{"id":27340,"date":"2021-03-07T15:25:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-07T20:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=27340"},"modified":"2021-03-08T07:58:41","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T12:58:41","slug":"5-friday-faves-romantic-flight-on-classical-guitar-snow-days-turned-to-spring-normal-relief-vs-rescue-and-carefully-taught","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=27340","title":{"rendered":"5 Friday Faves &#8211; Romantic Flight on Classical Guitar, Snow Days Turned to Spring, Normal, Relief vs. Rescue, and Carefully Taught"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15038\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4225\" height=\"2671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves.jpg 4225w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves-300x190.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves-768x486.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Blog-Friday-Faves-1024x647.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4225px) 100vw, 4225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Happy weekend! Hope this finds you well and enjoying the many small miracles of life. I&#8217;m a bit behind on posting Friday Faves. Sometimes they are so excellent they still end up in my Friday Faves weeks later&#8230;some of these are like that, and others are as fresh as this weekend. These are all for you. Enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><strong>1) Romantic Flight on Classical Guitar <\/strong>&#8211; Anyone new to this blog will have the pleasure of experiencing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.patreon.com\/beyondtheguitar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nathan Mills<\/a>&#8216; music, maybe for the first time. He is a classical guitarist whose work is found under the brand <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/beyondtheguitar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beyond the Guitar<\/a>. He arranges and performs themes from movies, TV shows, and video games. A heart and body lift on sweet nostalgia. We probably all know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hopkinsmedicine.org\/health\/wellness-and-prevention\/keep-your-brain-young-with-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the positive impact of music<\/a> on our minds and bodies. I personally never cared for instrumental music before Nathan&#8217;s journey with classical guitar. Now, we always had music in our home. Always. My preference was anything vocal. The thing that&#8217;s interesting in Nathan&#8217;s music. It feels vocal. He makes the guitar speak to the heart. Maybe the nostalgic familiarity of the tunes is part of it, but there&#8217;s something in his expressive playing&#8230;just so heartening. Check him out with his latest arrangement: <em>Romantic Flight<\/em> from the film <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/How_to_Train_Your_Dragon_(film)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>How to Train Your Dragon<\/em><\/a>. #LikeSubscribeShare<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON - Romantic Flight (Classical Guitar Cover)\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pTU68N97tPQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>2) Snow Days Turned to Spring &#8211; <\/strong>In Central Virginia, our snow days might be past us. Early Spring flowers are popping up and flowering trees are beginning to brighten the gray of our landscape here.<a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27602\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15.jpg 2272w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-15-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27601\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16.jpg 2272w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Snow-Days-16-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27605\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11.jpg 2272w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/SNow-Days-11-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>A friend pointed me to the poet Billy Collins and I&#8217;d like to present in contrast his &#8220;Snow Day&#8221; poem and his poem celebrating Spring entitled &#8220;Today&#8221;. The kids (above) are ours and the flowers (below) are in our yard\/neighborhood.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"\" dir=\"auto\">\n<div id=\"jsc_c_wp\" class=\"ecm0bbzt hv4rvrfc e5nlhep0 dati1w0a\" data-ad-comet-preview=\"message\" data-ad-preview=\"message\">\n<div class=\"j83agx80 cbu4d94t ew0dbk1b irj2b8pg\">\n<div class=\"qzhwtbm6 knvmm38d\">\n<div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.poetryfoundation.org\/poems\/46707\/snow-day\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>\u201cSnow Day\u201d<\/em><\/a> \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/billycollinspoetry.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Billy Collins<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">its white flag waving over everything,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the landscape vanished,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and beyond these windows<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">the government buildings smothered,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">schools and libraries buried, the post office lost<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">under the noiseless drift,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the paths of trains softly blocked,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the world fallen under this falling.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">In a while, I will put on some boots<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and step out like someone walking in water,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and I will shake a laden branch<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">sending a cold shower down on us both.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">I will make a pot of tea<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">as glad as anyone to hear the news<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the Ding-Dong School, closed.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the All Aboard Children\u2019s School, closed,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">along with\u2014some will be delighted to hear\u2014<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">the Toadstool School, the Little School,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Little Sparrows Nursery School,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">and\u2014clap your hands\u2014the Peanuts Play School.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">So this is where the children hide all day,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">These are the nests where they letter and draw,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">where they put on their bright miniature jackets,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">all darting and climbing and sliding,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">all but the few girls whispering by the fence.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\">And now I am listening hard<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">in the grandiose silence of the snow,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">what riot is afoot,<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">which small queen is about to be brought down.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27604\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a.jpg 2272w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/2010-January-048a-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2272px) 100vw, 2272px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bekkah.mills\/videos\/10158873693784707\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Snow Day video with Bekkah &amp; Nathan Mills &#8211; Facebook<\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27609\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8990-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.panmacmillan.com\/blogs\/literary\/poems-for-spring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>&#8220;Today&#8221;<\/em> &#8211; Billy Collins<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If ever there were a spring day so perfect,<br \/>\nso uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze<\/p>\n<p>that it made you want to throw<br \/>\nopen all the windows in the house<\/p>\n<p>and unlatch the door to the canary&#8217;s cage,<br \/>\nindeed, rip the little door from its jamb,<\/p>\n<p>a day when the cool brick paths<br \/>\nand the garden bursting with peonies<\/p>\n<p>seemed so etched in sunlight<br \/>\nthat you felt like taking<\/p>\n<p>a hammer to the glass paperweight<br \/>\non the living room end table,<\/p>\n<p>releasing the inhabitants<br \/>\nfrom their snow-covered cottage<\/p>\n<p>so they could walk out,<br \/>\nholding hands and squinting<\/p>\n<p>into this larger dome of blue and white,<br \/>\nwell, today is just that kind of day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27607\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3618\" height=\"2675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987.jpg 3618w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987-300x222.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987-768x568.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8987-1024x757.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3618px) 100vw, 3618px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27608\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_8988-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9022-e1615037395249.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27612\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9022-e1615037395249.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9022-e1615037395249.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9022-e1615037395249-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9022-e1615037395249-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">\n<p><strong>3) Normal &#8211; <\/strong>What does that even mean? As we come up on a year physical distancing and wearing masks to keep COVID at bay, people don&#8217;t even talk anymore about a return to normal. Nor even about a new normal. We are reinventing normal. If we&#8217;re wise, we&#8217;re also looking &#8220;down the road&#8221; to where our choices today will lead.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27638\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3670\" height=\"1142\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road.jpg 3670w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road-300x93.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road-768x239.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-New-Normal-Calvin-Hobbs-Live-for-the-Moment-Look-Down-the-Road-1024x319.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3670px) 100vw, 3670px\" \/><\/a>Photo Credit: Old Comic Strip, <a href=\"https:\/\/calvinandhobbes.fandom.com\/wiki\/Bill_Watterson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bill Watterston, Calvin and Hobbes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>One issue for me is my struggle with reckless eating. COVID restrictions have not been my friend in this area. I overeat for about every reason possible &#8211; for recreation, out of boredom, when under stress, and even when happy. Food is just such a lovely go-to. Until this last year&#8217;s isolation pushed me to the highest weight I&#8217;ve ever been&#8230;but that&#8217;s again in the past.<\/p>\n<p>In October I started seriously looking &#8220;down the road&#8221; to a life possibly shortened by my casual over-eating. Started using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfitnesspal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">My Fitness Pal<\/a> app and asked for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fitbit.com\/global\/us\/home?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiAkJKCBhAyEiwAKQBCkhZdna8F7R-h9Ls4Oh0IXeikOFEt8ZU0IV4IHHZIhFMDcZkpSoXwPxoCjisQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fitbit<\/a> for Christmas. The non-Premium app is free and we caught a sale on the Fitbit.<\/p>\n<p>After four months, I&#8217;m way below the highest weight I&#8217;ve ever been.<\/p>\n<p>Do I miss the reckless eating? Absolutely! I miss McDonald&#8217;s double-cheeseburgers and fries. I miss Waffle House. I miss eating all I want. I miss <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shyndigz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shyndigz<\/a> fresh fruit cake and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.piccolas.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Piccola Italy<\/a>&#8216;s feta cheese and sausage pizza. One day those things will come back in my life&#8230; maybe. What I don&#8217;t miss is the normal of too often getting short of breath climbing hills and struggling to get up off the floor after playing with our grands. Also what I hope to miss is a stroke or&#8230;(almost hard to write this scary thing) dying from COVID because I put myself at even greater risk.<\/p>\n<p>Now normal is weighing and logging food, eating less than I would before, listening to my brain when I&#8217;m actually full, and having only one cookie instead of 3&#8230;or 5. It all works out to a beautiful different&#8230;a new normal.<\/p>\n<p>.<a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9073-e1615138930814.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27639\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9073-e1615138930814.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"229\" height=\"306\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9073-e1615138930814.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9073-e1615138930814-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9073-e1615138930814-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9074-e1615138947338.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-27640\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9074-e1615138947338.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"228\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9074-e1615138947338.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9074-e1615138947338-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/IMG_9074-e1615138947338-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The change in eating is one thing. Way more challenging is how to be in people&#8217;s lives with the struggle of physical distancing and Zoom fatigue. That I am still figuring out&#8230;but one shot down and one to go and it will become less of a challenge hopefully. And a different normal will emerge.<\/p>\n<p>[Sidebar: There was a time in the not too distant past when I went off sugar for over a year. It happened, there was benefit, but I don&#8217;t want to repeat it. As I get more fit, do I miss the chew of a French baquette or a perfect frie? Absolutely. Sugar though is still a part of my daily intake&#8230;and there will come a day when I will enjoy my daughter&#8217;s birthday cake again and MomMom&#8217;s refrigerator coconut cake. Many times over. For now: a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walmart.com\/ip\/Kathy-Kaye-Sweet-Salty-Popcorn-Balls-8-Ct-1-Oz\/312728675?athcpid=312728675&amp;athpgid=athenaItemPage&amp;athcgid=null&amp;athznid=PWVAV&amp;athieid=v0&amp;athstid=CS020&amp;athguid=7ecd9d1d-007-17811e8cd64384&amp;athancid=null&amp;athena=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kathy Kaye popcorn ball<\/a> is enough. Sorry for the long sidebar &#8211; like confessing in an Overeaters Anonymous group. \ud83d\ude42 ]<a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Normal-Popcorn-Ball-Sweets-e1615208280741.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27657\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Normal-Popcorn-Ball-Sweets-e1615208280741.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Normal-Popcorn-Ball-Sweets-e1615208280741.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Normal-Popcorn-Ball-Sweets-e1615208280741-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Normal-Popcorn-Ball-Sweets-e1615208280741-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>4) Relief vs. Rescue<\/strong> &#8211; Words mean things. The 2020<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/CARES_Act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act)\u00a0<\/a> and the 2021 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/American_Rescue_Plan_Act_of_2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Rescue Plan Act<\/a> reflect a difference in meaning and approach. I just want to focus on two words: relief vs. rescue. Relief communicates easing the pain or stress of someone in a difficult situation. Rescue communicates much more. Rescue is to come to the aid of someone who can&#8217;t help her\/himself. Rescue is freeing or delivering someone from an impossible situation. Both describe a response but one is a greater response and a greater need. Can words be prescriptive? Making us think we have a greater need? Making us think we need a greater response? Making us think we are helpless without the intervention of government?<\/p>\n<p>The power of words is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/tag\/power-of-words\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">well-known and well-documented<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThere is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.\u201d<\/em> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awakenthegreatnesswithin.com\/50-inspirational-quotes-on-the-power-of-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Diane Setterfield<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We can woo and cajole with words. We can speak with an authority that demands <a href=\"https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/acquiescence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">acquiescence<\/a>. We can speak with such brilliance or passion that we must be believed.<\/p>\n<p>Check out this little TikTok video below (forgive the thumbnail shot of the young woman; it&#8217;s the second woman, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/thesavvy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@thesavvy<\/a>, you will see that brings the point). Now I haven&#8217;t done fact-checking, but she I believe. How about you?<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-twitter\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"474\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cIf you&#39;re gonna be a white savior, make sure you get a white hood to match\u201d <\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XWWpIw3fP3\">pic.twitter.com\/XWWpIw3fP3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Art TakingBack \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@ArtValley818_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ArtValley818_\/status\/1368509159419736064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 7, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Two educators I&#8217;ve discussed before also talk often on the power of words in our world. They are economics professor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/glennshow\/posts?sort=published_at\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Glenn Loury<\/a> and linguistics professor <a href=\"https:\/\/johnmcwhorter.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John McWhorter<\/a>.<a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27631\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Words-mean-things-Glenn-Loury-and-John-McWhorter-The-Glenn-Show-1024x576.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=-scuhJh9_uU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Glenn Show; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p>We don&#8217;t agree on everything, BUT their authenticity and brilliance in calling out the use of words to move political agendas and change culture is super fascinating. See one of their videos linked below.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CbJWi6KkcHs&amp;t=125s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Video\u00a0&#8211; <em>In Defense of Knowledge<\/em> &#8211; The Glenn Show &#8211; Blogging Heads &#8211; Glenn Loury and John McWhorter<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5XycsE4FICg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Video &#8211; Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Debate in U.S. Senate (C-SPAN) &#8211; February 2017<\/a> &#8211; just another example of the use of words to actually draw differing sides together.<\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><strong>5) Carefully Taught<\/strong>&#8211; The food for thought on this fave of the week is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VPf6ITsjsgk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the painfully exquisite song<\/a> from the Rogers &amp; Hammerstein&#8217;s <em>South Pacific. C<\/em>lassic movie released in 1958. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0ShZrQhH7rM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Remade<\/a> in 2001. The song <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/You%27ve_Got_to_Be_Carefully_Taught\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You&#8217;ve Got to Be Carefully Taught<\/a><\/em> relates to an American military officer who has fallen in love with a young woman from the islands during WWII. He struggles with his own prejudice even in the face of his love for her. I saw the first movie sometime in my childhood. It was confusing for me then because I had not been raised to hate people different from me.<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;You&#039;ve Got To Be Carefully Taught&quot; - SOUTH PACIFIC (1958)\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VPf6ITsjsgk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\">We are confronted right now with so much racism and presumed racism, it&#8217;s hard to know how to think critically on it or what to do definitively about it. Somehow we must separate the politics (driven to divide) from the persons (being used by those various platforms).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The song speaks to the incredible importance of parenting our children to choose love over hate; understanding over withdrawing. I do wonder if we are born with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.berkeleywellness.com\/article\/are-we-born-racist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> a bent toward racism<\/a>&#8230;of choosing people who look like us, for whatever reason. Fortunately, if that&#8217;s the case, we don&#8217;t have to stay there. Parenting matters. Thankfully.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Do-Unto-Others-painting-Carefully-taught-racism.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27599\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Do-Unto-Others-painting-Carefully-taught-racism.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Do-Unto-Others-painting-Carefully-taught-racism.jpg 620w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Blog-Do-Unto-Others-painting-Carefully-taught-racism-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a>Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavocedinewyork.com\/en\/2020\/02\/14\/are-racists-born-or-raised-if-youre-a-racist-dont-blame-it-on-your-dna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Norman Rockwell <\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2014\/05\/19\/308296815\/six-words-youve-got-to-be-taught-intolerance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Six Words: &#8216;<em>You&#8217;ve Got to Be Taught<\/em>&#8216; Intolerance &#8211; Michele Norris &#8211; NPR<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavocedinewyork.com\/en\/2020\/02\/14\/are-racists-born-or-raised-if-youre-a-racist-dont-blame-it-on-your-dna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Are Racists Born or Raised? If You&#8217;re a Racist don&#8217;t Blame It on Your DNA<\/em> &#8211; Grace Russo Bullaro<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/baptistnews.com\/article\/how-i-learned-to-care-about-social-justice-growing-up-southern-baptist-in-oklahoma\/#.YEU18nlOmUk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>How I Learned to Care About Social Justice Growing Up Southern Baptist in Oklahoma<\/em> &#8211; Mark Wingfield<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=RvpyKWvdmWI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Video &#8211; James Taylor &#8211; <em>You&#8217;ve Got to Be Carefully Taught<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s all. Have a great week. Filled with people you love and those you can serve. It means a lot you stopped by.<\/p>\n<p>_________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bonuses:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The most extraordinary quote I&#8217;ve just discovered:<\/p>\n<div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1614806036707_363\" class=\"entry-content e-content\">\n<div id=\"item-5feb98026b9ac14508c12706\" class=\"sqs-layout sqs-grid-12 columns-12\" data-layout-label=\"Post Body\" data-type=\"item\" data-updated-on=\"1609275417659\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1614806036707_362\" class=\"row sqs-row\">\n<div id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1614806036707_361\" class=\"col sqs-col-12 span-12\">\n<div id=\"block-bdbc0955c94551d628bc\" class=\"sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html\" data-block-type=\"2\">\n<div class=\"sqs-block-content\">\n<p class=\"\"><em>The question is not whether the things that happen to you are chance things or God&#8217;s things because, of course, they are both at once. There is no chance thing through which God cannot speak\u2014even the walk from the house to the garage that you have walked ten thousand times before, even the moments when you cannot believe there is a God who speaks at all anywhere. He speaks, I believe, and the words he speaks are incarnate in the flesh and blood of our selves and of our own footsore and sacred journeys. We cannot live our lives constantly looking back, listening back, lest we be turned to pillars of longing and regret, but to live without listening at all is to live deaf to the fullness of the music. Sometimes we avoid listening for fear of what we may hear, sometimes for fear that we may hear nothing at all but the empty rattle of our own feet on the pavement. But\u00a0be not affeard, says Caliban, nor is he the only one to say it. &#8220;Be not afraid,&#8221; says another, &#8220;for lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.&#8221; He says he is with us on our journeys. He says he has been with us since each of our journeys began. Listen for him. Listen to the sweet and bitter airs of your present and your past for the sound of him. &#8211; <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frederickbuechner.com\/quote-of-the-day\/2021\/1\/4\/listen-for-him\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Frederick Buechner<\/a>, from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.frederickbuechner.com\/the-sacred-journey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Sacred Journey<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.frederickbuechner.com\/listening-to-your-life\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Listening to Your Life<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4_zcjxDdZ1s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Video &#8211;<em> Without You<\/em> &#8211; For King &amp; Country &#8211; Ft. Courtney<\/a> [If you&#8217;ve ever faced a cancer diagnosis or a critical illness &#8211; life and those we love take on an even deeper meeting. This song says it.]<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"H.E.R. - Hold Us Together (From &quot;Safety&quot;\/Official Video)\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/peiZgUda4dY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegospelcoalition.org\/reviews\/easter-resurrection-hope-tim-keller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Hope that Sustained Tim Keller Through 2020<\/em> &#8211; Matt McCullough<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/keytakeaways.org\/?p=4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Key takeaways from Atomic Habits by James Clear<\/em> &#8211; Genevieve Deaconos<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Grandmother-Gram-parenting-special-calling-Elisabeth-Elliot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-27590\" src=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Grandmother-Gram-parenting-special-calling-Elisabeth-Elliot.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"736\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Grandmother-Gram-parenting-special-calling-Elisabeth-Elliot.jpg 736w, https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Blog-Grandmother-Gram-parenting-special-calling-Elisabeth-Elliot-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/i-asked-hundreds-of-people-about-their-biggest-life-decisions-heres-what-i-learned-154885?utm_source=pocket-newtab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>I Asked Hundreds of People About Their Biggest Life Decisions. Here&#8217;s What I Learned<\/em> &#8211; Beth Daley<\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings\/201104\/shame-concealed-contagious-and-dangerous-emotion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Shame: A Concealed, Contagious, and Dangerous Emotion<\/em> &#8211; Mary C. Lamia, PhD.<\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/amp\/remote-learning-isnt-new-radio-instruction-in-the-1937-polio-epidemic-143797?fbclid=IwAR1AMQcBcRR5yAsm6wbA6cLy1-RFETE7wfKeRCUXOUoOrW23JKO2sipe00M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Remote Learning Isn&#8217;t New: Radio Instruction in the 1937 Polio Epidemic<\/em> &#8211; Katherine A. Foss<\/a><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Just a little bit of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.last.fm\/music\/James+Taylor+&amp;+Carole+King\/+wiki\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Taylor and Carole King<\/a>&#8230;you&#8217;ll be glad you stayed:<\/div>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"James Taylor &amp; Carole King - You&#039;ve Got A Friend (BBC In Concert, 11\/13\/71)\" width=\"474\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nEFfzHiEKHY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"James Taylor - Shower The People (Live at the Beacon Theater)\" width=\"474\" height=\"356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GfJWqjoekow?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Happy weekend! Hope this finds you well and enjoying the many small miracles of life. I&#8217;m a bit behind on posting Friday Faves. Sometimes they are so excellent they still end up in my Friday Faves weeks later&#8230;some of these are like that, and others are as fresh as this weekend. These are all for &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=27340\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 Friday Faves &#8211; Romantic Flight on Classical Guitar, Snow Days Turned to Spring, Normal, Relief vs. Rescue, and Carefully Taught<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[810,3396,5628,926,2986,1229,1704,2126,1705,1618,1148,183,7027,3395,1000,147,3976,808,3208,249,1454,1801,50,2547,3394,1732,317,2611,888,432,31,761,4160,610],"tags":[8903,9032,8002,9031,2548,9029,9028,8606,7394,9033,9049,9048,1677,9040,1802,9042,8348,9038,9041,6938,9037,7988,9039,8353,6082,9050,9044,9043,9036,1136,2460,9030,9046,9034,3920,9047,453,9045,8110,9027,284,332,1032,7411,9035,9051,1079,8372,2323],"class_list":["post-27340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-good-gifts","category-america","category-anxiety","category-attending-or-focus","category-attitude","category-beauty-of-gods-creation","category-communication","category-community","category-conversations","category-courage","category-critical-thinking","category-culture-religion","category-decision-making","category-disciplines","category-easter-and-lent","category-family-2","category-fear","category-film","category-finishing-strong","category-food-drink","category-fresh-start","category-friday-faves","category-god","category-guitar","category-habits","category-leadership","category-lessons-learned","category-love-your-neighbor","category-memories","category-music","category-parenting","category-redeeming-restoring","category-resilience","category-thanksgiving-or-gratefulness","tag-abraham-lincoln","tag-american-rescue-plan","tag-atomic-habits","tag-back-to-normal","tag-beyond-the-guitar","tag-bill-watterston","tag-billy-collins","tag-blogging-heads","tag-calvin-and-hobbes","tag-carefully-taught","tag-carole-king","tag-covid-vaccine","tag-for-king-country","tag-frederick-buechner","tag-friday-faves","tag-genevieve-deaconos","tag-glenn-loury","tag-grace-russo-bullaro","tag-h-e-r","tag-how-to-train-your-dragon","tag-intolerance","tag-james-clear","tag-james-taylor","tag-john-mcwhorter","tag-john-powell","tag-mark-wingfield","tag-mary-c-lamia","tag-matt-mccullough","tag-michele-norris","tag-nathan-mills","tag-new-normal","tag-normal","tag-norman-rockwell","tag-prejudice","tag-racism","tag-recreational-eating","tag-relief","tag-remote-learning","tag-rescue","tag-romantic-flight","tag-shame","tag-slavery","tag-snow-days","tag-social-justice","tag-south-pacific","tag-southern-baptist","tag-spring","tag-the-glenn-show","tag-tim-keller"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pauPAB-76Y","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27340"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27658,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27340\/revisions\/27658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}