“My Treat Bag”
Dax stared at me in disbelief. I am the Treat Lady, and I had no treats. It was inexplicable.
Opinions
“My Treat Bag”
Dax stared at me in disbelief. I am the Treat Lady, and I had no treats. It was inexplicable.
Dax is one of my regular customers. He is a young black dog with a lot of energy. His sister, Zia, is a little older and has the uncanny ability to find me with or without her owner...
“If fascism comes, it will not be identified with any ‘shirt’ movement, nor with an ‘insignia,”’but will be wrapped up in the American flag and heralded as a plea for liberty and preservation of the constitution.”
—James Waterman Wise, Jr.
As a journalist, I firmly believe that the illusion of...
The legislative session for 2021 begins on January 11 and promises to be unique in many ways. We will be gathering in person, but will have many adjustments to make to limit the number of people in one space and allow for social distancing.
After every election all the committee assignments are...
As I recently worked on booting 2020 out my door, I was reminded of some thoughts and comments I’ve expressed during the last year.
We live in confusing times. Many words and messages don’t deliver the meaning they once did, and new terms and phrases must be sorted out. Go back a few years and...
Welcome to 2021. So many people say I am so glad to say goodbye to 2020 with a pandemic. But I do need to ask you very candidly, do we have any assurance that 2021 is going to be better? We don’t know that; do we? Frankly, we have no idea what’s going to happen. We could face brand-new troubles,...
“Swedish Surprise”
My 2021 calendar is hanging from the closet door.
Every year I’ve lived in this house, I’ve gotten a cloth calendar, hung from a dowel. My mother’s mother always had a cloth calendar hanging in the farmhouse kitchen. As soon as the year was over, the calendar would be...
“When the moon is in the Seventh House,
And Jupiter aligns with Mars,
Then Peace will guide the planets,
And Love will steer the stars . . .
Harmony and understanding,
Sympathy and trust abounding,
No more falsehoods or derisions,
Golden living dreams or visions,
Mystic crystal revelation...
Knowing Iowa’s 88th general assembly (2019-2020) ended as a mind-boggling head-spinner, hope springs eternal when the 89th general assembly (2021-2022) convenes on Jan. 11.
With the Republican Party controlling the Iowa House, Senate and Governor’s office (2017-present), it’s important to know the...
It’s been a rough year. We started 2020 with all eyes on Iowa for the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest. The Iowa caucuses took place under the cloud of a presidential impeachment. That surreal moment in history was eclipsed by a deadly virus that disrupted life as we know it.
No...
I love this time of year. The holidays are my absolute favorite, but not just because of the lights and food and family time. I also love that we have the opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and decide where we want to go. And if we’re being honest, we all need a fresh start after the...
