What’s Really Going On Here?

Do you ever look at a person and immediately formulate an opinion about them, be it by their clothes, their hair, their tattoos, etc.? It’s easy to do. It’s easy to look at someone and decide right then and there that there is something wrong with them or something unpleasant enough that you want to keep your distance. But is there really something wrong with them? Are they really unpleasant to be around? Does their pink hair really mean they’re starved for attention? Do their whole-body tattoos mean they have low self-esteem? Does their revealing clothing really mean they have loose morals? Maybe. Probably not. But, if you don’t look deeper, you’ll never find out.

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Making Lemonade

The best advice, when life hands you lemons, is to make lemonade. Not always an easy thing to do. Well, I’ve been handed some lemons. Lots of lemons. Cancellations have been flooding in – AGAIN. Between school starting, this new covid variant, and threats of violent weather, people were opting not to travel to Vicksburg. August is usually our month of European travelers. But, we all know they are still forbidden to travel to the US. So . . . . here we sit. Again. With a houseful of empty rooms and a lap full of lemons.

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It’s Only Hair Until It’s YOUR Hair

It’s been almost 4 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s certainly one of those days that I’ll probably remember for the rest of my life. It’s the day your life changes and the day your routine is interrupted, and your life gets arranged for you by everyone except you.

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Sshhh – I’m Not Rooting For the Home Team

I enjoy watching the Olympics, but I don’t get to see as many events as I’d like. In years past, I recorded them on my DVR but there are so many events I don’t care to watch, that it gets tiresome fast-forwarding past them to get to the good juicy events I really want to see. This go round I’ve seen almost no events, but I did catch some highlights. One constant for me is that I almost always find myself rooting for the unexpected underdog who shows up out of nowhere with overwhelmingly high scores and blows everybody else out of the water. Or wins by a nose. You know? That athlete that sneaks up on everyone who is supposed to win and steals that medal. The one nobody is watching. Yeah, that person.

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My Plan To Plan Has Failed the Planning Phase

If you’re like me, you’re a planner. I like things to be organized. I like lists. I organize my lists. I plan my time to make my lists. It’s a vicious cycle. But, it’s a necessary step for me. Lists keep me on task and provide a sense of accomplishment when I cross things off the list. I like to cross things off the list.

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The 81-Year Grudge

I love the 4^th of July! It’s one of my favorite holidays. I’ve said it before, several times, I love all things patriotic. Patriotic music always makes my chest swell with pride. Putting my hand over my heart during the national anthem reminds me of all the sacrifices our founding fathers endured so that we can have the freedoms we enjoy today.

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When the Dancing Gets Tough

I love to dance. Especially the noisy dances. The dances where you stomp your feet, tap your toes, and click your heels. Tap dancing, Irish dancing, Flamenco dancing, clogging, country line dancing, you name it, I love doing it. Now, I’m not especially good at it, mind you, but it’s fun and I really enjoy participating in this type of activity.

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A Mother’s Tear

Memorial Day means different things to different people. Lots of people attribute this long weekend with the beginning of summer. For some it’s a day off work, a day to sleep in, a day to cook outside. It’s a time for camping, boating, backpacking, backyard BBQ’s and more. Some people think of it as the last days of the school year. Some people look forward to super savings with Memorial Day sales at department stores. And that’s all good. But let us NEVER forget the true importance of this holiday – that we honor the men and women of our armed forces whose sacrifices allow us to live in a (still) free country.

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More Downs Than Ups

Last week was a very long, very overwhelming, and very frustrating week. It seems like every single thing was a struggle. Electronics weren’t working the way they were supposed to, guests weren’t acting the way they normally do, jars wouldn’t open, knives wouldn’t cut, food wouldn’t cook, life was just one giant curve ball. Nothing was easy.

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When God Uses the Post Office

The time has arrived! And that’s a very good thing. We’ve reached a point here at the Baer House where it has once again become necessary to hire help. That’s a good problem to have because that means we’re busy. When the Covid unpleasantness hit last year and there was so much confusion and fear and everything was forced to shut down, I had to let my housekeeper go, for obvious reasons. No use having someone come to clean guest rooms when there aren’t any guests, just lonely dark rooms.

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