Eldon, Iowa, Funeral Home

Eldon, Iowa., originally uploaded by edrahe.

Eldon, Iowa, hometown of Grant Wood and "American Gothic." This stately funeral home is located on the main street through Eldon, highway 16? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I know how to get from St. Louis, to Oskaloosa, Iowa, and we go through Eldon but don't ask me the name of the highway.

Don't ask me the name of this funeral home either. I took one look at the sign and was sure I'd remember. Ha! It is a funeral home nonetheless and this photograph is now part of my Funeral Homes USA collection. I'll catch the name on our next trip.

The last of the cherry wine

L1010647, originally uploaded by edrahe.

On December 24 I had three bottles remaining of my homemade cherry wine (vintage 2006). On December 27 I have none left and I drank very little of it.

Blago strikes again

IMG_0031, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Okay, I managed to take one or two pictures over the weekend in Iowa, but I don't have the energy to sort and upload them, so for now, here's another of my pictures of Gov. Blagojevich (gensundheit).

It won't be long now...

L1010010, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I'm the type of guy who could skip winter altogether, and in my mind I am somwhat successful at it.

The winter solstace has passed and that means the days are getting longer and it won't be long until the maple sap starts flowing, though I doubt I'm going to have any time this coming year to boil and collect sap. It's the thought that counts.

In the meantime I'm sitting up here in cold, snowy, icy Iowa visiting the in-laws and generally eating too much. For now, this picture will have to do.

Life is good

Life is good, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I think I posted this one way back in February but I was looking through my files and think it is worth posting again.

Gov. Blago in Happier Days

IMG_0064, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Since I haven't had time to shoot any interesting pictures in the past few days readers will have to endure old ones from my files.

This is another of my photos, taken at a news conference early in 2008.

A windmill in Pella, Iowa

L1010612, originally uploaded by edrahe.

My wife's family hails from the quaint town of Pella, Iowa, where they make Pella Windows, and farm implements at the Vermeer factory. Pell-icans are proud of their Dutch heritage and as such built a huge windmill in their downtown business district.

Unless I get out and take pictures tomorrow, which is highly doubtful, there will not be any updates for a few days. We're due to have an ice storm on Monday, so that might be interesting. Maybe a few digned and dented cars, but hopefully not mine. And I have two finals on Monday! Ugh.

The first semester of mortuary school winds down

It is amazing to me that my first semester of mortuary school is coming to a close with finals looming next week. Since August I've met some amazing people, learned a lot of interesting new things and went on a few funeral-related fieldtrips.

The most time-consuming class project was our dynamics of grief group presentations on varous cultural funeral traditions.

Here we have Rescue Randy dressed and casketed for my group's presentation on Jehova's Witness funeral traditions.

Randy helped all of the groups with their projects. Below he's dressed as a woman for the Hindu presenation.

Other presentations included and Irish Wake, an Amish Funeral and a Christian Scientist memorial service. All were presented very well and were very interesting.

On the lighter side

L1010635, originally uploaded by edrahe.

My wife and I were stopped at the Intersection of Grand and Gravois in St. Louis on Saturday when on the car ahead of us I spotted a rotten banana on the trunk.

Situations like these lead to several questions: Why is the banana on the trunk? Why is is rotten? Did Nathan put it there? Who is Nathan?

Gov Blago vs. Gov. Blunt

Two Governors, originally uploaded by edrahe.

If one were to sit Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (gendsundheit) next to Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt -- as actually happened last Feburary when the two governors signed an agreement on a New Mississippi River bridge between their two states -- it seems that Gov. Blunt's email "scandle" amounts to being caught chewing gum in class.

This photo posted on my flickr account has gotten 76 hits in the past two days.

Field trip to the medical examiner's office

L1010631, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Pictured here are two of my mortuary school classmates Kristin and Chris after we finished our tour of the local medical examiner's office. They both look very professional, in spite of the rolled up papers in Kristin's coat pocket.

Tying a bowtie on a dead person

L1010642, originally uploaded by edrahe.

I can tell you, this is not an easy fete, especially when you're not good at tying the perfect bowtie on yourself. Good thing this was just practice on a dummy. I got the cow pattern upside down.

Governor Blago going to jail probably

blagojevichmugshot, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich really stepped in it. This could prove to be a major distraction for President Obama. From listening to the U.S. Attorney's news conference it sounds like the gov. is the first domino of what might be many.

Let's see. First there was Otto Kerner, then Dan Walker, then George Ryan. Am I forgetting anyone?

This photo is available for licensing. Contact me at edrahe(at)gmail.com if interested.

Columbarium at Hillcrest Abbey

L1010622, originally uploaded by edrahe.

This is the inside of the columbarium on the grounds of the old Missouri Crematory, now known as Hillcrest Abbey.

Columbarium at the Missouri Crematory

Columbarium at the Missouri Crematory, originally uploaded by edrahe.

The Missouri Crematory/ Hillcrest Abby

I'm having technical difficulties blogging directly from flickr.com, so I had to do this one the old fashioned way.

Today's picture is of the old Missouri Crematory on Sublette Ave. in Southwest Ave. It is said to be the first crematory built west of the Mississippi River and it has quite a history. The crematory is not used but the victorial buildings are really interesting. A full history of the facility is found here.

Oh #@!&, the dog is home.

L1010617, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Yes, the dog finally came home this afternoon after an extended Thanksgiving weekend at the doggy spa. The cat looks very sad, doesn't she?

Another St. Louis Funeral Home

L1010465, originally uploaded by edrahe.

Today's funeral home is Hoffmeister-Kriegshauser Mortuary in the St. Louis, Hills neighborhood. The chappel and main building were built about 1938 and the west wing (to your far right) was built in about 1958.

Walk inside and you've probably never seen a cleaner or more elegant funeral home interrior.