Surveys! (+one for you!)

With the U.S. Senate and Iowa Gubernatorial election only 1 month away, I receive survey phone calls nearly every day.  Since this year is the first senatorial election in the state in 30 years where an incumbent has not run (and won), it is a fiercely contested battle between Republican Joni Ernst and Democrat Bruce Braley.

I figure it makes the phone surveyors' day when someone is willing to talk with them, and since I am a rather opinionated person anyway, I answer their questions.  By now I've completed so many surveys that I could probably be surveying the surveyors with all the typical questions from memory.  Some surveys are seemingly unbiased fact-gathering calls; however, the impartialness of others is questionable.

Photo Contest & Sunshine Award

Sarah at Trusting in the Lord  is hosting a photo contest at her blog to celebrate her 100th post.  The deadline for entering up to two photos is tomorrow, October 3rd.

It's an unfortunate practice of mine to enter contests the day (or even the hour) before they close.  I well remember an essay contest in my high school days that had a deadline of midnight Eastern time on New Year's Eve.  I did miss out on some of the fun of our New Year's Eve celebration, but I emailed my essay on time (15 minutes before the deadline).

If you'd like to join the fun with me as 11th hour photo contest contestants, you can visit Sarah's blog here for details.  My two entries are below.

Peanut Butter Squares

Here's a recipe that is sure to delight peanut butter lovers!  While I have taken my love of peanut butter to extremes--trying it on toast, soup, raisin bran, ice cream, oatmeal, chocolate, rhubarb cobbler, pumpkin/sweet potato pie, apple pie, and even green salad--this super peanut-buttery recipe from one of my mother's cookbooks is one of my all time favorite concoctions!

The Secret of Cleves

A grain elevator, bank, repair shop, and handful of houses are all that meet the eye of the casual passerby.  On the map, the town of Cleves, Iowa is nearly forgotten. Surrounded by cornfields, it is not the pulsating center selected by tourists. The grocery store is gone. The railroad is no more. A cursory glance reveals nothing of interest to be seen. Where is its secret?

Watson's Grocery Museum

On the same day we visited Niland's Cafe in Colo, we stopped at Watson's Grocery Museum in State Center.  It was closed, so we contented ourselves with looking intently through the windows.  Jeff Merrill, who owns Remarkable Rose, Floral & Gifts down the street, was watering flower pots at the business next-door, noticed our interest, and offered to open the museum up and give us a tour!  

Things like that don't happen every day!  Needless to say, we were delighted and very thankful!  Having grown up in State Center, Mr. Merrill was very familiar with the history of the grocery store and surrounding area and proved a very informational guide.

Tasty Freeze and Taylor's Maid-Rite

After the Bontrager concert, Papa surprised us by taking us out to Tasty Freeze where we ordered chocolate dipped ice cream cones ($2.50 each).  Considering how big our medium cones were, we had a hard time imagining large ones.  It was a challenge to eat mine before it melted!

Through the front window we could watch the cones being dipped very skillfully.  I've never tasted a bad chocolate-dipped ice-cream cone; we picked a never-fail winner.

The Bontragers!

Sunday evening part of my family and I listened to the Bontrager Family Singers (from Kalona, IA) at New Hope Christian Church in Marshalltown.

I had heard them once before (last year), and earlier this month my sister heard them when she went to their annual Turning Hearts Celebration.  Unfortunately she had a seat in the far back and wasn't able to see them very well, so she talked Papa and I into coming to this concert.