“What Cats Like”
“I’ve been reading about cats,” my husband, Peter, tells me. Peter has never had a cat before.
“Oh, yeah?”
“Salt is not good for their kidneys. We have to give Felix unsalted fish.”
Opinions
In recent years, the concept of gratitude has emerged as a healing force, particularly gaining prominence since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; a time when global mental health faced significant challenges. Media sensationalism, celebrity endorsements, and the marketing of gratitude...
Agriculture is the economic engine of Iowa, the livelihood of farmers and their families, and the lifeblood of our rural communities across the 4th Congressional District. Our producers work long hours in all types of weather conditions to grow the food and produce the fuel that our country and the...
Q: What’s your message for Iowans this Thanksgiving Day?
A: As Americans, we are blessed to enjoy economic and individual freedoms that we must strive never to take for granted. Be grateful for the blessings of America’s agricultural abundance and natural resources that support U.S. food security...
“A Perfect Cup”
It’s important to have a good coffee cup.
My husband, Peter, makes the coffee, and has since we were married. We will be celebrating nine years of marriage this spring, so you might not be surprised to hear that I no longer remember how to make coffee. This is called “learned...
Iowa is home to 42 ethanol plants and 11 biodiesel facilities, which annually produce roughly 4.5 billion gallons of ethanol and 410 million gallons of biodiesel respectively. In 2022, homegrown Iowa ethanol and biodiesel contributed $7.2 billion to Iowa’s economy and fueled $3.5 billion in income...
Q: What is National Adoption Month?
A: During this season of thanksgiving, families will gather together around the table and celebrate the Thanksgiving feast. From one year to the next, Americans carry on family traditions, recipes and stories that have been passed down from generation to...
On Tuesday, Iowans went to the polls to vote in their local school board elections. There was high turnout in many areas and the message voters delivered was clear: Iowans trust teachers and they value strong public schools.
The local elections this year were a bit different than in previous years...
“Dietary Choices”
I just spent a wonderful long weekend with my sister and her son, Beau, “up north” at my parents’ cabin.
Stubby the red squirrel is doing well. Since the tragic loss of the end of his tail (and his subsequent unofficial adoption by my mother), he has flourished. The end of his...
Q: What is the historical significance of Nov. 11?
A: On the “11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month,” fighting ceased between the Allied nations and Germany during World War I. Back then, Nov. 11, 1918 (Armistice Day) was regarded as the end of the war “to end all wars.” In the years to...
Here we are—one year before the Nov. 5, 2024 election—and a recent Pew Research Center poll reveals 65 percent of Americans say they always or often feel exhausted when thinking about politics. Fifty-five percent feel angry, let alone disgusted.
Furthermore, 63 percent of Americans say they are...