U.S. State Department. Photo Credit – Wikimedia Commons
Efforts to advance diplomatic goals are grinding to a halt with the U.S. election seven weeks away. Among the key initiatives that slowed are negotiating an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and updating a deal to curtail Iran’s nuclear program, according to Laura Rozen.
As the United Nations General Assembly opens next week, President Joe Biden is expected to give his last speech before the body. He is perceived by other members to be not that interested in the U.N. as he closes his storied career in politics. A lot in diplomacy world depends on the results of the Nov. 5 election and everyone knows it.
Our choices for president couldn’t be more stark when it comes to diplomacy and foreign affairs. With Kamala Harris, we expect a continuation of Joe Biden’s rebuilding of international relations made worse by the 45th president. With election of Donald Trump, we expect another disaster with open grifting on the part of the billionaire convicted criminal.
Diplomacy and America’s stature in the world matter to most of us. There really is no choice but to elect Harris if we want to continue to address world problems in which the United States is deeply engaged. I know that’s what I will do.
On a cool, clear evening, a group of 20 local folks met in the nearby city for a house party hosted by Christina Bohannan’s campaign. At 49 days remaining in the campaign, the ask by the organizers was modest: volunteer for the campaign every week or two, or from four to eight times before the election. A line to sign up for volunteer shifts queued in front of the organizer’s table after everyone introduced themselves.
The big news and discussion at the event was Ann Selzer’s Iowa-Des Moines Register poll which released over the weekend. Selzer found Trump’s lead in Iowa deteriorated from +18 against Biden to +4 against Harris. “It also shows a sharp divide between men and women likely voters — Trump leads with men 59% to 32% over Harris. Harris leads with women 53% to 36%.” Four points is still a significant hill to climb, but damn!
This makes sense in Iowa where the Republican Governor and legislature pummeled public education and women’s reproductive rights during the last two general assemblies. Women are expected to play a significant role not only in this election but in restoring the American Dream.
The American what?
When I came of age after finishing graduate school, Ronald Reagan was president and despite an advanced degree, military service, and being a white male with the privilege that means, the American Dream was the stuff of legends. When I married soon after graduate school, the American Dream was on life-support. It existed for my parents, but not for me and certainly not for our child. Is the term “American Dream” still relevant? We hope so.
I’m working on a project with Thom Hartmann, whose new book, The Hidden History of the American Dream: The Demise of the Middle Class — And How to Rescue Our Future is driving this line of thought. My review will be out the week the book is published in early October.
For now, a gathering of 20 people bonded in the enterprise of electing Kamala Harris president and gaining a Democratic majority in the U.S. House will suffice. The American Dream has little chance as long as Republicans rule in our government. Who doesn’t want to be a part of electing Democrats in 2024?
Wild flowers continue to arrive on the state park trail.
Last night I decided to work on sleeping through. Surprisingly, I was successful from 8 p.m. until 3 a.m. Seven straight hours of sleep is a rarity in my world. One hopes to make it less rare.
It’s 50 days until the Nov. 5 general election. I figured out how I hope to fit in with the campaigns. I have the plan, now to work it. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.
As winter approaches, there is a lot to get ready. I’m thinking about writing the second volume of my memoir. Last time, during the coronavirus pandemic, our restricted movement helped keep me focused on writing. This winter I must figure a way to regain that focus and set aside a multitude of distractions in the non-pandemic life. With a little work, I can do that.
It was a good call to finish and print the first volume of my memoir. While it could be refined, the fact of spending the money to print it forces closure. It is what it is and now exists in the world. This week, I’m sending copies to a dozen people I have known a long while. Along with the book, I’m sending a reply card to collect a few sentences about their reaction to it. I have a vague notion about what happens next. Basically there is a decision whether to put it out in the world with intent to sell some copies. Thus far, people have been supportive of my work.
At mid September, the garden is reduced to a few items which continue to grow. The main undertakings are finishing the tomato harvest, clearing a plot to plant garlic, and cleaning this year’s garlic harvest for storage. Certain crops did well and others, not so much. There was enough home grown food to keep me away from the farmers’ market. I’m hoping to find more hot peppers when I go out to the garden today.
This year has been weird in that my spouse spent a lot of time away helping her sister. Maybe with some luck and planning, we can get back to normal.
A sure sign the period of annual warm ambient temperatures expanded is the fact our lilac bushes are flowering a second time this year. I planted them some 30 years ago and only recently have we experienced a double bloom. The flowers are pretty, but the reasons behind their twice a year appearance are not.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) members are skeptical that warming will be limited to the Paris targets of well below 2 °C, but are more optimistic that net zero CO2 emissions will be reached during the second half of this century. What does that mean? We, as a society, are inadequately moderating the rise in atmospheric temperatures by getting to net zero fast enough. I don’t see any of my neighbors concerned about this, even if they should be. I doubt many of them even know what is net zero.
Whether we like it or not, large online retail sellers provide an efficient service. Not only do companies like Amazon compete on pricing, their distribution network prevents untold automobile trips to retail establishments. That may be a pox on smaller retail stores, yet Amazon is committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040, much sooner than society as a whole seems likely to achieve it. We citizens may be skeptical of Amazon’s Climate Pledge, but what else is there in a world increasingly controlled by large corporations?
A person can only do so much. Our combustion engine subcompact automobile remains parked in the garage five or six days each week. When we bought it, electric vehicles were simply not available when we needed one. I mow the lawn with my gasoline-powered mower only once per month. I set the thermostat for our HVAC system higher in summer and lower in winter. If everyone did these things, our aggregate actions might have an impact. Like with net zero, this is something our neighbors don’t talk much about. Whether they take similar action is sketchy at best.
To address the lack of awareness, I learned to interpret visual cues in the environment. Things like the second blooms of a lilac bush. It seems essential to do more than appreciate the beauty we find in nature. At the same time, we must question why long-standing botanical and animalia behaviors are changing. With few exceptions, such changes lead us back to new, polluting emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
We won’t undo the changes of the Industrial Revolution quickly enough. We, as a society, should be working on that. Imperfect though it may be, achieving net zero carbon emissions is a worthy goal. Midwestern lilac bushes seem to be adjusting to a changing climate. Now it’s our turn.
My life was scrambled in August and early September. Now begins the task of putting it back together into something more coherent. My COVID-19 symptoms departed. The rest of my turbulent life settled into stability. Perhaps I have a platform to go through a neglected inbox, and my multiple to-do lists, to put a plan together. It seems clear I will need a nap or two as I go through my days. That is likely related to getting older and not a long-term effect of having had COVID-19.
My maternal grandmother had a heck of a time when she was my age, plagued by heart disease and adult onset diabetes. We are lucky she lived, mostly on her own, until age 92. Compared to her, my early seventies have been a cake walk. My health status begs the question, what shall be done with this gift of time? I will continue to write.
Hopefully regular visitors to this site will find something worth reading.
In advance of her Sept. 13 trip to Johnson County, Iowa House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst spent time with the author talking Iowa politics.
The interview covered the prospects for Democrats to gain House seats in November, impacts of the new private school voucher program, converting support for access to abortion into votes, water and air quality in Iowa, transparency about the recent school shooting in Perry, and other topics.
The Truman Fund fund raiser she is headlining on Friday the 13th asks the question, “Tired of Being Scared?” Learn more about the event at this link.
During the interview we referred to the Harkin Institute conference on Sept. 25 and 26, Industrial Farm Animal Production, the Environment, and Public Health. Learn more about the conference here.
The full, unedited audio of my interview with Leader Konfrst can be found here.
The near-death experience that was my case of COVID-19, especially the hallucinations and becoming temporarily unhinged from reality, was a wake up call. Life can be snatched from us on a moment’s notice. I lived to tell the tale, and every day I wake in good health is a blessing.
What will I do with my remaining time? That is the wrong question. I will continue down the path I started so many years ago: to be a writer, to live a life where I enjoy good health, and where I have the stamina needed to take each next step. My relationships with family and friends are important, so is living in a just society. There is a whole separate life in this. I hope to embrace and cherish it.
The coronavirus upset my schedule to get back to work on the second part of my memoir. Once I get caught up in real life, I will take up that project. Publishing the first volume was an unexpectedly positive experience. Now I want to finish the second book so I can move on to other things.
Friedrich Nietzsche first said, “Out of life’s school of war — what doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” I’m not at the stronger part yet, although I’m building stamina as I walk the long path into the future.
Grilled cheese sandwich with home made tomato soup and a home made pickle.
This tomato soup is much better than what Mother made from condensed soup out of a can. I’m confident if she were here, she would enjoy mine better than hers. This is a simple recipe, worth writing down.
Tomato Soup
When tomatoes are in from the garden, cut out any bad spots, halve them, and cook in a large stock pot for about 20 minutes until the skins loosen. No extra water is needed. Turn off the heat and let them sit for a while, maybe half an hour or the time it takes for a long walk on the trail. Extract as much of the tomato water as you an using a meshed funnel. Once it stops dripping, reserve the liquid. Use the wooden mallet to press the pulp through the screen, leaving behind the skins and seeds. The skins and seed go into the compost.
In a 3-quart saucier place roughly a half inch of tomato water. Once it is boiling, add two medium diced carrots and one medium yellow onion, also diced. Salt to bring out the moisture. Black pepper to taste. Add a generous tablespoon of Italian seasoning and incorporate. Cook until the vegetables are softened.
Add the tomato pulp. You will need about eight cups, but match everything to the amount of tomatoes you have. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
Put the mixture in a blender and blend until the carrots and onions are incorporated. Return it to the saucier and it’s finished.
Optional: garnish with fresh basil, croutons, or a dollop of sour cream. A milk lover could add a cup of heavy cream to the saucier and incorporate before serving. Makes roughly four servings.
Positive test result for COVID-19 on Sept. 1, 2024.
I expected the coronavirus would find me eventually. I also expected the vaccines would protect me. Although I got sick as could be, and at one point thought I was going to lose my mind or die, I didn’t. So all those vaccines — and I had every one of them — served me well.
The memoir I am writing will end with the coronavirus pandemic, in which we continue to be. This post is to record my experience of getting sick with COVID-19 so that when I get to writing the end of An Iowa Life, I will have these notes.
It started about a month ago with a mild, persistent cough.
I didn’t think much of it, that it would go away on its own. It was only after attending the August 24 special convention in North Liberty that I began to cough more frequently and to cough up phlegm. After I tested positive on August 29, I found at least three other people who attended the convention tested positive about the same time. Because I had symptoms for so long, it is hard to pinpoint the beginning of the infection on a time line.
For the most part, it doesn’t matter how or when I contracted the virus. I’m no longer on the board of health where staff studied these things looking for societal solutions. In aggregate, public health requires data to combat the spread of the coronavirus. What matters more is I, as an individual, do have it and it persists. I thought I was going to die.
For this instance of COVID-19, emails, text messages and medical reports tell a story.
To T. (Aug. 28, 2024, 5:44 p.m.): “I have gotten sick since we met and could not hardly get out of bed today. I wanted to tell you in case I’m contagious. Symptoms are coughing, headache, dizzyness and loss of appetite. Hopefully this will break soon. Take care of yourself.”
To E and M. (Aug. 29, 2024 7:22 a.m.): “I went dark on the internet the last 36 hours because I have been bedridden with a terrible cough and general malaise. I looked up the symptoms and the search result was influenza, which I doubt. So the forecast for me speaking on Friday is partly cloudy. Will advise if I can make it.”
This 36-hour period of coughing and feeling bad included not eating for the duration, no coffee, and mostly lying in bed. Toward the end of the period I began to dream psychedelic images and when I attempted to wake, I did wake, and the dreams continued in real life. I couldn’t tell the difference between dreams and reality. I felt as if I had lost all memory. At this point, I felt death must be imminent. I was able to gather my wits, take a home COVID-19 test and telephone the local clinic.
To T.: (Aug. 29, 2024, 4:27 p.m.): “I did get a positive test for COVID 19 today.”
To E and M. (Aug. 31, 2024, 2:23 p.m.) “I forgot to tell you I tested positive for COVID on Thursday. At least three others who were at the convention tested positive about the same time. I saw an MD Thursday afternoon and appear to be on the mend with couple scripts of cheap medicine plus acetaminophen. Blood count is good, lungs clear. I spent an 90 minutes in the garden today and it worked wonders.”
To T.: (Aug. 31, 2024, 6:04 p.m.) “I think the worst is over. The medicines seem to be working and once I began eating and taking acetaminophen my headaches went away. The x-ray turned up a partially collapsed lung, but clear otherwise. Clinic gave me breathing exercises to hopefully reinflate that part of my lung. Blood work showed tracks of COVID in a couple of tests but my blood counts are good. Doc offered paxlovid but I declined because my symptoms began outside the window in which it is effective. (Why is the doc asking me what I want to do for meds?) I worked 90 minutes in the garden today and it was a huge benefit, the best medicine. So focusing on the positive, eating tacos and listening to Dylan tonight.”
Following are some edited extracts from my medical records:
H.R. at 8/29/2024 1:43 PM (Via telephone) Pt calls to state that he’s been coughing for about 1 month, 1 week ago, cough started producing some white, yellow, clear and a few streaks of red 3-4 x total; and had a home test turn +COVID today 8/29/24. Nose with occasional clear to white secretions; has decreased appetite; has body aches; has fatigue and sleeping a lot. Wondering what to do? Per Dr. – OK to see pt today.
A.C. at 8/29/2024 2:30 PM (In person) History of Present Illness Patient presents secondary to having cough that has been ongoing for the past month. The past week the cough has gotten worse since changing color. It is now brown discoloration. He has had a few episodes where he has coughed up some blood. He has not been take anything OTC for his symptoms. He has had myalgias and overall has not been feeling well
S.H. at 8/29/2024 4:51 PM (Via telephone) Patient was informed that Hemoglobin and white blood cell count were normal.
A.C. at 8/30/2024 10:02 AM CDT CRP level highly elevated secondary to COVID, glucose level elevated secondary to illness, liver enzymes elevated secondary to same.
A.C. at 8/30/2024 10:06 AM CDT Some atelectasis noted, take deep breaths as often as possible, no pneumonia noted.
On Thursday, Sept. 5, I finished the course of prescription drugs and most of the symptoms are in remission. I continue to be tired during the day and somewhat restless at night. My stamina is diminished. I read a study indicating the coronavirus can persist in tissues for as long as 14 months after being infected. It is uncertain whether continuing to take COVID home tests will produce anything other than a positive result.
I’m not sure when I’ll return to regular writing here. Thanks to everyone reading along. I feel like the coronavirus has been living with me and distracting me from what I want to do. I suppose it has been.
UPDATE: On Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, my COVID home test result was negative.
I became ill beginning August 26 and have not recovered. On August 29, I tested positive for COVID-19 and visited a clinic that afternoon. I felt like I was going to die, but didn’t. Thanks to a dedicated local medical staff, I am on the mend.
On the plus side, copies of my memoir arrived this week. New writing will have to wait until the virus is in remission.
Journey Home 
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