July is the birth month of three of our grandchildren and a best friend, Nan’s Mom, Carolyn Sheldon.  Our grandchildren are two of Hildy and Dan’s kids, Heather Lightfoot Withrow, and Jack Evan Lightfoot, and Dave’s first born, Russ Nordstrand. 

Heather

Jack

Russ

        Aren’t they a great looking bunch?  We are so proud of them. These photos are from around 1980… two not long before, and one shortly thereafter.

Found this in a little magazine.  It appealed to my “sense of things:”

        “Every year, in Ketcham, Idaho, the local sheep are fetched from the high country and taken to the low country for a pre-winter feeding.  A minister blesses the band as it passes through the center of town, and another “Trailing of the sheep” is complete.

        Always taking the same path has a certain orderly quality and continuity, but we humans are more complicated than sheep. We fret in the rut, strain against the same old, same old.  So why not step out of that line?  Go somewhere you haven’t gone before, see something you haven’t seen, taste something you’ve never eaten.  Take a different path to work.  Volunteer.  Breathe deeply….”

-Alan Berner-

One of my favorite stories of memories of my Dad, which I have called “Bogus Diagnosis” was published this month by Northwest Prime Time.  (See it in the "Dorothea Writes" link to left)

        We have a very showy deep rose-colored hydrangea in bloom outside of our back door.  It is framed by a full in bloom jasmine vine.  I never tire of seeing (and smelling) that lovely combination.

July 24..

        Just received a happy e-mail from our daughter, Hildy, informing us that their daughter, Heather, son-in-law, Thomas, and our two G-Gkids, Skyler and ‘Tasia have arrived for a good, long visit from their too-far-away home in Maryland.

        Heather and the children expect to stay about a month.  Thomas will not be able to be here that long.  He will be accompanying the U. S. Deaf Track Team to Venezuela to compete in the Deaf Pan American Games as Coach.

Heather and her family had a special 4th of July before they left their home in Maryland. She sent me an e-mail:

Happy Belated 4th to you all!

We went up to Frederick, MD where Dale (Thomas' brother) and Judith lives now and saw the nieces and nephews at a yard/house party right across the street from the park that was the epicenter of the festivities.  There was loud music blaring there all day. There was volleyball playing in the backyard (I joined, of course), kids passing around a football on the front yard, and on the street were food vendors for the people in the park. Both Tasia and Skyler LOVED the city fireworks, they also looked behind us/themselves probably to see our shadows from the bright displays.  More than a handful of brief but heavy rainshowers passed through- we, the people- huddled under the porch roof. It did not dampen our spirits!  Thankfully it kept the heat down to a comfortable temperature.

I told the host Ben Bahan (who lives in that house) that moving there in the first place for the sole purpose to enjoy 4th of July in this setting was a very good reason! (jk jk) 

Subject: Inner Peace

 Received from Carolyn, who says she got it from her sister:

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. 

Dr Phil proclaimed:

"The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished." 

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Vodka, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates. 

You have no idea how good I feel.

And, this from John and Nan when they were in the Pend O’Reille country…

July 11…

“Hi Mom, Dad, & Mam, (Mam is Carolyn, Nan’s Mom)
Just a quick note from the library at Kettle Falls - we've had a terrific trip - had a great visit with Eleanor at the Lake with beautiful weather and water. Met Linda Scheer on our way out in Spokane, who arranged a meeting with the Bamonte's, (Local history writers, Mam) and really enjoyed visiting with them - they're a really fun couple. Arrived in Newport Monday and visited with Bill Piper, Then to Tiger for two nights with our tent on the bank overlooking the river and Tiger Landing, had a wonderful breakfast and morning at Lee & Curt's home in Tiger, a fabulous bbq at Phyllis & Walt's home in Metaline last night...searched for Middleport today...still at the library searching for whatever we can find...
All goes well.  We are having a terrific time.
Nan and John”

        John has managed to get himself appointed as some kind of long distance assistant to the Tiger Historical Museum. He's looking forward to being involved with the folks there, and learning more about the local history, too.

Thought for today:

Life is a mirror.  If you frown at it, it frowns back.  If you smile, it returns the greeting.

-Thackery

Dixie/Dorothea, Senior Editor

(Note - Dan & Hildy have listed a lawnmower in the Classified link to left)

Home Page: Dixie-Press.com

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