"I was born to wander, I was born to roam"

And roam indeed is what I will be doing this week I am blessed to have a Grand Nephew, Todd Nelson, son of Barbara and Roger Nelson of Mankato,Mn. as a dear and trusted friend.About three years ago I flew to Mpls. and Roger and Todd picked me up. We had dinner together and then for several days Todd and I visited relatives and friends in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. He drove and I relaxed.
About a month ago I was talking to Barbara and she said that Todd might have some time off in June. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought that we might repeat our earlier grand tour.The next morning I discounted the idea for I thought what would a young man of Todd's age want to roam around the country with a Sun City Senior. Well, after a few days, I said what the heck, it won't hurt to float the idea. I did, Todd rose to the occassion and in a few days we will tip toe through the tulips.

:On a ticket generously funded by Brigid and Dan , I will fly to Mpls on Friday the 17th arriving about two in the afternoon. the temprature forcast for Phoenix that day is 104 degrees. I sure that it will cooler there but the reception that I always receive from Barbara,Roger,Ryan and Todd will warm and touch my heart beyond measure.
Roger's Mother, my sister, Opal, passed away earlier this year. My son, Randy and I flew from Colorado to attend the services.From 1962 to l969 we traveled from California each summer in a camper trailer to visit our relatives.Randy enjoyed that and was a great traveler.Then when Randy was a freshman in high school we traveled from Colorado to Minnesota to tow back his 31 Model A five window coupe which we had stashed in Grandma Rye's garage.Later, Randy flew to Minnsota to attend Art Ehde"s father estate sale.He was a rural mail carrier in Steen, Minnesota and he knew more about model A's then Henry Ford and his house and garage were filled with Ford parts. Randy bought a hand tire pump and even before the days of terrorism he couldn't take it on the plane because it could be used as a weapon. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, since those high school days Randy had not been able to work it into his plans to return to the midwest.

So after God only knows how many years Randy returned with me for Opal's funeral.After three days after we boarded the plane in Sioux Falls to fly back to Colorado. After we were settled back in our seats , Randy said.
"Dad, you really have a nice family" And they are the ones that I will be blessed to see because of the fine relationship that I have with Grand Nephew, Todd. God willing, we will see brother Ray and family: sister Vivian
(I have to do all the work) and family; my deceased sister Beverly's family;My deceased sister Opal's family;my deceased brrother Norris's family and hopefully my deceased sister Eldora"s family in Lincoln ,Neb.
And when in Hills I will attend my 60th class reunion. I just attended my granddaughter, Cassia's graduation in Fort Collins, Colorado. She was first in a class of over 600 students. In Hills in 1945, I graduated 12th out of 13. Ten years later, I returned a techer in my home town. One of the most embarrising moments was when in a study hall of 100 students , one of them, a Darrell Stolltenberg asked if he could carve hid name in the desk.I said,"What kind of a question is that/". He said, well, your name is carved here on my desk. Case closed.

Be it ever so humble, where ever you roam
be it ever so humble, there's no place like home