The Miller Report 08272026

 Miller's Mysteries Blog

  • Greetings
Greetings and welcome to Miller's Mysteries Blog, where July keeps giving us one beautiful day after another. Southington's trails, parks, and back roads are inviting everyone outdoors. The neighbor's goats looked over the fence as though they were waiting for today's blog post. 

 

The cats answered by staring back with complete confidence. Shopping trips and decorating ideas are already filling the weekend schedule. Summer always finds creative ways to empty our wallets with a smile.

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  • Across my Desk!!
  
Chuck Feeney
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iTEIzcpbkOs

NASA News🔭
🌙 Artemis III: NASA reports continued progress toward Artemis III, with the Orion crew and service modules joined together as preparations continue for the next crewed lunar mission.

👨‍🚀 Artemis II astronauts honored: NASA says the four Artemis II crew members are scheduled to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor tomorrow, August 28, at Johnson Space Center.


Astronomy News 🔭
Tonight's big event: a deep partial lunar eclipse! About 96% of the Moon's disk will pass into Earth's darkest shadow, giving the full Moon a dramatic reddish appearance. The eclipse occurs overnight August 27–28.

☀️ Aurora alert: Solar activity is also heating things up. NOAA has issued a G2 geomagnetic-storm watch for August 28, as coronal mass ejections head toward Earth. That could improve the chances of seeing auroras farther south than usual.

UFO News 🛸
The big UAP story right now is government disclosure.

🇺🇸 On August 7, the U.S. Department of War released its fifth batch of declassified UAP records, with 41 new files including documents, photographs, and videos.
👽 One intriguing case involves a military pilot who recalled a huge triangular object over Afghanistan in 2002 that appeared to block out the stars.


  
 
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  • The Reader
  
  Paige relaxed in the corner of the public library after dinner with a cup of herbal tea. A notebook lay open beside a sharpened pencil waiting for interesting ideas. She discovered the latest book review on MindMyst Tales Blog and quickly became absorbed. A granola bar provided a quiet snack while she read. The library's silence made every page feel inviting. She copied three book titles into her notebook before closing the browser. Walking home, she smiled at how much she had learned in a single evening.
 
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 • Math of the Week 📐📏🔢
 
1. Tending Tomatoes
Chris and Trish are tending tomato plants in the garden. Chris tends 18 rows with 6 plants in each row. Trish tends another 24 plants along the garden fence. How many tomato plants do they tend altogether?

2. Watering the Garden
Chris uses a watering can that holds 2 gallons of water. He fills it 7 times while watering the vegetables. Trish uses 3 gallons from a hose. How many gallons of water do they use altogether?

3. Picking Beans
Trish picks 84 green beans from the garden. Chris picks 57 green beans. They divide the beans equally among 3 baskets. How many beans go into each basket?

4. Garden Weeding
Chris can weed 12 square feet of garden in 20 minutes. Trish can weed 15 square feet in the same amount of time. If they work together for 40 minutes, how many square feet can they weed?

5. Harvesting Carrots
Chris and Trish harvest 156 carrots. They put 8 carrots into each small bag. After filling as many complete bags as possible, how many carrots are left over?

 
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 • Escape The Rat Race 🐀💰 
Reasons Some Retirees Get Richer
Wealth = Income > Exp + [HYSA💰][passive Inv💰]
zero debt, lux spending is the exception, 
live below means, 
side hustles: food truck
passive investing: div stocks, royalties📚 
 


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 • Now, This Week's Exciting Story

The Water Balloon Incident

Jackson had planned a perfectly peaceful Saturday afternoon. He intended to sit beneath the shade of the maple tree, read his book, and consume an unreasonable number of cookies. Unfortunately, Mrs. Henderson from three houses down appeared at his front door holding a bucket of water balloons. “You're on the neighborhood team,” she announced. Jackson stared at her. “I don't remember agreeing to that.” “That's why I said you're on the team,” she replied.

Ten minutes later, Jackson found himself standing in the middle of Maple Street wearing a ridiculous plastic helmet and holding a bucket containing twenty-seven water balloons. The neighborhood water balloon tournament was apparently a very serious annual event. There were rules, referees, team captains, and even a trophy shaped like a giant blue balloon. Jackson sighed. “Fine. I'll participate. But I'm not getting wet.” Everyone within hearing distance laughed.

The first round began with a whistle. Water balloons flew in every direction. Jackson ducked behind a hedge just as a balloon exploded against a mailbox. He cautiously peeked over the leaves and spotted the opposing team advancing. “This is war,” he muttered, before launching three balloons in rapid succession.

Then someone shouted, “THE TROPHY IS GONE!”

Everyone stopped.

The enormous blue trophy, which had been sitting on a folding table, had vanished. The referee immediately called for an investigation. Jackson, unfortunately, was the neighborhood's unofficial detective because he had once solved the mystery of who kept stealing everyone's garden tomatoes. He reluctantly accepted the case. “All right,” he said. “Nobody leaves until I figure this out.”

Jackson assembled the witnesses. Twelve people had been standing near the trophy when it disappeared. There was Mrs. Henderson with a suspiciously empty bucket, Mr. Patel carrying a towel, twins Emma and Ethan wearing matching sunglasses, three children hiding behind a picnic table, the mail carrier, the referee, the lemonade vendor, and two gardeners who insisted they had seen absolutely nothing. Jackson looked at all twelve suspects. “One of you knows where that trophy went.”

Before anyone could answer, a water balloon came sailing from somewhere behind the houses and exploded directly on Jackson's head. He stood there dripping. “Very funny,” he said. Another balloon hit him in the shoulder. Then another struck his back. Jackson slowly turned toward the crowd. “I am beginning to suspect that the culprit is everyone.”

The chase was on. Jackson sprinted through the yards while the twelve suspects scattered in every direction. He followed a trail of blue balloon fragments past the gardens, around the lemonade stand, and straight toward the community picnic area. There, beneath a picnic table, he discovered the missing trophy. Beside it sat a note that read, “Congratulations, Detective. You found it.”

Jackson frowned. “Who did this?” Suddenly, the referee admitted that the trophy had been hidden as part of a surprise bonus round. The twelve suspects had actually been accomplices. Jackson had been the only person who hadn't known about the prank. “So I'm the victim?” he asked. “Technically,” said Mrs. Henderson, “you're the winner.”

At that moment, another balloon exploded against Jackson's back. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled. “All right. One final round.” Five minutes later, Jackson was completely soaked, the tournament was declared a spectacular success, and nobody could remember who had thrown the winning balloon. Fortunately, Mrs. Henderson had prepared an emergency supply of watermelon slices. Twelve suspects gathered around the picnic table, one soaked detective sat in the middle, and Jackson decided that maybe the neighborhood tournament wasn't so bad after all. As long as next year he got to hide the trophy.




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===========Comedy Club 🎤🪑
When I was working, I had a retirement plan. It was beautiful. I was going to sleep late, travel, read books, write stories, exercise, and finally have enough time to do everything I had been putting off for forty years.

Retirement arrived, and I discovered something important. Retirement is not a vacation. It's a job where nobody tells you what your job is.

The first morning, I woke up naturally at 6:00 a.m. I thought, "Wonderful. I don't have to get up." So I went back to sleep. I woke up at 6:07 and felt like I had accomplished something.

My alarm clock used to be my enemy. Now I don't even set it. I wake up whenever my body decides to hold a staff meeting.

Before retirement, Monday morning was depressing. After retirement, Monday morning is just another day. Tuesday is another day too. By Thursday, I have absolutely no idea what day it is. Saturday could be February.

People ask, "What day is it?" I say, "I don't know. Check the newspaper." Then I remember I don't get a newspaper.

My retirement plan included traveling. I imagined myself visiting exotic places, seeing famous landmarks, and enjoying fine restaurants. So far, I've traveled as far as the grocery store.

And grocery shopping is an adventure after retirement. You walk into the store for milk and come out forty-five minutes later with batteries, cookies, a shovel, and absolutely no milk.

I also planned to exercise every morning. I bought walking shoes. Very nice shoes. They are currently exercising themselves by sitting in the closet.

I told myself retirement would give me more time to read. That's true. I now have plenty of time to read the same paragraph five times because I forgot what I read.

I planned to become more organized. I was going to clean out closets, organize paperwork, and finally figure out what all those mysterious cables in the basement are connected to.

I opened one box labeled "Important Stuff." Inside were three instruction manuals for appliances I no longer own.

Retirement also gives you time to fix things around the house. Before retirement, I would say, "I'll fix that Saturday." After retirement, every day is Saturday. That's dangerous.

There is now no reason to postpone anything. Which means I can postpone everything indefinitely.

My wife will say, "When are you going to fix that shelf?" I say, "Soon." Retirement has taught me that "soon" is not a measurement of time. It's a lifestyle.

I also discovered that retirement creates a mysterious condition called "Project Creep." You start by painting one room. Suddenly you're repairing a door, rearranging furniture, cleaning the garage, and wondering why you're standing outside holding a rake.

I had planned to save money in retirement. That was optimistic. I didn't realize retirement came with an invisible shopping assistant named "While I'm Here."

You go to the hardware store for one screw. You come home with forty dollars worth of things you might need someday.

And somehow you always forget the screw.

I thought retirement would eliminate stress. Then I retired and discovered that my biggest daily problem was deciding what to have for lunch.

That's a serious decision when you're retired. You can have anything you want. Suddenly you can't think of anything.

Breakfast was supposed to be leisurely. Instead, I stand in front of the refrigerator staring at the shelves like I'm waiting for a television program to begin.

Retirement has also changed my relationship with the clock. Before retirement, I cared about minutes. Now I care about whether it's too early to have lunch.

Ten-thirty is suspiciously early for lunch. Eleven-thirty is reasonable. Eleven-fifteen is a judgment call.

My retirement plan included hobbies. I was going to learn new skills and become an interesting person. I bought books, tools, notebooks, and supplies for hobbies I haven't started yet.

I have enough supplies to become a woodworker, photographer, painter, gardener, and amateur astronomer. I am currently an expert at buying supplies.

The greatest surprise about retirement is how quickly a completely free day becomes completely full. You wake up with nothing scheduled, and somehow by dinner you've accomplished twelve errands and taken three naps.

Naps were never part of my retirement plan. They have become a major department.

I used to worry that retirement would become boring. Now I'm worried that retirement doesn't have enough hours in the day.

So here's my advice: Make a retirement plan. Make it ambitious. Make it ridiculous. Then retire and throw the plan directly into the recycling bin.

Because retirement isn't about finally having nothing to do. It's about having the freedom to decide what you want to do, when you want to do it, and occasionally deciding that doing absolutely nothing sounds like a pretty good idea.




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===========SHADOW
The Thing Above Hartford

A spacecraft larger than Hartford itself appears directly over the Connecticut State Capitol. Its enormous hull blocks the afternoon sun and plunges the city into darkness. Thousands of alien creatures descend from the ship on strands of glowing material. They look almost human until their mouths open sideways across their faces. The creatures move through downtown without making a sound. Anyone who approaches them freezes in place and stares upward. Scientists discover that the aliens are controlling human nervous systems with invisible signals. Then the spacecraft begins broadcasting a message into every human mind. The message contains only three words. "You belong to us."
    
SHADOW: Based On Eyewitness Testimony by Joseph Miller. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Z36PS3
Secure your copy now and join countless others who have transformed their lives through these incredible testimonies! 


============SPACE TALES 2
One strange signal. One unexplained sighting. One terrifying question. What if the impossible is only the beginning? Space Tales 2 by Joseph Miller delivers suspense, mystery, and unforgettable cosmic chills.
 
Space Tales 2 by Joseph Miller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FKHGKSL3
Buy a copy now. Begin your next great reading adventure.  


============Special Dark 
Jack found a note under a door. Emily read it aloud. The Mustang gleamed in the darkness. Special Dark puts you right there.

The words are small. The danger is sharp. Shadows stretch. The street narrows. You are caught in it.
 

SPECIAL DARK by Joseph Miller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FX9LTS74
Grab a copy now. Begin your next great reading adventure.  


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Visit and enjoy my Author Page 
https://warlockpublishing.com/author-joseph-miller.html
📚📖📘📙📗📕📔📒📓📔📒📓📚 ✨🌙💥👣️👽️🛸🚀☁️ 🕵️‍♀️💕🍂📜 ♣️❤️♠️♦️


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============ sponsor

KelDel Creations
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090364412851

A craft fair is a place where ordinary moments become special discoveries. Kelly’s booth offers visitors a chance to find handmade treasures that cannot be found in everyday stores. Each creation carries the mark of creativity, care, and the excitement of bringing an idea to life. Kelly enjoys connecting with customers and sharing the inspiration behind her work. Take a break from the busy pace of life and enjoy a stroll through a world of imagination and craftsmanship. You might arrive just to look and leave with something you truly love. Visit Kelly’s booth and experience the joy of handmade creations.

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 • Thank you for stopping by! 
Thanks for stopping by and spending a moment here. Imagine a glowing firepit, a steady cup of hot black coffee, and the comfort of hot soup nearby ☕🔥🍲. You’re always welcome back anytime.



 • Please write a comment. 
[send to mindmyst@yahoo.com]

Until next Thursday,    
Happy End of August!!! 

Joe Miller 🦈️⛳️

 Joe


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