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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
So I finally made it. Man, how I’ve waited for this stage in life. After years of being pregnant, breastfeeding, snuggling little ones in the middle of the night, and cleaning up LEGOs off the floor day and night (after first stepping on them), I’m finally here. Free at last. Free at ...
When former Republican Gov. Terry Branstad signed executive order number 85 on March 24, 2014, he stated, “transparency provides Iowans the necessary access to information to hold our government accountable, and our Open Records Act is essential of ensuring openness . . . our administration ...
It’s well known America’s first president warned citizens – on Sept. 17, 1796 – about the negative impact political parties could have on the country. In George Washington’s farewell address, he felt politicians and their party of preference could become “unprincipled.” The ...
Flying airplanes used to be a rush of excitement as a kid but has become too unpredictable at my age. Just give me a tractor-mower, a full tank of gas, and a can of Dr. Pepper, and that’s about all the thrills I can take for one afternoon. But imagine this true story. In August, an airline ...
School districts across the country are facing a shortage of teachers and other positions in K-12 education, such as paraeducators, bus drivers, and substitutes. As students head back to school this fall, it’s estimated that the U.S. is short over 300,000 people to fill critically important ...
Harvest is coming up, so this means fieldwork begins. Combines move, trucks haul, and dryers cook. With harvest comes reflection for those in agriculture and those not in it. If not treated as a reflection part of the year, it should be. While New Year’s Eye is looked at as a time of out ...