Skip to main content

Iowa 2014

Spent last weekend in the ancestral hometown in Iowa. I say ancestral because that side of the family has lived there practically since Iowa became a state. A mighty long time indeed. I always love being in Iowa, and this year I had a fantastic reason for a visit, as it was my Gram's 90th birthday. Mom and Dad drove out from Oregon, and I flew in to Cedar Rapids, and they picked me up along the way. Even though I haven't lived there in many years, being in Iowa is awesome. The countryside with the rolling hills and the farms is absolutely beautiful. Plus, Gram is still there, and going to Maquoketa always feels like I'm going home. And having my Aunt and Uncle there, and being able to get together with my cousins and my high school besties makes it extra special. 

 This time around we spent the days visiting, talking family history, and having lots of Iowa comfort food. My three cousins were all there, and we had a fun little surprise party to celebrate Gram's birthday. Here's Gram. Isn't she cute? Finally, someone who looks good in my hat.

Here's some family photos...
We also took a Sunday drive over to Bellevue to visit the dam and watch the barges go through the locks. While we were there, we got some ice cream, and visited Bellevue State Park, which I highly recommend. It's beautiful, and has a fabulous view of the river. Sadly, I forgot to get a picture, but here's one I swiped from Iowa Byways, to give you an idea.


My friends Amie, Jill, and Kim also made time to get together with me for dinner at a fun place called The Brick Tap, where we had awesome burgers and visited and laughed for several hours. It's always so good to see them, and we can talk and visit like we did when we were teenagers.


It was a fantastic weekend and I can't wait to go back!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Goals

One of my goals this year is to go on a backpacking trip. It's something I've always wanted to do, but been too intimidated to try. Well, a few weeks ago, one of the girls in the Ward invited me on a backpacking trip to the Uinta's this summer. This time I immediately said yes. All was well until a few days later when reality set in and the thought of carrying 30-35 pounds of pack on my back while hiking in rough terrain just about made me cave. I did not have all the gear I would need, nor was I in good enough shape. The gear is something easily worked out. Most of it I can either purchase myself, or borrow from highly motivated friends. The physical conditioning was another matter altogether, so I decided it was time to get in better shape. I've been pretty good at exercising regularly, and I'm in ok shape for someone approaching a milestone birthday (if I say so myself). But I knew I needed to put in some extra miles, as well as add strength to my legs ...
3 comments
Read more

Company 5K

Friday evening was the company 5K, and most of my team and their families made the effort to participate. The weather was perfect, and the route took us through the neighborhoods around the main building. We ended up finishing in about 45 minutes. Here we all are at the Finish line (l to r: Dave, his daughter and son, Robin, me, Tiffany, her boyfriend Scott, Sudhir, Bindu, and their daughter Naomi) After the 5K, I decided I needed a post-race recovery meal, and got myself down to the local DQ for a pumpkin pie blizzard.
1 comment
Read more

Weird Al and Iowa

So a couple of weeks ago while watching TV, I happened to click on an A&E Biography of "Weird Al" Yankovic. Boy - did that bring back some fun High School memories. There were interviews with Dr. Demento (Weird Al started out on his radio show"), and snippets from some true comedy classics - for instance "Eat It", "Like a Surgeon", and others. I remember my best friend Jill really being into his "Polkas on '45" album. I went to High School in Iowa (Go Hawks!), and one thing about the midwest is that someone like "Weird Al" really fits in there. It's the land of brats and beer, and polka (I mean, the Iowa marching band's favorite song is the polka classic "In Heaven There Ain't No Beer"), and people there have a sense of humor - they don't take themselves too seriously. They work hard, have a good time, and are all about community. They take care of each other. When I get to heaven, there...
3 comments
Read more