Happy June and Happy Summer, y’all —

Here in the Midwest, on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri, June is the “Early Introduction to Summer” month. This is when all of the new summer activities are still exciting and fun before the inevitable heat and humidity of August wear you down. But we won’t go on about that stuff yet.

Right now, it is an exciting time, with June unquestionably the month of baby deer.

Birds begin to raise their young; baby squirrels and bunnies venture out of nests for the first time; there are summer barbeques, trips to the beach, water balloons, toasting marshmallows over a campfire, charging down the backyard slippy slide, visits to the park, and so much more.

But now, changing the topic to address the obvious for those who follow along here regularly— it has been a minute, as they say. Once again, I have been a few months away from writing following yet another extensive spinal surgery, for which I sincerely apologize to faithful followers. This surgery was extensive, from top to bottom, with the resultant recovery and rehab a much longer and slower hill to climb back up to get going again.

But more about that in a minute.  We have a lot of catching up to do.

How have you been? Please let me know in the comments how things have been going for you over the past few months. Are there any big news or developments? How are those New Year’s Resolutions coming along? Or maybe I shouldn’t even have gone there?

Never mind about that, then. No reason to feel badly if your resolutions have taken a back seat to life as mine have done, heavily amended, rewritten, and rescheduled repeatedly as each idle month passed. But, and this is important, I think, merely reviewed, reshuffled, and then rescheduled.

So, ever stalwart, I start over again, several laps behind and racing to catch up, but still on the track and in the race. Always in the game and race.  And that is the important thing, isn’t it? Never give up, never surrender. I may finish much later than planned, but with sheer determination, I will finish. And finish we must. Right?

If we do not have an all-consuming purpose and passion, then what is the point of getting out of bed every morning? What gets you up and going on a dark and rainy day? For me, it is my writing work and trying to make, however small, a positive difference in the world before I leave. And there’s a lot of work to do on that, it seems, so I need to reach down, grab another gear, and get going.

For those so interested, the details of my surgery and what followed can be found here →  My Latest Spinal Fusion Surgery and Dealing With Psoriatic Arthritis. For those preferring to be spared the details, I invite you to simply read on.

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Following last year’s post-surgery piece, I was asked by a number of followers to please start posting more about my surgery preparation tips, along with the various tools and equipment I use to get thru the day and my feelings about them and recommendations. Always reticent to publicly share too much on the personal side, I held back from doing that, but following yet another major surgery (#6 for my back and #16 overall), I will go ahead and begin sharing information and tips from time to time. So, for those who may be interested, please register to be notified of every new post and watch for that, always keeping in mind that I am not a doctor or qualified to give medical advice. I am merely sharing my personal experience.

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And so, oh well. That is where I have been for the past few months, recovering from yet another major surgery, but now I am feeling stronger and with enough energy most days to sit at my laptop once again and let the words fly. And boy, will they be flying!

Many, many sleepless nights following surgery resulted in pages of new story ideas, themes, topics, characters, locations, and more for my short story character, Little Red Bear and his friends, along with new ideas and features for the Writing Pages here.

And one great big idea for a weekly writing feature! A little more about it is below.

Please watch for a Big announcement about the coming new writing feature and yet another exciting new project going on in the coming weeks.

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Thank you so much for visiting, hanging in there with me while I was otherwise occupied, and for your continued support and encouragement! I cannot wait to tell you more about what Little Red Bear will be up to shortly and the new features coming to the pages here. But that is enough for today, so I will return with more soon.

But, while you’re here . . . . .

Over the past several months, I have worked hard in the background to develop a new, light, and fun weekly read for leisurely weekend enjoyment over morning coffee and tea. A hint: Think small, hometown news, gossip, and other interesting tidbits from Little Red Bear Land. But that’s all you get for now.

But there is some debate around here on whether an early Saturday or Sunday morning schedule would be preferred by most folks. More details of what we are developing will be shared soon. But, to help get us moving in the right direction, which would you prefer — Saturday or Sunday mornings for a weekly light, fun, and entertaining read? Are Saturday or Sunday mornings best for you? Please take a moment to let me know in the Comments so we get it right.

Thanks again for visiting with us. It is so wonderful to reconnect and we cannot wait to share with you all of the new things coming soon! In the meantime, Best Wishes and God Bless! — Jim (and Red!)  🤠 🐻 ❤️

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If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like — “I Will Greet This Day With Love In My Heart”  and “Wishing You Deep Peace, Love, Happiness, and Joy –  And A Very Good Day!” 

(New Visitors — Welcome! To find out what we are all about, please check out — “Welcome To My Writing Pages!” and “About the Blog, Jim & Little Red Bear” — and sign up to follow and be notified of every new post! Because really, why in the world wouldn’t you?)

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“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” – Charles W. Eliot

“You will never find peace if the source of the noise is deep inside you.” –  Mark Twain 

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Meet Little Red Bear & His Friends —  “Once Upon A Time In A Very Special Woods . . . .”

“Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run, it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

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Because together, we can do so much! 

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