{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "title": "Big Bird on Marshmallow Ranch", "icon": "https://avatars.micro.blog/avatars/2026/36/1962506.jpg", "home_page_url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/", "feed_url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/feed.json", "items": [ { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/29/camping-round-two.html", "title": "Camping: Round Two", "content_html": "\n
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I was totally prepared to sleep in the camper on Monday night. I was all settled in with my electric blanket and my writing implements. I listened to the rain on the roof and all was right with the world. Then…at 11:30, my phone rang. The caller ID said RoboCall so I didn’t pick up. There was a voicemail and it turned out to be the electric company. Earlier in the evening when it was raining hard, there was a flicker in the electric. The microwave clock reset and beeped when the power came back on. I didn’t think anything of it. This happens all the time in the country. We have an ancient power grid that they are constantly working on to upgrade. Anyway, the message said that sometime between 12:30 and 3:30am the power would be off for an emergency repair. 

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Seeing as how I was in a camper and the only heat source I could use was electric, I packed up my little overnight bag and went back inside. Mr. FixIt and I have a fun routine where we watch comedy clips before we go to sleep every night. So we settled in to watch. Along about 12:30, sure enough, the electric went off. But it came back on within a few minutes. So, I suppose the repair wasn’t that complicated. 

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I was sitting in the living room yesterday afternoon, knitting and watching old Andy Griffith reruns while Mr. FixIt snored in his recliner. It was about 3:00 when he woke up and looked at the weather. He said, “It’s going to be in the 60’s by 9:00 tonight. You should try sleeping in the camper again!” Well, you don’t have to ask me twice! I stuffed my things in my bag, kissed him on the forehead and headed back out.

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He knows what sleeping in the camper or at the farm means to me. He understands me. He knows that I need regular alone time to recharge and commune with God. He also understands how rough the last couple of weeks have been for me. I’m so appreciative of him and his sweet heart.

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When I was out in the camper Monday night, we were texting and I mentioned how I missed having my little hobnail milk glass lamp out in the camper with me. I took it in when I cleaned out the camper after our last trip. It was raining really hard or I would have gone back in for it. I got busy writing my post and forgot all about the lamp. But I did need some sort of light source and I hated to turn on the overhead lights. They are so harsh. I thought about it for a minute and I got an idea.

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My phone was plugged into the charger. I turned the flashlight on and laid the phone on the nightstand, face down with the light shining straight up. I took a full water bottle (tightly sealed and dry) and sat it down right on top of the light coming out of the back of my phone. Voila! Instant lamp. It wasn’t bright enough to read by, but it was enough to help me see the keyboard if I needed to as I wrote.

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I love it when a bright idea strikes and you can figure out a new way of doing things. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing this week. Figuring out new ways of doing things in my life. What is it they say? The true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I’m tired of trying the same old things and not getting the results I want. Change is my middle name, so I have absolutely no problem trying something new. What always makes me stumble is finding the motivation…finding that one moment that meets the threshold of what I’m willing to accept. I met that this week. I’m smart enough to not expect major changes to come overnight. But I’m also a bulldog…I can work relentlessly when needed to affect transformation in my life. I’ve done it before…I’ll do it again!

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Just spending this little time out here in the camper has helped tremendously. Thank you, Mr. FixIt…for loving me enough to let me fly.

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❄️

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“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

\n2 Peter 3:18 ESV\n
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Even though I have a list as long as my arm of things I want to get done before the snow flies, I didn’t get much accomplished yesterday. Since we had our Covid boosters on Sunday, I kind of expected yesterday to be a bit of a slack off our usual schedule. I wasn’t wrong. I don’t feel BAD. No headache, no fever, no body aches any worse than my baseline. Just didn’t have a lot of juice is the only way I can describe it. My arm is sore, but not as sore as the last two shots. So, overall…I’m good.

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I finished winterizing the new camper. While I was out there, I could hear a repetitive series of four beeps in the distance. Once I was finished, I went to investigate and it was Birdie…chirping! It turned out, I left a bucket of water with a little cleaner in it. And Sunday night, we went out and closed the ceiling vent because rain was coming. I think the combo of the cleaner and the vent being closed set off the CO/Propane monitor. That and the fact that the battery ran down because the camper hasn’t been plugged in for a couple of weeks. I set up the trickler on the battery and reset the monitor and the beeping magically went away.

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By this time, we were both ready for supper. I bought a London Broil for $15 on sale Saturday and set it in the fridge in a bowl of marinade. I turned it yesterday morning and let it set another 24 hours in the fridge. I have never broiled anything in this oven before and it took longer to get to internal temperature than I thought it would. It didn’t turn out quite as tender as I had hoped it would, but it was very tasty. We’ll use the leftovers for sandwiches, steak salad, and fajitas this week. That will simplify meal prep.

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We had rain off and on yesterday. I changed the bedding and put the electric blanket on. I love a warm bed in a very cool room. Mr. FixIt, however, loves a warm room with a very light blanket. I have slowly weaned him from that by making sure the electric blanket is really warm when he comes to bed. It just doesn’t make any sense to me to warm up the house for the few seconds it takes to undress and hop under the covers. There are many things we both compromise on and, after all, we’ve only been married three years. We’re still finding areas where we can give and take. I topped off the bed with this really sweet vintage quilt I picked up somewhere along the way. I love sleeping under a quilt. It seems like all the love that went into each square wraps itself around me and makes me feel at peace.

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I was looking at my Facebook memories yesterday and found these great pictures I took on an outing at a local nursery…pre-Mr. FixIt. While spring and summer are my favorite seasons, I think I love fall the most when it comes to photography. I love the warm and cozy vibe you get on cloudy, misty days. I’m definitely NOT a pumpkin spice and Hallmark movie kinda gal, but I do love a big baggy sweater and leggings and great boots with maybe a barn jacket thrown over it with a scarf if it’s really chilly. I’m a falling leaves and cocoa and a great cookbook lover. I’m the happiest when I have something yummy in the oven making the house smell divine. Maybe by the weekend, I’ll have all this camping gear organized and put away for the winter and the family room will be livable again. One can only hope!

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???

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“he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil.”

\nDeuteronomy 11:14 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-26T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/26/my-get-up-and-go.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Change","Birdie","Big Bird"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/10/23/home-sweet-home.html", "title": "Home, Sweet Home!", "content_html": "\n
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We watched this little maple tree slowly turn crimson over the week we were camping at Alum Creek State Park in Lewis Center, Ohio. The park is due north of Columbus and is about two and a half hours from our home. That’s a nice doable drive for a camping trip. You don’t have to leave at the crack of dawn in order to get there at a decent time to set up and still have time to play and enjoy your first day.

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We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather. It did get grey and rainy on Thursday, but we spent the day indoors wandering around the mall and people watching. My poor Mr. FixIt about froze yesterday morning when we were packing up to go home. The man refuses to wear long pants long past any reasonable person would give in and wear them. It was only 46 degrees and his hands were wet and numb by the time we were finished. I turned on the heater for him and he was soon feeling much better.

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When you buy a new camper, there will always be a couple of things that need adjusting or fiddled with. Such is the case with Big Bird. We noticed the Formica on the table was chipped along one edge. And one of the drawers seems to be off kilter. We also had a couple of questions for the guys at the dealership, so we stopped in on our way home. We were in and out of there in under an hour. They even adjusted our hitch for us. It was a little too low and the front end of the camper was angled down. They raised it up, and the camper was even easier to pull than before!

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All the systems worked fine on Big Bird’s inaugural trip. We turned on the furnace to make sure it worked like it was supposed to. It did. One thing I love about this model, the fridge is bigger, has a small freezer, and it switches back and forth automatically from gas to electric. You have to do that manually on Birdie, which isn’t hard…it’s just less convenient. The fridge kept the food nice and cold without freezing it. We cooked a couple of meals on the propane cooktop. I prefer to cook any foods that have oils or strong odors outside when we camp. I don’t want the greasy residue in there, nor to I want the fabrics and bed saturated with any off smells. Our electric griddle or electric skillet would have been an excellent addition to this trip, but unfortunately, it was one of those things that didn’t get packed in the rush to get out on the road last weekend. We’ll be sure to bring it next time.

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We picked Pumpkin up from the Kitty Hilton on our way home. They just love her there. They were talking about how sweet she is and when they take her out and love on her she just snuggles up to them. I’m glad they take such good care of her. We had one crate-sized space left in the truck in anticipation of picking her up. She talked to us all the way home and was so happy to get out and run when we got home with her. I was afraid she wouldn’t want to go in the building at dark, but she came running for her treats and her scritches behind her ears before she settled into her safe place. She has a heated bed, but nine times out of ten, we find her snoozing on the tractor seat when we let her out in the morning. She is a little over two years old now. How time flies, eh?

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We set up the camper when we got home, cracked open the roof vent for a little circulation, and plugged it in so the fridge will continue to work. We brought everything in that we needed inside last night. We’ll bring the rest in today. And…oh, my word! You should see out living room. We dumped all that camping gear from Big TOW-Wanda on the floor in front of the entertainment center last Friday so I have my work cut out for me this weekend. Mr. FixIt has to close the pool and work on the brakes on his truck. I need to winterize both campers. Can you believe…we STILL have four campers?!?! What is wrong with us??? 

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???

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“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.”

\nJames 5:7 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/23/home-sweet-home.html", "tags": ["Camping","Home","Big Bird"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/10/20/not-doin-nuthin.html", "title": "Not Doin’ Nuthin’", "content_html": "\n
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The first thing we do every morning is open the shade on the skylight and oooooh and aaaaaah!

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I told Mr. FixIt yesterday morning that I was not doin’ nuthin’ all day ‘cept what I wanted to do. And that’s exactly how it panned out. I ate cookies for breakfast sitting in my big blue chair. It was nippy so I brought out the little ceramic heater and aimed it at my feet while I knitted all morning. My friend Lynn showed up around 1:00 and sat and talked with us for a couple of hours, which was really nice. When she left, we fixed a late lunch and sat at the table watching the sunshine dapple the ground through the trees. We sat and watched the squirrels running around burying the plethora of nuts available in these woods. There is one black squirrel that hangs out nearby and he’s stunning. I also listened for, and identified, several birds in the campground with my Merlin app from Cornell University…including a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Nashville Warbler, and a Cooper’s Hawk.

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Once the sun started going behind the trees, we went in the camper and stretched out for a little reading/rest time. We like having that little break in the afternoon to just do nothing. Doing nothing in a day full of doing nothing was just what the doctor ordered! Our late lunches are normally our dinner and we eat fruit or a little cereal before bed. We are getting those “old folks” diets. We don’t eat a heck of a lot anymore.

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I only had my iPhone to take a picture of the moon and it never does it justice.

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As the sun began to set, Mr. FixIt and I hopped in the truck and drove over to the boat ramp so we could get a good view of the lake and the sunset. But what surprised us was the full moon coming up over the pine trees on the far shore of the lake. We were so mesmerized, we almost didn’t turn around to see the splendor going on behind us! The sky was clear, the lake was calm, and the moonrise/sunset was just icing on the cake for a perfect day. Once we got back to the campground, the day was done and we retired to our little nest. Mr. FixIt picked out a movie while I sat down to write to you.

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The sunset was spectacular last night!

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I snapped some photos during the day to share with you all. It truly was a beautiful autumn day here in Ohio!

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???

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“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

\nGalatians 6:9 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/20/not-doin-nuthin.html", "tags": ["Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","Memories","Friends","Big Bird"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/10/19/fall-camping-is-the-best.html", "title": "Fall Camping is the BEST!", "content_html": "\n
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The daytime temps are warm enough to wear a lightweight shirt, even if it’s long sleeved. And maybe leggings if you feel a little chilled. Night’s are cool enough to flip on the little space heater and cover up with an extra blanket. And throw on a fuzzy fleece jacket when you’re sitting around outside. 

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I can think of a lot of things I wish I had with us. Like, my propane campfire. That would have been perfect! A stepladder would certainly come in handy. And try as I might, I cannot find my little level that I use when I’m camping. But, we were really pressed for time to prepare for this trip. We had to run a ton of errands and empty out TOW-Wanda…all in one day. I grabbed some blankets and put them in a tote. Nothing matches, but they’re warm and functional and at this point, that’s all that matters to me. 

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When we decided to stay a few more nights, I looked online and saw that the site we were on was only available for two more nights. We drove around the campground and chose one we liked and reserved it. Then, all night long, I kept waking up and thinking about it. It was totally shaded with trees…which would be awesome in the summer, but at this time of year all I could think of was “There’s no place to sit in the sun and knit!” So, over breakfast, I asked if Mr. FixIt would mind if we took another look around and choose a better site.

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We took the map and had the reservation system up on my phone and chose a beautiful site. Still surrounded by trees, but enough open space to feel the sun on my face. We both felt a lot better about it so we went to the camp office and switched the reservation. We stowed anything breakable, closed up the camper, and towed it…literally ten sites away from where we were. I laughed and told Mr. FixIt… “This is MY kind of travel day!”

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We set up in the new spot. I have to say, this camper is not quite as easy to set up alone. I think I’ll be able to do it when I bring my stepladder from home. I always like to be able to set everything up on my own if I have to. That’s how I learned, and…God forbid…if the unthinkable occurs, I still need to know how to do things on my own.

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That’s the biggest lesson I learned from losing Mr. Virgo. Don’t take ANYTHING for granted because life changes…and it changes quick. Sometimes it bothers Mr. FixIt when I ask him to let me do it. I know he knows how. And I know he likes to do it. I also know, he’d be the first one to want me to carry on doing this fun stuff if he should pass before me. We have a routine when we camp together and I’ve given up some of the tasks…things that I know I won’t forget how to do. But, with a new camper, there are new skills I need to master. It won’t take long and we’ll have it down to a science.

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We have a routine at home that hasn’t transferred well to camping. Mr. FixIt is a TV watcher and I am not. I prefer to do my writing at night while he is watching his detective shows. Our new camper doesn’t have a TV and I really didn’t want to get one. I have an iPad I can download movies to, but we don’t have WiFi here. As a matter of fact, most campground WiFi is dicey at best. That wouldn’t work anyway because I write on my iPad every night. So, we splurged and bought a portable DVD player. Then, we found a Half Price Book Store and scored some movies he liked. Now, as soon as the DVD player charges up, he’ll be a happy camper in the evenings. We play cards, but he needed something to do while I write and he’s not a big reader. Oh, and I bought him headphones to listen to his movies quietly while I write.

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I’ve tried NOT writing. I can’t do it. Sometimes when I’m really tired, I just post a rerun story…but I have to write. It’s like oxygen to me. Thank goodness I have an incredibly patient and loving husband who understands my proclivities!

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We have one of my Girl Camper friends coming to visit today! Other than that, knitting, reading Miss Brenda Gantt’s new cookbook, and eating is the only thing on my agenda!

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Have I told you fall camping is THE BEST!!!

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???

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“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

\nIsaiah 40:8 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-19T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/19/fall-camping-is-the-best.html", "tags": ["Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Memories","Marriage","Big Bird"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/10/18/when-you-find-a-great.html", "title": "When You Find a Great Place to Stay, Stay There!", "content_html": "\n
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Big Bird! A lot like Birdie, but bigger, with twin beds so the dinette stays up, and more storage!

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We are camping at a beautiful state park we’ve never been to before. Our initial plan was to stay here a couple of nights, then head toward Gettysburg and tour the historic sites…something I’ve always wanted to do. We sat in the sun yesterday afternoon and had lunch surrounded by falling leaves. The weather is cool with lots of puffy white clouds in the clear blue sky. We are steps from a huge lake. And, we’re tired.

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Camping on a lazy Sunday afternoon!

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We’ve been running around like crazy this year with SO much driving. And, here we are with this really great new camper in a really great new (to us) state park so…we decided to just stay here for a few more days. We drove around the park with the site availability map open on my cell phone and picked a beautiful site tucked in the woods. It sits far enough away from the road that the noise is minimal and it’s just a short walk to the lake. It’s a win/win, I think.

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The campsite we had the last two nights. The sites are spread out and surrounded by trees.

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Our truck is packed to the gills with a lot of the camping gear that came out of TOW-Wanda and Birdie. We are trying to figure out just exactly what we really NEED for the new camper and where and how to store it most efficiently. We don’t want to just throw things in this camper all willy-nilly then wonder where we put it. Staying put will give us time to do just that. And to rest and enjoy CAMPING…not just sleeping in the camper one night then moving to the next place like we did to and from Colorado.

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A camp breakfast…a steaming plate of ham and eggs!

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I love the fact that I’ve spent more nights sleeping in a camper this summer than I ever have…other than the time I traveled full time. Camping is “the great escape”. My dear friend Ben would beg to differ with me. He grew up farming in northeastern Colorado and spent far more nights than he would ever want to remember sleeping outside to beat the heat in a house without air conditioning or fans. Or sleeping in the hay loft. Or just outside on the ground. Camping isn’t fun to him.

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The view out the big window over the kitchen!

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I know it’s not fun to a lot of people. But for me? It’s like living in the children’s books featuring The Boxcar Children. It’s like my childhood fantasy of riding my bike to Canada. It’s the soothing place that helped heal my broken heart after losing Mr. Virgo. And, it’s the place my sweet Mr. FixIt and I can go to escape the workaday world of life on five acres. We only have to mow another time or two. And before long, the snow will fly and Big Bird will be tucked away for the winter in our building…hopefully! We still need to clear out a space for her.

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The view out the skylight right over our heads!

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But, for now…we are celebrating our “Anniversary Month”, enjoying our new treasure, and getting the rest we need. That is a gift worth it’s weight in gold!

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?

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“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

\nMatthew 6:33 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-18T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/18/when-you-find-a-great.html", "tags": ["Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Be Joyful!","Road Trip","Marriage","Big Bird"] } ] }