What a lovely visit we had at the home of Steve's fraternity brother & his wife, John & Jean Ann Livingston in Gladbrook, IA located in the center of the state with a population I'm guessing around 1000. Steve & I had such a fun time with John & Jean Ann. We always do! Their home is lovely & they even took us in for the night! When I mentioned that I'd never seen Steve & John's alma mater, Iowa State, John jumped out of his chair & announced, "Well, we have to go to Ames so Ann can see our campus. The prettiest campus in Iowa!" he added. I had to agree when I saw it that beautiful early summer evening. Dinner in Ames was a treat also. Next day, John gave Steve & me a tour of Gladbrook & it's surroundings. What a lovely town & the farmland in the area is so rich & beautiful. Can you believe that one of the local residents creates huge models made of match sticks which he maticulously glues together to form such beautiful & accurate models of such landmarks as the US Capitol, aircraft carriers, etc. There is a museum in Gladbrook which houses many of his creations. After a lovely & delicious lunch at the Livingston home, John & Jean Ann sent us on our way with lots of wonderful leftovers for dinner that night at our next stop, wherever that would be.
