HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! Oliver Wendell Holmes: "One Flag, One Land, One Heart, One Hand, One Nation evermore!" Gerald Stanley Lee: "America is a tune. It must be sung together." John Dickinson: "Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall." * Yes, this is very dangerous, and should NOT be attempted, but who remembers having Roman Candle fights back in the day? Or was it just our family? Here are some interesting facts about the 4th of July….

THIS AND THAT * I can’t believe this happened—I met a person who doesn’t know who Davy Jones was, or for that matter who The Monkees were! How can that be?! * I read this about the legendary Kobe Bryant. His wife Vanessa asked him why he wouldn’t sit out a game when he was hurting.

We went on a very long trip last week in our new-to-us 5th-wheel camper. We had made prior reservations at the campground, which is a must in order to ensure a great spot. But before we packed up to leave on the camping trip, my husband made a long trip of his own: first to Cheney, to watch our will-be-freshman granddaughter play softball on Thursday night. Her team won its first game of the summer season, and consequently, Grandpa was invited to stay the rest of the summer if he brought that kind of luck. Early the next morning Bob continued south, all the way to Flint, Texas, where he watched our youngest granddaughter, who will be in third grade, participate in a weekend coach-pitch, end-of-season tournament of traveling teams. The team Karsyn played for totally dominated the tournament, going undefeated for the weekend and capturing the championship, complete with a Championship Ring that could probably fit my big toe. But then, I’ve only seen pictures of the ring because I was not there. (sniff-sniff)

IT’S JUST WHAT DADDIES DO Chase, this is for you! Giving them bear hugs And tying their shoes, Or reading them books, It’s just what daddies do. Barbequing them hot dogs With a tator tot or two, Or ordering from the Bowling Alley, It’s just what daddies do.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have recited the 23rd Psalm when I am worried or stressed out about something. It is my go-to stress-reliever, and it’s far more effective than drugs. It’s hard to improve upon the 23rd Psalm and the calming effect that it can bring, especially when I reflect on a mental picture of, for example, the Flinthills: acres upon acres of rolling hills with green, grassy carpet, horses and cattle grazing peacefully, and a beautiful pond in the valley. Try it sometime — you’ll thank me for it later.

Dear Editor: I am writing this note to help people understand the problems we have been having for years in trying to preserve and prevent the continued destruction of the brick walls of the Thrift Shop. The bricks were made in Rooks County in 1886 and are poor quality with lots of sand and not much to hold them together.

This Sunday is my dad’s 95th birthday, and I must tell you how he continues to amaze and inspire me. Having just moved into an assisted living facility, he is still doing everything for himself except cooking meals. That was one big thing he was tired of doing, and he did pretty well for a guy who, in years past, would load and unload the dishwasher, but that was about all he did in the kitchen. Since Mother passed away he has been cooking for himself, even searching for easy recipes on the internet. He got to be quite the cookie baker and enjoyed having something to share with his morning coffee buddies. Then in the last year or so, all of his “drinking buddies” have died or moved into the “Big House,” as he calls the nursing home. Now that Dad is in the Big House himself, he is in the same corridor as a couple of those good buddies, as well as our neighbor lady from the farm. We kids grew up with her being across the hedge; now she is just across the hall.

MEMORIAL DAY EDITORIAL * On Memorial Day and Veterans Day, it is customary to spend time remembering and honoring the countless veterans who have served the United States throughout the country’s history. However, there is a distinction between the two holidays: Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, especially those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

This is a rerun from an old Sentinel, but even if you remember reading it, I think you’ll still get a kick out of it. Personally, I can handle the “Oil Change Instructions for Women,” except my Jiffy Lube is the Hahns!

THIS AND THAT * My family always laughs at this when we read it online.….“I had this delicious omelet this morning. I seasoned the eggs with sugar, oil and chocolate and threw in a little flour for texture.” * The unleaded gasoline price per gallon at the end of April was $2.56.