High School Memories

Charlotte to Des Moines

My high school class recently had it's 50th reunion, and we flew to Des Moines for the festivities. I can remember when my mother-in-law told me she was going to her 50th and I thought, "Man, you are old!" And somehow here I am...

The flight to Des Moines was blissfully uneventful. It wasn't until we got to the Budget Rental Car counter that we encountered a snafu. I had requested a small SUV, which usually means a Rav 4 or the like. The lady told me that she had a Jeep Wrangler for me. I informed her that no, she did not because I requested a "small" SUV. She said my options were the Jeep, a minivan (are you kidding me???) or a pickup truck (seriously? I'm 5'3" on a good day.) 

I chose the Jeep, but as it ended up it was a Jeep Wrangler Sahara - one they hadn't even bothered to wash for us. It is definitely a vehicle better suited for off-roading than driving around town or on the interstate. It has a terrible ride, uncomfortable seats, and is noisy as heck on the road. While it was supposed to be a hybrid, the gas mileage we got was 19 miles to the gallon. The best I can say is thank goodness it had a grab handle so I could hoist myself up into the driver's seat. And it was cooler to show up at the reunion in that as opposed to a minivan!

We decided to stay at the reunion hotel in West Des Moines, as did our good friends Kathy and Paul. The four of us had dinner the first night with some other Des Moines friends. The next morning we were joined at breakfast by my friend Mary Ann. She and her family lived right across the street from me in Des Moines, and I often baby-sat their three kids. It was great to catch up with her.

We were excited to see that Smash Park - an indoor/outdoor pickleball and games facility - was located right across the parking lot from us. We checked it out, and even got some games in Friday afternoon before getting ready for the informal event at Felix and Oscar's Restaurant that night.

Smash Park

Felix and Oscar's was packed, which meant a good turnout from our class and their guests. But it was very difficult to hear and talk to people. I did get to spend a little time with my speech teacher, Bill Springer. We found a quieter back room at the restaurant, and shared a table with a few of my classmates and their spouses.

Saturday morning we did a tour of my high school and wow, what a lot of changes! My class had 439 students that graduated in the spring of 1974. Another 30 or so had graduated early. The school had 1,200 students in grades 10-12. Today the school only has 900 students in grades 9-12. We had perhaps 3 Black students in the whole school when I was there, and that was the extent of our diversity. Today over 40 languages are spoken at Hoover, so English as Second Language classes are a huge deal. It was fun to walk the hallways again to relive memories and see all the improvements. 

Hoover High School

After the tour we went directly to Merle Hay Mall as the class had organized some play at Dink's Pickleball. Dink's is actually located in an old Kohl's store, and what a great reuse of empty retail space. Sixteen of us came out to play pickleball, and we had a lot of fun!

Dink's Pickleball

Jim and I broke off after pickleball while he sought out some billiards with Paul, and I drove to my old neighborhood. It's always interesting to go back to the house where I lived for 17 years. It stills looks really good, as does the whole area. We met back at the hotel to get ready for the evening program, dinner and music. That night it was much easier to have conversations with classmates. We had a great time, and I'm very glad that we went. We have already lost so many from our class, so it really points out how we never know if or when we will see each other again.

50th reunion

The next morning we went to another friend's house for breakfast. Steve and Michele lived down the street from us in Webster Groves for awhile before they moved away. Coincidentally, they also graduated from Iowa State University, and we have remained friends for nearly 40 years. They are one of those couples where even when you don't see them or talk to them for years, you can pick right back up where you left off. 

From there we headed up to Charles City to see Jim's sister and her family. We stopped first at the High Trestle Bridge, which I had read about but never seen. It is part of the Iowa trails system. It was very cool, and definitely worth the detour.

High Trestle Bridge

We had not been to Charles City since Jim's mom died. It was hard to go knowing that neither Lorraine or Jerry would be there to greet us as they both died within months of each other in 2020. But it was good to see family and friends in the area and catch up with all of them. A couple of cousins even drove down from Minnesota to see us, which was fantastic. We also drove around town to see all the beautiful murals that have been installed since we were last there.

Charles City Murals

The visits to Des Moines and Charles City prove that you can go home again. It just might look a little different from the last time you were there.

Wrapping up 68 Years of Married Life

Following the funeral of my mother-in-law, we turned our attention to her house and its contents. We were lucky to find in Charles City a company that not only handles the sale of houses but their contents as well. They will remove every last item from the home, and can provide us with a cleaning service as well. I asked the guy where he was when we were emptying out our home in St. Louis last year? What a godsend! We all can simply take whatever mementos we want and leave the rest for them. As we are over 17 hours away and don't want to risk additional Covid Cooties by making the trek again, this is such a great solution for everyone.

After two weeks up north, we began our way home on July 7th, stopping in Lexington for the night. Our son, daughter-in-law and her family were staying in Asheville for the week. We had been invited way before the pandemic came along to join them at their AirBNB in the mountains outside of Asheville. We debated whether or not to stop. We are definitely a higher risk because of the 7 states we have traveled through for the funeral. But everyone there still wanted us to come, so the next day we made our way to Asheville. 

sunset from the deck

We spent two days and nights with the 6 of them, and I have to say it was such a welcome relief to talk about something besides our overwhelming grief at losing both mom and dad within a short time period. We visited downtown Asheville, a local brewery, spent time on the deck overlooking the mountain range, and played games. It was a perfect way to destress.

We arrived home on Friday after a two hour drive from Asheville. How nice to end things with a short amount of time in the car! After 2,800 miles on the road, it was so good to be home. I hit the grocery store early Saturday morning, and now we are self-quarantining on the off-chance that we picked up the virus on our journey.

kayaking on Mountain Island Lake

Sunday morning we took our kayaks out early to beat the heat and the boat traffic. It was a nice, relaxing way to ease back into our Mountain Island Lake lives. There is nothing like home, sweet home.

Funeral for (More Than) a Friend

Holiday Inn Express

We are back home from laying my mother-in-law to rest. We broke up the 17 hour drive on the way up June 24th by spending the night in Urbana, IL. While it was troubling to use the highway rest stops and gas stations due to COVID and the laissez-faire attitude many seem to have, we felt quite comfortable at the Holiday Inn Express. Masks and social distancing were in place, and the room was spotless. While they cannot do their included hot breakfast at the moment, they had "Grab and Go" bags available to take back to our room. The contents of the bag were skimpy, but at least we had something to start our morning.

Before we reached Charles City we stopped in Nashua, IA at mom's favorite ice cream shop, Dairy Treat. We each got a cone in honor of mom.

Dairy Treat

Walking into my father and mother-in-law's house for the first time since their deaths was really hard. We always went in through the side door, which is adjacent to the family room. They spent most of their time in that room, so we were always greeted by them sitting in their chairs. For the first time in the 34 years they have lived in this particular house, no one was there to welcome us. It was the first of many sad moments for us.

On Friday our kids flew in from their respective parts of the country. They stayed at a local hotel, which gave us plenty of social distancing in the house. Saturday was the memorial service at the funeral home. We purposefully limited the number of people to immediate family, with the exception of a dear, long-time neighbor. We were able to space out nicely in the room. John from the funeral home sang a few songs (he belongs to their church and is in the choir), and Sister Diana from the church did the readings. She knew Jerry and Lorraine well, so the service was very personalized. Our daughter read a poem that Lorraine had written years ago. It was beautiful, and I knew that I would not be able to get through it should I try. Lorraine was a prolific letter writer, but I had no idea she had poetry in her arsenal as well.

Don't cry for me
I'm not alone
the angels came and took me home
Hello Mother
Hello Dad
They're the best friends I ever had
There's John, Bernie and Joe
Tell me where I'm supposed to go
Then a loud voice called out and said
My dear child don't be late,
did you forget we had this date
Then him and I walked hand in hand
to the garden gate
Goodbye, family
Goodbye, friends
This is the beginning and not the end.
                              ~Lorraine Wolterman

Memorial Service

After the service we went to a restaurant along the river and had a late lunch. We were able to sit outside at two separate tables, though no one who worked there was wearing a mask. It is so disheartening. That evening we went to our niece and nephew's farm for dinner and to watch their fireworks. It was a nice way to wind down following the stress of the day.

On Sunday we spent the day going through the house, allowing family members the opportunity to pick a few things they would like to have as mementos of mom and dad. Monday was the graveside memorial service in Fairfax, MN which is about 3 hours north of Charles City. We drove through a horrific rainstorm on the way there, and I was afraid the service would be canceled. But mom must have pulled some strings up above, because it cleared up enough to get things done. Some cousins put together a small luncheon in the local park, which was very nice of them to do.

graveside memorial

Andy and Megan left from the park to go to the airport to fly home. Jim, Katie and I drove to Waconia, MN where we spent the night with Jim's cousin and her husband. Katie flew home the next morning, and Jim and I were able to get a quick visit in with friends in Minneapolis before driving back to Charles City. Much more work awaited us there.

Make the U-turn

u-turn sign

My new mantra is "Make the u-turn." So many times when we are driving down the road or on a trip we pass something interesting, and comment that we should have stopped to check it out. Now that we are both pretty much retired, I told my husband that if we see something we are going to do a u-turn and head back to it. We are going to "make the u-turn."

We had an opportunity to put it into practice earlier this month as we were driving home from Charles City, Iowa. Just a few miles outside of town is the childhood home of Carrie Lane Chapman Catt, a women's suffrage leader who campaigned for women to have the right to vote, and founder of the League of Women Voters. For as many years as we have been traveling from our home in St. Louis to Charles City, we have never stopped.

Well, last Monday after we passed the sign for the turnoff, we decided to make the u-turn. I am so happy that we did. What a great visitor's center they have, and our docent was exceptional as she walked us through the house and the restored prairie behind it. An added bonus for me was the barn quilt on the barn. I almost always make a u-turn for one of those!

There is no entrance charge, though donations are appreciated. If you find yourself in northeastern Iowa, I highly recommend a stop here. You can learn more about Catt and the home at this website.

Carrie Lane Chapman Catt childhood home

Mini Vacation

My husband's high school reunion was the last weekend in July in Charles City, and we also had to be back there the first weekend of August for our niece's wedding. Instead of making the long drive two weekends in a row, we decided to turn it into a mini vacation.

We had a really nice time staying with my in-laws and attending the class reunion, which was held at the local VFW hall. Fortunately I know some of the people, and everyone was nice so I had good conversations throughout the night. It was an added bonus for me that there was a beautiful lake with a pretty sunset behind the hall. I'm always happiest when taking pictures!

behind the VFW hall

We left Charles City for Minneapolis on Monday the 29th, and first stopped to have lunch with Jim's cousin and her husband. We also got to check out their new house, though they have already been in it for 5 years. Next up was a visit to the Corbins house in the Twin Cities. They are the friends we travel with, usually once a year. We spent two nights with them, and very much enjoyed seeing the sites in the area.

Minnehaha Regional Park

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

From Minneapolis we headed northeast to Two Harbors, Minnesota, where we stayed at Larsmont Cottages for two nights. Nestled on the shores of Lake Superior, the location was excellent for the sight-seeing we wanted to do in the area. The accommodations were wonderful with excellent sunrises, and we enjoyed the lighthouses, waterfalls, and natural beauty around us. One more day would have been great!

Larsmont Cottages

attractions in Two Harbors and Duluth

Friday we made our way back to Charles City as our niece was getting married the next day. We rented a house in town since our two children were both flying in as well. The weekend flew by, with a beautiful wedding and many fun times with the family. I'm so grateful that we all had the opportunity to get together. It was the perfect ending to our mini vacation.

Family!

Celebrating 65 Years of Marriage

Jim and I went to Charles City, Iowa for a wedding anniversary over the weekend, but first we attended the latest Women in Focus photography exhibit. Held at Third Degree Glass Factory, the opening coincided with their Third Fridays monthly event. Every third Friday of each month, Third Degree offers glassblowing demonstrations, food from local caterers or food trucks, live music, and a new exhibition in their east gallery. That is where the Women in Focus show entitled "Passion" is being displayed for a month.

Third Degree Glass Factory

The event opens at 6:00, and Jim and I arrived a little before that to find the parking lot already full and about 30 people waiting in line to get in. We were amazed! Having never attended Third Fridays before, we had no idea what to expect. The evening was quite fun, and the photos on display by our group are excellent and thought-provoking, as always.

Saturday morning we got up early to head up to Charles City where we had a big surprise in store for my husband's parents. They knew that the two of us were coming up to help them celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary, which happened to be February 18th. But they had no idea that our son and daughter-in-law were flying in from Washington, DC., or that our daughter would also be flying in from Los Angeles. These plans had been in the works since Thanksgiving, when the kids were able to arrange their flights into Minneapolis on the 18th arriving pretty close to the same time. They wanted to be able to rent one car and drive to Charles City together. With the flights settled, we only had to worry about the weather.

wedding day

When my in-laws were married, a snow storm kept some guests from being able to attend the wedding and reception. When the time came to plan their 50th anniversary party, they decided to have the celebration in April to avoid the possibility of snow. But guess what? It snowed that weekend in April. You just can't fool mother nature!

The weather gods were kind this time, and we had unseasonably warm weather. It was sunny and warm (for northern Iowa) on both Saturday and Sunday. We were even able to take some photos outdoors in the park on Sunday afternoon following Mass and a small dinner party at the local Chinese restaurant. Thank goodness for tripods and the timer on my camera.

family photos

All of us were able to stay in town until a little after noon on Tuesday, so there was plenty of time to catch up, play cards, puzzles and other games, and of course eat some amazing food. Our children rarely get the opportunity to see their grandparents as everyone lives so far away, so I am beyond grateful that things worked out for us to share this time together.

I have been fortunate to have Jerry and Lorraine Wolterman in my life for over 40 years. They are a constant source of inspiration to me, and have set a loving example of what marriage should look like to all who know them. There is no "in-law" after father and mother in either my mind or my heart with them. They raised Jim to be the man that I fell in love with, and I know that our own marriage is stronger for the example that they have set for both of us.

Wedding Bells

Rox & Dan

This past weekend we went up to Minneapolis to attend the wedding of the daughter of our good friends, Kathy and Paul. Kathy and I went to high school together, then on to Iowa State. Paul and Jim were fraternity brothers at Iowa State. Kathy and Paul sang at our wedding, and went with us on a cruise when we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. we have traveled together multiple times in the four years since then. They are the first of our friends to have a child get married, and considering our connection it was great fun to be there for their daughter's wedding. We did not know anyone else at the wedding, so that was a little strange but we met some interesting people at our table and had fun dancing at the reception.

the wedding cake

The wedding cake was amazing. Rox and Dan both enjoy outdoor activities, so the cake was designed to represent the things that they like to do. Absolutely everything you see in the picture (poor quality but I did not bring my good camera up to Minneapolis unfortunately) is edible, including the baseball. The cake decorator must have had a ball, pardon the pun, designing this cake.

The next morning Kathy and Paul had their family members and the out of town guests over to their house to watch the "kids" open their presents. We actually had a little more time to talk to the two of them at that point, so I am glad we went. We also met another couple who live in Iowa and graduated from Iowa State. Interestingly the husband graduated with a degree in horticulture, so he and Jim got to chatting about that and landscape architecture. The wife said that she started out in one major but changed her sophomore year. So did I. She graduated with a degree in Family Environment. So did I. 1978? Yep. Her area of concentration was Family Services. So was mine. We had to have taken a class or two together somewhere along the line. What a small world! I wish we had sat with them Saturday night so that we could have talked more.

All the driving for this particular wedding left a bit to be desired though. We left St. Louis on Friday and stopped in Charles City to spend the night with Jim's mom and dad. They had agreed to keep the dog for us. I think they were more excited about having Kirby stay with them than seeing us! Not really, but they do enjoy him. Saturday morning we headed back up the interstate for an additional three hour drive. We were able to check into our room early, which was nice so that we could freshen up before the wedding. On Sunday we headed back to Charles City and stayed the night again there. Then Monday morning it was back on the road to St. Louis.

Wickiup Hills wetlands area

On the way home we stopped at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center, which was a good spot to walk the dog. They have multiple trails you can walk on, but it was pretty hot so we took the path to the wetlands. It has a really cool wooden plank walkway out over what normally is the wetland area. It should be renamed Drylands as there was not a drop of water to be found. It made me wonder what happened to all the wildlife that normally lives in the area. So sad. Unfortunately we all picked up a few ticks in the park. Yuck!

This has been a pretty busy summer for us, and there is no end in sight. Three of the four weekends in July we have full schedules. So far only one weekend in August is taken, so that is kind of a relief.