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That precious little piece of paper

My driver’s license expires this month and I absolutely must remember to renew. I took the written test once a long time ago and I don’t want to have to do it again. Speaking of driver’s license renewals, I don’t appreciate the relatively new rule that forbids one to smile on his or her driver’s license photo. I’ve seen better photos on Post Office walls. I swear those DOT cameras could make Angelina Jolie look like she’d been hit with an ugly stick. Then again when a state trooper takes a look at my driver’s license photo, maybe he or she will feel sorry for me and ...

Winter days are great time to play cards

I see we have just passed Card Playing Day. This seems like the perfect time of year for such a day, considering most of us are spending our days indoors out of the cold, snowy wintry weather. (Okay, so our winter weather this season has more to do with gray, cloudy, rainy days. Those are good days to be inside, too.)But I bet a more standard Iowa winter is coming.) I don’t know if we’re ever too young to learn to play cards. Remember Old Maid and Go Fish? They’re still happening. And although neither teach the young players about suits, they do learn about taking turns, ...

Mid-season ice fishing

The middle part of the ice-fishing season will soon be here. There are things we do in the middle of the season that we don’t do earlier in the year. For more fishing success in the next few weeks, keep these ideas in mind. I was fishing for perch a couple of years ago in South Dakota ...

A letter from the school counselor

While shuffling through some of my old school papers, proudly saved by my mother over the years, I came across a document that shocked me. It was a letter to my parents from the school counselor and dated April 8, 1954. I was a kindergartener at that time. “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Huisman,” the letter began, “I am writing to you with deep concerns about your son, Arvid.” I had never seen this letter before. The letter continued, “Your son was referred to me by his teacher who is concerned about several matters.” SEVERAL matters, even! “Your son is a square peg in a round ...

Thanking all the helpers

“Thank you for letting me help you,” I was told recently. I should have been the one saying thank you, and I did. Her statement is something we don’t hear very often, yet it was offered sincerely. But it’s true—it is a gift to be able to help someone who really needs support of one kind or another. I’ve been on the receiving end of offers of help a whole lot for almost two months now, after I had surgery to get my second new knee. This time the new joint is in my driving leg, so after I was finally discharged from an extended care facility, I was grounded to my ...

Memories and Christmas traditions

The Christmas tree finally went up yesterday. Yes, I know I’m running kind of behind this year. Usually, the tree and all the decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving. But it’s been a busy month for everyone at our house. But I’ve got to figure we still have time to break out a few family traditions. Today, it’s cookie baking time. Tomorrow we’re wrapping presents. Traditions and family memories are right at the top of my mind in these days before Christmas. Most of my extended family are scattered to many different locations around the country — Delaware, Missouri, ...