Baker's heartbeat

       The Amtrak train enters the station in Princeton, Ill.      The idea of train travel from the Quad-Cities to Chicago has been bandied about for years. It would be a valuable asset, if and when it happens.     The latest news on this topic came in the Quad-City Times newspaper, Feb. 28, 2023. In a story by Gretchen Teske and Grace Kinnicutt, it was reported that Iowa Interstate Railroad was asking for too much money to pay for needed improvements on the rail line it controls.     This line is the quickest local link to Chicago, but it must be upgraded before Amtrak can use it for passengers.     We Bakers recently took the train from Princeton, Ill., to Chicago. Princeton is about 70 minutes from our home in Eldridge.       I was determined to write a blog and to get the photo, above. That led to a bit of trouble: The woman who was working at the train station came out to ask me to move. "The tr...

"Reservation Dogs," available on Hulu, is a terrific  coming-of-age television show.       To those of you who appreciate good television I offer this name: Taika Waititi.     Waititi, of New Zealand, is an artist who has achieved numerous awards and achievements. He is a director, screenwriter and producer, as well as actor and comedian.     I first learned of Waititi -- also known as Taika David Cohen -- when he was involved in a television series, " Flight of the Conchords ."      T hat show was on HBO several years ago: Comics Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie travel from their native home in New Zealand to New York City, aiming to find love and success in the Big Apple.     " Reservation Dogs ," is a more recent Waititi show which I found on Hulu. Waititi co-created the show with  Sterlin Harjo and is one of the writers.      This series focuses on young, Native American teens who l...

      Iowa's Caitlin Clark, in action earlier in 2023. Photo originally appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press .      The last few weeks have been a blast watching Caitlin Clark and the terrific Hawkeye women's basketball team win game after game until reaching the NCAA finals.     The highlight was the smack-down on March 31 when the Hawks bested undefeated South Carolina 77-73 in the NCAA Final Four.     Most of blog readers who know me realize I'm a devoted Iowa State fan. That's where I went to college and that's an obvious place for my first loyalties.     That said, the Iowa women's team had us mesmerized in 2023.       Credit Clark and the entire team for pulling most of the state of Iowa -- and people from across the nation -- into the aura of women's sports.     Women have a long history of sports participation in Iowa. But it takes a talent like Clark to  publicize th...

This is from July, 1975: That's my mother, me, Anita Alvarado and Aunt Lucille, at the Macarena in Cuidad Acuna, Mexico.        A person can hardly listen to the news, or read a newspaper,  without some mention of the U.S. border with Mexico.     Immigration is a hot-button topic in this country, with frequent requests for the U.S. Congress to fix issues that have developed over the years.      Many believe the lawmakers' inaction is a result of split public opinion on immigration.  According to the 2022 Gallup poll , about 31 percent of Americans prefer immigration numbers stay at the current level while 27 percent say the numbers should be increased and 38 percent would like to see decreased levels.    Current news reports are that today's border crisis is worsened by Central Americans who are coming to the  United States because of economic and safety issues in their homeland. The numbers seeking help in ...

      A variety of small handbags, since donated to charity.      Styles change, habits evolve, and, of course, many women (and men) do carry purses.     I'm with many other women when it comes to buying and choosing purses. There was a time -- not long ago -- when I carried a small purse that matched my outfit, especially when my husband and I went on dates. I had a variety of colors to match whatever I wore, and I regularly switched out the contents, left and right.     Back in the day, of course, I had a "Mom" purse, and that was basically a huge bag that held diapers and other necessities for a new mother.     That evolved to a "one-purse" at a time, except when the occasion called for a switch-out.     The practice of carrying a bag has a long history. The oldest known purse dates back more than 5,000 years and was a pouch, carried by a man.     Early Europeans used purses solely to carry coin...

This is the Village Inn that used to be open in downtown Bettendorf.        It just does not make sense: Why on earth do Village Inn restaurants in the Quad-Cities close?     Drive by the Village Inn near St. Ambrose University in Davenport and it is almost always packed. That's the same at the Village Inn near Target, in northern Davenport.     But the one in downtown Bettendorf, where I used to regularly go? Nope, it closed a few years ago.     Let's talk about the Bettendorf downtown location:  It was an easy place to meet friends, many of whom worked downtown in either Bettendorf or Davenport.     It was also simple to meet with Illinois-side folks, who could simply cross Mississippi River and be on site in minutes.     There were long-term waitresses at this location and they were very good at the job. It also could accommodate groups of people easily.     Combine the service, with great ...

Todd Gehrls of Donahue, Iowa, was the general  contractor on our recent home improvement project.        The process of renovating several baths while you live in a home can be tricky. It also provides a challenge and is fun, not to mention rewarding.      The most important step is to hire a  nice, talented general  contractor. The person we found was Todd Gehrls. Gehrls is a busy guy but once he got to our house he was Johnny-on-the-spot,  arriving at the appointed hour and working hard throughout the days involved.     The rural Donahue, Iowa, resident works steadily in this part of Iowa. We are happy he agreed to tackle small projects like three dated baths in our house.       He is one valuable contractor.     We started the renovation process in December, 2021, with a visit from one of the subcontractors. The KBD designer measured cabinets and took notes.     The project got go...