Beyond Happy

The APP Ecosystem

Our son is coming home today for a visit!  He’s been in Chiang Mai, Thailand, this time, for over three years.

Thankfully, he’s a really good communicator, so most of the time we can ignore the fact that he’s across the world from us. We have a secure chat program he set up so we can either message each other or ‘talk’ real time. (He let me know he’s at the DFW airport now waiting for his flight that will bring him here.)

His flight has been really awful – not a lot of plane changes but the whole flight from his place to our airport will have taken 28 hours!  Needless to say, he wants to come straight home and hit the bed for several hours before sharing some beef stew with us tonight.  Just knowing he’s up in what is now the guest room will have me smiling all day long. :0)

He will stay about three weeks – celebrating his birthday AND Christmas with us!

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Filed under anticipation, Cause for Celebration, Family

A Little While Longer

We are still enjoying home-grown lettuce, and it’s December 9th!  I grew the plants in our greenhouse, but we don’t have heat out there, so when we started having cold snaps, I brought them inside. It’s technically too warm inside, and too cold in the garage, so I’ve just been trying to keep the plants alive as long as possible.  They won’t last much longer, but I’ve had fun with the experimentation.

 

In the foreground you can also see several celery plants. These are grown from the ones I get at the store. I cut off the bottoms, put them in a container (you can see the white bowl on the window sill at the upper left) and then transfer them to soil. They’re alive now, but I haven’t a clue what I’m supposed to be doing with them. At some point I’m supposed to tie the branches tightly together. That’s how they get the nice grouping of stalks we buy at the store. I’ll have to see if I can find information on when and how they should be tied, assuming they live that long. :0)

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Filed under greenhouse, Starting - Growing in a Greenhouse

“We are Fam-i-ly!”

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

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Eagles!

Donald A. Lloyd Sr. – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

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Christmas Honors

Christmas Honors – Fort Smith Nat’l Cemetery – Do South Magazine

My good friend, Carla, lost her husband a few years ago. He is buried at the Fort Smith National Cemetery. That year she asked me if I would go with her to help volunteers put the bows on thousands of wreaths honoring the veterans. I was honored to be asked.

We spent several hours with lots of nice people. There were lots of others, like my friend and I, who attached bows to the wreaths. There were others who brought the wreaths and bows to us at the tables. Others who gathered the wreaths on long poles to be taken out to the big trucks that took them to the cemetery.

It was an emotional thing to be able to help honor our vets. There are other volunteers, I think the Boy Scouts, who actually put the wreaths on each grave, and then, later, there is a nice ceremony.

I’m pleased I spent most of a day helping other volunteers. I’m happy I could support my good friend. I’m so glad this is such a beautifully planned and executed effort to help us show our support and never forget their sacrifice.

And when this is over for the year, volunteers return to pick up the wreaths and take them back to the convention center, where people remove the bows and put them in protective bags. The wreaths and bows are carefully stored for next year.

Thanks to all who made this possible.

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Filed under giving, Good Thoughts, holidays

A Candle

“A Candle”*

Poem and Photo by Kelly Mizell – LinkedIn

 

A candle is but a simple thing,

It starts with just a bit of string,

Yet dipped and dipped with a patient hand,

It gathers wax upon its strand,

Until it’s complete in colors and white

At last it gives a lovely light.

 

Life is so like that bit of string,

Each deed we do is a simple thing,

Yet day by day if on life’s strand,

We work with patient heart and hand

It gathers joy and makes dark times bright,

Giving at last a loving light.

Kelly Mizell

 

*Kelly published this on LinkedIn this morning. I was blown away and asked her for her permission to repost it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

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Filed under Blog Repost - Wonderful Posts, Encouragement, Favorite Pictures, favorite poems, giving, Good Thoughts

Double Trouble

Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

 

 

Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

 

 

Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

 

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Swans

“Two Ladies in Grey” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“Elegance and Refinement” – Paul Militaru Photography

 

 

“Through the Fence” – Paul Militaru Photography

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Busy Day

Incredibly Cute Animal Pictures – pinterest

I have been going non-stop since we got up this morning.

Bad weather – in the form of cold front, cold rain, ice, sleet, snow, and flying hair balls is forecast for today-into-tomorrow. Since our driveway is steep and 650 feet down to the street, we tend to take ice seriously around here. Snow isn’t as much of a problem, but Arkansas tends to do ICE and THEN snow on top, making for a hairy situation.

The mailman came up the driveway today. We had received a BUNCH of packages and boxes as well as our regular mail, so we spent a bunch of time opening and organizing things. Then we went to the grocery store to get things we would be unhappy to be without if we get stuck on top of our ridge line. I got all the food put away while my husband took all the boxes and packing and burned them in the burn barrel. (It was raining, so we didn’t have to worry about having the fire.)

My husband had asked me to make pulled pork, so I spent about an hour getting a pork shoulder ready for the crock pot. It’s cooking now. Just as I cleaned up the kitchen, it was time for lunch.

I just finished cleaning out the refrigerator we have in the pantry and am now taking a break for a cup of coffee and my blog. It’s already 4:30!

I found more Christmas decorations in the pantry, so I’m going to open up the bags and decide where to put things.

A happy, busy day, and I’m feeling that someone sucked all the energy out of me. I’m going to regroup for a while and then tackle the fun job of looking at Christmas decorations.

I hope the weather where you are is good and that you’re having a great day.

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Filed under holidays, Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob, Lewis projects, Mother Nature

My Christmas Present to Me

I told you a few days ago that I fell in love with a “Cool Rat” online at Old Estate Art Gallery out of Thibodaux, Louisiana. When I saw him, I decided I HAD to have him. The lady who chatted with me and then took my information on the phone couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. I’ve loved this store for several years, but they didn’t have an online presence until recently and weren’t set up to ship their merchandise.

 

I received him today and I couldn’t be more pleased. Just looking at him makes me grin. When I thought about putting him away once Christmas was over, I quickly decided to take him out of that category in my mind.

 

I have several shelves in the office above my computer area. I already had the little, totally flexible and pose-able teddy bear, and my ceramic and fabric “Fairy God Frog” there, and now the “Cool Rat” has joined the family of things that make me smile.

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Filed under Childlike Fun, Favorite Things, holidays

Today’s Project – Fridge One

We have a fridge like this one in our kitchen. I love it. It’s a side by side with an icemaker. The doors open wide and there is a lot of flexibility in how you set things up, what temperatures you want, etc. We got it about 10 years ago, so it doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles people have now, but it’s really good for us and I hope it lasts a good, long time.

The outside is a nice, glossy black that looks great when it’s spanking clean and gets to looking pretty sad with a gazillion finger prints on it, spills from something we took out of the fridge, water deposits of ‘something’ in the drain under where the ice comes out, etc.

Our problem is compounded because I have all kinds of ‘stuff’ on it.

 

 

I have all kinds of information regarding Nutrisystem – snacks, okay veggies, okay fruits, grocery list, etc. We also keep a record of propane tank readings monthly. We have timers, fridge magnets, reminders of coming appointments – you get the idea.

Today’s project was to clean the fridge – particularly the inside. It started with using up our supply of cut up celery and radishes ready to eat. I fixed that, and then was again aware that the fridge really needed some attention, and had been needing it for awhile. I’m fairly good about watching for expiration dates on things, but I tend to shove bags of lettuce, veggies of all kinds, cheeses, etc. into their places without cleaning the bin or drawer UNDER them much, and the stuff in the door is even worse.

I just finished the fridge in the kitchen. It looks and smells really good now. :0)

Tomorrow’s project will be the fridge in the pantry…

 

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Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob, Lewis projects, Organizing/DeCluttering

Twosomes

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

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More Like Christmas…

I’m waiting until our son is home on MONDAY (whoopeeeee!) to get the big Tupperware tub of Christmas decorations out –  plus our tree – but I’m starting to do a bit here and there.

This is the dining area. I have a Christmas wreath with lights, lights wrapped around the rail across the top of the window to the right of this picture,  and a few decorations on the divider that goes between the dining area and the kitchen.

 

This is a present from a dear friend. It’s a combination light that looks mosaic and changes colors as you watch and a diffuser with a nice scent.

 

This is ceramic. The couple who made it personalized the heart for me. I’ve had this for years and I love it.

 

This one is made of wood and was also personalized for me by its creators.

 

Every year I like to showcase the Christmas cards we receive from friends and family. I hang each one on the vertical uprights on our stair railing with yarn. I also add ornaments or other decoration. This year I’m using wooden ‘gingerbread’ ornaments. I bought these from a company last year, stained and then painted them to make them look like gingerbread cookies.

 

 

 

 

 

The Christmas cards will make the decoration fuller and fuller as the season progresses. I’ll also add garlands of sparkly stuff!

 

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Filed under Family, Friendship, holidays

Lesley Woodhouse Art

Lesley WoodHouse – LinkedIn

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Getting the Lard Off Progress Report – 12-6-2018

Chicago Tribune

30.6 pounds and 30.05 inches so far.

My husband and I have kind of settled into raw veggies and dip for lunches (I add a hard-boiled egg or string cheese, and my husband adds barbecued chicken with no bread) and a main meal salad for dinner, so we’re awash in Nutrisystem entrees right now. (My husband received his frozen and non-frozen this week. I received my frozen and should get my non-frozen soon.)

I called customer service today to see if I could delay our next order. Raphael couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. He was encouraging about our efforts to date and we agreed to delay our next order for 90 days. If we want to order a la carte before then, fine. If we want to shorten the delay, fine. If we need to delay it further, fine.  No muss, no fuss, no problem.  How wonderful is that!?!?!

Our only complaint is that they no longer offer pulled pork. My husband really liked that, and it almost derailed us on our weight loss efforts. They DO offer barbecued chicken, so he has substituted that, and I make him pulled pork and we freeze it into individual portions for him.

Our son is coming to visit Monday, planning to stay about 3 weeks. We’re really into the plan now, particularly since we can have ‘flex’ meals, so it shouldn’t be a problem for everyone to eat what they would like.  We’ll go grocery shopping as soon as he likes and get what we don’t have.

I’m feeling good about the progress my husband and I have made. He’s down about 30 lbs., too, and has lost almost 6 inches from his waist. He was wearing 38/30 jeans when we started and is now ALMOST comfortable in 32/30’s now. :0)  He is trying to do sit ups, something he hasn’t done since he was in the Marine Corps from 1961-65, so I’m proud of his efforts. Even more important is his effort to cut out as much sugar as possible, since he’s a Type II diabetic. His blood sugar reading this morning was 96. (100 or below is NORMAL).  I’m doing more exercise than I have done in many, many years – doing yoga and abdominal exercises one day, and the elliptical trainer the next. (Today is the elliptical). I’m feeling stronger and a bit more flexible.

So, we’ll keep on keepin’ on, and we’re pleased that we are on a program where the company will work with us.  My goal is to be ordering at least one – if not TWO – 10 lbs weight loss NS bears with our next order! :0)

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Filed under Challenges, Changes, DIET!, exercise, getting the lard off, Great Companies Who Deserve Your Business, taking care of yourself

Vices

Rosemary Clement Moore – http://www.pinterest.com/michaelbliss

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Filed under Attitude, Funny Signs - Humor

Idyllic Place

Richard Green – LinkedIn

I feel an especially strong pull toward wherever this idyllic place is because it’s yucky outside here in Greenwood, Arkansas today. It’s cold and rainy. Forecasted for us for the weekend is a ‘wintry mix.” I think I’ve told you before that Arkansas does not do winter well.

I wouldn’t mind if it just turned cold and snowed. We always do ICE first – sometimes really causing almost un-repairable damage – and THEN we might get some snow over it.

In 2001 we got a ‘wintry mix’ that resulted in our being captive in our house, unable to get down our 650+ foot steep driveway until we chain-sawed the trees. That took us three days of really long, hard, cold work. The tree branches were snapping off as we stood on the porch. I still cringe when I hear that awful sound. We have what we call ‘trash trees’ rather than majestic or beautiful ones, but I love them all and it broke my heart when we lost so many.

So as I gaze wistfully at this gorgeous photo by Richard Green, I wish I could escape there and spend the day, at least.

Our worst day is supposed to be Saturday, when we have a 100% chance of rain/sleet/snow and flying hairballs, according to the weather channel. I just have all appendages crossed that whatever happens will be clear for Monday, when we pick up our son at the airport for a much-anticipated visit from Thailand.

“The Climate Is What You Expect; The Weather Is What You Get” – unknown

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Moving Painting

Peter Wever Art via Elena-(Livia) D-LinkedIn

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“Profile of the Coco Parrot”

“Profile of the Coco Parrot” – Paul Militaru Photography

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Today’s Project – Scrubbing the Tiled Areas

We have about half of our first floor done in tiles – walk-in pantry, kitchen, dining area, utility room, and two half-baths. I have been working on this project all day and am about half finished.

I scrubbed all the counters, polished tables, cleaned window sills, harvested lettuce, put out a few Christmas decorations, etc.

 

This is the kitchen. I’ve scrubbed everything up top now, and the stove parts are in the dishwasher.

 

This is looking from the kitchen out toward the dining area. (You can see my lettuce plants in the background.)

 

These are a few of our Christmas decorations on the divider between the dining area and the kitchen.

 

This is the dining area and my moved-inside-veggie garden. I still have lettuce and some celery plants.

The next step in today’s project is to vacuum all the tile and then mop.

I’ll try to take pics of more Christmas decorations when the light changes.

I hope you’re having a good day, too.

 

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Filed under Housekeeping - Maintenance, I'm a slob, Lewis projects, Organizing/DeCluttering

Oscar

“Oscar” – Niki Firmin – LinkedIn

 

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This Scrooge is Thawing

This photo of our son, Brian, and me was taken at Christmas in 2007. It’s still one of my all-time favorite photos.

I’ve been a Scrooge, basically, since then because my heart wasn’t really in it. Our son decided several years ago that in order to really learn Mandarin, he needed to live where it was spoken. He packed up and went to China, attending an American language school there, leaving just before they had a terrible earthquake. He came home, but then went back, this time living in Shanghai.

Then he decided that he wanted to live somewhere more quiet, so he went to Chiang Mai, Thailand. He has made it a point not only to continue learning Mandarin, but also to learn Thai. He participates on a regular basis on an app where people can call in for translations between Mandarin and English and Thai. This allows him to get more and more fluent as he tries to help others.

A friend and his wife joined him in Chiang Mai several years ago. They work together doing computer stuff for various clients in the U.S. Before he left the last time, he set up a secure chat program so that we could leave messages or type at each other real-time. We do that on almost a daily basis. He also set up a program called ‘appear.in’ which he and his friend use in conference calls. We can see each other real-time and talk, like Skype or other similar programs, but MUCH better quality.

It’s been three years since he’s been home. We communicate more than a lot of families who live in the same city, so he hasn’t really seemed a world away, though he gives wonderful hugs, and my ‘hugs bucket’ has been empty for a long time now.

Recently he talked about MAYBE coming home for a visit. I put it out of my mind because a lot can happen in a short space of time, making it impossible – although intentions are the best.

He is actually coming home! We will pick him up at the airport on the 10th of this month!!!! He can stay until January 2nd, when he will fly to see other relatives and good friends before returning to Chiang Mai.

I am definitely feeling the Scrooge in me thawing this year. This morning I got out the two Christmas wreaths I kept after my purge of ‘stuff’ in our home and put them up. I then got out one bag of decorations that I’ve put up in the past, when I wanted to look at least a little bit festive. These are up in the dining area now. (I’ll take some pictures to share a bit later today.)

My husband and I decided that this year we would decorate a Christmas tree and get out all the decorations we haven’t used in years. This means we will need to move furniture in the living room to accommodate the tree – plus haul the huge Tupperware bin of decorations and the tree up from the basement – something we haven’t done in a long time. I’ve decided to wait until our son is home to do the tree, so we can do it together as a family.

As the fact that he has his tickets, and we have a flight arrival time now (the trip from Chiang Mai to here will take a total of 28 hours with layovers, etc) the fact that he’s REALLY coming home is starting to sink in. My heart feels full, plus lighter and lighter. I keep finding myself smiling.

The very best Christmas present we could have – except for when I gave birth to him 40 years ago on Dec. 13th…

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Filed under Attitude, Cause for Celebration, Delightful Surprises, Family, holidays

Joe Bailey Art

Joe Bailey – LinkedIn

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Awwww for the Day

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

 

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

 

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

 

Catherine Lee – LinkedIn

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Well, HELLO!

Hannah Kirk via Morning Coffee With Abba Ltd

 

Lately we’ve been meeting a lot more deer as we drive back and forth from town.

I’ve been told it’s rutting season, and then told the does are trying to stay AWAY from the males, and then told it’s because of the weather getting colder.

I don’t have a clue what the real reason(s) is/are, but I love seeing them – as long as we don’t hit them with our car, or as is the usual case with us, they run into US!

Years ago our son was heading out to go back to college. It was dusk. He left, and then returned several minutes later, thoroughly shaken. He had gone around a curve close to the house and a deer had jumped just when he was passing and hit his car in the front-driver’s side of the vehicle. Our son was fine, and he said the deer ran off. We’re not sure that the deer was okay, though.  We had to pay a couple thousand dollars to fix the damage to the vehicle.

Another time, my husband left to do errands in our ‘Vette. He came back, thoroughly shaken and angry. TWO deer jumped and hit the front of the Vette. My husband was all right, other than being pissed. Both deer ran off, so we don’t know if they were okay or not. The Vette was totally smushed in the front and spent several weeks in the shop being repaired.

A third time my husband was on his motorcycle. He rounded a curve and a deer jumped out of the woods on his right and just clipped the front of the cycle. My husband was fine, though shaken, managing to keep the bike going and not fall down. The deer ran off. We had to replace a light and a handle bar on the motorcycle.

We have lucked out in our encounters with deer. Even though you’re careful and watching for them, things happen really fast.

My favorite times are when we see the deer in plenty of time to slow WAAAAY down, watching as a whole group of them cross the road, one at a time in parade fashion, looking at us with interest.

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In My Own Little World

unknown – email Bill Lites

I decided to dive in and re-read my collection of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. I reading # 5 now, “High Five.”

Janet has built a whole world that is funny and fun with a quirky main character, Stephanie Plum, who becomes a Bond Inforcement Agent (Bounty Hunter) by blackmailing her weird relative who owns a bond agency.

The cast of characters really grows on you. I feel as if I know them. I love living in their world for awhile, smirking and snorting over what goes on. I love Janet’s down-to-earth REAL attitudes and reactions, the flaws and foibles of all Stephanie’s friends and family.

There are 25 books in the series to date. When I get to the end of the ones in my collection (20+) I’ll order the rest of them.

I love being able to do what I need to during the day and then dive in and lose myself in my current Stephanie Plum book….

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Filed under Favorite Authors & Books, Reading is FUNdamental

Love

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

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Merry Christmas tooooooo Meeeeeeee….

My husband’s cousin’s wife, Murray, lives in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Every time we can make the time, we have gone to spend as much time as possible there. Several years ago Murray took me to a wonderful shop called Old Estate Art Gallery.

I fell in love with something and bought it on the spot. Each time I’ve visited Murray has taken me there to see what they are offering, and they have never disappointed me. A couple of years ago, I asked them if they had an online store and if they could ship things. At that point in time, they weren’t in a position to do that. That has now changed!

The link above takes you to their page on Facebook. You can look at wonderful things they are currently offering. I found my Christmas present to myself there just a few minutes ago –

I fell in love with the gray “Cool Rat” at the bottom right part of this picture.

I messaged them via their Facebook page, asking if they could ship now. They answered my message very promptly saying that it depended on what item I wanted. I asked them if the gray “Cool Rat” was still available. They replied yes, told me the price, and confirmed they could ship him to me USPS.

I called them and confirmed that the rat HAD to be mine. Karen, the nice lady who answered the phone, went to grab him for me before someone else scooped him up and will call me back with the final price when she knows the shipping amount.

It was a pleasure doing business with her, and my Christmas present will be on the way to me soon!

This is a wonderful store with so many items you won’t see elsewhere. When you have some time, visit their Facebook page.

WARNING:  You may be like me and become addicted!

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Your AWWWW for the Day

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

 

Jeff Jett – LinkedIn

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Snow People – Take 35

Eating-A-Child-Scribol.com

 

I prefer to think of this as an evil fantasy – along the same lines as the Halloween witch flying head-first into a tree, or Halloween pumpkins eating baby pumpkins…

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Saverio Scoleri Art

These are charcoal pencil drawings!

“Emma” – Saverio Scoleri Art – LinkedIn

 

 

Saverio Scoleri Art – LinkedIn

 

 

Saverio Scoleri Art – LinkedIn

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