Joe Cocker

 As we begin school, and as each year goes forward I realize  my students see that I have a bohemian spirit. They call me a hippy sometimes, and  so I will go along with them and tell them I hitch hiked to Woodstock the summer of 1969. (I was only eight)

I tell them Joe Cocker picked me up on the way to his performance at the rain soaked concert and we sang "A Little Help From My Friend" all the way there. For some reason the don't believe me.

I love that song and I always break into verse when I hear it. Click here and sing with Joe.

This I Believe

I believe that families do not have to be in the same house or have the same bloodline. Although, there are many families that are born and raised in the same house they may not be as close as I am to the people I consider family.

I was raised an only child so it was me and my parents. Both of my parents are my heroes. They made me the man that I am, both of them worked long hours so I could be the first college graduate in my family. With that said I have family that is as close to me as my parents that have nothing to do with genealogy.

I have a brother who grew up in the same neighborhood as I did. When my mom died his wife and him who had just driven 24 hours to get to Florida got back in their car and drove back to Iowa to be there for me.

I have a brother who is a 1st cousin; he has been there for me his whole life for me because of an action by my mom and dad. He was penniless in Colorado and my mom and dad brought him back to Iowa paying for his food and lodging. Every since that time he has been there for me at all the important times of my life. When plumbing needs to be done in my home he helps me. When funeral arrangements needed to be made for my mom he helped me.

With this said I understand that family sometimes has its ups and downs and that you can be disappointed at the drop of a hat if they feel like you let them down.

But true family, family of unquestionable love knows forgiveness, knows acceptance and realizes that is what love and trust is. I believe that families do not have to be in the same house or have the same bloodline.

Valley Christian Article

Here is a great article from Placer Sports on the reasons why to run "The System". It is a February 2, 2012 article about Valley Christian High School out near Sacramento. Click here to read more.

Moma Cass

I still remember the day Moma Cass died. But it was the sixty's and a lot of stars were dying young. Joplin, Morrison, and Hendrix to name a few. What wrecked me even more was I wondered if I would see or hear her 'Moma' counterpart Michelle Phillips ever again. I had such a crush on her. One of my favorite songs by the Momas and the Papas was " Creeque Alley". I love this song. Click here and listen to it.

Nature

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” 

-Lao Tzu

Summer Afternoon

It would not be a summer day in Iowa without listening to The Eagles sing "Desperado". 

Click here and enjoy.

Gunder Burger

Monday a couple teaching friends and I made the pilgrimage to Gunder, Iowa for the world famous 'Gunder Burger'. I had been wanting  a cheeseburger for over a month and so I ordered one with everything. It was one pound of 80/20 beef, cheese, lettuce, mushrooms, onions, pickles, tomatoes, and jalapeno peppers. I included a side order of fries, and an endless raspberry tea to cool off the peppers. I dipped my cheeseburger in a mixture of ketchup and mustard. 

All three of us finished our burger. I then topped mine off with a piece of blueberry pie and a cup of coffee.

One of my other friends had a huge pile of hash browns with their meal and I will add that next time I eat in Gunder.

You get this wonderful burger at the Irish Shanti in Gunder, Iowa. It is located in scenic northeast Iowa between Elgin and Clermont.