Seriously? So soon? I know it's part of an American Flag's job to help the nation mourn. But already? Even before the folds from my months in a box have had time to disappear? I was the first thing you saw on Friday, when you arrived at the brand new baseball field in a small Iowa town which got its name from America's beginning.

I have bad news for my fellow space-exploration lovers: That beautiful photo you saw this week of the Juno space probe approaching Jupiter is fake. Really.

Life ain't always funny When the sky turns unsunny And the blue up above Turns to black The wind and the lightning Can be utterly frightening As the water Leaves its muddy tracks But when windows do rattle As rain drenches the cattle And your little kids Jump in your bed An outdoor phenomenon Keeps right on growing on Offering more proof that God is not dead While most creatures cower From the cold falling showers Below the tops of the trees The water that splattered Finds a purpose that matters And gently soaks into ripened raspberries When the rain goes away And you see the sun's rays Follow me to the edge of the woods You will see what I mean When you look at the green And the purple that says, "It's all good.

I have bad news for my fellow space-exploration lovers: That beautiful photo you saw this week of the Juno space probe approaching Jupiter is fake.  Really.

Life ain’t always funny When the sky turns unsunny And the blue up above Turns to black The wind and the lightning Can be utterly frightening As the water Leaves its muddy tracks But when windows do rattle As rain drenches the cattle And your little kids Jump in your bed An outdoor phenomenon Keeps right on growing on Offering more proof that God is not dead While most creatures cower From the cold falling showers Below the tops of the trees The water that splattered Finds a purpose that matters And gently soaks into ripened raspberries When the rain goes away And you see the sun’s rays Follow me to the edge of the woods You will see what I mean When you look at the green And the purple that says, “It’s all good.

Dear Editor, Thank You to all voters in the Republican Primary who voted for me.                                                  Please vote for the Republican Candidates in November.

Editor, I am not in any position to defend Mr. Trump shooting off his mouth. But, I know what he was talking about – judicial bias! This judge is/was a member of decidedly racist Latino organizations.

Dear Editor, I support Vince Snyder for Sheriff of Benton County.   As the Chief Deputy US Marshal of the Northern District of Iowa from 1991 to 2002 and then as the United States Marshal from 2002 until 2006, part of my duties was to hire competent Special Deputy US Marshals (guards) to assist full-time Deputy US Marshals in the transporting of federal prisoners to and from US district courts and prisons.

Life does not consist of the number of breaths we take, but of the number of moments that take our breath away. Like when the water in the shower suddenly turns ice cold.

A few weeks ago as I babysat our granddaughters, I had a flashback to my days as a homeschool mom who didn't get to send the kids to the breakfast at school: Me: Who wants eggs for breakfast? 2 little girls chorus: We want BROWNIES! Me: Well, I'm going to make some yummy scrambled eggs.