Leland Gamson

Lee

To see people I grew up with

Minneapolis, MN

After four years I am updating my profile again. This is not do to lack of affection for my fellow Vikings, but because my dyslexia makes computer use a challenge. After 35 years in Civil Service, I retired 2-28-2013 from the VA to get serious about my writing. In 2015, Sojourn Press published five of my children's books, IF YOUR DOG WERE A HUMAN, LOKAEL:THE DONKEY WHO CARRIED JESUS, SAMSON AT THE OLYMPICS, WHERE IS GRANDPA?, and WHY CAN'T DOGS TALK? To escape the Hoosier Winters, we bought a Spanish Mission house in Cottonwood, AZ. It is in the Verde Valley and as close to the World to Come before the World To Come comes. We have a guest room and are near an airport and Amtrak shuttle.
Now in 2019, Rain Gardens Publishing published five of my new children's books, IF YOUR CAT WERE A HUMAN, LITTLE RED RIDING WOLF, TAMIM:THE PASSOVER LAMB, THE IRISH SETTER IS MAILING A LETTER and WHY DO DOGS BARK? In 2020 Rain Garden's published my, THE PONY WHO WANTED TO BE A UNICORN.

From ages 58 to 61 I competed in body building competitions. As there was very little competition in my age and weight groups, I now have trophies to compensate for not lettering in Whitman. After blowing out my shoulder (I already have a damaged back, knee) I retired from competitive body building

From 1983 to 1999 I contacted presidential sights, asking if they were interested in receiving a tulip poplar seedling from one planted by Geo Washington in 1785. Working with the Mt Vernon Horticulturist, we sent out 60. After retiring, I contacted the 60 sights to find out how the trees were doing and offering to send a plaque to identify the tree. To my horror only eleven trees survived. Ten sights accepted the plaques.

I won't bore anyone listing all of our travels, but highlights have been cruising down the Mississippi and Rhine Rivers. I write for a small evangelical magazine, HOPE IS NOW, and for THE UPPER ROOM.

Bannockburn

Pyle

married

bonniegamson@gmail.com

Anita Gamson (1917-2012)
Arthur Gamson (1917-2011)

MSW, Catholic U, '81
M.Ed, American U, '74
BA in Religion, Hiram College, '73

LTC USAR (Ret) in the Medical Service Corp., Battalion S-5 (Civil Affairs) Indiana Guard Reserve (Ret), Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Board Certified Diplomate, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Homeless Veterans Coordinator, Residential Care Coordinator, Field Instructor and Student Liaison for my VA Medical Center, In Directory of Poets and Writers, Academy of American Poets, included as a Hoosier children's book author by the Indiana State Library's Center For Young Readers, Professional free lance writing and acting, Chancellor; Knights of Pythias, Certified Lay Minister with the United Methodist Church; received the Children's Book of the Year award for TAMIM:THE PASSOVER LAMB, from Glory Bound Publishing(Camp Verde, AZ)

The near strangle hold by secular humanists
on educational and scientific institutions. The breakdown of the family. In my county over 60% of the births are out of wedlock.

Taking it in.

Terrell Nisewaner, Carolyn Heckert

There is no one highlight, but working in Eugene McCarthy's 1968 headquarters was exiting.. At 17, I experienced participatory democracy. The Junior Civitan convention in Virginia Beach was great. Carolyn Heckert took Paul Furnish and myself to the inner city of Philadelphia over the weekend as a sociology class volunteer experience.

Feeling connected to others and the world. The 60's was an exiting time to grow up in.

There had to have been bad moments, but I must have suppressed them as I can't recall any off the top of my head.

Advanced algebra/trig

Neil Gamson, 1967

Travel, trains, Presidential homes,
Intersection of Science and Religion, Church lay ministery, YMCA, Israel, writing children's stories, reading about near death experiences, current events, local history, Americana, doing Bible characters, teaching Sunday School.

My dyslexia has not improved and I am low tech

Irish, 60's, Blue Grass, Steven Foster

Tex Mex, Chinese, Amish

Many as I am easily pleased

YMCA and library

John Wesley, FDR, Moses, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington, Moshe Dyane, St. James, Henry Berg, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale...it is a long list as there are many heroic people in this world. Most are obscure and simply are quietly helping others and caring for their family while working for low wages. I run into them in nursing homes, collecting trash, working in the CVS ,etc.

Too many to list all. C.S. Lewis and Isaac B. Singer, Garrison Keillor are favorite writers. "The Good Old Days: They Were Terrible" and "The Imperfect Panacea" made major impacts on my world view. One drove home the idea that there were no "good old days" and the other the fact that there are no simple solutions to social problems. I have read about ten books on near death experiences, reviewed two. "Dogs that Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home", is another favorite. Of course there is Proverbs and The Gospel of Matthew

Are still the "Wizard of Oz" and "It is a Wonderful Life"

Fiddler On the Roof, The Sound of Music, Eva, My Fair Lady

Minnesota Twins, Baltimore Orioles

In May of 2005, a fourth class spindle cell tumor appeared around my femoral artery. A local surgeon said I had six months to live. I eat healthfully, go to the YMCA regularly, and don't smoke or drink and this happened anyway. Not believing it was God's perfect will that my dogs out live me, we went to the Mayo Clinic for a three month stay. After massive amounts of chemo, radiation, deep surgery and the use of 2000 hours of saved up sick leave, I returned to work. When I get to Heaven, I have to thank the Mayo family for founding their outstanding clinic. As of 2021 I am cancer free, PTL.

Animal protection, fighting factory farming, Israel, local Methodist Churches we attend in Indiana and Arizona, cancer research

Completed list includes taking every cross country train in the US, taking a Mississippi river boat cruise, touring Israel, Scotland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Vancouver Island, having a successful marriage, having meaningful work, living in an uncongested area, ballooning, spelunking, winning body building competions (OK there was little competition at my weight and age), being included in "The Directory of Writers and Poets" and the Academy of American Poets, retiring as an officer in the Army of the USA. The bucket list for my future is my children's books becoming best sellers in their category.

Getting my mostly completed film screen turned into a major movie success is on the list. As only one out of 500 film plays are sold, this is a long shot.

George McGovern, Philip E Johnson, Loyal Jones,("Mr. Appalachia", of Berea College), Ona Gelman Bunce

Walking our poodle, talking to the her, reading, working out at the Y, listening to 60 music, blue grass and Irish

Any act of kindness

Shallow thinking and emotional thinking at the expense of reason and evidence. Most political and religious extremists thinking, including militant atheism, falls into this category.

English and pocito Española

One, very old in dog years, toy poodle.

Yes

"He who was seated on the thrown said, "I am making everything new". Rev 21:5

The Boy Scout motto, oath and law says it best.

Now reading Adam Hamilton's "Word's of Life". Finished "Hillbilly Elegy".

It will include the names of my late pooches, whose ashes will be in my casket. It will say we are reunited.

Bonnie Lou is a retired Credit Union CEO. She is a native Hoosier and part of a close family. Her organizational skills counter balance my creativity. She is very active in our Methodist Church.

While we did not have biological children,we did partialy raise six for six years and thus had some "parent experince".