When I read the jacket copy for DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips, I assumed it was a “who done it,” as the description talked about an ongoing police investigation. I don’t generally gravitate toward missing persons/abduction-type stories; but this … Read more...
xkcd Comic: An Apple A Day
Could the tipping point in our health care come from an unexpected source…… Read more...
Review: THE BULLET JOURNAL METHOD by Ryder Carroll
THE BULLET JOURNAL METHOD: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future
by Ryder Carroll is a handy book about not only how to bullet journal, but how to set and meet goals that lead to a more fulfilling … Read more...
Here’s To Your Liberty And Mine
While your liberty and mine can take many different forms, may we ever embrace and strive towards an ideal of liberty where all people have the right, the power, and the ability to choose…
… Read more...“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according
Reclaiming Creativity
Creativity is how we reframe and redefine our world. It is how we express our joys, fears, interests, hates, passions, frustrations… It is how we feed our curiosity, learning, understanding, artistry, craftsmanship, resiliency, social connections… It is a profound part … Read more...
Pondering The Possibilities: Dinosaur Webs
Dinosaur webs?
When we think of what is possible…
we tend to be limited —
by our knowledge
by our perspective
by our experiences
by our curiosity
and by our imagination.
So why ponder dinosaur webs? It was something I … Read more...
Book: THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L. Stedman
“spellbinding tale… deep characterization… beautiful language”
I absolutely adored THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS, M.L. Stedman’s spellbinding tale about the love of a child and the grave consequences, perhaps, of loving too much.
Set on coastal Australia (the majority upon a … Read more...
Fun Must Share Twitter Animal Tales – Part I
I love to read around the internet and frequently come across engaging, funny or insightful news and superb storytelling that are “must shares.” Since I often find them through twitter (sorry, not a facebooker) I just automatically “tweet” or “retweet” … Read more...
Book: ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS INTO AIR by Darragh McKeon
Wow. ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS INTO AIR by Darragh McKeon was an incredible read: lush, lyrical prose on a sentence-by-sentence level, with breathtaking imagery and description. The stories of the four main characters were introduced separately but woven together … Read more...
Martin Molin and the Musical Marble Machine
There is something so utterly fascinating about mechanical music machines. I don’t know what captivates me the most — whether it is the complex timing involved, the thousands of little intricacies and artistries, or the idea that so much thought, … Read more...
Words: “Do Worthwhile Work”
Its human nature to want ‘what we do’ to be valued and to want to be valued for what we do …
But, since everything we do actually builds platforms for future actions by ourselves and others, we can’t settle … Read more...
The Pain And Glory Of Being A Nature Nerd
Back in October, I experienced a bit of a surprise as I was weeding our rock-wall shelves. Perhaps more surprising to some may be my reaction to what happened – a true indication of just what a nature nerd I … Read more...
Quotable You: “Not All Were Sprinkled With Happiness…”
A dear friend has a favorite saying she shares as needed. Words of wisdom told to her by a boss early in her work life. Since she had her 99th birthday a few months back, one can assume she knows what she is talking … Read more...
Patricia Arquette: “It’s Our Time” For Equality
Patricia Arquette’s “it’s our time” appeal on behalf of women’s equality brought excitement to an otherwise lackluster Oscar telecast. Upon accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress, she stood before a worldwide audience of 1 billion and declared:
… Read more...“To every
Quotable You: “Kindness Can Outdistance Meanness”
Like many (most?) people (see twitter, facebook, etc) I like to find and collect quotes, bits of words, that speak to me in a time and place I recognize. Whether the words take me to the past, the future or … Read more...
Majestic Crested Saguaros
I’ve been on a bit of a scavenger hunt lately for the majestic Crested Saguaros.
It all started about a year ago when I realized that the misshapen form I saw on a distant hill (from my kitchen window) was … Read more...
A Disgruntled Snowman’s Snow Fight
We may be disgruntled by the snow, but it is here to stay — at least for a couple of months. So we might as well find humor in it where we can.
I’ve long been a fan and follower … Read more...
Mighty Saguaro Bones
Mighty Saguaro bones. I didn’t realize, until I was culling through my photo library, that I appear to have a fascination with decaying saguaros. It seems my camera gravitates toward them, capturing their unique personalities, even in death.
There is … Read more...
Will We Ever Bring An End To Domestic Violence?
When Football executive and former NFL player Troy Vincent appeared before a Senate committee examining the NFL’s handling of domestic violence and sexual assault, he became the unexpected face of domestic abuse, if only for a moment. While looking to … Read more...
Desert Diversity, Saguaro Style
Those of us who feasted on a diet of Looney Tunes and Doritos each Saturday morning as children probably grew up thinking that those funny desert plants zipping past the roadrunner and coyote were all pretty much the same: deep … Read more...
Featured Book: MIXED FEELINGS by Olivia R. Burton
I read a lot of galleys. A lot of them. My dream is to discover the next big thing before they’re actually, you know, the next big thing. Everybody loves to have a good “I knew them when” story. Sometimes … Read more...
Lost In Translation Of GoldieBlox’s Ad
GoldieBlox released a video ad introducing their new action figure for girls (video below). I was thrilled to read in the press release of their intention to “show girls more options and lead them to a world full of possibilities.” … Read more...
Be Happier, Eat 5 Fruits and 5 Veggies Daily
We’ve long been told “we are what we eat” and we need to “eat well to be well” in our physical health. Fruits and vegetables have long been known to promote longevity and decrease risks of chronic diseases such as … Read more...
Freezing Eggs, A Perk For Female Employees?
When I read the headline that Apple and Facebook are now offering to freeze female employees’ eggs as a perk of employment, I thought I had entered the Twilight Zone!
Is that taking progress a bit too far? Is this … Read more...
Who Would Maya be Now?
Today, sitting outside at a cafe on Grand Avenue, I met a two-month old baby, Stella, her mother, and her grandmother. We chatted under the shade of a tree, while Stella followed her grandmother’s words with her blue gray eyes, … Read more...