June 25
Lincoln, Nebraska

(Jack): Approaching Lincoln from across the prairie, the first thing you notice is the state capitol building. Atop the gold-domed tower is "The Sower", a statue of a farmer tossing his seed to the prairies.

Lincoln has prospered in the years since I moved away. It has maintained its downtown area in spite of many suburban malls, and the historic Haymarket district has been revitalized. Of course, it helps to have the University of Nebraska right next to downtown.

(Nancy): Lincoln is the quintessential small midwestern city, full of trees, parks, and families. It's been such a great experience, looking at this town through the eyes of the quintessential small midwestern family from the 1950's and 60's. Those Arnold kids, Pat and Jack, had a great childhood here. Their dad was on an entrepeneurial path that led them to progressively nicer neighborhoods and bigger houses. Their mom was a full-time mom, and a great one. The last house they lived in here is a beauty that Harold designed and general contracted himself in 1954. A block from school, right on the edge of what was then the wilderness, and which is now an endless bike and walking path through the city and out to the farmlands. It's gorgeous. The kids played out there when it was the railroad track. It seems to me the perfect blend of city and nature, and does help explain why both of them are smart and sophisticated as well as nature-loving now. The other night Jack and I walked out that trail at 11 pm, in the balmy summer night, and the whole place was lit up with a thousand tiny shooting stars out there in the dark: fireflies! lightening bugs! I was enchanted, being a western girl deprived of them. In Minnesota I'd only seen them a few times; but here in Nebraska they are thriving now, and I'm in love. Like sparkly Christmas lights in the dark. I didn't know there could be so many. Some were so bright they lit up the branches and the sidewalk with their flash.
We went back to find them again last night but the evening was colder and perhaps that's why there weren't very many; or as Pat says maybe they'd already found their true love and were bunked up at the Firefly Holiday Inn. We listened for heavy breathing....

The family living in the house now let us come in and look around. Bless their hearts; we were just driving around and gawking at it, and instead of thinking we were ready to rob them, he gave us a big yet questioning smile, we told him the reason for our interest, and soon we were yakking with them for almost an hour. Invaded their precious Saturday, delayed their lunch, showed up out of the blue; they were so gracious. What a treat for all of us; Ruth, Pat and Jack got to see the house again after 40 years, I got to see the home and the setting I'd heard so much about, Randy and Lisa got to connect with the original owners/builders. So fun to see every room and hear all the memories. It's a great house, 5 bedrooms on a huge grassy lot like a park, really nice layout that was good then and is now, very well-built and solid. The renovations done by the previous guy (who cried when he sold it, they told us) were done beautifully. A great house on the Firefly Trail! We all wished Harold were with us, but his spirit was strong nevertheless. I know he was the kind of man who did things right, for the long run. I think he'd be glad that his accomplishments with that and all of his houses, are living on and sheltering more and more families. Lisa and Randy and their 4 kids were sweethearts and we're so thankful they opened their home to us.