Winter hovers in the background. Hints: furnace running in the morning, sweatshirt days, early darkness. Craving a warm fire. After clearing out the garden before the first frost, green tomatoes ripen on the kitchen counters. Cupboards filled with pickled vegetables and freezer full too. I read something not long ago that described the Northern US as…
This moment is not immodest in terms of inappropriate clothing or the wind whipping up my skirt while walking down main street. The immodesty lies in the fact that I am going to pat myself on the back. I just learned that Janes Journals is now included on the 2015 Elderbloggers list. I read many…
Small is Beautiful, Small is High-Tech. Now I want to propose that small is also low-tech. Why not have the best of both worlds while reducing your carbon footprint and creating a simpler life. However, thanks to my recent posts, my definition of small is getting large, so I will clarify what I am talking…
Here are my best memories from my first summer in North Dakota Best nature find: Painted Turtles, roaming freely in the Turtle Mountains. Several came to visit my campsite each evening. Best garden plant: Jade green beans. I planted green beans for years. This year I ordered Jades from Territorial Seed Company and loved them:…
Late afternoon on a perfect fall day. I need a fall fix: birds are migrating, trees are changing colors, and fields are nearly harvested. I need to get out soon or I will miss out as the north rapidly transitions from fall to winter. Long Lake National Wildlife refuge, which is less than an hour’s…
Simplifying. Minimalist lifestyle. Slowing down. These pursuits involve getting rid of excess possessions that choke our body and soul. Ask any empty-nester, recent retiree or minimalist officianado how destuffing leads to a new freedom. Some minimalists may also be anti-technology, although I am not. In fact, high-tech helps me to get RID of often burdensome possessions. The…
After a weekend of living big in Denver, I am pondering the character of small. Thesaurus.com informs me that synonyms for small include scanty, shrimp, stunted, and insufficient. I talk back to the website: no, small is beautiful. I remember the book Small is Beautiful, written by EF Schumacher in the 1970s and the concept presented there:…
Lie: Doctor: How often do you exercise? JJ: I walk my dog every day. I ride my bike in the warmer months. I hike sometimes Doctor: How far do you walk? How long? JJ: uh, anywhere from a mile to two miles. Fifteen minutes to a half hour. Truth: I don’t know how far or…
Stories I read about domestic drones suggest they are like pesky mosquitos, buzzing around back yards and along crowded beaches. Once man was sued for shooting down a drone that hovered over his sun-bathing daughter. So the question is: can drones do something useful? I read today about drones that track radio-collared wildlife. An Australian project:…
I own a beautiful folding bike, which I love, so I will not buy another bike soon. But when I do, I will go for an electric bike (e-bicycle, e-bike). A blog reader introduced me to them and I have been researching the e-bike phenomenon. I started the search at Amazon and found many examples. The…