The text came in the afternoon.
I recognized the name right away.
It is someone I know from my local grocery store.
I have not seen her in a while.

She is a single mom.
She works at the grocery store; the last I heard, she was put on night shift.
She works while her children are asleep, which means she is probably exhausted.
I am proud of her and have told her so; she works very hard for her children.

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I have a problem with flying.
It is not a matter of fear.
It is because of something that happens every time I fly.
Flying affects my ears.

I have heard advice after advice.
Chew gum. (I do)
Yawn. (I have tried that)
Move your jaw from side to side. (Does not do anything)

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This year we had two granddaughters at the beach.
The year before, there was only one.
As God allows, each year is full of possibilities.
My husband and I welcome as many grandbabies as God sends to our family.

This year our oldest granddaughter was 14 months old at the beach.
We were excited to see her reaction when she saw the ocean.
It could go either way, someone had said.
There is no way to know how a toddler will react to something beforehand.

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Some new apartments are being built near a grocery store.
Construction is always interesting to me.
It is often difficult to imagine the finished product.
From foundation, framing, and installation of windows, the process is intriguing.

These particular apartments are close to the road.
What used to be open field is now concrete.
I could hear farmer, author, and poet, Wendell Berry, protest.
I could hear his lament for open spaces.

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I used to love my little six inch ruler.
In fact, the ruler I had when I was a girl, is in my desk drawer in the kitchen.
It is nothing fancy.
I have no idea why I kept it all these years.

I have a twelve inch ruler as well in the same drawer.
That was a later purchase.
I probably bought that for my children.
That twelve inch ruler is made of wood with a metal edge.

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I had the privilege of speaking at an all day women’s retreat this past weekend.
It is always a privilege to be asked to speak.
It is a privilege to teach the Word of God to the women.
I do not take these opportunities lightly.

I knew where the retreat was to be held.
I had been there before.
However, I had not been to the particular building where this retreat was taking place.
My GPS was directing me.

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My daughter called to tell me a story.
She knew that I would appreciate it.
She knew it would make me smile.
She knew that it would bring back memories.

This daughter is the mother of my grandchild.
We have a sweet moment captured on video from when she was about fifteen months old.
She toddled to the pantry when the door was open.
She began to play.

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When I get toys out for the children who come to my home, I see the boxes.
They are on the top shelf of the toy closet.
They were enjoyed by my children.
They have remained in their original boxes for many years.

Children have to be a certain age before they can open those boxes.
A prerequisite is that they have to know how to read.
They also have to be a certain age to understand the story they are reading.
They have to be old enough to think critically.

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I have cookbooks in my kitchen on the shelf above my desk.
The cookbooks I have there are my favorites.
However, they are not the ones I go to most of the time.
The ones I go to most of the time, I made myself.

The newspapers used to have a food section each week.
That food section included recipes.
I found many delicious recipes that way.
I have made many of those recipes through the years.

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We have so many books in our house.
There are currently nine large bookshelves in various rooms.
There are four bookshelves in the living room alone.
There are three bookshelves on the bridge that overlooks the family room and foyer.

I know every book.
I have not read every book.
Some are reference books and are meant to be looked at from time to time.
Other books are on my to-read list.

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