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.

~

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.

~

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.

~

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.

~

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.

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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.

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.

~

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.

View all my reviews

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.

~

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.

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…

~

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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Disney’s Live Action Snow White

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 27, 2025 | Opinions

The other day, Karen G Clemenson came home for lunch and she mentioned that she heard Disney’s Live Action Snow White was very good, but some people were upset because Snow White was Latina. I have seen the previews and saw she was very light-skinned and thought we should check on that.

The actor playing Snow White, Rachel Zegler, is of Colombian descent. She has also played Maria in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Juliet in a Broadway version of Romeo and Juliet. But the main reason she got this role is because Zegler can sing and she has always been a devoted Disney fan, even knowing some of the shows on the Disney channel and she was easy to coach into the sound Disney wanted for this role.

Karen said people wanted Disney to stay with the original story of Snow being white. I can understand that for some people. Even my sister, Jamie Holloway, reminded me of the Snow White story’s original German roots, but it isn’t an issue for me. I am excited to see the movie when we can stream it. I have enjoyed most classic Disney movies as a child, but I have never really appreciated cartoons. As Disney has recreated their stories with real life characters and backgrounds, I have loved these stories so much more. I never understood Beauty and The Beast until it was in true life character format.

I believe that my neurodivergent brain doesn’t comprehend cartoons. Even as a child I got headaches from the bright colors and loud sounds in cartoons. I chose to do dishes and laundry over watching cartoons. But when the same story is shown to me in live action formats, I can enjoy and understand them. So more than one version is important because seeing stories from different perspectives shows us new layers. Also, new versions of stories do not remove the power and beauty of the previous versions. We can always go back to the older versions and enjoy them and remember how we felt when we were children and how it made us feel. We can still share the old versions with our next generation. We have room for old and new versions.

I told Karen that I had heard that Disney wasn’t going out of their way to include DEI practices in their endeavors. I don’t know if this is true, but their parks and stories happen all over the world and money is inclusive. Back when Shakespeare was making plays women were not allowed to act and your skin color didn’t matter, they chose the best actor for the role. In my favorite Shakespeare movie, Much Ado About Nothing, Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington are brothers. Why can’t Snow White be played by a Colombian and her stepmother be played by Gal Gadot, from Israel?

My favorite Disney “princess” is Mulan. I am not Chinese. I don’t want to present myself as male or fight in war. But I am a woman and I can understand wanting to protect my family and also going against the chosen path for me. With a little bit of imagination and respect, we can relate to anyone we want to, even if they are very different from us.

I have not made time to see the live action version of Little Mermaid. But it has occurred to me that I only see white skinned mermaids at the store. This bothers me. Both mermaids should be available for people to choose from. When the live action version came out, I was so happy to see videos of brown-skinned girls that were overjoyed to see a mermaid that was like them. I have to say, I have been looking at white people and art all my life, and I get much more excitement to see art that includes people of color. It’s time to actually be fair.

I think we are stronger and healthier when we make room for young people to grow up in a world that shows them we want them. I think it is wonderful that Disney hired a woman that was talented and able to fill the role and didn’t worry about if she was German or not. It is ok to make more room at the table. I look forward to seeing videos of Latina girls that are excited to have a Disney princess that looks like them.

The only character that Disney hasn’t tried to portray, until now, is a christian. I hear this is in the works and I must say, this one scares me. There are so many versions of christianity and some of them are less beautiful than others.

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Social Security Isn’t a Ponzi Scheme

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 26, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

The other night I saw an interview with Howard Ludnick, our nation’s commerce secretary, where he believes that if his mother-in-law didn’t get her social security check that she would not complain, but if a person committing fraud, didn’t get their’s, they would complain. I am thankful that his mother-in-law has other options. The premise of Ludnick’s whole interview was that everyone on Social Security has a backup plan but there are so many people that just plain need our checks. We can’t wait a month for ours to show up. Social Security isn’t a ponzi scheme, even if Elon Musk wants to name it that. It is a lifesaver for me and my family.

When I say my family, I am referring to my wife and I, but also my best friend that doesn’t live with us. My homebound friend receives Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and food assistance but once her rent is paid, she is out of money. Her food assistance doesn’t allow her to buy enough fresh vegetables so we help her with that. She is part of my household budget, as well as her sister and maybe a few other people that help her. If I don’t get my Social Security and Medicare (I am not eligible for food assistance or Medicaid), I don’t have health insurance to help me deal with my 13 chronic conditions, plus cancer. But I also help pay many of my household’s regular bills, while my wife works 3 jobs to pay the rest of our bills; For several months one of her jobs has not had hours to give her so we have be struggling. It would be impossible to stay afloat without my check, not just for my house, but for my friend. We are already not doing as much for her as we like to because my wife has not been able to bring in as much as usual. If I were to complain to Social Security about a missing check, I am not defrauding anyone. I honestly need help.

It seems to me that our current administration is so far removed from the chronically ill and poor. They have no idea what it is like to need. I am thankful that many people don’t have to be creative with their resources. I don’t think some people have the fortitude for the life that I live, but to know that everyone in our president’s cabinet is without empathy or compassion and even the majority of Congress can be swayed by a president without feeling or warmth or even regard for human life, at all, makes me very afraid for our future, not only my personal future, but our future as a country.

Please continue to encourage all of Congress to do their job to protect Social Security.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

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Yemen Airstrike

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 26, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am writing in regards to a Yemen airstrike fiasco that should never have happened. In an open chat, on an unsecured platform, Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, Mike Waltz, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, John Ratcliffe other high ranking officials and Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic Magazine, war plans were discussed in detail, including types of weapons and times and places.

I have seen parts of interviews where congressmen have made excuses or outright lied about this event. I watched a video by Pete Buttigieg where he described the layers of protection and secrecy required for our nation’s protection. I even watched Trump say he knew nothing about the event, however the strike was a tremendous success. I have never heard a president say he didn’t know what was going on with the planning of an air strike before.

With at least 53 people killed and 98 injured, and since most of the casualties were Yemen civilians, how can this strike be seen as a success? I thought the strike was supposed to target Houthi terrorists? I see this military action to be a total loss. I see this entire regime as careless, reckless and detrimental to our nation. I believe that everyone in that text message should be fired and jailed for treason and espionage.

Please keep working hard to encourage all of Congress to do their job.

Sincerely,

Summer D Clemenson

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Read the Bible

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 26, 2025 | Opinions, Prayers & Thanksgiving

I have read the bible by myself for the joy of it all my life. But when I was younger it was also taught to me to prove myself and others wrong, to find sin, to weaponize Jesus and His word. I don’t know if the people that taught me to do this, did it with intention to weaponize it, or if the people that taught them to do it had that reason, but somewhere along the chain, there was some intent to manipulate and control others. When I learned what I was doing, I began to ask God to help me unlearn this behavior. I did this because I could see that it wasn’t helping anyone get closer to God but just the opposite.

This behavior has been used to morph into political gain as well. It makes me angry and sad, depending on where I am and who I am with.

I have been really hurt by well-intentioned people at church. I sometimes, but rarely, visit churches now. My experience at church is nothing like the relationship I have with God when I can just be myself. God has told me I have specific callings on my life. He did not make me to fit in a church. But I did get one method of reading the bible every year from one church that I enjoy. When I finish, I start again and because I have grown and changed each year, the scriptures are different for me. It makes each time I read a scripture like it is new and I learn something special or deeper.

The Bible Was Created to:

Aid in building relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Teach history and culture
Bring the reader to their own repentence
Edify and encourage the reader and others

People get confused. They think because Paul, a fallible man, talks about how to run a church that we are supposed to tell each other how to live, but Paul often gets full of himself, and being a Jew, he still liked laws a lot.

Jesus said to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and love our neighbor as ourselves. If we could do that we were good. He also said all judgement was given to Him, the Son of God, on Judgment Day and He wasn’t judging yet.

Being a Jesus follower is actually pretty simple.

The hard part is letting go of all the lies humans, well-meaning or not, tell us, dropping the bad habits that don’t serve us as well as we once thought they did, and learning to set boundaries that are healthy because our bodies have limits and how can we give freely, and out of love, if we are exhausted and feel taken advantage of?

As we learn the heart of Jesus, we get used to hearing from the Holy Spirit. We learn what our calling is. For some people it is to be parents. For some it is to be a teacher. For some it is to be an encourager. Everyone has an a calling. You wont know if you don’t spend time with God and the best way to learn His voice is to be in the word.

I ran into another Jesus follower the other day. She has been through a TREMENDOUS time in the last few years and she has a HUGE calling on her life. Not unlike myself. I didn’t even know what to say to her. I was astounded by the power that resonated off of both of us. We don’t even cross paths very often. I have been watching her on Facebook. All I could say was: Be blessed. She said the same and we kept going on our own paths.

Sometimes that is all we can say; or all we should say. If I had said more to this amazing person, my human insecurities might have come up and she has come through too much to deserve that. God is dealing with us in different ways. I am so happy for her. I want her to stay exuberant.

This is another reason why it is so important to read the bible. How else can you recharge and reset when we live in a world that is so anti-whatever we are called to do, if we aren’t plugging into God? I know the bible is not perfect. It has been inspired by God, but written and manipulated by men. But it is also beautiful and inspiring, if you really push in and ask the right questions. I don’t remember when I learned this but somewhere, I learned that it was acceptable to ask God questions and wait for the answers. It might take a long time or just a few seconds, but He always answers. You might also have to be open to hearing Him too. Some people are scared of hearing Him but the Jews missed out on a lot of blessings because they were afraid to see His face. They believed they would die if they saw Him and so it was true.

In actuality, He created us for His good pleasure and He delights in us. Just the fact that you think of Him makes Him happy. Imagine what you taking the time to ask Him a question and waiting for the answer, must do for Him. God is a lot more open and loving than I ever imagined or was taught as a child. He wants us to love each other and make space for each other. There is no one that God doesn’t love. That might be hard to imagine, but it is true. It is also hard to reciprocate but God and I are working on that in me. Anyone that wants to honor that in themselves can ask for that. God in all His love and mercy is glad to give good things to His children.

God doesn’t care if we are republicans or democrats, straight or gay, able bodied or disabled. He does not care where our ancestors were born or what color our skin is. He finds all of us fascinating because He created all of us. In heaven, we will be like angels and wont have bodies like we do now, so sex and gender wont matter anymore. In heaven, I imagine there is a great big dining room table for us to fellowship at. Will you be comfortable there if you didn’t learn to live with different types of people on earth?

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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.

Budget Proposal

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 25, 2025 | Letters to My Representatives, Opinions

Dear Representative,

I am writing regarding a post I saw about a budget proposal that includes the highest tax increase in Washington State history. The writer of this post believes that because of record breaking spending, we are consistently spending more money than we bring in. If this is the case, then before you raise our taxes, it seems you should take an honest look at our budget and reign in spending now before you spend another dime.

At this time, United States citizens are already spending a lot of money just to live and are worried about where we will be in a few months as our president has placed us in a tariff war and a recession might be on the way. We are not interested in increased property taxes, a 50% business and occupation tax increase, or to have not only national but statewide increases on costs of goods and services.

My friend, I strongly encourage you to rethink your budget if you want to remain in office.

Sincerely,

Summer D. Clemenson

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I Am Choosing to Be Brave

by Summer D Clemenson | Mar 21, 2025 | Cancer, Opinions, Politics, Queer Community

I’m thankful because I’m starting to get better at getting my self care routine down every day. Getting hit with the need for radiation for my cancer and DJT as president at the same time, leveled me. I have accepted that radiation is my next step and although I am afraid, I am choosing to be brave.

The hell that our president and the republican congressmen have created or allowed, is, at the very least exhausting. It is hard to watch evidence of hatred, selfishness and power mongering. My pain levels have increased. It is hard to get out of bed. Since I can’t take pain meds, I sleep when I hurt. This is why I don’t have a job. No employer would be able to rely on me. This is why my disability check helps my family every month. Hopefully I will still get one in April and the following months.

My disability check supplies a tiny amount of money that goes into savings, a payment to my doctor bills and three creditors, it pays for our car insurance, our phones, some groceries, our toiletries, our cleaning supplies, it pays for my sister’s cat’s supplies because she needs help with that, it pays for my doTERRA and other supplements that we rely on for our health and our one splurge, Karen’s ESPN app. When all these are paid, my check is gone and Karen G Clemenson pays for everything else, including what my insurance doesn’t cover on my 14 prescriptions. I am blessed to have a wife that can and will work 3 jobs to take care of us.

We never go on holiday. We have never been on a honeymoon. We might get to go to a movie if someone gives us movie passes. We are very boring people and it is good that we like to be at home because we can’t afford to go much of anywhere else. I do my best to make sure there is food in the fridge for when Karen runs in, so she can eat something. I clean and mend her clothes so she always looks presentable. All our clothes are secondhand. We help others where we can and we are helped by loved ones too.

I resent our president. I resent DOGE. The inspectors generals that DJT fired in his first week already did the job that DOGE is supposedly doing without firing tons of United States citizens, closing important programs and cutting off funds that saved lives around the globe. Stress doesn’t make my life better. It makes me sicker. Donald J. Trump is making me sicker. He is allowing children in impoverished countries to starve to death.

There is a video I saw on Facebook of a democratic legislator. I don’t know his name. It was not written anywhere in a caption or on the video but he described that there is food that both democrats and republicans voted to send to Sudan and Ethiopia that was grown in the United States. We paid for it and we sent it to these countries. It is sitting in warehouses in these countries. Current government officials have said we need to make it available, yet DOGE won’t make the funds available to open the warehouse doors. 150,000 people will die without this food. If you want to see the video, there is a link at the bottom of this article. Why is DOGE able to override our government?

I don’t want to live in a dictatorship. I don’t want to live in a country where the president can pick and choose which laws he will follow; where he will dishonor judges, whose job it is to interpret the law. 47 is a man without honor and no regard for law, unless he can bend it to benefit himself. He is a draft dodger and a liar. What will it take for the MAGAs to wake up?

What will it take for everyone to realize the value of every United States citizen and stop trying to politicize everything human? When I was growing up teachers taught me that people were different and that was ok. What was important was that we cared about and respected each other. If we didn’t like someone, we were kind to them, but we found someone else to play with. This philosophy has served me well for my entire life and I wish more people would adopt it.

I’m a sensory person, certain sounds and lights and feelings hurt me. I have learned to be patient with myself but high voices make me feel crazy. Some sopranos hurt my ears and sometimes make my skin crawl. But I am not asking for legislation to outlaw sopranos. I see videos of legislators making arguments about public schools, without proving that the problems originate from the school system. I see a lot of statements but I never hear any questions or answers to my questions when I want clarification. Men want to regulate what women do with their bodies and straight people want to regulate what transgender people do with theirs; but I believe that if you are not part of the group, you don’t have a right to define it.

Just because you don’t understand transgender or queer people doesn’t make them bad. They are humans, trying to live their life and be happy. If you don’t know them, how do you know if you don’t like them? Because someone told you they were bad? What if those people were wrong or misinformed? Why would you let your fear run your life? That would be like me letting cancer take over my body because I am afraid of radiation. It doesn’t make sense.

Removing women and people of color from history on military websites and maps at Arlington Cemetery is pathetic. Removing flags that represent Native tribes from Veterans Services buildings is a slap in the face to people that don’t deserve to be disrespected. Not allowing certain words like women or trauma in applications for government grants sends quite the message that our government is no longer caring for people or the very women that gave birth to all of us.

This is much bigger than my worries about losing my disability check and health insurance, although I am. Money and power are not the most important thing. DJT doesn’t believe this and this is the way he is leading our country. His goal is to make the rich richer and to hell with the rest of us. He doesn’t care about the national debt; he wants to increase it. Everything he is doing is making the United States of America weaker. But we don’t have to allow this. Folks, we are allowing some very dangerous things to happen. We can’t be silent. We must speak or stand or write or walk or do whatever we can to maintain our democracy and take it back from the Trump administration and the MAGA republican congressmen that have given up their power to DJT and his followers or we are going to become like Russia, Trump’s favorite friend.

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More Information:

Watch the TYT Investigates video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16Ma5SuMrh/

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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.

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Feel free to leave your comments below!

Feel free to leave your comments below!

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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Read More:

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The Bible Was Created to:

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