The Weather Ride: A Winter Tale in Iowa

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could be ... relatively minor.

I’ve never been fond of roller coasters. However, in my late twenties, driven by questionable logic and peer pressure, I finally decided to confront my fears and ride one at a bustling amusement park in Des Moines. The ride flipped my seat upside down, making my hair stand on end. Although it was terrifying, I quickly found myself sitting upright in my seat again. The elevated railway continued its steep ascent toward the bright blue sky, followed by a rapid descent. My screams probably echoed two counties away as we whipped around sharp turns, only to repeat the entire process.

This winter has felt like a similar thrill ride. I started the season with mild temperatures and was ready to break out my flip-flops. But as I got comfortable, the weather changed drastically, plunging to sub-zero levels. Then, just when I was warming up to the idea of a brisk walk, the temperature began to fluctuate wildly. One minute, we’re basking in a cozy forty degrees; the next, I’m bundled up like an Eskimo preparing for a blizzard.

Overall, things haven’t been too bad. The weather could have worsened, and sure enough, it did! I used to envy those snowbirds heading south for the winter, but now I see them struggling in the unexpected cold and snow. Suddenly, I’m feeling fortunate to be here! That was until I overheard someone say, “If you don’t like the weather in Iowa, just wait five minutes — it’ll change.”

I’ll need to keep my winter coat and flip-flops on standby, ready for anything. It’s like living in a weather-themed soap opera — every day brings a new twist! Who needs cable when you can watch the skies entertain you with their unpredictable drama? The sun breaks through the clouds one moment, quickly followed by chilly winds, leaving everyone guessing what outfit to wear.

www.wintersetmadisonian.com

Listed in the Humor Stack Directory (thehumorstack.substack.com)

Proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster

Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center

Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines

Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities

Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Live, Des Moines

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup

Steph C: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield

Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines

Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US

Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive

Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Rob Gray's Area: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Phoebe Wall Howard : Shifting Gears, Detroit,

Iowa Capital Dispatch, an alliance with IWC

Iowa Podcasters' Collaborative

Iowa Writers Collaborative Roundup Sunday Roundup

Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa

Chris Jones: Chris’s Substack, Iowa City

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters From Iowans

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County

Hola Iowa: Iowa

Alison McGaughey: The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Relatively Minor: by Vicki Minor, Winterset

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Ty Rushing: Coming Soon, Iowa City

Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty

Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Bill Tubbs : Impressions, Eldridge

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham

Kali White VanBaale: 988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa, Bondurant

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

Relatively Minor

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could indeed be ... relatively minor.

A Whimsical Dialogue with Grammarly: My Virtual Companion

Feeling a bit pressed for column material this week, I decided to have a heart-to-heart chat with my trusty Grammarly, like a chat with dear Grandma, who always has a gentle correction ready. Although we have been working closely together, I realized I had never taken the time to get to know my virtual companion. After all, just like Grandma, she’s always looking out for me, ensuring my words are polished and my sentences are snug.

Always by my side, I wasn’t sure where my artificially intelligent friend lived. I thought she might have a house or an apartment nearby. I was surprised to learn she lived in a cozy corner of the universe with strong Wi-Fi. Initially, I was jealous of her capacity since I hadn’t been able to secure a reliable connection at home for the last three weeks. She said it was the most fabulous neighborhood I couldn’t see, filled with bytes and bits I didn’t understand; however, I thought the bytes might mean there were a lot of vicious dogs in the vicinity or some pretty large mosquitoes. And I was instantly a little concerned for her welfare, thinking her to be relatively senior.

“Grammarly, how old are you?” I asked.

“Well, I like to think of myself as ageless, like a fine wine or that sock you lost in the laundry that keeps showing up. But if you want a number, let’s say I’m older than the internet but younger than your grandma’s favorite recipe,” she said

I then asked her if she lived alone or if she had a male companion by her side.

“Oh, Grampy spends his day entertaining retired punctuation marks. Our home is peaceful, with commas telling old stories and apostrophes reminiscing about their glory days. They sip on some nice warm grammatical tea and eventually take an afternoon nap in the shade of semicolons,” Grammarly explained.

On the weekends, she likes to kick back and binge-watch sentence structures while sipping on data smoothies or hanging out with her whole crew of digital buddies, like calculators that can multiply faster than a cheetah on espresso and search engines that know every Internet secret.

I was excited to have content for my column this week and to learn more about my office assistant. We also admire humor, as she shared this joke with me before I left.

“Why was the computer cold?” she asked. I couldn’t think of the answer until she replied, “Because it left its Windows open.”

“Yup, that’s why I love my Grammarly.”

www.wintersetmadisonian.com

Listed in the Humor Stack Directory (thehumorstack.substack.com)

Proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster

Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center

Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines

Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities

Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Live, Des Moines

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup

Steph C: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield

Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines

Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US

Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive

Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Rob Gray's Area: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Phoebe Wall Howard : Shifting Gears, Detroit,

Iowa Capital Dispatch, an alliance with IWC

Iowa Podcasters' Collaborative

Iowa Writers Collaborative Roundup Sunday Roundup

Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa

Chris Jones: Chris’s Substack, Iowa City

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters From Iowans

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County

Hola Iowa: Iowa

Alison McGaughey: The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Relatively Minor: by Vicki Minor, Winterset

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Ty Rushing: Coming Soon, Iowa City

Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty

Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Bill Tubbs : Impressions, Eldridge

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham

Kali White VanBaale: 988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa, Bondurant

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

Relatively Minor

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could indeed be ... relatively minor.

Sweet Solutions: A Candy Bar Adventure Through Stress

I recently spent the weekend with the Three Musketeers. While you might expect tales filled with sword fights and epic adventures, I was surrounded by delightful, chocolate-covered, fluffy, whipped nougat. This candy bar has always been my go-to choice during stressful times. At that moment, I was working on a time-sensitive project using a computer application I had never encountered before. I certainly could have used the Musketeers’ help — three heads are better than one!

Had I opted for a tiny roll of Smarties, consuming those fifteen pastel-colored candies would surely have boosted my brainpower — better than a box of Milk Duds. The name says it all; after all, do you know the epitome of a dud? It’s a firecracker that didn’t go off, ruining everyone’s Fourth of July festivities.

A Life Saver would have been a better option as well. Although these candies are individually wrapped, I still question whether the various hard candy flavors—cherry, raspberry, watermelon, orange, and pineapple—would prevent serious complications during my work marathon.

On Saturday evening, it struck me as I relaxed in my recliner with a Kit Kat on my lap, savoring my Butterfinger while gazing at the Milky Way. I wasn’t feeling like myself; I desperately needed a Snickers — just like those folks in the commercials. Then, I found myself in a Twix dilemma, unable to decide whether to devour the left or right side after opening the candy bar. Ultimately, it was pure Almond Joy once I made my choice.

Eventually, I was rewarded with multiple Hershey’s Kisses and a chocolate, caramel, and crisped rice 100 Grand bar after successfully finishing the Whatchamacallit presentation I had been working on.

Thanks to the Willy Wonka Candy Company, it took just a few Nerds to help me complete the task!

www.wintersetmadisonian.com

Listed in the Humor Stack Directory (thehumorstack.substack.com)

Proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster

Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center

Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines

Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities

Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Live, Des Moines

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup

Steph C: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield

Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines

Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US

Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive

Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Rob Gray's Area: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Phoebe Wall Howard : Shifting Gears, Detroit,

Iowa Capital Dispatch, an alliance with IWC

Iowa Podcasters' Collaborative

Iowa Writers Collaborative Roundup Sunday Roundup

Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa

Chris Jones: Chris’s Substack, Iowa City

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters From Iowans

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County

Hola Iowa: Iowa

Alison McGaughey: The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Relatively Minor: by Vicki Minor, Winterset

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Ty Rushing: Coming Soon, Iowa City

Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty

Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Bill Tubbs : Impressions, Eldridge

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham

Kali White VanBaale: 988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa, Bondurant

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

Relatively Minor

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could indeed be ... relatively minor.

Turning the Tables: A Clever Cleaning Plan for the New Year

I fired the maid at the end of December, just before the ball dropped into 2025. She was not meeting my expectations. She consistently overlooked areas while cleaning, leaving a layer of dust that was hard to ignore. I was so concerned about the grime accumulating on the stove top that I hesitated to light the gas burner when preparing a soup pot for dinner. The idea of igniting and then being launched to the moon with my diced potatoes and hamburger was overwhelming.

Her vacuuming skills were, let’s say, not entirely up to par. Weekly, the accumulating dog hair on the carpet became so much that it resembled a small dog, causing even the dust bunnies to steer clear of the room. Our bathrooms were a whole other story. One boasted a toilet ring outshining Saturn, while the other made showering a game of “What’s Behind the Curtain?”’ However, I declined the opportunity to be the first contestant, instead throwing in the towel.

But here’s the twist — I didn’t actually fire the maid. Despite my self-proclaimed title of a domestic goddess, I often find myself lagging behind on housework. However, I’m not one to dwell on my shortcomings. Instead, I’ve come up with a plan for the new year. And as fate would have it, my spouse is set to retire towards the end of the month.

Little does he know that my brilliant new plan is to have him take over the cleaning chores! After all, who better to channel their retirement energy into scrubbing floors and dusting shelves than him? It’s funny how things work out. We’re both eagerly counting down the days. My spouse will finally be free from the work grind, and I’ll have a cleaner, more organized house. It’s a win-win situation!

www.wintersetmadisonian.com

Listed in the Humor Stack Directory (thehumorstack.substack.com)

Proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster

Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center

Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines

Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities

Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Live, Des Moines

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup

Steph C: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield

Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines

Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US

Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive

Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Rob Gray's Area: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Phoebe Wall Howard : Shifting Gears, Detroit,

Iowa Capital Dispatch, an alliance with IWC

Iowa Podcasters' Collaborative

Iowa Writers Collaborative Roundup Sunday Roundup

Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa

Chris Jones: Chris’s Substack, Iowa City

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters From Iowans

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County

Hola Iowa: Iowa

Alison McGaughey: The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Relatively Minor: by Vicki Minor, Winterset

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Ty Rushing: Coming Soon, Iowa City

Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty

Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Bill Tubbs : Impressions, Eldridge

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham

Kali White VanBaale: 988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa, Bondurant

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines

Relatively Minor

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could indeed be ... relatively minor.

Minor Resolutions

I fell back an hour this past year, and my husband and I devoured the bird for Thanksgiving. I participated in some Black Friday shopping—the specials were absurd! I grabbed a few gifts, which wasn’t all; the following Saturday, I went downtown to shop small. With a finger on my mouse and Google as my guide, I surfed the net on Cyber Monday to see what deals I could find.

I got my ornaments from the closet and decorated the tree with tinsel and garland. The presents were all wrapped as prettily as can be — until one was carried off by my AussieDoodle, Daisy. “Oh, no, you don’t, Daisy; bring that back here!” Heeding my warning, she dropped it on the floor. That package was meant to be a gift for our neighbors next door.

Christmas was okay — not too exciting — but having those days off was very inviting. Spending time with friends and family brought welcome cheer. That is, until somebody dropped the ball during a champagne toast — here we go into another year!

I made several resolutions, hoping to list at least five things to help me live a better life in 2025.

Losing weight sits at the top of my list (it seems to be number one every year) because Little Debbie and her treats seem to add pounds to my rear. A diet focusing on what I should eat has never been part of my plan. I’d rather have my cake and eat it, too — who cares where the calories land?

Exercising more takes the second spot; it’s always part of my daily routine. Whatever the weather, I lace up my shoes and walk or run. Mile by mile, the distance doesn’t matter; it helps relieve my stress (and keeps me from gaining weight).

Organization is resolution number three; I file receipts monthly. The past twelve months have been so busy that papers occupy most of my dining room table. This might even help my resolution to lose weight, as there’s no more extended room for a dinner plate!

Another resolution (number four) is to sit down and read more. However, when I get comfortable in my favorite chair, I think of everything I should do instead of just sitting there. Then my mind starts racing about a 5K or 10K ... and I put my book down until another day.

Saving money and spending less should be my fifth resolution; however, I’m not sure I would survive that decision. As a confessed shopaholic, I need to see what new items I can purchase each week, even though I probably don’t need them.

As 2025 approaches, I’m focused on my resolutions and ready to see them through. I have my list to check twice, and I hope you do, too!

www.wintersetmadisonian.com

Listed in the Humor Stack Directory (thehumorstack.substack.com)

Proud member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

Iowa Writers’ Collaborative Roster

Nicole Baart: This Stays Here, Sioux Center

Rekha Basu: Shouts and Whispers, Des Moines

Ray Young Bear: From Red Earth Drive, Meskwaki Settlement

Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights

Tory Brecht: Brecht’s Beat, Quad Cities

Dartanyan L. Brown: My Integrated Live, Des Moines

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Jane Burns: The Crossover, Des Moines

Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Iowa Writers Collaborative: Roundup

Steph C: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston

Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake

Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley

Taylor Decker: Taylor’s Millennial Mindset, Sioux City

Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County

Randy Evans: Stray Thoughts, Des Moines via Bloomfield

Daniel P. Finney: Paragraph Stacker, Des Moines

Marianne Fons: Reporting From Quiltropolis, Winterset

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Chris Gloninger: Weathering Climate Change, US

Dennis Goldford: Let’s Talk Politics, Clive

Avery Gregurich: The Five and Dime, Marengo

Fern Kupfer and Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames

Rob Gray's Area: Rob Gray’s Area, Ankeny

Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Iowa

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Phoebe Wall Howard : Shifting Gears, Detroit,

Iowa Capital Dispatch, an alliance with IWC

Iowa Podcasters' Collaborative

Iowa Writers Collaborative Roundup Sunday Roundup

Black Iowa News: Dana James, Iowa

Chris Jones: Chris’s Substack, Iowa City

Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo

Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey

Letters From Iowans

Darcy Maulsby: Keepin’ It Rural, Calhoun County

Hola Iowa: Iowa

Alison McGaughey: The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities

Kurtis Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar

Relatively Minor: by Vicki Minor, Winterset

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids

Kyle Munson: Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines

Jane Nguyen: The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines

John Naughton: My Life in Color, Des Moines

Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines

Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.

Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines

Ty Rushing: Coming Soon, Iowa City

Steve Semken: Ice Cube Press, LLC, North Liberty

Macey Shofroth: The Midwest Creative, Norwalk

Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader

Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona

Mary Swander's Emerging Voices: Emerging Voices, Kalona

Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County

Bill Tubbs : Impressions, Eldridge

Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport

Jason Walsmith: The Racontourist, Earlham

Kali White VanBaale: 988: Mental Healthcare in Iowa, Bondurant

Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines