Say what?

Our letters-to-the-editor: Reactions to what you've read here at Offenburger.com & elsewhere, and a place to tell us what else is on your mind.

Rev. Dale Schoening, Renwick, Iowa, March 6, 2010 — Chuck Offenburger's March 4, 2010, column about the Morningside College Choir's concert in Jefferson, prompted several responses from readers. A couple of them follow here.

I saw your recent column praising the Morningside College Choir, and I was glad to you see you're still writing. I used to enjoy your writing in the Des Moines Register.

I also just stumbled across an old 2002 column of yours, identifying Morningside College as one of three Iowa colleges with no fight song. (That was after an earlier Morningside choir concert in Storm Lake, where one of the singers, a cheerleader, had insisted in a conversation with Chuck Offenburger that the school has no fight song. She said the band would play a song when the football team ran out on to the field, but it had no words.)

I don't know if anyone has ever responded, but I'm going to put in my two cents' worth, anyway.

I am a 1980 Morningside graduate, and yes, there is, or was, a fight song, called ''Men of the M.'' That may be the song the cheerleader referred to as the one the band plays when the team comes on the field. And yes, it has words. In the late '70s when I was there and in the marching band, we actually knew the song. It goes like this:

On, Morningside! Foemen deride!
Fight for the old Maroon!
Marching along, steady and strong,
Yours be the victory soon!
Remember the heroes of old, fearless and bold,
Their deeds will live again!
Play, play the game (HEY!),
Win, win the fame (HEY!),
Honor the name, Men of the M!

(break strain)

Sing it again! Here's to the men,
To the men who wear the M! Oh, go right.. (back to beginning, repeating the main verse)

Now when I was there it was very unclear what the actual music to the ''break strain'' was supposed to sound like -- especially the trombone part, which happens to be what I play. I believe the break strain was dropped in the '80s to put that question out of its misery.

Althea Eickhoff, Phoenix, Arizona, March 5, 2010 — Enjoyed your article about the Morningside College Choir. My niece is Justin Dixson's mother. I didn't know that he gave the pitches. He enjoys that choir so much! I was fortunate to have heard them when they were here in Phoenix. They were wonderful.

Luann Waldo, Bayard, Iowa, January 17, 2010 — Chuck Offenburger's January 12, 2010, column about jazz pianist Tanner Taylor, a native of Jefferson, Iowa, has prompted several messages from aroound the Midwest. The story, still posted on the home page of this Internet site, tells about the 28-year-old artist's career, and about how he's coming home to Jefferson in February to work with high school students, lead a jam session and then perform in concert. Following are several of the responses to the story, beginning with this one from Luann Waldo:

I remember watching Tanner Taylor go up through the ranks of Jefferson-Scranton High School. He has a natural musical ability that I'd never seen before and probably won't see again. It's great to bring him ''home'' to work with the kids AND entertain us all.

Ronn King, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 14, 2010 — Sure enjoyed the Tanner Taylor story, eventhough very long, and even pulled up & listened to his six-minute video. I get enthusiastic about those rare young prodigies. Wish I could hear him in person. There are definitely diamonds to be mined if we really look for them.

Paul Stigers, Des Moines, January 13, 2010 — Great story on Tanner Taylor.

When I was married, I was Jim Oatts’ brother-in-law. I spent a lot of time with Jim and his family over an 18-year span. Spent many a times at Jack and Marcella’s, in Jefferson; visited Sue’s place in the Cities; her husband, Tucker’s studio; Nancy Oatts’ apartment in Manhattan which she shares with her husband John Mosca, who along with Dick Oatts is the co-leader of the Village Vanguard Orchestra.

I noticed you mentioned Dick in your story. He was actually pianist Garry Dial’s partner for many years and they recorded several albums together. You probably knew that. The Oatts family knows so many musicians throughout the country and world, especially with Dick’s travels all over the world.

Dick and John Mosca, being co-leaders of the Village Vanguard Orchestra, they don’t just play with them, they LEAD and represent that band.

Of course, Jack Oatts is a legend to most big jazz stars – not only in Iowa but around the country as well.

Soon I think you’ll be hearing something from Dick’s son, Sam, who’s also followed in the family tradition. You already know about Jim’s triplet boys. They are fine musicians as well.

I spent a lot of time around Tanner Taylor and listened to him over the few years he was in Des Moines. He was actually like a part of the Oatts family. Anyone with that kind of talent was treated as “family” by the Oattses. It was always clear to anyone who ever heard Tanner perform, that he was going to be a big star.

My dad Gary Stigers was a jazz junkie, and he couldn’t get enough of Tanner’s music. He and Dad became friendly as did most of the Des Moinees Big Bandm who adopted Dad as a “band member.”

Tanner’s been well on his way for a long time. It won’t be much longer before he’s mentioned with the greats and be playing all over the place, based out of the Cities much like Ricky Peterson has done. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tanner as possibly one of the best studio musicians in the country playing for everyone who can afford him, but that’s only if he doesn’t make a name for himself on his own terms. He’ll be one of the best and well-known jazz artists out there.

The Oatts family has had that kind of influence on so many musicians, but Jack would always spot the most talented players and start guiding their careers and help book their gigs early. Jack was something else and I sure do miss seeing him. Of course I miss the whole family.

Anyway, great story for a local boy who more than deserves all the ink he can get.

Mary Chapman, Des Moines, January 13, 2010 — I would like to attend the Tanner Taylor concert in Jefferson. I remember listening to Tanner during the ''Jazz In July'' outings in Des Moines. He is fabulous.

Rick Morain, Jefferson, Iowa, January 12, 2010 — Just read your story on Tanner Taylor - thanks so much! I learned a lot about him that I didn't know but should have, since he was a classmate of our son Dave. You did a wonderful story on him, his career, his colleagues, everything.

I took a couple of my colleagues from the Northern Great Plains Inc. board of directors to hear Tanner after our board meeting in Minneapolis a couple of years ago. They were much impressed, even though he came over to our table and apologized for playing what he called ''pop music'' - he was billed with a singer who sang in that vein, rather than jazz.

I remember when Kathy and I went to Sioux City with the Jefferson-Scranton High School Jazz Band when Tanner was a senior, and they had solo tryouts for top musician, or something like that. Tanner was the last one to play in the afternoon, and the judges were obviously worn out by the time he came into the room. One of the judges, who didn't know him, said, ''Saved the best till last, huh?'' I spoke up quietly from the audience and said, ''That's right.'' The judge turned toward me and gave a nod that signified, ''Sure, sure.'' But when Tanner started to play, it was evident that the judge was right after all.

Carl Voss, Des Moines, January 8, 2010 — We've written several times that we Offenburgers always try to wait until November 1 each year before we turn on the heat at our farmhouse. We never seem to make it. But when we were writing about that in the fall of 2009, we became aware that friends of ours, Carl and Susan Voss, who live in a renovated building in the East Village of Des Moines, have amazing records on when they've turned on their heat over the years, usually well into the winter. Carl Voss explained that ''fortunately, we are in the middle of a block and have just two exposed walls to warm, besides the roof.'' When December became really tough, we've run two earlier notes from Carl explaining they still had not turned on their furnace. Then this update arrived:

With mostly regret, I must inform you that on January 1, we finally turned the heat on at our place for the first time this fall and winter.

Down to about 10 degrees outside, we can remain a comfy 62 to 66 degrees inside without the furnace, electric blankets, fireplace or auxiliary heaters.

But the prolonged sub-zero weather forced me to turn on the heat. Finally.

On the plus side, Susan and I got through two months of the so-called heating season with just about $20 for natural gas -- for the water heater, stove and dryer.

Looks like we're fairly tropical today (January 8), with a temperature of four degrees above zero, which means little call for heat this afternoon.

Andy Upah, West Des Moines, January 9, 2010 — Carla Offenburger's ''My View from the Porch'' column of January 5, 2010, about her New Year's resolutions, has prompted several responses from readers, including these next two messages.

I really enjoyed your New Year's resolutions column with the recap of how you did on last year's resolutions.

I know they say to write your goals down in order to make them become a reality, but it's a difficult thing for me to do. Maybe I don't want the accountability!

But I don't think I've ever seen a burn pile that was too big. I'm not saying I know more than the fire chief, but I say if you can get a spring night with little to no wind, dump some gas on it and toss a match to it!

Susan Jo Young, Storm Lake, Iowa & Arizona, January 8, 2010 — I liked your New Year's resolutions. You made a lot of them overly challenging, I would say, but I see myself in some of them:

''Saying no.'' You know, everytime you say ''no'' to someone else, you are really saying ''yes'' to yourself or those projects and people you hold dear. I learned a long time ago, when a big church or community project comes up, I quickly volunteer for some part that I would like to do, before someone else figures out what they think I should do!

And, about the housework, remember if it looks clean, that's good enough.

Best wishes for a good year 2010.

Ours has started out with one really good decision. We came to Arizona in time for Thanksgiving, and missed all the blizzards!

Ronn King, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 6, 2010 — Rita and I just returned from a fantastic New Year's weekend with all our immediate family in Smyrna, Tennessee. Our other two kids came across from the Dallas area. It was so much fun being with all seven of our grandkids, and we really dodged a bullet between two snowstorms, having no weather-related issues at all, going or coming, other than very cold, even for Tennessee.

Normally, we always go from Sioux Falls to Council Bluffs, Kansas City, St. Louis, Mt. Vernon (Illinois) and down through Paducah, which we did this time, too. For a change of pace, however, we decided to come home an alternate route -- up through Evansville, Terre Haute, Peoria, Quad Cities and Waterloo.

Carla, remembering your recent stellar review of the Landmark Restaurant & Creperie in Galesburg, Illinois (in ''My View from the Porch'' on December 2, 2009), we purposely drove downtown and sought it out, arriving just before 5 p.m. for an early dinner. I remembered to look for Seminary Street.

We were not disappointed. I, too, prefer local eateries to franchises whenever I have the chance, and even independent hotels/motels whenever possible.

I started out with a bowl of creamy spinach bisque soup, which really hit the spot, followed by their beef burgundy crepe for my entrée, while Rita enjoyed her chicken pesto fettuccini plate. These were truly palate-pleasers! Being an unabashed dessert eater, I also ordered the ''small'' bananas foster crepe, plenty big enough for two, with ice cream inside and caramelized bananas & whipped cream on top. It was sinfully delicious!

Angela, our server, was friendly & efficient. The Landmark was definitely worth seeking out. I would like to try the lobster bisque if we ever pass that way again. Thanks, Carla, for the heads-up.

Incidentally, I concur 100 percent on your opinion of the Drury Inns & Suites. We stayed at one in Amarillo during November when our youngest son was married, and it was first class all the way! If we didn't have a rehearsal dinner Friday night and a huge reception buffet Saturday night, we could have made full evening meals of their ''snack'' buffet, complete with baked potatoes, meatballs, tacos and more. And we did partake of their elegant, expanded, breakfast buffet each morning. The facility was fairly new and very attractive, and the personnel were cheerful and friendly. I know the Drury hotels are headquartered in Missouri, and it's good to know something good has come from that state, after also giving us the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

Hollie Roberts, Jefferson, Iowa, December 24, 2009 — The writer is referring to Rose Welchans’ December 24, 2009, Guest Column about her visits to Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri.

Several years ago, two friends and I went to spend a weekend retreat at Conception Abbey. I had read about it in Capper’s Weekly, so we decided to have an adventure.

We stayed in the ''dormitories'' and wandered around the grounds at will. We took our meals with the monks and also took every opportunity to listen to the monks when they chanted together at the appointed times during the day. I loved learning about the history of the abbey; young boys could go to high school there and literally stay until they died of old age if that was their choice. We visited the abbey cemetery and speculated about what life would have been like there, and all the decisions that the monks never had to make in regard to life choices.

We went to the Basilica which was undergoing some restoration. We found out that the company which was restoring some of the gold leaf on the art work and murals at the Basilica was the same company that helped restore some of the art work at the State Capitol in Des Moines.

At night, my friends and I read to each other from a book, ''Chicken Soup for our Pets’ Souls,'' or something like that -- and drank wine. It was fun, relaxing and a great bonding experience.

We also went to visit the nuns in the neighboring town of Clyde, and we were welcomed with great enthusiasm. The place was very historic and spotless! The nuns told us that when they divided up the duties, some of them committed to the same job for three years, such as gardening, cooking and others. That way they each had an opportunity to become an expert at what they did -- I can believe it.

We hated to leave. It was a grand weekend.

I enjoyed reading about Conception Abbey in the latest posting of Offenburger.com. I would like to go back some day.

And THAT from a Baptist!

Gary Schmidt, Ankeny, Iowa, December 24, 2009 — Thanks for telling us about the story of the MYF Christmas pageant in the early 1970s at the Cooper United Methodist Church (''Along Our Way,'' December 21, 2009). I am sure it made some of the parents a little bit uneasy when they saw it presented in a different way. The MYF youth may have been ahead of their time. They used a screen and a projector to tell the Christmas story. Nowadays it is the norm for a church to use a screen. Screens are used for announcements, singing, creeds and pastors use them in conjunction with their sermon. Back in the '70s, screens weren't very popular in mainline churches but now it is difficult to find a church without one. Probably back then, a pastor who maybe wore jeans was probably labeled as a ''hippy.'' That too has gone by the wayside. Thank God pastors are now considered to be just ''one of the gang.''

Even though the service put on by the MYF in the early '70s was a little out of the norm, it was memorable and had a positive effect on the young people lives so that they grew in to the outstanding citizens of today.

Christmas is all about families and memories and the positives they have on our lives.

At Holy Trinity Lutheran in Ankeny, we have a total of five Christmas Eve services. Two of the services are contemporary and three are traditional. All are well attended.

I attended the 4:30 p.m. contemporary service. It was sort of blend of the traditional and contemporary using the organ, drums and guitars. The pastor's sermon was an expanded children's sermon in which he read scripture, then we sang traditional Christmas hymns. He had children come forward that who small garlands, like halos, on the tops of their heads, children carrying small stars, boys carrying shepherd staffs. Then at the end he had members dressed as Joseph and Mary carrying their small baby. Joseph and Mary were portrayed by Paul Yeager and his wife Amy. They carried their small baby and walking beside was their small son Noah who was dressed as a shepherd. This too was memorable for members of the congregation and the Yeager family.

For me as an adult, one of the most memorable parts of the service was the prayer response. After each partition our response was sung to the tune of ''Row, row, row your boat.'' The tune seemed secular but the responsive words were all to the glory to God.

Christmas is the beginning of Easter. In a small way memories help families prepare for Easter, which is the next big major Christian event in which families get together.

Chuck, may God bless you and Carla with lots of good health and happiness in the New Year.

Sue Wind, Cooper, Iowa, December 28, 2009 — The writer is referring to the December 24, 2009, Guest Column by Rose Welchans about Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri.

I just took time to read several of your updated items on Offenburger.com. The one that interested me the most was the article about Conception Abbey. I have been to Conception Abbey many times.

My son Jeremy was one of those seminarians there for three and a half years. He was a sophomore at another college when he decided to become a seminarian. He then went to the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis for a semester, and then said he had decided to change schools. I thought, ''Oh well. He's given it a try and decided that the seminarian route is not for him. At least he investigated his calling.''

But I was so spiritually touched and impressed when he explained that he just did not want to stay at the University of St. Thomas, because the seminarians were treated better than the other students there. They were allowed to be first in line, and the alumni wined and dined those that were in the seminary program. He didn't want to be treated like he was more special than the other students, just because he was in the seminary program.

He sincerely wanted to continue in the seminary program, but he wanted to go somewhere that was more spiritual and prayerful. He chose Conception Abbey, because there were only seminarians there as full-time students, and therefore none of them would be treated like a cut above the rest. It was in this rural Benedictine seminary where he found the perfect setting to continue discerning God's call. He was truly at peace there.

Jim Gingery and I even took the residents of Cedar Lane Estates (which was an assisted living type of facility in Greene County then) to the abbey for a two-day visit. We stayed in the guest rooms where my roommate, Doris Gorman loudly complained about the beds being ''hard as a rock.'' I had to agree with her on that point. But we were treated like honored guests by the staff at Conception Abbey. One of our residents even decided to re-join the Catholic Church after our trip there.

We also took them to see the reliquary at the convent of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration nearby at Clyde, Missouri. I had never been to a reliquary before, and stood in awe as I saw relics of hundreds of saints -- all identified and catalogued. The relics were sent from churches in Europe during World War II to keep them safe from the bombings. Some of the relics were a gift to the sisters, who had sent thousands of dollars that they had raised for the war-torn churches at that time. It's a story worth hearing and a place worth visiting.

If you ever get a chance to go there, and I hope that you do, it has all the charm that your friend wrote about, and the hospitality is wonderful.

Carl Voss, Des Moines, December 20, 2009 — The writer and his wife live in the East Village of downtown Des Moines. They always try to go beyond November 1 without turning on their furnace. On December 4, he mentioned in an e-mail that they still were heatless but quite comfortable. We checked back December 9, after Iowa's big blizzard, and they still had not turned on the furnace. So we were back in touch on December 20, asking again, and his response follows.

Will keep you posted, if we turn on the heat. But it's 65 upstairs today. Coldest upstairs was 62 degrees when it was 3 degrees outside. Don't even own an electric blanket or space heater! If we drop below zero, I suspect you'll hear from me.

Carl Voss, Des Moines, December 4, 2009 — The writer, a friend who knows that we Offenburgers try not to turn on the furnace before November 1 each year (we didn't make it this year), lets us know that he's avoided turning on the heat at his East Village home in downtown Des Moines.

Hey, Carla, are you wearing gloves while you type? Or have you cranked up the furnace? We're still holding on without heat at the Voss residence. Fortunately, we are in the middle of a block and have just two exposed walls to warm, besides the roof. But any day now, I suspect, we'll dip down to 55 degrees or so in our place, and have to turn on the cursed furnace.

On December 9, during a major blizzard and with forecasts for below-zero outdoor temperatures, we got back to Voss and asked if he had by now turned on the heat. His answer follows.

Thanks for asking. We haven't needed to turn on the furnace yet. No auxiliary heat, either. So far, it's still toasty indoors. It's 62 upstairs and 61 downstairs. I've pretty much always made it until November 1 without turning on heat. But this is the best no-heating season so far.

Rich Osborne, Jefferson, Iowa, December 3, 2009 — The writer is reacting to part of Carla Offenburger's ''My View from the Porch'' column of December 2, 2009, in which she talked about how awful it seemed watching a lot of TV over a Thanksgiving vacation.

''Swiper, no swiping!'' (a line from the one TV show that Carla said had merit, ''Dora the Explorer''). What a great show! Our son Mason used to watch it, too.

Your points about what TV has turned into are right-on. I've been noticing it, too. We had ''the news'' when I was growing up, now it's shows about the news, people talking about the news. I don't know what news channel my dad usually has on, but they have a pack of talking heads ready during every story and seem to call on 2-3 of them every now and then. What the...?

I hate watching football. But I have seen a few games on TV, mainly when eating out, or visiting someone else's home. I did watch part of the last Super Bowl. What I noticed in that NFL game was this -- an average of three replays for every play, at least six replays if it was a good play or a tough call. There was so little actual game going on. On the flip side, I just noticed during a college game while eating at a local restaurant the other night that there were no replays. The game just kept moving. It was actually more interesting. I saw one great touchdown and said, ''Wow!'' I told Reagan (his wife) to watch the replay, but it never came.

So is the NFL tailored for dumb people now? Is it to make it drag on? I've heard the theories that Americans watch football because of the commercials. That is why we never get to watch real sports -- they can not guarantee the frequency and availability of commercials. Then again, you can't take sports seriously when attending games that have to take ''TV timeouts.''

Finally, sad to hear about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I haven't watched it in years. Sounds like it's been ruined.

Rev. Art Seaman, Kittanning, Pennsylvania, November 20, 2009 — Our old friend, a recently retired Presbyterian pastor who served two churches in Iowa in addition to others elsewhere in the nation, took note of the fact that the Offenburgers are attending the Harvard-at-Yale football game this fall.

Dear Chuck. Ah, the Harvard-Yale game!

Takes me back to '68 when I was on the team that beat both Harvard and Yale.

Of course, that was the New England Divinity School touch football league. I was a tight end on the Hartford Seminary team.

Enjoy.

Bob Longman, Shenandoah, Iowa, November 10, 2009 — Chuck Offenburger's ''Out in Greene County, Iowa'' column of November 10, 2009 -- about the political campaigns of Terry Branstad, Roxanne Conlin and Charles Grassley -- prompted several comments. Below are a couple of them, the first from one of Chuck's old high school classmates in Shenandoah.

I enjoyed reading your political commentary. I was surprised to learn you are a Republican, but then I recall that you supported Lamar Alexander for president several years ago.

As you know, I grew up in a Republican family, and Central Surveys (the Shenandoah company he now heads) used to be a Republican polling firm. My folks sent me to a very liberal college and I came out a Democrat.

I have always respected Charles Grassley, but have been very, very disappointed in his public position on healthcare reform. I would vote for Roxanne Conlin if she decides to run.

Karen Lawton, Cooper, Iowa, November 10, 2009 — Chuck, you touched on so many subjects in your column that my head is spinning! Great job. You have given your readers much to think about. Your political perspective is always interesting.

To share your comments, opinions and insights with us and with our readers, e-mail us at chuck@Offenburger.com or carla@Offenburger.com. Be sure to include your phone number, in case we need to verify the authenticity of your message. No unsigned messages will be posted here. Your reactions specifically to Carla Offenburger’s weekly updates in “Offenburgers’ Farm Journal” and to her book reviews in “What’s Carla Reading?” will continue to run right with those features. Thanks for all your thoughts!