The first full moon in 2025 arrived on Monday, January 13 th at 6:22 p.m., CST.  It is called the Wolf Moon, because wolves were wont to prowl and howl (“ululate,”) on cold January …

I'm the last of eight children, i.e. the baby of the family, and I was spoiled.  I didn't realize it at the time, but as I look back now through the lens of a father and grandfather, I was …

The great news on December 4 th , I'm cancer free!  It was the day of my 4 th infusion with the immunotherapy drug, Keytruda.  The first thing on the agenda was a full-body PET/CAT …

Growing up on the Maple Hill Farm west of Monroe, we always had a few chickens for eggs, a steer and a pig or two for meat, and, the year I'm thinking of, one tom turkey.  I don't know how we …

Every year in late October, the postcards go out inviting Henry County Veterans and their spouse or significant other to a free Sunday night dinner at Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mt. …

Martha Wiley of Mt. Pleasant loves teaching - with over 30 years of teaching advanced math, physics, calculus, statistics, trigonometry, engineering and programming at the high school, and teacher …

In recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction, we're often not aware of how much we are changing until we see a difference in how others react to us.  This is a story of my friend Steve, and …

The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.  Both Ken Madden and his son Sean, of rural Crawfordsville, graduated from the University of Iowa, and both participated in ROTC—Reserve …

Like the Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant, the Clark County Mule Festival turns the city of Kahoka, Missouri into one big garage sale.  But Ginnie and I weren't there for garage …

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Mathew 9:37-38 We didn't ask the Lord to send us laborers, but we did …

When 82-year old Roy Libby and his wife Karla of Mt. Pleasant hear of hostages being taken, it brings back memories and emotions that hit home.  Three-and-a-half years ago, on January 3, 1989, …

“Ragbrai” is a word, in Iowa anyway, therefore I'm not going to capitalize it.  Ginnie and I hosted two Ragbrai teams at the Empty Nest Farm, Team Checkers and Team Must Have.  …