THE SYMBOL OF A NEW BEGINNING

When she was 9 years old Tina Siemens of Seminole considered apricots as candy. “We were so poor we couldn’t afford candy,” says Tina, who loved canned green beans. “That was my favorite thing to eat, just straight out of the can. I had an apricot for dessert.

Valuable philosophy of an old coal miner

On May 31, 1975 at 1:15 PM, I was sitting with my friend Rob at the Sunshine Tap in Traer, Iowa, eating a hamburger, fries and washing it down with a Pepsi. I was wearing cut off blue jeans, an old white t-shirt with Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps emblazoned across my chest, and sandals.

CHECK YOUR MIRRORS

The past week has been spent under the same roof as Lillie and Ellie, the Children Who Call Me Pearl. Grandchildren are all they are cracked up to be and more. We are in the “more” stage now as the two of them have grown very used to my presence (after sixteen months of distance).

Old Glory News

The weather has been nice and maybe everyone can get their yards mow and back looking nice. Time is moving right along and it will be rodeo time soon. The rodeo will be starting on June 30 and go through July the 3 rd . I suppose the parade will be on the 30th.

DINING PERFECTION

I have asked several of my friends who enjoy good food this question: how many perfect dining experiences have you had? So far, none has quickly responded with animated expressions of extreme satisfaction. No one has said, “O, yeah, let me tell you about this place.

The importance of family traditions

Family traditions are meaningful to me. The older I get the more important it is to preserve these annual happenings in hope that they will be passed down through generations. One of these traditions for our family is barbecued pork spareribs on Memorial Day.

CHECK YOUR MIRRORS

High school graduation exercises in small towns are not just a yearly event. They are The Event. Chances are that when the calendar reaches the month of May, folks in rural areas are buying graduation gifts for not just one senior but the entire class.

Old Glory News

Can you believe that month number six is upon us. That means that half of the year is here. Seems as though we just celebrated New Years Day. Oh, what with the speed of time, it is just making us older faster!!!!!!

RECORDING ORAL HISTORY

Dr. Stephen Sloan is head of Baylor’s Institute for Oral History, recognized as one of the best in the country. Last semester he taught a course on the Vietnam War. “All my students did interviews with Vietnam Veterans.

When it’s okay, not to be okay.

I learned a valuable lesson this week. I traveled to the University of Iowa Hospital for my monthly meeting with my oncologist and digestive health medical team. For those of you unaware, I’m fighting stage 4 stomach cancer.