OB Cherokee

Up and heading to Alta.  I volunteered there and on the drive there Mandy said she had the day off 'cause she is working on Sat.  Fun time visiting until I headed to Denny's Shoulder appointment. At home we visited about snapping.  I went to the show with Judy.   

Heading home

Denny slept terrible last night.  His neck really has hurt the last two nights.  He had toast and pills.  We stopped at Starbucks for coffee before church.  Mat and Becky go to North gate. Nice church.  I'm glad I suggested it to Denny and he chose to go to church.  We left about 10 and headed home.  Thank you Jesus for a safe sweet visit with Matt's.  They are not coming to Dubuque after Thanksgiving for Newhouse get together.  We have ingathering tonight at 6.  

                                                          

Kane and BB and family

 We were up early and took the Rav 4 to get new tire pressure indicators.  They were a bargain compared to Motor Inn estimate and when we picked up the Rav, they didn't work.  Uffda!! We spent the am. watching Kane play BB at Zimmerman. The team came in second.  Luke and kids came to the last game. So kind of them.   Becky had a great lunch for us after the games.   Thank you , Becky!  Nice lazy afternoon, napping, watching football.  eAting chips and Salsa later at night.  Thank you Jesus, for the comfort of home and family.

Ears and travel ... and sadness

Mandy texted to say that Piper had dies during the night.  SADNESS  Such a good loving dog lots of tears and sadness with her passing. SO many precious priceless memories.

We were up to travel to Cherokee for a hearing appointment with Jorgensen. On the way Lisa called to say the would be late.  We stopped and New Leaf and I got a white plastic tree.  Lisa called and after Denny's appointment we headed to Zimmerman.  We got there around 5.  Good to visit.  Haley and Torren are in San Diego visiting Wyatt.  

Car to Carroll

I went in with Denny to his dermatology appointment then I took the Rav to Carroll for an oil change. The tire sensor came on and when I paid the bill Amy said the sensor was going bad and when One goes bed usually all 4 go bad ... to the tune of $160 for each of the 4 to replace.  Uffda!!I came home thru Sac City and found a love seat at a second hand store that might work for the sunroom.  Lord, guide.  the guys got the engine removed from the car and put on our truck bed to take to Rods's.  We didn't have time enough to get the love seat at Sac City, I plan on it for next week, But none of us are good carriers to put it on the truck bed.  Lord, help.  

The Psychology of Pickleball: Why We’re All Addicted (and Proud of It) 

When we were kids, play was our natural state. We ran, climbed, chased, giggled, scraped our knees, and waited for the street lights to come on or begged for five more minutes before coming inside. Then life happened. We grew up, got degrees, got jobs, got mortgages, got responsible. Somewhere between college applications and 401(k)s, play quietly packed up and left the building and the saddest part is, it happened while we weren’t looking. None of us even noticed it was gone. But then came pickleball. And suddenly, we’re playing again. At its core, pickleball hits all the right psychological buttons. It’s movement, connection, and challenge all wrapped in laughter and plastic wiffle-ball chaos. It gives us a dopamine hit every time we win a point, a serotonin boost when we laugh with friends, and something even deeper—it taps into one of Maslow’s most fundamental human needs: belonging. In Maslow’s hierarchy, once we’ve met our basic survival needs—food, safety, shelter—what we crave most is connection. We want to feel seen, valued, and part of something bigger than ourselves. Pickleball checks every one of those boxes. It’s not just a sport—it’s a social ecosystem where strangers become partners, partners become friends, and friends become family. It’s our adult version of recess, only now recess comes with a post-match margarita. Pickleball has done something remarkable, it’s brought every cross-section of life onto the same court. White collar meets blue collar. Republican dinks with Democrat. Gay, straight, young, old, retired, still figuring it out, everyone’s welcome. No uniforms, no hierarchy, just paddles, laughter, and questionable line calls. It’s one of the few places left where connection beats comparison. We’re addicted, yes, but not just to the game. We’re addicted to the culture it’s created. We belong. We’re part of something. Our friend groups are growing instead of shrinking. Games turn into coffee, into happy hour, into lifelong friendships. Pickleball has become an extension of our backyard—an open invitation to connect, play, and be seen. The last time most of us were surrounded by such a diverse mix of people was back in college or university, when the campus population drew from every corner of the world. But even then, those connections existed mostly on a horizontal axis—people our own age, walking similar paths. Pickleball has added a vertical axis to that social map, bridging generations, professions, and perspectives in a way no other sport truly has. It’s not just diversity on paper, it’s diversity in motion, playing side by side, point by point. As adults, our social circles tend to get smaller. But pickleball has flipped that script. We’re meeting new people, laughing with strangers, finding our tribe. How many people in your phone now have “Pickleball” as their first or last name? Exactly. Pickleball didn’t just bring us a new sport, it gave us permission to play again. To show up without agenda. To laugh until our cheeks hurt. To remember that the best parts of life don’t happen in boardrooms or inboxes. They happen on courts, surrounded by people who now feel like family. And that, my friends, is why we’re all beautifully, unapologetically addicted. There would be a lot more joy in the world if more people played pickleball!

Happy birthday Haley!!!

 We are blessed to have you as a GRAND daughter!  May God continue to bless you as you live for Him.

I went to Olive Branch and came home about 2.  Denny and Rod started to move the 72 engine to Rods' for redoing it during the winter. The had to stop because Rod was missing something.  

OGT

 I left about 8 to volunteer.  At 12 I stopped at B's and Courier and Farmacy.  At home Rod came and looked at removing the 72 engine.  To make a place for the removed parts we took down we lowered the pingpong table.  it basically fell apart.  Uffda!! We moved in the 2 discarded card tables and set the heavy table tops on them.  We sat in the garage and tried out the propane patio heater.  Me??? I'm not doing much of anything.  Someone bought a lottery ticket at Gordon's bait shop and it was a winner of $78 million and not cashed in yet.  

Home

 Major thing we accomplished was washing the patio furniture and putting them in the garage and washing the cushion covers.  

SS and church

 After Church and SS I went to bed to read a book and get caught up of the blog,  So here I am.  

Home

 I took a quick shower and joined in the sister call.  Arlen fixed breakfast and we headed home, making a stop at Trader Joes where we got Chinese food, and 4 batches of flowers.  Denny has bee contacting Rod about going over the 72's engine.  Denny moved the orange car to the machine shed.  At 6 we went to the high school and watched the musical Foot loose.  Fun to see the students enjoying themselves.  

Phillip to DM airport.

 Denny and I left for oAmes about 9:30.  He got a haircut when we got there around 12 and I joined in Zoom BSF study for the shotgun seat in our Rav 4.  We made a Walmart run and then headed to Jensens at 3.  Alan is scheduled to go home Tomorrow and Laurie's sister Karen is coming to help with the transition.  We loaded Phillips bags and left for DM.  At the airport the first bag weighed in at 50.0, The second at 51.5, The third at 49.5.  SO after rearranging some stuff and weighing, all three bags were ready, BUT 16.5 pounds of candy did not get shipped.  We headed to Incianola and stayed with Schrums.  Arlen fixed pizza and Katie and kids came for supper.  Nice visit.  Good to spend time with a sister.

Study

In am we we t to talk to Peter.  Then to PT,  Then home.  Denny took the truck to get oil changed and I headed to Study and Sues and then to Cherokee.  Fun afternoon with boys going to Aurelia Golf driving range that was closed, but we hit golf balls and marked the furthest shot with an ice cream pails.  And were treated with m&ms for furthest shot.  At cooks Mandy had hoodies ready for supper at 5:20 and then she went back to work at 6 and I headed home.  

Alta 407 Vistiors

 The work on demolishing the grove continues. I volunteered at Olive Branch  10-2:30.  Denny got meds by amazon and returned jeans.  Sue and Craig made it to #407

"I’m 79. My name’s Agnes. I walk to Oakwood Elementary every Tuesday and Thursday at 2:45 p.m. Not for my grandkids, I don’t have any. I go for them. The kids waiting for parents who are late. Again.

It started three years ago. I saw Miguel sitting alone on the school’s concrete steps, tracing math problems in the dirt with a stick. His mom worked double shifts at the canning factory. His homework was smudged with tears.

I didn’t say much. Just pulled a folding chair from my tote bag (I carry it everywhere, bad knees) and sat beside him. "Show me where you’re stuck, mijo," I said. He flinched like I’d startled a bird. But he showed me.

I was a teacher for 42 years. Fractions, state capitals, how to hold a pencil, I know them like my own heartbeat. That day, we solved 3 problems in the dirt. When his mom finally rushed up, breathless and apologizing, I just nodded. "He’s got a good mind," I told her. Her eyes got wet. Not from sadness. From being seen.

Next week, I brought my old teacher’s stool and a clipboard. Set up under the oak tree across from the school gates. No sign. No fanfare. Just me, my red pen, and a jar of butterscotch candies.

Kids started coming. Not all at once. First Miguel. Then Aisha, whose dad’s truck broke down again. Jamal, who whispered, "My grandma’s sick." I never asked why parents were late. I just opened my clipboard.

Some days, I only helped one child. Other days, five crowded around my stool. I taught multiplication tables while braiding Maya’s hair. Showed Leo how to write his name in cursive on a foggy window. Never took money. Never called the school. This wasn’t their job. It was ours.

Then came Mrs. Chen. She stood at the edge of the sidewalk for weeks, watching her daughter Linh hover near my bench but never approach. One rainy Thursday, Mrs. Chen finally walked over. Her hands shook. "I failed school," she admitted in broken English. "I can’t help her." I slid my stool aside. "Sit," I said. "Today, you do the math. I’ll hold the umbrella."

Last month, the principal found me packing up in the rain. "We’ve had complaints," he said gently. "About ‘unauthorized tutoring.’" I braced for the end. But then Linh ran over, dragging her mother. Aisha brought her little brother. Miguel stood tall beside his mom, the one who once cried on the steps. Twelve parents and kids formed a circle around my soggy stool. "This bench stays," Miguel told the principal. "Or we all leave."

Today, the PTA provides the folding chairs. Retired nurses check kids’ ears for infections. A barber gives free trims. But the homework bench? That’s still mine.

Last Tuesday, Linh placed a college acceptance letter on my clipboard. "You taught me numbers," she said. "But you taught Mama something bigger." She pointed to Mrs. Chen, now helping a boy sound out words. "You taught us we’re not broken."

I packed up my red pen that night, my hands steady for the first time in years. Here’s what nobody tells you about growing old, The world doesn’t need your savings or your spare room. It needs your stubborn, ordinary love. Show up. Sit down. Make space. The rest will grow around you like wildflowers through concrete.” 

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Let this story reach more hearts....

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By Mary Nelson

Thank You, Lord for our Veterans!!!

 I heading to OGT.  The Larson tree removal is going strong.  After OGT I stopped at the grocery store and got ingredients to make another patch of soup.  Mary Kay texted a picture of her and Molly and Marge at Denver Children's.  Thank You, Lord.  Keep healing Chancey, Lord.  I stopped at triple H before heading home. The repair man came to look at dishwasher and washer in the basement. 

Butternut/curry soup

 Slow morning.  So nice.  Denny had PT at 9.  We took pictures of the beginning of tree removal at the folks.  While He was at the hospital, I went to the PO and mailed a box to Denver.  Lord, please guide and bless the recipients.  Great video of Torren on facebook.  I made soup and started eating it at 2 and now I am stuffed.It's only 3 Uffda!!  Going to a movie tonight.  The last Rifleman.  I found a couple fun pictures this weekend.

Thank you , Lord for our veterans!!!

Nice slow time awaking.  I talked to Molly and was encouraged on the update for Chancey.  We ate lunch looking at the pot of gold off our deck.  About 4:30 I picked up Jean and we went to church for soup and sweaters.  We sat with Nikki, Rose, Sherry and Jess.  Wonderful night.  After I got home we watched tv for a while.  I fixed a box to send Chancey a doll, plus. 

It's Saturday Pizza

 I'm trying the valarium root to help sleep.  It is starting to snow little.  I went in to play Pickleball at 9:30-11:30 and picked up then pizza 40% off.  Supreme for $10.91  I listened to the book my Matt McD.   Green light.  I tryed the shower down in Prairie Whole.  It's okay. Dureen is visit the red rock canyon for her 70th.  

Widow's luncheon

 Nice to wake up in the home place.  The Larsons started taking out the windbreak around the folks place.  Denny had PT and I went to work with Mary G. at the widow's luncheon.  From 12-1 I did my BSF study.  I stayed and helped cleanup luncheon and helped Kathi decorate for soup Sunday.

 

Derm

Denny headed off to his last day of work for Larsons.  I went in IG.  Dr. Safo burned some spots off my face.  The area below my left eye has swollen.  Because Alan is still in hospital Phillip has decided to stay another week and hopefully get Alan transferred to a cardiac care center in Ames before he travels back to N.  I watched tv and put clothes/food/etc from bunk house away.  Chancey Schwedhelm had surgery today.  Mary Kay took her machine to Mik to work on Schwede Style. I looked at a lot of pictures from 1999.

Wed Ames

I left about 9 to head to Ames to take letters for Phillip.  Also KISC staff Christmas goodies.  One stop at Thrift world, one stop at Dollar Tree, and a Fareway store stop.  I got to Ames about 1 pm.  Phillip and Andrew were at the gym working out.  I worked on my BSF lesson.  After long nights at the hospital, both guys were just chilling having pizza and watching a movie.  I opened amazon packages that had arrived and loaded one of the three duffle bags with KISC.  I headed home about 5.  Denny had supper ready.

OGT Cherokee

 I was up and at OGT by 8.  Janna H. left off a couple of letters/ cards for Jensens.   I joined the Cooks at the Methodist Church meal on voting day.  SO good.  The boys and I used Andreas golf cart.  The ball retriever worked great.  We left the Cherokee Golf course at 4 and went to play 4 holes at the Cook golf course.  SO fun!!  I didn't stay for supper.  Denny drove tractor for Larsons.  The airbnbers left.  sooooo WE SLEPT IN OUR HOME PLACE!!