Our farm
Clear Creek Elementary and Oxford Lion's Park (where I played Little League, on the second field from the left)
Grace United Methodist Church in Tiffin (NW corner of the intersection (viewed on highest magnification)). Across Highway 6 to the south is Clear Creek High School, where I changed buses twice every school day for six years.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Friday, November 28, 2003
More summer life
[most of this stuff probably fits after first grade or after second grade, but I wanted to get it down.]
Mom used to lock us out of the house. Now, I don't blame her at all. I think she should have locked us out more.
Ryan has a great routine about this, when he goes to the door and asks for a drink of water and Mom says 'Use the hose!'.
We used the hose a lot. We got our drinks outside.
We relieved ourselves outside a lot - an advantage of being a boy growing up on the farm. Once, when we were living at Gramma Meade's my kindergarten year, Mom smelled something bad coming from the basement. She asked her dad to check it out. He came back up and said 'You boys been pissin' in the drain?' and Kyle said 'Uh huh.'
Mom locked us out of the house, and we played outside a lot. A lot of it was OK. But I still wanted to be inside. I wanted to be in the air conditioning - we had a window unit. I wanted to watch soap operas with my mom. I got hooked on soap operas. When I was a kid I watched a lot of 'All My Children', 'One Life to Live', and, everyone's favorite, 'General Hospital'. We were ABC soap watchers. Strange, I know. I hope most of it was just wanting to be inside.
For a lot of years I felt guilty about my desire to be inside. I felt lazy because I didn't want to work on the farm. And don't get me wrong, I'm considerably lazy. But a big part of it was other interests. I would rather lay inside and read Hardy Boys then do farm work. Part of my aversion to outside farmwork was probably owing to my serious sinus problems and allergies.
I also feel that I'm not good at handyman and farm stuff. Sure, I can do some 'handy' things. I'm not at a total loss. But I'm not very adept, certainly not above average. Furthermore, since I'm not interested and not good at it, I don't remember how to do it the next time. Even if you tell me once, chances are I'll have to ask you again. I still can't remember if the oil in a car should be checked hot or cold. Same for the tires. It took me a long time to learn how to make coffee - how much coffee to put in for what amount of water. Most of the time, when I need to tackle something moderately handy, I call Dad or Ryan to talk me through it.
Mom used to lock us out of the house. Now, I don't blame her at all. I think she should have locked us out more.
Ryan has a great routine about this, when he goes to the door and asks for a drink of water and Mom says 'Use the hose!'.
We used the hose a lot. We got our drinks outside.
We relieved ourselves outside a lot - an advantage of being a boy growing up on the farm. Once, when we were living at Gramma Meade's my kindergarten year, Mom smelled something bad coming from the basement. She asked her dad to check it out. He came back up and said 'You boys been pissin' in the drain?' and Kyle said 'Uh huh.'
Mom locked us out of the house, and we played outside a lot. A lot of it was OK. But I still wanted to be inside. I wanted to be in the air conditioning - we had a window unit. I wanted to watch soap operas with my mom. I got hooked on soap operas. When I was a kid I watched a lot of 'All My Children', 'One Life to Live', and, everyone's favorite, 'General Hospital'. We were ABC soap watchers. Strange, I know. I hope most of it was just wanting to be inside.
For a lot of years I felt guilty about my desire to be inside. I felt lazy because I didn't want to work on the farm. And don't get me wrong, I'm considerably lazy. But a big part of it was other interests. I would rather lay inside and read Hardy Boys then do farm work. Part of my aversion to outside farmwork was probably owing to my serious sinus problems and allergies.
I also feel that I'm not good at handyman and farm stuff. Sure, I can do some 'handy' things. I'm not at a total loss. But I'm not very adept, certainly not above average. Furthermore, since I'm not interested and not good at it, I don't remember how to do it the next time. Even if you tell me once, chances are I'll have to ask you again. I still can't remember if the oil in a car should be checked hot or cold. Same for the tires. It took me a long time to learn how to make coffee - how much coffee to put in for what amount of water. Most of the time, when I need to tackle something moderately handy, I call Dad or Ryan to talk me through it.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Church
We went back to church after we moved to the farm. My parents had left the Catholic Church in disgust. Dad would put a bumper sticker that said 'I survived Catholic School' on his van. When Dad asked his priest to marry him and Mom in their church, the priest complained that Dad hadn't been to church in a long time. Dad said 'Then treat it like a mixed marriage. She's Catholic.' Dad didn't tell the father that Mom hadn't been to church in a long time either.
As I mentioned before, Mom had started back to church some. We started back in earnest after we moved to the farm. I don't know how we ended up at Grace United Methodist Church in Tiffin. Maybe it's because my folks were friends with the Colonys, Chad's family, who went there. Of course, Dad probably knew most everyone who attended there, anyway.
Mom and Dad quickly fell under the spell of the pastor, Hal Green. They loved him. Of course, with the Methodist itinerant system, it wasn't too many years before he left. Mom cried when she found out.
I loved church. I don't know why I was so drawn to it. I was interested in everything. I was interested in the children's message. I was interested in the music. I was interested in Sunday School. When we got around to the summer, I was interested in Vacation Bible School.
I was interested in the prayers. Suzy Swenka was a girl in our class who attended that church. And she could recite the Lord's Prayer along with the rest of the congregation! I thought that was so amazing. I wanted to be able to recite the Lord's Prayer, too. (Ironically, Suzy and her husband are now the youth leaders at GUMC in Tiffin.)
The Methodist church there in Tiffin (I don't remember ever calling it Grace) was your totally typical small, rural church. We had Sunday School in the basement, which was made of cinder blocks and painted green. The art on the walls was the pictures that came in the Sunday School curriculum. I don't precisely remember whether flannel-graphs were part of the pedagogy, but they certainly would have fit in.
Still, I always found it hard to sit still in church. I think I left the service at least once to go to the bathroom every time I ever attended. And it wasn't just me, it was my brothers and sisters, too. I can't believe my parents, the other members, and the pastor didn't go stark, raving mad. I can't believe someone didn't tell us to stay put. As we got older we were allowed to be the acolytes who lit the candles, sat at the back of the church, took up the offering, and put the candles out. This was great because we weren't quite so scrutinized. We could move around a little. We could whisper. We could write notes on our bulletin. Sometimes I lit candles with Kyle, but other times with Chad, Suzy, Mary, Kathryn, or someone else. It felt very free.
I especially had trouble keeping my eyes closed during prayer. Any amount of time praying seemed like an eternity to keep my six year old eyes closed. I was especially impressed with one member, Nona Walker, who sat in the back pew on the right side (we always sat toward the front on the left side). Nona could keep her eyes closed through the whole sermon! That was absolutely amazing to me. Now that I'm a little older, I find it easier to keep my eyes closed through the sermon.
As I mentioned before, Mom had started back to church some. We started back in earnest after we moved to the farm. I don't know how we ended up at Grace United Methodist Church in Tiffin. Maybe it's because my folks were friends with the Colonys, Chad's family, who went there. Of course, Dad probably knew most everyone who attended there, anyway.
Mom and Dad quickly fell under the spell of the pastor, Hal Green. They loved him. Of course, with the Methodist itinerant system, it wasn't too many years before he left. Mom cried when she found out.
I loved church. I don't know why I was so drawn to it. I was interested in everything. I was interested in the children's message. I was interested in the music. I was interested in Sunday School. When we got around to the summer, I was interested in Vacation Bible School.
I was interested in the prayers. Suzy Swenka was a girl in our class who attended that church. And she could recite the Lord's Prayer along with the rest of the congregation! I thought that was so amazing. I wanted to be able to recite the Lord's Prayer, too. (Ironically, Suzy and her husband are now the youth leaders at GUMC in Tiffin.)
The Methodist church there in Tiffin (I don't remember ever calling it Grace) was your totally typical small, rural church. We had Sunday School in the basement, which was made of cinder blocks and painted green. The art on the walls was the pictures that came in the Sunday School curriculum. I don't precisely remember whether flannel-graphs were part of the pedagogy, but they certainly would have fit in.
Still, I always found it hard to sit still in church. I think I left the service at least once to go to the bathroom every time I ever attended. And it wasn't just me, it was my brothers and sisters, too. I can't believe my parents, the other members, and the pastor didn't go stark, raving mad. I can't believe someone didn't tell us to stay put. As we got older we were allowed to be the acolytes who lit the candles, sat at the back of the church, took up the offering, and put the candles out. This was great because we weren't quite so scrutinized. We could move around a little. We could whisper. We could write notes on our bulletin. Sometimes I lit candles with Kyle, but other times with Chad, Suzy, Mary, Kathryn, or someone else. It felt very free.
I especially had trouble keeping my eyes closed during prayer. Any amount of time praying seemed like an eternity to keep my six year old eyes closed. I was especially impressed with one member, Nona Walker, who sat in the back pew on the right side (we always sat toward the front on the left side). Nona could keep her eyes closed through the whole sermon! That was absolutely amazing to me. Now that I'm a little older, I find it easier to keep my eyes closed through the sermon.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
My first love
There were two great unrealized loves of my childhood. The first was Kellie Grace. I fell in love with Kellie right away in the first grade. I think everyone thought she was cute or wished they could 'go' with her. But I know I loved her more deeply than anyone else did. It's not possible that any other boy outstripped my love for her.
I was already sensitive to girls by first grade. In Kindergarten I had been attracted to a cute little girl named Heather and a girl who rode my bus named Tracey (we three were later reunited, to no appreciable affect, in junior high and high school).
I never 'went' with Kellie. I never had a chance. I don't think it was ever an option. By fifth and sixth grade she was 'going' with seventh and eighth graders. I knew if I was going to have a chance of 'going' with anyone, of having a girlfriend, I would have to set my sights 'lower' (meaning no disrespect to anyone I ever 'went' with. Those were the social realities of elementary school.).
Chad, of course, 'went' with Kellie multiple times, probably at least once a year. He also 'went' with all of the other pretty and popular girls - Chrissy Schwarting, Camille Wagner, and, later, Danette Pegump. Chad played in a different league than me.
To add to my ardor, our bus picked Kellie up everyday on the way to school. There she was, in front of me all the time, but always unattainable. I wonder where she is today and what she's doing.
I was already sensitive to girls by first grade. In Kindergarten I had been attracted to a cute little girl named Heather and a girl who rode my bus named Tracey (we three were later reunited, to no appreciable affect, in junior high and high school).
I never 'went' with Kellie. I never had a chance. I don't think it was ever an option. By fifth and sixth grade she was 'going' with seventh and eighth graders. I knew if I was going to have a chance of 'going' with anyone, of having a girlfriend, I would have to set my sights 'lower' (meaning no disrespect to anyone I ever 'went' with. Those were the social realities of elementary school.).
Chad, of course, 'went' with Kellie multiple times, probably at least once a year. He also 'went' with all of the other pretty and popular girls - Chrissy Schwarting, Camille Wagner, and, later, Danette Pegump. Chad played in a different league than me.
To add to my ardor, our bus picked Kellie up everyday on the way to school. There she was, in front of me all the time, but always unattainable. I wonder where she is today and what she's doing.
Monday, November 17, 2003
My friends
Chad Colony was the boy who I wanted to be my best friend. I think sometimes I even got close to being his best friend. Chad was the most popular boy in our class. Normally, I don’t think I could have rated so highly. However, I had some things working for me: 1. We lived less than a mile away from each other and, consequently, 2. We rode the same bus. (I mention these as two separate factors because it was possible to live that close and not ride the same bus. For example, we were the westernmost stop on our route, but there were kids less than a mile west of us who rode a different bus.) 3. We went to the same church. Our other friends were Catholics, but we went to the Methodist church in Tiffin. These factors worked in my favor. The single biggest additional factor was classroom. That year Chad and I were in the same class. But we weren’t in second and fourth grade, and I definitely felt that impact.
Why did we all want to be Chad’s friend? He was the most popular. He was a good athlete. He was smart enough. The girls liked him. Those are all good reasons in first grade, right?
(Note on 05-13-08: Chad still owns all of the solo tackle records at Iowa City West High School.)
Kevin Klein was probably my second closest friend at Clear Creek Elementary. It was a lot easier to be friends with Kevin because he wasn’t as popular as Chad. Indeed, we picked on Kevin more. He was a little smaller than us. He had red hair and freckles. With our childish humor we called him ‘Pinecone’ (because ‘pine’ rhymes with ‘Klein’) or just ‘Pine’. Kevin was also on my bus route.
Jason Rowe was another boy that I clicked with. However, he moved away pretty early on in grade school. Jason was a Minnesota Vikings fan. That made him different. Everyone was a Cowboys fan in those days, except Kevin, who liked the Bears. But when it came time for me to pick a favorite team, I wanted to be different, so I picked the Vikings, like Jason. What a fateful choice that has been. Jason and Kevin were also both big Star Wars fans.
Cory Downs was the other boy who ran closest in our circle. I think I competed most with Cory for Chad’s affection, and I usually felt like I was being inched out. Cory and Kevin went to church together at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cosgrove, where I was baptized and where my folks were married. Some of the other boys in our circle were Shannon Smith (who pushed Chad most for best athlete), Denny Eckrich, Todd Drake, Damon Shelton, Nathan Pacha, and Chad Osborne.
The number one way in which these friendships panned out was being invited to spend the night. These invitations thrilled us. The very prospect charged our six year old lives. Staying overnight often wasn’t that great. Looking back objectively, it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. If there were multiple attendees, sides usually got drawn up. I was often picked on. It was considered great fun to pick on boys who fell asleep, especially with toothpaste or mustard. In retrospect those are pretty silly things, and no harm done. At the time it never failed to hurt my feelings. I was sensitive then, overly so. I still am today. And I wince when I think of how my children will soon be hurt by these petty insults and slights. Their dad will hurt, too.
Why did we all want to be Chad’s friend? He was the most popular. He was a good athlete. He was smart enough. The girls liked him. Those are all good reasons in first grade, right?
(Note on 05-13-08: Chad still owns all of the solo tackle records at Iowa City West High School.)
Kevin Klein was probably my second closest friend at Clear Creek Elementary. It was a lot easier to be friends with Kevin because he wasn’t as popular as Chad. Indeed, we picked on Kevin more. He was a little smaller than us. He had red hair and freckles. With our childish humor we called him ‘Pinecone’ (because ‘pine’ rhymes with ‘Klein’) or just ‘Pine’. Kevin was also on my bus route.
Jason Rowe was another boy that I clicked with. However, he moved away pretty early on in grade school. Jason was a Minnesota Vikings fan. That made him different. Everyone was a Cowboys fan in those days, except Kevin, who liked the Bears. But when it came time for me to pick a favorite team, I wanted to be different, so I picked the Vikings, like Jason. What a fateful choice that has been. Jason and Kevin were also both big Star Wars fans.
Cory Downs was the other boy who ran closest in our circle. I think I competed most with Cory for Chad’s affection, and I usually felt like I was being inched out. Cory and Kevin went to church together at St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Cosgrove, where I was baptized and where my folks were married. Some of the other boys in our circle were Shannon Smith (who pushed Chad most for best athlete), Denny Eckrich, Todd Drake, Damon Shelton, Nathan Pacha, and Chad Osborne.
The number one way in which these friendships panned out was being invited to spend the night. These invitations thrilled us. The very prospect charged our six year old lives. Staying overnight often wasn’t that great. Looking back objectively, it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. If there were multiple attendees, sides usually got drawn up. I was often picked on. It was considered great fun to pick on boys who fell asleep, especially with toothpaste or mustard. In retrospect those are pretty silly things, and no harm done. At the time it never failed to hurt my feelings. I was sensitive then, overly so. I still am today. And I wince when I think of how my children will soon be hurt by these petty insults and slights. Their dad will hurt, too.
Friday, November 14, 2003
More country songs
I liked Crystal Gayle's 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue', and 'Talking In Your Sleep'.
We were huge Statler Brothers and Oak Ridge Boys fans. I think we went to see the Statler Brothers at the Waterloo Cattle Congress one year.
Dolly Parton: I can remember many of these songs back to age 4 or 5 in the Tiffin house: 'Coat of Many Colors', 'Jolene', 'I Will Always Love You', 'Love is Like a Butterfly', and 'The Bargain Store'. Other songs I knew and liked: 'Here You Come Again', 'Two Doors Down', '9 to 5', and 'Islands in the Stream'.
Though Barbara Mandrell was big during this time, and I know a lot of her songs, I never liked them that much. Heck, she was so big we even watched the show on tv.
I likes Sylvia's 'Nobody', 'Snapshot' and Juice Newton's 'Playin' with the Queen of Hearts'.
We loved 'Sneaky Snake' by Tom T Hall when we were 4 and 5.
We were huge Statler Brothers and Oak Ridge Boys fans. I think we went to see the Statler Brothers at the Waterloo Cattle Congress one year.
Dolly Parton: I can remember many of these songs back to age 4 or 5 in the Tiffin house: 'Coat of Many Colors', 'Jolene', 'I Will Always Love You', 'Love is Like a Butterfly', and 'The Bargain Store'. Other songs I knew and liked: 'Here You Come Again', 'Two Doors Down', '9 to 5', and 'Islands in the Stream'.
Though Barbara Mandrell was big during this time, and I know a lot of her songs, I never liked them that much. Heck, she was so big we even watched the show on tv.
I likes Sylvia's 'Nobody', 'Snapshot' and Juice Newton's 'Playin' with the Queen of Hearts'.
We loved 'Sneaky Snake' by Tom T Hall when we were 4 and 5.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Riding the bus and country music
I spent a lot of my childhood riding the bus. It had to have been at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon every day.
One thing I got on the bus was a lot of exposure to country music. That's what my my bus drivers in rural Iowa always listened to. My folks listened to it too: KHAK (K-Hawk) from Cedar Rapids. To this day I can sing almost any country song released between 1978 and 1984.
Just what country songs were they? you ask. Kenny Rogers was huge in those years: 'The Gambler', 'Coward of the County', 'Lady' 'Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer', 'We've Got Tonight', 'Islands in the Stream', and 'Real Love'. Takes you back, doesn't it?
How about Ronnie Milsap? I still have a big ol' soft spot in my heart for Ronnie Milsap. I like his voice and I like his melodies: 'Pure Love', ' It Was Almost Like A Song', ' What A Difference You've Made In My Life', 'There's No Gettin' Over Me', 'I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World', 'Any Day Now', 'She Keeps The Home Fires Burning', and 'Happy, Happy Birthday Baby'. Man, I like those songs. It was a sad day when I was at a Charlotte Hornets game where Ronnie Milsap happened to be playing at halftime. Seemed kind of low for Ronnie to have sunk.
Did you know Eddie Rabbit wrote 'Pure Love'? Neither did I. That's like Willie Nelson writing 'Crazy'.
Let me break in here, for the sake of reputation and good taste, to share with you my friend Robbi's rationalization of musical taste: Songs that slip in before you develop good taste don't count as bad taste. You can like as many of these songs as you want to. You don't even have to go back and evaluate them. Robbi is the biggest music lover I know, with the highest value on nostalgia of anyone I know. Shazam: you see where the rationalization comes from.
Check out the Grammy Awards for 1978:
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, "You Needed Me", Anne Murray
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, "Georgia on My Mind", Willie Nelson
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, "Here You Come Again", Dolly Parton
Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Yep, those were my songs.
I also really like Anne Murray. I think she has a beautiful voice. When I look at the singles she sang that I knew (like the Greatest Hits album on this page, plus a few other songs, like 'Another Sleepless Night', I remember being uncomfortable. What was all of this 'making love' stuff about? To this day I still can't use that phrase. I feel like I'd turn into cheese if I uttered it. To even think of the phrase makes me think of Alabama's 'When We Make Love', and that makes me want to break out in hives.
I'm generally the kind of guy who gets really embarassed about things that are far away from me. I don't know if I ever made it through a whole episode of 'Three's Company' without leaving the room because I was so embarassed for Jack.
One song that really embarrassed me (later on) was 'Centerfold' by the J Geils Band (released in 1981 when I was 9). I vividly remember hearing it over the sound system in Target across from Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids and wanting to sink throuh the floor.
I learned a lot of things on the bus that were not, strictly speaking, educational. Of course, I learned them other places, too, like on the playground.
My bus route was a pretty good one because two of my closest friends, Chad Colony and Kevin Klein (those were their real names, alliteration notwithstanding), were on it. None of the rest of our circle had such a 'rich' route in terms of friends.
When I get on a school bus nowadays, I can't believe how uncomfortable they are and how much of my childhood I spent riding one.
One thing I got on the bus was a lot of exposure to country music. That's what my my bus drivers in rural Iowa always listened to. My folks listened to it too: KHAK (K-Hawk) from Cedar Rapids. To this day I can sing almost any country song released between 1978 and 1984.
Just what country songs were they? you ask. Kenny Rogers was huge in those years: 'The Gambler', 'Coward of the County', 'Lady' 'Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer', 'We've Got Tonight', 'Islands in the Stream', and 'Real Love'. Takes you back, doesn't it?
How about Ronnie Milsap? I still have a big ol' soft spot in my heart for Ronnie Milsap. I like his voice and I like his melodies: 'Pure Love', ' It Was Almost Like A Song', ' What A Difference You've Made In My Life', 'There's No Gettin' Over Me', 'I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World', 'Any Day Now', 'She Keeps The Home Fires Burning', and 'Happy, Happy Birthday Baby'. Man, I like those songs. It was a sad day when I was at a Charlotte Hornets game where Ronnie Milsap happened to be playing at halftime. Seemed kind of low for Ronnie to have sunk.
Did you know Eddie Rabbit wrote 'Pure Love'? Neither did I. That's like Willie Nelson writing 'Crazy'.
Let me break in here, for the sake of reputation and good taste, to share with you my friend Robbi's rationalization of musical taste: Songs that slip in before you develop good taste don't count as bad taste. You can like as many of these songs as you want to. You don't even have to go back and evaluate them. Robbi is the biggest music lover I know, with the highest value on nostalgia of anyone I know. Shazam: you see where the rationalization comes from.
Check out the Grammy Awards for 1978:
Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, "You Needed Me", Anne Murray
Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, "Georgia on My Mind", Willie Nelson
Best Country Vocal Performance, Female, "Here You Come Again", Dolly Parton
Best Country Vocal Performance By a Duo or Group, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson
Yep, those were my songs.
I also really like Anne Murray. I think she has a beautiful voice. When I look at the singles she sang that I knew (like the Greatest Hits album on this page, plus a few other songs, like 'Another Sleepless Night', I remember being uncomfortable. What was all of this 'making love' stuff about? To this day I still can't use that phrase. I feel like I'd turn into cheese if I uttered it. To even think of the phrase makes me think of Alabama's 'When We Make Love', and that makes me want to break out in hives.
I'm generally the kind of guy who gets really embarassed about things that are far away from me. I don't know if I ever made it through a whole episode of 'Three's Company' without leaving the room because I was so embarassed for Jack.
One song that really embarrassed me (later on) was 'Centerfold' by the J Geils Band (released in 1981 when I was 9). I vividly remember hearing it over the sound system in Target across from Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids and wanting to sink throuh the floor.
I learned a lot of things on the bus that were not, strictly speaking, educational. Of course, I learned them other places, too, like on the playground.
My bus route was a pretty good one because two of my closest friends, Chad Colony and Kevin Klein (those were their real names, alliteration notwithstanding), were on it. None of the rest of our circle had such a 'rich' route in terms of friends.
When I get on a school bus nowadays, I can't believe how uncomfortable they are and how much of my childhood I spent riding one.
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