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A Swiss Weekend

This is the “chalet” where our daughter, DeAna, is spending this weekend with her friend, Kade. While they are enjoying the hot tub, lovely meals, and the fantastic scenery, Andre’ and his brother, Roger, are out on a motorcycle adventure.

I’d like to be in that hot tub with De – Sante’!! …

Dream Big

Don’t forget to Dream Big!
My friend, Terry, and I have been studying
Bob Goff’s on-line Bible Study titled, “Dream Big”
– and this is one of my dreams:
To return to Switzerland
To visit DeAna and her family
and to rent a “chalet” like this one
and have all kinds of friends come and stay with us.

Are you on?
Dream Big!

Keep Unfulfilled Dreams Alive

Don’t forget to keep
Unfulfilled Dreams
alive and well in your heart.
It makes tomorrow
ENCHANTING!

This 12 minute video shows mainly city areas, but it gives you a great idea of the diversity of Switzerland’s landscape and architecture.
(I hope you are not interrupted by Montana political ads like I was)

My Favorite Swiss Places

My favorite places to visit in Switzerland are not the cities… although Geneva and Lucerne, are indeed lovely spots. My daughter lives in Sierre, a much smaller city, and I love to go there in the Rhone River Valley, to that “sun city” because people are more important than places to me.

The “Swiss Weekend” pictures are from a little village outside Geneva. I want to go there! Also. De & Andre’ have purchased a restaurant in a village called Vissoie. It is up the mountain from Sierre. I want to go there!

What Are Your Favorite Spots?

After visiting the 10 top spots via that You.Tube video (if you had 12 minutes to view it), do you have a favorite spot you might want to visit in Switzerland?

Have you ever been to Switzerland before? If so, I know why you want to go back. If not, I know why you want to put it on your “Bucket List.”

Keep Dreaming!
See ya tomorrow.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the tiger inside me!!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Family, food, holidays, Love, nature, photography, relationships, Travel

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Wonders & Miracles

Job 5:9
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.”

The fact that I was able to go on that ATV ride yesterday on those bumpy, rocky trails is in itself a miracle. You know I had hernia surgery on my mid-section last month. To enjoy yesterday with Bob & our friends was a WONDER, for sure! And today I am no worse for the wear… Thank God!

The miracle of the sea and the tides,
the daily rising and setting of the sun and moon,
these are miracles that never cease to amaze me.

And if miraculous healing, sunrises and sunsets are not enough for you,
look in the mirror!!

It’s a wonder that
We can see the miracle in us
And in others, too.

Keep searching for them
Wonders and miracles are
Everywhere you look!!

Photo by Oliver Sju00f6stru00f6m on Pexels.com

Just keep looking up.
God will show you His wonders-
And you will share them.

Thank you to Pexels
For putting God’s wonders here
At our fingertips!

I may not travel
To Thailand to see this sight
But Pexels shares it

Where do you want to
Go – and what do you want to see?
What interests are yours?

I may not see Guam
In person in my lifetime,
But I can Google.

I can imagine
The miracle of the flight
That takes me to Guam.

“Why Guam?” you ask me.
“Why not?” I respond to you.
It fascinates me.

Why does Pexels show
An undersea photograph
Of a Guam turtle?

Surely there is more
To Guam and its miracles –
More than sea turtles!

Did you know that Guam
Is U.S. territory?
I am in wonder!

I wonder when Guam
Became part of the U.S.
It’s a miracle!

A miracle that
I chose that place to learn more –
Not having a clue!

The inhabitants
of Guam are American
citizens by birth.

I must have learned that
When they had a hurricane –
‘Twas devastating!

I remember now
The terrible destruction
And our lack of help.

I wonder why we
Didn’t do more to assist?
Do you wonder, too?

Google says,
“The Micronesian
nation offers beautiful
white beaches, exotic wildlife,
and intriguing culture and history.”

Through the miracle of You.Tube you can take a virtual trip to Guam and you can learn about its history and see its beauty… and you will WONDER how many of these gorgeous places might have survived or been destroyed by that hurricane. This video was created in 2016 and the hurricane was in 2019.

Like me, you will WONDER why this site doesn’t list the PEOPLE who died in this tragic event. Certainly they are more important than the $3.3 million in damage. And you want to hear stories of the MIRACLES of survival in the midst of such devastation, right?

As I quoted from the Bible at the beginning of this post,
in Job 5:9 it says,
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.”

Everywhere we look in this world, there are wonders and miracles to behold.
Open your eyes to them, my friends.

I told you some of the ones I see
and some I would like to travel and see.
How about you?
What miracles do you see?
What wonders do you want to see?

How do you see yourself?
Do you know YOU ARE A MIRACLE?
How alert is your funny bone?

Are you ready for the miracle of laughter
that brings healthy endorphins into your body?

Keep on laughing.
It does wonders for your mental health!
Love ya,
JanBeek

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Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, humor, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, nature, photography, Poetry, Sharing, Travel

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Come Ride with Us!

Bob is a wonderful driver You can feel very safe going in our ATV, Lucille, up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout… with TazE in your lap. Here we are on the top of the world.

The following video was taken just outside of McAllister, Montana as we were headed up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout above it.

We had the fun of friends, Julie & Mike joining us … and Julie’s sis, Megan, & her friend, Martello. Julie & Mike brought their dog, Zeke, and of course, we had TazE.

This location on Sureshot Lake is about a 30 mile drive on our ATV from our home.

Just down the hill from this single thistle
was a collection of fireweed.
Beautiful prolific lavender groupings –
God’s flower bouquets along the route.
Derrick, you & Jackie would have loved these.

From the lake we went up to the lookout at about 7500 feet and had our lunch.

From this view at the lookout, you can see Willow Creek in Petosi Canyon.

The trip up to the next lookout (which is 9,600 feet) is rather scary for me… especially since it is so rocky and this was my first ATV ride since my hernia surgery about a month ago. But, I need to relax. Bob is a careful driver!

That’s Upper Twin Lake near our ridge view. As you look way out into the hazy Madison Valley, you can see Ennis Lake below.

Pictures just don’t give you the depth of field…
Turn around from this view,
and you see the snow-crested Tobacco Root Mountains.

Martello and Megan enjoyed that view, but Megan was not content to sit there. She spied those rocks to her right and decided to climb up and see what it was like from up there.

Megan’s more sure-footed than a mountain goat!

It doesn’t look as bumpy on the video as it felt!!

We stopped at the McAllister Presbyterian Church
and checked out the condition of the roof.

The cattle came by while we were there. Fun to see them!

Two horses greeted us as we entered the valley floor.

Back home. Time to relax.
It’s been a beautiful day.here.

Thanks for joining us.
Someday you need to come to Montana
and take this ATV ride for real!!

See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, flowers, happiness, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, Travel

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Bee Kind to Yourself

Bee kind to yourself –
You are a special person.
You “moose” treat yourself with love.

Bee kind to yourself –
Wrap yourself in perkiness.
Smile in the mirror.

Bee kind to yourself –
Find the most perfect head wrap.
Wrap yourself in love.

Isn’t she beautiful?
Go to 720Royal.com and treat yourself …
Be Kind to Yourself!

There’s where I found those beautiful head wrap pictures.
I may have to “Shop Now”
to find that perky, beautiful fabric.
Will you teach me to tie it that way?
Will they make me a gorgeous as those lovely ladies?

Our daughter, DeAna’s
a perfect “head wrap”
for her hubby, Andre’

Bee kind to yourself –
Hug your sweetheart every day.
Don’t let life skunk you!

God bless Ed Coyle,
Photographer extraordinaire!

Bee kind to yourself –
And share your love with others.
Reach out to loved ones.

With today’s virus,
Social distancing’s a must.
Don’t let it stop you!

Sharing’s essential –
And loneliness is rampant.
Kindness is two-way!

Share kindness with friends.
‘Cuz what you give blesses you.
Imitate Jesus!

Kindness lifts others.
Just as Jesus lifts you up,
Imitate His love!

Be kind to yourself –
Go find a beautiful spot,
And share it today.

Julie and Lisa
Shared with each other the view
And walk in the park.

Beauty’s more lovely
When shared with one another.
Who might walk with you?

Or who might visit,
Enjoy the flowers and porch?
Reach out to someone.

Lisa shared her lake view in South Carolina

Let your love brighten
The life of those around you.
Be kind to them, too.

Share your gorgeous views
And notice how your love shines
And kindness returns.

Love and prayers sending your way.
Bee well … Bee Safe … Bee Kind!

What did you do to “Bee Kind” to yourself or others today?
(Or what do you plan to do?)
Live intentionally.

See you tomorrow.
Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Family, flowers, friendship, Giving, God, Haiku, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Love Dances With Longing

Take my hand and dance with me.
I am in need of a day that is free –
Free of the sorrows and the sighs,
Free to dance to the seagull’s cries.

Some days I long for a day at the beach
With loving hands within my reach
I get impatient for this virus to end
So I can dance on in the waves with a friend

Jeff Cook in These Days
(Daily Devotions for Living by Faith)

“My impatience
usually stems from
my inability to simply fix everything.
Lord, help me be patient with myself and others.”

Love dances with my longing heart
As I take up my journal and start
To record the words of Paul
Who also heard the sighing call.

Romans 8:26

“Likewise the Spirit helps us
in our weakness,
for we do not know
how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes
With sighs too deep for words.”

So I sit by the water’s edge dreaming
Of the ocean’s shore and scheming
My next trip to listen to seagull’s cries
And the chance to dance where sea foam flies.

I pray that you have
a peace-filled day, my friends.

I am imagining myself dancing with you on this shore!
Love dances with longing…

See you tomorrow.
Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, music, nature, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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God is My Gizzard!

Yesterday I posted my sermon notes on a blog titled, “We All are Good AND Bad.” Today’s devotional in my Daily Guideposts was a wonderful follow-up to that topic… and a terrific antidote!

God is my gizzard
Sifts out indigestibles
Keeps the nutrients

Owls have a gizzard
Because they swallow things whole
Sometimes we do, too!

In today’s Daily Guideposts 2020 devotional, Erin Janoso shared a story about her daughter finding an owl pellet. She wrote:

“Owls don’t have teeth, so they often swallow their food whole.Because of this, they end up eating things like feathers and fur that are indigestible – and some stuff like bones – that could puncture their tender digestive systems. Luckily for the owl, it has a gizzard that acts as a shield… sifting what is nourishing from what is not.”

Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com

We don’t have gizzards,
But we often swallow things
That are not healthy.

Social media,
Garbage from some gossipers,
And harmful untruths.

God is my gizzard.
He sifts the good from the bad –
Helps discriminate.

Erin Janoso continued in her devotional:

“… unlike the owl, whose body acts involuntarily, I can forget how desperately I need God’s help sorting what’s nourishing from what’s not.
“I looked again at the gray mass lying on the table (the owl pellet). If an owl’s gizzard could put such an end to the things that would harm it, imagine what God could do for me, if ony I remembered to ask.”

Erin Janoso ended her devotional with this prayer:

“Lord, help me eject from my heart
the things that are indigestible,
things that harm me
and separate me from You.”

Psalm 28:7

“The Lord is my strength and my shield.”

Be wise, like the owl,
and put on the armor of God.
Let Him protect you
from the indigestibles
that come your way.

Let God be your gizzard!

See ya tomorrow.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, food, God, Haiku, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, nature, Poetry, prayer

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We’re All Good AND Bad

We all are human
So we all are imperfect
Good and bad combined

Today’s sermon drummed home that point to us. Rev. Steve Hundley at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church here in Ennis, Montana, used this scripture to springboard into the message for today:

Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43
The Parable of the Weeds
²⁴Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
²⁷“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
²⁸“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
²⁹“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”

The Parable of the Weeds Explained
³⁶Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
³⁷He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
⁴⁰“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.

You know I like to take poetic notes as I listen to the sermon each Sunday. Here are my notes, taken during today’s message:

The Message – “So What About the Weeds?”

Gardens are lot of trouble.
The weeds grow more than flowers.
The weeds choke out vegetables.
Why do weeds have such powers?

Jesus says the garden is the world,
And in it the devil plants seeds.
His are never flowers or veggies;
They are nothing but nasty weeds,

There has always been – and always will be –
Weeds – the stuff planted by sin.
Weeds, tares, or wild rye
Looks like wheat and mixes in.

The wild rye is actually poisonous,
But we can’t tell one from the other.
Just like us – who try to judge
The authenticity of our sisters and brothers.

Our “weed pulling” – ridding us of enemies –
Is a job some think is ours.
We try to separate the good from the bad,
As if calling out evil is in our powers.

Trouble is we each have wheat and weeds.
We’re all a part evil and a part good.
Who is capable of separating the weeds?
It’s not our job. Leave ’em. We should!

Sometimes trying to eliminate sin
Is a process that has reverse effects.
We inadvertently pull of the flowers,
Those beautiful people our Lord protects.

Too much weeding can rob people
Of the right to hear the Gospel and read
The Words Jesus spoke to us all: “Do not judge.”
Risk the weeds as you plant Good seeds.

Amen?
Amen!

Have a beautiful Sunday evening…
Enjoy your garden (it’s another form of creative art… yes, Derrick!)

See ya tomorrow.
Bee well!
And let’s all strive to bee more good than bad!
Hah!

Love to you.
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, flowers, God, Gratitude, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, nature, Poetry, writing

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You Lift Me Up

When troubles come…
Where do you go to be lifted up?
I go into the mountains.
There God fills my cup.

I was not able to go with Bob these last couple of weeks when he took our ATV up into the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I had surgery to repair a hernia a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said those bumpy rides on our four-wheeler, “Lucille” (she’s red-headed and she is a BALL), were off-limits.

So, Bob took our friend, Julie, last week… and this week he took our friend, Elaine. Both of them loved it. I’m so glad he shares the fun with friends who appreciate the beauty of Montana’s mountains as much as we do!

Elaine is the wife of our minister and friend, Steve Hundley. I share my poetic sermon notes each Sunday with you. It’s Steve who preaches those captivating messages! Elaine took the pictures I am sharing with you today. She has some real beauts here!!

I told her she needs to enlarge and frame this one!!

You can see the tip of Lucille’s tire here … obviously Bob stopped many times along the trail so Elaine could get out and snap a shot of the view. As you can see, they traveled up above the tree line into the snow. It’s mid-July and Montana’s mountain tops still have snow. Bundle up! Yup, it was cold up there while I was enjoying a 75 degree day down in the Madison Valley.

Elaine must have had more than an iPhone 6 for this shot. You think?

I thought that was “Lucille” but look again… it doesn’t have a red head!

The camera doesn’t do justice to the fields of wild flowers.
But, you get the idea.

No camera lens is as miraculous as the lens God gives each of us with our eyes… especially if we have 20/20 vision. But, a skilled photographer can come close with a good camera. I love the composition of this one with the rocks on rock in the foreground, don’t you?

In case you were wondering about their altitude…

Thank you, Elaine, for sharing with us your day with Bob and God! We are so blessed to be friends with one another and with nature and with our Creator! I love you! ❤

And thank you, my WordPress friends, for going with us into the mountains where we can all feel closer to God. There, He fills my cup! Did He fill yours, too?

I added the words below here to my blog from a couple days ago where I had a video posted of Susan Boyle singing this song… but some folks weren’t able to access the video.

I leave you today with this wonderful Peace Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. Make Me a Channel of Your Peace…

Thank you, Lord, for your great creation. I find such peace in Your mountains!

I hope you did, too, my friends.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, flowers, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, life, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, peace, photography, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing, Travel, trees

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The Seed and the Sower

It’s Sunday. It’s a day we set aside to worship God and listen to His Word. As I listened to Rev. Steve Hundley deliver his sermon today, I did my usual. I recorded on my bulletin what my ears took in poetically.

Here are my notes:

People flocked to Jesus.
He began to preach from a boat.
He had to distance from the crowd
So he drifted out a bit to float.

Distanced from the multitudes,
Jesus told the Parable of the Seed.
The Seed is the Word of God,
Spoken to the people in need.

Jesus warned that the Word
Often falls on deaf ear.
He explained that not all seeds
Grow in all who hear.

But those who allow the seed to grow,
Spend time to allow the seed to sink in,
Let it bury itself in their hearts,
Can bear fruit and juice they drink in.

The seed of the Word is like
A Smoothie blended into thought and deed.
Let the Word transform you
And grow to the Faith we all need.

But we may carry a ball & chain of doubt
That keeps us from letting go
Of the seeds that need to be planted
In Good Soil so they can grow,

Don’t hoard the Seeds of plenty
That God has blessed in you.
Sow them, grow them, harvest
And blend them to a Smoothie. Do!

Every seed carries in its bosom the future.
Trust God to make the seeds grow.
Be the sower who trusts the Maker
To find Good Soil wherever you go.

Amen

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Matthew 13:¹⁸“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ²²The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

The phenomenal garden of Jackie and derrickjknight

Have a Super Sunday,
Dear WordPress friends,
Bee well
Bee safe
See ya tomorrow
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, flowers, Giving, God, Jesus, learning, Living in Christ's Family, Love, nature, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, teaching, writing

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2,200% increase in COVID-19

We thought we were bullet-proof;
We thought we were too far out of it.
Guess again, my near-sighted friends –
This virus doesn’t know when to quit!

From lowest number of cases
In all of the USA,
We made miserable strides.
We had 26 new cases in one day!

The percentage sounds so much worse
Than telling you the number 26,
But numbers can be deceiving –
Just ask those who are newly sick!

Montana is a state with barely a million
Total in its entire population,
But when Yellowstone opened up,
People came from the world, not just the nation.

We visited with friends in their yard yesterday,
But we were able to socially distance easily.
Look at the space between house and table
And the blue sky – with God helping quite breezily!

We sat and watched the sunset
Reflect on the gorgeous Madison Range,
And thanked God for our open spaces;
With the absence of hugs – feeling strange!

But when today’s news reported the increase
In the number of cases in our state,
We thanked God anew for our health –
And the blessing to continue to feel great.

I pray you are being wise and safe too, my friends.
Enjoy your social situations,
But remember to wear a mask if you can’t distance
And keep happy and healthy relations!

I’m off to the park to walk again with TazE.
It’s another beautiful, blue-sky day.
“Bee” happy and stay healthy, will you please?
I hope our numbers go down – and stay that way!

Don’tcha love that fence post?
See ya tomorrow.
Virtual Hugs,
**JanBeek**

Category:

blessings, contentment, Family, friendship, Gratitude, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, nature, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships, respect

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janbeek

Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘nature’ Category

A Swiss Weekend

Dream Big

Keep Unfulfilled Dreams Alive

My Favorite Swiss Places

What Are Your Favorite Spots?

Come Ride with Us!

Love Dances With Longing

We’re All Good AND Bad

The Message – “So What About the Weeds?”

The Seed and the Sower

The Parable of the Sower

2,200% increase in COVID-19

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Loving One Another

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Dream Big

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My Favorite Swiss Places

What Are Your Favorite Spots?

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The Message – “So What About the Weeds?”

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