The trail began to melt on Sunday. Thanks to overnight temperatures in the single digits, the surface was frozen again on Monday: perfect for winter walking. A light breeze chilled my face, yet I persevered and encountered only two regular trail walkers while I was out for my fast-paced, 30-minute walk. It was chilly!
I dreamed last night I had to untangle the shoe laces of a pair of my army boots. I still have two pair (acquired in 1976) I use in the garden. The shoe laces were exceedingly long and well tangled. Unlike most dreams, this one persisted into waking. Its meaning is clear. I need to go through the stacks of notes, mail, and things to do on the dining room table and get organized for a rapidly approaching spring. What seemed different this time is my acceptance of the dream as reality. I got the shoelaces untangled just as I awoke. Indoor planting of garden starts is just a few weeks away.
I’ve been reading my hand-written journals from May 1981 until July 1982. It was a year I worked as a writer in what is now a UNESCO City of Literature. I wasn’t a particularly good fit for Iowa City, yet the rest of the state seemed a primitive agricultural landscape, desolate and barren of intellectual engagement. As a young Iowan with two degrees, and aspiration to do better than merely survive, of course I chose to live in Iowa City. Besides my journal I didn’t do much writing during that time.
I did write a lot in my journal, which fills three volumes. I wrote frequently about how to escape the “institutional” realms of writing that included the University of Iowa Writers Workshop and other formal programs. I wanted to be a writer, yet not like “those writers.” My reading turned to familiar places as I dealt with the urge to write.
I was enamored of Tom Wolfe because his writing came from a place of reality. He and several others were parents of the New Journalism, publicized in his 1973 book. He immersed himself in his subjects, spending months in the field gathering facts through research, interviews, and observation. I didn’t have a lot of role models outside institutions, but Wolfe was one.
Another role model was William Carlos Williams, the pediatrician/poet. Prompted by a talk given by Williams’ publisher James Laughlin, I wrote this in my journal the next day:
William Carlos Williams: I’m not exactly sure where in my world view to put him. I think his position as doctor/poet, his molding of those two professions into one homogeneous lifestyle is admirable. But, to the extent that they remained two separate elements in his life, his life was a failure.
I think his poetry, at least as much as I have read, is poetry for the learned… yet one more attempt to elevate himself from among the people among whom he worked. It served him as a diversion from being a doctor. Well there may be people who would argue that diversion is necessary, the diversionary aspect of any activity adds connotations of the Victorian era for me. While James Laughlin states that the elements of Williams’ life were inseparable, he, too, is immersed in that ideology. He, too, is suspect.
I think I have a lot to learn from Williams, his problems notwithstanding. He is full of energy. He is above all else animated — filled with life. This is an example to be taken to heart. To be weighed and brought into my own life. (Personal Journal, Iowa City, Iowa. April 23, 1982).
I thought I could quickly dispatch the requisite words for my autobiography from this period in a couple thousand words. The more I read the journals, and invoke living memory, it is clear that year was more formative in my life. I wrote about writing, gardening, cooking, exercise, and about the meaning of being alone without feeling lonely. I will read this writing from 44 years ago again before my autobiography is done.
I wrote both of my U.S. Senators to urge them to keep the government operating until the Congress and the President can agree on a budget. They each responded to my message.
Both pointed out the continuing resolution to fund the government until March 14, 2025. Voting for that resolution was the purpose of me contacting them. I expect they both had already planned to vote for it when my email found its way into their offices.
“I think you will agree that our nation is facing a spending crisis directly caused by the absence of sound fiscal policy and rampant, uncontrolled spending sprees,” Ernst wrote in response. One assumes Republicans will remedy that issue now that they have the trifecta of the executive and both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Such assumptions are a stretch because when Trump visited Capitol Hill this week, tax cuts for the wealthy and associated spending were the main course. In retrospect, it has been Democratic administrations that pulled the reins on such spending. Time will tell if Ernst was sincere.
For Senator Grassley’s part, he said, “Unfortunately, the appropriations process in Congress is broken and it must be fixed. Out of control spending is saddling our kids and grandkids with unprecedented debt. But shutting down the government is a waste of money.” One assumes, as with Ernst, Grassley will work in the Congress to fix this. The U.S. House couldn’t pass the needed appropriations bills in the 118th Congress. The Republican majority is even slimmer in the 119th. To Grassley’s credit, his response provides a longer explanation of the appropriations process. I believe this was already written when my email reached his office, nonetheless, I am happy to have it.
My point is that we should take advantage of the available tools to contact our elected officials to advocate for things. I use the process sparingly because I don’t want to wear out my welcome. While this may seem like a form of Kabuki Theater, it is the process we have. Below are Senators Ernst and Grassley’s written responses to me.
Here is Senator Ernst’s full response:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the importance of keeping the government funded and open. It is important for me to hear from folks in Iowa on policy matters such as this.
As you may know, Congress recently passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through March 14, 2025. Like many Iowans, I am sick and tired of Washington’s dangerous habit of governing from one emergency to the next. Our federal government cannot continue lurching from one short-sighted, band-aid funding bill to another.
While I am pleased we were able to avoid a government shutdown, all of the appropriations bills were waiting to be voted on for several months. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who controlled the calendar in 2024, refused to bring those bills to the floor for a full Senate vote or allow senators an opportunity to offer their own input. Instead, he let the government come far too close to shutting down too many times.
You may be interested to know, I introduced the Shutdown Accountability Resolution to compel Congress to do its job. This effort would mandate the Senate remain in session and continue working in the event of another potential government shutdown. If enacted, my resolution would also authorize the tracking down, arresting, and escorting of Senators to the chamber if they refuse to show up and do their job.
I think you will agree that our nation is facing a spending crisis directly caused by the absence of sound fiscal policy and rampant, uncontrolled spending sprees. You may be interested to know, for the past decade, I have proudly presented a monthly Squeal Award to highlight an expense or program the federal government is wasting your tax dollars on. But I don’t just call out the waste, I offer a commonsense solution to end it. A full list of my Squeal Awards can be found here: https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/make-em-squeal. Iowans elected me to cut Washington’s pork and make ’em squeal, and that’s exactly what I’m doing!
Please know that I will continue fighting to make Washington more accountable and fiscally responsible. Feel free to contact my office with any further information, as I always enjoy hearing from Iowans.
Joni K. Ernst, U.S. Senator
Here is Senator Grassley’s full response:
Thank you for contacting me with your support for keeping the government funded. As your senator, it is important for me to hear from you.
I appreciate hearing of your thoughts about the negotiations in Congress to fund government operations up to March 14, 2025. I value your perspective on this issue.
Unfortunately, the appropriations process in Congress is broken and it must be fixed. Out of control spending is saddling our kids and grandkids with unprecedented debt. But shutting down the government is a waste of money.
The U.S. House of Representatives considered three continuing resolutions (CRs) in December 2024. The first CR funded federal government operations, disaster relief programs, and needed extensions. However, opposition was raised to extraneous provisions that greatly increased the length of the bill and it was pulled from consideration. The extraneous provisions included: several bipartisan bills, reforms to the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry, and reauthorizations of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the Older Americans Act. A second, paired down CR that also suspended the debt limit for two years was opposed by a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. The third CR, H.R.10545, did not include the debt limit suspension and also significantly limited the number of extra provisions on the bill. H.R.10545 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 366 – 34.
On December 21, 2024, I joined a majority of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate in passing H.R. 10545, the American Relief Act, by a vote of 85 – 11. H.R.10545 temporarily continues funding federal government operations at current levels through March 14, 2025, with some additional funding provided for the Presidential Inauguration and several defense programs. It also provides $100 billion in emergency disaster-relief supplemental appropriations, and $10 billion in emergency economic assistance for farmers. My office worked closely with Senate appropriators to ensure funding also was made available for the needs we have in Iowa after our severe storms in early 2024.
The CR further provides funding for select health care programs, certain Medicare extenders, delays planned Medicaid DSH payment reductions, and extends certain public health programs and authorities. Finally, the CR extends the 2018 Farm Bill authorities and funding levels until September 30, 2025, and it extends authorities for other programs that were set to expire.
One of the most fundamental constitutional responsibilities afforded to Congress is the power of the purse, which grants Congress the authority to raise and spend revenue to operate the government and to carefully examine spending decisions. The federal budget is primarily funded through twelve annual appropriations bills. Emergency spending, such as for natural disasters, is handled on an as-needed basis.
The federal fiscal year begins on October 1 of each year. If appropriations bills are not signed into law by September 30, lawmakers and the president must agree on a temporary spending resolution, known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government open for business. If that fails, the unfunded parts of government shut down.
History has repeatedly shown that shutting down the government is bad policy and bad politics. It costs taxpayers money to shut down the government and even more to re-open it. A government shutdown reduces essential services for the American people, erodes the trust of the American people, and limits the ability of Congress to conduct oversight over federal government operations.
Government shutdowns don’t make for a great bargaining tool. Eventually, the heat gets so bad that Congress votes to reopen the government and the members who were pushing for certain policy changes usually don’t get what they want. Instead, Congress is in the same spot, but now is stuck with a last-minute omnibus bill or a long-term continuing resolution, neither of which allow Congress to carefully analyze spending and make necessary tough decisions. In short, shutdowns have always been a losing proposition for fiscal conservatives.
I believe Congress needs to stop governing from crisis to crisis, respect the appropriations process, and fulfill its constitutional responsibility to keep the government funded. For that reason, I am a cosponsor of the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2023. This bill would permanently end government shutdowns by creating an automatic CR to keep the federal government open if budget negotiations are not finalized before key spending deadlines. The bill would prohibit Members of Congress, congressional staff, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials from traveling outside of Washington, D.C. during the automatic CR. It would also prevent Congress from recessing or from considering legislation unrelated to appropriations bills for the first 30 days of an automatic CR and then would make exceptions for consideration of a Supreme Court Justice or Cabinet Secretary nomination or reauthorization legislation.
I value your perspective on the appropriations process as Congress begins working to finalize FY25 appropriations and looks to FY26 appropriations. I am committed to holding the line on unnecessary spending and looking for solutions to ensure the long-term financial health of the United States.
Writing space at Five Points in Davenport Iowa. 1980.
This excerpt from my personal journal was written on May 30, 1982.It reflects what I felt after a three day retreat in Northeast Iowa near Guttenberg, Harper’s Ferry, and Galena, Illinois.Most significant in this piece is the first instance of a decision to follow the path of short, written pieces like daily journal entries, and later, letters to the editor, newspaper articles, and blog posts in my writing. This decision was key to what I became as a writer. I couldn’t get rid of all the male pronouns without changing the meaning, yet I wrote it intending it to be gender neutral. It is lightly edited.
Shall I go on writing? There are so many things in the world to be done, yet I go on writing. I think a majority of people in my generation would “like to be a writer.” That is, they would like to deal with images. But a writer cannot deal solely with images. He must address the realities of his and all the people’s situation.
The writer must be socialized into the culture of which he writes. As a member of a culture, a writer has a vested interest in his culture. He seeks the continuance and survival of the vital elements of his culture.
Too, he seeks change. Not only change that is the essence of a day’s spontaneity but change in terms of his conception of both the past and the present. Although a person can have misconceptions about the nature of the world, the meaning of the world, he is required to act based on this knowledge.
In every case, this is far less than a science of action. In fact, the notion of science we share is obsolete. There is science only insofar as we can all agree on what that is.
But shall I go on writing? Yes, at least in the pages of this journal. For it is one of the things that has sustained me for so long I cannot give it up yet. Nor shall I. Yes. I will go on writing. I’ll fill the pages of this and many another book like it. For this is the path I’ve chosen. (Personal Journal, Iowa City, Iowa, May 30, 1982.)
In the spiritual struggle against the sin of liberalism the Republican majority’s sights turned to the regent institutions. This session, a new legislative committee will deal specifically with higher education policy. Leading the effort is Republican Rep. Taylor Collins from Mediapolis. He said to expect “significant reforms to Iowa’s higher education system,” according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
Framing his jihad as addressing the workforce shortage in Iowa, Collins is riding a national wave in opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in education. No worries on the part of administrations at the three major Iowa public universities. They are bowing down to the jihad in advance. The University of Iowa already announced closure of some offending programs, including the gender studies and American Studies programs in advance of the new DEI law going into effect in July. They discuss the possibility of forming a new umbrella school for these and other programs, although that seems uncertain as I write.
Rep. Taylor Collins seeks to refocus Iowa’s higher education system on producing students ready to fill high-need jobs in our state, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said in a statement.
“In his first term, (Rep.) Collins led efforts to dismantle the DEI bureaucracies at the regent institutions and remove political bias from the university presidential selection process,” Grassley told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. “I’m eager to see the work he will continue to do as chair of this new committee. A comprehensive review of Iowa’s entire higher education system is long overdue.”
I am a graduate of the American Studies Program in 1981, although we were a loose consortium of interests rather than an official department. It was a way for me to get an interdisciplinary degree to further my liberal arts education. I had no interest in using the degree to get any job.
I paid very little for my undergraduate (1970-1974) and graduate (1980-1981) degrees from Iowa. Today, the cost of an undergraduate degree from Iowa is $29,219 per year or $116,876 if a student can finish in four years. Now we’re talking real money. I understand one expects something to go with that expenditure and related debt. But a job?
If the legislature’s aim is to turn the regent institutions into a fancied up community college program then count me out. If that’s the case, I’d go one step further and make a modest proposal. Keep key curricula and programs like education and sell off the big pieces for workforce development. Who better to manage the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics than a big insurance company like United Healthcare or Kaiser Permanente? Why not sell the agriculture programs to Cargill? Engineering? Maybe Apple, Halliburton, Microsoft, General Dynamics, Alphabet, Meta, or Amazon might buy them and integrate them into their other product offerings. Hell, there are so many potential buyers we could run the sale price on that one way up.
The truth is, Rep. Collins hasn’t said much about this or how Iowa survives as an economic base going forward. He is hacking away at DEI, and everything that means. Last year wasn’t good, and this year isn’t shaping up to be much better.
This will be one to watch and I expect to keep a ring side seat. The 2025 session of the Iowa Legislature begins Jan. 13.
Canadian Geese swimming in a shrinking pool as the lake freezes.
When I retired in April 2020 I didn’t stop working. No one stops working, ever, unless they are disabled or derelict. The work I do is to make productive use of my remaining time on Earth. During the holidays I slack off and take it easy. That’s finished as the new year has begun.
When I say “the holidays” I mean from Thanksgiving through January 6. I would add the Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. That is enough holiday celebrating for me. Now that I’m back to work, it’s time to reorganize.
My days begin with what I call wake up chores. Depending on when I wake, I read right away, exercise, dress, take care of personal hygiene, make coffee and catch up on overnight news. I use my mobile device for the news part, although I put limits on how long each day I use certain programs.
Once finished with chores, I head downstairs to my writing table.I finish recurring tasks on my pre-printed list and get down to the first shift of the day. Most days that is writing. If I’m lucky or efficient, that starts by 4 a.m. I break around 5:30 a.m. for breakfast, followed by exercise as soon as the sun begins to rise and I’ve got my new words.
The regular work schedule this year has me writing and editing my memoir as first priority. I’m still getting organized and the goal will be to add 1,000 words per day to the 61,000 I carried over from 2024. These will likely be edited down with new words added. There is research and revision so I don’t yet know how much time it will take. I’m guessing about four hours each day. From my experience, that is a good amount of time wrangling words.
I’m not sure how this writing will impact my bloggery. While my posts don’t count toward my daily goals, they do get me thinking about language and that benefits my memoir.
There is open water on the lake with a bright day ahead. Time to get writing!
The hardest part of beginning in 2025 is overcoming entropy. In part, extended yet short-term separation from family contributes to it. In part, the unknowns of our politics do too. There is the warming planet, aging, pressures of a fixed income, and not enough time to do everything I want. I guess this blog post is to say I need to write through it.
I have little to say about our politics. The best advice I’ve found has been to not assume anything and wait to see how the Trump administration unfolds. With the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, the president-elect is better organized than he was in 2017. The U.S. House already looks to be mass confusion. The U.S. Senate has an old guard of Republican octogenarians upon whom we count to control the reins on the president. If Grassley is any guide, I don’t hope for much. We won’t really know how things will shake out until they do.
2024 was the year I got more views on this blog than any previous year. I looked through the posts and the attraction is unclear. The post after the high school class reunion got some interest. The post about buying a saucier was popular. Most of the top posts were written in previous years. Going forward, about what should I write? These things:
As I write part two of my memoir, some of those chapters will find a home here. Partly this is drafting and re-drafting the narrative. Partly, if the content seems timely, it’s a way to get it out there.
There will likely be another high school class reunion this year. If there is, I’ll post photos from it here again.
2024 was the year with the hottest global average temperature on record. As extreme weather hits locally, I expect to cover it.
There will be a few book reviews.
There is a Nov. 4, 2025 school board election. In the past, few journalists covered it, so I did. We had a couple of cycles where there was great interest in the school board election with multiple candidates. I’m not sure how that will shape up this year, but if it is interesting, I’ll cover it.
That’s all for now. It seems like another slow day in Big Grove. I hope to make the best of it.
The year ended with a series of warm, foggy days around the lake where we live. The unseasonably warm temperatures are not good for anyone except the garden insects who might survive another season.
My spouse and I are sharing our one DVD player while she is with her sister in Des Moines. Sunday I hooked it to the television and began watching five movies by Michael Moore including Roger & Me about his efforts to speak to General Motors CEO Roger Smith after the company announced it was closing plants and shedding tens of thousands of jobs in Flint, Michigan.
I made many trips to Flint after GM plant closures started. Ostensibly, those trips were to recruit truck drivers yet it was more than that. One day I found some hiring information in my papers and counted the number of prospective truck drivers I personally interviewed between 1987 and 1993: more than 10,000. My work was at the cutting edge of American business moves to reduce costs, in the case of the people I interviewed, by laying them off. The experience changed me forever. I haven’t been back to Flint since we moved to Big Grove Township in 1993.
The scenes Moore depicts in his films are too “special.” While the stories are believable, his method of selection and framing are transparently peculiar: made to make his point. It is as if he searched for the right setting and characters to film the way a writer tries out words and phrases from their tool box on a page. In one scene, President George W. Bush advises Moore to “get a real job.” Whatever these films represent, they are in the mainstream of progressive messaging.
It was good to revisit these films over the holidays. I’m ready for 2025. As local writer Paul Street wrote in his recent substack, “Get ready for some serious shit and struggle!”
I look forward to seeing what 2025 brings and have already begun creating things to endure after I’m gone. Let the work of resisting the new regime begin, while making something positive from our lives.
Christmastide is to settle in and regroup for the coming year. For me, the season lasts from Christmas Day until the Feast of the Epiphany, which is slightly more British than I am. Before retiring, I had to work either on the holidays or during the festive season. There are no such requirements this year.
Planning for next year takes the form of a to-do list revised from last year. The broader topics include gardening, writing, home and yard maintenance, physical health, and a short list of specific, short-term or continuing projects. Items like cleaning, cooking, and daily chores just fall into place without being listed.
Mostly, I want to keep going.
With the family split up this Christmastide, whatever I do will mostly be on my own. If I can get a start sorting the accumulated stuff in the lower level, that will help with writing my autobiography. It seems as good a place to start as any. As the weather warms, I’ll work in the garage and outdoors more. The next couple of days will be taking it easy and resting for the surge of activity in the new year.
Rain is forecast all day. I resisted the urge to leave home and go shopping. I avoided on-line shopping places as well. I’ve been reading more than usual and am developing a meal plan for the rest of 2024. I’ll be home alone a while longer as my sister-in-law gains confidence in post-surgery living. I look forward to the return of my spouse.
I feel pretty healthy today. That sentence is not always true.
Story ideas have been percolating. All of the new ones require research and developmental thought, so I started a blog post for each and pasted in relevant information. I don’t feel like finishing them. I expect a visit from the muses when it is time.
During the holiday trip I considered my next book. The working title is “Memoir in 25 stories,” although 25 seems like a low number. I want to cluster selected events in my life around specific places to be built out with historical information and memories. Those places include where we lived, significant work sites, and places we visited. For example, I call one place “The Calumet.” It is the land bordering the southern part of Lake Michigan in Illinois and Indiana. It will take some explaining to depict what I mean by the place name. In describing it, I set the scene.
Partly, the book is about what our family did. There are also major themes in which I have broad experience: breaking the unions beginning with the PATCO strike, the destruction of the post World War II society, and changes in workplace. It will also be a story of how people can be creative in a society that has limited interest in such work-product. I will focus on my writing, and partly on educating a child to be creative. I think there is a useful memoir in all this. Now I must revise the 62,000 written words to fit the new paradigm.
I attempt to stay positive as it rains. It is hard to do, so I work. The dishes are all done, the laundry is folded and put away, and the resonances of this difficult year vibrate my core. I may be living a life yet I feel I’m just skidding into 2025 while unable to gain traction on things that matter. I’m hoping and working toward a better year.
I dug out my packet of hot chocolate mix from its hiding spot in the back of the pantry shelf. The shift to winter is palpable and I’m going to need a cup to get by. As a bonus, it was mixed and packaged by a friend of our child.
Late Friday afternoon, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reported the first case of bird flu jumping to a human in the state. According to the release,
The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa. The individual reported mild symptoms, has received appropriate treatment and is recovering. The case was identified through testing at the State Hygienic Laboratory and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As of December 20, 2024, the CDC has reported 64 confirmed human cases of H5 HPAI across nine states. The majority of the exposures are linked to infected poultry or dairy cows. There is no evidence that human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H5) is occurring in the U.S.
With all the egg production in Iowa, this was bound to happen. It could be a big deal, and it could be close to nothing. Time will tell.
No one wanted to shut down the government right now and the Congress didn’t yesterday. I don’t presume to know what the president-elect and his wealthy sidekick were thinking about this. I do know:
A continuing resolution was passed until March 14, which gives the new administration the ability to influence budget going forward. Everything else we heard in the media during the last 72 hours has been posturing.
Democrats would like to eliminate the debt ceiling completely, and this wasn’t the time for partial measures. They rejected the president-elect’s proposal to suspend the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is a leftover policy from World War I.
The Republican House could not pass a CR without Democrats helping them get the two thirds majority needed. The final CR had bipartisan, bicameral support, which is the way it is supposed to work, sort of.
If the Republican House had been doing their work and passed all of the funding bills in regular order, in a bipartisan way, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.
The main news media wants there to be a lot of drama because it helps their bottom line. Over-dramatization of the lack of a budget was, in part, the media’s doing.
In the end, what was expected to happen did.
While reading my 1981 journal I found a record of dreams of Mark Twain visiting one of my fellow Army officers, and Norman Mailer, at whose home I arrived by water landing. I don’t know what either of them meant. I do not dream about writing or celebrities that much. What I like is talking about writing with friends.
The lake trail walk will be chilly this morning, with ambient temperatures in the high teens and low twenties. As soon as the sun rises, I plan to get out on the trail.
Journey Home 
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