Welcome to the Friday mailbag where you will find some of the comments, questions and ideas sent recently by readers of this newsletter or our publications. They are edited for space and clarity.
“This column seems to be written from the point of view of a person who is financially secure, generally healthy and demographically supported (Every Tuesday is a crisis, Sept. 15, 2026). Many of the emergencies, e.g. ‘car breaking down’ happens to folks who are not so fortunate as to be able to afford regular maintenance.” - Eileen
I believe we are all products of our decisions. Sometimes, we make good decisions. Sometimes, we don’t. But how we choose to live with the aftermath is a decision, too. - Shane
“What perfect timing! I usually read The Daily Umbrella first thing in the morning (You got water in your basement?, Sept. 16, 2026). Well, guess what? When I stepped off the stairs to the basement today, I heard that unfamiliar but familiar sound of squish, squish. Yep, water in the basement. Here I sit, 15 hours later, having replaced the sump pump before drying the tile (about half the basement) and then moving all the furniture off the carpet to the tile so we can start sucking up the water that infiltrated the carpet. Made progress today but will continue it tomorrow. My question? Why do city building codes require drainage tiles around your house to protect against water infiltration only to dump those tubes into a pit in the basement that relies on a sump pump to then just put it back into the yard? Seems like a pretty dumb concept to me.” - Chuck
I think that’s called recycling. - Shane
“Hi, Shane and Jolene. My husband, Jerry, and I moved from Nebraska City, Nebraska, on July 31 and wanted both of you to know how much we appreciate and enjoy the wonderful publications that we have been reading since we have moved here like CITYVIEW, SENIORVIEW, and the Johnston Living magazine. They have helped so much with the transition to our new home. Our daughter and her family live here and, of course, they have helped so much, too. Thank you for all that you do. We remember when you lived in Nebraska City many years ago. Hope you and your family are doing well!” - Suzi
Good to hear from you, Suzi, and welcome to Iowa! - Shane
“Every neighborhood had a tractor-tire sandbox during the 1950s, if you grew-up in the Midwest (The tractor tire sandbox, Sept. 22, 2026). Especially on those special summer days when a thunderstorm rolled in, we’d rush to the sandbox, sitting around together, thrilled with that warm rain and the light show. Why? We convinced ourselves that as long as we stayed on the ‘rubber,’ we were safe from all lightning strikes.” - Karen
Thank goodness there weren’t aluminum baseball bats back then. - Shane
“Don't forget about the small tires that were cut and hung up in trees for swings (The tractor tire sandbox, Sept. 22, 2026)! The paragraph about the rounded corners and other safety feature reminded me of the jungle gyms that we fell off of from 10 feet high onto a hard dirt surface inches from the cement anchor and were told to walk it off! LOL. Scars tell of a great childhood!” - Rhonda
I have a few of those scars myself, and they tell better stories than any tattoos. - Shane
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading. | 
