Cornhusker Blog Lite

Dad & Mom Stories + Miscellaneous Reports & Reflections + Planned Death

December Nostalgia

Yesterday, THU 12/28, would have been my mom's 89th birthday. Earlier this month I posted about DEC 19, which would have been my dad's 91st birthday. 

• Here's a favorite memory of Dad. It wasn't unusual for Dad to get prank phone calls, since he was principal of St. Paul's Lutheran School. [This is one of several reasons why I don't feel a lot of nostalgia for my hometown of Concordia, MO.] One night he got a prank phone call. He listened for a few moments, then put the receiver down without hanging up. We asked why he didn't hang up. He explained that until he hung up, the circuit couldn't be closed. We thought that was hilarious. We could hear the voice on the other end. The pranking language continued for a short while, then turned to profane language. Pretty soon we could tell that tone of the voice had become pleading, & we could hear the voice begging Dad to hang up. Dad let the call continue for a few more minutes, then picked up the phone & explained that he would hang up after the caller came over to our house & personally apologized. About 15 minutes later there was a knock on the door. We couldn't see who it was, but we could hear the apology. We could also "hear" the apologetic tone & the lame explanation that the person delivering the apology was not the caller-- that the caller's parents were becoming angry because they were unable to make outgoing calls or take incoming calls. Dad had a few words with the apologizer; we couldn't make them out. After the door closed, Dad hung up the phone. When we asked why he let the caller get away with sending a surrogate to handle the apology, Dad told us that he recognized the voice on the front porch. It was the same voice as the caller. I would like to think that Dad didn't get any more prank calls from this person.
• Here's a memory of Mom. It's more of a sobering memory. [No, it didn't involve the imbibing of alcoholic beverages.] She always walked two houses down to the church, so she could practice for several hours late on SAT afternoons in preparation for SUN morning services. Considering the years that she had spent practicing & playing for services, it struck me as especially amazing that she would continue to spend a a few hours practicing each SUN. [Maybe it was her way of getting out of the house & away from us kids for a few hours.] But I digress . . . One SAT she came back to our house & informed us that while she was practicing, she was startled by the appearance of a stranger in the balcony. [No, it wasn't an angel . . . I think.] The stranger, whom she did not recognize, claimed that he had wandered into the church--doors were kept unlocked in those days--heard her playing, & found his way upstairs to the balcony so he could listen. She had kept her composure, finished, left the church, & walked back home. She played down the incident, but Dad was not happy. [I don't remember that this led to the church doors being locked on Saturdays.]

There Is No Place Like . . . Iowa

From Norfolk Daily News (12/28):  "The Wave. Iowa fans ended the 1st quarter w/'The Wave.' Iowa fans at Kinnick Stadium turn & wave to patients at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, a 12-story bldg that sits right across the street. On game days, patients & their families can watch the game &, after the 1st quarter, wave back. The Hawkeyes kept the tradition going at Yankee Stadium."  COMMENT:  And Iowa won their bowl game. I was actually cheering for IA on behalf of my Iowanian friends & family. This just adds to my "good cheer."

There Is No Place Like . . . Iran

From Omaha World Herald (12/29):  "Tehran police:  No more arrests over dress code. Police in Iran's capital said they will no longer arrest women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code imposed since the 1979 revolution."  COMMENT:  It may surprise you to know that I don't have a problem with Tehrania Mania [Hey, I think that's a pretty clever label. If no one else has thought of it, I claim exlusive rights.] over dress codes. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if there was a ban in Norfolk re:  (1) long, scraggly beards, combined w/relatively short hair cuts; & (2) jeans that are ripped to the point where there is more skin showing than denim. *
* It dawns on me that this item could also have qualified for a G.O.M.E.R. ** entry.
** Grumpy Old Men & Their Elucidating Rants. ***
*** Maybe I should change this to Grumpy Old Men & Their EBULLIENT Rants.

Best TV Comedies of All Time

From OWH (12/29):  "Rose Marie, cast member of 'Dick Van Dyke Show,' dies at 94. A family spokesman said Rose Marie, who played the wisecracking Sally Rogers on 'The Dick Van Dyke Show, 'has died. She was 94."  COMMENT:  I loved that show. I remember watching it with the rest of our family back in the day. And I still occasionally watch reruns on Netflix. It ranks as one of the greatest TV situation comedies of all times [in my humble opinion]. 

Here is my ranking of the Top 5 Greatest Situation Comedies of All Time (in no particular order.)

• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• The Bob Newhart Show, 1972-78 *
• Newhart, 1982-90 *
• Police Squad
• Honorable Mention:  The Carol Burnett Show. She gets an honorable mention but doesn't make the list because technically this was a comedy-variety show.

* According to a Handel family history which my Uncle Harold shared w/me, the Handel's--my mom's side of the family--are distantly related to Bob Newhart.

And Now a Word from Planned Parenthood *

OWH (12/29):  "Planned Parenthood unveils new license plate. The option, for an extra $70, is a response to the 'Choose Life' design approved by Legislature. Nebraskans can now have a 'My Body, My Choice' license plate on their cards. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland unveiled the new blue & pink license plate on THU & announced that it was available to the public."  COMMENT:  Believe or not, I don't have much of a problem with this. I just think that the label doesn't go far enough. How about "My Body, My Choice + I Choose Death." Maybe just "Choose Death." Or "Planned Parenthood:  The #1 Provider of Abortions in America." And I also think it's cute that the colors are blue for little unborn boys who have been killed, & pink is the color for little unborn girls who have been killed.
* In case you're wondering, I chose red, the color of bleeding. **
** Of COURSE, there is virtually 0% chance of any uncontrolled bleeding as a by-product of this safe medical procedure that the abortion industry fights tooth & nail to avoid regulations that are required of other medical procedures.