 Hannah
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North_Dakota_Wheat
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Jacob
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Sunday, July 25, 2004
Nana
Every summer when we go back to the farm we also get to see my grandma. This time we dropped in on her and was able to give her the good news that soon we would have another boy. "You should of had another girl", Nana requested as if I could easily pick. Actually, when we started having kids, I wanted the first to be a boy and the second a girl, three years apart. Well John is exactly three years older than Elizabeth. This time Nana was voted down 4:1. Everyone in my family wanted a boy, and a boy is what we will be responsible for! Jacob Andrew will be his name. Nana, seemed to be plenty satisfied in the end. We got to see her a number of times, and the final visit she was on the patio instead of her room. That was nice and relaxed and gave the kids a little more space to spend their energy. I love you Nana, and we will see you next summer!
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Every summer when we go back to the farm we also get to see my grandma. This time we dropped in on her and was able to give her the good news that soon we would have another boy. "You should of had another girl", Nana requested as if I could easily pick. Actually, when we started having kids, I wanted the first to be a boy and the second a girl, three years apart. Well John is exactly three years older than Elizabeth. This time Nana was voted down 4:1. Everyone in my family wanted a boy, and a boy is what we will be responsible for! Jacob Andrew will be his name. Nana, seemed to be plenty satisfied in the end. We got to see her a number of times, and the final visit she was on the patio instead of her room. That was nice and relaxed and gave the kids a little more space to spend their energy. I love you Nana, and we will see you next summer!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Lincoln
Nebraska is the only unicameral legislative body and was formed to improve the efficiency of government. U.S. Senator George W. Norris, Nebraska's Washington experienced Senator, wanted to avoid the grid lock that he saw in a two house system and in 1937 the state changed its organization. Interestingly, the second house still is present in the capitol building and remains in its earlier configuration for historical purposes. The building is a little dark and murky on the first floor, because of poor lighting and shallow arching hallways. But as you move up to the rotunda the spaces open up and the building and the art in it are very interesting. John liked the center court yards and the many inner windows that looked down in them. This architecture resulted from the fact that Nebraska build the administration rooms around the older capitol in a circumscribing square. Then once that was completed, razed the older building and raised the central high rise up its fourteen floors.
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Nebraska is the only unicameral legislative body and was formed to improve the efficiency of government. U.S. Senator George W. Norris, Nebraska's Washington experienced Senator, wanted to avoid the grid lock that he saw in a two house system and in 1937 the state changed its organization. Interestingly, the second house still is present in the capitol building and remains in its earlier configuration for historical purposes. The building is a little dark and murky on the first floor, because of poor lighting and shallow arching hallways. But as you move up to the rotunda the spaces open up and the building and the art in it are very interesting. John liked the center court yards and the many inner windows that looked down in them. This architecture resulted from the fact that Nebraska build the administration rooms around the older capitol in a circumscribing square. Then once that was completed, razed the older building and raised the central high rise up its fourteen floors.
Monday, July 12, 2004
The Force of Nature on One's Self
I am here now sitting at 3:50 this morning wide awake with an upset stomach that comes when a large load of acid is dumped into its chamber. That acid a reaction to the impending doom that my body feared. That flight or fight response I suppose, but one that I surely have not yet mastered. Let me back up and put you in the context of the moment.
Thump, Thump, Thump... "Dam it, who is that running down the hall way", I grouchily wonder as I peer over to the clock. Its red LCD light telling me that it is only 3:32 in the morning.
BANG!, Now I bolted up from bed and jetted down the hall, realized that neither John or Elizabeth is awake. As I silhouetted the window in my brother's old room the phantom runner thunders down the hall, Thump, Thump, THUMP. Not like the ceaseless thunder from outside, but the closest to a ghostly scamper of feet I have ever experienced, to the point I felt the being's breathing next to me. The hair raises on the back of my neck!
Refocusing my attention on the commotion outside a gale force wind and torrent of rain pounds the trees. It is always hard to see though the reflections of the room's interior with the lights on in the hall way, so I raced down stairs into the patio to examine the sky in the pitch black. Anxiously, I search for a funnel cloud or other peril. "Oh my! is that one to the south! ... No" None yet identified, I remember that my dad had a weather radio in the kitchen. My next fear of hail damaging my new truck.
In a unemotional computer generated voice (or at least fragments assembled by computer) the soothing female voice continues ... "In Jamestown at 3:19 AM weather instruments recorded a severe wind measurements of 65 mph and severe thunder storm moving 65 mph to the east. The Weather Service has issued a weather advisory for Stutsman until 3:45 AM." Well no doubt! Though I have to admit it was reassuring to hear the computer tell me what I already knew. The barn was continuously backlit by the lighting in the sky and ..." What, is that a funnel!" ... No another false alarm. Grabbing my keys I jumped into my truck and ran it down into the Quonset. I had turned off the yard light before I went to bed so that I could watch the stars, so the way back was only illuminated by the reflection of the lighting on the running water in the drive. The whole panoramic view backlit by the lighting and the trees continued to moan in the wind. My own body was telling me of the response our primitive side gets when it thinks I should be cowering in the basement. And it is probably right, as I intellectually processed that I was in fact safe.
Standing on the stoop watching the storm progress off to the east, I am amazed how powerful nature is, even in this rather mild showing! and how reactive my own body is to the circumstances around me. We have no control over nature, and I do not have control over the basic instincts of my body. As quickly as this storm came it was gone, but the storm left me with the feeling that I was an extremely small part of creation.
P.S. I never did figure out who was running down the hall!
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I am here now sitting at 3:50 this morning wide awake with an upset stomach that comes when a large load of acid is dumped into its chamber. That acid a reaction to the impending doom that my body feared. That flight or fight response I suppose, but one that I surely have not yet mastered. Let me back up and put you in the context of the moment.
Thump, Thump, Thump... "Dam it, who is that running down the hall way", I grouchily wonder as I peer over to the clock. Its red LCD light telling me that it is only 3:32 in the morning.
BANG!, Now I bolted up from bed and jetted down the hall, realized that neither John or Elizabeth is awake. As I silhouetted the window in my brother's old room the phantom runner thunders down the hall, Thump, Thump, THUMP. Not like the ceaseless thunder from outside, but the closest to a ghostly scamper of feet I have ever experienced, to the point I felt the being's breathing next to me. The hair raises on the back of my neck!
Refocusing my attention on the commotion outside a gale force wind and torrent of rain pounds the trees. It is always hard to see though the reflections of the room's interior with the lights on in the hall way, so I raced down stairs into the patio to examine the sky in the pitch black. Anxiously, I search for a funnel cloud or other peril. "Oh my! is that one to the south! ... No" None yet identified, I remember that my dad had a weather radio in the kitchen. My next fear of hail damaging my new truck.
In a unemotional computer generated voice (or at least fragments assembled by computer) the soothing female voice continues ... "In Jamestown at 3:19 AM weather instruments recorded a severe wind measurements of 65 mph and severe thunder storm moving 65 mph to the east. The Weather Service has issued a weather advisory for Stutsman until 3:45 AM." Well no doubt! Though I have to admit it was reassuring to hear the computer tell me what I already knew. The barn was continuously backlit by the lighting in the sky and ..." What, is that a funnel!" ... No another false alarm. Grabbing my keys I jumped into my truck and ran it down into the Quonset. I had turned off the yard light before I went to bed so that I could watch the stars, so the way back was only illuminated by the reflection of the lighting on the running water in the drive. The whole panoramic view backlit by the lighting and the trees continued to moan in the wind. My own body was telling me of the response our primitive side gets when it thinks I should be cowering in the basement. And it is probably right, as I intellectually processed that I was in fact safe.
Standing on the stoop watching the storm progress off to the east, I am amazed how powerful nature is, even in this rather mild showing! and how reactive my own body is to the circumstances around me. We have no control over nature, and I do not have control over the basic instincts of my body. As quickly as this storm came it was gone, but the storm left me with the feeling that I was an extremely small part of creation.
P.S. I never did figure out who was running down the hall!
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Reagan's Boot
In Springfield, Illinois we saw a display of items from past President's. Included in the assortment of items was a boot that belonged to Ronald Reagan and now part of the collection there. The boot had the presidential seal and the lady that displayed it was proud of the collection they had and I think also proud of the accomplishments that Reagan had in office. I think that the showing of national morning that followed Reagan's death is a good example of America's democratic bipartisanship. Each person has their own personal political belief, but we are joined together in the common believe of democracy. I think this is the most critical lesson to teach our kids about government. We are fortunate that both parties are relatively central and we are not greatly divided by radical third parties. I think that I am like most Americans, not completely represented by either party, but for me a view of compassionate conservativeness, balance in progressive taxation, support for the national defense, and protection of the small guy's chance at his stake in the American dream round out the "platform" I would support. This statement may seem a little vague, but I would submit that the moderate center is the best representation that we can get to compromise on the difficult specifics in legislation.
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In Springfield, Illinois we saw a display of items from past President's. Included in the assortment of items was a boot that belonged to Ronald Reagan and now part of the collection there. The boot had the presidential seal and the lady that displayed it was proud of the collection they had and I think also proud of the accomplishments that Reagan had in office. I think that the showing of national morning that followed Reagan's death is a good example of America's democratic bipartisanship. Each person has their own personal political belief, but we are joined together in the common believe of democracy. I think this is the most critical lesson to teach our kids about government. We are fortunate that both parties are relatively central and we are not greatly divided by radical third parties. I think that I am like most Americans, not completely represented by either party, but for me a view of compassionate conservativeness, balance in progressive taxation, support for the national defense, and protection of the small guy's chance at his stake in the American dream round out the "platform" I would support. This statement may seem a little vague, but I would submit that the moderate center is the best representation that we can get to compromise on the difficult specifics in legislation.
Gateway Arch
I had originally thought that the great arch in St. Louis had spanned the Mississippi River. Only briefly was I disappointed until we began our ascent in a small white bubble chamber of the alien craft that raised us to the perch 630 feet up at the crest of the structure. Elizabeth also saw a ghost praying as she looked down to the cluster of ants walking around the grounds below. The patterns on the ground reminiscent of the shapes one sees in the clouds on a blustery day.
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I had originally thought that the great arch in St. Louis had spanned the Mississippi River. Only briefly was I disappointed until we began our ascent in a small white bubble chamber of the alien craft that raised us to the perch 630 feet up at the crest of the structure. Elizabeth also saw a ghost praying as she looked down to the cluster of ants walking around the grounds below. The patterns on the ground reminiscent of the shapes one sees in the clouds on a blustery day.
Visiting the Capital's of the States
We began our trip this summer on the way to the farm by stopping at a number of state capitals. As you might remember, last summer we went to thirty states and twenty six state capitals. This year is less ambitious limited to the central plains states. Little Rock, Arkansas was early on the list. The grounds had a number of rock piles, a tribute to the mineral resources of the state and erected at the state's 100 year anniversary. The problem was we were not sure which one was little rock!
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We began our trip this summer on the way to the farm by stopping at a number of state capitals. As you might remember, last summer we went to thirty states and twenty six state capitals. This year is less ambitious limited to the central plains states. Little Rock, Arkansas was early on the list. The grounds had a number of rock piles, a tribute to the mineral resources of the state and erected at the state's 100 year anniversary. The problem was we were not sure which one was little rock!
