Let me get very serious for a moment. For nearly 25 years, I tried to build my way to meaning, purpose, and an understanding of life and people, but it made no sense to me. Borrowed happiness from a bottle, friendship, relationships, education, career, etc.—all meant well, but none delivered ...

With their daughter, Shirley, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bryant will sail from New York on Queen Elizabeth for England. They will land at Southhampton and go to London to visit Mr. Bryant's mother, Mrs. Sophia Bryant. They will also see his brother and sisters in London and Canterberry. Mr. Bryant came ...

Traveling on roads is what most do in life. While many roads to travel on exist in Tama County, only a few can be the best. Although Tama County has many wonderful county roads to travel, this power ranking sticks to only state and U.S. highways. Time to put the list in gear, so let us get ...

Well, it's not exactly the "best" month of the year, but it's in the top, maybe two or three. I'll explain that later but first, the reasons why October is so good. And other interesting or not-so-interesting facts about October: First and foremost is the uniqueness of October. Its' name ...

I've addressed grocery store conduct in the past, but today I address a topic so immense and life-changing that it spans two weeks' worth of columns. Moreover, it's a specific facet of grocery store protocol that is (or should be) of paramount importance to us all. Shopping carts. Shopping ...

For those who do not know, my grandma, Mildred Dengler, passed away on September 18, two weeks short of her 99th birthday. An incredible age to make it to for an incredible woman. I loved her a lot, and I was blessed to have her in my life for this long. Fortunately, I was double blessed as my ...

As many readers know, I am a widow. I lost my husband, and it’s caused predictable struggles. He’s gone; I’m here, and that leaves a conundrum that I’ve grappled with for the last 22 months. I’ve struggled to make sense of something that makes no sense, and in that, I’ve opened my ...

What bugs you? This year, bugs! Growing butternut squash, I fought the squash bugs all Summer. You’re supposed to squash their eggs…but that’s impractical and would take days. I sprayed the adult bugs with dish detergent, but some of them seemed to enjoy it! While fighting off the ...

A pediatrician had a 4-year-old in for a checkup. The doctor asked, “Do you have any questions?” The mother replied, “I don’t think so!” The doctor turned to the 4-year-old and asked, “How about you? Do you have any questions?” The child responded, “Yeah, have you ever ...

What a title for a column! As if anyone cares, but if you've gotten this far, I'll share with you some things that keep me awake at night. Or perhaps help me get to sleep faster. Irregardless, here are my thoughts: First off, there is really no such word as irregardless. It makes no ...