The Winding Stairs are back! What a beautiful sentence. I have been looking forward to this event for the last two years. It is a time of celebration and good times in the town of Traer. If you have not been, I recommend it. Due to going to North Tama, but I am biased, this is the best ...

Middle of winter, the pandemic is not ending. Being hunkered up, waiting for the vaccine to start normal life. It has been a while, and sometimes, longer than I thought. I’m praying to the heavens it is time to start up the super scientific analysis gizmo. I sit in my office chair waiting for ...

As a kid, our family vacationed in northern Minnesota; and the fishing was GREAT! Once, I rented my own boat. But heading out on the lake one beautiful day, a sudden storm kicked up white capped waves and I thought my boat was going to flip over.I believe life shows several kinds of ...

By Laura SynderMy house has never been a bastion of domestic bliss. I am simply not talented in the domestic arts.Oh, I try to keep the entertaining areas of my house reasonably clean, but the private areas look like a flea market.My cooking skills are just adequate, but my lack of enthusiasm ...

By Jill PertlerMeow. It's me again. The cat. From time to time I take a crack at this column stuff. If you are reading this, today is your lucky day.The female adult human who usually sits at the computer must have a cramp in her opposable thumbs, because she is not typing. Never fear, I am ...

Want to live better on the money you already make? Visit to find hundreds of articles to help you stretch your day and your dollar! Copyright 2011 Dollar Stretcher, Inc.The Password BookI could not keep track of all the user name and password combinations required for different websites. They ...

By U.S. Senator Chuck GrassleyQ: How does the government determine cost-of-living adjustments, or COLAs, for Social Security?A: Since 1978, the annual Social Security COLA has been determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This CPI-W is ...

By Laura SnyderWhen I was in second grade, I was in a play. I don't remember what it was called, but I do remember singing, ad nauseum, "It's A Small World After All" for months before this play. As a result, it has been a soundtrack in my mind for the past forty years. I will never forget ...

By Senator Charles GrassleyQ: How is The World Food Prize tied to Iowa?A: Two Iowans were behind creation of the World Food Prize, the international award recognizing individuals who improve the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world. Dr. Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) - an ...

Want to live better on the money you already make? Visit to find hundreds of articles to help you stretch your day and your dollar! Copyright 2011 Dollar Stretcher, Inc.Every PaydayOn each payday, I have direct deposit putting $100 into my savings account and then I forget about it. You would ...