Great party

Went to a great party last night at Pat Limburg Rusnak's home. Notice how I still use her maiden name. It is difficult to make the switch when you knew them 'back in the day'. It was a great time with old/new friends and great food.
Butch is doing fine as long as he is medicated. It makes him loopy and sleepy. He was able to stay awake and not appear loopy at the party last night. But the minute he gets home he is ...well, you know.
I heard someone comment at the party last night that the last two weeks have been especially busy and I had to agree with them. It seems it is much like in the Spring in South Texas. As time draws nearer to leave the pace seems to pick up. I do not know what it is here. Maybe it is as it gets cooler we all know summer is winding down and it is time to get the parties in before we hibernate for the winter. I hope they do not hibernate all winter! They will all be loopy and sleepy by Spring.
I do not know any more about how long we will be here etc. Maybe I will know when we get the results from Tuesday's MRI.
Today we have another party at Spring Lake. It is the retirees of Alliant Energy annual gathering.
Till next time...

Butch's back

Butch's back has given him trouble all summer-off and on. The other day he took  4 hits with a spade and messed up his back again. Yesterday we went to the doctor...again. He is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday and most likely is looking at his third back surgery. The first in 1985, the second in 2000, and the third most likely in October of 2011. This may change significantly our schedule for going to Texas. Only time will tell.
So Butch is reading the Kindle. I am still knee deep in bracelet orders and we are getting a walk in now and then. Work has stopped on the house and will resume next spring. So being in the holding pattern that we are not much happening.
Todays plan is to do some laundry and perhaps look at getting the house put up for the winter. Return some tools to Leo. Move some stacks of lumber around and batten down the hatches. I plan to go through things in the Moho and leave some unnecessary items here and I know there are a few items in the garage we plan to take with us.
We do have a party to go to tonight. That will be fun.
More later as I know it.

Bracelet Page

The bracelet Page above has been updated. Check it out

Visitors and visiting

Tuesday I had a previous appointment for a J.I.G.S. gathering. Lisa and Gail were willing to come with me. I am going to post what classmate Denise wrote about it.
From Denise:
 "Dear Jefferson Iowa Girls (JIGS)...About 20 of us had a wonderful get-together today at the tea room in Jefferson...Our honored guest was Jean Toal Brown, whom many of us hadn't seen in more than 40 years. Jeannie is the same beautiful, funny, peppy and feisty girl she was when she was a JHS cheerleader, and we were all so happy to see her. Jean and her husband Berry (who took about a  million pics of us) live on Lake Tahoe.

Here's who was there (going around the table) Donna Kafer Lawson (who made the arrangements for the lunch), Janet Smith, Dorothy Wilson Salisbury (Class of 1960), Wanda Freeman Richards (who has recently moved from Muscatine to Altoona and will be able to become a JIGs regular, we hope);

Ellie Stougard Brown, Pauline (Dona) Saba Borst (Class of 1963), Andrea Sigenthaeler Blume, Denise O'Brien Van, Pat Limburg Rusnak, Sue Durlam Lucht (Class of 1962), Judy Peacock Wills (Class of 1962), Mardi Thomsen Stream;

Rozetta Renner Fiscus, Jayne Owen Tomes, Jean Toal Brown, Colleen O'Brien Clopton (Class of 1962), Mickey Sanders Starr. Barb Brock Brooker, Toni Averill Roberts and Bonnie Strunk Campbell. (Hope I didn't miss anyone!)

Mary Nipps Hanson Harrison started JIGS (and named it) following the Class of 1961's 45th reunion. We central Iowa Class of 1961 girls have been meeting monthly for lunch ever since (and we've invited other JHS girls to join us). We always have a great time, no matter how many show up. It was so fortuitous that Jean Toal was in Iowa and could join us at today's lunch. Just so great to see her!

I've put all the girls on my Class of 1961 e-mail list on the JIGS list, so those of you who live far away can see what we're up to!..Be sure to let us know when you'll be in central Iowa, and we can get a get-together organized while you're here.

Best to all of you from Denise..."

Sue, Pat, Denise and Andi

Donna, Wanda and Dorothy

Janet,Lisa, Bonnie,Toni

Mickey, Judy and Colleen

Jean, Jayne and Rozetta

Jean and Jayne

Rozetta and Mardel

Sue and Pat

Jean and Sue

The meal was great as always at the Tea Garden and I was glad that Lisa and Gail were able to enjoy it with me. After the Jigs gathering we returned to the SummerTime RV Resort otherwise known as Barb and Butch's place and just hung out for the remainder of the afternoon. At about 5:00 we walked uptown to the Farmers Market. After returning we gathered in the yard for a joke telling session that lasted till after dark.
We had a great time with the first time visitors to the SummerTime RV Resort and we hope they return. They pulled out this morning heading south to their home state of Texas.

Texas Visitors by way of Colorado and Michigan

Terry and Lisa Linder and Mel and Gail Morton of Texas are visiting us. We met these fine folks in Colorado at Snow Mountain Ranch while volunteering there several summers ago. This summer,after their stint at Snow Mountain Ranch they made their way to Hillman MI and workamped at Thunder Bay Golf and RV Resort where we volunteered last year. They are now slowly making their way back to Texas but stopped to see us and the progress we are making on the house they have heard so much about. Last night shortly after their arrival we treated them to some Iowa Ham Balls, Cheesy Potatoes, Green beans with onion and bacon and Lemon Bars. Keri fixed the cheesy potatoes and Norma Milligan had treated us to a whole batch of Lemon Bars. I can tell you I looked forward to this meal as much as anyone. These Texans had never heard of ham balls. No big surprise there. So it seemed the perfect thing to have and it was. After supper we played some poker and those Texans took these Iowans for a bit of a ride. We ate supper and played poker in our house. It is primitive but it worked.

And then this morning we took a bit of a tour around Jefferson. Showing them the town square and all the stuff around it. I think our courthouse is a fine example of one and that is where we started.

After our mini tour we came back to our RV's for a quick lunch. The guys then were off to the golf course. We women sat around and visited a bit and then we took off on bikes to check out the bike trail.

Lisa and Gail on the trail.

We did a 5 mile ride out to the trestle bridge and back on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. When we returned, Gail who hasn't ridden since she was a kid, said she had no idea riding a bike could be so much fun. I am sure you know that really warmed my heart!!

History of our country in a nutshell

Probably the best capsule of the history of our country ever put together.  It's fascinating to watch the evolution of growth from the 13 colonies up to the present, with dates, wars, purchases, etc. included.  As much as you may know about American history, I guarantee you'll learn something from this short video clip.

This “moving” map of the country, shows it from the beginning of the 13 states through the present. It includes the acquisitions from England and Spain, the Slave states, the Free states, a segment on the Civil war, it includes some mentions of Central and South America, etc.   It also shows the Indian Nations as they were during the Indian Wars: Modac, Miwok, Mujave, Nez Perce, Flat Head, Crow, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Navajo, Apache, Dakota, Sioux, Kiowa, Wichita and Comanche. A great site, especially if you enjoy American history, but have forgotten a lot of what we learned in school. Turn on your sound, as the narration is a significant portion of the presentation. Click on the link below. (When it opens, don't click on Go at the bottom .... click on Play at the top.)

http://www.animatedatlas.com/movie.html

Dan Kelley and his granddaughter Peyton Kelley. Look at that watermelon!!! It's a whopper!!