Welcome to the Friday mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by subscribers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.

“I consumed LARGE amounts of Kool-Aid until I was 18 years old and went off to college (Oh, yeah!, May 31, 2023). I burned up those sugar calories growing up on a farm with massive amounts of manual labor in the 1950s and 1960s. I probably would have been addicted to Kool-Aid even if I had grown up in town, but on the farm I did burn off the sugar.” - George

Clearly, you were a cherry Kool-Aid guy. - Shane

“The Archie's hit Sugar, Sugar was used brilliantly in one of the first anti-smoking ads (I Can See Clearly Now, June 1, 2023). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r887XmJPL4Y” - Jim

I followed the link you provided and watched the link. I don’t recall that exact commercial, but I won’t ever forget it now. Powerful. - Shane

“Shane, I enjoy your essays in each edition of the Times Vedette (June 1, 2023). I was especially struck by this one because of my grandmother, Leora Goff Wilson, who lost three sons and was widowed within a three-year period. This was not that long after living in poverty during most of the Great Depression. I was a toddler when she went through her worst grief but enjoyed her another four decades as such a delightful grandmother. She made a home for her own widowed mother for 14 years, but then lived to age 97 in that little house in Guthrie Center. At some point, she must have chosen not to live as a victim. I only saw her in tears once at the cemetery. What a wonderful mentor she was, although I didn't look at it that way then. Thank you for the reminder.” - Joy 

Thank you for sharing that story, Joy. - Shane

“Hey, Shane! I have great memories of the pork chops and bingo at the St. Benedict summer festival when I was growing up (Festivals, Iowa Living magazines, June 2023)!” - Carol

Pork chops and bingo? Who wouldn’t have great memories of that? - Shane

“My car arbitrarily changed its settings to Celsius three years ago (Metric system, June 6, 2023). Because that is the main way I check temperatures, I now think in Celsius (nine fifths plus 32 = Fahrenheit). I took car to Bob Brown, and they could not re-set it. I have learned to love the 20s and hate the 30s, but the main thing is that Fahrenheit is much more exact. The world should change, not the U.S.” - Jim

If you bought a Toyota, I get it. But a Chevy? What is this world coming to? - Shane

Have a fantastic Friday, and thank for reading.

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

CITYVIEW announced its 2023 Best Of Des Moines readers' choices Jan. 31. You can find all the results from the poll in the February issue of CITYVIEW magazine!

Best Local Pawn Shop

1. Solar Loan & Sales

2. The Pawn Store

3. A Quality Pawn And Jewelry

SEE EVENT PHOTOS HERE...

Celebrate Green Days

Enjoy the fun where “the grass is greener”

By Ashley Rullestad

The biggest community celebration in town, Green Days, is just around the corner. Enjoy the festivities June 15-18. The theme is “The Grass is Greener in Johnston,” and everyone is invited to celebrate at Terra Park with lots of fun and family-friendly events for all.

Green Days officially kicks off on Thursday evening with the Jammin' in Johnston Business Expo at 5 p.m. The event is a vendor fair featuring local businesses, services and goods of all types. In the past, it had been held in the fall, but it's back for its third year on Thursday night at Green Days.

... Read more in the June issue of Johnston Living magazine.

Happy Birthday Jay Mathes and Mike Schoville!

These celebrities were born on this date: Johnny Depp, Natalie Portman, Michael J. Fox, Mae Whitman, Matthew Bellamy, Tamela Mann, Logan Browning

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

The answer to yesterday's riddle:
Why was the crow perched on top of the telephone pole? IT WANTED TO MAKE A LONG-DISTANCE CAW! - Rex Post, Gail Tomlinson, Peri Van Tassel, Irving Stone. Or it had its wires crossed - William Snyder. Or it liked the view from the "crow's nest." - Carolyn Rogers

Today's Riddle

Why do you never see dead crows on the road?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

Enjoy the Daily Umbrella? Perhaps you would enjoy receiving emails of our other publications!

• CITYVIEW • Living Weekly newsletters: Johnston, Polk City and Adel • Lake Panorama Times • Events • CITYVIEW Business Journal,  

See a full list of our offerings by clicking on SUBSCRIBE here.