Driving on autopilot.
I don’t know if you’ve ever done this, but the other day I was driving to see my sweet mom, who lives a few towns away from me. I was listening to an album I know well. Traffic wasn’t horrible. The weather was good. And when I got to her house, I realized I didn’t […]
A little thank you – and something new.
In 2018, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania set out to understand how social norms shift – how real change happens, not just in theory, but in groups of people living real lives. They designed an experiment where participants were asked to label a simple image. But midway through the task, a small group of […]
Elisha Otis and building some safety.
According to Mark Crawford, writing for The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Elisha Graves Otis was born in 1811, the youngest of six children. At age 20, Otis made a rough living as a wagon driver and carpenter – work that proved too demanding for his health to sustain for long. At age 27, he […]
A little more out loud.
For some reason, this year, Easter has been a tricky season for me. I don’t hide from all of you that I am a Christian. But I also don’t put it front and center – especially in my work life. In my background in public education, it was a no-no to mix church and […]
Frozen Hot Chocolate and a Side of Lagniappe
One of my favorite chocolate shops in the whole world (ok, I’ve only seen part of the world, but still!) serves something called frozen hot chocolate. Now, before you make the mistake of thinking that frozen hot chocolate is exactly what it sounds like, let me assure you – it is not! This frozen hot […]
Scouty Scout and 5 whole years.
My past has some pieces I’ve put away. I don’t have dark hair and bangs any more. I no longer sew clothes, work on math equations, go camping, or ride road bikes. I don’t still sell cupcakes, raft rivers, teach cookie camps, or run races. I’m not currently teaching school or living in New York […]
Your Natural Love Language.
For being a relatively healthy person overall, I have actually had a lot of surgeries. Some of them I categorize as “let’s dig around and fix some things up” – i.e. ovarian cysts, meniscus tear, hole in my heart, etc. – and some I categorize and “let’s just get this thing out of there” – […]
Standing Tall.
Peter Wohlleben, in The Hidden Life of Trees, tells us that “When there is a drought, trees pause their growth. They reduce water consumption and halt photosynthesis, but they don’t give up. Instead, they wait, conserving their energy until conditions improve. During these waiting periods, they still function and endure, even though growth may not […]
A murder of crows and 3 small ideas.
My friend Julie (yes, that same 7th grade friend Julie!) works at a delightful children’s store in a delightful part of town. One day last week I visited her there and while wandering the store I came across a big thick chapter book intended for young-ish readers. It had such a cute cover that I […]
Hot Ones and 4 takeaways.
I am for sure not the first one to write about this. And, I don’t even like hot sauce. Like, at all. But my sister Coleen recently got me into this YouTube show called Hot Ones. Four episodes in and I’m hooked. For the two of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, let […]
