Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

I’m all for having multiple seasons here in Iowa, but winter without snow is starting to bother me a great deal. I don’t like the cold…and come to think of it, I’m not really groovy with hot either so while I sit here in my climate controlled 72 degrees let’s play with a few random thoughts.

1. I want you all to know that I’m doing my very best to properly dispose of those Little Debbie Christmas cakes that you have seen at the grocery store. I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure I’ll make it before the Valentine’s cakes come out.

2. Valentine’s cakes are already out…I’m sorry I failed.

3. Chickens have to be the strangest animals on the face of the planet. I can be ten degrees below zero and they are out in the yard just doing their thing. I’m not bothered by that, but continuing to mock me by crowing when the car lights come on as it sits there running to warm up is terroristic.

4. No big New Year’s resolutions for me this year, other than to slow down a bit and take a little more time to just relax. Maybe I’m starting to burn out a little or I find that being more choosey about what I want to be involved in is less stressful.

5. I had intended to start eating healthier this year, but after the fourth meal in a row of eating soup I opted for McDonald’s the next day.

6. Just in case you’re starting to stock your doomsday cellar please know that the sun will come up on January 21^st and regardless of how we feel about the government, the best thing we can do is be diligent and involved.

7. For those of you looking for an update on little Mara from the column a few weeks ago. I’m constantly amazed at her courage and strength as she battles. Radiation treatments continue and continued prayers are most certainly welcomed. Every single one of us who never had to deal with a child being sick should feel extremely fortunate. It is hard for me to wrap my head around how stressful and scary that being in that position may be.

8. I attended a meeting the other night where the majority of the discussion centered around water quality. Now I’m not about to try to fight that never ending battle here, but when I was young there was a big push for conservation measures and I wonder if we somewhere moved away from that. Before you pass this off strictly as an agriculture issue, I think it is important that we think about that in our yards as well. The need for habitat for bees and bats and other creatures that play an important role in our lives is just as real in urban settings as it is in rural areas.

9. Finally this week…still no word on Max’s Christmas present that is now becoming his birthday present. The last word on it, was that it had been shipped from China on December 2^nd. Obviously it is coming by pack mule, which just goes to show that you shouldn’t rely too much on shopping online. See you next week…remember, we’re all in this together.