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Hello, Reader.

One of my readers voiced disappointment recently that I didn't send resources for Flag Day last month, and I promised to make up for it on the Fourth of July. So that is the theme of this week's link list.

If you don't live in America, please indulge the rest of us as we celebrate our Independence. May God bless America! Land of the free and home of the brave!

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Independence Day Coloring Pages - 8 designs to choose from
• ​Freedom-Themed Gospel Tracts - 4 designs to share
• ​God Bless America Banner - 2 styles of pennant banners to hang in your home
• ​Liberty-Loving Conversation Starters - 24 discussion prompts to get folks talking
• ​Independence Day Word Game - how fast can you unscramble these 20 themed words?

What I'm reading this week:

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My daughter and I just finished re-reading Farmer Boy together. So many great life lessons in this book! Maybe it's because I'm the mother of eight boys, but this is my very favorite of all the Little House books. And one of my very favorite chapters is the one called "Independence Day." At the prodding of his friends, Almanzo works up the courage to ask his father for a nickel to buy a cup of lemonade -- something he's never even thought of doing before. Father gives his son ten times that much, along an unforgettable lesson in the value of money and how to invest it wisely. The entire book is delightful. I highly recommend it!

What we're watching this week:

We've been faithful consumers of World Watch News ever since it's debut five years ago. It's a daily 10-minute news program which we view and discuss as part of our homeschool day as a way of keeping up with current events.

Sound interesting? You can get started the same way we did, with a free trial for the summer. And if you'll use my referral link to sign up, you and I will both get a free month of World Watch.

This week's reader request:

I got a message just this morning from my friend, Elizabeth, who writes: "I saw on FB that you’re speaking somewhere in August but I can’t find the info. May I have the date and time and place?"

So, in case you happen to live nearby and want to sign up, too, I'm sharing the information here. I'll be speaking at a local homeschool conference at New Harmony Baptist Church on August 9. You can follow this link for more information or to register. I'd love to see you there!

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 89 ​THE ART OF MAKING MEMORIES​ I read a book last week called The Art of Making Memories. It was fascinating, though nothing like I expected. In this week’s episode, I share what I learned and overall impressions of this work. ​ Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I'm barely batting 50% this week, having left as many items on my to-do list untouched as I managed to mark off. In the completed column, I ✅ reviewed Crabs in a Bucket for Timberdoodle, ✅ emailed next year's syllabi to all my homeschool co-op students, ✅ watched a WNBA game live (although my daughter's doppelganger, Caitlin Clark, was injured and didn't play 😢), ✅ glued a broken vase back together (but ❌ still need to touch up the paint), and ✅ replaced the burned-out strand of lights on my all-seasons tree (but ❌ not in the dining room chandelier).

In the incomplete column: I did not ❌ organize craft cabinet (I haven't touched it), ❌ paint lap desk (although I ✅ prime the surface), ❌ buy fabric for a snowman quilt (I couldn't find the quilt squares I'm trying to match -- I'm hoping they're in the craft cabinet), ❌ attend the church picnic (my hubby was between calls and needed his rest, but ✅ our kids went), nor did I ❌ inventory my Christmas gifts. So all those items will be bumped to future weeks (though not necessarily this one).

Personal goals for this week:

• clean out craft cabinet
• inventory Christmas gifts
• send new memory passage to kids & grandkids
• finish selecting memory passages for next year
• make National Parks Passports for kids (just like these, but printed at home & hand-stitched)
• attend final meeting of summer book club
• record 5 chapters of new audiobook

If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to support my work, there are five ways for you to do that (pick one):

1. Forward a copy to a friend with an invitation to subscribe​
2. Follow me on Instagram​
3. Buy and/or review one of my books​
4. ​Listen to my podcast​
5. Say hello or make a suggestion 👋

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Thanks so much for all your help! I'll be back next week with more links, reviews, and resources. If you have any special requests, just hit reply and let me know. 😊