shannonmiles.realtor Happy 4th of July from our family to yours! 🇺🇸 Today we’re celebrating freedom, faith, and the front porches where memories are made. Whether you’re watching fireworks from the back of a pickup, grilling out with friends, or just soaking in the sweet summer air—may your day be full of joy, gratitude, and a whole lot of red, white, and blue. Here’s to small-town parades, sparklers in the driveway, and the everyday heroes who make this country great. ❤️🤍💙 Stay safe, have fun, and don’t forget the bug spray! #Happy4thOfJuly #SmallTownProud #TheSMilesExperience

shannonmiles.realtor Saturday mornings at the Paris Farmers Market is a weekly reminder of what really matters. There’s no shortage of modern conveniences these days. But even with all the tech and shortcuts, the best things in life still take time, intention, and a good amount of effort. That’s what I see in the local makers and growers who show up each week, folks who work hard behind the scenes so we can enjoy fresh eggs, local honey, homegrown vegetables, and handmade goods that carry real meaning. “American made” isn’t just about where something comes from. It’s about how it’s created. It’s the hours in the kitchen before dawn. The hands in the soil. The resilience behind every small business table lined up on the square. And in communities like ours, that work ethic still matters. It shows up in our families, our schools, our churches, and the ways we show up for one another—week after week. I’m grateful to live in a place where people still take pride in the work they do. And where supporting local isn’t just a trend—it’s a way of life. Shoutout to Paris Natural Farms for the amazing produce week after week, Cook's Farm & Ranch, Home Grown Vegetables and their amazing dill pickles, and the beautiful blooms from Mueller Farm—just a few of my favorites from the morning. The Paris Farmers Market runs Saturdays, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM right now. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s worth making the time. – Shannon

shannonmiles.realtor What if I told you this plain old pencil could teach you one of the most powerful lessons about real estate and life in Northeast Texas? It’s just a No. 2 pencil. The kind we used in school. There’s nothing flashy about it… but the truth is, it’s kind of a miracle. Think about it: this little pencil exists because hundreds, maybe thousands of people, from all over the world, played a part in making it. The wood? Likely harvested in the Pacific Northwest, cut down by someone who didn’t know it’d end up in my hand here in Paris, Texas. The graphite? Mined and processed with clay, fired at crazy-high temps by someone you and I will never meet. The eraser? A rubber blend that took even more people, materials, and processes to create. And don’t forget the metal band, the machines that assembled it, the truckers who hauled the pieces, the packaging, the store that stocked it, and the person who rang it up. It took a whole network of people each doing their part, in their own corner of the world to make something this simple… yet essential. Maybe that’s why it hit me the other day while picking up supplies at Big Country Farm Center because honestly, that’s where some of life’s best lessons tend to land. Nothing meaningful is ever made alone. That’s a lot like real estate. When someone buys or sells a home or a piece of land out here, it’s not just about me and Scott showing the property and writing a contract. It’s inspectors, appraisers, lenders, title companies, handymen, photographers, coordinators, and even the people who built the roads and grew the trees and laid the foundations generations ago. You might not see them all—but they’re there. And we get the honor of helping it all come together. So, next time you pick up a pencil, remember: even the small stuff takes a village. And that’s the beauty of what we do—connecting the dots to help folks build something that lasts. ❤️ – Shannon

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