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I can see clearly now

When I was much younger I noticed that old guys liked to talk about their medical procedures. So let me tell you about my recent surgeries. In recent years my vision wasn’t as sharp as it was when I was younger. Driving at night became more difficult, particularly when it was raining. For several years optometrists have told me cataracts were “ripening” in my eyes and that someday I would need surgery to fix the problem. At my annual eye exam in December, the optometrist indicated it was time and set up an appointment with an eye surgeon. That meeting went well and surgery ...

The Boaks enjoyed travel

It’s so good to be back in Webster City. Diane and I had a wonderful time in southwest Florida for the month of February. But don’t forget the words of the immortal Dorothy Gale: “There’s no place like home.” Now that I’m back, with a new knee that seems to behave as it should, ...

A one … and a two … and a three!

My Saturday nights in the late 1950s were unexciting. Pre-pubescent me turned 10 years old in January 1958 so Saturday nights were spent at home with my parents and three younger brothers (two sisters came later.) My family acquired our first television receiver in January 1957 and that began a Saturday night tradition. After my brothers and I had all had our Saturday night baths we gathered in the living room and watched the Lawrence Welk television show. For one hour on Saturday nights the Huisman boys got to watch performers sing, play and dance. Dad turned 30 in January 1957 but ...

Webster City needs a team

It’s pretty clear that the salvation of our historic downtown lies in the hands of more than one solution. It’s also clear that Webster City is not alone in this conundrum. One only needs to look at the City of Pomeroy and its desire to raze buildings, one of which houses the iconic Byron’s, a musical venue that defies logic by drawing a diverse crowd to that little remote Calhoun County town. Here in Webster City, as we reckon with aging early 19th century structures that may or may not have been properly maintained, we must find a way to work together to save what can be ...

The older the violin …

As I entered the coffee shop I saw my cantankerous old buddy, Ebeneezer Griper, reading a news magazine. Eb was deeply absorbed, his wire rim reading glasses sitting at the end of his long, narrow nose. “What’s news this morning?” I inquired as I approached his table. Startled, Eb barked, “For cryin’ out loud, don’t sneak up on an old guy like that!” “Sorry,” I said as I pulled up a chair. “That must be a fascinating story. Have doctors discovered a cure for your orneriness?” Eb scowled and then held up his magazine, revealing a photograph of Miss ...

Phono fun all over again

As Julie’s family opened gifts on the most recent Christmas Eve I was delighted to watch 13-year-old granddaughter, Eliza, open her gift from us. She told Julie earlier in the year that she wanted a phonograph and two long-play albums for Christmas. Though I recognize that vinyl albums have enjoyed a revival in recent years it was fun to watch a young person excited over an actual phonograph and a couple of 33 rpm record albums. The scene brought back some happy memories. Until recently if you told an average 13-year-old that you enjoyed listening to some hot 45s on your hi-fi you ...