Bits & Baulderdash

Supper at Wasabi … Got the opportunity to have supper with my sister and her husband along with the lovely and gracious Miss Lynn at a restaurant called Wasabi in Johnston. Lynn had the teriyaki chicken and I had the Angry Dragon sushi roll. I really enjoyed it! For a appetizer we had roasted Brussel Sprouts. The food was good but the conversation was so much better! Great time to catch up!

Labor Day Vacation 2022! We made a long weekend of the Labor Day holiday by taking off on Friday and going down to Florence Kentucky to visit my niece and nephew and their family but most of all to celebrate our granddaughter's 7th birthday! We made the return trip on Tuesday and made it home around 6 PM! We had so much fun, food fellowship and general frivolity! 

September is Birthday Month September is the month of the anniversary of my entrance into this life! I usually look forward to this annual event and this year will be no different. Always looking for new ideas to celebrate ... any ideas???

Pastor Steve

The Great Iowa State Fair Part 2

 So, in my last post I was considering a couple more stories dealing with the Iowa State Fair ... after further consideration I've opted to just serve up one more post!

After milling around the fair grounds, Lynn and I, ended up on the very east end of the grand concourse. from that perspective I could literally look to the West all the way down the Grand Ave. to the Grand Ave. gate! 

It happened right at 10 AM, a young lady began to sing over the fair-wide PA system ... She began singing the National Anthem and I saw the most astounding site ... Every person, man, woman, and child stopped dead in their tracks! Men removed their hats, children remained almost still and almost everyone placed their hand over their heart.

Standing there, listening to the silence that fell upon the fairgrounds that morning, with only the woman singing was amazing! It brought me to tears! To see the respect for our nation, the respect for the singer and all of the people stopping what they were ding we just incredible ... a moment I will remember and cherish for a very long time!

Pastor Steve

The Great Iowa State Fair

One of my favorite late summer activities is attending the Iowa State Fair! This is something I literally grew up doing ... my parents worked at the fair every night at the society horse show in the livestock pavilion and I had somewhat the run of the grounds in those years. I have for the most part always enjoyed going to the fair!

This year was no different! Lynn and I got to attend twice this year. I'm not a "midway" guy, I never have been. I guess they call it the "Thrill Park" these days ... but I'm old enough to remember the old midway.

I have always been a fan of the livestock barns, the agriculture building, the Iowa DNR building, the Mountain Man camp, Pioneer Hall and of course the Varied Industries building. the key to all of those places is that they are all free!!! Free is one of my favorite things! 

However, food at the State Fair is a whole different story! There are places we go on the grounds that are can't miss, every year must haves! In no particular order here are Lynn and I top fav's ... turkey tenderloin, smoked turkey drumstick, honey lemonade, salt water taffy, pork chop on a stick, Italian sausage grinder, a lamb burger, root beer, "shake-up" lemonade, once in a while a corn dog and a foot-long hotdog. This year Lynn tried the "Hot Beef Sundae" at the Cattlemen' s Beef Headquarters ... it consists of roast beef on a bowl with mashed potatoes on top and covered in gravy with a cheery tomato on top. She thought is was just OK. One of the local restaurants in Des Moines had a wrap (that was really good) the past few years but they were not at the Fair this year, 

Over all, this was a stellar year especially considering the weather. One of the best years for State Fair weather. We had a great time at the Fair and I'll have a couple more posts coming soon!

What are your favorite Iowa State Fair memories? Feel free to share them, I would love to read them!

Pastor Steve

 

(All Photo's Are Stock)

 

                                 

Bits & Balderdash

 

Time for a couple of quick bits ...

Still bike riding with the lovely and gracious Miss Lynn! The latest was a Monday night ride from Pleasant Hill area to the Altoona area. Total distance was 11.22 miles and it took 1:15 minutes.

Been enjoying sweet corn and BLT’s ... a family favorite this time of year! Always reminds my of my Mom & Dad who  raised a garden every year. Dad had a propensity for huge tomatoes, “Best Boy” and “Beefsteak” were the best! One slice would be all you needed for a great BLT!

The Iowa State Fair begins Thursday (8/11/22)! One of my favorite times of year going back to my childhood. My parents worked at the State Fair for years and I grew up loving the time spent at the fair. As an adult, the midway or thrill park hold no draw for me but I do so enjoy the “free” stuff available throughout the fair. The livestock barns, the varied industries building, the agriculture building and of course … fair food! I do have my favorites! 

Pastor Steve

A Tribute To A Great Aurthor ...

 I have always tried to be an avid reader.  From my time in college, I have tried to cultivate reading as a way of not only reading for message preparation but also for the shear enjoyment of a good book. In so many areas of my life I really enjoy variety in what I like ... for example, musically I enjoy everything from Jazz to Swing to Oldies to the 70's to Classical Music ... As for authors, I really enjoy John Grisham, Lee Child, Agatha Christie (mainly the Poirot books), and many others.

Having developed a love for history in high school, even giving thought at one time of being a secondary grade school teacher with a major emphasis in history. I spent some years doing 1840's rendezvous reenactment and my favorite time period was the time of Lewis and Clark exposition. 

All of that being said, this past week we saw the passing if the prolific author David McCullough. I first came across McCullough's work when my daughter in law was reading "Mornings on Horseback", a book on the early life of Theodore Roosevelt. What an incredible book and story! I loved it!

Since then, here is a list of the McCullough books I read:(Not in any particular order)

Mornings on Horseback

The Great Bridge

Truman

John Adams

1776

The Wright Brothers

American Spirit

The Pioneers  

 

My favorite, hands down is The Wright Brothers ... What an incredible story!

I'm very thankful that I've gotten to enjoy reading David McCullough's works. I would highly recommend and of these books to you for your reading enjoyment!

Pastor Steve

What A Ride!

 Lynn and I have been doing some bike riding this summer. We started by purchasing a very nice trailer hitch bike rack. As the time has progressed we have been doing longer and longer trips on our bikes. 

The trail system in the greater Des Moines area is incredible! We've ridden on the Clive Greenbelt Trail, Great Western & Bill Riley Bike Trail, High Trestle Trail, Jordan Creek Trail, Great Western Trail (In Part), all through the Water Works & Grey's Lake area, But today was the biggest one of all!

We set out from near the Des Moines Botanical Center on Robert D. Ray Drive and headed north. Our goal was to reach the Saylorville Dam area. We ended up just south of the Dam Visitors Center ... By the way, "if you have any Dam questions, ask your Dam tour guide!" (If you know ... you know!) We needed to make a restroom stop which required a stop at the Bob Shelter Campground, with that out of the way we set off for the return trip. 

Overall, it was a great trip ... here are the stats: Total Time: 2:26:50; Distance: 23.58 miles; Elevation Gain: 296 feet; Average Speed 9.6 MPH.

Not too bad for a guy two years out from a stroke and a gal one year out from open hearty surgery! 

What next??? Lynn and I are putting together a ride from somewhere north of the Des Moines area and ending in Martinsdale, Iowa. This will involve a number of difference trails but will focus on the Great Western Trail that runs from Water Works Park and ends in Martinsdale. We shall see ...

I Remain, Pastor Steve

Here are some pictures:

Stock photo of our bike carrier

Our Bikes on our carrier

Stock photo of trail

Stock Photo of our turn around point

Bob Shelter Campground ... Stopped for a "Break"

Great Western Trail ... Our Next Long Ride?????

Central Iowa Bike Trails

One of the really cool opportunities that Lynn and I have been taking advantage of now that we’re living in the Des Moines area is the plethora of bike trails. 

One of the very first rides we took was a quick trip from Madrid Ia. to the High Trestle trial/bridge. not the longest trip in the world but we really enjoyed getting out on this trail. The view from the bridge were incredible and the distance covered was just about perfect that morning. Here are a couple of stock photos: 

Day time look ...

Night time look ...

That same day we ventured down to the Greenwood - Ashworth Park trail head where we set out to reach the Bill Riley Trail through the Des Moines Water Works Park on to Grey’s Lake Park and back. More stock photos: 

Greenwood - Ashworth Park Trailhead ...

Bill Riley Trail ...

Foot Bridge Connecting WaterWorks Park and Grey’s Lake ...

Grey’s Lake Park ...

More rides to Come!

I Remain, 

Pastor Steve

Transitions ...

                        

One thing we know is that life is constantly changing! Transitions are always happening. 

On October 24, 2021 I resigned my ministry in Oskaloosa and have been on a whirlwind adventure ever since!

We moved from Osky at the end of December and moved in with my daughter and her husband for a total of 4 months. We were able to find a condo on the Southside of Des Moines which seems to fit us well.

We are members at Soteria Church in WDM and are getting involved in the ministry there. We are working in Ankeny (Lynn and I both at the same business). We really enjoy our time together driving to and from our work. 

Some have asked “what does the future look like for us?’ honestly, we’re not sure yet, waiting on the Lord for direction. Not saying no but seeking to discern the will of God!

More to come!

I Remain, 

Pastor Steve