I Needed To Learn How To Make Me Important

by Summer D Clemenson | Jul 11, 2025 | About Summer

I had to let my extended family go. For me. I needed to learn how to make me important. I needed to learn how to listen to myself and take care of me, I needed to learn how to set boundaries and keep them for me. There was a lot of unhealthy habits between me and every individual in my extended family. I needed them to be self-sufficient.

I didn’t know if I would ever reconnect with any of them and I always told God, it was in His hands. He knew them. He knew me. He knew what we needed. He loved us all.

When my youngest sister contacted me recently, I considered ignoring her, but I heard God tell me, it would be ok. I felt a peace. So I read her words. And I responded. I even told her some of my fears so she could pray for me. Then we made plans to get together with Mom.

It was a good visit. We talked about our lives now. We teased a little bit. I noticed the freckles on my sister’s arms, I didn’t remember. We finally got Karen G Clemenson to get out of the hot car and join us in the air conditioning – she always worries about influencing situations…

My mom told me she wished she had told me she didn’t want me to remove her from my life. I know it was her way of saying she loved me and she wanted me in her life. I feel that now. Even though I needed to do what I did, it wasn’t about rejection, it was about finding me.

My mom is moving to another state. She needs to. Washington is too expensive. She can’t afford to retire here and she isn’t getting the medical care she needs here. But she will be moving near my youngest sister, so she won’t be alone and they live near world renowned doctors, so her health will have a chance to improve and she will have a better quality of life. But I told her she will have a reason to return and visit.

God is always good.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Xavier Hated Doors

by Summer D Clemenson | Jul 6, 2025 | About Summer

Xavier hated doors. He was so offended by being blocked from his people. Karen and I still don’t shut doors unless we have guests over.

Once he got out when he and I lived with my mother. Somehow he got between the storm door and wooden door to the house and began crying. I was so happy he was safe. Xavier was not born with the same instincts of survival that most animals have. Another time I thought he got out, which would have been odd because he was terrified of the front door, I had searched the house top to bottom and did not find him, until he got hungry and began crying for me. He was in Mom’s linen closet, apparently that is a great napping place.

When we lived at The Monticello he got out. I am not sure how long he was wandering the hall or if he even wandered at all. His call for me was mighty and I saw him an apartment down and he ran inside as soon as I opened the door.

That was the last time he was ever curious about the door.

Xavier didn’t mind fireworks as a kitten. He just played with his toys. But when he was mature he was terrified. Lucky for us he was also scared of the front door. He had is safe spots and that was where I could check on him, pat his head, and let him know it would stop eventually.

Xavier died in April 2024. I have had two 4th of July celebrations without him. It’s easier to fall asleep since I don’t have to worry about him. I did check out the Cowlitz County Lost and Found group on Facebook and it is overwhelmed by pets that are missing. I am so sorry for those fur babies and their people.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

This Should Have Been An Easy Run

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 27, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

I have never had a blood clot, that I know of, until I got endometrial cancer, which both this type of cancer and the treatment of this type of cancer cause. My oncologist assured me that once my cancer was gone, I would no longer need to take Eliquis, which is very expensive, even if you have insurance. As far as I know, blood clots don’t run in my family so this should have been an easy run.

I am struggling with the fact that two doctors, one being my new blood specialist, said that since I have had two severe episodes, the last one coming on very fast and apparently originating in my lungs, I will have to remain on blood thinners for the rest of my life. This feels like such a failure.

I went off my Eliquis a couple weeks before my first radiation treatment . We had intended to start the treatments a week earlier but adjustments needed to be made so we didn’t do the first treatment as planned, but I stayed off the blood thinner.

On Monday I have to get some special blood work done. These labs will tell us if I have a hereditary condition, we didn’t know about. After these labs are completed, we will create a new plan of action for when we start up the radiation treatments, which have been paused for a month while my lungs heal and we figure out how to handle my blood clotting issue.

I wish drugs that are so necessary were not so expensive. I wish it didn’t hurt so bad to heal. I know I am a blessed woman. I wish I didn’t have to dig past so many distractions sometimes to remember that.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

I Am Still Very Weak

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 25, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

I woke up at 2:30 am on Saturday. I was aware something was wrong when I had gone to bed. Something had been wrong since Wednesday when I had had my first radiation treatment for endometrial cancer. My ribs and lungs had begun hurting. I thought it was fibromyalgia responding. This was normal but it kept getting worse. As I would get up to do things I would get out of breath easily. It had been getting worse. After going to the bathroom, I barely made it back to bed. My breathing never came back to complete normal.

At 3 am, I woke Karen. I told her something was wrong. I needed to go to the hospital. She was so tired. She watched me for awhile. I asked her what she was thinking and she said she was just watching me. Soon I needed to use the bathroom again. This time, I couldn’t make it back to the bed. I sat at the desk while I labored to breathe and sweated profusely. It felt like the last time I was hospitalized for blood clots. Karen agreed this was wrong. She started dressing. I was giving orders to pack certain things I would need. I knew I would be admitted. She was bringing clothes to me and helping me dress.

I had to use the restroom again and barely made it back to the desk chair. I was trying to figure out how I was not sure how I was going to make it to the car. I was so scared. Luckily the building we live in had chairs in the midway point so I could rest before forcing myself to walk the rest of the way to the car and get in.

As we started towards the main road, I said Legacy Salmon Creek. Karen was so scared she said no, St John. I said no. I won’t get out of the car. In the end I got what I wanted. I think St John ER is great, but I am still healing from my experience in their ICU with my blood clots back in 2022. I had a great experience with Legacy Salmon Creek in 2014 and my gynecological oncologist is there and she manages my Eliquis because my blood clots are related to my cancer, and she is an amazing doctor. I knew I would have a better experience at Legacy Salmon Creek and I did.

I was so sick. I had ultrasounds on my heart, liver and legs; very painful. My heart and liver were very stressed out because of the very large blood clot in my right lung and the many medium clots in my left lung. Both my arms are covered in bruises from constant blood pressure checks, blood draws, and drug administration. Even my fingertips are bruised from blood sugar checks.

I had to fight for my medications. The weekend doctor, although kind and interesting, stopped all my meds. Some of my meds are not meant to just stop. They kept me on a liquid diet and sometimes took even my fluids away as they weren’t sure when they were going to remove my blood clots. I didn’t care about food; I was too tired. Even jello was a chore to eat. But I hated when I couldn’t have water because when you are on oxygen your nose and mouth become so dry.

Eventually I got my meds back. Which is good because my mood was very bipolar. Thankfully I had my phone and backup battery with me so I could keep my music going. It helped my mood and often the nurses enjoyed it and would feel embarrassed when they started dancing. I told them not to be embarrassed; my wife dances all the time.

I had to be awake during my surgery so when the doctor needed to take a picture, I could hold my breath. They cheered when they got the biggest clot out. I think they forgot I was awake when I asked if I could see it because they were very surprised. When they were done, they showed me a picture of a huge pile of clots. I said, no wonder I was having such a hard time breathing. They agreed.

They also installed a metal mesh so that any clots that form in my legs cannot get into my lungs and heart. I will have that removed after my cancer is gone.

I am still very weak. You don’t just go back to 100% after having blood clots in your lungs and I still have some small ones in my lungs that my body has to break down.

I had stopped taking my Eliquis for the radiation therapy and been off of it for 2 weeks. The blood thinners stop the blood from clotting. I won’t be able to go off of Eliquis but for a couple of days when we return to the last three treatments, but Dr Westhoff says we are taking a month for me to heal. By the look of my arms, I know my veins are happy about that, but I know my lungs need to recover too.

On the way home, I was planning to make a lentil soup because that is the ingredients I have. When I told Karen, she told me no. Then I realized I have slept most of the day since Saturday and I probably didn’t have the energy to make anything. I did end up sleeping most of today.

Money is tight. All the trips to Vancouver are out of our normal. My Eliquis is a much larger dose so we have that too. But through all this, even though God could have moved this mountain, He didn’t. Even though I was too tired to talk to Him, except for a few people that landed on my heart, I know He carried me the entire way, provided for every need, and will keep doing the same because He loves me. God bless you.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

I Accepted Everything They Offered

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 20, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

Wednesday was probably the most painful day I can ever remember. It wasn’t the radiation that hurt, because it didn’t. But everything before and after that did. I have a great doctor and all the nurses were wonderful but being tied to a table with your legs up in the air is excruciating and unlike last week when I refused pain meds, this time, I accepted everything they offered, however it didn’t help.

I was under anesthesia when Dr Dyer inserted the applicator for the needles that apply the radiation, that is attached to the table. I was not under anesthesia when he had to put it back in because I had pulled it out because my knees were hurting and I couldn’t hold still. I learned to keep my hips still after that.

He was shocked when he finally asked me where my pain was and I told him my knees. We tried oxy, fentanyl, something that starts with a t, there might have been a few others and oxy and fentanyl we did twice, nothing worked. I had to be in that position for a CT scan, while they readjusted things, while they made an action plan, the 42 minutes I actually was getting the treatment, and until they could get me into the OR to remove the applicator and catheter. Pretty much most of the day.

Last week, I wasn’t there as long because when we got to the CT scan, he realized he needed to make more adjustments to the applicator and needles to do the most good for me. The pain had been in my back, my knees weren’t so bad. So before I left for the hospital on Wednesday, I covered my back with doTERRA’s Deep Blue Stick (contact me if you have any questions about this product). My back did fine. I will be doing this with my knees next time we do this and my back and bring it with me. Apparently, my body is used to doTERRA and not pain meds.

During the radiation I was trying to focus on my breathing but I was writhing in pain and moaning, sometimes praying to God. A couple times my alarms went off and I would hear my doctor’s patient voice reminding me that he needed me to focus on long deep breaths in and out. I was so glad when it was over. My doctor loosened the straps on my legs so I could move them a little bit but I still had to keep my feet in the stirrups. Being able to wiggle my toes and slightly straighten my knees helped so much!

My doctor told me he was so proud of me and that we had got such a good treatment that he didn’t think I would have a lot of bleeding. (I have a lot of blood vessels in my uterus and I tend to bleed for a long time.)

Eventually they took me to a regular room, which was odd because I was supposed to go home. They brought me a regular gown to wear instead of the paper one I had been wearing all day. They were surprised that my room didn’t have a bed and were about to order one and I said no. I had no idea why I was in this room but I had no plans to stay. I wasn’t about to put on a hospital gown, I could wear my own clothes. So one nurse began the hunt for my discharge orders and another nurse started taking the electrodes off my chest but I beat her to most of them and she laughed, knowing I was done with being handled by strangers.

It took a few hours to find my doctor because he was in surgery, so my nurse kept coming back to check my vitals and the first time she asked if she could check if I was bleeding, I said, “I have had more people in my vagina today than I have had in my entire life, knock yourself out.” She laughed.

Honestly I was ready to do anything to go home. On our way home we drove Hwy 30 instead of I-5. It was so beautiful!

I have 3 more treatments to go. The last one is July 3…so my Independence Day will be spent sleeping and healing…

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

5 Books For June 2025

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 19, 2025 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions

Summer is here and it is time to read. In my house, Summer is always here and there are piles of books everywhere. I need to buy a bookshelf or two. But hopefully those books will inspire adventures in the sun, or if you are feeling sick you can live vicariously through the pages of a wonderful story.

Now without further ado 5 Books for June 2025:

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King Alice by Matthew Cordell

King Alice by Matthew Cordell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

King Alice by Matthew Cordell is a story about a family on a snow day, or rather, on the second snow day. The imaginative grade schooler is writing her story, starring as King and everyone else is her brave knight, including her Dad, Mom and baby sister.

King Alice starts each chapter of her book, which are the activities of the day, with humor. King Alice illustrates them too. This story is full of colors, pirates and unicorns to talk about. I found this to be an enjoyable read.

I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of King Alice by Matthew Cordell on Amazon.

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Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Schwartz

Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Schwartz is a counting book with delightful illustrations. This book offers a number of sweet things to count and talk about while working on your toddler’s vocabulary and colors. This picture book is a great addition to your little one’s collection.

I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Schwartz on Amazon.

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The Red Canoe by Anne Yvonne

The Red Canoe by Anne Yvonne Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Red Canoe by Anne Yvonne is a beautiful story written like poetry that tells of a boy who enjoys his canoe and cares for it as he grows and eventually moves away. The canoe misses the boy, but luckily another boy moves in and fines the canoe and new adventures begin. The illustrations are stunning in this historical children’s fiction story.

I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of The Red Canoe by Anne Yvonne on Amazon.

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Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this book! Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty has good timing so it is easy to read. It has colorful and fun illustrations by David Roberts that make you want to stop and take them all in. But most of all the characters are believable and encouraging and they work together with neighbors and politics to inspire Sofia to make their community better and since Sofia is only in the 2nd grade, maybe she will keep working through activism and relationships and find herself running for president one day.

I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty on Amazon.

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Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson

Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson is a memoir and great book for readers at a 3rd to 5th grade level. I think the fun letters and lessons that Clayton writes, that he couldn’t actually mail back to earth without them catching on fire at re-entry, might inspire children to be interested in science and even a few future astronauts. This book is written in an easy to understand format and the illustrations by Susan Batori are fun and engaging.

View all my reviews

I got this book from the Longview Public Library. You can get your own copy of Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson on Amazon.

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I was lucky to find a few favorite stories to add to my must purchase list on eBay. I hope that you find a few favorite things this summer while you are doing whatever makes your heart happy.

Be blessed.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

This Feels Too Heavy

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 16, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

I feel frozen. We did not do a radiation treatment on Thursday, as planned, yet I had done the cleanse on Wednesday and I had the contraption inserted to do the radiation. I had the CT scan. I had several kinds of pain meds but they didn’t help at all. They removed the device. I’m still hurting inside. I’m still bleeding a tiny bit. I still have bruises and 12 injection spots on my hands. They didn’t try getting an IV in my hands until I was under sedation. If they would have asked me, I would’ve told them that was a bad idea. I am angry that I have 12 injection sites. They are swollen and hurt.

I have to do another cleanse tomorrow. I have to go back on Wednesday. This time I have to be there at 9 am instead of 6:30 but the time does not matter. I am not sleeping well at all so I am exhausted all the time. This feels too heavy.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Today Was Extremely Painful

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 12, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

We did not do the radiation treatment today. Today was extremely painful. At some point, I had been given several forms of pain medication and none of them made a difference. My uterus is larger than usual so my doctor needs to adjust the length of the needles that deliver the treatment to give me the best opportunity for healing. It was necessary that I lie on my back with my legs in padded stirrups the whole time I was there. This put a lot pressure on my knees and back. It was terrible. Also there is a device they put in my vagina used to deliver the radiation. Even though my uterus is larger than usual, my vagina is small, long and curved.

I try not to snap at doctors but eventually I was just saying, “I don’t care, do what you need to do to get done.” Karen was not supposed to come in the CT room but Dr Dryer knew I was really suffering and he brought her in for a moment. He was not only letting her comfort me but he wanted to show her what he was planning. I love how Legacy’s philosophy is to treat the whole patient.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Hard Things

by Summer D Clemenson | Jun 11, 2025 | About Summer, Cancer

Today I am on a clear liquid diet and a colon cleanse to prepare for tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to be at Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland at 6:30 am and I will spend all day there, having several procedures related to radiation. The nurse explained it all to me but I don’t want to remember. I told her I will probably dissociate much of it but I will do what I am told at the time. This is how I get through hard things. I told her in stressful situations my body sometimes twitches in my torso. If it is severe, it looks like a seizure but it’s not. I also might might hyperventilate if I have an anxiety attack, but if you let me handle myself, I know what to do, however I will be under anesthesia for some of the procedures and I have not experienced these under anesthesia, I thought I should let her know. She was appreciative.

I was explaining this to my sister, Jamie Holloway, and she was sympathetic. I told her I had written down the parts I have to do before the hospital but I was trying not to think about most of it. I have left many details out. There is nothing I can do about it. She agreed.

I am so glad I have Jamie! Karen G Clemenson is strong and always by my side, but Jamie has taught me, by showing me how to do this. Many times I have been thanked for being easy to work with and I always tell the medical team what Jamie taught me, they are trying to do their job, helping them do that will make it go faster. They have a hard job. I don’t know what I would do without these two strong women in my life.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

5 Books for May 2025

by Summer D Clemenson | May 30, 2025 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions

When I was growing up my nana would read to my sisters and I. She would come alive with the story. She did voices and her her eyes would get big. Her face would become animated and her hands would grab our attention as they shot into the sky as she exclaimed great words. Nana loved words. Her love of words were instilled to me as she told us stories and wrote me letters. This is what reading to children can do for them. When you know how to read you can do just about anything you want.

Now without further ado 5 Books for May 2025:

A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman

A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Lesléa Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman is a thoughtful story about a little girl named Ruthie as she visits her Nana. Her grandmother has planned fun things for the two of them to do: a tea party with Nana’s dolls, dress up, and painting. But what Ruthie really wants to do is play with the neighbor boy, Brian. Brian has a fire engine with a black and white dog sitting up front, a silver ladder that slides up and down and a yellow hose to unwind. It also has a siren that goes Whee-ooh! Whee-ooh! Whee-ooh! Brian also has a train, a motorcycle, trucks, buses, and kinds of vehicles.

After Ruthie did all the things that Nana planned, she got her play day with Brian and Nana joined in too. The next day, they even went to the toy store and bought Ruthie her own fire engine.

This story is sweet and encouraging. It shows how good communication can work and play time isn’t about gender. The illustrations by Cyd Moore are adorable. I really enjoyed this book.

I got this picture book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman on Amazon.

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Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

(Frog and Toad All Year) By Lobel, Arnold (Author) Paperback on 01-Jan-2000 by Arnold Lobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel is a book with several stories in it: Down the Hill, The Corner, Ice Cream, The Surprise, and Christmas Eve. Out of all the stories, about different times of the year, my favorite is Christmas Eve. I like this classic story because I can relate to both Frog and Toad. I used to be late all the time like Frog, but I am still anxious like Toad, who thought of terrible things that could have happened to have made Frog late. In the end, Frog and Toad were very happy to spend Christmas together because they are very good friends who love each other.

Frog and Toad have always been one of my favorites.

I got this adorable book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel on Amazon.

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Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween: A Lift-the-Flap Book! by Alice Schertle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle, it’s Halloween and Little Blue Truck is heading to a party. Along the way he runs into other party goers and we get to guess who they are! We see animals and colors and costumes. How fun! The illustrations by Jill McElmurry are adorable.
View all my reviews

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle on Amazon.

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Little Bear’s Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik

Little Bear’s Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Little Bear’s Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik is a book with 4 stories in it: Little Bear and Emily, Duck, Baby Sitter, The Party at Owl’s House, and Your Friend, Little Bear. My favorite story is Little Bear and Emily. I love the illustrations by Maurice Sendak. I also love the description of the town and area where Little Bear lives. I enjoy hearing Little Bear interact with the squirrels, and birds, the little green worm, and finally, Emily, his new friend.

All of the stories in this children’s fiction picture book are about Emily’s visit during the summer. Little Bear and Emily had a wonder time.

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Little Bear’s Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik on Amazon.

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The I Love You Book by Todd Parr

The I LOVE YOU Book by Todd Parr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The I Love You Book by Todd Parr is a simple and bright colored book that reminds us that we are loved all the time, even when we are stinky or squeaky clean. The illustrations are elementary and meant to capture a young person’s attention. This book is positive and hopeful.

View all my reviews

I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of The I Love You Book by Todd Parr on Amazon.

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My nana’s love for words empowered me to be able to learn what I want, when I want because I can pick up a book or google anything and learn how to do new things. Some times it takes a bit longer than reading a few words, but as soon as I start reading, I am on my way. I hope that I can encourage you to encourage someone else to learn to love words as much as I do.

Be blessed.

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

I Wanted To Be Known

by Summer D Clemenson | May 28, 2025 | About Summer, Opinions

I hate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. They are both days that remind me that I was not enough for my family. I know my parents gave all they had. I know they loved me. But they couldn’t respect me or my requests for change I needed to be able to remain in relationship with them. So many of these days I bent over backwards to make their days great and they didn’t care. So many times I tried to have communication and it didn’t work. I served them. That was what I was to them. That is what they wanted and expected from me. I helped raise their kids and I was their go between and I never learned how to be anything else and when I asked for help, money was the only thing they knew how to give, but even though that might have fixed an immediate need, that was not what I really needed. I wanted to be important. I wanted to be known. I wanted to be heard.

I see people’s posts about how much they miss their parents now that they are dead, and it is the hardest thing they can imagine. But it isn’t. The hardest thing to imagine is knowing that your parents are in the same state you live in. You could call them, but they are not going to be glad to hear from you. They are going to yell at you about something you might not have even done, years ago to someone else, that they are still angry about. They don’t care if you have cancer. They don’t care if you enabled them to work hard so they could go on yearly trips to Disneyland without you, while you took care of their kids. They don’t care if you are living in a hotel and only a couple thousand dollars would help you move to a place with a smaller amount of rent. They don’t care if you’re chronically ill, they don’t believe in mental illness anyway; I am just fat and lazy. That is what my father and his second wife think of me.

I told my father a few years ago that I no longer want to be his daughter. I still refer to him as my father because I can’t seem to call him by his name. I had a dream this morning that made me very sad. The main message was that, even though I had always thought my father’s second wife’s daughter was my friend and sister, she really is much like her mother, she just presents it differently. They are opportunists. She told me my father had changed his will to include me, he knew the things his wife did were bad but he was stuck. I was sobbing because I never wanted money; I wanted relationship and she was already gone to do something she wanted, so I was left alone again.

The dream told me nothing I hadn’t already been coming to the realization on my own, it just solidified what I already knew. I also hope I am not in my father’s will. I told him I want nothing from him after he dies and I meant it. He has caused me so much pain and confusion in my life. Any reminder of him won’t fix what he didn’t try to meet with me on while he is alive. Maybe when he is dead we can meet in our spirits when the weight of our humanity is out of the way. That is my hope.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

We Enjoyed Each Other

by Summer D Clemenson | May 26, 2025 | About Summer, Opinions

I usually wait until later in the season before I enjoy a nectarine, my favorite fruit. The price is better. I also tend to buy nectarines that are still firm because my OCD doesn’t like to get dirty, but there were two perfect, soft nectarines that called to me yesterday. They were so soft, they had to be bagged for their own protection and I knew I had to eat them quickly, or I had wasted my purchase.

Today I took a bite and I was glad that I had armed myself with not one, but several paper towels. As the juice ran down my neck, I was transported to Nana and Grandpa’s back deck where all messy things were eaten. Nana and Great-Grandpa Drummond were with me. Nana was laughing gayly because she couldn’t catch the juice fast enough and Grandpa Drummond was enjoying his daughter. I was probably 8-9 years old. Even covered in nectarine juice, Nana was graceful and lovely.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of her death. I didn’t realize until I looked at the calendar. Maybe she wanted me to remember that joyful memory to remind me that we enjoyed each other. I love you Nana. I hope you are making Grandpa Bill, Grammy, Grandpa Johnny, Grandpa and Grandma Drummond laugh in heaven.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Book Review: The Pursuit of Happiness by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe

by Summer D Clemenson | May 21, 2025 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions

I bought The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe at a discount with a pile of other media items I was buying on eBay. I had enjoyed the movie back when it came out and I thought that my wife and I would enjoy the book as a media tie in. Was I surprised that only about one quarter of this autobiography was actually in the movie. In fact I would not go so far to say they were the same productions. There is an amazing biography of Chris Gardner that you can read and there is a movie version that producers were willing to produce for Will Smith to star in. There are only about 300 pages in this memoir but you don’t want to miss anything. This is not a casual read, in my opinion. This is a growth journey you take with Chris starting from his childhood.

Even though Chris’ mother spent a lot of time in prison during his life, she also made a huge impact on his belief in himself. She made sure he could read and that he always had access to books.

Gardner was in his young teens when he and his friends were being bussed to a previously all white school on the other side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he was raised. Chris was aware of the civil rights march led by Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, AL and Malcolm X being killed in Harlem. His response was to join the NAACP Youth Council.

Chris carried his belief in himself through his military service and through every business opportunity that led to his ultimate success. He didn’t let anyone but himself define who was. Even at his lowest moments, he learned what he needed and moved on. Eventually he became the owner of his own business with the success he had dreamed of.

I did watch the movie after I was done with the book. It is a good production and I appreciate the artistry of Smith and his son, but knowing that Chris actually accomplished everything he did with a baby in diapers makes this nonfiction success story so much more profound. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it.

I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of The Pursuit of Happyness byChris Gardner with Quincy Troupe on Amazon.

Read My Review on GoodReads:

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chris Gardner is an amazing man with a life story that is inspiring for all ages. If you think you enjoyed the cinema production, staring Will Smith, you have only heard a very small part of the story. For the full story, make sure to pick up a copy of The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner with Quincy Troupe. It is a powerful read.

View all my reviews

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

The Presence of The Fruits of the Spirit

by Summer D Clemenson | May 20, 2025 | Opinions, Prayers & Thanksgiving

Jesus told us that we could tell when others were true believers of God by the presence of the Fruits of the Spirit in their life. I don’t care what someone tells me about themselves. If I don’t see these attributes in their life, I know they are not a true Jesus Follower and I don’t expect good things from them. It helps me not judge them or be angry with them because they don’t know the love that I do. It helps me be at peace and feel more love, joy, patience, goodness, generosity, etc…

I want to clarify that I don’t think that only christians can have the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. I know that many religions teach these attributes and some people naturally have these characteristics. I know that Jesus spoke to people of other faiths and He had many friends while He was here on earth. There is one rule to being a christian, but there are many ways to be a good and loving human.

I think I am starting to understand maybe some of what God wants me to learn by His choice of our president. We want to believe that The United States of America is a christian nation but we are not truly united and we are definitely not only christian. Groups of people mess these ideas up because “group think,” while it can be powerful, is not how we do our best. We were all created to be in a personal relationship with a higher power, in my life it is the Trinity of God, Jesus and Holy Spirit; He is supposed to be the main relationship in our lives, yet we easily give this spot away to politics, religion (which is very different than relationship), addiction and idolatry, and the human condition: lust, pride and greed. We let our emotions drive us away from God, rather than towards Him so He can help us sort them out (I am so guilty of this too). We judge others before we realize that we now have made ourselves guilty, when we should be praying for each other.

I understand the frustration and anger, the pain and fear because as a human being, I am compelled by the same fragility that all humans experience. But we can also choose to love. We can choose to look around and ask ourselves, “How can my anger benefit someone and when is it causing a problem?” MOST of the time, our anger must be let go. Sometimes anger compels us to do important things. But most of the time, it is only to show us where we need to cry out to Jesus.

I am trying to remember this. I am trying to let go of the austerity I once thought was important. I am trying to just tell my Savior, sometimes only in groans and tears that I am sad, overwhelmed and I need help. When I hear of people being murdered or taken advantage of on the news, I pray for the hurt person and their loved ones. When I read about war, I pray for help and wisdom, because only God really knows all the details. When I hear about tornadoes and other scary weather and I can hardly breathe, for the pain I feel for those that are in that turmoil, God knows what I can’t say. When my friends are hurting sometimes I just sit with God because my pain is too big and I don’t have to say anything because God loves them more than I do.

No politician can give me this. There is no amount of money that can buy me this type of safety. Even my friends and loved ones are going to fail me, but Jesus never has. He deserves my attention. God’s Spirit is love, which is where all the Fruits of the Spirit come from. We learn these for ourselves by spending time with Him. That is why we need Him.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

5 Books for April 2025

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 25, 2025 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions

Reading is a great way to build our character and knowledge base. It is an excellent way to build community and relationship, whether you are reading to children or sharing books with your friends, you are sharing parts of yourself with someone. In the chaos of the world the quiet you can find in a book is so important to our mental and spiritual health. I hope you can find time for that. When I am super blue, I know I have waited too long time get lost in words.

Now without further ado 5 Books for April 2025:

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Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle

Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the story Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle, Little Blue took a trip to the city where things are bigger and faster. Everyone was frustrated that Little Blue was not so fast but he reminded them all that with transport, one at a time was a must. When the mayor’s limousine needed repairs, Little Blue gave the mayor a ride before he headed on home.

The colorful illustrations by Jill McElmurry give lots of opportunities to work on vocabulary with your children in this board book.

I got this picture book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle on Amazon.

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Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik

Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik is a wonderful collection of 4 family stories: 1) Little Bear and Owl, 2) Father Bear Comes Home, 3) Hiccups and 4) Little Bear’s Mermaid. Out of all the stories in this book, Little Bear and Owl is my favorite because Little Bear gets to help Mother Bear do something that Father Bear usually does. Right now, Father Bear is away at sea, fishing, so Little Bear gets to go to the river and be a fisherman. When he gets there, he finds Owl. They pretend to catch an octopus and a small whale, but really Little Bear caught a small fish, which is exactly what Mother Bear wanted.

The rest of the fiction stories are related to Father Bear coming home and the fun that Little Bear has with his friends.

The illustrations are simple and classic and add to the nostalgia of these stories. I had this book as a child and I am enjoying them again.

I got this adorable book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik on Amazon.

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Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

Frog and toad together / by Arnold Lobel by Arnold Lobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel is a sweet collection of 5 short stories about Frog and Toad. These fantasy stories include: 1) A List, 2) The Garden, 3) Cookies, 4) Dragons and Giants, and 5) The Dream. After reading all the stories, my all time favorite is Cookies. My best friends and sister, Jamie Holloway and I love to cook and eat and this story reminds me us trying to have self-control, or will power as Frog and Toad call it. The boys give it their all but finally offer the rest of their cookies to the birds. However, Toad, who made the cookies, decides that he doesn’t like all this will power, and he decides to go home to bake a cake.

These two friends are as supportive of each other as they can be. This story shows how creative they were to make good choices about not over-eating and being helpful with each other. I think this a great story time book.

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel on Amazon.

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Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H. A. Rey

Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H.A. Rey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Curious George is a monkey known for getting into mischief and having adventures but this story, Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H. A. Rey is pretty mild. In fact, it was so long, I should have taken a break. The alphabet can be tedious to learn in one sitting and even Curious George, The Man in the Yellow Hat and all the animals didn’t make it very fun for me.

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H. A. Rey on Amazon.

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In the Night Garden by Carin Berger

In the Night Garden by Carin Berger is an amazing book with captivating poetry. I have read this book before and had to add it to my personal collection. I imagine if my Nana, who loved to read stories to her grandchildren, were still with us, she would love to look at the amazing collage like art and let the beautiful words dance on her tongue. She would have loved this book as much as I do.

This one is worth owning and sharing.

I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of In the Night Garden by Carin Berger on Amazon.

This is my original review on GoodReads:

In the Night Garden by Carin Berger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! It was relaxing but inspiring. The art seemed like it should be multi-dimensional. I think I will be adding In The Night Garden by Carin Berger to my personal collection.

View all my reviews

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With the climate of political, financial and civil unrest our world is in, I want to encourage you to find peace anywhere you can find it. These books brought me moments of joy and peace. I encourage you to find something that helps you find those things too. I hope you enjoyed this book reviews and maybe you have some of your own. If you want to suggest or share some of your own, Please Contact Me.

Be blessed.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

You Are My Beloved

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 24, 2025 | Life

My King has come
The softest and surest touch
I have never known but His
His eyes see everything I have ever done
And seen and thought of doing
Yet His love is like the strongest mountain
And voice is like the coolest water

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Come and know me
Consume my soul
Just and holy
You are my beloved

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My bride is known by me
Inside and out she is more stunning than a sunset
More sweet than honey
Cunning and fascinating and generous
Purified by My love, she is sparkling clean
I have loved her before I created her
And now she is forever Mine

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Come and know me
Consume my soul
Just and holy
You are my beloved

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My King has come
He is forever with me
There is no distraction from His love
I understand why I was created
Because His love is inside me
And I am inside Him
We are one in His love
And it overflows when we move together

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Come and know me
Consume my soul
Just and holy
You are my beloved

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You are beautiful My bride
and I am ravished by your eye
Let the warmth of our embrace be the life
Be the choice, be the newness every day
Let us share this joy
This mosaic of compassion and music
be the essence of proof that
You are my beloved

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Come and know me
Consume my soul
Just and holy
You are my beloved

~

Pleading for Impeachment of 47

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 22, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions, Politics

Dear Representative,

I am really disappointed that Trump has been allowed to break the law time and time again. I read that ICE agents stopped a train, randomly, to question United States citizens and foreign visitors who were traveling in our country. Nothing was found to be out of order. Are you satisfied with us being forced to become comfortable with a police state, because I am not. I have not voted for this. I didn’t even vote for Trump.

I keep watching first amendment rights being ignored and I worry because I believe we have come far with civil rights and it seems at the whim of an unbridled government, those rights are not being protected. You and your colleagues are not working fast enough to make me feel safe. I felt a lot safer with President Biden at the helm.

Trump is ignoring Supreme Court Justices. He could get Kilmar Abrego Garcia released if he really wanted to. He has refused to pay people until he got what he wanted before, this is the same as that. By the way, why are we paying $6 million to a prison outside of The United States? I didn’t vote on that? I don’t want my tax dollars going to a foreign jail. There are better ways to help other countries.

I am very unhappy with what is happening in our country and what other countries are saying about our country. I think Trump is the worst president we have had in my lifetime. Please do better to get him out of office. Please bring justice back to our people.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

They Only Saw A Fat Woman

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 21, 2025 | About Summer, Opinions

I just saw this video of a lovely woman crying because she was abused by ignorant people because they only saw a fat woman and decided she was at the store to buy all the Easter candy. She didn’t buy any candy at this trip. She bought shoes, but what she bought was irrelevant. The audacity of these strangers was astounding.

I have been fat all my life. Even when I was young and rode my bike everywhere and danced every day. I have worked hard to teach myself healthy eating habits and then adjust to food sensitivities that come with chronic illness. I workout everyday but my workout is modified for my body that is in chronic pain because if I do too much, I can’t function the next day. I have gone to orientation for bariatric surgery, where I learned what I already thought was true, this procedure was not something I am willing to do to my already sick body, no matter how many letters my doctor’s office or insurance company sends me. I was on Mounjaro for over a year, lived with horrible side effects, lost 50 lbs, and then it stopped working and when I learned I had gained 15 lbs back, I stopped taking it. Why do this to myself and spend this kind of money for no success? I have tried some supplements that seem to be helping without any side effects, but I have made peace with myself.

It is the monsters in the world that have nothing better to do than pick on people just living their lives that bother me. Last week I went to Walmart. We bought a storage container, my wife’s prescriptions and got our COVID vaccines. I was in a fibromyalgia flare. I was in pain so I probably had a bit of a limp. No one who doesn’t know me, doesn’t know that I have lost 65 lbs, they just see a fat woman with a limp. I couldn’t see them, because they were cowards, but I could hear the whale calls as we walked out the front door. I decided to keep walking. To just let it go and get home to rest because I didn’t feel good, but I really wanted to tell those stupid people that they are mean and thoughtless and for all the other fat people that stuff their feelings inside or go get some junk food and forget about it, because they don’t know how to deal with the pain of strangers’ abuse, they can shove their whale calls up their ass!

Karen G Clemenson and went home and probably took a nap, I don’t remember. I rarely eat for comfort anymore but I used to. But I would be lying if I didn’t feel some pain from those heartless people at the store, and I could totally empathize with the woman in the video I saw tonight.

I know fat people and it isn’t something we sit around talking about all the time, but sometimes it comes up. Teasing someone about their weight or even talking to them about what they are eating in front of other people doesn’t encourage anyone to change, in fact it makes them upset and encourages them to run to food because food is probably their coping mechanism. It was mine, sometimes it still is, even though my portions are smaller and healthier than they used to be. You might think that is funny but we all have something we rely on. Maybe you drink a beer or two or more, maybe you work a lot, maybe you garden or shop or cook or read or run…Whatever you have learned to rely on is what you need and until you can learn to replace it with something healthier (if it isn’t good for you) you are going to always run to it.

Many times my posts start out on Facebook in rough draft form. If people respond, I know it is a good topic. One viewpoint I don’t think about often is the other side. There are people that can’t gain weight. They suffer because when they get sick, they lose dangerous amounts of weight and if they fall they don’t have padding to protect their bones. One person mentioned their sibling that had the opposite problem that we shared. It helped remind me that, even though most people might not ridicule a very skinny person, or not in the same way, or as often, weight is an issue that we all face. Please teach your children to be kind. No one knows anyone’s situation until they do. I had a boss that had always been thin until she became chronically ill and the medication she had to take caused her to gain a lot of weight. She worked long hours. We were in retail, which is very physical work. She worked harder than any of us. She wasn’t stuffing herself with food. This story is common. When I see people. I assume nothing about them, because I know nothing about them.

Weight gain or weight loss can be caused by sickness, hormones, stress, abuse, genetics, medications, many reasons that might be out of control of people, as well as eating too much or not moving enough. But being mean, that is always a choice.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

5 Books for March 2025

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 18, 2025 | Book & Product Reviews, Opinions

March went by so fast, I forgot to post my children’s books for the month, but doesn’t mean I didn’t read them. I did.

Now without further ado 5 Books for March 2025:

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle is a picture book about friends. Little Blue Truck is friends with all the animals on the farm and this really comes in handy when he gets stuck in the mud and teaches the not so friendly dump truck the importance of being kind.

The charming illustrations by Jill McElmurry really make this transport book fun. I think this cardboard book is perfect for story time or just talking about the animals, colors, trucks and nature.

I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle on Amazon.

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Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik is a wonderful read. I have read it before, as a child, and it was nice to be reminded of this family classic. This book has 4 stories in it: 1) Grandmother and Grandfather Bear 2) Mother Bear’s Robin 3) Golden Story 4) Not Tired.

I must say Mother Bear’s Robin is my favorite because Mother Bear had raised her bird but she knew she had to let it go in order for it to be happy. Even though she loved the bird and the bird loved her, the bird was meant to live outside as before. This is an important lesson for us all to learn.

The illustrations by Maurice Sendak are beautiful, yet simple. I think this fiction story is perfect for bedtime routines.

I got this adorable book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik on Amazon.

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Corduroy’s Easter Party by Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers

Corduroy’s Easter Party by Don Freeman
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Unlike most other Corduroy children’s stories, Corduroy’s Easter Party by Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, did not include his normal adventures or Lisa, Corduroy’s best friend. I missed both. It was nice that Corduroy could have a nice time preparing for an Easter holiday party but this story just doesn’t have the same magic that most stories based on the character created by Don Freeman have.

The Illustrations by Lisa McCue are well-polished but maybe too polished for a traditional Corduroy adventure.

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Corduroy’s Easter Party by Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers on Amazon.

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Babar the King by Jean De Brunhoff

Babar the King by Jean de Brunhoff
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really want to like the fantasy story, Babar the King by Jean De Brunhoff but I don’t. It is a very long story about an elephant society and their king and I can’t imagine getting a child to sit through all the crazy (and not in a good way) things that happen in this book. The illustrations are attractive but the story line about building their kingdom is completely unbelievable.

I got this book from my own personal collection. You can get your own copy of Babar the King by Jean De Brunhoff on Amazon.

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Disney Bedtime Favorites by Disney Press

Disney Bedtime Favorites by Walt Disney Company
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My sister Jamie Holloway gave me this Disney Bedtime Favorites by Disney Press full of bedtime story time. I enjoyed them all. This book has 18 short stories in all:

Bedtime for Max by Rebecca Smidt – based on characters from Tangled
Good Night Thumper by Megan Ilnitzki – based on characters from Bambi
The Spooky Sleepover by Kim Ostrow – based on characters from Monsters, Inc
Nighttime of Fires by Gail Herman – based on characters from Big Hero 6
Sweet Dreams at Last by Lara Bergan – based on characters from The Little Mermaid
Power Outage by Rebecca Smidt – based on characters from Wreck it Ralph
The Big Campout by Wendy Loggia – based on characters from Toy Story 3
Piglet’s Night Lights by Lara Bergen – based on characters from Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepherd
A Trusty Babysitter by Lara Bergen – based on characters from Lady and the Tramp
Captain Hooks’s Shadow by Jasmine Jones – based on characters from Peter Pan
Night Games by Elizabeth Rudnick – based on characters from Finding Nemo
Watch Dug by Jennifer Arena – based on characters from Up
Aurora’s Slumber Party by Mary Man-Kong – based on characters from Sleeping Beauty
A Wild Night Out by Lara Bergen – based on characters from The Lion King
Thunderbolt Patch by Melissa Lagonegro – based on characters from One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Mowgli’s Great Story by Suzanne Francis – based on characters from The Jungle Book
Mickey’s Campout by Megan Bryant – originally published in Mickey and Minnie’s Storybook Collection, 2015
The Light-Up Night by Ellie O’Ryan – based on characters from Bambi

My favorite story has to be The Light-Up Night by Ellie O’Ryan. The characters from Bambi come to life as it is just about bed time for everyone except Owl. He is nocturnal, which means he sleeps during the day and hunts at night. He is excited because tonight there should shooting stars. When he shares this with young Bambi and Thumper they want to see the shooting stars too. They have never seen shooting stars before. After Owl promises to keep the boys safe, the trio head off to the meadow. On their way they see fireflies. Those are not shooting stars. When they get to the meadow, it begins to rain and they also see and hear lightening and thunder. This is not shooting stars. When the rain stops, finally the sky is filled with sparks of light. Bambi and Thumper are so excited to finally see shooting stars, that when they are done, they are sad. But when they time is right, they will be able to see more shooting stars.

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I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Disney Bedtime Favorites by Disney Press on Amazon.

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I hope you enjoyed this book reviews and maybe you have some of your own. If you want to suggest or share some of your own, Please Contact Me.

Be blessed.

~

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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

She Is It

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 17, 2025 | About Summer, Chronic Illness, Opinions, Prayers & Thanksgiving, Queer Community

I don’t think I could put in words how much I love, need and want Karen G Clemenson. She is it. As I grew up I had made lists of what I wanted in a partner. I have never taken choosing a partner lightly and I am not casual about sex at all. Karen is one of two people I have ever been with. She even helped me get over the first guy, promising he would come back, until I finally told her, I didn’t want him to come back.

I have loved 3 people in my life and there were about 10 years between each person. I was friends with each person first. My lists always changed as I had my heart was shattered. Because I love completely. I am so grateful that I am demisexual because I don’t have overwhelming sexual feelings that get in my way until I have bonded with someone emotionally, intellectually and have learned if they are worthy of my trust.

When I prayed to God and asked for a partner I was shocked that Karen was the one. I had been fighting my feelings for some time, to be honest. I was raised in a conservative family and conservative religion and being gay was wrong. However, I had also walked with God since I was 5 and I had an authentic relationship with God and there had been many things God had shown me, that I had been taught, that were wrong.

It was still 1 year after we were married, before I could verbalize that I was bisexual and demisexual. But I also knew that God knew that I was queer. He made me this way and He loved me and this very small part of who I am, is part of the calling He has for me. Nothing I have ever done or ever will do, will ever change how much He loves me or that the salvation He created for me is mine. He promised me that. I am supposed to love Him, let Him love me, and love my neighbor. He will fill in all the blanks.

Karen and I have this little joke. She asks me — Who loves you? — I always answer, with a smile on my face: Jesus.

The only competition Karen has is The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. I do find other people attractive but I don’t want them. We talk about that. Neither of us wants anyone else. And even the most exquisite looking person can open their mouth and say a selfish, judgmental, or hateful thing and suddenly they are no longer interesting to me in any way.

I have had people try to use their religious beliefs to justify their fear that I am going to hell. I am sick of this. It just isn’t true. God created inclusion. The word “homosexuality” wasn’t even added to the bible until 1947 by white people that wanted to control the narrative. I do realize the bible I read, in its imperfection, was inspired by God, but edited by man. This doesn’t stop me from reading it, but I read it with Jesus and I ask questions and wait for answers.

Karen was the best gift God ever gave me. When I could not hide that I was sick anymore, she was there. I had never been taken care of before. I had been the one to serve. I am an artist and chronically ill. I don’t know what my body and mind will be like from day to day; I don’t often know what I will say until I say it. She is never intimidated by me, my body, my mind or my ideas. She loves the challenge and surprises. On earth, she is my rock and I am her’s. I don’t take this for granted.

On the flip side, she eats healthier, dresses better and has more organization in her life than she ever had on her own because once we were married, we both learned, we needed someone to take care of. Her blood pressure is normal, her weight is exactly what her doctor wants it to be and her muscle tone is impressive. Plus she has some pretty great aspirations that she would never have attempted if she didn’t have someone cheering her on. Who else is going to correct her when she says she is crazy and tell her she is just juggling a lot?

We make an amazing team. I thank God for her all the time. I can’t and don’t even want to imagine life without her. We have healed and grown so much in this relationship and I wish that the kind of love, trust, honesty and kindness we share was in all partnerships. If there was, there would probably be little to no divorce and less STIs and unwanted pregnancies too. Because when you have all you want in your relationship, you don’t have to look anywhere else and you make decisions together and you don’t do things to tear down the team.

I am a blessed woman.

~

Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Joshua the Drunken Parrot

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 16, 2025 | About Summer, Life, Opinions

My name has been on the title of 4 cars in my entire life. Joshua the drunken parrot has hung in the window of 3 of those cars. Joshua (pronounced Ho-sway) is an air freshener but he became a character and a memory that means a lot to me.

My first car was a 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury Brougham III. She was cream colored on the outside with cranberry pinstripes accents. The upholstery was cranberry brocade. She was beautiful. I called her Sadie. She was a sassy old lady. When she was finally warm, which took some time, she loved to cruise. I could comfortably fit 7 people in my car, in seat belts. I could also fit a few in the trunk when trying to slide a few extras into the drive-in. My friend’s Honda could fit in my trunk. I inherited this car because my grandpa gave it to my mom as a second car and I was the only person in the house tall enough to drive it. I don’t know why that car felt like a lady, but she did. Eventually I had to get rid of her. The repairs were too much and my landlord was threatening to tow it away so I gave her to someone that showed up with a tow truck.

My second car was a 1972 Buick Skylark. My family was the second owner of this car. My grandpa helped my mom buy it from our neighbor, who had been the first owner of the car. When mom bought the car, it had always been kept in the garage and had very few miles on it, since our neighbor, Joy, rarely went anywhere other than the grocery store and church in it. Mom was friends with a company that did upholstery work so she had new black carpet and grey upholstery put in, in exchange for haircuts and perms until it was paid off. Then her friend spent a weekend painting everything cream colored, inside the car black. She also got a new black vinyl top. She left the green paint. The car looked great. She bought the car when I was 14 years old. It was the car that all three of my siblings and I learned to drive on.

By the time mom gave this car to me, I was 25. The car had had lots of adventures and even caught on fire a few times but it had always started and always got us home, no matter how long it had sat. I had named it Gabriel when I was a teenager. He felt masculine and that was the only angel name I knew. Gabriel had a huge steering wheel. I could not buy a steering wheel cover for this car so I bought some giraffe print fabric and red sparkly ribbon and made my own. I bought a purple feather boa and some party favors for the back window and Joshua the drunk parrot air freshener, along with a disco ball to hang in the window.

I put a lot of money into repairing Gabriel. I had to have the frame welded back together (my mother likes to drive like a race car driver and she taught us all to drive that way). After paying that bill, I was more aware of not taking corners on two wheels anymore. I replaced every part under the hood. I always had car parts and stuff for trips to Willow Grove in the truck, plus a box with every fluid Gabriel might need and basic tools, because when you drive a classic car, that is what you do. As I became an auntie I enjoyed rockin’ out with my little people. They helped me come up with the story about Joshua the drunk parrot.

So the story is that Joshua is pretty special because Joshua is another name that Jesus might have been called. It was very common where Jesus was. Joshua wasn’t sure where he came from because he drank too much. Sometimes he was from Guatemala, sometimes Cuba, sometimes Mexico, but always in South America. We always offered him pretend root beer because he was a pretend bird, except Casey. Casey always gave him pretend beer because when Joshua got drunk he had super stinky farts and Casey thought that was funny. We always had fun making up stories about Joshua. I named the bird a name that might open up a Jesus conversation or cause a conversation about being careful about what you put in your body. Plus we got to laugh.

At some point Gabriel was getting really expensive to drive. I had to fill his tank with Chevron Supreme or he didn’t run right and he only got 8 miles to the gallon in town. He also just needed the engine rebuilt and I didn’t have the money for that. I wasn’t ready to let him go, but he wasn’t fitting my lifestyle anymore.

My friend’s mom had stopped driving and my friend chose to give me her mom’s car. This car was a 1986 Pontiac 6000 LE. She was brown and as I got to know her, she was a black disco queen named Paisley Star. So I bought some purple paisley fabric and made her a steering wheel cover. I bought some silk flowers for the back window and grabbed the disco ball and Joshua out of Gabriel to decorate the window of my new rig that offered more room for car seats and legroom for my crew.

Eventually I sold Gabriel. I was between jobs and I knew if I had the money to finish restoring him, I needed to get a fuel efficient car. My dream vehicle is actually a minivan. I have always wanted to be a foster mom. Gabriel was not made for a family.

When Karen G Clemenson and I got married, Paisley was starting to nickle and dime me. We could not afford two cars so we sold her. I hear the person that bought her was able to get her shined up and keep her going.

Now Joshua hangs in the window of Karen’s 2008 Dodge Caliber. My name is on the title but this car is Karen’s. I don’t know how to drive a stick and I don’t feel like learning on this old car. The car’s name is Thomasina. This car is nonbinary. I say that because sometimes Karen uses the pronouns he or she when she refers to them. I listen a lot and I know that most of Karen’s cars have been dudes. Karen never gave it much thought, until I pointed out to her that she uses both pronouns with this car. I find that interesting. Karen hung Joshua in the window because she knows what he represents to me.

Karen and I were watching Elton John and Brandi Carlisle on TV, the other night. I was having so many memories because I love music and that is something I shared with my nieces and nephews. I remember putting together a playlist for the car with the kids and we had to have Rocket Man and Crocodile Rock on that list. Then Brandi, who I have had no musical history with, sang You Without Me and I burst into tears.

I had to walk away from my family. I stayed as long as I did because I didn’t want to lose my relationships with my nephews and nieces. I knew what happened, would happen but I had to choose me. In her song, Brandi was talking about the moment when her kids proved they were independent humans and not an extension of her. It was beautiful. It was what I wanted to watch happen and enjoy for these wonderful humans that I got to love and who called me Auntie Summer.

I ache for these humans. I want to hug them and hear their plans and aspirations. I want to listen to their passions and get to know their partners, if they have them. I want to love on their babies, if they have them. I want to see what makes them happy now.

Loss is a part of life. I have has a lot of loss. I have had a lot of blessings too. As I dried my tears, I realized if I got the opportunity to see my nieces and nephews again, I would thank them. In the dynamic of my family, it was needed that I serve. Who I was and what I wanted and needed was always unimportant. I found myself in these amazing people. Traits that had not been appreciated or fostered in me, were loved in these children and even though that meant, what it meant for me and my place in the family, I finally understood, I wasn’t wrong or weird. These children helped me learn how to be strong for me. They saved me.

I loved them from the moment I knew about each one of them. I was overwhelmed by the amount of love I felt when I touched them for the first time. These young people taught me so much about myself, and I know that even though they haven’t chosen to be part of my life now, I made a difference in their lives because I listened to them and heard them. That made me a confusion to their parents. I knew a different version of their children because I saw them as their own person.

Joshua is a reminder of singing songs at the top of our lungs, laughing at pretend stinky gas, helping each other into car seats and making sure we put our toys away or brought our things in because Auntie Summer keeps her car tidy. These kids would probably understand why I don’t spend any time that I don’t have to in Auntie Karen’s car…

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Jesus Follower, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Jesus Follower…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

Save Act

by Summer D Clemenson | Apr 3, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am so tired. Every day I could write to you about another issue due to the horrible state we are in because of the control that MAGA republicans, and maybe even some democrats, want to have over every part of our lives and I am so angry and frustrated that I don’t like some of the things I think about. But today I want to talk about the “Save Act.”

I am seriously concerned about my mental health right now, so I am not going to write much, but being a fellow woman, you should already know why expecting people to produce a birth certificate or a passport in order to register to vote is bullshit. I ordered a copy of my birth certificate a couple months ago and it is not here. Trump probably fired the person who was supposed to print it out and mail it to me. I haven’t considered leaving the country for at least 20 years and I don’t think I can get a passport without my birth certificate, so you can see where I am going with this. My greatest concern is that when my wife and I married, she took my name. My wife is a United States Army Veteran and it really pisses me off that because she decided to take my name, that she might not get to vote; she was willing to die for this country and yet if you let this bill pass, she won’t be allowed to vote.

My wife is one of the best people I have ever met. She works hard. She is kind and caring. She gives every day her best. She deserves to vote. Please don’t let her lose this right.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

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King Alice by Matthew Cordell

Cinnamon Bun, I Love You 1 by Amy Schwartz

The Red Canoe by Anne Yvonne

Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

Letters from Space by Clayton Anderson

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A Fire Engine for Ruthie by Leslea Newman

Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle

Little Bear’s Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik

The I Love You Book by Todd Parr

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Read My Review on GoodReads:

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Little Blue Truck Leads the Way by Alice Schertle

Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

Curious George Learns the Alphabet by H. A. Rey

In the Night Garden by Carin Berger

This is my original review on GoodReads:

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Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Little Bear’s Visit by Else Holmelund Minarik

Corduroy’s Easter Party by Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers

Babar the King by Jean De Brunhoff

Disney Bedtime Favorites by Disney Press

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