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Hi Friends: How is everyone doing, in the aftermath? I’m still so very sad and shocked about Charlie Kirk’s passing.  Are you as well? Sad more than shocked? What a wonderful, Godly man.  What’s not to love about someone with courage to share their faith in God.  Charlie wasn’t seeking power but the Truth he proclaimed made him powerful?  And threatening...to some? I don’t understand why someone would choose darkness and deceit over truth and light?  Head-scratcher.  Thank God we all have free will to choose .  I love Jesus with all my heart and choose Him.  I love His promise of eternal life through faith.  I love the sacrifice he made on the cross; his forgiveness sin; his sinlessness.  His generosity. The world is so selfish. Jesus is, was and always will be so generous. The fact that there is nothing whatsoever that we can do (save for faith in Him) to enter the Kingdom is mind-boggling. He did it all for us. (Friendly reminder: the Kingdom is in you. I add this because I think it's one of the coolest understandings of the bible: seek the Kingdom. The Kingdom is in you...PTL) Are you thinking:  She’s probably gonna get shot over saying all that? Anyone who knows the Bible knows that Christians will be severely persecuted in the final days.  Paul said, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12) “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.  And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other” (Matthew 24:9-10) Charlie Kirk wasn’t afraid to share his faith. Are you?   Here’s how I see it: -Clam-up and go along to get along in a world full of inherent sinners destined for death. Or, stand up with courage in the Word and reap life-everlasting? Here’s the thing.  With all due respect, I don’t care what anyone else thinks and believes in. Naturally, I want to share my faith with others. But at the end of the day…I won’t lose sleep over anyone’s choice to choose otherwise. Well, maybe a little sleep if it was a child or grand-child... So, ya, it’d be nice to believe as I do and not have to contemplate bullets?  And it would have been nice if Charlie Kirk had been left alone to believe, speak and live as he chose.   If some loon feels compelled because of my faith in the Bible to shoot me, there's little I or anyone else can do.  But, I know where I’m headed and I’m confident knowing where shooters are off to, too. Freewill.  Choose wisely!  RIP beautiful, amazing man: Charlie Kirk. Thank you for reading and God Bless you! Love, Shelley RIP Charlie Kirk

They’re heeeeere…The Movers! Actually the packers are here today.  Movers are tomorrow. Everything is going smoothly except one peculiar aspect. All our friends and family have gone mysteriously AWOL? How can that be?  Where on earth is everyone?? I’ve texted, called and emailed you all!  Has early September become the new get-away time? Truth be known, I’d be cryptically out of town if friends or family contacted me around (or on!) their moving day. Kidding, I didn’t try to reach anyone. Who would do that? Anyone who has ever moved knows it is the most dreaded, uprooting event one can endure in a lifetime. Moving could break up a family! NOT kidding. And then some... Growing up, one (at least one!) of the bazillion coast to coast moves my family made nearly busted up my parents marriage. Geographical change yanks on nerves, patience and commitment, bar none! Expressions albeit expressionless After all the angst and worry over moving [twice] after 33 years in the same house, I’m surmising that my parents stayed married for 73 years because they endured and survived move after move after move after move... If your marriage can survive 10+ long distance (or short distance) moves, your marriage probably has the wherewithal to cross the finish line. The silver lining is, once you get past miserable packing, loading and hauling...unpacking and settling in is kinda fun?? For me, the worst part is just thinking too much about "what if"!! Jeff and I thought we’d be settled in to the darn new house by May ‘25 at the latest.  Wishful thinking! I also thought we’d be hosting a housewarming party by July ‘25.  Ya, sure.  Way wishful thinking.  If we’re still married after tomorrow and we ever do get a housewarming party on the books, I hope y'all will attend!! SO! Our two-bedroom condo is all packed up.  Now, all we have to do is lay awake waiting for the sun to come up tomorrow. Speaking of our two-bedroom Buckhead condo in the Astoria building on Peachtree Road.  She’s For Sale!  If you happen to know anyone who may be interested in purchasing this little jewel give us a shout. The location and layout is absolutely supreme: 2233 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 503, 30309.    The view faces beautiful greenery to the west and also faces slightly north toward Buckhead’s iconic skyline.  There is a 24-hour concierge that is top notch and the shared amenities (gym, common area, lobby, pool, etc.) are immaculate and professionally maintained.  There is also a lovely guest suite ($100/night) for out-of-town company desiring private space. We don’t have it officially priced as of yet but will land in the 600k vicinity. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley “Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

Hi Friends: How was your Labor Day weekend?  Pool and barbecue?  Though Jeff and I did peak at a pool for a minute we didn't do the whole barbecue thing. Does anyone really do that on Labor Day? Speaking of barbecues, I made deviled eggs for the first time this week.  Have you ever made them? All credit goes to my dear cousin, Jodi, who whipped up a dozen in no time while we were at the beach together.  Delish!  (Thank you, Jo.) Creamy, tangy, and salty with a smidge of sweet The beach and deviled eggs = happy time Jeff and I played pickleball in a round robin mixer at Ansley Golf Club over Labor Day weekend.  We intended on snapping a group pic ( if there’s no pic it didn’t happen ) but vein-rushing adrenaline rendered a pic insignificant. Round robin mixers are a fave!  Both men and women participate in mixers and there is scant time for breaks. Hustle, hustle.  A survival of the fittest energy doesn't stop until it's over. Here’s the best part of yesterday’s round robin mixer. Backstory :  Earlier in the summer Jeff and I played in a pickleball league.   We did well in every match except one.  The one we didn’t do well in...we pretty much sucked to the nth degree.  We got our booties whooped in front of the club crowd is what happened.  Walking off the court that night felt like showing up to class with no clothes on. The couple that massacred us in the league was at the round robin Monday.  We hadn’t seen them since the pickle-pounding a couple months ago.  I played with and against each of them and experienced sweet ( sweet! ) old-lady victory and redemption in all games!  Praise. The. Lord. Other than that, we spent time outside around a golf course and inside our beloved church.  Bobby Jones Golf Course God and glove lover here The Sweeneys Labor Day weekend was pleasant as pie. I did not make this tasty-looking pie. But maybe I will one day...and maybe not... What's next? A major move to the new house!!!!!!!!! There are mountains to climb and rivers to swim. Prayers appreciated. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley  Looks like Summer Beach, Amelia Island Truer words were never spoken...IMHO

“Grande Brow” may sound like a ladies only blog and product but it’s not.  Men experience thinning eyebrows too. Madarosis (loss of eyelashes or eyebrows) is gender neutral. Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s when I had a thriving unibrow, I didn't appreciate it and ended up plucking and waxing the literal life right out of it.  That, along with transitioning facial features, caused the brow hairs to give up on growing.   For the last few years, I’ve had to fill in a half-inch of space on each brow.  Recently, I asked an aesthetician if there was anything hard-core pluckers could do to reignite eyebrows?   That question was actually unintentional because I truly  thought I knew the answer:  Nope, you blew it, shoulda stayed away from that tweezer and wax.  Yanks ‘em out by the roots.  Goners… Turns out I don’t know everything.  She recommended Grande Brow saying she'd heard from patients that it worked. Grande what? —I’ve been using Grande Brow for almost two months and am shocked  by the results.  My brows arena’t lush like back in the day but they are positively filling in.   You’re supposed to give it four months so I’m pleased to see several hairs (with pigment) in just over a month’s time.   As with most things, adhering to the instructions is crucial.  I apply it like a soldier and so far I’m gaining on the brow loss war.  Looking to fill in your brows?  Give Grande Brow a try! Thank you for reading!  Love, Shelley Eyebrows count Fell in love with this Circa 1930s stuffed tiger at the Marburger Atlanta Antique & Design show a week ago. Price: $350. Maybe the guy just didn't want to sell him? (I'm working on updating this site. It's reduced to a mom-only blog. No more daughters...except for one on the IT side...they divorced me. The triangle stays (me, myself and I) Thanks, again, y'all. #grandebrow

We’re not getting divorced. But we're dreaming about greener grass, wherever. Because that’s what you do when you upsize your house at 63-years-old to a “smart” home in a poppin’ neighborhood after 33 years in a dumb, Cape Cod bungalow starter place. Oh to just have simple light switches like back in the 70s. The technology in the new home is supposedly smarter than we are. Not sure if that’s true but it does have a mind of it’s own, mysteriously. We’re working on out-smarting it, tomorrow. When we lived in the Cape Cod bungalow the neighbors next door planned a whole renovation that never came to fruition.  They got divorced. Every lot in our new community has sold except the one (#30) right next to us.  #30 went under contract but...they got divorced. Dicey.. Moving is dang stressful…but…we’re not getting divorced.  Unless Jeff filed today. In that case, we are getting divorced.  I won’t know for sure until he gets home in a couple hours. Lord have Mercy I don’t know how my parents stayed married after dozens of moves.  Several of them coast to coast.  There were some close calls though. I can tell you that much. In spite of periodically wanting to cry in a closet all day we are going to power through this metamorphosis.  We’re not getting divorced.  (If only I could have gotten Jeff to move all those years ago.  Kidding. Mostly I didn’t want to move tbh.) If you are of an ancient age, facing an upsize move, and desire to not get divorced here’s what I suggest: Don’t talk to each other too much Exert eye contact wisdom If you have a question, maybe text it Cry whenever, where ever, why ever, just burst out (Jeff does it all the time.  Kidding.  I don’t either but wish I could. Are tears internal wealth we’re all afraid to spend or share?) Know that the grass is only greener when you get through all the hard **** on your side. The grass is not greener on “the other” side.  Trust me, both sides (old house and new house) of us got divorced.  It was not greener over there. When it looks like there’s no end and all you see are wrinkles and grey hair: Praise to the Lord .  Praise Him when life is wonderful and praise him when life is less than wonderful.  Ahhh, His presence is divine. We are not getting divorced. Praise the Lord. Cheers to the King of Kings in all things. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley Obsessed with this rug and wallpaper High gloss ceiling The hideous layer rug in back ground is going bye bye Rugs make major difference If we do get divorced, meet the other woman. She's black and beautiful...to Jeff Baby stages of the workout room High ris'n 'til it all happens 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Hi Friends, I hope everyone had a 2025 Independence Day blast? We did the whole 4th of July thing...and managed to survive with some hearing in tact.  Have fireworks always been that loud?  One reason we attended a beach club extravaganza was to meet people, which we did, thankfully. But an unexpected highlight was spending time at the party with friends from Atlanta. Oh well. Familiarity is easier. We're old and appreciate easy. At least I do. Long Point Golf Course transformed into a food and music fest. Specatular show. Albeit too loud. With #249th celebration behind us, I keep wondering who my first girlfriend(s) will be to our Florida home.  Sharing is our favorite thing to do. I’ve never been a “girls weekend” kind of gal but I do want a friend or two to visit the beach-blessing that Jeff and I call a get-away pad.  But here’s the thing ( fear? ): I’ve talked this place up too much? Perhaps you’ll think, Meh, not as cool as she makes it out to be?  Nice, but not that  nice. It's a four-four but the fourth bedroom is a bunk room with a young person’s theme and the bath (full) is also the house guest-bath.  The lower bunks (probably top too, haven't been up there) are very comfortable.  Jeff and I lounge on them from time to time.  It's cute but as mentioned, it's a kids room, per se. Upstairs, the front guest room looks out over a pool and boasts lovely sunsets.  The front guest room has an ocean view with, if you're lucky, amazing sunrises!! How can you determine if someone is exaggerating, over-selling? You gotta see for yourself!  And that’s what I hope you will do, soon.  I truly am anxious to know who my first girl guest will be. Thank you for reading (visit me)! Love, Shelley The beach outside our place is truly beautiful. It's not far from Georgia but you definitely know you're not in Georgia. Evening walks are a favorite. Long Point Golf course This guy can be seen around town giving out free advice. These two girls were really into it for a long time. Darn, caught him blinking. We graduated from rental bikes and love the upgrade. The neighborhood is on the beach but the streets are lined with live oaks.

Hi Friends: Are you enjoying Father’s Day with significant men in your life this weekend?   I’ve always liked celebrating Father’s Day.  It’s not the big deal that Mother’s Day seems to be but if you have a dear-old dad, now or once upon a time, then I assume you like celebrating Father’s Day too? Did you know Mother’s Day became a national holiday 58 years before Father’s Day?  Fifty-eight years seems like a long time for men to get their own Hallmark appreciation cards. Anna Jarvis, who initiated the first Mother's Day service of worship and celebration at Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, wouldn't appreciate my Hallmark joke. She, and others, were disappointed that it became commercialized. President Woodrow Willson signed a proclamation in 1914 designating Mother's Day a national holiday followed by President Nixon doing the same for Father’s Day in 1972.  If you’ve ever read or stalked my blogs you know mom gets a lot of attention.  So I thought I’d share a few photos and thoughts about dear-old dad.  He was a dear dad.  Not perfect, of course, but dear for certain. My dad was soft-spoken and gentle.  He had a few good friends, not a far-reaching social circle.  He loved domesticated animals yet also hunted.  Does it seem like a contradiction to say dad was gentle and sensitive but also hunted? Yes, he killed animals in the wild (and, yes we consumed them).  But dad would never (ever) shoot down human spirit or passion.   Have you ever known someone who, on one hand would never hunt, but on the other hand would stamp-out passion and enthusiasm?   My favorite memory of dad is how much he loved my girls. Papa won that big bunny at Circus Circus in Vegas for Savanna and Diana. She rode back to Atlanta on Delta. And there she is with Diana in ATL Reading to Savanna. Savanna's hand looks like the hand of a childhood baby doll of mine. Always willing to read Faded from sight but vivid in heart. Thank you for reading (about Father's Day)! Love, Shelley Together 72 years, married for 69

Hi Friends: I hope you are doing well?  Spring is in sight.   Twenty twenty-five is the best year ever?   I declare it here and now!  Agree? For moi, spending portions of ‘25 in Florida will ensure that declaration comes to fruition (as will the dear Lord’s blessing on such).   I’m also praying to get a visit from you  in ‘25, in Florida? How could being in Florida, on the beach, be anything short of the best year ever?  Even if one just vacationed in Florida for a week or weekend?  Heaven.   Well, at least I thought Florida was heaven. Reality checks are so un-heavenly. Here's what happened: I stopped at Harris Teeter on the way home from Target.  I needed a small bottle of Woolite (Target only had king-sized options).  Recently, I bought one of those fancy sports bras that T. Swizzle was pictured in during the Era’s tour. You gotta check this bra out:  Life changing potential ! Even if you're a man, check it out for a lady in your life. Woolite was for the bra. I got distracted by a couple other products in Harris Teeter.  Mascara. It was a Covergirl mascara that looked worth trying and with it came a scant dose of retail therapy.  I’m always game for trying drugstore cosmetics to maybe fall in love with.  Most things hit the trash, but you never know. Best of all, this Covergirl mascara was on sale . When I got to the self-checkout I realized I didn’t have the darn shopper’s card needed to reap the dollar-something savings. I know, hilarious when you consider the sticker price on the bra recommended above. One that I hope to soon have in all colors. You gotta check it out. Dilemma:  Do I leave the mascara on top of the gum and breath mints and forget about it? Or, just pay the extra dollar-something?  I began channeling my late mother, a child of the Great Depression who refused to overpay for anything. Preschool was when I learned about frugality. I mashed the Call Attendant button.  A young guy working the self check-out lines was close by.  A forty-five degree turn is all it took to help me.  Full disclosure: I felt stupid wanting the shopper's card scanned but I was stymied by chip-off-the-old-block imprisonment. I said: “I don’t have my shopper’s card.” Assuming I could read his mind: This lady must be down on her luck: mascara, Woolite, kumquats…no shoppers card? Eye contact with him was out of the question. The young man had on sturdy, dark-rimmed glasses.  Thick.  Coke bottle glasses may be the most predictable platitude for describing such, but it’s true .  And I don’t mean a ‘25 bottle of Coke, these were 1950 glasses. The young man scanned the anyone-can-use barcode and I thanked him post haste. But he didn’t budge.  Not a single movement for what felt like eons over my left shoulder.  This guy's close-range stare bore into the side of my face from barely inside peripheral view.   Valiantly ignoring the awkwardness but not the fact that no dang discount popped on the screen, I endured the never-ending seconds. Finally, the nice-enough guy began to back away saying, “Would you like a senior discount too?”  A what?? Did he say what I think he said?? Surely he noticed that no shopper's discount applied, as well?  Was he pitying my three purchases and desire to get a discount for them? Was he scrutinizing the number and depth of wrinkles on my face thus taking the liberty to, then and there, cast me into senior discount qualification status? What tha…? Why that little piece of corral cookie! “Sure” I said "I'll take that discount."  Presto: A percentage came off of all three items but with them also came a stinking [reality check] senior discount.  Holy Mother of Pearl. Wind was punched out of my blissfully ignorant psyche, no turning back.  February 20, 2025 marks the first time being asked if I’d like a bloody senior discount.  Answer: NO, yes, maybe…I don’t know… Holy Mother of Pearl.  Who, over 50, wouldn’t look like a senior citizen at point blank range?  And through ¼ inch 1950 lenses to boot? As I walked with my punched-in-the-gut ego to the car I wondered if the checkout dude said  “a” senior discount or “your” senior discount?  Big difference, right?  “A” senior discount may suggest he was doing me a favor?  Showing compassion for the three items I wanted a shoppers card for but which proved useless. If he said, “your” senior discount, then that implies something altogether more alarming?  Was he, after carefully inspecting the side of my face, confident that I was at the final curtain call of knocking on heaven’s door?  Oh my. There she is Kidding aside,  I'm a happy  60-something (soon to be 60-something else) grandma!  And, no, I don't wish to go back to being 30, 40, or 50. Being (looking) like an authentic grandma is a gift from the Lord above.  But, jeepers-creepers, the discount fiasco at Harris Teeter was an unheavenly reality check to be sure. That incident won't dampen my love for Florida  or my fellow seniors down here (there are a lot of us) though.  And, more notably, channeling some other aspect of my mother will have to fill her otherwise dissipating void.  I’m done with ludicrous discount shopping, mom.   In a way, I kinda thank that guy for shining light on the inevitable... A lot of us in Florida are indeed knocking on heaven’s door from a proverbial heaven-on-earth distance.  Visit soon. See for yourself, in 2025. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley “The righteous will flourish in old age, bearing fruit and proclaiming that the Lord is upright” Psalm 92,12-15 “A poetic description of aging urges people to commit their lives to God while they are young” Ecclesiastes  12:1-7 “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent” Psalm 71:9 “I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age” Isaiah 46:4 Photos don't capture God's beauty when he tells the sun to rise each day. Indescribable. Checking out that ship up close and personal Valentine's Day 2025 The sun wasn't that color at all. Beauty!

Hi There: Happy New Year?  Did you have a pleasant evening on 12/31?  Cheers! May it be a wonderful and blessed year for you and those you love. Hellooo beach, 2025! Fernandina Beach, Florida continues to charm and delight.  Right now, the ocean has glittering diamonds of all shapes and sizes spread over a third of it. The other two-thirds is a deep, cozy, blue-green, throw-blanket as far as the eye can see. The one-third diamond area is a heating pad through the window.  Pearl has a thick fur coat but she enjoys the radiating warmth.  It’s winter, after all.  Pictures never capture the organic majesty of what we see at the end of Sea Chase Drive.  God’s view, tbh.  Private beyond exclusivity.  When I’m not here I wish to be here.  (Before long the window where Pearl is sitting will be replaced with one that doesn’t have a support thing in it.) This morning a bald eagle sailed over the ocean like he owned every drop of water and every washed-ashore foam bubble.  He convinced me he did. Birds are ever-changing entertainment.  Ocean, dunes, blue sky, massive ships and our symbol of strength hang out over the Atlantic on any given morning.  No camera could ever capture the trance. No wonder Lynyrd Skynyrd was inspired to write Free Bird around here. As a human I feel like a Free Bird at the end of Sea Chase Drive.  Trance-like. This paraglider cruises by our windows from time to time. Love this guy. A day in the life…You write the rest… Can you believe we moved out of 2103 McKinley?  Sometimes I can’t believe it.  What’s most incredible is that I don’t miss it.  Not even a bit.  Zippo. There’s a little sadness from time to time for sweet Pearl.  She’s the only one that misses McKinley Road.  She had a great life there.  But she thinks the beach house is okay and she’s hoping the new Atlanta place will be okay too, one day. In the meantime, we’re living in a two-bedroom condo. Small but cozy.  (I guess you would know.  You’ve seen it….) Since it’s a temporary place, and has been a minute since we’ve lived any where on earth other than McKinley, I’m hankering to share the small, thrown-together lair with others. Don’t ask why. It’s a mystery (Jeff’s shoes make it especially share-worthy, maybe that’s why?). Back to Beach Bliss: We’re a short drive to Jekyll Island and also to Jacksonville, FL (Lynyrd Skynyrd home :) from Sea Chase Drive.  Jeff and I biked 11 miles around Jekyll on New Year’s Day.  Been doing this for over 20 years.  We had a really cool camera to capture the island’s beauty…but this is the only pic taken that day. We were driving home and sitting at a stop sign (lol) Diana and Elijah were our first beach guests ever.  They came down the day after Christmas.  It was a little cloudy while they were here.  We chartered a small boat and headed to Cumberland Island with them.  It was fun.  I’m not a total boatie but it was a lovely outing.  Dolphins came close to the boat.  I’ll go out on a boat to see dolphins with these two any day. That’s all for now.  I miss you very much. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley Downtown Amelia Island was the most vibrant, Christmas-festive town I have ever spent Christmas in Mid-rise living Do you like this little rug in the guest bath? Yes! All that blue is ocean! The paper on the door is a note that asks people to please remove their shoes inside. It stays there while we are away and others look after the house.

A few years ago, while taking a creative writing course, I wrote a story from my dog's perspective.  I edited and proofread that bugger like my future depended on it. Even non-dog people would love it, I was certain ! Especially the course instructor. "It's good, but nobody wants to read about animal perspectives any more", the instructor commented, "they’re stale prose. Try again…" Several more pets have come and gone from our lives since that particular dog.  Pearl, a cat, is our latest.  You guessed it! Pearl is purring with joy to share her perspective about what it’s like to travel back and forth from Atlanta to Florida with her humans, me and Jeff.  Pearl says: The 5 1/2 hour drive goes relatively quickly . We leave early in the morning, about 7 a.m. Thankfully, the humans pack a lunch so that there isn’t a long, tiresome wait for me in the car while they waste time in a restaurant.  But I do wish the lady human would refrain from packing Florida yellowfin confit tuna sandwiches.  The aroma is mouthwatering and I can't have a single bite. She says it will upset my stomach. She's right about that. As a matter of fact, I’m not allowed to eat or drink anything in the car.  Zippo.  The lady thinks doing so would make me have to potty.  It doesn’t matter.  I wouldn’t eat or drink anything if they offered it to me.  Thankfully, the yellowfin confit tuna bouquet dissipates with time and I go back to staring out the front windshield, I love to stare out windows. I do that at home in Atlanta, too.  When I get tired of looking straight ahead, I look behind me to see if there is anything interesting in that direction.  There's almost always something interesting. When we arrive at the beach, I love to perch on one of the ocean facing windows.  The lady human says there’s a giant kitty litter pan out there that is filled with real sand.  I could do my business in it if I'd like to. But I don’t want to. I’ve seen turtles walking around out there. As soon as we get settled in, I like to ribbon in and out of the loft banisters. I always decide against jumping all the way down.  At night, sometimes I venture out for an hour or two.  I mostly just stay on the roof and gaze down at Florida's nocturnal life. One time I did go down to chase a bunny out of the bushes.  There’s a cat that lives below us named Zooie (not Zoey).  She doesn’t like me that much yet.  We’re not the same age.  When I'm ready to come back inside, the man human takes me and my food upstairs to my own bedroom. I'm not allowed to roam around the house at night while they're sleeping (sometimes I talk to myself and wake everyone up). I can see a pool that lights up from the bedroom window. The glow is pretty at night. Best of all are the sunrises. Before long I’ll be heading back to Atlanta.  I like it there too.  But the humans say they’re moving soon and that means I’ll be moving too.  One day, I might move to Washington DC to live with my very favorite human, Diana.  I hope you enjoyed Pearl's Perspective! Who cares what negative-Nelly instructors say!?  I'm actually reading a great book Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt, that shares an octopus' perspective! Here are some other recent and classic pet perspective books worth checking out and/or revisiting: The Art of Racing in the Rain , Garth Stein The World According to Bob , James Bowen Black Beauty , Anna Sewell Call of the Wild , Jack London ETC. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley

Hi Everyone: How is life going for you?  Traveling?  Relocating?  Looking forward to voting?  Finding closure to something? I’m doing all the above and then some. --Until late September, we had five urns in our house.  Five .  One cat, two dogs and two humans. On Tuesday, October 1 Jeff and I fulfilled my parent’s final wishes of being buried together, in a double urn vault, in Douglas, Michigan. Like their memorial, held on November 12, 2024, our intimate ceremony/tribute was lovely and true.   An October fall day in Michigan is a beautiful time of year. The sun was shining, the temperature was pleasant and the shade tree that my grandmother specifically chose for her family to rest under was soothing, heavenly. If you’ve ever orchestrated an out-of-state burial you know that planning isn’t the easiest thing to do.  At least it wasn’t for me.  I must have called the local township a dozen times confirming that everything was in place.  Nerves more than anything.  And, unbeknownst to me, urns are heavy .  Did you know that?   Delta Airlines couldn’t have been more accommodating and understanding to work with.  They were sympathetic upon arrival and during inspection. ( Expect the worst and you’re never disappointed?)  Jeff and I both expected a mild hassle.  We were prepared.  Nothing.  No hassle, no delay, nothing.  Piece of cake. We were so touched (albeit not surprised) that my cousins joined us.  The urn was lowered and covered and Jeff and I read bible verses: Opening:  Almighty ever-living God, you rule both the living and the dead and are merciful to all.  We humbly beseech you, that those for whom we pour out our prayers may obtain pardon for their sins  through your tender mercy.  May they rejoice together, be blessed in your sight, and praise you without end.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. For Papa:   “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3 For Mom:   “But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21 For Both: We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.” Romans 6:4 Closure!  Praise the Lord. The end.  Amen. So, ya, I’m happy to have that duty over with. Closure. And I’m especially happy Jeff, Kym, and Jodi were there with me.   I still remember many people who were kind and thoughtful after Mom’s passing.  Cards, calls, and attendance by friends meant the world.  So many people turned a somber time into a sort of spiritual bliss.   It seems odd bringing this up now, but the recent burial a couple weeks ago brought many special people to mind.   Thank y’all! A final page has turned and I’m super excited to get going and give life all I’ve got to give for the next story’s content. Thank you for reading! Love, Shelley

Hi Friends: I hope you’re happy, healthy, and rolling with life’s changes! There’s just so much change going on.  Too much moving.  Everyone knows after 33+ years we are finally moving.  I have a lot to give away if y’all are interested.  Below are some amateur photos of a few things that won’t fit in our new home.. We thought about having a “yard sale”. (Do those even exist any more?)  But, I’d rather give away things that are in good shape, to good homes. If interested, email me at triangleparkatl@gmail.com . And, since giving freebies away is a boring blog, here are some pics from the Fernandina beach house: Moving isn't fun, but visiting the beach house is. Did you see the harvest moon on Tuesday, September 17? In the evening, I was laying on the sofa facing east. Ten hours earlier I'd seen the sunrise. And, now, it appeared like the sun was rising again! I thought " what is happening ?" An iphone camera is better than nothing but fails to capture the brilliance. Fernandina rainbows and sky paintings are a common site to behold: Peacocks strolling down the road on a drive home from the grocery store (Again, what is happening!?) : And, the next day it starts all over again with the sun rising: Have a blessed day, everyone. Love, Shelley