John Van Egmond looked over the garage sale items at the Beacon, Iowa home. Beacon is right beside Oskaloosa and rather indistinguishable from Osky (a suburb of Osky?). He decided there was nothing at this [Read More…]
Gator rides for my grandkids were on the menu for my 71st birthday, along with watermelon, sweetcorn, sliced tomatoes, garden salad and choice of barbecued ribeye or t-bone steak, plus half-pound burgers, courtesy of Blossom, [Read More…]
The tall, handsome, dark haired man found Sharon in her shop where the Quarter Maybe More Store in Mt. Pleasant is now. She had a used furniture business. He asked her where the restroom was. [Read More…]
We both worked for the Mt. Pleasant News in the advertising department. I was new and Les was the top dog in sales. I was jealous. We used to tease Les a lot, and he [Read More…]
The art awards were announced. “In 2D, second place goes to…, first place goes to…; in 3D,” etc. The crowd of artists held their breath in anticipation of Best of Show. It was obvious where [Read More…]
A man ran across Sharon Bortz’s back yard. He had his shirt off and was wearing gray pants with a stripe down the side. The man had his shirt balled up in his fist as [Read More…]
Ginnie calls it a “staycation.” Instead of going on a summer vacation, we stay at home and get things done—staycation. It’s fine with me. I’ve always been a home body (boy). I love our home, [Read More…]
Like a precursor to the evening, there was a rather rude outburst at the political rally Ginnie and I were attending. A very belligerent and loud protester had to be ejected. I’ve never witnessed this [Read More…]
We finally got our garden in, about a month late, we figure. There was way too much rain, and the ground was far too wet to do any tilling. What a spring! On the days [Read More…]
Barney has disappeared. It happened on Mother’s Day (wouldn’t you know). Barney has always been my cat, because I’m the one who found and fed him. Cats remember. Barney was a great cat. He would [Read More…]
The last time I was in Jefferson, Iowa, I was six years old and had my tonsils out in the Greene County Hospital. They used ether back then as an anesthetic and it was a [Read More…]
Dan Williams wants to reclaim the name “Shecaqua” for the Skunk River. He is tall and slim, and at 72, looks more like a man in his fifties, which means he has energy and enthusiasm. [Read More…]
Ginnie and I went to sleep with the rain falling gently on the roof of the two-story tree house, (sorta like being in heaven) and slept like a babies. Ginnie and Curt stayed in the [Read More…]
I’ve caught more flak about butchering Blossom than any other column I’ve written. Good grief. She had so many people rooting for her that I feel like a crazed carnivore. I must point out, however, [Read More…]
It was a Sunday morning and I was using my laptop computer and Android smartphone. All of a sudden the smartphone locked up and wouldn’t do a thing, like a cold mackerel. Hmmm.I tried to [Read More…]
Blossom is not pregnant. The vet called with the results of the blood test. “Open,” he reported. Until recently, I didn’t even know what the term, “open” meant. So much for our beef raising days. [Read More…]
I got the first book where I get many of my books, from 89-year old Tommy Sinnott of Nauvoo. He’s my inspiration. The book, “Zealot, the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth,” by Reza [Read More…]
The best way to interview an octogenarian who walked 30,000 miles in 30 years (a thousand miles a year) is to go for a three-mile, early morning walk with him or her. But don’t think [Read More…]
Sue Walker and her cancer sniffing rescue dog, Kendall.Kendall was on Sue’s lap as usual, after supper, while Sue and her husband, Gary, watched television. The half-beagle-half-pug rescue dog (in more ways than one) from [Read More…]
We were four deep from the stage to hear Bernie Sanders at the Memorial Union in Iowa City. A band was playing. We had another hour to wait. I didn’t know if my seventy-year old [Read More…]
Mayhem struck the Empty Nest Farm. I was a little late doing the morning chores. It wasn’t until 11:00 or so before I got out to feed Blossom and take care of the hens. Before [Read More…]
On Fridays they bowl, at 1:00 p.m. No napping for them! They are part of the 55+ League at Champion Bowl in Ottumwa. There are 60+ members of the over 55 league. Teams are cleverly [Read More…]
Two books, both on the New York Times Bestseller List, were given to me free: the first was “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren; and the second, “Radical Remission—Surviving Cancer Against All Odds,” by [Read More…]
Tough winter. I’ve fallen twice now doing chores, the first time breaking the eggs I had just gathered—that upset me more than the fall. I laid there for a couple of seconds on the ice, [Read More…]
Our outside temperature gauge told me it was -21° F at 2:00 a.m.–the time I usually get up to read and write. I could hear the wind howling outside and the house popping and banging [Read More…]
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Kent White’s team found the wrecked Hercules C-130 Transport Airplane by using radar. Its tail fin, with the numbers “321,” was barely visible, sticking up through the snow and ice on [Read More…]
The flight instructor asked Tom what he would do if he was going in for a landing and there was a horse in the middle of the runway. Tom thought for a moment and replied, [Read More…]
The voice on the phone was of an elderly man. I could hardly understand him. “My name is Tommy Sinnott. I’m from Nauvoo, Illinois. I read your column. Have you ever read the book, ‘The [Read More…]
Wondering what to do with yourself after retirement? Talk to Larry McKim of Ottumwa. He’s 72 years young, recently bought a bar for the first time in his life, although he doesn’t drink, and, oh, [Read More…]
Ginnie and I try to do things together on her days off. Often in the middle of the week, we go to movies, shop, and have lunch out. Since it might be a Tuesday or [Read More…]
For some strange reason, Blossom only escapes from her pen when Ginnie and I are gone, like she knows we’re away and it’s time to romp. The first time she escaped was last summer when [Read More…]
Tim Smith, basketball coach of Sweet Springs High School in Missouri is a busy man. In addition to coaching both the girls and boys varsity basketball teams, he is also Athletic Director and Physical Education [Read More…]
Just in time for Christmas, I will be doing a book signing in Burlington at Burlington By the Books, 301 Jefferson St., on Saturday, December 15th, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Books will be [Read More…]
I read a lot. Most of my reading/writing is performed, orchestrated, conducted in the early morning hours when my mind is fresh, there are no interruptions, and I’m at the peak of creativity. To Ginnie’s [Read More…]
I’m going to toss out four books for consideration or consumption, like tossing out bones for the canine to choose from—one, two, maybe three, or all of them? It’s going to be cold and the [Read More…]
November 3rd, 1989, 2:00 a.m., all alone, and blind drunk, I fell through the glass top of my coffee table, cut myself to smithereens, and almost bled to death. Like an Iowa tornado ripping through [Read More…]
Ginnie and I recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary. On October 10th, three years ago, Ginnie stepped out of the back door of our garage, strolled across the grass, to the music and singing of [Read More…]
Have you ever heard of both a mother and daughter having breast cancer at the same time in the same breast? It happened to Linda Pohren and Tammy Mumme of Mt. Pleasant. Linda’s husband, Jim, [Read More…]
Anyone traveling on US Highway 34, between Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield in the last few years, has no doubt noticed the political signs. They’re sort of belligerent, in your face, crude, and to be honest, [Read More…]
National Dog Day, which was in late August, right around Ginnie’s birthday, found Buddy a little worse for wear. It has been a bummer summer for the ole Buddy Boy. First of all, in July, [Read More…]
Brad Heald was still weed eating 45 minutes before his daughter’s wedding. He wanted everything to be perfect for his only daughter, Coral. To the wedding guests, everything was perfect. There was a beautiful display [Read More…]
Kimn Hassenfritz looked up from the breakfast table. “What is that awful noise?” she asked. There it was again. The noise sounded like a cross between an elk bugling and a sick goose. It was [Read More…]
I’m going to recommend two books for fall-fest reading. One is “Vinegar Girl” by Anne Tyler, and the other is “Long Haul, A Trucker’s Tales of Life on the Road” by Finn Murphy. Anne Tyler [Read More…]
When I was a kid my father ran a gas station in Monroe. I loved “helping” my father with his business. I swept the floor and washed windshields—albeit I had to stand on a five-gallon [Read More…]
I always knew Ginnie was a special woman, but this is ridiculous! We were leaving the movie theater in Burlington. I had taken Ginnie to “Crazy Rich Asians” for her birthday (excellent movie) and we [Read More…]
It was snowing so hard Michael Lanman, from Keosauqua, could hardly see beyond the hood of his Schneider truck. Semis were crammed into the parking lot of the truck stop in Clear Lake every which [Read More…]
Dr. Joel Ryon was headed for Mt. Pleasant’s swimming pool for a workout. He is a triathlete having competed in Ironman triathlons and also the Boston Marathon. It was his day off from his busy [Read More…]
I had fielded one-too-many quips about my weight: “Really pack’n it on there, aren’t you?” This hurt my feelings, so I decided to do something about it. We have plenty of eggs with our dozen [Read More…]
Ginnie came to me bright and early the day before my birthday. “There’s an issue with Buddy.” “Ah, oh.” I didn’t like the sound of the word ‘issue.’ “Oh, what’s that?” I asked, trying to [Read More…]
Ginnie told me to rent the metal detector again and search for the ring one more time before she bought me a new one. My 70th birthday was fast approaching (70!) and Ginnie was going [Read More…]
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