Willard Kilzer--A Long Time Friend

Two weeks ago we ate with Willard and Audrey Kilzer  at the Seward Senior Center where we also enjoyed accordion music. I sat next to Willard and we talked about a variety of things during the nearly 2 hours we were together. The next day Willard had a stroke and yesterday he died. We all have good friends that come into our lives at critical times, share our burdens and joys, and move on for various reasons. Willard was my very good friend for over 80 years. We went to Oak Grove country school together, the Garland Congregational Church, Garland HS, were in the same Thrashing Run, Shelled corn together, sawed wood, played on the same baseball and basketball teams, danced with and dated some of the same girls, etc. Willard was like a member of our family. He went with us when we both bought Purebred Polled Herfords, to Tarkio, MO where we bought an Oliver 70, he took me up to Mead, NE to a corn husking job, and went along on some Conservation Tours after I started working for SCS. We would see them occasionally during our Washington years. Moving back home we farmed across the fence from each other and I sought his farming advice. He helped with our farm sale and they went with us to a Farm Progress Show in Iowa in our Motor Home. The four of us also went on a fishing trip to Canada in the Motor Home. We were together for several years in the Seward Presbyterian Church and they provided us with sweet corn  from their garden. Last June Willard was honored at the Garland HS alumni reunion as a member of the 75-year class.  We always looked forward to visiting at the Senior Center.  The day this picture was taken two weeks ago,  we talked about the possibility of attending the  Auction of a 160-acre farm out in our old neighborhood. It will be held at 11:00am this coming Saturday, the same hour as Willard's Memorial Service. 

Senator Tom Harking and wife Ruth

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin has announced that he doesn't plan to run for reelection in 2014. He spent 10 years in the House of Representatives before going to the Senate 28 years ago. Reading the article in the OWH triggered my memory of an experience  that occurred 36 years ago. I had been promoted into a "super grade" positions a few months earlier and attended a 2-week Bookings Institute session at Williamsburg, VA. I rode down from our home in the Mantua area of Fairfax, Co. VA, with at neighbor, Andy Diedrick who participated in the same session. Andy was with the Federal Highway Commission and alerted me that a young lady, going to the session had asked to ride along with us. It turned out to be Ruth Harkin, the young Congressman's wife. There were nearly 50 of us in the class who were at about the same Federal grade level. President Ford gave his State of the Union Address during the time we were in session which we critiqued. Jimmy Carter's inauguration also occured while we were there so we watched that on TV and discussed his message. We were a pretty bipartisan group as is Bookings Institute. At least at that time, it seemed that it was a "haven" for career politicians whose party was not in office. I did have occasion to testify before Senator Harkin as Chair of the Senate Ag Committee (That included Sen. Bob Kerrey from NE) back in the early 90's when they held a hearing in Iowa while I was with the Soil and Water Conservation Society at Ankeny.  

Basketball

Duke beat Maryland 84-64 in Cameron this afternoon.  Nebraska beat Northwestern in Lincoln 64-49 and North Carolina State hosted North Carolina and beat them 91-83    David Thompson was in the audience to cheer on his alma mater. I continue to be amazed at the evolution of the game. Each year it changes. The agility of big men is remarkable. Years ago they played in the post, made hook shots and layups but never dribbled the ball. By the time of David Thompson he was among the first to dribble and jump to nearly the top of the backboard. While it's still a great game requiring strength and skill, it seems that the strength/skill ratio continues to shift toward strength. I watch very few NBA games but there seems to be a "trickle down" effect on style of play to the college and HS levels. I wonder if it hasn't gone about as far as it can go and future changes will be more subtle. Of course, that is what I thought years ago and then the 3-point shot came along. 

Sadie & Fievel

The "Girls" came to visit this afternoon to let us see how Sadie can set up by herself. She is shown here with Fievel which has been at our house since Julie was a little girl. The song I associate with Fievel is "Somewhere Out There" and it brings back some great memories. Julie was 9 years old when I took a job over at Ankeny, IA. Elaine and I had a Condo there but came home to Seward nearly every other weekend to spend time with family. Carolyn and Julie were really a part of our immediate family at that time. Julie liked to play with this Fievel doll and sing "Somewhere Out There". The song is from one of the movies about this little mouse that came to America. The words included something like, "Somewhere we'll meet again someday". Our Office at the Soil and Water Conservation Society had background music that wasn't noticeable while you were working, except when the "Somewhere" song was played. It would cause me to stop working, "hear" Julie singing it, have a cup of coffee and be homesick. 

A Prized Bucket

Sometimes when you go to an Auction, you buy things you don't really need but with the idea that you may need them some day. That was the case with this stainless steel bucket that I bought at my Brother Don and Gladys' auction last September. I have a couple plastic drywall buckets out in the garage and also a bucket similar to this one that has become rusty and has a small hole in the bottom. When I saw this shinny bucket, I knew it would be useful for something someday. Besides, it had belonged to my brother and it was obvious that he had polished it up to sell. After buying it, I took it down to my basement office area where it could be admired. It would not be used for carrying dirt or yard waste like the other buckets. With our New Year's resolve to reduce our "stuff, and several old computer auxiliary speakers  needing to be carried upstairs and to the Et Cetra store, the bucket saved the day. I was able to carry a full load up the stairway and still have a free hand on the railing. Had it not been for the bucket, my hands would have been full of "stuff" and I might have fallen and broke a leg or something. I forgot what I paid for it so, my bucket has already "paid for itself" and I will continue to admire its craftsmanship.  

Lunch, Visiting, Shopping in Lincoln

We met Don and Gladys for lunch today at the Chinese Restaurant and Mongolian Grill in Lincoln. We always have a good visit when we get together. Gladys and I each had our list of "agenda" items for which we sought information. Their Great Grandson underwent surgery at the Shriner's Hospital in Minneapolis today which went well. We went our separate ways to do some shopping after our good lunch and visit. We were shopping in the Penney's store and looked up to see them within 6' of us also shopping in the Men's department. After a bit more visiting there we talked about heading for home but decided to stop where Elaine could go to T.J. Max and I to Best Buy. After looking in the electronics department for 15 minutes and then looking for Elaine and not finding her, I saw Don and Gladys going into the T. J. Max store. Elaine was at the check-out counter so we all got back together again. There must have been some supernatural convergence that brought us together those two times without any intentions. We've made arrangements to meet at times over the years and not been that successful. 

Presidential Inaugurations

We had the TV tuned to the Inauguration much of the day yesterday. The President's message is always an important indicator of his priorities, but to me, the noon luncheon was most enjoyable. It was really heartening to see the camaraderie between individuals who see political issues with opposite perspective. I also enjoyed the informality shown by the 1st Family in this picture and their activities during the parade. We had the pleasure of viewing several inaugural parades during our years in the D. C. area but they were always over before it got dark. After President Obama's first inauguration, I utilized Wikipedia, my Journals, Diaries and memory to write a 30 page paper on "My Presidents: Their Times, Our Times, Their Election & Their Inauguration." I started the paper by telling of having been born during the Calvin Coolidge administration and my memories of the 1932 election. Dad was a member of the National Guard and the folks talked about the possibility of a national insurrection if Hoover was reelected. Today, I started adding another Chapter to "My Presidents" which will be the 22nd.