I remember when Dad taught grade school there was a row of bins/drawers in the back of his classroom containing all sorts of science education equipment that we kids treated like a giant toy box.

I remember in preparation for the trip that my mother took a sheet, sewed it in a way that it had large pockets at one end, and fastened it somehow to the back of the front seat of the car so that we three kids had a place to store our magazines, coloring books, crayons, and toys.

I remember John Anderson running for president in 1980.

I remember the only long trip my family took was in the late 1950s to the east coast to attend a reunion of some of my dad's Air Force buddies. (more memories of this trip to follow)

I remember the St. Louis Arch elevators seeming slow and claustrophobic.

I remember my dad making popcorn the old-fashioned way -- heated in a big skillet with a lid on top.

I remember Dr. Cooper talking in a soothing and funny way during an examination, and I remember him with the stethoscope saying "deep breath" ... "deep" ... "deep".

I remember taking Mark and Danielle to swimming lessons in the old Jeff Jr. pool when they were pre-schoolers.

I remember taking Mark swimming in Great Grandpa and Idelle Larwig's motel pool they managed in OC about 1971 (We have the photo to prove it.)

I remember them putting makeup on my face when I got my high school senior portrait taken.

I remember what a treat it was when my parents took us to a cafeteria for Sunday dinner after church.

I remember my cozy little attic apartment on Dayton St. where I was living when I first got on the internet and when Danielle began dating Tien and when I decided to move to Minneapolis.

I remember how good it felt to have one of my little children hug me tightly.

I remember how empty the moments of silence felt immediately after Jan Houser and the choir finished one of their rousing, joyous songs.

I remember the sweet, unmistakable scent of a newborn baby.

I remember seeing Paul Soglin shopping at Woodmans West.

I remember Dan Paul watching Sesame Street. (Perhaps the others did, too, but I don't remember that.)

I remember shaking Bob Dole's hand in the Missouri Capitol rotunda probably in late 1987.

I remember the shower in the basement at 5288 would never drain properly.

I remember seeing Dave Pirner from the band Soul Asylum walking down Hennepin Ave. in Minneapolis.

I remember when my dad was treasurer at Christ Lutheran Church, and he would bring home the offerings every Sunday and count the money after dinner. He always let me roll up the coins in brown paper forms.

I remember hooking up my Apple IIc to our TV so I could see colors (circa 1987).

I remember how Sophie and Henry loved to play hide-and-seek whenever they came to visit.

I remember playing a game in the 5288 basement where we'd try to get around without touching the floor.

I remember posing for the charcoal portrait that Mary Geatches drew for my parents.

I remember hoarding pennies in the 1990's and having maybe 20,000 in two big glass jugs when I finally got rid of them.

I remember attending the funeral of Wanda's 13-year-old granddaughter in Springfield, MO.

I remember the first movie The Ten Commandments Momma and Daddy let us go to see at the theater thanks to Uncle Gerald.

I remember having to get a professor to reset the very first computer password I chose when I was a freshman in college because I forgot it right away (but I remember it now - it was "osborn").

I remember taking the train to OKC at Easter one year when I was at St. John's College in order to surprise my parents.

I remember shooting lots of free throws and sometimes playing Horse or Around The World on our patio on Veil Of Tears.

I remember watching the movie Gidget with some friends from high school.

I remember downloading lots of Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake on Napster when I got my first PC in 2000.

I remember going to Springlake Amusement Park with a soldier that I had met on a train.

I remember volunteering at the Friends book store at the Madison Central Library.

I remember being at the Intemann grandparents' house one night when Shirley was waiting for her date; and when he came in, the wind had blown his tie backward around his neck and messed up his hair. Everyone was trying not to laugh.

I remember driving from Omaha to Cedar Falls with Jen's sister Jill and making a stop in Creston so she could be fitted for a wedding dress that, as it turned out, she didn't end up needing.

I remember when I took care of several children on Veil of Tears that one of them tried to stick a sharp object into a wall socket, and I saw it in time to grab the object out of his hand.

I remember sitting around a campfire at Hickory Haven.

I remember daydreaming a lot as a child.

I remember Mom and Dad filling two shopping carts to full capacity once a month at Hy-Vee in the 1980's.

I remember that a block of ice was delivered weekly to our house to keep the ice-box cool before my parents bought an electric refrigerator.

I remember how it felt and sounded to walk into the backyard on a dark summer night on Veil Of Tears.

I remember "losing" Dad at the JC Walmart one time and had to have the office page him.

I remember hummingbirds darting among the honeysuckle near our patio on Veil Of Tears.

I remember a wildfire roaring across our farm in Mulberry Hollow and beating it out with wet gunny sacks.

I remember when my Uncle Paul died.

I remember wasting a lot of time at my programming job typing long (often whimsical) "PROFS notes" (emails, basically) to my friend/coworker Tim, and before I quit I printed all our correspondence and it filled three large binders.

I remember walking through the old John A. Brown store in downtown Oklahoma City -- trying to find something I could afford to buy.

I remember Chris and I lurking around outside in the dark while Andrea threw a party at their house, and every once in awhile Chris would sneak into the garage and flip the main breaker.

I remember in the 1950s my favorite TV shows were The Lone Ranger, The Cisco Kid, and My Little Margie.

I remember marching in the homecoming parade in downtown Jeff City with the art club in 7th grade, wearing a train conductor's hat and chanting "Railroad the Mules!"

I remember eating sno-cones in pointed paper cups (especially cherry ones) when I was a child, but I can't remember where we got them.

I remember one year in grade school there were two redheads named Marsha and Larry who got picked on and teased a lot.

I remember that a blind date I had one New Year's Eve was a complete DISASTER!!

I remember an older kid giving me a big head start in a bike race around the block and then losing to me only because his chain came off in the final stretch.

I remember there were many summers when Dad and I bought small plastic swimming pools for the little ones to play in.

I remember asking Willy if he wanted to come play with our toys when he first came to live with us on the farm.

I remember when we got off the train in Stilwell that my overnight case was missing and never found.

I remember visiting our unfinished house on Veil Of Tears and walking across a plank to get in the side door.

I remember when I first went to visit Daniel's family, we took the train from Oklahoma City to Stilwell.