Melissa ❌👑
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melissapiece.bsky.social
Melissa ❌👑
@melissapiece.bsky.social
130 followers 160 following 650 posts
Teacher, wife, mom to two great kids (one high-risk). Avid reader. Crochet addict. Lifelong learner. Tired most of the time. #actuallyautistic (she/her)
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melissapiece.bsky.social
On behalf of THIS Melissa—I'm sorry, Jamaica.
Image of a projected hurricane (called Melissa) over Jamaica. Lots of primary colors in a swirl pattern with big black blotches.
October 26, 2025 at 1:52 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Still giggling over this photo of Randy Feenstra, posted on his campaign Facebook account. 😂
Three white men wearing various shades of blue (dark blue polo shirt, lavender-blue pullover, and a light blue button-down) stand in front of a sign that should read "Simon's Trucking, Inc." with a large S on the left side (for Simon, I assume). Hilariously, the tall guy in the middle (Republican Representative Randy Feenstra, running for Governor of Iowa) is blocking the "Tr" with his head, so it looks like it says, "Simon's S...ucking, Inc." Apparently neither the camera person nor Feentra's social media person thought about not posting it. 😂
October 26, 2025 at 12:23 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Ashley Hinson is super-thankful for the break so she can still get a paycheck while she campaigns for Ernst's Senate seat.
Screenshot from Ashley Hinson's FB page: "It's been one month since we launched our Senate campaign. Since launch day, we've been traveling across the state to meet Iowans where they are (over 1,800 miles to be exact!) - and we aren't slowing down.
October 6, 2025 at 3:19 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Alanis, define irony. 😂😂🤣
A FB post from Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) that says, "President Trump tells it as it is. Democrats' anti-law enforcement agenda is emboldening criminals and destroying America's greatest cities. Iowans know the truth: without law and order, there is no freedom. We will never let their failed policies take root here."
September 9, 2025 at 6:20 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
I am (once again) asking why the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren (typically) falls to the daughter-in-law. It's never the MIL's responsibility, nor the son's...and definitely not the FIL's.

My husband's relationship with his parents is not my job. They had 29 years before me.
a screenshot of part of a FB post from "Grown and Flown" "On the list of things I’m grateful for is my husband and I not ever being made to feel like the “other grandparents.” There’s a movie called “Parental Guidance” with Billy Crystal and Bette Midler where Bette’s character worries that they have become the “other grandparents”- the ones who are less close to the grandkids. If you’ve never seen it, it’s actually a pretty funny movie, but I digress. I know that it’s not unusual for there to be a certain inequality when it comes to how close a couple is to their parents. And then, by extension, the grandkids when they come along. Quite often, but not always, it’s the wife’s parents who get top billing. To some degree it makes sense- women tend to do more of the social planning, women tend to speak to their moms more than their mothers-in-law, men are less communicative, etc. But my daughter-in-law has never made me feel second rate. She is a wise person who seems to understand that the more people who love her little boy, the better. And as the mother of a son, perhaps she realizes that someday she could be in the same position I am in. I think there’s a line in the bible that specifically says, “do unto your husband’s mother as you would have done unto you.” Okay, maybe I made that up, but it should be in there. And in turn, mothers-in-law should try to be kind to whomever their kids bring home. I strongly believe in everyone trying to make it work. In addition, my DIL is simply a kind person. My son chose well."
July 30, 2025 at 11:46 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Latest update from Senator "we all are going to die" Joni Ernst, about the Emil Bove nomination.

(So insightful and informative! /sarcasm)
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding President Trump's judicial nominees. It is important for me to hear from folks in Iowa on matters such as this. In May 2025, President Trump nominated Mr. Emil Bove to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. While the president nominates individuals, the Senate has the constitutional authority to provide advice and consent, and ultimately, to either confirm or reject nominees. On June 25, Mr. Bove testified and answered questions during his nomination hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. After deliberation, senators on the committee voted to recommend the nomination to the full Senate favorably. Next, the full Senate will consider his nomination. Please know that I will continue to keep your views in mind as the Senate considers President Trump's nominees. Feel free to contact my office with any additional information, as I always enjoy hearing from Iowans. Sincerely, Joni K. Ernst United States Senator
July 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
@justinwolfers.bsky.social this is a lie, right? 🤔
A screenshot of Congressperson Randy Feenstra's post claiming that the "big beautiful" bill cuts deficits by $2 trillion.
June 26, 2025 at 1:21 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Here's the last one I got (yesterday). I'd love to know which Resistbot this is supposed to be in reference to! 🤔 I think he gets paid by the letter.
A long boring constituent "response" letter from Senator Grassley from Iowa.
June 19, 2025 at 8:25 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
It was in a published book I read a month or so ago! (And the character was supposedly a BOOK EDITOR.)
Photo of a book called The Rom-Commers showing a paragraph of text using "wah-lah" instead of voilá.
June 7, 2025 at 2:46 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
If my representatives in Congress hire people who just cut and paste different parts of sentences together without even fixing the fonts...I don't have a lot of confidence in their words.

I write every single day, and I get a lot of responses back that look just like this. It makes me angry.
A screenshot of an email from Senator Joni Ernst's office filled with too many different fonts to count, showing that an aide is just cutting and pasting from other documents to make something that vaguely resembles Frankenstein's monster, instead of a thoughtful response.
May 15, 2025 at 7:05 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
99 pages later...
The same character suddenly learned how to spell?

(This is not a plot point, by the way!)
Another screenshot from The Rom-Commers, showing that the author/editor does, in fact, know how to spell voilá.
May 11, 2025 at 7:01 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Wah-lah?
WAH-LAH?!

Who edited this book? I want to know!

WAH-freaking-LAH?
😭🤦🏻‍♀️😭
A photograph of a book called The Rom-Commers showing that the author used "Wah-Lah" TWICE instead of "voilá."
May 11, 2025 at 6:37 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
It's been eight days since I left a question on Nathan's post...still no response. And his latest post is just more of the same "ass-kicking" rhetoric. 👎🏻👎🏻
Screenshot of my post from 8 days ago: "I'm interested in hearing more about your thoughts on women's rights, and I'm curious if you have any women on your campaign staff? With attacks on our healthcare and now our voting rights (the SAVE Act), I'd love for our next Senator to be vocal about women (+ people of color, LGBTQ folks, etc.)" Screenshot of a post from *Nathan Sage for Iowa* published today saying: "I’m a mechanic, Marine, and sports radio host, raised in a trailer park in Mason City, Iowa. I'm fighting for a Democratic Party that people like me actually want to be a part of. I'm Nathan Sage. I'm running for US Senate. And I'm going to kick Joni Ernst's ass next November."
April 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
This doesn't feel like representative government...

Do your job, Grassley.
I appreciate hearing of your concern regarding deportations. From day one of their Administration, President Biden and Vice President Harris were unwilling to faithfully execute our immigration laws. Because of their actions, every state is now a border state. Under the Biden-Harris administration’s watch, over 8.8 million migrants illegally entered the United States across the southern border. Additionally, Fiscal Year 2021 shattered the record of illegal crossings, and the Biden-Harris administration tragically went on to break its own record in Fiscal Year 2022 and Fiscal Year 2023. The Biden-Harris border policies were simply reckless and America is less safe as a direct result. The main responsibility of the federal government is to protect Americans. From my standpoint, it is unfair to those participating in the immigration process legally to wait in backlogs for years while allowing millions of illegal immigrants to reside in the United States indefinitely. When making decisions about deportation, the Trump-Vance administration ought to prioritize deporting those who are criminals or are national security risks. In the past, I have supported legislation to require federal immigration authorities to deport illegal immigrants who have committed crimes. One example is the Laken Riley Act. This bill is named in memory of Laken Riley, who was also killed by an illegal immigrant. The Laken Riley Act will require the Department of Homeland Security to detain any illegal immigrant who committed larceny, theft, or shoplifted, before ultimately deporting them. Another example is Sarah’s Law, named in memory of Sarah Root, a young Iowan killed by an illegal immigrant who, because of a loophole on the books, had been released by federal law enforcement from custody. Sarah’s Law will ensure the detention of illegal immigrants who have been charged with a crime resulting in the death or serious bodily injury of another person. (Continued in comments.)
April 16, 2025 at 5:39 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
My Congressional representative manages to fit xenophobia, contempt for half the constituents in her district ("progressives" 😳) and a little anti-public health messaging all in one lil screenshot! It's time to vote out #marianettemillermeeks (R, IA-01)
A screenshot from Representative Marianette Miller-Meeks' weekly email, including a photo of several brown refugees purportedly on the US border with a white text overlay that says: "SAVE ACT: NO ILLEGAL ALIENS IN OUR ELECTIONS". There's also a paragraph of black text on a white background that reads "The SAVE Act has passed the House! Progressives had no problem forcing Americans to show proof of COVID vaccination just to eat, shop, even go to school. But when it comes to proving citizenship to vote, suddenly it's 'oppressive.' Their blatant hypocrisy is out in the open for everyone to see. Because of this bill, our elections are on the verge of being more secure than ever."
April 14, 2025 at 12:32 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
This email from Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) genuinely made me laugh out loud this morning. Go touch grass, Senator -- POTUS is a liar! (I know it, you know it, everyone knows it.)
Screenshot of an email from Senator Chuck Grassley, sent March 24th, 2025: "Dear Melissa: Thank you for taking the time to contact me about recent federal court decisions and the Trump administration. As your senator, it is important that I hear from you. I appreciate hearing of your concern regarding President Trump’s response to some federal court decisions. I expect the Trump administration to appeal several of these rulings. Like anyone involved in a lawsuit, the administration has the right to do that. Sometimes I may agree with those appeals and sometimes I may not, but the ability of any litigant to seek review of a judge’s decisions is a crucial part of due process. Ultimately, President Trump took an oath to follow the law, and I believe he is going to do that. You may be interested to hear that on February 11, 2025, President Trump said “I will always abide by the courts; and then I’ll have to appeal it.” Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. Sincerely, Chuck Grassley United States Senator"
March 24, 2025 at 5:41 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
It's both heartbreaking & terrifying to realize that the U.S. Senate has completely given up while telling constituents that Trump "wants the best for our country."

What I think is best:
* not dismantling the Department of Education
* not defunding Medicaid
* not rolling back EPA regulations...
A screenshot of an email from Senator Joni K. Ernst: Dear [name redacted], Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective on President Trump's administration. It is important for me to hear from folks in Iowa about matters such as this. No doubt Americans have firm disagreements on certain policies or events, but it is essential for all of us, regardless of our political beliefs, to engage in productive and respectful discussions with one another. We are stronger as a nation and as individuals when we remember that everyone wants the best for our country. Regardless of who is president, I will continue, as I always have, fighting for Iowa and our shared values, while working toward commonsense solutions with Democrats and Republicans to the challenges folks in every corner of our state are facing. Please know I will continue to keep your views in mind as I work for all Iowans. Feel free to contact my office in the future with any further information, as I always enjoy hearing from folks. Sincerely, Joni K. Ernst United States Senator
March 21, 2025 at 4:13 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Notice how it’s always “the Bible must inform our laws!” until it comes to the verses about welcoming the immigrant, helping the poor, feeding the hungry, bringing healthcare to the sick, forgiving debts, not charging interest, caring for our planet, laying down our swords, or loving our neighbors.
February 28, 2025 at 3:47 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
With the chills and lethargy, I'd maybe take a flu test, also. Hope you feel better soon!
Graphic from the CDC detailing symptoms common to cold (sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat) and flu (chills,.fatigue, chest discomfort, headache).
February 23, 2025 at 1:35 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
One of my FB friends shared this yesterday, and it rubbed me the wrong way. I've found that the parents who share things like this are also the ones who post all about their child's accomplishments in sports and academics. Those things are fun to share -- it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive!
Screenshot of a tweet from Shane Pruitt that reads: "Parents, one day of children will also stand before King Jesus, and He'll care little about their grades, batting averages, 3-point percentages, yards per carry, popularity, college transcripts, or class rank. How are we investing in their souls? The one thing He cares about."
February 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
melissapiece.bsky.social
I got a survey today from @iowademocrats.bsky.social, with a contribution request at the bottom. (I assume that's consistently at the bottom of every email they send, but still...)
Screenshot of an email from the Iowa Democratic Party, asking for donations
February 5, 2025 at 3:42 AM
melissapiece.bsky.social
Introduce yourself with one book, one film, one album, and one television show.
#BookSky 📚
#FilmSky 🎥🎬
#TVSky 📺
Book Cover: Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt (an animated girl with brown curly hair, wearing a long-sleeve green shirt and a brown cross-body bag, being "rained on" by a bunch of objects including a soccer ball, a yellow scarf, a pencil and a piece of paper, a book, a ball, and a couple of fall leaves) Movie Poster: Sense and Sensibility, starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (two stills from the movie showing the stars smiling in period clothing from Jane Austen's time period) Album Cover: The Mountain Song (single) by Tophouse (The cover is a blue bird, painted in profile looking left, with a crown of flowers on its head. There is a pale blue mountain in the background with a tan sky.) TV Show: Firefly, starring Nathan Fillion (A group of 9 people stand in the foreground, with the Earth in the upper-right corner and a futuristic spaceship across the top. The word "firefly" is written in a yellowy-gold flowy font.)
January 24, 2025 at 7:23 PM