Hello to you. I’m just back from a good walk. The air quality wasn’t too bad. I checked my mailbox and was pleased to see a small package from Bishop James Long on Tik Tok. I won a rosary about a week ago while listening to his page. I had a couple of rosaries but during my last big manic episode I removed the crosses. Some parts of my spiritual path, being raised Roman Catholic, I hold on to. I listen to Bishop Long almost everyday.
Rosary received today and guide on how to pray
This morning I went to coffee at the Grace House. There was a good turnout. We prayed over the 21 days of prayer cards and Missy lead prayer over our personal intentions.
Later in the afternoon I went over to my Aunt and Uncles house for linner of grilled burgers and potato salad. Afterwards we watched a movie that was kind of dumb but gentle on the brain called Sheep Detectives – it’s on Amazon Prime:
Directed by Kyle Balda, the PG-rated animated comedy The Sheep Detectivesfollows a flock of sheep who leave their meadow to solve the mysterious murder of their shepherd, George. The 1-hour and 49-minute film was released in the US on May 8, featuring a voice cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Galitzine, and Molly Gordon. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Hello to you. I’m just back from the MOVE orientation at Caldwells VA. After going through everything, I had the option of asking to be put on a GLP-1 but I decided I’m going to take the 16 week class starting on 6 Jan of next year. I want the weight loss to be lasting and going to a class will make me stay accountable! I have already started a food journal to track my calories. I need to make lifestyle changes and going to a class each week I hope will help me achieve that goal. Another benefit to go to class will be getting me out of the house another day of the week. I am proud of myself for taking this step – it’s a beginning.
Spin of the prayer wheel today:
This is the beginning of a new day. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss; good, not evil; success, not failure — in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it today.
What do you love now, that you hated when you were younger?
Hello there! How are you? I hope you are keeping cool with the heatwave that seems to be everywhere! If it’s not heat it’s floods and earthquakes! My prayers go out to anyone suffering through a catastrophe.
When I saw this prompt what immediately came to mind was coconut. When I was a kid I never liked coconut- didn’t like the taste or especially the texture of it. Now as an adult I love it. I even buy coconut milk and water to drink! It’s truly one of Gods perfect creations! So good for us.
Hello there! How are you? If you’re American you are probably having a cookout and preparing for fireworks tonight. I hope if you are reading from America and you have pets that you secure them. I know a lot of people have to give their pets tranquilizers to get through this night. Thankfully my Link doesn’t get worked up like most dogs. So many people like fireworks! They are pretty to watch but aren’t very eco friendly!
There has been quite a hoopla over today marking 250 years – we made it this far and I have hope for the future despite everything going on right now. Freedom isn’t free! It’s good to see so many people loving our country.
I had a wonderful meal and visit with my Aunt, Uncle, cousin and his wife and two of my Aunts Granddaughters Richelle and Tatum, Tatum’s husband Kyle and baby Liam. We had hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, corn on the cob, fruit, watermelon and ice cream and brownies for dessert. Liam was definitely the star of the show. Once he got acclimated to everybody, he had a great time. Great Grandma my Aunt gave him some metal measuring cups he loved clanging together. We all know what he’s getting for Christmas! My Uncle, Great Grandpa said he’s going to get Liam a drum set! lol! 😂 We made a special memory today! So special!
My sweet Auntie and I – Grandma Becker would be so proud! She loved celebrating the 4th in her backyard in Ft. Collins CO My beautiful Grandma Becker (I couldn’t flip picture!)
If God could talk it wouldn’t be in English or Latin or Arabic It wouldn’t be in Yiddish or Spanglish or pidgin
If God could talk the words would crack like thunder pour down like a torrent of jewels flooding our basements with shining ideas, sparkling conclusions.
If God could talk a thought would be a redwood a word an ocean a sentence a century.
If God could talk I would not have to for all the words today requires would flow in on the morning breeze and find their way to the morning news.
If God could talk God’s word would be carried on the wings of eagles the ankles of gnats in the pouches of kangaroos and the paws of polar bears.
It would spread through the sound of honey bees and hyenas be translated into a rainbow by blue herons and cardinals, blackbirds and yellowjackets pink flamingos and gray whales, purple martins and chameleons.
It would cause rivers to flow, tides to rise, moons to wax, suns to set, sparrows to fly, planets to revolve, universes to expand if God could talk.
Hello to you. I’m just back from my Aunt and Uncles where we celebrated Fathers Day with my cousin and his wife. My Aunt had me try on some pants she picked up at Costco – good fit and pretty. We had roasted turkey and they brought over roast and fish my cousin caught. It was so nice to see them! Link loves seeing everybody too! We went for a walk after dessert of angel food cake and fruit and boy was I huffing and puffing. It was pretty hot out but still! I really need to lose some weight!
This morning began with church. We were in Nehemiah 4:9-14:
Hello to you. I’m just home from my cousins house and the first tea party. Today began with church. I got to see my church family. Jeannie was there with Roy’s daughter Wendy. We were in Matthew 6:5-8:
The tea party really was beautiful! It was the first one my family has done so there was a learning curve. I was a bit late as my GPS decided it didn’t want to take me to my cousins without going to my Aunts first! My cousin came and rescued me. I was pretty frazzled! There was a good turnout that included the grandchildren. Everyone had on their spring dresses and little clip on hats. I was so glad to see everyone to include my cousin Heidi. It’s been six months since she had her aneurysm. She’s doing so well! There were little sandwiches, scones and macaroons. There were many different teas to choose from. There was talk of doing it again next year.
Hello to you. I hope this finds you doing well. I had a nice start to my day by going and seeing my Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt felt like I needed their company and she was right. She made me a cup of coffee and a yummy breakfast sandwich which I appreciated. I had called the VA to schedule an appointment for a follow up with my primary care provider. They didn’t have me scheduled for anything other than my talking doctor. When I called to make an appointment I couldn’t come up with the words to ask for the help I needed. It doesn’t seem like anything can be done for me. My Aunt wants me to persue the weight loss pill Wegovy as I am prediabetic and should qualify for it. My cousin who came by while I was there helped me get an appointment scheduled to talk to them. I may have to have a sleep study in order to qualify for it. I would need to get help getting to a sleep study as they do them at the Boise VA. I will see a doctor next Tuesday and we’ll see what happens. I just know I hate the way I feel right now. I really need to lose weight! We talked about how I can eat better – healthier snacks and meals. I may have to take the MOVE class through the VA which is designed to help with weight loss. I’m not good with following instructions so this whole part of my journey may be a test to change that!
What is MOVE!?
VA’s MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans can help you adopt a healthy lifestyle, meet your health goals, and manage your weight. Participating in MOVE! can increase your ability and confidence to make healthy behavior, nutrition, and physical activity changes.
If you have a higher body weight, losing 5%-10% of your weight can improve your health. Keeping a weight that is healthy for you can help you feel good and have energy to do the things you want to do.
With the help of your MOVE! care team, you can:
improve your quality of life, and even live longer
reduce health risks
prevent or reverse certain diseases
VA also offers weight management medicines and surgery. These options can be helpful when used along with lifestyle changes that are part of MOVE!. Talk with your health care team to learn more about these choices and how they can help you meet your goals.
Dear Jesus I pray that you guide my path as I am seeking relief from my health issues. I thank you for my family and friends that are trying to help me with their prayers and support. As always I ask you to be with my family and friends. I pray for your loving arms to reach out to the sick, the poor, those healing (Heidi), to the hungry, the addicted, first responders, those in harms way and victims of war. Thank you for being present through my family today, Amen.
Hello to you today. I hope this finds you well. My thoughts today turn to water. This is what the internet had to say about current conditions:
Water shortages in the US are reaching critical levels, driven by climate change, aging infrastructure, and aquifer depletion, with New Mexico, California, Arizona, and the Colorado River Basin facing severe risks. Roughly 2.2 million Americans lack running water, and 44 million face water system quality issues. Groundwater, particularly the Ogallala aquifer, is rapidly declining. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Water Shortage Areas and Drivers
The West and Southwest: The Colorado River, which supplies water for seven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming), is severely overallocated. Major reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell have experienced critically low levels.
Groundwater Depletion: Nearly 45% of water wells across the US have seen significant water level declines since 1980.
Infrastructure Issues: Aging infrastructure and failed septic systems are causing water insecurity, particularly impacting Latino, Black, and Indigenous communities.
The Ogallala Aquifer: This major agricultural water source is draining faster than it can replenish. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Impacted RegionsHighest Risk: New Mexico is classified as having “extremely high” water stress.
High Risk States: California, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska face high water stress.
Widespread Risk: Future projections suggest that by 2071, nearly half of the 204 freshwater basins in the US may not be able to meet monthly water demands. [1, 2]
Solutions and OutlookLong-Term Strategies: Solutions include enhanced conservation efforts, water recycling, and desalination.
Infrastructure Investment: Increased funding for water infrastructure is considered crucial.
Agricultural Changes: Agricultural practices are expected to change significantly to reduce water consumption, as irrigation accounts for a large portion of water use. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Recent DevelopmentsAs of May 2026, widespread “severe to exceptional” drought continues in parts of the country.Renegotiations are underway for the Colorado River’s management, with key agreements set to expire.USGS released a comprehensive assessment on water resources in January 2025 to monitor these risks
All this is going on and yet they want to build huge data centers. Here is what the internet had to say about them in regards to water usage:
Data centers consume significant water, often 1–5 million gallons daily for large, hyperscale facilities to cool servers, roughly equivalent to a town of 10,000–50,000 people. As AI grows, this usage is rising, with AI-related data centers in the U.S. projected to require up to 32 billion gallons annually by 2028. [1, 2, 3]
Key Water Usage Facts & Figures (2026):
Daily Consumption: Medium-sized data centers can use roughly 300,000 to 500,000 gallons daily, while large, hyperscale facilities can hit 1–5 million gallons, especially during hot weather.
AI Impact: An AI chat session of roughly 20-50 queries can consume up to a 500ml bottle of water.
Aggregate Impact: U.S. data centers combined consumed about 17 billion gallons of on-site water in 2023. While significant locally, this accounts for roughly 0.3–0.4% of total U.S. daily water withdrawals, much less than agriculture.
Cooling Methods: Most high-usage data centers use evaporative cooling, which evaporates water to keep servers cool, making it a high-consumption, low-return process. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Environmental and Local Impact:Local Strain: Data centers can strain local water resources, with some studies showing that 31% of freshwater withdrawals by major companies like Google in 2023 were from medium-to-high water-stressed regions.
Contamination Risks: Cooling systems can introduce biocides (to prevent bacterial growth), corrosion inhibitors, and heavy metals into local water systems.
Water Management: Operators are increasingly using “closed-loop” systems to reduce consumption and exploring alternatives to freshwater, though saltwater is generally not feasible due to mineral buildup. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Future Outlook: Water withdrawals for AI-related operations in Texas alone could grow from 0.75% of state demand in 2025 to over 9% by 2040. Solutions like direct-to-chip and immersion cooling are being implemented to reduce, but not eliminate, the need for water. [1, 2]
I feel bad for the people of Utah:
A massive 40,000-acre “Stratos” AI data center project, backed by Kevin O’Leary and Utah’s Military Installation Development Authority (MIDA), was approved in Box Elder County, Utah, in May 2026. The project intends to support national AI capabilities with 9 gigawatts of power, though it faces intense scrutiny for high water usage and potential environmental impacts. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key Details of the Utah AI Data Center Projects (as of May 2026)Stratos / Wonder Valley (Box Elder County)
Project Size: A massive 40,000-acre campus on unincorporated land in northwest Utah.
Developer: Backed by Kevin O’Leary (O’Leary Digital) in partnership with West GenCo and MIDA.
Power & Output: Expected to generate and use roughly 9 gigawatts of power, which is more than double the current electricity consumption of the entire state of Utah.
Environmental Concerns: Critics cite significant potential air pollution, noise, and water consumption, estimated at 16.6 billion gallons per year, potentially affecting the Great Salt Lake.
Purpose: Touted by supporters as a critical AI infrastructure project to enhance US security against global competitors.
Unfortunately Idaho is not immune to the data centers and apparently has AI data centers under construction:
Idaho Conservation League:
🚧🤖 Idaho’s first AI data center is under construction– and another is on the way. More and more tech companies are eying Idaho for new data centers because of our relatively low electricity rates, abundance of land, existing tax breaks for these facilities, and our generally anti-regulation state government. This is likely just the beginning of the data center boom in Idaho.⚡️
🔋With electricity rates already increasing as a result of population growth and large industrial customers, we need to make sure that residential customers don’t subsidize infrastructure and energy costs related to these facilities. As we enter the brave new world of AI mega data centers, we should strive to be as prepared as possible to handle the increased strain they will put on our electric grid and water supply. 💧
Hello there! Hope this finds you well. I am home from an early Mother’s Day brunch with my cousins and Aunt and Uncle. This was the first time seeing my cousin Heidi after her four brain surgeries. She is doing so good! You can hardly tell anything has happened to her. She is living proof of God answering prayers. Her hair is short but growing out. She described herself as a browning banana with all her bruises! We thought that was so funny! I think all of us feel like yellowing and bruised bananas these days!
There were a lot of grateful tears shed today. Hearing how grateful Heidi is to God for pulling her through everything really touched all our hearts. She is so brave!
My Aunt put together beautiful spread with charcuterie boards of meat, cheese and fruit. The boys went out and got us ladies bouquets of flowers. So beautiful!
Charcuterie board brunchBeautiful bouquet from Uncle John and Brody
Hello and good evening to you. I’m writing to you after finishing off my Dairy Queen Peanut Parfait. It’s been on my mind for a month now and tonight I decided I was going to surrender to my desire. Like Joyce Meyers talks about with chocolate cake. Once you have it on your mind that you want it, you are going to figure out a way to get it! One way or another I was going to have that Parfait! Now that I’ve had it I can stop wanting it! Mind over matter – harumpf!
All that remains of my DQ Parfait
What we focus our minds on gains power. Thoughts precede action. We think of something and then develop a plan of action and then we carry out our plan. Even though I have been trying to lose weight and knew the Parfait wasn’t good for me, I still got in the car tonight and went and got it. I think the take away from this is not to make it a habit. I also wonder if the Resilia Oil of Oregano is working at curbing my sweet tooth. I have almost finished a bag of capsules and don’t feel any different. Did I get sold snake oil?! My gut bacteria still wants sweets and won’t let me rest about it. They claim within weeks of taking the oil you should stop craving sweets. Such hasn’t been the case for me. Sometimes it feels like my stomach is more powerful than my brain!
This isn’t working for me
Here is a short, effective prayer for strength and guidance:
“Dear Lord, I come before you needing your strength and guidance. When I feel weak, be my rock; when I am unsure, be my light. Please guide my decisions and grant me the courage to face this day with peace. Lead me on the right path. Amen.”
To be 