TO FLY OR NOT TO FLY

I am beginning to think that every time we book a trip where we are going to fly, the weather and transportation gods make sure we won’t get there and return without lots of trouble.
We were scheduled to leave on Allegiant airlines on Sunday, the 17th of January to go to Las Vegas. We were to leave in the evening. Late in the afternoon we were informed on line that the flight was cancelled and that we were to leave at noon on Saturday. We changed our hotel reservation and went to the airport Saturday at 10 AM. The plane finally arrived full of passengers who had to spend an extra day in Las Vegas because of the fog here. We boarded the plane about 6:30 PM and arrived in Las Vegas around 11:30 PM their time.
It rained all the time we were in Las Vegas.
We were to leave Las Vegas on Friday at 3:25 PM. We turned the rental car in, and proceeded to the airport. We, along with a plane load of people sat at the gate ready to board our plane when, about 2:PM They announced that our flight to Cedar Rapids had been cancelled due to fog at home. Since the cancellation was due to weather the airline did not have to compensate us for out extra overnight accommodations. They did give us a list of hotels to call for rooms. The least expensive place we checked on was Ballys on the strip. We stayed there overnight and started back to the airport Saturday morning. They informed us that there was still fog in Cedar Rapids but they would try to land here or land at an alternate airport and wait for the fog to lift. Luckily when we arrived over Cedar Rapids there was a 15 minute window where the fog lifted and we landed without incident.
We are scheduled to fly to Florida on February 28. Hopefully, the weather gods will let us go and come without trouble.

90 YEAR OLD BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH TRANSPORTATION GLITCHES

We just returned from Branson, Missouri where we attended a Birthday Party for Robert Norman who turned ninety years old and was aboard the USS Nevada when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7 1941. We had a wonderful time at the party. In attendance, other than Mary and I were Bob and his wife Fran and three of his sons, Bob Jr. and his wife Julie, Kim and his wife Tammi and their daughter Ellie, and Kurt. One son could not come due to weather problems. We attended a show in Branson, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. It was a great show. Sunday we went to a brunch at an old homestead next to a lake, and Sunday night we drove to a place where they have Christmas displays of figures in different settings and music. All these were great.
The transportation problems started when we left home. We were to take Air Tran from Moline to Atlanta and then to Branson. Arriving at the airport we were told our flight to Atlanta had been cancelled and they could get us out the next day. We said tomorrow would be too late so they put us on United to Chicago and then to Springfield Missouri. We arrived in Springfield and inquired about transportation to Branson. They informed us that they had no transportation to Branson. After several phone calls they sent a limousine from Branson to pick us up and take us the 60 miles to Branson.
Leaving Branson on Monday, we arrived in Atlanta with no problem but had to wait 7 hours to get the flight to Moline. We arrived in Moline after 11 PM and checked into our hotel to spend the rest of the night. Next morning was the big snow storm and we were advised not to travel. We stayed in Moline another two days and finally returned home Thursday afternoon. The roads were fine to West Branch on I 80 and it was ice the rest of the way home.
We are happy to be home.

MORE PICTURES OF MY DAD

FATHER'S DAY

Since Father’s Day is almost here, I thought I would post some pictures of my Dad that most of you have never seen.
The three pictures on top are from his school days,
In the top picture he is 5 from the left in the 2nd row.
The middle picture is of his kindergarten class and he is in the left bottom corner.
The bottom picture he is 3rd from left in the top row. Grandpa Stuelke is in the top row first on left.
The second picture.
The large picture is of my Sister Carolyn and I with Dad.
The bottom picture is a school picture. Dad is in the bottom row second from left.
The picture of Dad and I was taken when I was home on leave after basic training on my way to Guam.
The other small picture is of Dad when he was in the 7th grade.

OCTOGENARIAN

I am, as of today, an Octogenarian. This means that I have lived on this earth for eighty years since May 20 1929. I was born at my Grandpa and Grandma Stuelkes house in Nashua Iowa at eight oclock in the morning.
I have seen a lot of changes since I was born. From the Depression to World War 2, with rationing of meat and sugar and gas, and seeing collections of aluminum, grease and cloth for bandages to be sent to the battlefront.
After graduating from High School I enlisted in the Air Force in 1948 and served on Guam, Japan, Korea and France as well as in the United States.
After heing discharged from the service I returned to Cedar Rapids and took a job with American Tobacco
After two years, I started working as a painter for my Dad and went on my own and painted for over 20 years,.
When building slowed down in the 1980;s I opened up a consignment store which Mary and I ran for 22 years before we retired..
My life has given me much satisfaction and happiness. I met my wife Mary in Nashua and together we have lived almosts 50 years. This marriage is blessed wisth 5 children. Mary brought to the marriage two wonderful children in Steve and Linda and we were blessed to have three more, John and Lisa at the same time and Wendy shortly afterward.
Our children are now grown and we have grandchildren who are the light of our life.
I never thought I would live this longbut I am very happy that I am here.

MY MOM

My Mom was Ruth Charlotte Abbott Stuelke Hentsch. She was born in Imogene, Iowa on April 13 1905 and died January 3 1997 at Villisca, Iowa. She was 92 years old.
Mom attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls and acquired her teaching certificate. She taught for one year before marrying Wendell Stuelke June 30 1928. They were divorced in 1941 and she married Martin Hentsch July 28 1945.
She taught school at Fredrika Fredriksburg,Iowa Imogene, Iowa Union, Iowa Randolph, Iowa Clarinda Iowa and Villisca, Iowa. Mom furthered her ecucation by attending The University of Southern California and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She received her Bachelor of Science degree and spent the last years of her teaching as Principal of the grade schools in Villisca,.
My Mom was a people person. After retiring, she spent most of her time volunteering. I lived with my Mom until I was 15 and then I went to live with my Dad through the rest of High School.
My Mom spent the last ten years of her life in a nursing home in Villisca. She kept up with every happening in town and enjoyed life even though she was in the nursing home.
Fortunately my sister, Carolyn lived near the nursing home and visited Mom at the nursing home every day. I never heard my Mom complain.
On this Mother’s Day I remember my Mom and all the things she taught me. She was a wonderful lady.

MY GRANDPA ABBOTT

MY GRANDPA ABBOTT
Charles Bela Abbott was born in Barrington Illinois on June 30 1865. His middle name came from his Father, Bela Abbott. My first name came from my Grandpa Abbott. His Father died in an accident when my Grandpa was just a boy. His Mother, whom I never knew, was born in Canada as Sarah Moorhouse Dearlove. After her husband’s death she married a fellow named Otis.Grandpa married my Grandma, Nora Straight, at Grandpa’s Mother’s home on the 26th day of May 1904.
When we went to live with my grandparents Grandpa was the postmaster in Imogene, Iowa. At that time postmaster was a political appointment so when the Republicans were in office he was postmaster and when they were out so was he. When he was out he sold insurance for a living.
Grandpa’s great passions were, trains, the Civil War and the circus. He smoked cigars and chewed Sweet Mist tobacco. He accompanied my Great Grandpa Straight to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for the 75th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg June 29th to July 6th 1938.
Grandpa was known as Charlie or C.B. I never saw him wearing anything other than a suit, shirt and tie. He had several idiocsyncrasies indigenous to him. If we had company and his bed time at 10 PM arrived he would get up and go to bed.
He would sit in the car when he thought it was time to go home and periodically honk the horn.
He wouldn’t eat green jello because he thought it might be poison.
He would always give me the same advice. “Listen to your Grandmother ane you’ll never go wrong. I should have taken this advice more to heart.
Grandpa died on July 12 1954 in a nursing home in Shenandoah Iowa. I was in the Air Force in Japan at the time, so could not attend his funeral.