Offenburger.com

Along Our Way

What a way to end a summer! We Offenburgers were the guests on a late-summer weekend at the lake house of our friends Joe and Cindy Connolly. The Connollys live in Council Bluffs and commute many weekends to their get-away place on a private lake just south of Columbus, Nebraska. It was a real “kick-back” weekend with lots of sunshine, fun boating, good food and plenty of time to read.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS & OTHERS IN LARGER FORMAT, AND TO READ A BRIEF STORY, CLICK HERE.]

A conversation

LIVING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & is now doing well in a “maintenance” program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, and continues under close medical observation. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

“Carla, if you were standing here I’d hug you. This is such a ton of stress and scheduling for anyone but then add that you are recouping yourself and it is nearly overwhelming. Yet here you are forging ahead.”

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?

Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm

Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat!
Click here for larger format

Earlier photos in this series

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.

TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!

Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey

Along Our Way

COOPER, IOWA, December 9, 2009 -- All of Iowa has been socked by a major blizzard in the last 24 hours. They say we've received 12 to 15 inches of snow, but at Simple Serenity Farm in west central Iowa, we can't tell just how much we did get. That's because half our yard has only a dusting of snow, and the other half is four feet deep!

With our driveway and our road both closed by deep snow drifts -- three or four feet deep and maybe 20 yards long -- we Offenburgers are enjoying a day at home. That's possible because we're well stocked with food and other essentials, and because the good folks at Midland Power, our Rural Electric Cooperative, have kept the power humming right to us. That means we've kept our heat, water and computers.

The storm was more than just a lot of snow. It was driven by the highest sustained winds we've experienced in our five years around here, blowing steadily at more than 25 mph for 15 hours. Gusts were said to be up to 50 mph. Thankfully the wind let up by 3 p.m. Wednesday.

But now in the forecast is bone-rattling cold the next couple of days and nights, with low temperatures below zero and serious windchill factors.

Because of all that, we're keeping our farm dogs and cats locked in the garage at nights.

This blizzard, of course, reminded us of the one we went through in early March, 2007, when we went 48 hours without electrical power, and thus, without heat and fresh water. If you want to re-live that one, you can read Carla Offenburger's column on it by clicking here.

All of us have been reminded, again, what a force Mother Nature is!

-- Chuck Offenburger

The storm blew in from the east-northeast, leaving heavy drifts around the south and west sides of our farmhouse.

When we got up Wednesday morning, December 9, a quick glance out froom the kitchen windows told us there was a major blizzard out there. Snowstorms this severe are rare in Iowa this time of year. More typically they come from mid-February into early March.

You can see the three-foot drift around the front of the house.

This view southwest across the front yard shows how part of the yard was only dusted with snow, and then there will be a major drift. This drift extends southwest a good 35 yards, filling our front ditch and leaving a drift three feet deep in the middle of our road. Note the ''sundog'' to the left of the sun -- the first sundog we've seen this winter season -- which appeared at mid-afternoon on Wednesday. They are seen on on cold winter days on both sides of a bright sun. They are caused by the presence of ice crystals in the air, causing a reflection of the solar light. Or is it a refraction?

A four-foot drift next to the driveway.

Note the drift pattern around the back, or north side, of our house.

Several big drifts block our driveway, including this three-foot one, between the barn and our garage.

Send your comments to carla@Offenburger.com or chuck@Offenburger.com

Along Our Way Archives