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Good Friday morning to you!
 

I bought a chainsaw last year, and I like the way it makes me feel. Every man should have a chainsaw. It’s a manly thing. Paul Bunyan-esque, you might say (without the axe).

My choice is a gas chainsaw. 38cc. 16 inch. Automatic gear driven oiler. Starts with one pull. And it stores away in hard plastic case. It’s not the Mack truck of chainsaws, but I like it. And, yes, you need one.

My wife thinks it’s silly. Unnecessary. For the most part, she is right. I have only used it a few times, and I probably could have borrowed my neighbor’s chainsaw or hired someone to cut up the tree limbs, but I didn’t. I got out my chainsaw, and I started sawing.

President Ronald Reagan operated a chainsaw on the Reagan Ranch in the 1980s.

He was in his seventies at the time, and he seemed to truly enjoy it. He clearly didn’t need a chainsaw, but he had one and used it. It seemed appropriate for President Reagan. Donald Trump? Not so much.

I have another chainsaw. Kind of. It is an electric version that my dad bought me a few decades ago to trim back a hedge of bushes each fall. It worked great for that task, but it was a bit sluggish for larger projects — and my manly neighbors made fun of it. I still get it out of the shed occasionally, when my neighbors aren’t watching.

With this week’s windstorms, I was hoping for an opportunity to dust off my chainsaw and put it to use. I carefully inspected my yard, but not a single limb had dropped. My neighbors’ yards looked clean, too. An opportunity missed.

Even so, I am prepared for the next windstorm, in my flannel shirt, work boots laced up, chainsaw in hand, trying to be manly. All I need is a blue ox.

Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman

President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305

 

Your Clear Mortgage forecast from Jason Parkin

It’ll be chilly and breezy again today and tomorrow, and Saturday will see colder temperatures with a high perhaps not reaching 30 degrees. Back to the mid-30’s Sunday and mid-40s Monday. The only chance for a white Christmas looks to come with flurries or light snow on Christmas day itself.

For help with preapprovals or refinancing, get in touch with Jason at parkin.mortgage

 
Things To Do
 

Friday, Dec. 17 through Dec. 23
“IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE RADIO PLAY”
At: Stoner Theater
Info: Iowa Stage Theatre Company presents It's A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play at the Stoner Theater in Des Moines. For more information, visit www.dmpa.com.

 
Featured Home For Sale
 
Attention Realtors, post your listings here for $50. Contact pat@dmcityview.com for details.
 
2725 River Ridge Road
Des Moines, IA 50320
$229,900
 

New Year! New home! Come take a look at this 3 bedroom, 2 bath, RANCH home that offers 1300+ sq. ft. of finish plus an attached 2 car garage. The open floor plan features vaulted ceilings in the great room with gas fireplace. Kitchen has stainless steel appliances, eat up breakfast bar, and pantry. Dining area has sliding glass doors to a deck with large yard and new wooden privacy fence......

 
Find Out More!
 
Headlines

FROM KCCI: Authorities spend hours fighting fire due to inground propane tank

CUMMING, Iowa — Crews spent hours fighting a fire in Cumming on Thursday evening. KCCI was on the scene where the Northern Warren Fire Department said a tractor made contact with an inground propane tank. The crews were not concerned about an explosion.  ...READ MORE FROM KCCI

FROM WHO-TV: Iowans recognized for heroic actions by Governor Kim Reynolds

DES MOINES, IOWA – After the 2020 Governor’s Lifesaving awards and the Sullivan Brothers’ Award of Valor event was canceled due to COVID-19, Governor Kim Reynolds hosted the 2020 and the 2021 awards combined. On Thursday morning the governor gathered with civilians and first responders who were involved in heroic acts to be recognized in the state capitol building.   READ MORE FROM WHO-TV

FROM WOI-DT Local 5: Storm aftermath: National Weather Service confirms 13 total tornadoes in Iowa from Wednesday

Tornadoes touched down in central and western Iowa in December for the first time Wednesday. ... READ MORE FROM WOI-DT Local 5

 
The Score
 

NFL:  Chiefs 34 Chargers 28

NCAA Volleyball: Nebraska and Wisconsin will battle for the championship.

 
CITYVIEW's Best Of Des Moines 2021
 

Nearly 14,000 votes were cast in the 2021 CITYVIEW Best Of Des Moines readers' poll.

Best Local Resale/Consignment Boutique
1. Worn
2. Stuff Etc
3. Plato’s Closet

[...]

 
Read more
 
Personalities
 

Combining households in Johnston

By Lindsey Giardino

When Fallon Wills moved to Johnston in 2009, she didn’t yet have kids, but she knew how good the school system was. She also felt like Johnston had a lot of similarities to the small town where she grew up.
“It just felt a little bit more like home than the other suburbs I had lived in previously,” Wills says.

Now that Wills has children of her own, she’s even more grateful for the Johnston Community School District.

Together, Wills and her partner, Ross Moffat, have three children. They recently combined households — he was in Beaverdale previously — and moved into a new home in Johnston this past October. Johnston was a logical fit for the couple, as Moffat has spent most of his career in Johnston, including as a coach for the Johnston Urbandale Soccer Club and now as director of player development and coach education for Sporting Iowa, which works closely with the club.

[...]

 
Read more
 
Jobs
 

Place your help wanted ad in the list below for FREE! Email to pat@dmcityview.com. And ask us about upgrading your FREE ad with a display ad in any of our publications.

SUBSTITUTES ...

RESTAURANT POSITIONS ...

CARPENTER...

 
See all jobs listings
 
Snapshots

A moon tree topper. — Photo taken by Stephen Vickery

 
SEND YOUR PHOTOS OF SEASON DECORATIONS AND HAPPENINGS!
 
Email to tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com to be included in an upcoming Daily Umbrella!
 
 
Digital Editions
 
Johnston Living weekly newsletters are published each week in print and online. Printed versions can be found at dozens of community locations, and the digital edition can be subscribed to via email. Learn more at www.iowalivingmagazines.com. View a sample digital edition from this week here.
 
 
Birthdays and Notables!
 

Happy Birthday Kristine McDonald on Saturday!

Happy Birthday to these celebrities: Pope Francis, Milla Jovovich, Katheryn Winnick, Sarah Paulson, Eugene Levy, Laurie Holden, Nat Wolff, Shoma Uno, Kiersey Clemons, Maria Brink, Duff Goldman, Chris Matthews

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to:tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

 
Poll of the Week

How many times have you seen "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”?

None
1 time
2-5 times
6-10 times
11 times or more

 

How do you prefer your eggnog?

Homemade - 4%
Right out of the carton - 32%
Spiked - 25%
I don’t like eggnog - 39%

 
Morning Chuckle
 
YESTERDAY'S RIDDLE:

What kind of bug hates Christmas?

A BAH HUM BUG! You got it Lori Bluml, William Snyder, Patty Miller, Gail Pecht, Gail Tomlinson, Judy Anderson

TODAY'S RIDDLE

What do frogs order when they go to a restaurant?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com 

 

If you would like to advertise in this daily newsletter, please contact Pat Checketts at pat@dmcityview.com, or call 515-953-4822 xt. 311.

P.S. As a free newsletter, we rely on readers like you to grow our subscriber list. If you have a friend or coworker who you think would enjoy waking up to The Daily Umbrella each weekday morning, please share our newsletter sign-up page with them! Visit www.thedailyumbrella.com and click on the SUBSCRIBE link on the upper right-hand side!

 

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8101 Birchwood Court, Suite D
Johnston, Iowa 50131

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