What is a snowbird to do when it is too windy to kayak? Over the last few weeks, I have spent many hours online researching my ancestry. A friend got me started, and since then I slid deeply down the ancestry.com rabbit hole where I remain even today. So what have I discovered? The direct…
I first heard the term “cone of uncertainty” on the Weather Channel in reference to a hurricane path. The weather folks used the term and a cone-like graphic to tell us that the real path of a hurricane will vary. Computer modeling determines the most likely path, but also the potential deviation from that path…
Each day I see another Midwestern icon that brings back memories of my childhood. This morning on my way to mom’s room, I saw a perfectly preserved, 1970s convertible with the top down – mom and dad in the front, two boys in the back. I swear they wore vintage garb. When the stoplight changed I…
Mom cannot get up into my van, so I drive her car, which has a handicapped hang tag. When I schlepp Mom to doctors or the grocery store, I have no qualms about parking in handicapped spots – she has the tag to help her navigate more easily. Now that mom is in rehab, I…
Monday Morning! The world and its people and/or critters amaze, irritate and/or delight me. Most recently: I am an embarrased Denver Broncos fan. Aqib Talib what were you thinking when you poked another player in the eye? Not intentional you say. Man up. Why do so many people care about Starbuck’s blank red cup? This is…
The last few days I explored another section of North Dakota. I was at a youth camp on the Sheyenne River, which flows into the Red River. The Red River creates the border between ND and MN, flows north, into Lake Winnipeg, and often floods (Grand Forks in 1997, and Fargo several times since). In…
I found this article today. Hope you enjoy (from World of Psychology). Where did you go on your last vacation? If you live in the city or the suburbs, there’s a good chance that you spent it in a natural setting, perhaps at a national park, the beach or a cabin in the mountains. Most…
I over think everything. Sometimes I over think (obsess) on a matter for a few days, then let it go. Then, those times when I take months to over think a topic before I act! Years! No worry: rumination is balanced in my brain by impulsiveness. I don’t like either habit but seem powerless to change.…
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:…