We were four deep from the stage to hear Bernie Sanders at the Memorial Union in Iowa City. A band was playing. We had another hour to wait. I didn’t know if my seventy-year old [Read More…]
Mayhem struck the Empty Nest Farm. I was a little late doing the morning chores. It wasn’t until 11:00 or so before I got out to feed Blossom and take care of the hens. Before [Read More…]
On Fridays they bowl, at 1:00 p.m. No napping for them! They are part of the 55+ League at Champion Bowl in Ottumwa. There are 60+ members of the over 55 league. Teams are cleverly [Read More…]
Two books, both on the New York Times Bestseller List, were given to me free: the first was “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren; and the second, “Radical Remission—Surviving Cancer Against All Odds,” by [Read More…]
Tough winter. I’ve fallen twice now doing chores, the first time breaking the eggs I had just gathered—that upset me more than the fall. I laid there for a couple of seconds on the ice, [Read More…]
Our outside temperature gauge told me it was -21° F at 2:00 a.m.–the time I usually get up to read and write. I could hear the wind howling outside and the house popping and banging [Read More…]
I woke up at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, actually I was up at like 5 because I got a couple of messages from people wanting doughnuts. Kiwanis is selling doughnuts and they wanted on the [Read More…]
The flight instructor asked Tom what he would do if he was going in for a landing and there was a horse in the middle of the runway. Tom thought for a moment and replied, [Read More…]
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” – Pablo Picasso John Bloom’s exhibition, “Close to Home” was on display at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. It was a Tuesday, a day [Read More…]
On Friday, the Fort Madison High School inducted four well-deserving men into the Bloodhound Hall of Fame. Dick Burch, Jim Allen and Jay Skinner were brought into the Hall for their contributions to the athletic [Read More…]
The voice on the phone was of an elderly man. I could hardly understand him. “My name is Tommy Sinnott. I’m from Nauvoo, Illinois. I read your column. Have you ever read the book, ‘The [Read More…]
It was Christmas Eve. Mary Murphy, of Mt. Pleasant, was told to go outside to a car where there was a woman who needed help. At the car, a beat up old Ford, Mary discovered [Read More…]
Seven hundred sixty-three days and counting. Pen City Current will enter its third year of writing about the people of north Lee County on Dec. 6…. and we couldn’t be happier to still be here. [Read More…]
I read a lot. Most of my reading/writing is performed, orchestrated, conducted in the early morning hours when my mind is fresh, there are no interruptions, and I’m at the peak of creativity. To Ginnie’s [Read More…]
I’m going to toss out four books for consideration or consumption, like tossing out bones for the canine to choose from—one, two, maybe three, or all of them? It’s going to be cold and the [Read More…]
I can’t drive 55…or 65 for that matter, there’s just too much to do. This week I’ve made the mind-numbing trek to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on what will be three straight [Read More…]
November 3rd, 1989, 2:00 a.m., all alone, and blind drunk, I fell through the glass top of my coffee table, cut myself to smithereens, and almost bled to death. Like an Iowa tornado ripping through [Read More…]
Ginnie and I recently celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary. On October 10th, three years ago, Ginnie stepped out of the back door of our garage, strolled across the grass, to the music and singing of [Read More…]
Lee County Supervisor Gary Folluo rubbed his head in frustration at Tuesday’s board meeting as the county leaders worked through an issue about a maintenance shed that sits between two properties in Argyle. The building [Read More…]
Anyone traveling on US Highway 34, between Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield in the last few years, has no doubt noticed the political signs. They’re sort of belligerent, in your face, crude, and to be honest, [Read More…]
National Dog Day, which was in late August, right around Ginnie’s birthday, found Buddy a little worse for wear. It has been a bummer summer for the ole Buddy Boy. First of all, in July, [Read More…]
Brad Heald was still weed eating 45 minutes before his daughter’s wedding. He wanted everything to be perfect for his only daughter, Coral. To the wedding guests, everything was perfect. There was a beautiful display [Read More…]
In my generation, a four-year degree was the path often taken. “Get your degree” my mom would say. It took me a while to get my crap together, but I got it done. I graduated [Read More…]
It was snowing so hard Michael Lanman, from Keosauqua, could hardly see beyond the hood of his Schneider truck. Semis were crammed into the parking lot of the truck stop in Clear Lake every which [Read More…]
Randy Miller, a retired editor at the Burlington Hawk-Eye and former employee at the Daily Democrat, has an opinion piece in the Hawk-Eye Sunday morning. You can read it on their website at www.thehawkeye.com. Just [Read More…]
I had fielded one-too-many quips about my weight: “Really pack’n it on there, aren’t you?” This hurt my feelings, so I decided to do something about it. We have plenty of eggs with our dozen [Read More…]
Ginnie came to me bright and early the day before my birthday. “There’s an issue with Buddy.” “Ah, oh.” I didn’t like the sound of the word ‘issue.’ “Oh, what’s that?” I asked, trying to [Read More…]
To Pen City Current readers: It has recently been announced that the University of Iowa intends to dissolve their Labor Center. For almost seventy years the University of Iowa Labor Center has been built up, [Read More…]
I’ve known for a long time that there were bones under our hen house. A year ago this spring, when I was patching up the floor of the shed, getting ready to turn the shed [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG As an elected official, you have an inherent responsibility to keep the trust of the electorate and to do your best to represent those that cast a ballot in your favor. When [Read More…]
We moved Annie, along with her brother, to Mt. Pleasant from Colorado, completely against their will when they were teenagers. They thought we, the parents, had lost our marbles. They would attend a Christian school [Read More…]
The letter was addressed to “Buddy Swarm.” It was from 94-year old Wilbur Swindler, of Ottumwa. Wilbur was asking Buddy to come visit, and to “bring Curt and Ginnie.” Wilbur had just completed his patio [Read More…]
Editor My name is Kim Fehseke and my daughter McKenna Fehseke was involved in the senior prank at Fort Madison High School Sunday, May 20th. In recent days there has been much miscommunication and speculation [Read More…]
Randy Tebo was my friend. He was an American Indian of the Ho-Chunk Tribe. Like many people, I’d never heard of Ho-Chunk. Patiently, Randy explained that Ho-Chunk were originally from Wisconsin. Like most tribes, they [Read More…]
Ginnie’s been having a rough go lately. The other night she was delivering a dozen eggs to my son and his family. She had a nice chat with my son and his wife at their [Read More…]
By Bob Gardner, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Alan Beste, Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Many parents across America are trying to live the [Read More…]
I needed Ginnie to help me string the electric chicken wire fence—her to hold the roll while I shoved the stakes in the ground. I figured it would be a good time for her and [Read More…]
Let’s Do The Right Thing FM – Votes Yes On April 3 Dear Editor; I know when people go to read this letter the comment may be that this is just a retired former teacher [Read More…]
BY CHUCK VANDENBERG Sitting at a table Friday night at the Elliott Test Kitchen eating some of Kumar’s fresh-smooshed guacamole with chips, some hors d’oeuvre meatballs, and finger sandwiches with about 60 members of the [Read More…]
Tim Olson, a well-known mortician in Mt. Pleasant, could also be a standup (or lay-down—get it?) comedian. He likes to tell people he has a PhD—Professional Hearse Driver. Tim’s ancestry and history are colorful. His [Read More…]
Ginnie gave me the book, “Leonardo Da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson for Christmas. It’s a large, heavy, pretty book. But don’t let the size fool you. Its pages are of high-quality, thick, satin paper because [Read More…]
To the Editor: You ask why we want gun control. What our definition of ‘reasonable’ is. What this will mean for all of the other gun owners, the ones with licenses and safes and use [Read More…]
After a couple of issues at meetings Tuesday night, I think a discussion is in order on closed and exempt public meetings. The Fort Madison City Council almost went into what’s called an Exempt Session [Read More…]
I was sitting at my laptop with two warm blueberry muffins. The house smelled of muffins and my wife was sitting in the chair next to me taunting the Google Home we got for Christmas. [Read More…]
It’s been a tough winter. But tough winters, with the accompanying housebound syndrome and flu, is perfect for you know what—yes, reading! Here’s my recommendation for keeping the howling north wind and frigid temperatures at [Read More…]
Because of Donald Kaul, I’m a columnist today. Donald Kaul was a columnist for the Des Moines Register and Tribune back in the sixties and seventies. I was an English Major at Iowa State University, [Read More…]
We all had a bit of sticker shock when the Fort Madison City Council approved an immediate 8 percent increase for City Manager David Varley. It was big enough news that I sent it out [Read More…]
Our first spring at the Empty Nest Farm was a busy time for Ginnie and me. There was the garden to plow and plant, the barn to clean out from moving (everything we didn’t know [Read More…]
Have you ever looked up at the stars when you’re away from a city and thought you saw purple stars? It’s some atmospheric condition known informally as a “nervous atmosphere”. That’s extremely apropos in my [Read More…]
Well the holidays are over and I made my usual trek to some regional airport, this round Lambert-St. Louis, to drop my daughter off for her flight back to LaGuardia on the waterfront of Bowery [Read More…]
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