Downtown Atlantic at Christmas Time

     Every year the city puts up thousands of lights along the main street in downtown Atlantic, Iowa.  I saw it for the first time last year and I'm enjoying it again this year!  It looks so pretty and festive!    Makes me proud to call this town home.   Merry Christmas everyone!

Kiwanis Club of Atlantic

I recently joined the Kiwanis Club in Atlantic.  Here is a photo of the group meeting yesterday.  So what is Kiwanis you ask?  The definition put out by the organization is:  "Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world - One community and One child at a time."  To me, it's a way to help in the community by donating books or bike helmets to local school children.  It's a way to be involved in fundraising to aid in immunizations and food pantry supplies.  It's a way to get involved in my new community and meet local residents of Atlantic.

I've been to 3 meetings and will officially become a member at the start of the year.  We meet every Thursday at noon at the Pizza Ranch.  We have lunch, listen to a guest speaker and plan future events.  If you're interested in joining, check out the website for more information at  www.AtlanticKiwanisClub.org. 

S F Martin House for Lunch

I had a wonderful lunch yesterday at the S F Martin House Bed and Breakfast in downtown Atlantic.  Mark's mom, Carol Smith, had told me that I should see the inside of the house at this time of year, decorated for Christmas.  Wow...she was right!  What an amazing collection of ornaments, crystal, Santa figurines, lights and garland...all displayed beautifully within the dining rooms on the lower level.

I met Carol, Collette Kinen, and Rhonda Wohlleber there for a delicious meal starting with a mixed green salad with blueberries, rasberries, walnuts and strawberries.  My main entree was a turkey and chicken stuffed pastry with cream cheese and spinach, herbed mashed potatoes and cranberry salad.  Others had the quiche with sweet potatoes.  I finished lunch off with a lemon cake with lemon sherbet.  Very good.

I met the owner, Roger Steffens, and had him pose for a photo for me.  :)   I'll be back later in the year when he says he has the house decorated completely different than at Christmas time.  I would call ahead of time to let Roger know you are coming (we called that morning).

The S F Martin House is located at 419 Poplar Street, Atlantic IA  50022
Their phone number is 712-243-5589.

A nice treat for the holidays!

Health Care in a New Town

I put it off long enough.  I had to find a new healthcare provider to refill my prescriptions and just provide general care locally.  

I chose to go to Haley Kickland, a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner, at the Midwest Health Center.  Several people recommended her as someone who was easily available for appointments and someone who really listened and cared about her patients.  My first appointment was yesterday to set up care.  I met with Haley and she spent a good 20 minutes with me going over my medical history.  She's easy to talk to and I felt very comfortable.

She shares her office with her husband, Jim Kickland, who is a Chiropractor there.  The office is located at 1101 E. 7th Street, Atlantic IA  50022.  Phone number is 712-243-5790.   Together they offer chiropractic care, family medical care and acupuncture.

Their photos are below...

Thanksgiving and my Children

I'm not a fan of turkey and all the trimmings so Thanksgiving isn't about the food to me, but I love the time spent with family.  Because I'm divorced, my grown children divide their time between parents.  I love it when I get them all in one place with me at the same time.  That happened last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.  They all drove from Wayne, Nebraska where they are all attending college to spend the day with me in Atlantic.  Here is a photo...

My son Tom, on the left,  is 20, a Junior at Wayne State studying History with a minor in Education. He is a Resident Assistant (RA) in one of the dorms there.

My daughter Jill, middle, is 23, a 5tth year Senior at Wayne finishing up her student teaching for an Elementary Ed degree.  She got married this past summer to a great guy who is also a teacher. 

My son Chris, on the right, is 19, a Freshman at Wayne State majoring in Finance.  He also plays baseball for Wayne State College.

They make me proud every day.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with YOUR families!!