Check out our July newsletter!
(864) 309-0000 | Call00.com
July 2025
When most people think about summer, they picture cookouts, pool days, and family vacations. That wasn’t quite the reality for me. I grew up in a small farming community, and my July memories look a little different — dirtier, sweatier, and occasionally fueled by what I now realize was unpaid child labor. My parents had what I can only describe as an acre-sized garden. It might have been just under that, but to a fourth- grader, it looked like something that should have required zoning permits. We didn’t use our tractors to till it because, according to my parents, that was “overkill.” Instead, we had a large riding lawnmower with the deck removed and a tiller attachment bolted underneath. One of us — my sister or I — would drive, and the other would stand on the back of the tiller for extra weight so it wouldn’t bounce every time it hit a rock. In hindsight, not the safest design, but hey, it got the job done. We tilled, hoed trenches by hand, planted seeds, and watered everything with hoses stretched out from the house, usually just short of reaching. Buckets of water were involved, and there was a lot of bending over, squatting, lifting, and regretting our lives at that age. And then came the weeding. Every day, it was pulling weeds from rows of corn, radishes, beans, and tomatoes. No herbicides allowed, of course. My parents were big into “natural.” Naturally, I was big on being mad about it. You weren’t allowed to go swimming until it was done, and we lived right on the river. The river was calling. The weeds didn’t care. It wasn’t just the family garden. On the actual farm, we grew potatoes. That meant long days riding the harvester while it pulled up rows of spuds from the dirt. Most of the work was automated, except for one critical step: sorting the rotting potatoes from the good ones. That job fell to me. I stood at the back of the harvester for eight hours a day, plucking out anything soft, blackened, or moldy before the conveyor belt dumped the rest into a truck driving alongside Summers in the Dirt No Rest for the Farm Kid
us. If too many bad ones made it through, the grade would drop, and the payout would shrink. I took that job seriously. I didn’t like it, but I took it seriously. By the end of the day, I was caked in a fine dust from head to toe. The harvester kicked up dirt, the tractor kicked up more, and the truck added its share. And I couldn’t walk into the house like that. First, you had to hose yourself off in the yard just to be socially acceptable for a real shower. That’s how I remember July. I was dirty, sweaty, and praying for school to start again. Of course, my parents didn’t waste anything. They harvested everything. Peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, corn — whatever we didn’t eat, they sold to the local mom-and-pop grocery store. I still don’t understand the economics of it. Corn is cheap, gas isn’t, and they split the profit 50-50 with the store. I’m not sure there was a profit. Now, I don’t grow vegetables. But if you drive past my house, you’ll see more shrubs and rose bushes than anyone probably needs. I guess my childhood days spent in the garden stuck with me in a different way. Still, I don’t miss the dirt, but I do miss the river.
–Samuel Harms
Call00.com | 1
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
SWIPE RIGHT AT ANY AGE
ONLINE DATING TIPS FOR OLDER ADULTS
Online dating can be intimidating at any age, but it can feel like learning a new language and culture for older adults who didn’t grow up using technology. While dating might seem like a younger person’s game, plenty of people your age (and older) are messaging, swiping, and making new personal connections online daily. A common misconception is that online dating is only for the tech-savvy, but most apps are user-friendly and designed to help you learn as you go. Various apps are available — like Bumble, Hinge, or Match — so you can find one that matches your specific goals. Whether you’re looking to meet new friends or want long-term companionship, there’s a platform for you.
Create a profile once you find a dating site that feels like a good fit. Your profile doesn’t need flashy language or complicated details, but it should highlight your values. You’ll also need to include photos. Focus on current pictures that reveal a bit about your personality and interests. After setting up your profile, you’re ready to look for potential dates. This is where things get exciting, but don’t forget to prioritize safety. Early conversations are best kept within the app itself, and always meet people you connect with in public places. Also, don’t let rejections discourage you. Online dating can take some patience, but it can also be fun. Stay open, stay safe, and you just might find someone special.
Nature’s Hidden Network How Plants Talk to Each Other Underground
You probably don’t think of plants as chatty, but they have a lot going on underground. Scientists have discovered that thin fungus threads in the soil connect many plants — nature’s version of the internet. These threads help plants share nutrients and even send messages to one another. The fungi grow around and between plant roots, building a bridge from one plant to the next. If one plant gets sick or bug-bitten, it can send a warning. Neighboring plants “hear” that signal and might boost their defenses. It’s somewhat like a heads- up before a storm.
nutrients around, especially from bigger, well-fed plants to smaller, struggling ones. In return, the fungi get sugars and energy from the plants. It’s a win-win. This hidden teamwork has real-world effects. Farmers and gardeners who know about these underground networks can change how they treat their soil. If the fungi are wiped out — say, by chemicals or heavy digging — plants lose their lifeline. But if the networks stay intact, crops tend to grow better and fight off threats more easily. This is still a growing field of research, but it’s changing how we see plant life. If you want to dig a
little deeper, check out a recent book, “The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth” by Zoë Schlanger. What looks like a quiet patch of greenery might be a neighborhood full of chatter. You just have to know where to look.
It’s not just gossip, either. These fungal helpers also help shuffle
2 | (864) 309-0000
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
TAKE A BREAK
American Bicycle Cherry Fireworks Flag Independence Paddleboard Picnic
Kindness That Lasts
Ruby Stars Sherbet Trampoline
BEING THERE FOR SOMEONE WHO’S STRUGGLING
We’ve all experienced bouts of bad mood and even occasional depression. While difficult to go through, it can be equally challenging to see someone we care about hurting and not know how to help. The main thing to remember is that providing support isn’t about fixing things; it’s about showing up in meaningful ways. Skip the pep talks and listen. For many of us, our initial instinct is to rush to lift our loved one’s spirits and help them break out of a bad mood. However, offering them space and a calm ear is often the best thing we can do. Friendly company can be comforting even if they’re not ready to talk. Just be sure they don’t feel pressure to do or say anything. This might mean bingeing a favorite TV show together or just being with one another in the same room. Focus on small gestures. Along with providing company, you can support your loved one with simple gestures — a phone call, handwritten note, or warm meal. These acts remind them that someone cares and that they are not alone. Continuing to show up for your friend even after the rest of the world has moved on can have an even greater impact. There’s no specific script to follow, but small efforts all add up and may matter more than you’ll ever know. If you have a friend or family member going through a hard time, validating their experience and being present for them can be all they need. While they may not remember what you said, they won’t forget you showed up and stayed when they needed you most.
GARLIC PARMESAN SHRIMP
This recipe is quick, easy, and promises a restaurant-quality meal from your own kitchen. It’s perfect over pasta or a green salad. Impress guests or indulge yourself on a weeknight!
Ingredients
Inspired by CooktopCove.com
• 3 tbsp olive oil • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese • 1 tsp Italian seasoning • 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • Juice of 1 lemon
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 2. In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 3. Add shrimp to the bowl and toss until fully coated. 4. Arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a baking sheet. 5. Roast in the oven for 7–9 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and slightly golden. 6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh lemon juice before serving.
Call00.com | 3
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
(864) 309-0000 Call00.com
33 Market Point Drive Greenville, SC 29607
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Childhood Summers From the Farm Trenches
1
An Older Adult’s Guide to Online Dating
2
The Surprising Ways Plants Support Each Other
Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
3
The Art of Quiet Kindness
One Man’s Very Strange Appetite
4
MICHEL LOTITO: THE MAN WHO ATE AN AIRPLANE
Would you snack on a bicycle? How about a TV set or a shopping cart? Sounds completely absurd, but Michel Lotito — a French performer known to fans as “Monsieur Mangetout” (Mr. Eat All) — did exactly that. Although he certainly got attention, Lotito wasn’t just looking for it; his peculiar diet came from a rare condition called pica. People with pica crave non-edible objects,
believe. He once famously ate an entire Cessna plane, taking two years to finish every last nut and bolt. How did he do it without getting hurt? Carefully and one bite at a time. Michel chopped objects into tiny bits and sipped mineral oil to help everything slide down smoothly. Lotito’s feats earned him a place in the “Guinness Book of World Records,” but his true legacy is simpler: He got people thinking. Scientists, doctors, and everyday observers began to wonder how adaptable — and, frankly, strange — the human body can be.
though very few act on these cravings. But Michel didn’t hold back. Doctors found he had an unusually strong digestive system and a thick stomach lining. These traits allowed him to safely digest things most people wouldn’t put near their mouths, let alone swallow.
Michel Lotito passed away in 2007 at 57, but his legend lives on. A guy who casually munched on bicycles might seem easy to dismiss, but his “normal” shows us that reality is sometimes far
The list of items Lotito managed to consume is hard to
stranger than fiction.
4 | (864) 309-0000
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator