at my photographs. Thank you for supporting this paper and sporting my work. It is much appreciated!
     I attended a Veteran’s Day program in Brooklyn last week. It’s a wonderful event hosted by the Brooklyn Ruritan Club. The guest speaker was Ray “Bubba” Sorenson II, the founder and creator of the original Freedom Rock, a 12-foot, 60 plus ton boulder on Highway 25 in rural Adair County and of the 99-county Freedom Rock Tour, which just wrapped up in September.
    Poweshiek County’s Freedom Rock, which is on the southeast corner of the courthouse square, was painted in August 2016.
       Sorenson shared the story of how it all started in 1999.
      The original boulder, which is located by a quarry on private property, was discovered in the 1960s. The quarry tried to lift it out, but broke the crane, Sorenson said. They finally were able to push it using several pieces of heavy equipment to near the highway, cutting a four-foot deep swath in the road as they moved it.
       In the years following, the rock became a place to paint graffiti by folks passing by. He said the rock featured Santa Claus mooning the world. 
      Inspired by the movie Saving Private Ryan, Sorenson asked his mom for $50 to purchase paint and supplies to paint one side of the rock in honor of the military. It grew from there and now is painted free of charge every Memorial Day holiday.
     Sorenson shared that while painting the rock some years back, a cavalcade of Viet Nan Veterans pulled up on their motorcycles.
       One of the Veterans approached Sorenson, asking if the group could spread ashes of their fallen comrades at the rock.
       Sorenson encouraged them not to do that, saying that it was quite windy and that people walked all around the rock. Instead, he suggested the bikers and veterans pour the remains into his green paint, which he applied to a helicopter on the rock.
     In the years since, Sorenson has added the ashes of many fallen veterans in his green paint.
       “I have some ashes in my truck right now,” he told the gathering in Brooklyn.
     He then shared a story of a father and son who showed up at the Freedom Rock. As the father videotaped the rock, the son, who he said was about age 3, walked up to the helicopter and put his ear to the rock.
       “Dad,” the boy said. “There’s people in that helicopter.”
     What’s amazing is that neither the boy or his father knew anything about the ashes that were added to the paint each year.
Freedom Rock Tour
      Based on Sen. Charles Grassley 99-county tour, Sorenson and his wife, Maria, came up with the idea to paint a Freedom Rock in every county in Iowa. At first, Sorenson said he thought the tour would get off to a slow start. In his first year, he had 16 communities across the state sign up. His first Freedom Rock was painted in 2013 in Pocahontas County. His last Freedom Rock was painted in Linn County in September 2021, an eight-year span.
       On Thursday, the day following the Brooklyn Veterans event, Sorenson announced that he would paint a 100th Freedom Rock at Adventureland Park. He told the gathering in Brooklyn that he wanted to end the tour with 100 rocks. Adventureland won the opportunity by bid with the proceeds to benefit two Veteran’s organizations. Sorenson said he plans to finish that rock on July 4, 2022.
     Sorenson has also painted rocks in other states including South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri. He plans to paint rocks in Ohio, Illinois and Oklahoma. He also paints indoor murals and what he calls Liberty Rocks. And when not painting, Sorensen is an elected Iowa Legislator in House District 20 during the legislative session. Sorenson and Maria have three children.
        For more information on Sorenson and the Freedom Rock, visit the: thefreedomrock.com or check out the Freedom Rock on Facebook.
     I leave you with this, an old friend of mine once told me that, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
       It's words of wisdom to keep in mind in the crazy days ahead in this world.
      Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

     I was strolling through the breakroom at work one day last week humming, “Hark, The Herald Angles Sing.”
      A co-worker heard me humming the song and asked, “Is that Christmas music?”
     “Yes,” I said.
     “Isn’t it a little early?” she said.
     “I’m just trying to keep up with Wal-Mart,” I replied as we chuckled.
   I love a good old rock and roll song and even a number of country hits, but there’s something about those old-time hymns that bring peace to my soul and memories of days past.
    I’ve mentioned the Jackson Family Christmas gatherings in the past, but every now and then, I like to reminisce again.
      My mom’s mother was a Jackson and her brother, J.B. Jackson and his wife, Rosemary, who he met in college, lived in a stately antebellum two-story home near downtown Tulsa.
      They raised four daughters, Mary Gail, Kay, Jan and June, all of who I remain in touch with to this day, thanks to Facebook.
      My mom said Uncle J.B. and Rosemary where the reasons she moved from Van Buren, Mo., following graduation in 1955, to Tulsa.
     The Jacksons had a furniture store in downtown Tulsa for years and later Uncle J.B. worked at the Tulsa Business School. My mom had a $2 bill and when she needed money, she’d give Uncle J.B. her $2 bill in exchange for a couple $1 bills. When she had enough money, she’d buy her $2 bill back. I kept the $2 and have it among my many family treasures.
     I’ve heard many stories my mom told about coming to Tulsa and the hardships she faced along the way. One story in particular she shared on occasion was about her waiting for the bus in front of an ice cream shop to go to work and not having an nickel to buy an ice cream cone on a hot summer day.
   Growing up, I never did without and most certainly had my share of ice cream cones through the years. Not one birthday or Christmas rolled past that I didn’t get a gift or two and lots of love. I’ll never know how my folks, who both grew up poor as a church mouse, accomplished so much in life with so little. I’m so blessed.
     My co-worker and I were talking about being poor and I was telling her that my mom often got an orange and apple for Christmas and Pepsi on the Fourth of July. I also shared the story about my mom getting sick when she was 12 and my grandpa carrying her to the doctor on a homemade bed on the back of the plow.
     “They didn’t have a car or truck,” I said, also sharing a story about my dad picking corn by hand. “They were poor.”
      “Do you think your parents thought they were poor?” my co-worker asked.
      “No,” I responded. “That was the only life they knew.”
      It’s a life that I have never had to experience and hope I never do.
      Eventually, my mom’s entire family had made the move from the Missouri Ozarks to Tulsa by the early 1960s.
     About mid-December, Uncle J.B. and Rosemary would host a get together for Christmas. Aunts, uncles, cousins and all came to celebrate Christmas and time with family.
       The large dining room table at the Jackson home was filled with food that spilled over onto the buffet and into the kitchen. If you went away hungry, it was your own fault.
     No matter if you arrived early or late, J.B. and Rosemary kept the door open, the coffee brewing and the love of God flowing.
      After an hour or two of the adults visiting and catching up, mostly because that was the only time everyone saw each other, we gathered around the grand piano and sang a number of old-time Christmas favorites.
      I don’t remember if we prayed before or after, but we always prayed. Each person received a mini songbook filled with old-time hymns. The Jacksons kept them tucked away in the piano bench.
     “Hark, The Herald Angles Sing,” was one of the songs we sang. Others included “Away In a Manger,” “Silent Night,” “O Holy Night,” “The First Noel,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and more.
      After we sang the dozen or so songs, Santa made a special visit and with the help of many elves, handed out gifts to all. Everyone, both young and old, received a gift.
      Soon, it was time to head home. There were lots of hugs and handshakes as everyone bid farewell and headed out the door. Such great memories.
     With the holidays around the corner, I hope you can give work and life a break and join your family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. May the holidays be filled with memories, good times and full stomachs. And while you are at it, take time to sing some of those old-time Christmas hymns. They have a way of soothing one’s soul. Blessings to all!
      Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

 ​     The one thing life has afforded me is the opportunity to meet, visit and make friends with strangers. That happened earlier this month at a craft fair in Clarinda, in the southwest corner of the state.
    Debbie and I traveled there to sell our books at a popular craft fair that has been in business for 62-years. 
      Two older ladies stopped at our booth in the early afternoon and struck up a conversation. One of the ladies purchased Debbie’s first book, The Auctioneer, and was wanting to have it signed.
      Debbie had stepped away from the table. As we waited, I mentioned that my mother-in-law was 80 and still worked at the bank.
     “We are about that age, but we’ve been retired for a long time,” one of the ladies said as Debbie returned to the table.
      I said something to them about wanting to visit the Ax Murder House in Villisca while in the area, but that we didn’t get there in time to do so.
   One of the ladies pushed her mask down, rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t give them your money, it’s not haunted.”
    They went on to say that they had grown up and went to school in Villisca and neither of them had heard about the ax murder as youngsters. Both said they attended a Halloween party while in school when they had no idea that an ax murder had taken place there.
     “We noticed an ax over the door, but never gave it any thought,” one of the ladies said.
After high school, they traveled to Estes Park, Colo. to work for the summer. They were talking to someone they met the first night in Colorado and said they were from Villisca.
     “That’s where the ax murder took place,” this person said.
    “Ax murder, what ax murder?” they both asked. “We haven’t heard anything about an ax murder.”
     They called their mothers back home and asked about the murders.
    One of the mothers said, “Yes, there had been an ax murder in 1912. Relatives still lived in town (at the time) and it was a sensitive topic and we just didn’t talk about it.”
     Their mothers told them all about the murders and what had happened. 
     They were having a good talking about the ax murder house. It was no big deal to them. We had to chuckle at it all.
     Anyway, we stopped in Villisca on the return trip home. I noticed two cars filled with ladies parked by the house. They emptied out of the vehicles and headed into a barn-like building behind the ax murder house. Debbie and I figured they were spending the night in the house, one of the offerings available to visitors.
     Maybe we can tour the house the next time we are in Villisca. I don’t know if Debbie will tour the house, but I will.
      If you want to learn more about the ax murder house, visit http://www.villiscaiowa.com.
    We enjoyed our time in the area. The craft show, which is located in five buildings across        Clarinda, was great. We had a steady stream of customers all day. Many stopped to check out our books and some, like the ladies, stayed and visited a spell. 
    We spent Friday night in Shenandoah, home of the Everly Brothers, and enjoyed supper in an old train depot turned restaurant. They had good food, good prices and good service.
    We are looking forward to having a booth at the 2022 show and maybe while in the area, I can visit the ax murder house and get there early enough to look around the area more.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

    The other day a co-worker of mine at my day job was fixing a computer issue I had with my iPad.
    As we visited, he said, “You remember the time you stopped in my office and said, ‘have a great day.’”
     “I’ll never forget that,” he told me.
    He really appreciated that I took the time to tell him that. You never know when a kind word or deed can make someone’s day.
    I’m often telling people to have a good day or saying something about them being the best around. In fact, I have been doing it all my life.
    There is no reason to go around being sour. Folks these days have enough on their plates to also be carrying around an old sour attitude. That’s like climbing a mountain with a sack of weights strapped to your back.
    Folks might feel better if they’d get rid of the bad attitude, stop complaining and give it their best.
   I remind myself of that often. I have tough days on occasion and more than once, I’ve complained about a situation or been upset about whatever it was going on in life.
    Overall, I try to have a good attitude and face life’s challenges head on while working through it all. When people ask me how I am doing? I always tell them, “It’s the best day ever,” which often gets looks of surprise.
    It’s a lot better than telling them I’m having a rotten day or some other sour comment. Words make a big difference in our lives.
    I enjoy being in Facebook. Most days I share a funny joke and it often brings comments, shares and hopefully a few smiles. On the other hand, there are a lot of Facebook users who need to lighten up a bit. They need to have a cup of coffee or a Mountain Dew and take a break and a deep breath. Maybe a nap will help!
    Some folks get crazy belligerent, telling people off and getting into political name calling and blaming one party and the other. After making a post some time back about gas prices, I had a fellow call people stupid because they believed a different way. That is uncalled for and doesn’t solve one problem or provide a solution.
   This is my Facebook advice, no one is going to change another person’s political view or opinion based on a Facebook post or comment. Let’s get back to using the social medial outlet to share photos, milestones, birthday, anniversaries, awards and honors and be kind and lift each other to do great things in life.
    Like my co-worker, I too enjoy hearing a kind word.
    A few years ago I was enjoying lunch at a Grinnell eatery, when a young girl and her mother stopped at my table to visit. The young girl was smiling as she shared about the ribbons she had won with her 4-H photography. I had taught a course in photography and this young girls had been in attendance. They stopped to thank me for my advice and help. And they’ve come to me in the years since for advice on photos. That’s nice and is much appreciated.
    And a couple years ago, I had a 4-H’er, now a young married adult, tell me that she got into photography because of me. I’m honored and thankful that I made a difference in her life.
   I leave you with this advice. My momma was a good woman and she and dad took me to church and taught me the importance of doing unto others as I would want them to do unto me. I’ve based my life on that principal and it’s made a difference.
   Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

     Like many big towns, my hometown of Tulsa had a variety of shopping options from mom and pop stores to five and dime stores, large department stores the lined the downtown streets and huge shopping malls in the suburbs.
     One that comes to mind is TG&Y Five & Dime variety store. Tulsa had a number of them back in the day.
The chain, which was based in Oklahoma City, was founded in 1935 by Rawdon E. Tomlinson, Enoch L. “Les” Gosselin and Raymond A. Young, thus the name, TG&Y. At the chain’s height there were 900 stores in 29 states from California to Florida. They were similar in nature to a Ben Franklin store.
     My favorite part was the plastic model car section with everything a youngster needed to put together and paint a model car. I bought a few model kits through the years. 
     My mom made her own wreaths for decorating graves on Memorial Day. She got much of her supplies at a local TG&Y store. She also purchased items for her wreaths from Rathbone’s Flair Flowers in Tulsa, a company that is still in business to this day. She also bought material there for making a dress or blouse.
    Looboyle’s Outdoor store was another Tulsa favorite of mine. They had two locations in town and were popular spots for sports and outdoor enthusiasts. They sold everything from fishing gear to lawn mowers, outdoor and sports equipment and more. I bought a lot fishing lures, many of which I still have, camping gear, bicycle tubes, a Lawn Boy lawnmower one year and much more through the years.
    Tulsa’s Joe Krieger, who worked at the Looboyle’s sports department, hosted a popular fishing show on local channel 2 in Tulsa each week, which I enjoyed watching.
The Tulsa stores closed in 1982.
     OTASCO (Oklahoma Tire and Supply Company), a company that specialized in auto parts and appliances was first established in 1918 by three Jewish Lithuanian immigrant brothers, Sam, Maurice and Herman Sanditen. In 1968, the company had 455 stores in 12 states. Outside of a few remaining OTASCO stores that have 99-year leases in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, the company has been gone since 1988.
     I’d fill up a book with all the record and tape stores in Tulsa I spent money at back in the day. Peaches, Sound Warehouse, Starship Record and Tapes and Honest John’s Records were favorite stops of mine. 
When I was throwing the Tulsa World newspaper in the 1970s with my mom, the owner of Honest John’s lived on my paper route and subscribed to the Sunday paper. I would trade him a paper for a couple of months for a new cassette tape or record album. It was a great way to build my music library for basically free.
      Another favorite was Harrington’s Men and Boys Clothing store in downtown Tulsa. Harrington’s was the go-to place for Boy Scout uniform apparel and accessories.
I have lots of great memories from shopping at these stores.
      Shopping has changed a lot with the introduction of Amazon, eBay and many other on-line outlets offering everything you will ever need. Even though buying on-line is easier and often more convenient, I miss the good old days of going shopping with my family for Christmas gifts and going to the five and dime store with my mom to buy material for a new dress or items to make her homemade wreathes.
        Like vinyl records that are making a comeback these days, I would like to see local businesses, mom and pop stores and five & dime variety stores make a comeback. It would be good for our economy and help with the creation of jobs, too!
        Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

       It was a beautiful fall day to spend time together reflecting on the life we are building together, and also look forward to the good things the future holds.
       Debbie and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary on Sept. 25.
    We started the day with our oldest nephew who stopped by and took us garage sale hunting in the Lynnville and Sully areas.
      I hit the jackpot at a tag sale south of Sully where I found several albums of postcards. I sent Debbie and our nephew on to look at other garage sales while I looked through all the postcard albums. I purchased some nice postcards to add to my collection.
     We probably stopped at 15 garage sales before wrapping up the day just before noon. I found an Iowa salt and pepper shaker set, some three-ring binders for my postcards and an old yard fertilizer spreader. It is a steel one, not the cheap plastic model.
    Our nephew found some Christmas wrapping paper and a stop at the Lynnville Public Library netted Debbie a sack full of books and DVDs. While there, I promoted Debbie’s two romantic suspense novels to the librarian for the library collection.
    Many times I am at work on our anniversary and my birthday, which was Sept. 26, so it was nice to enjoy the weekend together celebrating.
   We didn’t go dancing or eat at a fancy restaurant. We opted instead to enjoy pizza and salad. I did buy Debbie 17 happy anniversary cookies at Hy-Vee for our anniversary.
   Life has a way of keeping people busy and on the go. The one thing I’ve learned in having a successful marriage is spending time together and doing things together.
   I think a lot of relationships would be better off if couples and families spent more time with each other doing simple things.
    I remember years ago with my family. Every Friday night my dad or I would stop at the Wagon Wheel drive in on north Sheridan in Tulsa for cheeseburgers and fries. We’d carry them home and eat as a family while watching the Dukes of Hazard and Dallas.
    That had a big impact on my life. So did going to church together and taking family vacations each year.
I’m by far not an expert in the art of marriage, but I know when you pay attention to each other and listen, a skill I’m still working on, it makes for a peaceful household.
    Here are few marriage tips from the J.O. files: 
    Stay home at least one evening each week and cook a meal and sit down as family or couple and enjoy it.
    Pray for each other every day.
    When you mess up or miss it, fess up, apologize and ask for forgiveness. We all fall short in life.
    Send texts to each other throughout the day to check in and see if they need anything. I always text Debbie when I get to work and call on my break and lunch period when possible.
   Once a month or so, do something the other person wants. It can be anything from an everyday task, helping around the house or taking a road trip to go antiquing, shopping or eating out.
    Pool your money and do something nice for a neighbor or friend. Giving a $50 gift card to someone in need will go a long ways to help someone who needs gas money or food. Plus, it’s to help others with no strings attached.
    Most importantly, support and encourage each other to follow their dreams.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

       Butter on toast is something that I enjoy for breakfast or a late evening snack on occasion.
It wasn’t until I moved to Iowa that I learned that Midwestern’s not only enjoy butter on toast, they enjoy butter on their sandwiches.
     That was a new concept for this southern boy who moved to Iowa. Back home, I used mayo (mostly Miracle Whip or Hellman’s) and mustard on my hamburgers and sandwiches and ketchup on my fries and onion rings. 
      I first learned the concept of butter on sandwiches in the late 90s, not long after moving to this fine state. I was in Marengo covering damage from a windstorm that knocked down trees and cut power to the area. My boss, who happened to have a gas stove, invited me to his place in town that evening to cook some hamburgers.
      As the hamburgers sizzled in the frying pan, I dug through his sparsely-filled refrigerator looking for some mayo. 
      “Do you have any mayo?” I asked.
      “No,” he replied. “I have butter.”
       “Butter,” I’m thinking. “Butter on sandwiches?”
       I made due with what I had. It was OK, but not anything to call home about.
       Fast forward 20-plus years.
    Earlier last week I had stopped at Dayton Meats in Malcom for some sliced ham and dried beef for sandwiches.
      Debbie enjoys dried beef and when I am able, I buy her some for sandwiches. She typically uses butter on her sandwiches and one her favorites is a toasted dried beef sandwich with butter. Toss in a salad with some Ranch, croutons, cheese and bacon bits and that make a great meal.
      The other night for supper, I decided to fix dried beef sandwiches on toast for both of us. I had gotten the butter tub out and decided to take a detour and use butter on my sandwich instead of mayo.
​       I mentioned this to Debbie, who said, “You’re coming over to my side.”
     Well, maybe on occasion, but I don’t plan to make a habit of it anytime soon. I still like my mayo and mustard.
      I have also discovered that some folks in this part of the county leave their stick butter on the kitchen table day and night. In the south, or at least in my family, we put the stick butter back in the refrigerator after use. I’m sure there are folks in the south who do that, but my family didn’t.
     I have learned that leaving it on the table allows it to soften for use. I would think it would spoil, but I guess not. It does enough preservatives to survive a winter blizzard. I would much rather use stick butter for cooking and soft butter in the tub for my toast.
     I usually always put a small slab of stick butter when cooking a vegetable on the stove or in the microwave. I sometime use it when cooking fried potatoes by adding some to the cooking oil. I’ve even been known to cook popcorn in the popper in butter.
     Growing up, I had an old electric aluminum popcorn popper that had a separate burner and pan with lid. It was probably a Mirro Matic brand. I see them on eBay on occasion.
     My neighbor to the north, Mr. Belknap or Mr. Bell as I called him, often fixed me buttered popcorn in his electric popper and then we would play a few rounds of dominos.
     I would sit on a wooden step stool and on occasion, while waiting for the popcorn to cook, Mr. Belknap would cup his hand and slap me on the knee when I wasn’t looking. It would make me jump, sort of like the doctor does when checking your reflexes with the rubber hammer.
     Mr. Belknap was born in the late 1890s and was from Harris, Iowa, a small town in northwestern Iowa. He left Iowa after high school graduation and attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth where he met his wife, Madge, of 60-plus years. She worked for Pinkerton Agency, I believe. It’s kind of ironic that they were my neighbors for years and I ended up moving to Iowa. I hope to make it to Harris sometime down the road.
     In closing, there’s lot of crazy stuff going on in our world. My advice for you in the coming days and weeks, turn off the news, spend time with your family and friends, and keep on walking and chasing your dreams.
     Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

     Do you remember what you were doing the morning of Sept. 11, 2001? I was busy that morning getting the Montezuma Republican ready for printing.
     On the front page of that week’s issue was a photo I took at the former Sutfin Furniture on Main Street in Montezuma. The photo was of a sign in the window that stated it was the store’s final day. It was kind of chilling to think for many, it was the final day.
     For some reason, I was thinking we had a television at the Republican office. I don’t remember. Anyway, all of us at the office listened and watched as the events of the day unfolded. A planned attack on American soil.
It’s been 20-years since that day, I day that I will never forgot. I hope none of us forget! 
     I arose early Saturday morning, Sept. 11, 2021, and headed up to Montezuma to cover the 4.12 mile Honor Walk hosted by the Montezuma Fire & Rescue Department. 
    Following a prayer and moment of reflection, fire department volunteers and walkers from Montezuma and elsewhere took to the streets at 7:30 a.m. in honor of the 412 emergency responders who lost their lives on that day. The walk was led by volunteer firemen dressed in their turnout gear, carrying an American and other flags.
    The walk ended at the Freedom Rock on the southeast side of the Poweshiek County Courthouse where a  moment of reflection and prayer was led by the Montezuma American Legion & Auxiliary. The event included the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer and the singing of “God Bless America.”
    During my career, I’ve coved lot of community and school events, parades and other gatherings. I’ve written hundreds of news and features stories and taken more photos than books in the Library of Congress, or it seems so. These memorial events, no matter the cause, are always touching and memorable. I’m thankful to God that He has put me in the position to be on the frontlines of journalism to share these events with others. Thank you for your support.
Following are the events of the 9-11-2001
    • 8:46 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing 92 passengers and crew members onboard.
    • 9:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 175 was flown into the South Tour of the World Trade Center, killing all 56 passengers and nine crew members onboard.
   • 9:37 a.m. – American Airlines Flight 77 was hijacked over Ohio and it crashed into the west side of the Pentagon. The crash killed all 64 crew and passengers onboard the plane and 125 in the Pentagon.  
   • 10:03 a.m. – United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in a field near Shanksville, Penn., killing all 44 passengers and crew onboard. The bravery of the passengers who attempted to regain control of the aircraft from the four hijackers ultimately diverted the flight from its intended target of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., to the crash site in Pennsylvania.
    The attacks on 9-11 resulted in 2,977 fatalities, including 412 emergency responders…23 FDNY, 37 police officers of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police departments, 23 NYPD, eight EMT’s and paramedics and one patrolman from the New York Fire Patrol.
    In wrapping this up, I wish to encourage you to get involved, give to others and be a difference maker right where you are. Change doesn’t start with the nuts in Washington, D.C., it’s starts in our communities, our neighborhoods, our jobs and in our homes. Take time out of your busy life this week and be a difference maker in the life of someone else.
    My momma taught me that it is always better to do unto others as you would want them to do unto you. It’s a truth that has made me the person I am.
    Don’t quit giving and don’t give up. Stand up and be proud – this is America, home of the free and home of the brave.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

    Pawnee, Okla., a town of about 2,100 folks located 55-miles northwest of Tulsa is home to the Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum.
   Pawnee Bill, whose legal name was Gordon W. Lille, was an American showman and Wild West show performer in the late 1800s and early 1900s. According to the museum website, the home, which was completed in 1910, is filled with Lillie family memorabilia of Gordan and his wife, May, photographs, original artwork, and more. The ranch property also houses a museum with exhibits related to Pawnee Bill, Wild West Shows, and the Pawnee tribe. The 500-acre grounds include the original ranch blacksmith shop, a 1903 log cabin, a large barn built in 1926, and an Indian Flower Shrine—all available to the public.
    Pawnee is also the modern day home of the Oklahoma Steam Threshers & Gas Engine Association. The association hosts a steam and tractor show the first weekend in May.
    It was the mid-1980s when I heard about the show and asked my dad if he would like to go. He was delighted. In fact, my mom and brother tagged along that first year.
    I’ve always been interested in old tractors and steams engines and that show was a good one. My dad attended the Pawnee show for many years until his health failed him.
    My dad was always looking for a good deal. I remember a story he told me about the time he found a cultivator seat at the Pawnee show. He asked the fellow how much and it was more than he wanted to pay.
    “I just walked the grounds and came back,” my dad said. “I asked a different person how much for the cultivator seat?”
     “That was still too much,” he said.
    He did that several times and finally was able to get the cultivator seat for around $12, more in his price range.
    In addition to the Pawnee show, Dad and his buddy, Roger, went to tractor and steam engine shows in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri through the years.
    And in 2003, he and Roger made the trek from Oklahoma to Mount Pleasant to attend the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion.
    It rained quite a bit that year, but Dad loved every minute he was on the grounds when it quit raining. Debbie and I bought him the video of the show that year for a Christmas present. He and Roger were watching it one night and the two discovered my dad walking through the log cabin at the 1856 Log Village. He always treasured that.
    This past weekend, my Iowa family enjoyed our annual trek to the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. We have attended reunion as family every year since 2007.
    We had a great time camping, cooking on the grill, walking the grounds, visiting the vendors booths, enjoying the music, riding the steam train and electric trolley and checking out the sights, sounds and demonstrations of life back in the day. I love antiquing and Old Threshers features two buildings of antiques. Add in antiques on the square in Mount Pleasant and I’m doing good.
     And the food! It’s old-fashioned and it’s good. My favorite is the chicken dinner at the Methodist tent. When I first attended the reunion in 1999, the food vendors were in tents with sawdust floors on the north edge of the grounds. Nowadays, they have modern kitchens under a large metal building with seating for hundreds.
    I also collect Old Thresher Buttons and attend the button collector’s forum on Sunday morning in the Colfax School on the north edge of the campgrounds. There is always something to learn and when funds permit, I pick up one of the older buttons from the 1950s. I still need a few more to make my collection complete.
    I love my family and I’m glad they enjoy the Midwest Old Threshers as much as I do. 
I hope you had a good time with your family on Labor Day. And if you get chance, make the trek to Mount Pleasant and attend the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion some year. You’ll love it and want to go back again.
Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.

    Not only is Debbie my wife, she is also my organizer, alarm clock, dirty sock picker upper and much more. She’s also my PR agent.
    Let me explain.
   Our oldest nephew, Gavin, was one of three Iowa graduating seniors to receive the Gov. Terry E. Branstad Iowa State Fair Scholarship in a brief ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Bill and Anne Riley Stage at the Iowa State Fair.
   In hopes of securing a good location to take photos, I arrived a bit earlier than Debbie and rest of the family only to discover the place was packed. The ceremony was held prior to the crowning of the Iowa State Fair Queen and people were everywhere.
   You know how people are at these type of event – they save seats - lots of seats for family and friends.
I found a seat about halfway back on the west side of the stage. From that vantage point, I would have been lucky to see Gavin, let alone take his picture.
   After a bit, I decided to explore my options for a better photo of the scholarship presentation. That led me over to the east side of stage where Gavin and the other two scholarship recipients were. Gov. Branstad, Bill Riley Jr. and other dignitaries were also present.
   Here comes Debbie. She walks right up on the east side of the Riley stage and speaks with lady from Iowa College Aid, the organization that handles the funding of the Branstad scholarship. She told her that I am a journalist and that I would like to get a photo of Gavin and the former governor. Just like that, I’m standing next to the former governor and I’m taking a photo of him and Gavin holding the certificate prior to the actual event.
    I went from “I can’t see,” to being right in the middle of the action.
Debbie then directed me to a row of wooden chairs in front of the stage for the fair queen judges. I found a seat and was able to take some great photos.
   “I got you right up there,” Debbie said to me after the presentation.
   “You sure did,” I replied. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
   Debbie is a state fair junkie. She’s probably walked every inch of that fairgrounds. She’s spent hours there with her friends, her family and now with me.
   She knows the shortcuts and she knows her way around. She understands the campground and the tradition of families, like hers, who have camped at the fair for many years. I’ve listened to many stories of trips to the fair and I welcome them every year.
    She’s witnessed the many changes to the fair through the years – some she likes and some she doesn’t.
Now that we are married, camping and attending the state fair is part of our lives together. There is always something to do and see at the state fair. There’s people watching and people to visit with and benches to rest a spell and take a quick nap. Our nephews show livestock, so there are shows to watch.
   The first building we stop at on the first day of the fair is Pioneer Hall. I enter antiques and this year I entered 10 items. I earned four ribbons, including a first place ribbon and rosette for my Will Rogers Clock from the 1940s. It’s a neat clock. I first saw it on American Pickers and later was able to purchase one from a seller in Ohio through Ebay.
    I earned a fourth-place ribbon for a Wizard of Oz peanut butter tin, and a third-place ribbon for a lady’s hat that I found in my mother’s things from my parent’s estate. I can’t imagine my mother wore that hat, maybe her mother did. And I picked up a second-place ribbon for my patriotic postcards that I recently purchased on Ebay. I try to enter different postcards each year. My goal next year is to focus on agriculture-related postcards of tractors and farming equipment.
    Anyway, on the last Saturday of the fair, we stopped at the state fair museums. As we milled about one of the museums, a couple and their daughter stopped to visit. 
   The gentleman shared a story about his mother, one of 14 children, saying some of the items in the museum were like things she used growing up. I shared a story about my mom using the metal top from an antique kitchen pantry, like the one they have on display at the museum, that she found at their farm to put out a fire that had gotten out of hand. I shared about meeting Debbie at the fair and about our books and such.
    It was a nice time of reminiscing and reliving memories of days gone by. I always enjoy meeting and visiting with people. I wished I had written down their names. I hope to meet them again at the fair.
​    In this crazy-busy world, it’s nice to take a break from work and the cares of life and enjoy some time at the Iowa State Fair.
    Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.