FREEDOM

 "FREEDOM is not a state;

it is an act."

JL

JULY 2026

 

FIVE C's

CONNECTION

 COMPASSION

COPING 

COMMUNITY 

CARE

Every person

Every day

FEELINGS

 

"Don't be afraid to feel as angry or as loving as you can, because when you feel nothing, it's just death."

- Lena Horne

HOSPITAL VISIT

 Recently John was put into the hospital for issues with his diabetes. 

All is well now, and he is doing great. But it definitely made us take a look at what we are doing right and what we could be doing even better. 

No one wants to stay in the hospital for testing and monitoring. But how nice it is to see just how well a job you are doing at caring for this human body we have been given.

I am grateful for the wonderful staff, the all those who took care of John and all those who called to check on him and visited. 

We now know that his issues stemmed from a bad batch of insulin. But we also now know that he has really done a good job of taking care of himself. 

The visit was a scare. And I’m sad that it took so long to get help. But I’m pleased with all we learned. 

He even said he thinks we should start eating avocados. ( I have been trying to get him to eat avocados since we met.) Now he’s having avocado toast regularly! 

Again, something new! 

LEGOS

My children all played with legos. We had the big toddler type, then the regular ones. 

My son and daughter now have the fancy sets. 

And now my grandchildren have a few at my house. Just enough to build race cars with driver. 

But gosh darn if I don’t find all I piece under foot. 

The spy glass (why race car drivers have spyglasses I do not know), the helmets visor, the axel and some other price that truly looked like piece of a chicken nugget. 

No I don’t wear shoes in my home, and yes it’s always me that finds the missing legos. Painfully

Why?

WEEKEND

 We had a great weekend! 

We got to attend church with six grandchildren and snuggle the tiniest grandbaby. We got to have grandkids in our home. 

A dance party, backyard bubbles, forts and catching fireflies. 

Our hearts were filled when a fishing accident caused someone to only want Papaw to fix the injury, But broke when it came with pain. 

We took part in a memorial ride with friends, for a young man whom everyone cared for. It was a very good weekend.

26 MONDAYS

 

MISSING THEM LITTLE

 

JUST LOVE EVERYONE

 

2nd MOTHERS DAY

 Mark and Amanda sent me lovely treasures for Mother’s Day in May. They spoil me!

In June my son has acknowledged “Second Mothers Day” for years. It falls on the third Sunday in June. You may know it as Fathers Day. 

I think that Mark’s acknowledgment of 2nd Mother’s Day has said it all as to the lack of men in his life. But with that said… 

Today is Fathers Day and John received this perfect treasure from my Mark and Amanda for Father’s Day!

Says a lot about John and my son ♥️

LET’S STRIVE

 A person who works with their hands is a laborer. 

A person who works with their hands and head is a craftsman. 

A person who works with their hands and their head and their heart is an artist. 

Let’s strive to be artists. 

LET’S GO

GRANDKIDS IN MY KITCHEN

 

TWO YEARS AGO TODAY

 

NATIONAL BOURBON DAY

FORMIDABLE

Courage and grace are a formidable mixture. MD

Formidable: Bringing feelings of awe, admiration, or wonder because of excellence or magnitude.

MENTAL HEALTH TOOLKIT

 I thought this article did a good job of helping us prep a “pre-need” tool kit for when we need it most. 

Give it a read! 

https://nicenews.com/health-and-wellness/how-build-mental-health-tool-kit/

FLAG DAY

 HAPPY FLAG DAY!!!

THE PIERCING

MAYBERRIE’S GARDEN

 

TAKE THE RISKS

Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success.

DW

~I believe this with my whole heart. If you don’t take risks, you are not progressing, you are not growing, you are not truly living, you are not truly being you.

AM

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

 

SURROUND YOURSELF

 

“Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher.” ow

SUMMER MEMORIES

When I was a teen I went cruising with friends in one of these. Some of the best kids, good clean fun, having the time of our lives. Life was so GOOD!

RISE

 From the edge of the world…as I saw it!

Red sun rise

Red moon rise

Myrtle Beach🫶🏻

WORD OF THE DAY

 Jalopy

/jəˈläpē/

A jalopy is an old dilapidated and unreliable automobile. The term originated in the United States in the 1920s. Though its exact etymology remains a mystery, theories suggest it may trace back to the nickname for old, discarded vehicles.

HUMANITY

 

Humanity is a part of nature, 

not above it.”

​

– H F

WORLD OCEAN DAY

 Happy World Ocean Day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday John!!!

 

CREATE

 

Just start by creating your day. Then create your life."

- P

STORM ON THE WATER

 

ATLANTIC COAST

 

JUNE 2026

 

MEMORIAL DAY

 

RACE DAY

Today is the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

And we so happen to be in Indianapolis this morning! The talk at breakfast was all race this and race that. The televisions all had race info and commentary. 

The sky is overcast, but it’s not raining, so I bet all the race goers are happy. 

We are making our way out of town. Happy to have had the opportunity to see Indy as we make the last leg of our full circle weekend. 

OH CANADA

 

“Growing older gracefully means having a keen curiosity about learning things about the world that you didn’t know yesterday, no matter how many yesterdays you’ve had.”

​

– PL

We are all aging, daily, but as I do I’m trying to take the opportunity to reduce stress, love more, cultivate my environment and my curiosity. And take every opportunity to experience new! 

Yesterday we went to Canada. Another first for me. 

Yes, I checked it off the bucket list, but truly I think it just opened my North American bucket list far 

far more! 

Growing old beautifully! 

🍁

TRUTH

 

“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”

​

– THEODORE ROOSEVELT

JUNGLE JIM’S

 INTERNATIONAL MARKET

4450 Eastgate S Dr, Cincinnati, OH 

&

4450 Eastgate S Dr, Cincinnati, OH

 

We went to Both!!!

ORDINARY

  “Never love anyone who treats you like you're ordinary,”

;

 A darling friend ended her life this week. Never would I have imagined that her life would end this way. 

Everything about her seemed so great, so perfect. She was a truly charming and accomplished young woman, with so much future ahead of her. 

To say this was a shock to everyone, is a fact. No one who knew her could have imagined this. 

Our lives were all better for having known her. She was such a great person. 

Her death is truly unbelievable. I cannot wrap my head around this at all. 

Everyone who knew Avery is deeply saddened. 

She was loved.

COURAGE

 

Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.

THE VOICE OF NATURE

Happy 100th Birthday to Sir David Attenborough!

 

“It seems to me that the natural world is the great source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”

IN THE YARD

 

MEANING & PURPOSE

 

BELIEVE

Your mind will always believe what you tell it. 

So fill it with hope, 

fill it with truth, 

but most of all, fill it 

with love. 

 

LET IT GO

 

MEANINGFUL MAY