May was another at home month for us. We elected to stay at home during those cold winter months. Then this worldwide health crisis has limited everyone's group and social activities as we head into the spring months. So, instead of an Iowa adventure, I am going to share with you the "FOUR WALLS" of my lower level exercise room. When I started this, I intended it to be a special page for our kids, grandkids and extended family. Then it hit me--I needed to share it with all of you--we are ALL family.

VIEWS OF A FARM BOY

FOUR WALLS

JUNE--2020

RETURN TO HOMEPAGE>>>>

HOME

The more things change--the more they stay the same! LEFT: Some of the "young guns" in golf when I did this poster in 1999. This includes Adam Scott, Brandt Snedeker, and Charles Howell III, to name a few. Right: My sports hero poster of the same era, included Zack Johnson, Eddie Berlin, Shawn Johnson, Kurt Warner and others. Some are still playing and going strong and some are out of the active picture. Nevertheless, they still have one thing in common. They are still good people and that keeps them on my list.

Boston Marathon

Las Vegas Marathon

Twin Cities Marathon

Las Vegas Marathon: They took us by bus 26 miles in the desert. A few water stations, but no spectators on the journey back. Twin Cities Marathon: This was a beautiful route from Downtown Minneapolis to the State Capitol at St. Paul. This is where I qualified for Boston. Boston Marathon: This is a goal for many runners and if you qualify--you've got to go. I must have been pumped up with adrenaline, because I thought Heartbreak Hill was just a bump in the road.

Jeannine has been so very busy throughout all of our married years. She has been a wonderful wife and mother as well as a great teacher for many "special kids." And-oh yes--pretty good at golf, too!

I can pretty much relive my adult life from the walls of my exercise room.  That includes working 30 years at Harder Pharmacy and 18 years at Dahl's Foods. I also served on the Windsor Heights Fire Department for 25 years and the Windsor Heights City Council for 19 years.

My Haiti bulletin board is  an important reminder of a few of the places and people I love.  This is a collection of pictures from early mission trips. If I included all of my mission and Haitian friends, it would take all four walls. But when I look at this, it reminds me to think about and pray for all of our Haitian and missionary trip friends. They are all such a very important part of my life.

Left: Our kids and grandchildren. Jeannine and I spent a couple of winter months in Arizona for six years. That was a great time! I loved mountain hiking and Jeannine enjoyed playing golf with her friends. But here is the best part. Trent, Kris, Grant and Grace & Darcy, Kerry, Taylor, Tara and Jordyn would visit us. We always had what we called an itinerary of fun things planned to do. You can be sure, we did everything on our list--plus more.

My View for the Month: You have heard the expression, "I'm tired of looking at these same FOUR WALLS." How true this year for so many people. It has been a cold, windy winter in Iowa, followed by this tragic coronavirus epidemic that has resulted in isolation and social distancing. But the FOUR WALLS of my exercise room have actually been bright spots for me. These FOUR WALLS are jam-packed with pictorial memorabilia that pretty much sums up my life during our married years. I am now 87 years old and I don't spend much time planning or even worrying about what my future holds. But I do spend a lot of thankful moments looking back at what I call my "storybook life." And it goes way beyond these pictures--it includes many other good memories. Remember, I am writing this for my family and my "extended family." So if you are reading this--your story belongs on my FOUR WALLS.

Trent and I hiked to the peak of Mount Monadnock--(New Hampshire) in 1999)

As most of you know, I am a great proponet of lifetime sports. By that, I mean doing active things you enjoy where you can have participation--even during your retirement years. You know what you like--but here is what has worked for me. Left: This wall poster represents my 35 consecutive years of Ragbrai. There is no better way to see the farms and towns of Iowa than traveling the county roads on a bicycle. Remember, you are not alone--you are with friends--maybe like10,000 of them! You eat pie all day and sleep in a tent at night. What more could you want? RIGHT: My running window spanned 30 years--from age 48 to age 78. I packed a lot of punch in those years with 13 marathons and almost 200 other races. It was a lot of fun--with a lot of friends!