Welcome to another Friday mailbag, where I share comments, questions and ideas that were sent recently by several of you.

“Thanks for an old memory! Three of my brothers were older, and when winter came to the farm, we dug out the long johns for doing our outside chores and fun. I always wondered if they made a girl’s version of long johns, because the ones I were given to use had the trap in the front, which wasn’t really helpful for me.” – Pam

Thanks for the note, Pam. I am sure many others can relate to your comments. Long johns, as I have learned, have become stylish fashion statements in today’s world. So, yes, women’s versions are available now! – Shane

“Shane, Marilyn and I are both in our sixties and grew up in NW Iowa. We enjoyed sharing our memories of going to the Abu Bekr Shrine Circus at the old auditorium in Sioux City after reading your column today (I love a circus, Jan. 26, 2022). We didn't have far to travel, as she is from Marcus and I am from Holstein, but I'm sure the bus ride was fun. I enjoy your writings and the Adel Living Magazine, keep up the good work.” - Steve

Thanks for the note, Steve. Oh, to be young again. We could join the circus! – Shane

“At least you are wearing a belt (Jan. 31, 2022 on “pulling a Wayne”). Twice in January, I arrived at the office and noticed I had completely forgotten to put a belt on.” - Brendan

Maybe we should try suspenders? – Shane

“How about the FAX machine (in response to Feb. 3, 2022, column about inter-department envelopes)? It is still used today but mostly for scanning documents to a pdf then emailed.  Being a printer, we lived and died with these machines. Clients would fax in orders. We’d send proofs. Business card proofs were enlarged 200% on a copier first then faxed. Resolution was so poor that you couldn’t tell a 3 from an 8. Lots of reprints. Loved it when I would be talking with a client, and I’d ask, ‘What are the colors?’ They’d say, ‘I’ll fax it to you.’ Haha. Always made me smile.” – Mark

Ah, yes. The fax machine. Not sure when ours was last used, but it sure was handy at one time. – Shane

“Well, I finally found something I'm above average at — checking email! (Repetition, Feb. 1, 2022).”- Brad


Keep up the good work, Brad, and be sure to read the Daily Umbrella email! – Shane

Thanks, everyone. 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

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CITYVIEW announced its 2022 Best Of Des Moines readers' choices Feb.1. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!

Best Local Place to Take Your Kids
1. Blank Park Zoo
2. Science Center of Iowa
3. Des Moines Children’s Museum

'Mr. Bones’
Fake skeleton hangs around the Ernst garage all year.

By Darren Tromblay

The Ankeny garage of Katie Ernst and Mark Ernst has the typical things one would find: a mower, some tools, and plenty of storage.
Oh, and body parts. Fake ones, that is. The hanging skeleton in the back? That’s just “Mr. Bones.”

The couple, along with their children, Elizabeth and Matthew, are lovers of everything scary.

Well, Mark and the kids are.
“They love Halloween; I do not whatsoever,” Katie jokes. “So it’s three versus one.”

Mark is on the other side of the aisle.
“I loved Halloween as a kid because I was the older brother who got to scare the younger brother and sister,” he says. “I grew up in Dubuque, so we had haunted houses galore back in the day. We had run-down, old Victorian houses that organizations would rent out and do haunted houses in each year.”

[...]

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Happy Birthday to these celebrities: Alice Cooper, Oscar De La Hoya, Zach King, Gabrielle Anwar, Nicolle Wallace, Hannibal Buress, Gavin DeGraw

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