Get Out The Poodle Skirts!

Aug 18, 2014

You read that correctly!  It is time to pull out the saddle shoes and poodle skirts if you are a North Iowa person because my favorite local radio station, KCMR, Inspiration 97.9 is pulling out all the stops and putting on a show.  The best part is that YOU get to be a part of the show in a sense.  It's all about the music and it's coming to Mason City, Iowa on Friday, August 22nd from 7-9 p.m. "Malt Shop Memories" is the Friday night show on KCMR and is hosted by these fabulous folks …

It’s More Than Fireworks

Jul 4, 2014

The Final Draft of the Declaration of Independence When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be …

Signs on the Pavement of Things to Come

Jun 13, 2014

When I came home from Minneapolis on Wednesday I had to dodge orange cones or witches hats as they call them in Australia. The road that goes in front of our house was littered with them --carefully protecting the newly painted signs on the pavement that signaled to me that something big is going to be passing through Mason City in July. RAGBRAI is a big deal. When we first moved here I heard talk of RAGBRAI but had absolutely no idea what it was.  It is a non competitive bicycle race across …

Mr. Diamond Could Actually Become Mr. Diamond

Feb 6, 2014

Many of you know that I refer to my beloved husband as Mr. Diamond due to his past couple years of constant travel.  We have enjoyed the benefits that come with being a Delta Diamond member and I have reaped the benefits of that status many times. We are grateful for the special attention that frequent fliers get and think it is well deserved for those business travelers who spend a lot of time in the air and in airports. With that being said I might have found a way to preserve Mr. Diamond's …

The Game Ball

Feb 2, 2014

Today is The Big Game.  I don't want any problems with using the actual words but you know what I mean.  It is the day of the Superb Owl Game as Stephen Colbert has dubbed it.   While I do not have anything really invested in the game being played today I will watch and eat my obligatory Big Game Day food .   I will ooh and ahh over the commercials--many of which I have already viewed as the trend is to release the commercials early this year.   But in the back of my mind I will be thinking …

“Expert” Advice

Dec 9, 2013

I am "scarfily" challenged.   What that means is that try as I might I can never seem to make the pretty scarves that I have hanging in my closet look anything like other people make them look.  I love the look of adding a scarf to just accessorize and dress up an outfit but I have tried all of those Pinterest ideas and mine just don't turn out looking anything like the pictures.  Until now! I found a great You Tube video via Cinch.  If you have never heard of Cinch it is a fairly new social …

Guest Post by T. B. Markinson

Dec 5, 2013

Today I am thrilled to have T. B. Markinson do a guest post about her newly released second novel---Marionette.  This blogging world is a big and wonderful place and I found T. B. awhile ago and started following her personal blog at 50 Year Project and have totally loved it. When she broke the news that her first book, A Woman Lost, was coming out I jumped on the bandwagon and cheered her on.  Now she shares a bit about her latest novel and I could not be happier to share my blog with her …

My Alma Mater Made the News

Nov 17, 2013

Seems there was controversy brewing in New Concord, Ohio around a picture that used to hang in the lobby of John Glenn High School in memory of a beloved teacher who died years ago in front of her classroom of students.  No matter where you weigh in on the place of "religious art" in public places this story touched many alumni and friends of the school. I followed this story and knew that the end was near.  The picture no longer hung in the lobby area but in the administration area where it …

How Others See Us

Oct 17, 2013

My brain has been swirling around all over the place this week and it seems that I can't settle in to write a blog post for the life of me.  Too many ideas bouncing around in there some days but none that I can really write about quite yet. An Australian friend posted a cartoon on her Facebook page the other day and it hit me a little bit hard.   The cartoon was of a computer with the caption "Reboot America with no guns and free health insurance".   Ouch.  I usually shy aware from …

The Thrill Isn’t Gone—-Life on the Road

Oct 7, 2013

This weekend Chris and I had the joy of seeing B. B. King in concert at The Surf Ballroom for the second time.  The first time was in 2007 soon after we moved to Iowa.   It was our first experience at The Surf and we took our youngest son, Aaron, because he loves all kinds of music like we do.  It was a great evening---we were on the floor up fairly close and B. B . gave a great show. When I found out he was returning to The Surf I snagged tickets and a booth as soon as I could so that we …