February 22, 2008

Happy Birthday Mom! One year ago I wrote this tribute to my mother. Today would have been the 96th anniversary of her birth. What I wrote then is still relevant today.

She was a neat lady and I still miss her.


Iowa Winter Pictures.

I love this house near Pella. Would like to see the inside sometime.

I drove to Ottumwa today to meet with Bob Breckenridge of the Public Schools Committee of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. I am on the committee and we wanted to meet to discuss the committee and what we are supposed to do. I had developed a brochure and I wanted to go over it with him. So I hopped in the car and drove about 125 miles each way to have lunch with Bob and meet him. I had a great trip down and the roads were all clear and the countryside was beautiful I snapped these pictures as I was driving down the road at 65 (+) mph on the way home. It was four lane all the way and well maintained.

I got there and found his law office and watched the Siamese Fighting Fish (Betas)
which they have around the office. Makes me want to get some again. I'll bet Cassie would love them. They are really nice fish however. I raised them once. The male wraps his body around the female and squeezes the eggs out of her and fertalizes them. Then he catches the eggs in his mouth and puts them in a "bubble nest" which he has prepared. He will then float under the nest and catch the eggs if they fall and put them back. He will wait until they hatch and then eat them if you don't remove him. It is difficult to raise them but well worth the effort. The males are the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.

Bob is a Past Supreme Royal Patron of the Order of the Amaranth. He is also a Marine (Once a Marine always a Marine) and I enjoyed meeting him. We have some new ideas for the Public Schools Committee and I hope they are well received by the craft. In the past the main job of the Committee has been to pick the Iowa Masonic Teacher of the Year. We are encouraging Lodges to have greater involvement with the public schools.

I got back home and am settled in for the night. I am going to Des Moines tomorrow to see Charlie Brinkerhoff who is still in the hospital. I picked up a copy of the Swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated for him. In the edition there is a picture of a Knights Templar Chapeaux. I thought he might enjoy having it. There is also a girl wearing a Scottish Rite Cap. I don't know how these girls got into the Orders but they have the hats so they must be members ? Right? Yeah Right!

After that I am going out to Acanthus to attend the OES School. I can't go to ours and so I will go to this one. I'll give you an update tomorrow. In the meantime ARTYAL, Hugs, j-bear