Yes, my 83-year-old sister is camped at the Iowa State Fair again and, yes, this is another year that I didn’t join them.

The rain is causing them problems as we’ve seen the pictures on the news of the Ames and Colfax rivers.

One of the worst problems her family is having is that when a car drives through puddles along the street, swarms of mosquitos raise up. She’s been on my mind because she gave me a subscription to the magazine Reminisce and there was an article on growing and change.

Now I’m growing around the middle. I’m blaming that on all that mayo on those bacon and tomato sandwiches. But they were talking about mental growth and it requires change to do that.

Right off I thought of Jerry Nichols’ column last week and the statement that our generation had probably seen more change than any generation. That statement caused me to have to set out in the porch swing one whole evening, while I chewed that thought over.

Yep! I believe he’s probably right!

But, the next evening, I spent working on the mental growth and the changes that were coming up in the next few months that was going to require me to do some thinking. I don’tdread the changes in fact, I look forward to them, but it’s still a jerk on the mental process.

For one thing, I’ll be changing volunteer places, for another I joined my grandson in the swimming pool at the camp ground.

That took some mental prodding, but I’m so glad I did it.

I started doing a new crossword puzzle last week and I’m not sure that frustration counts as a mental challenge.

One of the boys left their guitar down here last week and I’ve been practicing some chords. I don’t know about mental fun, but I’ve sure got sore fingers. Of course, gradual change is the best, but we take what life gives us.

I guess what I’m tryingto say, in a round about way, is in order to grow mentally it often requires changes.

I’ve told you before to not turn me loose with a new yellow legal pad! (Editor’s note: Mrs. Lammey hand writes her column on yellow paper.) I can’t guarantee that what goes down will be sensible. Seems like I know what I’m trying to say but not making sense to anyone else.

But one thing I’ll make clear is that I have no desire to attend another Iowa State Fair.

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Editors note: Edith Lammey has been a resident of the area for nearly 40 years. She can be contacted through The TIMES at 451-1196 or prtnews@nwaonline.

com.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 08/18/2010