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Find Your Peace

Rain has fallen in Hamilton County. Always a blessing!!
  We have five weeks till our county fair starts.  In ten days half the year will be over. Anyone else notice time is flying? 
I tell myself the same lie every year - summer will slow down. HA!
  It’s busier and faster. All the projects I have promised myself would be done this summer and all the lists I am trying to check off seem to get longer and less is getting done which is stressing me out a little.
  Camps, sheep shows, harvest, work, get my daughter to this practice or that game. 
Busy busy busy!
And it’s not just me. Every mom I speak with says the same. 
   It’s hard to carve out some me time. I try. I have been taking more walks with my dogs. In fact, I walked/ran a 5K this weekend.  I was tired and proud at the end. Then someone sent me a picture of myself and I was mortified. 
Instead of focusing on my accomplishment and the overall joy in my life, I was focused on how many chins I could see in the picture. lol.
  My publisher and I are working on book cover designs for my book launch which is tentatively July 7.
No guarantees on the date yet. But I will keep you posted.
I am planning an online event and then a couple local events too. 
 Right now I am sifting through four book cover ideas. I had several family and friends look them over. Everyone had different answers and different reasons. 
I think I am more confused than ever.
One friend said to go with my gut. 
The problem is my gut is telling me different things.
I think one will sell better than others, one would cater to a different group than the others. 
Yes, I am overthinking it all. 
  I have noticed when I start overthinking all my peace goes away. I begin to stress more, get more frazzled, and start to misplace items, forget things, and I don’t feel accomplished at the end of the day.
 Adding to the stress, I have to hurry and get this paper out because I am headed to cover a story for next week’s paper.
    Normally I go for a walk in the morning but there was no time today.
   What do you do when it seems like you can’t catch your breath? 
I would say don’t make any big decisions yet. Walk away for a minute. Remember these times won’t last forever.   
 Do you call a friend? Listen to a song? Pray? 
  On Tuesday, I was sitting in front of my computer refreshing the browser over and over again, waiting for something that was supposed to be there but wasn’t. In fact there were two or three things expected to come in and they weren’t there yet.
  Finally, I got up and went with my daughter to the sheep barn. Stepping outside was magical. 
Getting away from the computer was exactly what I needed.
  After finding my peace, I checked my email on my cell phone. 
Not only the thing I had waited for  came in but ALL the things I had been expecting later were in early. 
  When we came home, I got right to work and things flowed smoothly. 
  When do you push through? When do you take a few minutes to walk away? 
  I guess the point is find your peace.  I would say I can find my peace at a beach house on vacation but that isn’t going to happen for quite some time. 
So how do you find your peace where you are at?
  Maybe the first thing to do is stop, to praise God for some wonderful things in your life, and for getting you through difficult times.
 Breathe. Quiet yourself. Remember no good decisions came under duress. 
Remember this won’t last forever. One day I won’t be rushing from here to there and to be honest that scares me. 
As crazy as this time in my life is, I love being of purpose, giving to my family, and helping. 
 But...I do need a little me time. Hopefully that will come soon. I would take a couple hours of responsibility free time. 
 And maybe it’s time to boldly pray Romans 15:13 (NIV) - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  Do you do that? Do you pray boldly? Or do we whimper out a - please don’t let this happen?
 I am guilty of whimpers for prayers. So right now I am acknowledging that and praying boldly for me and for all those that read this. 
Be blessed!!

OPINIONS

Keep your face always toward the sunshine

It’s October and the temperatures are fluctuating from 70s to 90s.    Life is speeding by! And I have ten minutes left to get this paper to press.  My daily bible verse said, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”... [More]

Do it Afraid

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Thoughts and Actions

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That Still Small Voice is Calling

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Fair?

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But God

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Batlles are hard!

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Walter's Wiggles

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SPORTS

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BULLDOGS OPEN FALL SEASON WITH FIRST PLACE FINISH IN GOLF

The Syracuse Bulldogs Ladies Varsity Golf Team took first at their season opener in Stanton County on Tuesday afternoon. They shot a team score of 207 at the Prairie Pines Golf Course in Johnson. The varsity team  is Lanee Owens, Bronwyn Lewis, Sammy Schwieterman, Maddy... [More]

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LEWIS HEADS TO STATE TRACK

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BULLDOGS TAKE SECOND AT REGIONALS - HEADED TO STATE

The Syracuse High School boys golf team battled breezy conditions on Monday May 13 competing in the 2-A Regional meet on their own Tamarisk Golf Course.  Adjusting to windy conditions and competing at home paid off for the Bulldogs Monday, placing second, qualifying... [More]

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STATE GOLF RESULTS

State golf on Monday had the Varsity Bulldogs miss playing in the finals as a team by one stroke. They finished seventh out of twelve teams.  On Day 1, Brody Keller shot a 92 missing day two by two strokes. Ian Brummett shot a 95, Mason Scott  and Johnny TeVelde shot... [More]

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JH BASKETBALL WINS

Junior High Boys Basketball A, B, and C teams travelled to Elkhart on Monday, November 21. The A team won 41-34, B team won 26-21, and  C team lost to Elkhart 13-20. Head Coach Vance Keller said, “Elkhart was a tough win for both the A and B teams but both grinded... [More]

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LADY BULLDOGS BORDER WARS CHAMPIONS!!

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JH Basketball Season Underway with JH Boys sweeping Lakin

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Senior Night Volleyball

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NEWS

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Bulldog Bank Open For Business

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Hedberg Outback Designs

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1961 SHS GRAD PENS BOOK ON HIS MUSINGS AND INSPIRATIONS

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FORMER SYRACUSAN WRITES CHILDREN’S BOOK

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SHS CHAMPION BARNES GOLF CAREER TAKES SHAPE

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Simon Retires

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Hamilton County Library's Grand Reopening

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County Fair Time!

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OBITUARIES

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Stephen Craig Richter

Dateline: Hays, Kansas Stephen Craig Richter, 65, passed away October 1, 2024, at Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas. Stephen was a beloved member of the communities of Ellinwood, Kansas where he worked and Great Bend Kansas where he lived. He was known for his kind and loving... [More]

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Donald Leon Trentham

DATELINE:  HUGOTON, KS   Donald Leon Trentham, 86 years old, passed away Thursday, September 26, 2024, in Oklahoma City, OK. Don was born to Leon and Freda (Ehrhart) Trentham on August 27, 1938, in Hobart, Oklahoma. Don married Lanora June Williams on August 25,... [More]

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Greg Cline

A Graveside Service for Greg Cline will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 27, 2024 at Hillside Cemetery in Granada, Colorado.  Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 26, 2024 at Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel in Holly, Colorado. Gregory... [More]

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Marjorie June (Sneath) Reinert

Marjorie June (Sneath) Reinert died September 9, 2024 at the Kearny County Hospital, Lakin, Kansas. June was the daughter of G.W. Sneath and Margaret Susan (Manning) Sneath.  She was born April 3, 1932 at Mertilla Township, Meade, Kansas.   June attended school at Mertilla... [More]

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Ben Frank Cline

Ben Frank Cline, 90, passed away Thursday, September 12, 2024 at the Greeley County Hospital in Tribune, KS. He was born on October 18, 1933 in Holly, Colorado to Albert “Pat” and Frances Cline. Ben grew up south of Holly, on the Cline Ranch. He attended and... [More]

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Wayne D. Nelson

 Wayne D. Nelson, 89, of Topeka, passed away Wednesday, September 11, 2024. He was born December 13, 1934, in Sylvia, Kansas, the son of Clifford C. and Alice (Harmon) Nelson. He was a 1952 graduate of Nickerson High School, Nickerson, Kansas and received a Bachelor’s... [More]

Harvey Ellsworth Crist

Harvey Ellsworth Crist, 97, passed away Saturday, August 31, 2024, at his home in Syracuse, Kansas. He was born August 4, 1927 in Holly, Colorado, the son of Paul F. Crist and Margaret (Herbig) Crist. Harvey began his life in Holly, Colorado and was raised in Bear Creek Township... [More]

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Maxine Ralstin

Maxine J. Ralstin  Maxine Jeanette Ralstin passed away Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024 peacefully at her home in Syracuse, Kansas.   Maxine was born February, 21, 1942 as the third of four children to Freeman H. and Mary O. (Husky) Ralstin. Maxine was a lifelong resident... [More]

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