06/01/2026
A Monday morning in Lebanon... the first Monday of real Summer vibes. No cars or school bus on the highway, as I made my way into town..
I often catch myself smiling, as I observe what I see around town. 2 woman, walking and talking, I wonder what they speak about? Maybe how they are happy they finally get this time, as their kids enjoy their summer sleep ins...
I find my parking spot in front of The Daily Fix Nutrition , where I get to visit with Meg and we talk about how this town really does hold you down, if you hold them down. Vacations to somewhere, that just for a while, we can clear our minds of all the responsibility it takes to truly be apart of your community.. because sometimes , you really just need to pack a bag with the one you love and let the wind take you where you belong. Before I left, I obviously had to take a picture of my beautiful drink in front of their amazingly drawn out 250 Mural on their window.
Down commercial I went, to take a picture of Sparrow Ridge Bar & Grill new sign. I almost cried as I thought about what a blessing it has been to witness The Sparrow’s Cart success over the last year. I thought about our last meeting, where we spoke about the excitement we had that we would be right across the street from eachother. The impact they envisioned bringing some different culture to Downtown Lebanon Missouri .. over at Carmen's we are always telling our customers about how we cannot wait for them to open! The 229 Project- Lebanon, MO has opened up so many doors for so many people, and not just opportunity, real connection!
As I made my way back up commercial, I snapped a quick photo of our Downtown sign, because there's just something about the way the sun hits that sign on a summer morning. I drove by The Lunch Box Cafe , cars lined up in front, as always. I love how I always see a lot of the same cars and people coming and going from Lunch Box. I keep driving as I wonder what stories are being told in those booths. I look over to see another beautiful 250 Mural.
I make my way back home, thinking about how I am going to be apart of my community this summer. How am I going to strengthen my village? As I pull up to my property, I am reminded I am already making an impact in my community through choosing my village over individual success. My Flour Jack farmstand... my cute little blue farmstand. My farmstand I drew blueprints for, business plans for. I opened it, closed it, sold out, didnt sell anything, even did pay what you can weekends. But something didnt resonate fully, I had been head down, working hard at Carmens, and juggling MY business, her business, my side quests and this ranch, I had to choose. So, the weeds and flowers grow around the farmstand, as it waits to make its return when the community needs it again. Which leaves me to ask my community this question... what does our community of Lebanon mean to you, what does a strong village look like to you? Is it resources? Is it connection? Is it the opportunity for experience? What more can we learn from one another by choosing village over individual success?
Do you like my Lebanon Blog series? Comment, like and share. I am going to do my best to post a blog every week about our town, our people and the connection that means so much to me. Thank you for reading 🩵🩵
