The sky here in McCall is so smoke-filled this morning that we can’t see the mountains on the East side of the valley1. Usually2 I enjoy seeing the early morning sunrise3 and its colors on the mountains, but this morning it isn’t possible. The smoke, of course, is due to the forest fires that are [...]
No Place is Perfect
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansMainstreet U.S.A.
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansThere is an interstate highway1 that is commonly referred to as the Main Street U.S.A.2 because it stretches from New York, New York, and the Atlantic Ocean to San Francisco, California, and the Pacific Ocean3. It is the busiest interstate in the nation. Officially it is known as Interstate 804. It was built along what [...]
Home Again
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansIt’s good to be home again! Don and I had a wonderful trip to China, where Hangzhou seems like a second home to us. We’ve lost count of the times1 we have visited there, but we think this was trip number 18. We have a wonderful, warm circle of friends2 there, but there are also [...]
Making Connections for the Chinese New Year
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansMaxine and I have had several trips to China when we’ve had to rush to make connections1 between scheduled flights, and we’ve even missed connections a couple of times. This time, as we travelled to Hanghzhou for the Chinese New Year and meetings with our colleagues, we had the novel2 experience of racing in [...]
Funerals
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansThis past week Don and I attended a funeral1. As we sat there, I couldn’t help thinking about how funerals have changed over the years. It used to be that everything seemed designed2 to be very mournful3. Everyone dressed in black, there was a long, solemn4 sermon5, and the music was of a sad type. [...]
Tulip Time
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansOur little town of Pella1 was established and settled2 by one hundred families from Holland in 1848. These Dutch immigrants3 were seeking religious freedom4; many of them had been arrested5 and imprisoned6 in Holland7 because of having different religious beliefs from those of the state church8. Iowa was being settled by a number of ethnic [...]
A Cross Cultural Comparison
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansThe other day I wrote about the retirement party1 Don and I attended. It was a very nice party, appreciated by all. Don and I had attended another retirement party in January. This one was held for George Ann, the director of Central College’s Yucatan2 program3 for many years. Since Don and I taught in [...]
Seasonal Projects
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansYesterday a group of us knitters1 got together to knit2, chat3, show off4 our completed projects and drink tea. It was a happy occasion for all eight of us excepting that my cold and cough were bothering me. Everyone else seemed to have the same cold too so I didn’t feel too guilty at being [...]
Lunch Lady
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansby Kimberley Huffman
My name is Kimberley Huffman. I am the only daughter of Don and Maxine Huffman. I have studied many things, including cooking.
My current job is as Kitchen Manager1 at our local public intermediate school2. The school is US grades 4, 5 and 6. The students range in age from 9 to 12. [...]
Life as an Artist
March 19th, 2009 by huffmansby Joline De Jong
I asked my friend, Joline De Jong to write this because I like the way she incorporates her love of art in all aspects of her life.
My name is Joline (De Boer) De Jong. I was born in 1933 in the heart of the Great Depression1. My parents, Central College graduates whose [...]