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Liz Barnard

@ebarnard4315

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** Rocks and Rivers and Wayfinding **

As most of my friends and followers know, my friend Ken Gagnon passed away suddenly while we were on our way to Alaska. I’ve had several moments where I felt close to him in some way (read through my posts to find them if you haven’t). Today I wanted to honor him with yet another rock (he definitely was stubborn but don’t read too much into the rock metaphor).

We took an ATV tour through the wilderness near Denali this morning (Ken loved his ATV’s AND motorcycles). One of the stops was next to a braided river called Dry Creek. Yesterday there was no flowing water there; today there was. That’s the way rain and snow melt form these things, unexpectedly.

So I paid homage to my friend who left us all unexpectedly. Our daughter Liz (who was raised alongside the Gagnon girls) found a perfect heart shaped rock, appropriate for so many reasons. We placed them next to a rock carin, a memorial to his memory but even more so a way to mark the trail for the journey he’s on.

May his memory be a “wayfinder” that leads us all to be better people.

#BruceandAmyTakeAlaska
#AJtheAirstream

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We’ve come to a new location today...

One of salt and sea and eagles...

One where billionaire mega yacht owners anchor just off our shore and speak of the Silver Airstream on land near the port...

And the sun still only sets for an hour or two...

#BruceandAmyTakeAlaska
#AJtheAirstream

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Did we shop there...??

Yes...yes we did...

#SupportSmallLocalBusiness
#SupportPeacefulProtest

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Chill in NAPA

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Proud my daughter got her protest AND happy birthday to her mom all on one sign...

#NoKingsDay
#NoKingsInSalemNY
#TacoSaturday

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** Food (skip if you don’t want the calories) **

If you’ve ever been to NYC and had dinner with Dustee and Jim Hullinger, you probably had Jim’s amazing Key Lime Pie. The pie is awesome, but the crust is to die for (basically Ritz crackers and pounds of butter)!!

So as we ate our way across the south recently, and tried banana pudding almost everywhere, it hit me — why not banana pudding pie? I asked Jim for the crust recipe, which he sent. But also, knowing my plan, sent along the recipe for Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding.

Amy Watkins Barnard merged the two and made what I’m calling “Stillmeadow Banana Pudding Pie”. I present to you a pie worth driving to Salem NY for — just book your reservation ahead of time!!

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I know nothing about any of this...

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My family knows me well...😂 😂

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** Mom and Christmas **

This time of year is difficult for many of us and for varied reasons. For me it’s that my mom, the Queen of Christmas, isn’t present. She’s been celebrating her heavenly resurrection since 2020, and what is now her 5th heavenly Christmas. But this year she sent me a wink and a nod, and I’m so very grateful.

She loved Snow Village by Department 56. She got Amy and me started early in our marriage, and each year she’d add to our collection. This year, while setting up a small village in my office, I noticed something I’d never noticed before — price stickers.

You see my mom was not only the Queen of Christmas, she was the “Queen of Half-Off Christmas” sales. She lived to go out the day after Christmas looking for Hallmark, Department 56, or Radko sales, and she’d find them all! This year I noticed that most of my village pieces were marked “50% off” (and I’m guessing she negotiated even better deals). Seeing that reminds me just how much I miss everything about her.

So as you wrap up your Christmas day, and move towards a new year, don’t forget to stop and see the things around you that mean so very much — especially the bargain sales that’ll be here in a few hours!! And the love of your family never forgotten!

Love ya mom!!

#LoveMyMom
#MissMyMom

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My thoughts have been captivated by this extraordinary person’s remarkable qualities. Her profound impact leaves me speechless, demonstrating a generosity of spirit I aspire to. With love, compassion, drive, and hope, she transforms her world. Her future is bright, filled with promise and divine purpose. We’ve been gifted by her presence since 1986, and her light continues to shine. If you’re lucky enough to know her, celebrate her inspiring life. If you encounter her, acknowledge her exceptional spirit. And if you’re moved to give her a gift or card, tell her it’s from me!!

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** ‘Merica Day 8 (part two) **

This post deserves its own place in history!

My mom was born in West Virginia and raised in Phoenix. She and her siblings lived on the east side of the city (remember this was the 30’s and 40’s!). I can remember visiting my grandparents home most summers, but had no recollection of where it might have been. Most of those who would have known the address are long gone, and those that aren’t remembered the street but not house number. So Amy Watkins Barnard and I set out on a quest a few days ago.

I present to you 1505 East Garfield St. (we’re still confused by the address but the house number we worked off doesn’t exist and this image is recalled by most of the family as “the one”)

Pictures include Madelyn and Adelyn Newcomer on the front porch, and Vernie and Jeanette Newcomer poking fun at his West Virginia roots (they were members of Phoenix East Side Church of the Nazarene so I’m almost certain it wasn’t a working still — almost!)

[side note — the J in #AJtheAirstream is for my grandmother Jeanette]

Finally, below is the last conversation mom and I had in 2017 about Phoenix...it’s a gem...

[2017] Vacation conversation with mom:

Mom: “Where are you guys going for vacation?”
Me: “No place special.”
Mom: “Do you have a favorite vacation place?”
Me: [ticking off several then asking:] “Did you have a favorite vacation place, mom?”
Mom: “We never had money or time for vacations.”
Me: “Well we went to Phoenix and California most years.”
Mom: “Did you like Phoenix?”
Me: “Not really - grandma and grandpa liked Gaylene better than me so it wasn’t much fun.”
Mom: “Well, she was always well behaved, you weren’t.”

Well played mom...well played...

#LoveMyMom
#MissMyMom
#JourneyHome

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** Mom’s Day 2024 (Better Late Than Never) **

Dear mom,

Well, we’ve survived that period of three weeks each year where we reflect on, and celebrate major events from, your life - birthday, anniversary, and Mom’s Day. I have to say that it gets better each year, just never easier.

This year on Mom’s Day we were driving from Chicago to KC. I was tempted to stop and make my traditional Mom’s Day post, but the DOT for Illinois had posted on their interstate signs, “Better Late Than Never — Love, MOM!” (I took that as your sign I should wait until we landed in KC to post!)

I know lots of friends posted about their mom’s yesterday, mostly saying “Best Mom Ever.” That seems to be a very high bar — what I can say without reservation, YOU WERE THE BEST MOM FOR ME! I wasn’t an easy child, I didn’t always cooperate, I frequently talked back, and probably never gave you the opportunity to say, ‘BEST SON EVER!’. But I think I was the best son for you and dad! (it helped I was the ONLY one too!)

As we drove, I heard a song with these lyrics:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be

While most today associate it with Josh Groban speaking about God, the original was written and first preformed at the funeral of composer Rolf Løvland’s mother. And for me, it’s a perfect reflection on how you raised me (and by default Gaylene): you raised us so we could stand on mountains, so that we could walk across the stormy seas; we indeed do stand upon your shoulders, and we are striving to be more than we can be on our own. We owe you a gift of thanks for that mom!

So, happy Mom’s Day in heaven - you are missed here by kids, grandkids, great grandkids, and dad! I guess in the end you were the best mom ever!

Love...B

#MissMyMom
#LoveMyMom

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