Reformation

 This morning we celebrated Reformation Day at our Church, Trinity Lutheran in Mason City (Iowa). Every fifth Sunday of a month, we also have a Service of Healing.  Everyone came forward. Much need for caring, for courage, for healing. 

 At the beginning of the season the odds were 125 to 1 that Arizona would not make it to the World Series.  However, last night, in the second game of the World Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Texas Rangers 9-1. Series tied. Now on to Arizona for the next games.  Be careful about believing odds and ratings!

A thousand Voices

Almost 500 junior and senior high school students gathered at the North Iowa Area Community College last night for the "Honor Choir Festival" concert. Five choirs sang. Son Joel, who now teaches and directs choirs at NIACC directed the Festival Honor Choir, accompanied by his wife Rachel. It was wonderful.

All the choirs and the 1000 people in the audience sang the grand finale together. Music surrounded us all. 

Prayers for Restraint

 Mason City (Iowa) citizens will gather in Central Park this Saturday, Oct. 28, at noon for "Prayers of Restraint" in the Middle East war.  One Jew, one Muslim and one Christian will each offer a brief prayer. In between will be moments of silence for reflection. 

VOTE this November

 Today's vote today in Congress is one more reason why we need to vote in Nov. 7 elections.  Here in our city, it's school board and city government issues.  Extremely important!  We can vote now at our precinct right across the street.  VOTE

The Music Man

 Our Grandson, Jackson Everist, did a wonderful job playing Professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man" at Stebens theater here the past two weeks.  I had him sign my childhood autograph book and then showed him that his autograph was right next to that of Meredith Willson.  Willson was a childhood friend of my father's.  Willson signed my book in 1950 at our home in Des Moines.  I gave Jackson my autograph book.  It seemed appropriate.

Indigenous Peoples Day

 The "discovery" of a land where 550 tribes already lived means invasion. Were indigenous people "invisible"? Thought of as non-people? The "discovers" viewed them ambiguously, as "innocent," just part of the landscape of the "new land," or as "horrid savage: to be conquered. The latter view prevailed which meant they had to be "exterminated" It is fitting therefore that "Columbus Day" in some states and cities is now "Indigenous Peoples Day."  

Ancestors

 All of my grandparents died before I was born. However I do know some history about them.

My mother is German. The Kloock family emmigrated to the United States in the 1890's.  Here is a picture from about 1910 of them on the board sidewalk in front of the house my grandfather built in Garner, Iowa. My mother was about 10. Here is a picture of the house today, still standing.  My father's Cook family came on the Good Ship "Fortune" from Britain in 1621, landing on Cape Cod.