… in Chattanooga. On the north side of town, at the intersection of Ely Rd, and Ashland Terrace, between Dayton Blvd., and Hixson Pike. The Lane Funeral Home has a memorial service to honor those Americans who died in the terror attack in 2021:New York City,Pentagon, Shanksville, Pennsylvania. There are almost three thousand small upright American flags planted in tidy rows in a small grassy plot just off the edge of the street, at the

According to the information found in the internet, the display is installed by a group of ROTC students in early September, with plans to have a Day of Remembrance Memorial celebration that includes speakers, recognition of first responders, and patriotic tributes.Though the little flags are fairly small, the overall display is impressive: a noticeable, thoughtful way to remember Patriot’s Day without appearing to be overblown gaudy or tacky. The little cloth flags, printed with red, white and blue are about three by five inches. Large enough to notice as vehicles pass, stop at the traffic signal, wait to make a turn, but discreet: A reminder about our collective history, a reason for gratitude.

… town, where several of those signs of affirmation were spotted (illegally) posted on utility poles. Near the area where there are several soccer fields, charter schools, a large house of worship, social service programs started by local non-profits to benefit minorities, teaching English as a Second Language, providing assistance with housing, meals, other connections to support and benefit hose coming into the area without resources.

The signs, according to what has been published on the internet: remain a mystery. A particular individual’s name is attached to sparse information available: though maybe taken with a grain of salt as many things generated by the world of artificial intelligence should be without confirmation. Materials used are often donated, especially if the size of the posted sign on those utility poles seems to appear to be within the parameters of those small political campaign notices scattered along the edges of public thoroughfares.

Those little plastic ‘vote for’ identifiers, looking like they are made of corrugated plastic, similar to a cardboard carton, but completely weather-proof. With names of candidates on wire frames visible along the right of way at polling places: community centers, churches, government facilities where voting occurs. Not every candidate wins, of course, so perhaps those who are no longer competing agree to have those political notices recycled and turned into the affirmations, encouragements, thought-y messages posted for public observation?

Most of the small notices, seen when passing slowly enough to take a quick photo, appear to be mounted with a washer, wood screw, probably a hand-held drill. Maybe from the back of a truck or van for height. Actually, some disappear after a few days: which makes it likely other passers-by have found the sentiment posted so appealing it vanished into private ownership…

… by Amity Gaige. Published in 2025, the author has four other publications listed to her credit. She teaches creative writing at Yale, and has received a number of notable awards for her writing, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.

The plot revolves around a woman who vanished while trekking in Maine along the Appalachian Trail. Several incidental characters she encounters along the way come up, after she veers off the trail and finds how easily she gets disoriented. Just a brief side step into the underbrush, and she cannot locate the narrow path through dense foliage, although the way is clearly marked by blazes on trees as the pilgrims trek, heading north or south along the way to Maine or Georgia.

Missing persons are the responsibility of the Maine Game Warden Service, with the authority to organize a search: having the ability to mobilize hundreds of SAR, air rescue, volunteers, law enforcement and others to canvas the forbidding forests, mountains, narrow valleys, water features hoping to find the lost hiker. The warden Beverly is organizing, leading the search, over a number of days. Hoping to find the missing hiker who vanished less than two-hundred miles from the end of the trail.

Valerie Gillis, vanished hiker, who started out with her partner, soon told him she wanted to go it alone,although he has been supportive in meeting her along the way, with food, supplies, helping to make the trek successful. Valerie finds herself at the mercy of a young man, who is unstable: paranoid about a private preserve that is a training ground for para-military workers in the depths of the Maine forest. Constantly hungry, under stress, unable to eat the food she can forage: grubs, berries, her body has begun to deteriorate, organs failing due to lack of nutrition.

… by Anne Lamott. A small book (which would be easier to write than a large one, if your editor/publisher decides it has enough words to print and sell?) about the size of the average paperback, or an issue of Reader’s Digest. Printed in in 2013, she initial felt a need to respond to the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in New York state, where a number of children were randomly gunned down Lamott.also has a written number of others on various subjects relating to her experiences, life-lessons, years of observing the natural world where she resides in the hills of southern California.

“Stitches” refers to her perception of how the world holds together when everything seems to be falling apart. Family and friends find their lives untenable: a beloved couple, life partners for decades, receives an unwelcome medical diagnosis. A parent, stalwart and faithful, suddenly no longer the capable independent adult who has always been a resource of knowledge, now in need of support, assistance, care as strength and health decline, with loved ones helpless observing from the sidelines.

Trying to make sense of the senseless, provide a logical explanation for the inexplicable, pondering the varigeties of the universe when it seems the planet might be slipping from it’s axis to twirl away in an unpredictable, random manner.

…in the little two block commercial area that might be considered ‘downtown’ St. Elmo district. With brick edifices, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, professional offices like dentistry, speech-and-hearing clinic, converted loft space for housing, barber-beauty-permanent cosmetics. The base of the Incline Rail cars that will take tourists (for a considerable fee) up the steep mountainside to the top edge of Lookout:buy a ticket, get in line, purchase an ice cream cone at Jeni’s to enjoy while waiting for the rail car to descend and load for the next excursion.

This hand painted sign seen on utility pole.

What you are seeing here: love yourself. Gratitude is Great. Be thankful always. The little, rarely considered, often overlooked daily things we do not give a thought to: city services – they come and get the trash every week. The electricity comes on at the flip of the switch on the wall. Water: safe, clean, potable, on demand happens when you turn the handle on the faucet.

All the little, rarely noticed events that make our lives run smoothly. Mail delivery, businesses dependably opening and closing as advertised,stocked with the goods we desire. Social and emergency services available for assistance on demand. Many seemingly routine things that happen without a conscious thought. Make it conscious: Be good to yourself.

Things will not always go according to plan. Be generous with forgiveness: including the possibility every little thing will not go as expected -Thankful for the ability to take a breath, course correct, be kind.