Hurray! I’m out on the ….

Hurray! I’m out on the loose again and free to go just about any place I want to go. Last week the word was that we might get out by the Fourth. Then on Friday they said we could go out in the hall again, but stay inside. Finally on Saturday morning we were free to go. But I still held my breath until I was outside and in my car. I headed right to Loyal. I hadn’t been there since Flag Day which was way back on the 14th.

My what changes. Corn that had just come up was high enough to cover so you couldn’t see the ground between rows. The grain fields were headed out and starting to turn that blue shade before turning to the ripe stage.

When I got to Loyal the first thing I noticed was the beautiful welcome display on the corner of 98 and K. I’ve often thought after the trees started dying off, or getting toppled by wind, that corner could be developed into a beautiful “Welcome to Loyal” park.

When I came back on Tuesday, more changes. Someone on K had started cutting second crop hay. And a new welcome banner to “Farm Technology Days” was in front of the Purple Park. Just a lot more activity out at the Roehl Acres farm where all the excitement will be taking place this week.

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I mentioned the Purple Park and was surprised to read in the city council minutes that someone wants to change the name.

This brought up a reminder of the hassle when the West Side and East Side Parks were officially named. The West Side park had always been the Community Park but I suppose never done officially. I don’t recall who bought the land but the Clark County Forestry and Parks Department developed the south half, complete with planting some trees and building the shelter.

At first it was just community volunteers working on the much needed softball diamond. If I remember correctly the Brenner Family built the wishing well and then the city did get involved with the softball field and concession stand.

When the West Side and East Side parks got named it was kind of agreed to call it the West Side Community Park.

So if we have an east side and west side park, let’s call it the Middle Side Park.

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Saturday, when I got out and went to Loyal, meant I could get out and go anywhere I wanted. But Sunday came and the best idea I had was to go sit in the gazebo in our Memory Garden. What a pleasant afternoon and when I left I just had to go around to every chair or piece of lawn furniture and read who had presented them. The one that really stands out has a cow, barn and silo. It has been donated in memory of Vincent “Pete” Lindner. What a wonderful remembrance.

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I stumped Jackie the other day. Actually, I hadn’t remembered it either until I read it on Facebook. What important event took place on July 1, 1967? That was the date a law was signed allowing the purchase of colored oleo in the state of Wisconsin.

That didn’t mean there wasn’t a lot of fuss about serving it or even advertising it. I recall, one Friday evening when I picked up next week’s ad at Loyal Foods, Arnie Brock looked very carefully at the prepared copy sent out by Roundy’s to make sure it wasn’t mentioned in the ad.

Florence had to be very careful to check the recipes that came in and changed the word to butter. If she found it. In a couple of instances it slipped through and you can bet she heard about it the next week.

When I was growing up it was something you just didn’t talk about.

That is unless some company came and they couldn’t see anything wrong with it. Dad, having served on the Land O’Lakes board for the Comstock Creamery always had plenty to say.

That is until Land O’Lakes, a big cooperative located in the Twin Cities, started selling it. Thanks I guess to all the soybean growers in Minnesota.

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Everyone keeps asking how I am doing and I’m sure Jackie does too.

Let me tell it like it is. I wake up in the morning, and once dressed, a nurse comes by with my insulin shot and checks my blood sugar.

Then about the time my breakfast is brought to my room and served on my little table, someone comes by with a bunch of pills. Pretty much looking like the same ones I took at home. At noon a couple more water pills appear and in the evening two more, which I call my bedtime pills, but don’t ask what they are for.

My temperature is checked regularly as well as my blood pressure and oh yes, my laundry is done weekly. I even get to help pick out the foods I’ll be eating the next day. I would like to say I belong to the clean plate club, but the generous servings are just too much sometimes. Then occasionally they forget that my menu card reminds them “no broccoli”. I never liked it, but former President George H.W. Bush really made history for his dislike of it.

A drinking cup is provided and filled with ice water, so there isn’t much more to ask for.

The view from my window shows traffic speeding by on Highway 29 and there is a single lane which is used for employees coming to work to use on their way to the employee parking. It is a little hard to believe that was Highway 29 in the old days.

The lawn outside my window has a lot of old trees in it and a couple of black squirrels, along with one of their cousins, a gray squirrel can be spotted early in the morning and evenings playing in the trees and grass, or looking for something to eat.

There just isn’t anymore I could ask for. That’s why I called it the “Peaceful Paradise”.