So this is Iowa????



We left the rainy Northwest in early April and traveled back to the even rainier state of Iowa. This is not at all the way it should be! We expected lots of rain in Oregon and Washington but Iowa has out done them all. This is the rainiest spring in Iowa on record. In May it rained 21 days of the month and I think most of the other were overcast. There has been significant flooding once again, however the city was much more prepared than in 2008. I long for some beautiful sunny days.

Along with the dreary weather came colds for John and me. We have struggled the last couple weeks. I ended up at urgent care last week with ear and sinus infection as a result and today back to my regular doc because my asthma is acting up. So after antibiotics, lots of ibupofen, decongestants, and now predisone and albuterol I am hoping there are better days ahead. I actually have had things to blog about but no energy to do it.

John and Walt

Memorial Day John’s brother came to visit. Walt usually takes a little time in the summer to spend a couple days with us. He is a physician in a workman’s comp clinic in Missouri. The weather was not conducive to spending time outside so we decided to visit the Czech & Slovak Museum.  I had a few photos in a previous post but I had not been in the museum since its big renovation and John had only been there for a friends wedding.  Currently the museum has former Secretary of State Madeline Albright’s pins on display. This is an exhibit that is worth seeing if you get the chance. She was known for wearing pins that reflected her mood or what she wanted to accomplish. As an example, there is one of a snake that she wore in Iraq after there poet laureate called her a serpent, her message there was beware!. Then when she visited NorthKorea she had
a large American flag pin made. North Koreans can only display their leaders face on any pin, patch or decoration so she made sure hers reflected her loyalties and couldn’t be missed. The pins are varied from expensive jeweled pins to costume jewlrey.  There seems to be a story for most of them and lots of photos showing her proudly wearing many of them. One of the Soviet leaders once said they always wanted to see what she had on before a meeting to gauge how things were going to go. I am a huge fan of this lovely and talented lady who has served her county well. She chose this museum as the jewelry's first stop as her family fled the Czech republic when the communists came to power. This display will be traveling and if you get the chance, it is worth the visit.




The museum also has its gallery of Czech and Slovak traditional costumes, beadwork, lace, pretty much all things Czech. They also have a film about the invasion of their countries in 1968 by the Soviet Union. I am old enough that I should remember this but I really don’t. It was very sad and reminded me that war and occupation are never pretty. I wish we could find a way to get along without these conflicts. I truly wish we could  embrace our diversity through out the world instead of each group insisting its way is the only way. I think that applies to the militant Muslim as well as our own county. I know many will disagree with me here but thats ok. If there is anything I believe all Americans should embrace is the right to agree to disagree. I really don’t want to go all political on this. So I hope you take that simply as my opinion which I am entitled to just as you are entitled to have a different opinion.

This week we celebrated the birthdays of both my boys. Gabe was born June 4th and Mitch, June 6th. Gabe wasn’t here for his birthday so a phone call was our celebration but we may get to do a little more on one of their visits here later this summer. Thursday we babysat little Evie while Emily and Mitch went to Hotel Kirkwood for dinner. This is a restaurant and hotel run by the community college. Their culinary students run the restaurant and it is very upscale. They had a wonderful dinner and then came home and we had his favorite Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake to top it off. Emily surprised him by decorating the house after he left that morning and she bought him a patio set that he had wanted. He loves to grill and entertain. I think he was amazed by all her efforts and the gift was perfect.

Time to party!

Happy Birthday Mitch!
So here we are in rainy Iowa trying to get healthy. This week we are scheduled to move to Sugar Bottom campground at the Coralville Reservoir with our friends John and Gayle. This is a COE campground and the flooding on the Iowa river which feeds this lake has been some of the worst in the state. They thought it might breech the spillway but crested yesterday at about a foot shy of that. I think our site is high enough it shouldn’t be affected but we will check in with our friends before we leave.
Had to add one cute baby photo---Evie 1 month old!

I sure hope the sun is shinning where you are. :)

Happy Trails........................

Comments

  1. Could use some of that rain in southern California where they are down at least six inches therefore producing a lost of kindling for wild fires.

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  2. I sure do hope you guys get to feeling better soon. 21 days of rain - and the west is dying for some of that.

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  3. The sun is shining today in Minnesota. It has sure been rainy here too. Hope you feel better soon.

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  4. This part of Oregon we are in supposedly is the sunny part of the state. So far it is pretty nice, but we get ocean fog that rolls over the hill.

    Your grandbaby is cute! Hope you guys get healthy soon !

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  5. wow, been wet over here on the east coast too and cooler than normal...

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  6. The sun actually came out today, but we've also had many rainy and cool days. I know we had the wettest April on record and I think the 8th wettest spring so far. Yuck!! Sorry to hear you were both sick. That makes the crummy weather even worse. Our son Korey has a June birthday, too! The 28th. Love the baby picture. Keep them coming. Can't wait for your visit!

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  7. Yikes, your weather is reminding me of our three months in Nova Scotia in 2011 and last June/July in England. Happily this year we have been having beautiful weather. Why don't you come and visit us up here in Saskatchewan? Sure hope things get better there for you.

    Evie, is a real sweetie. Glad you are enjoying grandparenthood.

    Ruth
    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  8. We have had the same kind of weather in Ohio, which makes me wonder about the wisdom of planting a garden this year. Sorry to hear that the two of you have been sick but sounds like you are finally on the mend. Tomorrow we head to Elkhart, IN to have a couple of things checked out on the RV and attend our first rally. We don't see ourselves as rally people so this should be interesting. We know we will learn a few things and it will be good to get out on the road, if only a short distance. Take care.

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  9. Great pics of your family and a real keeper of little Evie!

    Hope the rain stops soon and you get some sunshine.

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  10. You left Oregon too soon - great weather right now, almost too hot. Supposed to cool off a bit next week. Your little Evie is sure sweet. You'll find having a granddaughter is one of life's greatest joys.

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  11. Why didn't I see your blog post earlier? I guess I'm not paying attention. We would love to see some rain. It has been so hot and dry here. Hope you're all better now!

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