The Guy in the Song Who Drove Through Phoenix

The Guy in the Song Who Drove Through Phoenix

The song about Phoenix was minimal, the implications many, and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” was a Glen Campbell hit before 1970. This Jimmy Webb song was based on a real incident, and in the mid 60s Johnny River sang it before Glenn Campbell made it even more famous. The traveler, let’s call him […]

Pea Shooter Wakes Up Workers: true history

Pea Shooter Wakes Up Workers: true history

Peashooter as a job. Waking up shift workers in industrial England became a profession, a way to earn money. Using a variety of methods, they woke up people who had contracted with the “wakers”. Early attempts at waking people up meant knocking on room doors, but neighbors complained about the noise in the hallway. The […]

Gladys and Henry Prepare and Perform on Easter Sunday

Gladys and Henry Prepare and Perform on Easter Sunday

Singing at Easter. Above, Henry and Gladys Armitage prepare for the service tomorrow at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Amery. For the last 15 years Henry has sung the Old Rugged Cross on Easter Sunday. (At Christmas, his special song is “O, Holy Night”). They’re cramming on this evening, not having worked on the song as […]

Clotheslines: Rules, Social Norms, and a Poem

Clotheslines: Rules, Social Norms, and a Poem

Hanging clothes on a clothesline. Simple, yes. Not always. Rules in each neighborhood and cultural region meant hanging had dos and don’ts. For us living in the country, it wasn’t so rigorous and rigid because neighbors were far away. Keillor and Bachelor Farmers First of all, one reference to hanging clothes and items son the […]

The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final

The Mile High Club in 7th Grade–Final

East of Amery a group of pre-7th graders gathered bravely to test weapons. We started a Mile High Club, not knowing that in the world outside of Amery it had a completely different meaning. Ours had nothing to do with airplanes or jets. The summer before our 7th grade year at Amery, a few of us […]

Christmas in Our Minds and Our Attics, Plus a Poem

Christmas in Our Minds and Our Attics, Plus a Poem

Christmas memories share a connection to tangible Christmas decorations. Each year at Thanksgiving, or earlier, we hear Christmas music and notice homeowners setting up outdoor displays for the holidays. Several years ago when I thought about those memories, I realized that taking them out of the attic paralleled opening up our mental Christmas vault. The […]