Life of Wry

Here are some photo highlights of a typical Sunday in Iowa in tow with cousins:

Checked out of the Hotel Grinnell, and headed over to Aunt Bonnie’s where she supplied us with coffee (with Bailey’s) and cinnamon rolls. We talked…

As seen around Bonnie’s house…

Both Kevin and Kyle have painted Iowa barns. Both of these hang on the wall in the great room, Kevin’s on left, Kyle’s on right. Both lovely in their own way and totally reflective of the artist!

Such a cozy home…

After a couple hours, we headed out to tour Grinnell..

Here’s a Frank Lloyd Wright house:

Here’s the house where Bonnie spent the first five years of her life (either that, or it’s the house she was conceived in.. but let’s not worry about that detail).

I love the Iowa aesthetic… simple homes on hills, farms and farm equipment everywhere, corn rows — also everywhere. I enjoy the brown, leaflessness of winter.

There were numerous murals around town honoring Edith Renfrow Smith, who was the first African American to graduate from Grinnell College. She’s still alive, living in Chicago and is 110 years old and counting.

They also had some historical murals celebrating old Grinnell, like this one of the Grinnell High School football team, coached by Kenny Starbuck, Aunt Bonnie’s dad. He also coached basketball and track. And probably taught English, though I’d have to check that out.

Grinnell is a welcoming place, I’m pleased to say:

And then… Bonnie, being Bonnie, wanted to shop! So Matt, Kyle and I followed along. First, we went to Theisen’s (pronounced Ty-son’s). One can get pretty much whatever they want there, including tractors and baby chicks. Matt and/or I got Iowa jerky, Amana-made noodles, Iowa sausages, a large plaid wool-like anorak.. stuff like that.

We then spent another hour wandering the aisles of Walmart. Yup! I got some Iowa swag. When Bonnie says it’s a good day to shop, that’s what we do! She got a Swiffer and a cozy, soft cape. There ya go.

We returned home and Matt did some of this (he’s been fantasizing about sleeping in this leather chair for two years):

Kevin and Karla came by and we sat around and talked for a couple hours (or more). Then they took off and we had dinner. Bonnie made her famous baked minestrone and apple pie:

After dinner — more talk — then said goodbye to everyone, and Sadie, too.

Here are a couple photos of Bonnie in earier years…

A young Bonnie at the bar (when she wasn’t teaching first grade!):

Uncle Al, Bonnie, Kevin, Susan (adopted when she was 5) and Kyle: