A week away from Thanksgiving, five weeks away from Christmas. Where has 2008 gone? I imagine when it's all over, many of us will be glad to see 2008 behind us, but 2009 may not be very popular at all.

It's been an autumn of adjustment at our house. My wife and I are adjusting to an empty nest and are finding our own rhythms and routines. Daughter Madison is doing well at the University of Minnesota, and plans on attend the Iowa-Minnesota football game this weekend. Our oldest daughter Lindsay, her husband Thomas and daughter Persephone (called Sephie most of the time) are all doing well.

Sephie was baptized a couple of weeks ago at the same church her mother and grandmother were baptized. Thomas' parents and a couple of his siblings made the trek to Le Mars and we had a wonderful evening before the baptism.

Sephie did fairly well during the ceremony, but she made no bones about the fact that she disliked being awoken to be baptized. The pastor, in good humor, said that she was sure that Sephie would be a preacher. After it was all over and she was presented to the congregation, Sephie was good as gold.

We have video, and it will more than likely be used on her in the years ahead.

This past weekend, Diane and I attended a performance of the fall musical at LCS. It was the first time we had attended a school function since graduation.

The cast, crew, directors and musicians did a wonderful job with Cole Porter's "Anything Goes." The elaborate set and unique staging were wonderful. Congratulations to all involved for an entertaining evening.

Watching the performance was a bit surreal for me. Thirty years ago, in November of 1978, I was in a production of "Anything Goes" at my high school. I noticed on the program of the LCS production that the book of the musical -- the words and scenes -- had been redone. The changes are subtle, but substantial, if I am correctly remembering the production I was in.

One thing's for sure, the singers are much better at LCS than they were at my school. We ended up cutting out songs because we couldn't sing them without rousing the dogs and small animals near the auditorium. Our sets weren't nearly as nice, nor were our props and costumes. We had a piano play the score, instead of a pit crew.

I went to a smaller school and it was 30 years ago, but I recalled some of the gags and much of the music.

It never ceases to amaze me how a musical first produced 74 years ago still has relevance. Cole Porter's songs remain timeless. The lyrics and some cultural references may seem dated, but the basic plot and satirical look at celebrity and popular culture remain very valid.

Musicals were an annual fall event at my school. I had parts in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Damn Yankees," and "Lil' Abner." They were bit parts in my freshman and sophomore years, but grew into supporting roles and even a lead in "Anything Goes."

Did I mention it was a small school?

The dedication that the students, directors and musicians have to these productions is phenomenal. Learning lines, making sets, spending evenings at school rehearsing and constructing sets, devising make-up -- for weeks, building up to a few performances. I remember my directors telling me to wait for the audience to react before speaking more lines. I didn't believe them until it happened, and even then I had a hard time believing people were laughing at things I said.

Extra-curricular activities are wonderful things. Students find something they enjoy doing, get to participate and spend a great deal of time at school. Time spent at school is time spent out of trouble. Friendships are formed and studies and grades are maintained, or else participation is no longer possible.

That's the power of extra-curricular activities, and that's why they are so essential, now more than ever.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.