Share 4 Somethings – March 2025
Each month I share 4 somethings that I have:
- Loved
- Learned
- Went well
- Let go of
And then I link up with Jenn.
I’m also sharing my previous month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something I loved
- CAMARADERIE IN SELMA
It’s hard to believe it’s been 60 years since Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama.
(Read this great article here by Pulitzer Prize winner John Archibald about Spider Martin, the amazing photographer who stayed to take photos March 7, 1965, because he knew what was happening was wrong.)
Jeff and I went to cross the bridge again in Selma for the 60th anniversary on March 9 of this year.
But we weren’t met with tear gas, billy clubs, or cattle prods when we crossed the windy Edmund Pettus Bridge. No blood was shed like it was 60 years ago when peaceful marchers seeking voting rights for Black Alabamians didn’t make it across on Bloody Sunday.
We must keep crossing the bridge. The struggles are still real down here. Know your history. Make change for the better.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something I learned
- SKY VIEWING APP
What if you could point your phone at a star (or any object in the sky), and the app shows you its name, constellation, and more, as if it’s written in the sky itself? You can. Technology is a crazy thing. I finally put this free app on my phone: SkyView Lite.
I’ve tried learning the names and locations of stars, planets, and constellations again and again, but it never seems to stick. Now I can just use the app.
I used it to find the International Space Station when it was flying over our house a week or so ago.
(Image: Future)
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something that went well
- EMPTY CHAIR TOWN HALL
Our congressional district in Alabama has been asking for a bipartisan town hall meeting with Dale Strong, our representative in Congress. We have questions about new problems that have arisen here in the past two months that are greatly affecting people’s income, health, education, and livelihood.
I attended the meeting held last weekend, knowing that Representative Strong had been invited, and hoping he would show up. Alas, he never arrived. Over 300 citizens did though: all ages and skin tones and politicals parties were represented.
So the meeting went on anyway.
Two agendas had been prepared: show and no-show.
The stage held Rep. Strong’s empty chair, and people stood up, one after the other, to ask their questions and state their opinions anyway. I was encouraged to hear how respectful, engaged, and caring our neighbors are for each other.
The meeting was recorded to send to Rep. Strong. In the best case scenario, he’ll watch it and get back in touch with his constituents. It might even make him regret not coming out and receiving encouragement himself among fellow Alabamians who want the best for each other.
We really can work together, even with our differences, if we’ll communicate.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Something I let go of
- OUR NEW REFRIGERATOR
Well, I actually thought I let go of our new refrigerator a couple of months ago when Whirlpool couldn’t fix it. However, they refuse to give up, even though the temperature in the refrigerator can range anywhere from 25-35 degrees on any given day or hour, regardless of its setting.
Thankfully we’ve not had to pay for any of the many service calls or replacement parts. But it’s long past time to call this unrepairable and get a refund. But Whirlpool won’t relent.
So I’m really, really giving up this time.
Last night we looked at new refrigerators again (anything but Whirlpool because they’ve been so frustrating!). The manager at the big box store said a possibility still exists that they could take our old refrigerator back and give us store credit toward a new one, which would be amazing. But I won’t count on it.
Bottom line—life isn’t always fair. And in the grand scheme of things, middle-class-me in America having to buy a new refrigerator is very, very insignificant compared to serious, life-threatening injustices that many people around the world confront on a daily basis. I’m working to keep a proper perspective.
What is something you are loving, learning, has gone well, or had to let go of this month?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
Such a shame that your representative didn’t show up for your town hall, Lisa. Elected officials are first and foremost obligated to their constituents, hands down. Thanks, too, as always for your 1-second review of your month and for reminding us all that our history, even when not pleasant, must be recalled and learned from. Blessings!
I agree with you, Martha–our elected officials are to be here for the constituents. Hopefully our representative will eventually show back up. He’ll be up for election again in 2026.
Hope you’re having a good weekend!
Lisa, what a post! I love your little guy’s concentration capabilities! He’s so precious!
I cried when I read your Something I Loved. Living where I do gives me little reason to think about things like The Edmund Pettit Bridge crossing. Reading your post made me stop and think about how little I think of those events. Thank you to you and Jeff for participating in the walk and I have no doubt that had you been able to do so 60 years ago, you would have been there.
Your Something that Went Well was touching as well. It made me thankful for our representatives. My husband recently had a need to contact one of our U.S Senators about an issue and yesterday, we had both a phone call from his office as well as an email from him to let us know that he has looked into the matter. My applause to the folks at your Town Hall Meeting who showed up, even when your one representative didn’t and how they still stood up, one at a time, in a respectful manner made their voices known. If we could just transfer that to the folks in D.C.
I am so sorry about your fridge. I have a Whirlpool that has lasted us well past 30 years now…that was back when a service contract meant something. I know you aren’t being charged for the service calls, but you aren’t getting the best use of your appliance either. Sometimes, the best thing to do is exactly what you are doing…letting go. We have a Whirlpool washer and it’s the last Whirlpool I will ever own.
Thanks for your compassion, Dianna. The places we live do make a difference in the issues we’re involved in. I’m glad that Jeff and I have been able to go to Selma a few times. He also went with our disaster recovery team in 2023 after tornadoes tore through the area. Such a tragedy.
I love hearing the story about your Senator being so responsive! Wow! I’ve never had that kind of respond when I’ve called and emailed my reps. When I was in D.C. last summer to visit their offices, we only got to see one of our 3–and it was actually Dale Strong. He wasn’t in his office but we happened to run into him in the elevator. ha. He was friendly to us, and vice-versa. I just wish he would make greater efforts to listen more to those back home.
I often hear that older appliances are much better. We had our old refrigerator for over 20 years before it gave us the least bit of trouble. Hopefully we’ll get our problem resolved soon and this can be a thing of the past. 🙂
How neat to be crossing that same bridge 60 years later in honor of such a pivotal event. I am going to have to look into that app. Best of luck with your fridge; it’s so hard to find a good, reliable appliance nowadays.
Thanks, Joanne. Since we’ve had fridge trouble, I’ve heard so many stories from people struggling to find a reliable appliance. I didn’t realize it was such a thing, but obviously so. Sigh. Hopefully my saga will be over soon though and I can stop being mad about it. ha.
A great post Lisa. My hubby has that Phone App as we’re avid night sky watchers, it makes pointing our telescopes in the right direction so much easier!
How disappointing that a Politician that is supposed to be in power for the people, didn’t come to hear the concerns of his people, very disappointing indeed! But I love that you all held the meeting anyway & were respectful of each other in the process that is very encouraging.
blessings, Jennifer
Glad to hear you and your husband have had good success with the sky app! I hope to use it more when the weather is warmer and I can spend time just sitting outside and looking at the stars. It’s such a relaxing way to spend time.
I downloaded the app! Can’t wait to try it!
I hope the app works well for you, Michele. I imagine you’re able to see lots of stars in the skies over Maine! I like nights when I can get far away from light pollution and be reminded anew how many stars there really are all around us.
Hi Lisa, that Sky viewing App sounds very interesting. I can never tell the constellations or stars so this would be very useful. Thanks for sharing your March with us at #WBOYC? and I hope you have an enjoyable April. Sue L x
Thanks, Sue. I don’t know why the constellations and star names and positions never stick with me, but they don’t. ha. There’s only a handful that I can ever keep straight. I’m glad I’m not being tested on them. 🙂 I do enjoy stargazing but it’s not something I do very often. Maybe with more knowledge will come more time spent doing it.
Hi, Lisa – “Know your history. Make change for the better.” These are very powerful words. And if we all just kept ourselves aware of history, what a difference we could make!
I agree, Donna. I believe that knowing our history–the good and the ugly–can help us better become the people we want to be today!
I am asking for change on your blog. Please consider changing 1 second each day to 15 or 30 seconds. I’ll concede if you will even consider 10 seconds. Please?
lol. I appreciate your enthusiasm for more, Angela. 🙂 But I imagine you’d get pretty bored with many of my videos on those days when the most exciting thing I capture is my pinwheel blowing or a daffodil blooming. However, I would love to share more of the videos with kids; they are quite entertaining! Love you, friend.
Loving my country home in the river hills. Spending 4 days with a friend (after her 2nd hip replacement) in a downtown city condo reinforced my love for my rural property.
Technology motivates learning on the regular. The cursor disappeared on the laptop. It was restored after a little research.
I’m working on my mom’s estate. Contact with the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) is a tedious process, waiting on hold, navigating the website, etc. A call to the CRA this past week went well; it was expedient & painless.
I’m letting go of the belief that I will be spared the vagaries of aging!
BTW – the second fridge in the basement is >50yrs old. Still ticking.
Thanks for sharing your 4 things too, Mona! I understand your love for country life; it’s much more calm than being in the city with so little wildlife and greenery. Good look with your mom’s estate. That’s never an easy task, but made harder when you have to work through red tap. And yay for old fridges that keep on working!
It is hard and frustrating when you buy something and expect it to work properly, and it doesn’t! As the customer you should have the final say in when it is time to give it up! I hope the situation is resolved soon. Have a great week!
Hi Lisa, this was a great post and I wonder if the sky app would work downunder for us, might be worth a try! Thanks for sharing your four things for WBOYC, I learnt a lot.
What a list – ups and downs, frustrations and inspirations. Life, right? how frustrating the politician didn’t show and the refrig stopped working. Our last new refrig had to be sent back as it didn’t fit into the slot in our kitchen and we had to reorder a different one so more time was lost – more frustration and what a lesson learn that was! Your story brought back that memory!
Lisa, thank you for sharing your four somethings with us. Looks like you were busy, and I just love that you took part in crossing that bridge. That’s so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your post with us at the Crazy Little Lovebirds link party.