The first time that I observed Kathie suffer heat exhaustion was around thirty years ago. We were serious wood burners then and always on the lookout for a fresh supply of firewood. Our property boarders a creek with one side that has a very steep bank. Occasionally tall poplar trees would be toppled by the wind and lay on the steep creek bank. The trunks were a foot to a foot and a half in diameter and a perfect size…..
In 1962 I graduated from Clinton High School which by today’s standards should have resulted in a graduation celebration of humongous proportions. I remember my high school graduation party very well. Compared to today’s festivities it would be considered boring. Most parties during those years consisted of grandparents, several aunts, uncles and some cousins celebrating in the graduate’s home. Coffee was a must along with a heavily frosted cake decorated with a congratulatory message. Ice cream may have been an…..
The hometown paper came today and after lunch I plopped down in my recliner and started to page through the paper. Every week the paper has a section titled “Can You Recall” and it consists of a picture that had been featured in a past issue. This week’s picture looked especially familiar. It was dated May, l956 and consisted of the Elim Lutheran Sunday School classes and their teachers. What a somber looking group they were. Thirty-eight students and teachers…..
“Say That Again” is the title of my next book due to be released this summer. It didn’t take long to discover that the new book title might cause a little confusion. My wife, Kathie, was visiting with her friend Shirley on the phone explaining to her the theme of the new book. During the discussion Shirley asked Kathie what the name of the book was. Kathie responded, “Say That Again”. “What’s the name of the book?” questioned Shirley again……
Birthday cards should be special. But every time I go to look for one I become frustrated. I can never find that perfect card! I prefer the card to relay a little humor, if at all possible, but the card manufactures, and I seem to differ on what humor is. So many of their attempts at humor cause me to respond as my students in class responded to what I thought was outlandishly funny back in my teaching days. If…..
I first experienced ‘ tournament fever’ when I was in the sixth grade attending the Clinton Elementary School. Even then I was a proud Clinton Rocket. And that was well before Russia and the U.S.A. were in a race to be the first to escape the bonds of earth and begin our venture into outer space. Rockets were of course important in achieving such an endeavor. Rockets as a high school mascot was a way of keeping up with the…..
It’s basketball tournament time. When I was in high school that was the most exciting time of the school year. My senior year basketball season was very memorable. It was a mixture of sadness, frustration and joy all rolled into one. Our mother died unexpectantly from a massive heart attack the day before Thanksgiving that fall. So, my basketball season was marred by those sad memories. Our father would begin the process of selling the family farm as we adjusted…..
Back in the seventies when C.B.’s were all the rage everyone with a Citizens Band Radio had their own personal name or ‘handle’ as it was referred to. In today’s modern times the computer has taken over the job that the C.B Radio had in those earlier years. So, I’m giving myself a computer ‘handle’. Who knows this may start a new tradition for millions of computer operators. My computer ‘handle’ is going to be “Tootsie Pop”. Tootsie Pops are…..
I suppose with such a huge word in the title of this blog I should define that word so we are all on the same page. A hypochondriac is a person who is abnormally anxious about their health. I’ve been aware of my hypochondriac tendencies since I was a small child. I’m so old I lived through the polio epidemic of the 1950’s. In fact, I can still remember the fear I felt when an elementary student in our school…..
We visited a retirement home with a couple of our adult children this week. Neither Kathie nor I thought it was necessary but agreed we are at that age when those thoughts need to be entertained and explored. So we spent an enjoyable weekend in Fargo, first watching our beloved Minnesota Vikings end yet another season without capturing that coveted Super Bowl. 🙁 Then Monday at 1:00 pm we were given a tour of a very magnificent retirement facility. For…..