Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Where does the time go? Another month is rolling away and let’s catch up with a few random thoughts.

1. Obviously I didn’t make the cut in the hiring process for the new president of Iowa State University. I’m sure they probably thought I was over qualified.

2. Harvest is beginning to get underway around these parts. Remember to take your time, give those farmers a little extra space on the road and let’s all get through this fall safely.

3. I’ve had apple crisp on the brain all this week. Especially if its warm just out of the oven and covered with vanilla ice cream.

4. It continues to amaze me just how much junk I’ve collected over the years. Going through boxes last week I found a few things that I thought I had lost years ago, and a few things that I thought I should pass on to other people. Most of the stuff ended up at the burn pile. Sometimes cleansing is the best course of action.

5. Have you done something nice for your neighbor lately? It’s about time don’t you think? Growing up neighbors were important people and we counted on them. In times like this we need to make sure we let them know how much we appreciate them. Unless of course, they are the kind of neighbors that let their leaves blow into your yard. In that case you are welcome to set them up with their own Halloween trick!

6. What’s your earliest memory? This was an interesting question I got asked the other day. Is your earliest memory a good one or one you would rather have not remembered? Mine? Sitting on my grandpas lap as he would whistle.

7. I really like the dry weather and am not wishing to hold up harvest at all, but those of us who suffer from allergies would certainly be delighted with a day or three of a good soaking rain.

8. Don’t let the questions that can’t be answered, handcuff your future.

9. If anyone has seen my Styx Greatest Hits CD could they please let me know where I last left it?

10. Is anyone in Washington aware that we out here in the hinderlands aren’t stupid? Weren’t we just minutes from defaulting on the debt and shutting this country down a few weeks ago? Am I the only one who wondered where the money was going to come from for the latest “save America” plan coming out of the White House? Washington, please don’t think that “smoke and mirrors” are going to make those of us who are really struggling every day to just survive; forget what is actually going on in the real world.

11. Finally this week, I watched the two littlest kids creating a “campfire” in my front yard this past weekend including a bed of coals made out of rocks picked up out of the driveway. I realized as I was standing in the yard congratulating them on their creativity and admonishing them for putting rocks in the yard at the same time, that we loose the ability to be kids when we worry more about hitting a rock with the mower than having an afternoon of fun. Maybe we could all use a little time in the yard with driveway rocks and sticks to remind us to slow down a little.

See you next week…Remember, we’re all in this together.