1. Tuesday morning, Mom and I witnessed the installation of the golden arches at the new McDonald’s in Ankeny. I thought it was a historic moment. Mom? Not so much.
2. The Mac turned 30 this week. The month it debuted, Hiram and I were parents to a 1 1/2 year old, and getting him ready for his third surgery. Hiram was a caseworker at Sky Ranch for Boys. I was teaching my students (grades K–2) how to insert a “floppy disk” into the “external disk drive” to “boot up” the country school’s brand spanking new Apple + computer…Our baby boy’s now a daddy, Hiram’s a nurse, and I’m a writer. One of my former students is now the teacher where I once taught. That country school provides every child with a computer, many of them Macs. No floppy disks, no external disk drives, and the students are showing the teacher how the computer works. My, how times change!
3. Folk singer Pete Seeger died this week at age 94. He introduced so many songs that are now integral to American music. With each airing of a Seeger tribute, This Land Is Your Land brings back vivid memories of our 4th grade class is singing at top voice directed by Mrs. Swensen. The boys are wearing plain shirts, trousers, and high tops. The girls wear cotton dresses, tights, and every day shoes. And we’re all convinced that if we ask our parents, they’ll plan summer vacation to see the New York island, California, the redwood forests, and the gulf stream waters. Why are we so sure? Because the song says this land belongs to you and me!

What’s your favorite Pete Seeger song? Leave a comment.

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