The new year, 2025 is just days away and I’ve had lots of time to reflect on the future in recent months.
It seems like the only TV to watch this past week just happened to be The Waltons marathon. It’s good stuff but I’m not sure if it was too much or not. It brought me back to the days of COVID when most of our TV viewing was Little House on the Prairie which also seemed to be running on a marathon at the time. No matter what, though, I didn’t get tired of either one because they dealt with issues many families go through, so they hit home.
Both TV shows have a common denominator….the love of family and heritage. I actually had tears in my eyes the other evening when John Boy, the oldest of the Walton children, got married. He loved to write and made himself famous with his writings. What got me is how the story transpired and what the conclusion was.
We didn’t have a large family like the Waltons or Ingalls but that episode on the wedding brought back some memories and made me more aware of how heritage comes into play no matter what the subject is. Change is a necessity at some point in life and I am thinking that is what is going to take place in 2025 for Jamie and me.
Yes, it will be a time for new beginnings and I hope I make the right decisions. Like they say “Don’t stress; do your best.”
I would like to congratulate those people in my life who have had wonderful accomplishments in 2024 if I haven’t already. I do see a lot of them on Facebook and try to acknowledge them, whether it refers to a retirement, a new addition to the family, athletic and academic achievements and special birthdays and anniversaries, to name a few.
With that, I am hoping all of my friends and family have a wonderful 2025 and that more congratulatory messages will be sent out by me in the new year. I wish all good health and happy lives no matter what life throws at them.
With that, I will share a quote that I think was coined by Eleanor Roosevelt: “The past is your lesson; the present is your gift; and the future is your motivation.”
Let’s do it in 2025!
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Kenneth “Pete” Beanblossom, Jennifer Morrow Schricker, Jill Burnett Mohr, Margaret Miles, Wini Guyette Burton and Larry Day.
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Seeking prayers for these people: Sunni Jones and Grandma Michelle Brumbaugh Jones, , Scott Clark, Kierra Reichert, Evelyn Manning, Becky Shultz, Tom Everhart, Kevin Schlechty, Darla Printz Whittaker, Roan Brubaker, Jack Edwards, Sandy Partin, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Jody Christman, Robert Christman, Mike Hopkins, Bob Christian, Mike Doyle, GraceLynn Harter, Chester Bryant, Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Ron Moody, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, (cousin) Carol Byrd, Gladys Neff, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Chris Clark, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Dan and Lisa Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Steve Waymire, Nikole Baldridge, Lester Beisner, Mark Lovejoy, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday to:
Jan. 1 to Paula Harbison, Seth Phillippi, Rick Price, Ted Liette and Karin Barga.
Jan. 2 to Shirley Phillippi, Ron Gard, Kathy Widener, Rick Hahn, Jason Crawford, Seth Klingshirn, Karie Stickley, Jerry Miller, Brook Hildebrand, Stacy Grisez and Jamie Wisner.
Jan. 3 to David Scanlon, Mike Lawson, Travis Henderson, Kendra Billenstein, Kate Foley Rehmert, Teresa Shinn, Linda Brown, Scott Rodeheffer and Matt Louis.
Jan. 4 to Dennis Riffell, Elizabeth Horner, Taylor Thwaits, Edna Fourman, John Hein, Jodi Neff and Dick Lavy.
Jan. 5 to Wayne Harbison, Jesse DeMange, Tyler Kress, Arlene Harris, Travis Thwaits and Michelle Blackburn.
Jan. 6 to Arnold Riffle, Preston Holton, Judy Gibson, Chris Printz, Mike Erwin, Michelle Sparks Reed, Andrew Waymire, Cody Partin, Betsy Cook New and Patches Trevino.
Jan. 7 to Wendy Sebring Meek, Kathy Cline, Terri Livesay, Chuck Cruze and Barry Bowers.
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Think about it: “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.”– Flora Whittemore