Here is information about Senator Grassley's schedule this week.  The Senate is in session.

Senator Grassley will meet with Iowans from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, the Iowa Telecommunications Association, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Iowa Rural Letter Carriers, the Appraisal Institute, and the Paper Recycling Coalition.

Senator Grassley also will meet with Iowa families visiting Washington from Johnston, Des Moines, Ankeny, and Iowa City.

Senator Grassley will be a guest this week on public affairs programs hosted by Ryan Schlader of WMT Radio in Cedar Rapids and Mike Adams of AgriTalk, which airs on 13 Iowa radio stations.

On Monday, May 21, at 2:30 p.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will speak to the Whistleblower, Civil and Human Rights Summit.

Senator Grassley will answer questions and respond to comments via Skype with fourth graders at MOC-Floyd Valley Community Schools in Hospers on Tuesday, May 22, at 1:30 p.m. (CT), and with students in the contemporary issues class at Marshalltown High School on Thursday, May 24, at 8:30 a.m. (CT).

On Wednesday, May 23, at 10 a.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will participate in a hearing of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the courts titled "Protecting Our Children:  The Importance of Training Child Protection Professionals."

On Wednesday, May 23, at 1:15 p.m. (ET), in the Capitol Visitors Center, SVC-215, Senator Grassley will speak about the impact of intellectual property laws on jobs at an event of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Global Intellectual Property Center.  The Center will be releasing a new study.

On Wednesday, May 23, at 2:30 p.m. (ET), in Dirksen 226, Senator Grassley will participate in a hearing of the Judiciary Committee to consider nominations to the federal judiciary.

Pressure canners gauge testing will be on June 7, 2012 from 9:30 - 11:30 am at the Scott County Extension and Outreach office. Pressure canners with a dial-type pressure gauge should be tested each year for accuracy. To have a dial-gauge tested, bring the canner lid only - the entire canner is not needed.

It is not necessary to test weighted or rocker-type pressure regulators because they cannot be adjusted and will usually remain accurate. If you are unavailable at the scheduled time but would like a canner lid tested, you may bring the canner lid into the office ahead of June 7 and pick it up the next day.

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All presenting blood donors have the chance to win a prize package worth $200

PEORIA, Ill. (May 21, 2012) - Memorial Day weekends are always packed full of fun summer activities. But as individuals and families kick-off their summer plans, it's important to remember that the need for blood does not take a summer holiday.

To help ensure a stable blood supply for patients in need this Memorial Day, the American Red Cross is encouraging all eligible blood donors to make donating blood and platelets a part of their summer holiday plans. Five presenting donors who give blood from May 24 through May 30 within the American Red Cross Heart of America Blood Services Region will win a GiftCertificates.com prize package worth $200 redeemable for items of their choosing. Winning donors can choose from restaurants, department stores, books, music, electronics and more!

"With the arrival of summer, blood donations tend to decline as eligible donors fill their schedules with vacations and other summer activities, leaving little time to donate," said Shelly Heiden, CEO of the Heart of America Region. "The need for blood is constant. As donors choose how to spend their time this Memorial Day, we encourage them to make time to help give life by donating blood or platelets with the Red Cross."

As part of the Red Cross' Live Life. Give Life. summer-long promotion (May 21 - September 5), all presenting donors will also be entered to receive a prize certificate package worth $5,000 redeemable at GiftCertificates.com. One lucky donor will be able to live a little, using the prize certificate to choose from hundreds of available prize options.

How to Donate Blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver's license, or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies more than 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.™



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Barack and Michelle do it. Brad and Angelina do it. John and Yoko did it. How?

As the divorce rate hovers near an estimated 50 percent in the United States, many blame career stress as a major cause of separations. But somehow some couples grow stronger, especially when they work together.

One couple who have worked together for nearly a decade in the stressful world of theater, producing Off-Broadway plays, has decided to share their secrets.

"In part, it is because we work together that our bond has strengthened after 10 years of marriage," says Jamillah Lamb, co-author along with her husband, David, of "Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving Together" (www.acoupleoflambs.com).

The couple has worked together professionally in their stage company, Between The Lines Productions, Inc., for nine years. But the Lambs say even couples who aren't business partners are working together every day; because being in any relationship requires negotiating, compromising, and decision-making. Just think about the last time you had to decide whose mother's house you were going to for Christmas or where you were going to go for vacation or even which movie you were going to see last weekend.

"We get more opportunity to grow together because, between home and work, we're making 100 decisions a day instead of 10," Jamillah says.

The couple live by their guiding rule, "Love like kids, act like adults."

"That means to love freely and completely, without a fortress around your heart, and behave responsibly," David says.

A crucial ingredient for any successful marriage is friendship, the Lambs say. Here are some of their tips:

• Enjoy life: Some couples won't go to theme parks until they have children. But letting one's inner child out to play with their partner's inner child strengthens a relationship's bond.

• Forgive the small stuff: No one is always right, and no one wants to be around someone who always needs to be right.

• Appreciate individuality: Everyone needs to have their own identity, including those in a long-term relationship and couples who work together. David enjoys his comic book collection, while Jamillah keeps a library of romance novels.

• Do not misdirect anger: In psychology, it's called transference; dumping your bad day on someone else. It is poison for any relationship.

• Remember your love: Couples may fight, but guard what you say. There's no need for ugliness even when you disagree.

Couples need to remember relationships take work, but they can also be a blast of fun, David says.

"Love is worth the sacrifice," they agree. "Today, with stories of celebrity couples walking away after only days of marriage and even more people living as though sacrifice is nearly a curse word, we say: 'It's worth the sacrifice.' For us, it means that we are willing to give up something that we thought was valuable or important for something even more important: love and our happiness."

Love is, in part, the acknowledgement and deep appreciation for another human being, Jamillah says.

"Couples should never take each other for granted," she advises. "In love, as in business, everyone wants to be appreciated. The simplest gesture can go a long way to help your significant other feel like they are making a significant contribution to your life, your family, or your business."

About David & Jamillah Lamb

David and Jamillah Lamb have been married for 10 years. They founded and have run Between The Lines Productions, Inc. since 2003. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., David attended the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and New York University School of Law. He is the playwright of "Platanos y Collard Greens." Jamillah Lamb grew up in the same Chicago neighborhood as first lady Michelle Obama. She earned her master's degree in public policy at Harvard. Together they wrote "Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients to Happily Living & Loving" to share what they have learned as successful partners in love and in business.They live in Brooklyn with their daughter.