My first memory of our family's move to Iowa:
When I was 8, we moved from a suburb of Detroit to Bettendorf, Iowa. Bettendorf is one of 4 cities which make up the Quad Cities along with Davenport, Rock Island and Moline. Bettendorf in the late 60's was the smallest by far.
We drove in the family car from Detroit to Bettendorf. I remember my dad pointing out when we crossed over the Mississippi River into Iowa. My sister and I were very excited to catch a glimpse until we realized how high up we were! About a mile further down the interstate, it hit us like a ton of bricks. I looked at my sister and she looked at me and at the same time we asked our father, "WHAT IS THAT SMELL?"
I can still see my father's amused look in the rearview mirror as he explained, "That is the smell of money in Iowa!" You see, we had passed our first pig farm in Iowa and pork is prince there! As we passed farm after farm on the short leg of the trip to our new home, my sister and I alternated turns at "Peeee-Uuuuu!" My father just kept driving with a very big grin on his face.
It was dark last Friday night when I crossed over Old Man River from Illinois. I caught myself cracking the car window just a bit. I had to be sure. Yep, I was in Iowa!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Egg Salad in Iowa
I was in Davenport, Iowa this past weekend for an agility trial. I enjoy the Quad Cities and try to show there at least once a year. My family lived in Bettendorf for 4 very wonderful years. It was a happy place for us and I know all the family remembers those years fondly. I thought I would share with you a few Iowa memories in honor of the fine time I had there this past weekend!
I was 8 when we moved to Bettendorf. Our home was located in a small subdivision - about 10 houses when we moved in. Our bus stop was the first stop on the country bus route. Most of the kids who rode our bus were farm kids and those same kids constituted the majority of my friends. Nancy Holden lived about 2 or 3 stops down the road. I really liked Nancy as she had ponies. It didn't matter to me they were nasty and too old to be ridden. She had ponies! Like most eight year old girls, I would have traded my sister away for a horse or pony.
One house further down the route lived a petite blonde haired girl with horn rim glasses. Her name was Rosalyn Carter (no relation to Jimmy's wife). Rosalyn and Nancy were friends primarily because they had lived close together in the country all their lives. There friendship was one of convenience but at 8 or 9, I didn't see it that way. Rosalyn was competition for a very special friend (remember Nancy had ponies!).
So I wasn't particularly nice to Rosalyn. I wasn't cruel to her, I just didn't like her. But there was one thing I absolutely hated about Rosalyn - her lunch. Everyday she brought egg salad sandwiches to school. Her parents raised chickens and as I have learned from my daughter's chicken experiences, sometimes there are just too many eggs. I am sure Rosalyn's mother saw school lunches as a perfect opportunity to use up those cracked eggs she couldn't sell. I have always been a odor sensitive and those egg salad sandwiches were an affront to my sensitive smeller! If I wanted to sit next to Nancy, who always let Rosalyn sit with us, I had to smell those sandwiches everyday. Yuck! I can even remember asking Rosalyn if she couldn't bring PB&J for lunch just once!
At the agility trial this past weekend, the competitors were raving about homemade food the club was selling. When lunchtime rolled around, I decided maybe I would see what they were serving. Chicken noodle soup - too hard to get back to my chair through a crowd. Pulled pork sandwich - pig - YUCK! Oh, great, one more option and it was.....you guessed it.....Egg Salad Sandwiches! I checked around for Rosalyn! I guess somethings in Iowa haven't changed in 40 years!
I opted for the chicken noodle soup but not before sharing my story with the lunch ladies!
I was 8 when we moved to Bettendorf. Our home was located in a small subdivision - about 10 houses when we moved in. Our bus stop was the first stop on the country bus route. Most of the kids who rode our bus were farm kids and those same kids constituted the majority of my friends. Nancy Holden lived about 2 or 3 stops down the road. I really liked Nancy as she had ponies. It didn't matter to me they were nasty and too old to be ridden. She had ponies! Like most eight year old girls, I would have traded my sister away for a horse or pony.
One house further down the route lived a petite blonde haired girl with horn rim glasses. Her name was Rosalyn Carter (no relation to Jimmy's wife). Rosalyn and Nancy were friends primarily because they had lived close together in the country all their lives. There friendship was one of convenience but at 8 or 9, I didn't see it that way. Rosalyn was competition for a very special friend (remember Nancy had ponies!).
So I wasn't particularly nice to Rosalyn. I wasn't cruel to her, I just didn't like her. But there was one thing I absolutely hated about Rosalyn - her lunch. Everyday she brought egg salad sandwiches to school. Her parents raised chickens and as I have learned from my daughter's chicken experiences, sometimes there are just too many eggs. I am sure Rosalyn's mother saw school lunches as a perfect opportunity to use up those cracked eggs she couldn't sell. I have always been a odor sensitive and those egg salad sandwiches were an affront to my sensitive smeller! If I wanted to sit next to Nancy, who always let Rosalyn sit with us, I had to smell those sandwiches everyday. Yuck! I can even remember asking Rosalyn if she couldn't bring PB&J for lunch just once!
At the agility trial this past weekend, the competitors were raving about homemade food the club was selling. When lunchtime rolled around, I decided maybe I would see what they were serving. Chicken noodle soup - too hard to get back to my chair through a crowd. Pulled pork sandwich - pig - YUCK! Oh, great, one more option and it was.....you guessed it.....Egg Salad Sandwiches! I checked around for Rosalyn! I guess somethings in Iowa haven't changed in 40 years!
I opted for the chicken noodle soup but not before sharing my story with the lunch ladies!
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