When I was in college a few friends and I went for a walk. It was a beautiful day and we were talking about the future. As college kids do. We were in a neighborhood that had lovely homes. Most of them had to have been one hundred plus years old. Most of the houses were well kept. One common theme for all of these houses was the big front porch. I remember porch swings. And a table with chairs around them. I remember big wicker chairs with comfy cushions. I said to my friends that I could imagine myself living here. What house was their reply? Oh, not a specific house, just a porch was mine. I went on to say you have everything you need---minus the bathroom. Places to sit, relax and visit. A place to eat or enjoy a morning cup of coffee. A big comfy chair for reading. What more could you need?
Now twenty-three years later I still feel the same. I'm not being ridiculous. I know that we live in a state with severe winters. I have not lost my mind. Not completely anyway. I think back to all of the houses I have lived in and all of the porches that I have had. It is where life is happening. You enjoy fresh air. You meet and greet neighbors. Years ago front porches were where you found out all of the news of the town. People would pass by and share good news as well as bad. It's where you get an accurate weather report. Front porches are where you watch your children grow. Games are played on front porches. Problems are talked about and solved on front porches.
Last night there was a terrific sight on my front porch. My husband and my daughter sat watching the severe thunderstorm roll in. There was lightning. And lots of thunder. Even hail. My family is the kind that runs out to see the storm. We're not the family that closes the windows and stays out of the storm. I thought about joining Scott and Gracie on the porch, but Sweet Pea was shivering and shaking from all of the commotion outside. I stayed in to comfort her. I'm glad I did. I got to witness something beautiful between two of my favorite people. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I have an idea. Maybe we should get the camera? Remember that storm back in...? I'll bet there was counting going on between lightning bolts and thunder. Sweet conversation and laughter between a dad and his daughter. This will be a fond memory for them and for me, too.
I haven't always had a sizable front porch. And the fact is that you don't even need a front porch to have the front porch experience. It can be your driveway, your sun room, your deck. It's that place that feels like home and simply keeps you connected with the rest of the world.
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Monday, April 4, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Small Sacrifices
I wanted to set a good example for the kids that I help teach in preconfirmation class at church. I gave up drinking soda for Lent. Doesn't sound like much of a sacrifice does it? In the scheme of life, it isn't. We all vowed to give something up. This isn't a religion lesson, but our small sacrifices are to remind us of what Jesus gave up for us. So back to the soda. I know that I have been drinking too much soda lately. It isn't the healthiest drink for you. It is expensive. And man, is my recycling bin filling up week after week. Crazy! Mostly from soda cans. So I decided that this would be the thing that I would give up for the forty days of Lent.
Not to be melodramatic, but the first few days were a nightmare for me. I wanted a soda. Everyone was drinking soda. Everywhere I looked there was a can, or a bottle staring at me. I think there were a few times I actually thought the cans were speaking to me. They were saying, "come on, Ann, no one is looking. It's ok. It's just ONE soda." Tempting for sure. For eight days I resisted. But on day nine, I slipped. I'll set the scene for you. I was about to punch the time clock at work. I had a splitting headache. Couldn't shake it all morning. A coworker suggested taking Tylenol with a soda chaser. This will help the medicine get into your system faster, she said. Well, for medicinal purposes, I took her advice. I fell off the wagon. I felt guilty about this. I did. But on a positive note, my headache did go away. When you work with 500 plus kids in a lunchroom and at recess, this is so necessary.
Home I went. I was feeling bad about my slip but I knew I would get over it. I'm human and I'm not perfect. So later that day we were out for dinner and I ordered a soda. Shoot. How easy it was for me to slip into an old habit. I finished that soda and vowed it wouldn't happen again. I've tried to remain loyal to my promise and after the unfortunate day of the headache and the absentmindedness, I have actually remained true to my word. Here's the thing. Even when I did have the soda, it didn't taste that great to me. Not like it had in the past.
Will I drink soda again? Oh, I know that I will. Will it taste good. Oh, yes it will. But to prove to myself that I can do something for forty days (almost) and be better for it? Simply priceless.
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Not to be melodramatic, but the first few days were a nightmare for me. I wanted a soda. Everyone was drinking soda. Everywhere I looked there was a can, or a bottle staring at me. I think there were a few times I actually thought the cans were speaking to me. They were saying, "come on, Ann, no one is looking. It's ok. It's just ONE soda." Tempting for sure. For eight days I resisted. But on day nine, I slipped. I'll set the scene for you. I was about to punch the time clock at work. I had a splitting headache. Couldn't shake it all morning. A coworker suggested taking Tylenol with a soda chaser. This will help the medicine get into your system faster, she said. Well, for medicinal purposes, I took her advice. I fell off the wagon. I felt guilty about this. I did. But on a positive note, my headache did go away. When you work with 500 plus kids in a lunchroom and at recess, this is so necessary.
Home I went. I was feeling bad about my slip but I knew I would get over it. I'm human and I'm not perfect. So later that day we were out for dinner and I ordered a soda. Shoot. How easy it was for me to slip into an old habit. I finished that soda and vowed it wouldn't happen again. I've tried to remain loyal to my promise and after the unfortunate day of the headache and the absentmindedness, I have actually remained true to my word. Here's the thing. Even when I did have the soda, it didn't taste that great to me. Not like it had in the past.
Will I drink soda again? Oh, I know that I will. Will it taste good. Oh, yes it will. But to prove to myself that I can do something for forty days (almost) and be better for it? Simply priceless.
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Monday, March 21, 2011
Quiet
Picture this. There is a woman walking down the street with two dogs. In one hand she has two leashes. In the other hand she is balancing the bag for what the dogs are about to do and a squirt bottle. The squirt bottle is for the one dog that is being trained to not bark at anything that moves. She has tried voice commands and positive reinforcement with treats for this dog, but to no avail. So after a little reading, she decides on the squirt bottle. One quick little pull of the trigger on the bottle when the dog barks and this stops the unnecessary barking. The mere presence of this bottle on walks is working at this point.
This woman is feeling quite proud of herself. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing. She hears the things that you can hear when it is quiet. Birds are chirping and there is the serene sound of trees blowing in the gentle breeze. Life is good. Really good. And then they turn the corner. The woman's cell phone rings. She answers. And in the same exact moment a person with three dogs rounds the corner coming right at her. These are big dogs. The woman's are moderately sized dogs. Her dogs start barking. The three other dogs start barking. The woman with the two dogs is still on the cell phone and is trying to end the conversation. She drops the phone. She still has a handle on the almighty squirt bottle though! Squirt, squirt. Doesn't work with this much distraction.
Then the woman bends down to pick up her cell phone. In the process of doing this her dogs have chosen that moment to run circles around her. Because the afore mentioned dogs have leashes the length of horse leads, no really, they are made of horse lead rope. They have been in the family for over 15 years. Guaranteed to never break. Anyway, I digress. So the dogs have wrapped or tangled their owner in their leashes so badly that it looks like she's been wrapped up like a mummy. Now what to do? Definitely in a pickle. Cell phone on the ground. Squirt bottle has no power. Tied up like a mummy. And at this point the other dog owner passes by and says, "aren't these spring-like days so peaceful and quiet?"
Well, the walk started out that way. Quiet and peaceful. So when the woman with three big dogs passes on the sidewalk, the woman with two dogs shifts into recovery mode. First unwrap the leashes from around her legs. Pick up the cell phone. And the squirt bottle. She asks the dogs to sit and they do. She rewards them with a treat. It is important for this woman to let her dogs know that she's still the one in charge. Yeah, right. And they finish their walk.
Was the walk all that they had hoped for? Not exactly. Was it funnier than funny? Most definitely. This woman entered her house after the walk and was about to turn on music, when instead she decided to just open the window. And let the quiet in.
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
This woman is feeling quite proud of herself. It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing. She hears the things that you can hear when it is quiet. Birds are chirping and there is the serene sound of trees blowing in the gentle breeze. Life is good. Really good. And then they turn the corner. The woman's cell phone rings. She answers. And in the same exact moment a person with three dogs rounds the corner coming right at her. These are big dogs. The woman's are moderately sized dogs. Her dogs start barking. The three other dogs start barking. The woman with the two dogs is still on the cell phone and is trying to end the conversation. She drops the phone. She still has a handle on the almighty squirt bottle though! Squirt, squirt. Doesn't work with this much distraction.
Then the woman bends down to pick up her cell phone. In the process of doing this her dogs have chosen that moment to run circles around her. Because the afore mentioned dogs have leashes the length of horse leads, no really, they are made of horse lead rope. They have been in the family for over 15 years. Guaranteed to never break. Anyway, I digress. So the dogs have wrapped or tangled their owner in their leashes so badly that it looks like she's been wrapped up like a mummy. Now what to do? Definitely in a pickle. Cell phone on the ground. Squirt bottle has no power. Tied up like a mummy. And at this point the other dog owner passes by and says, "aren't these spring-like days so peaceful and quiet?"
Well, the walk started out that way. Quiet and peaceful. So when the woman with three big dogs passes on the sidewalk, the woman with two dogs shifts into recovery mode. First unwrap the leashes from around her legs. Pick up the cell phone. And the squirt bottle. She asks the dogs to sit and they do. She rewards them with a treat. It is important for this woman to let her dogs know that she's still the one in charge. Yeah, right. And they finish their walk.
Was the walk all that they had hoped for? Not exactly. Was it funnier than funny? Most definitely. This woman entered her house after the walk and was about to turn on music, when instead she decided to just open the window. And let the quiet in.
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Reunions
Your family has them. So does mine. I'm talking reunions. There is always food and drink. There are lively discussions. There are lots of moments of laughter. Lots. There are some heated discussions over politics and religion. There are bets on who's team will make it to the playoffs. All of us have these types of gatherings.
We've had a gathering like this for the past several weeks in Madison. A reunion of sorts. We had it at the biggest house. The one that holds the most people. The house with the biggest yard. To accommodate the most people. The Capitol. Our house. We met some family we hadn't met before. We found out that even though we come from different walks of life and may have different views on things, we really are mostly the same.
It was great to see everybody. The uncles, the aunts, the cousins, the young and the old alike. Everyone was welcome. Even the ones that didn't quite fit in. They were welcomed and appreciated. And sometimes there was a sigh of relief when they left. But we were all polite to one another. The way a family should be.
There was music and entertainment. There were some tears as stories were told. And immediately after the tears were comforting words. Words of hope. We rallied around each other in support. Because that's what families do for one another. So now our family has received some bad news. We will rise above this. Why? Because that's what we do. We grieve for the loss and look to the future. We will make the best of life. We will forge on.
These reunions are tricky things. But when they are planned well and attended well, a sense of belonging is felt by all. And a united group of people can really make things happen. That's what is so beautiful about families. Whether it is your immediate family, your church family, your work family or humankind family. Great things happen when great people work together. And I, for one, am looking forward to our next reunion!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
We've had a gathering like this for the past several weeks in Madison. A reunion of sorts. We had it at the biggest house. The one that holds the most people. The house with the biggest yard. To accommodate the most people. The Capitol. Our house. We met some family we hadn't met before. We found out that even though we come from different walks of life and may have different views on things, we really are mostly the same.
It was great to see everybody. The uncles, the aunts, the cousins, the young and the old alike. Everyone was welcome. Even the ones that didn't quite fit in. They were welcomed and appreciated. And sometimes there was a sigh of relief when they left. But we were all polite to one another. The way a family should be.
There was music and entertainment. There were some tears as stories were told. And immediately after the tears were comforting words. Words of hope. We rallied around each other in support. Because that's what families do for one another. So now our family has received some bad news. We will rise above this. Why? Because that's what we do. We grieve for the loss and look to the future. We will make the best of life. We will forge on.
These reunions are tricky things. But when they are planned well and attended well, a sense of belonging is felt by all. And a united group of people can really make things happen. That's what is so beautiful about families. Whether it is your immediate family, your church family, your work family or humankind family. Great things happen when great people work together. And I, for one, am looking forward to our next reunion!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Fluidity
You know how much I love words. This is a great one, don't you think? Fluidity. The action of smooth flow. There is so much in life that is fluid. The other day I was driving and my girl told me I was a smooth driver. What do you mean? I asked. She said she could hardly feel me changing my foot from the brake to the gas pedal. It was a smooth ride she said. I, of course, said thank you. There is so much in life that is fluid. Have you ever been at a house after a funeral? Or at a church gathering that includes a meal? The way people work together and set up, serve a meal and clean up is fluid. Almost second nature. Have you seen a group of women standing around and one is holding a baby? The baby starts to fuss and the mom will rock back and forth from one foot to another to calm the child. Look around at the rest of the ladies in the group. Chances are that you'll see others doing the same thing even though they are not holding a baby. It's natural.
This brings me to another type of fluidity. For the past several weeks Madison, WI, has been adapting to a new situation. You all know the details of the announcement made by Scott Walker to not only decrease benefits of state workers, but to take away their bargaining rights. This will make a difference for my immediate family with both my husband's job and I'm fairly sure mine, too. This is not going to be comfortable for us. But we have a plan and we have faith. We are not as worried as some. And we are part of a community that cares for one another. Over the past few weeks we have made our voices heard by our presence at protests. Scott (my husband) spoke inside the Capitol to the crowds of people. What an honor that was for him. We are proud of his voice and what he said.
The crowds have been amazing. The numbers are in the thousands. Even 100,000 a couple of weekends ago. More amazing has been the general concern for each other. Strangers will bring your child water and a granola bar. A person you have never met before will strike up a conversation with you. In the course of talking you discover different backgrounds. We're from different political parties. But guess what? We all seem to know what unfairness is. We walk together. We talk together. We celebrate our differences. And our similarities. We may never cross paths again. But for that brief time that we spend together we are fluid in the fact that we are for the same cause. It's really a lot simpler than many would want you to believe.
So whether it is the rising and setting of the sun. Or the routines we all find in our regular every day schedules. I wish all of you the ability to find comfort in the fluidity of life this week.
© 2011 Ann M. De Broux
This brings me to another type of fluidity. For the past several weeks Madison, WI, has been adapting to a new situation. You all know the details of the announcement made by Scott Walker to not only decrease benefits of state workers, but to take away their bargaining rights. This will make a difference for my immediate family with both my husband's job and I'm fairly sure mine, too. This is not going to be comfortable for us. But we have a plan and we have faith. We are not as worried as some. And we are part of a community that cares for one another. Over the past few weeks we have made our voices heard by our presence at protests. Scott (my husband) spoke inside the Capitol to the crowds of people. What an honor that was for him. We are proud of his voice and what he said.
The crowds have been amazing. The numbers are in the thousands. Even 100,000 a couple of weekends ago. More amazing has been the general concern for each other. Strangers will bring your child water and a granola bar. A person you have never met before will strike up a conversation with you. In the course of talking you discover different backgrounds. We're from different political parties. But guess what? We all seem to know what unfairness is. We walk together. We talk together. We celebrate our differences. And our similarities. We may never cross paths again. But for that brief time that we spend together we are fluid in the fact that we are for the same cause. It's really a lot simpler than many would want you to believe.
So whether it is the rising and setting of the sun. Or the routines we all find in our regular every day schedules. I wish all of you the ability to find comfort in the fluidity of life this week.
© 2011 Ann M. De Broux
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wide Open Spaces
Perhaps I should say clear spaces. Nothing makes me happier than a cleared off counter. It soothes me. It gives my eyes a place to rest. How many times have you looked at your desk, counters or dresser top and flipped off the light and walked out of the room? Many times for me. Too many to count. I look at piles and messes and I become instantly overwhelmed. I can't see the trees through the forest. Fill in your own little analogy. I know how much I will enjoy the organization. The tossing and the recycling. And ultimately the cleared off space. I take pride in the end product. But the actual work of getting there? Ugh.
So the other day I had two very significant piles of stuff in the kitchen on the counter. Some was mine, some was his, some was hers. And a lot was ours. I made the separate pile for each member of the family. I made a pile of bills. I actually paid them immediately. I even took the paid bills out to the mailbox. I then recycled a pile of paper at least two inches thick. And I walked that pile right out to our bin in the garage. When Gracie got home from school we went through her pile. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much she got rid of. She is famous for applying emotions to material items. She's learning and getting rather good at working through this. She said, do I love it? Do I need it? Is it special to me? Nothing more satisfying than knowing your kid is listening. Scott and I did the same with our piles of stuff. Job done. Total satisfaction.
So how did these piles get to this point? You know the story. We had a busy week. We didn't have time to go through the mail. Just life. It catches up with you. It happens to simplifiers, too. So my goal this week? Keep up with the mail and the papers from school. After all, clear counters make for a clear mind. Here's wishing you open and clear spaces to rest your mind in.
P.S. It has been difficult these past few weeks to not write about all that is happening in Madison. Believe me I have things written, but until there is an end in sight, whatever end that may be, I will save those thoughts. I am hoping for a positive outcome. Stay strong!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
So the other day I had two very significant piles of stuff in the kitchen on the counter. Some was mine, some was his, some was hers. And a lot was ours. I made the separate pile for each member of the family. I made a pile of bills. I actually paid them immediately. I even took the paid bills out to the mailbox. I then recycled a pile of paper at least two inches thick. And I walked that pile right out to our bin in the garage. When Gracie got home from school we went through her pile. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how much she got rid of. She is famous for applying emotions to material items. She's learning and getting rather good at working through this. She said, do I love it? Do I need it? Is it special to me? Nothing more satisfying than knowing your kid is listening. Scott and I did the same with our piles of stuff. Job done. Total satisfaction.
So how did these piles get to this point? You know the story. We had a busy week. We didn't have time to go through the mail. Just life. It catches up with you. It happens to simplifiers, too. So my goal this week? Keep up with the mail and the papers from school. After all, clear counters make for a clear mind. Here's wishing you open and clear spaces to rest your mind in.
P.S. It has been difficult these past few weeks to not write about all that is happening in Madison. Believe me I have things written, but until there is an end in sight, whatever end that may be, I will save those thoughts. I am hoping for a positive outcome. Stay strong!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tidbits
Every once in a while my brain is just full of ideas that don't necessarily have much to do with each other. Today I'll call them tidbits. In the past I've referred to these thoughts or ideas as mishmash. Same same. And because these ideas aren't important enough to devote an entire blog to, I don't. I'll just invite you into my random thoughts.
Thought No. 1
Teach your children to eat fruit whole. Doesn't sound earth shattering does it? It is amazing though. As a mom and as a person who works around lots of kids, I can tell you this is important. I have witnessed more than one child look at a whole piece of fruit and not know what to do with it. If it isn't sliced, diced and peeled, they have no clue. Teach them how to peel a banana. Chomp on an apple. Eat a strawberry by holding the stem. This all sounds so easy. But if this hasn't been taught to them it's not. And then the frustration sets in for kids. Then the really sad thing happens. Instead of trying to eat, the fruit gets tossed. Same goes for veggies. It all stems back to the basics.
Thought No. 2
Right turns. I gave Gracie a lesson on right turns the other day. We were running errands and it was rush hour. She asked why I passed one of our stops. I told her that we would stop at that business on the way back from another stop. Why? I told her about this fantastic study that UPS did on time wasted by waiting to turn left. That most of their drivers have routes that keep them turning right unless it is absolutely necessary for them to turn left. It saves time and gas. So I told Gracie we are following the advice of UPS. We will stop at that destination on our way home when we can turn right into their driveway. Saves time and money and I'm all for it. I also told her that a student in driver's ed class, a girl I believe, is the one who came up with the idea that it is safe to turn right on a red light. Every once in a while I amaze my daughter.
Thought No. 3
I'm training for a marathon. Ok, a half-marathon. And I'm not running. I'm walking. My daughter said to me the other day that she's pretty sure she could walk 13 and some miles without training. I said, I'm pretty sure I can, too, but this is my excuse to get moving. And I have until September. I'm doing this with a group of friends. It's more about being friends and committing to something than it really is about the exercise. The benefits of the "training" though will hopefully be great. I'll keep you posted.
Thought No. 4
I've worn shoes twice since Christmas. Sounds crazy, right? Well, with all this snow I put on my boots every day to go about my business. And when I come home I take off my boots and slide on my slippers. Twice people. Two times. It bears repeating. I may be sick of snow. I'm trying not to be. I actually like snow. But it's been so cold! I haven't been able to enjoy it as much as I have in the past. So I'm looking forward to clogs, tennis shoes and sandal weather.
I'll leave you with my final thought. With all of this cold weather and all of the germs out there, I've been doing a lot of hand washing. And in my job there is a ton of hand washing, but not always a lot of time to apply lotion. So I get these tiny little splits in my skin at the tips of my fingers. Thankfully not too often. A couple of weeks ago I had a particularly bad cut/split. It would not heal. Lotion, gloves, more creams and even super glue didn't heal it. I complained about it often and to many. I'm not usually much of a complainer, but this was serious. And I had a mantra that went along with my complaint every time. You can ask anyone in my family. It went like this, "do you know that this tiny little cut at the tip of my finger hurts more than my c-section did?" And believe me after a few days they all would answer when I asked, "do you know how much this tiny cut hurts?---Yes, we know, more than your c-section." Now all I have to do is hold up that finger. No, not THAT finger. And they all reply on cue--c-section. Sorry. I'm not usually one for being overly dramatic, but it seemed appropriate.!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
Thought No. 1
Teach your children to eat fruit whole. Doesn't sound earth shattering does it? It is amazing though. As a mom and as a person who works around lots of kids, I can tell you this is important. I have witnessed more than one child look at a whole piece of fruit and not know what to do with it. If it isn't sliced, diced and peeled, they have no clue. Teach them how to peel a banana. Chomp on an apple. Eat a strawberry by holding the stem. This all sounds so easy. But if this hasn't been taught to them it's not. And then the frustration sets in for kids. Then the really sad thing happens. Instead of trying to eat, the fruit gets tossed. Same goes for veggies. It all stems back to the basics.
Thought No. 2
Right turns. I gave Gracie a lesson on right turns the other day. We were running errands and it was rush hour. She asked why I passed one of our stops. I told her that we would stop at that business on the way back from another stop. Why? I told her about this fantastic study that UPS did on time wasted by waiting to turn left. That most of their drivers have routes that keep them turning right unless it is absolutely necessary for them to turn left. It saves time and gas. So I told Gracie we are following the advice of UPS. We will stop at that destination on our way home when we can turn right into their driveway. Saves time and money and I'm all for it. I also told her that a student in driver's ed class, a girl I believe, is the one who came up with the idea that it is safe to turn right on a red light. Every once in a while I amaze my daughter.
Thought No. 3
I'm training for a marathon. Ok, a half-marathon. And I'm not running. I'm walking. My daughter said to me the other day that she's pretty sure she could walk 13 and some miles without training. I said, I'm pretty sure I can, too, but this is my excuse to get moving. And I have until September. I'm doing this with a group of friends. It's more about being friends and committing to something than it really is about the exercise. The benefits of the "training" though will hopefully be great. I'll keep you posted.
Thought No. 4
I've worn shoes twice since Christmas. Sounds crazy, right? Well, with all this snow I put on my boots every day to go about my business. And when I come home I take off my boots and slide on my slippers. Twice people. Two times. It bears repeating. I may be sick of snow. I'm trying not to be. I actually like snow. But it's been so cold! I haven't been able to enjoy it as much as I have in the past. So I'm looking forward to clogs, tennis shoes and sandal weather.
I'll leave you with my final thought. With all of this cold weather and all of the germs out there, I've been doing a lot of hand washing. And in my job there is a ton of hand washing, but not always a lot of time to apply lotion. So I get these tiny little splits in my skin at the tips of my fingers. Thankfully not too often. A couple of weeks ago I had a particularly bad cut/split. It would not heal. Lotion, gloves, more creams and even super glue didn't heal it. I complained about it often and to many. I'm not usually much of a complainer, but this was serious. And I had a mantra that went along with my complaint every time. You can ask anyone in my family. It went like this, "do you know that this tiny little cut at the tip of my finger hurts more than my c-section did?" And believe me after a few days they all would answer when I asked, "do you know how much this tiny cut hurts?---Yes, we know, more than your c-section." Now all I have to do is hold up that finger. No, not THAT finger. And they all reply on cue--c-section. Sorry. I'm not usually one for being overly dramatic, but it seemed appropriate.!
©2011 Ann M. De Broux
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