Chestnut Anniversary and Empty Nest Half Marathon
Jane and Mark McConeghey of Monroe, Iowa have always been innovative farmers, caring for their…
Curt Swarm
From Jerry’s to Caseys – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss It’s the people she…
From West Point to West Burlington – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Noble, friendly, protector, dog rescuer, ready smile, popular, motivated, giving, outgoing, receptive to feedback, empathetic,…
160 plows on 160 acres in Bloomfield – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Northeast of Bloomfield or Southeast of Floris is what might be considered an outdoor museum…
Iowa’s small barns disappearing – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
You may have noticed the big, beautiful, red barn beside the highway. It’s just west…
Birthday ends in trip to Wall Street – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
On August 27, the night before Ginnie’s birthday, the moon and Mars lined up side-by-side,…
Teacher sheds locks for cancer patients – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
“Nurtured and pampered by parents who didn’t want to make the mistakes of the previous…
“The Virus” is very real to area woman – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Families gotta start back getting together for Sunday dinner and family reunions…not just funerals. –…
Unexpected gift yields good news – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Except when I was 13 and got a Winchester single shot, .22 rifle, this may…
Chaneys revive natural prairie by Skunk – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Dog park, grooming, boarding, training, world class Yorkies, pigeons for dog training, wildlife habitat and…
COVID art didn’t jinx – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Ironically, I may have brought this on myself. Being an artist, I see beauty in…
Detasseling was summer right of passage – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
My only goal was to keep up with Ray in the row beside me and…
Gardening and drinking from the hose – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
I made an uncanny observation the other day while watering our garden. Hose water tastes…
MP alum bouncing around the world – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
He’s 6’9” tall. When Bobby Quayle (pronounced “Quail”) was in grade school in Mt. Pleasant,…
Garden undergoes a Chipmunk funk – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
I did not know that chipmunks, also known as “squinneys,” can destroy a garden. They’re…
Newspaper clipped by pandemic -Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
It’s worth a road trip to see. Located in Traer, Iowa, north of Tama, the…
Car points family in right direction – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
It was the spring of 1995 when my family and I decided to return to…
Nothing is too big to fall – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
There was an explosion, followed by a crackling. The hair on the back of my…
He shed turns into art studio – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Leave it to an artist. Artists usually have many talents, not just one art form….
Memoir tells story of civil war brothers – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
He was eight years old when he came west in a covered wagon from Ohio…
Finches say it’s time to put in the garden – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
I tilled a pick-up load of composted sheep manure into our garden. I know I…
Ninety-five year old knows about restoring youth – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Outside his apartment in Keosauqua sits his 1961 Chrysler Imperial, waiting. The Chrysler is in…
Skunk River loses one of its rocks – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
The Skunk River is a little quieter today. It lost one of its arch rivals,…
Kick this homebound diet around – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Instead of gaining pounds while sheltering in place, use this home-bound time to achieve that…
Rosie the Riveter, becomes Mary the Mask Maker – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Mt. Pleasant beauty salon owner, Judy Williamson, took in stride the governor’s order to close…
Some have a bit more social distance – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
We might think we have it rough with restaurants closed, “shelter in place” (fancy words…
Salem pastor started at a young age – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Diego knew he was on the right path, that God had spoken to him. Coming…
Mishap puts crazy end to Holy Land trip – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
The uneven stone steps going down were damp. Her heel caught on the edge of…
Holy Land visit shows stark contrasts – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
The Dead Sea Scrolls were written on parchment that was bound in leather. When the…
Iowa means “Yes” in Arabic – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Contributing author Curt Swarm offer this week’s submission from the Holy Lands On a pilgrimage…
DFC Educators Foundation built by struggling student
Little Johnny was a bad boy. In the third grade at Elm Grove District Number…
Procedure good for mind, body- Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
My wife and I mark our time together by Colonoscopies. Yup. You see, we had…
Something good came from the war – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
At 101 years of age, Quentin Fackler still remembers his dog tag number: 37047361. A…
Cancer survivor reaching for the stars – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
He wants to be an astronaut or a flight director, the person who leads the…
Syndicated or not, it’s working – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
I’m often asked, by aspiring writers, how I got my column into so many newspapers….
Thank You notes have started year right
Empty Nest – by Curt Swarm “If you have one friend, you’re a wealthy person.”…
Scavaging for existence turns to hobby – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Larry stuck the yardstick under the laundromat washer and scraped around. He pulled out a…
Mueller’s vision for Parish Hall close to reality – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 The snow was wet and…
Lots to see, hear at The Chasmacian Crafter – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Small Midwestern towns are dying, there’s no denying. Check out the town squares of most…
Dodging the pitfalls of an aging body- Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
It all started when an old hernia surgery scar began hurting—real bad! What was going…
124-year-old barn one of oldest in state – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
It’s the only barn left on 8-Mile Road. There used to be 18 – 20…
A full list of holiday dining hot spots – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
With the eating season upon us—Thanksgiving through Easter—here is where Ginnie and I like to…
“Give this day a good pull” – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
They, the omniscient “they,” say that when you retire the majority of your time is…
Ancestry search turns up pain – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
From an early age Scott Pieper (pronounced “Pipe-er” not “Peep-er”) wanted to be a mortician….
Mud run mirrors 30 years of sobriety – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
November 3, 1989, a day I shall never forget. I had fallen drunk through the…
This Veteran’s Day, hug a vet – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
The little green sign at 18th and Main Street, in downtown Keokuk, doesn’t really do…
Fall’s spectacular in Minnesnowda – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
There are two seasons in Minnesota: winter and road construction. Ginnie and I were on…
Winter reading list in place – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
“American Pastoral,” (Pulitzer Prize) “I Married a Communist,” and “The Human Stain,” all by Phillip…
Perfection is unreachable – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Ginnie and Curt: One key to happiness is someone to share that happiness with. “Happiness…
French honor Iowa’s Hunger – Empty Nest by Curt Swarm
Ned Hunger’s P-47 Thunderbolt, along with three other P-47’s buzzed the town of Arches, France….