Iowa Open Chess Tournament 2014: Part 2

At 7:00 pm, the third round of the tournament began.  I found myself paired against IASCA President Eric Vigil (1262) who had been unable to play in the first two rounds because, as he put it, he'd been "herding cats all day." 

I had never heard that expression before, so he explained that he had been directing the RBO (U1200) section of the tournament and that was just like herding cats (imagine trying to herd cats!?) with children not coming for their games in time because they were out playing. 

I am very thankful for all the work Mark Capron (Chief TD), Bill Broich, Eric, and the other TDs did to make the tournament a success.  The tournament location was first class, and they even arranged a special hotel rate for chess players who would be needing to stay overnight! 

Iowa Open Chess Tournament 2014: Part 1

On the morning of August 16th, Papa, my brother, one of my sisters, and I started our drive to Coralville, Iowa.  On the way we stopped at Casey's (a convenience store) for donuts for breakfast.



We reached the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center where the tournament was to be held, walked in, and climbed the stairs to the second floor.  We let the tournament director know we were there and greeted our tournament friends. 

In past years I have always played in the Reserve section (U1600), but since my rating was 1637, this time I had to play in the Open.  The time control was 90 minutes with a 30 second increment; 3 games were played on Saturday and 2 on Sunday.

Sunshine and Liebster Awards

Thanks to Heidi from Along the Brandywine for nominating me for the Sunshine Award and Jon and Caryln for nominating me for the Liebster Award. These awards are a way for bloggers to learn more about each other by asking several questions.  

Cherry Raisin Oatmeal Bars

Today I'd like to introduce you to Cherry Raisin Oatmeal Bars; an easy and flavorful favorite recipe from my favorite cooking site, allrecipes.com.  The original recipe has been changed very slightly to fit my tastes. 

Scenic Manor Sing and Picnic

Last Sunday my family and I sang at Scenic Manor, one of our favorite nursing homes, on their special event day.  The event also featured a hymn sing, 2 other groups, dinner, and games for children. It is attended by residents of the home, their family members, and locals.

I enjoyed singing and the crowd was a pleasant audience.  Unfortunately though, my shoulders, arms, and fingers have been programmed to hold a guitar for the duration of a 45 minute concert, so by the time our hour was up they were fatigued; my strings were starting to dig into my fingers with every chord...evidently I need more practice!

Mr. Pea Seed and the Soybean Revolution

In Mark 8:34-35 Jesus tells us, "Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's the same shall save it." 

via Flickr

Some people may see this verse as instructions for missionaries in a far off land; however, this verse is for "whosoever."  To me "whosoever" is a word that includes all farmers, gardeners, bloggers, and even red-headed musicians.

My family and I are avid gardeners, and between rains every spring we plant our peas, onions, radishes, beets, lettuce, carrots, and potatoes. Pea seeds are shriveled and ugly and don't look any more alive than the even more ugly beet seeds. But, if a pea seed could think, would it see any sense in being buried? I think not.  Mr. Pea Seed would rather be out in the warm sun; gradually he would become even more shriveled, and eventually he would die. Trying to save his own life, pride, beauty, and self, he would lose everything.

Imagine getting ready to plant a field of soybeans. You have the soil prepared, and your seeds are in the planter. You're ready to go and can already envision a healthy field with green leaves and blossoms swaying in a warm gentle breeze; then you see the harvest with dollar bills jumping into your wallet as you combine... Suddenly your pleasant dreams are interrupted as you hear a noise coming from the seeds in the planter. The beans are jumping out of the planter, and a Soybean Spokesman informs you that this is a Soybean Revolution. The beans have decided that they are too beautiful to be buried! They are casting off your old-fashioned ideas of what is best, and they are going to live life their own way! What a scary thought!

Sadly many people are just as blind as Mr. Pea Seed and the soybean revolutionaries. They want to live life "their own way," and forget about God's plans. They say, "Oh, I want to have fun for a while, and when I'm old then the Lord can have His way." But when they're older it might be too late. Don't let your youth and vitality go to waste. Plant yourself in God's plans for your life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." You won't remain a shriveled up pea seed, selfishly seeking your own good, but you'll grow into a beautiful plant, blossom, and be a blessing to many people. Complete surrender to Jesus Christ, the Master Planter, is the only way to fulfillment and happiness in life. All else is as senseless as a soybean seed revolution.

Illinois: My 21st State!

After leaving St. Donatus, we returned to Dubuque to cross over the Highway 20 bridge into Illinois, the Land of Lincoln and home of President Obama.  Someone reminded us that it was also the land of gangsters and Al Capone.  We thought it over, but decided that since Al Capone has been dead 67 years, and Chicago is on the eastern side of the state, we could probably safely venture over the Mississippi.