Tracey Stickler Huisinga:  

8-20-23 So, I see it's been a while since I last left a note. Guess it's about time! Not a lot has changed, at least big changes, anyway! for me, I still remain active in church and small town activities, but not as much as I used to. Passing the baton onto the younger generation:) I coffee with my friends a lot, could be at the local restaurant daily if I tried to fit them all in! I still do a lot of domestic type stuff. I cook for a grain elevator company during the busy season, as well as for our anhydrous season customers and crew. Am happy they are seasonal. I believe next month, I am going to retire after my last wedding cake, but plan on still doing some small catering. I have also retired from wedding planner/coordinator because it is getting more difficult to get around.. But then again, 65 is our number this year! I have been teaching sourdough bread and canning classes, which have been super successful, much to my surprise. I am so happy young (and some older, too) gals and guys want to revive these lost arts. I even had the mayor take my sourdough bread class, lol! I do bake commercially a bit yet, but have cut back. We sold two of our businesses in the last couple of years, which has freed things up around here, mostly for hubs, who I allowed to buy a new fishing boat. Our oldest grandson is a senior this year at Waukon. Just typing this here makes it hard to believe since we were all seniors not long ago, right??! We spend Friday nights at football games mostly in NE Iowa, as our grandson is the center. Come winter, he traded his swimming trunks for Decorah to the heavyweight wrestler for Waukon last year after much talking by the Waukon wrestling coach. Must have known what he was talking about, because our grandson went on to the state wrestling tournaments last spring his first year. Grandma does not like watching them! All I can see are trips to the ER when they are put in positions God did not intend the body to be in! We have more grandkids coming up, although none live here any more, so we are often on the road. Life goes fast. I have had a number of friends pass away in the last few years. And now, with what has happened in the last couple of years, and after confirming some things with my local undertaker, it will only be getting worse. None of us knows how long we have, so I try to live life to the fullest while I am here. And when the time comes, I know where I am going! Do you? if you have been putting it off, now is the time to get your life straight with Jesus Christ, so we can continue this journey long after we pass from this life that brought us together. Many Blessings~ Tracey 2-24-2019 Hello! Happened to look on here and realized it has been 3 years since I last made a note. As I read through the last entries, I wonder who I write this for,.. anyone to read or as a history for myself! I am still in Parkersburg, Iowa, and am thankful for the life God has blessed me with over the years. many small changes over the last couple of years, and can you believe we should all hit the "60" mark this year??! Most of the time I can't believe it's been that long since high school, but reality settles in when I am attending middle school events for my eldest grandson. Due to an accident a year ago last summer where I broke both of my knees, I am now retired. Apparently God has other plans for my life! Now to wait and see what they are! In the meantime, not much has changed actvities wise. The bakery business was getting to be more than I could handle, and arthritis is starting to settle in my hands. However, all of those years of bread making had given me tremendous upper body strength, and I was able to move myself around so well with the slide board for the 3 months I was non-weight bearing, that they booted me out of rehab after a week. We are still farming, and have made many improvements in our fertilizer plant, but my husband and business partner decided it was time to retire from actively building grain storage bins and systems. They are getting older, too! Thankfully we have teamed up with another younger group of guys wanting to get into the business, so we are retaining our dealership for Sukup. This will free up some of my summer, as many days I am found cooking meals to take out to hungry bin crews. I have taken on the head cook for our AWANA program at church, where we feed not only the kids but their families, church members who come and even those from the community who need a meal. Always something! I wish you all many blessings throughout the next years where we now qualify for the "senior coffee" at McDonald's as well as many other senior "benefits!" Offer still stands should you find yourself in the Parkersburg area. 2-3-2016 Greetings to all of my classmates who happen to visit since the last time I wrote, 2 years ago!! Life has been good. Still on the farm, still have my same home phone number as I did how many years ago when Jeff S. called to update the class list or so. Not a lot of things exciting have happened over the last two years, of which I am grateful. I had a second hip replacement on my left side as I got one of those "bad" ones the first time. I now have a permanent limp and some weakness, but it doesn't hurt anymore, for which I am grateful, as a lot of us are getting to the point where aches and pains are more common than they used to be! It looks like I'm going to be holding at 5 grandchildren, which keeps us busy. I am back at a clinic in the laboratory, my first degree, as nursing 12 hour shifts and hip replacements aren't very compatible. But at least I can cross it off my "bucket" list. Still loving small town life, and keep busy with my friends, church, civic, and charity activities, helping a little with my husband's seasonal business, and a successful baking business at the local farmer's market during the warmer months. I do a lot of little trips here and there, which I enjoy. Also fishing on Big Winnie with my husband's family. Still seem to have a lot of company, and host all of the holidays for Lyle's family as they all want to come back to the family farm. It can get kind of wild, and my guest rooms are often full, but I love it. Christmas we were able to have all but one family here, and it was such a beautiful night, we ended up having a hayride. I am learning to slow down and enjoy simple pleasures...at least a little! You're all still welcome should you be traveling through Parkersburg:) .1/27-14 Hi everyone! Wish I had a lot to say about how exciting my life on the farm is, but life is good, and I know from experience that "excitement" is not what it's always cracked ...Expand for more