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Hello Reader,

I know Independence Day is still a little over a week away, but lots of folks like to plan early. So rather than wait until the last minute to share all our Fourth of July resources -- which might suit my more spontaneous readers just fine -- I've decided to send this link list today.

To make sure you have it when you need it. 😊

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Freedom Loving Conversation Starters​ - more discussion prompts to get loved ones talking
• ​​In God We Trust Coloring Page​ - another patriotic coloring page for you
• ​God Bless America Banner - use these DIY pennant banners to deck your hall for the Fourth
• ​Independence-Themed Gospel Tracts - it is for freedom that Christ has set us free!
• ​Patriotic Printables - pretty printable versions of Declaration of Independence & more
• ​Independence Day Word Scramble - how fast can you decipher these mixed-up words?
• ​Pray for the USA - our country needs all the prayer we can get!
• ​Liberty or Death Coloring Page - this free printable features Patrick Henry's famous words

What I'm reading this week:

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​Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Based on the true story of a Native American girl who spent 18 years living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of my favorite books of childhood. I read it many times during grade school, imagining myself stranded alone on a deserted island, wondering how long I could survive. Karana's example of resilience, resourcefulness, courage, and quiet determination helped shape me into the woman I am today. Our family listened to the audiobook together this time around, which was delightfully narrated and really brought the story to life.

What we're eating this week:

Our diets have undergone a major shift lately, thanks to all the compelling medical research my husband's been reading in Michael Greger's new book, How Not to Age.

So for the past four weeks, we've eaten essentially the same breakfast every morning: half an apple (daily red delicious increases life expectancy by 4 years), a handful of blueberries (a daily serving reduces risk of Alzheimer's by a whopping 76%), a half-serving of nuts (½ oz daily reduces all-cause mortality by 15%), plus a piece of Ezekiel bread toast (helps fight colon cancer and heart disease) sprinkled with cayenne pepper and turmeric (decreases inflammation) and white sesame seeds (may reduce cholesterol and triglycerides) and, when we have it available, ripe avocado (because healthy fats are good for your brain).

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 50 ​MARRIAGE LESSONS BY EXAMPLE​ My husband’s parents celebrated 62 years of marriage this month. And my parents would've marked their 64th anniversary had my father lived to see it. So in honor of the wonderful examples both sets of parents set for us, I'm discussing those important marriage lessons kids learn — for better or worse — simply by observing how their parents relate to one another. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I made decent progress on my goals last week. I ✅ finished 4 wood burning projects, ✅ refurbished 2 garden statues, ✅ added ollas to more potted plants (the ones I put in our outdoor potted lemon trees have worked great, even when I leave town in the scorching heat and don't water for a week), ✅ took photos of my book-binding process, and ✅ organized the upper cabinets in my laundry room (though ❌ my lower cabinets still need attention).

Personal goals for this week:

• finish organizing those bottom cabinets in my laundry room
• clean out and put my food pantry in order
• paint another panel on my backyard mural
• move concrete planter & transplant sweet potato vines
• go blueberry picking
• take Gabriel to get his braces off!!
• complete 6 more pages in my God Bless America journal​