You don’t have to be a fan of the Bard – or even familiar with Shakespeare’s plays – to enjoy HAMNET by Maggie O’Farrell. The writing and sensory description is incredibly effective, the emotion palpable.
While this novel should … Read more...
For The Joy of Animals: The Magpie Whisperer’s Charm
There are many collective nouns used to describe a group of magpies — congregation, gulp, murder, tiding, tittering, etc — but after watching this video about one woman’s interactions with these birds, the most appropriate term would seem to be … Read more...
PSA: Helmet Has Always Been A Good Idea
To helmet or not to helmet?
That question was long ago decided in favor of helmets at least in the US where our streets and traffic are less than friendly to cyclists. But, apparently Denmark is still making a push … Read more...
Music: Singtree by Solar Quest
I’m not sure how I stumbled across Singtree by Solar Quest on Youtube, but it immediately resonated with me and quickly became one of my go-to pieces of music to listen to when I want to relax and unwind. (Another … Read more...
Happiness Isn’t Something To Earn
Happiness isn’t earned.
This seems like a radical thought when the universal law of happiness, deeply embedded in our psyche from day one, is — “You need to work harder to be more successful, because the more success you achieve, … Read more...
Book Review: THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT by Zeyn Joukhadar
I knew I needed to read THE THIRTY NAMES OF NIGHT by Zeyn Joukhadar the minute I saw the artwork. Yep. A gorgeously rendered, watercolor bird wing. Pair that (and an elusive bird thought not to exist by science) with … Read more...
Tickets To A Really Good Day
Did you ever have a “Best Day”? Perhaps you’ve been blessed to have a number of Really Good Days? Well, I’ve been blessed over my many years to have quite a few. The following is a tale of one such … Read more...
Nature’s Yard Art
Who doesn’t have childhoods memories of laying on the ground, gazing up at the clouds, and discovering the white and gray painted images against the blue sky — a long tailed dog, a floppy eared rabbit, a winged elephant, a … Read more...
Book REVIEW: FALL BACK DOWN WHEN I DIE by Joe Wilkins
This book — FALL BACK DOWN WHEN I DIE by Joe Wilkins… What a masterful blend of character-driven, literary fiction (with poetic, melt-in-your-mouth sentences). Combined with the intense pacing of more commercial fiction, this is a book you don’t want … Read more...
Nature’s Neon Lights: Aurora Borealis & Aurora Australis
Beautiful, magical, eerie, surreal, awe-inspiring… It’s hard to come up with adjectives to adequately capture the sight of the colorful, glowing, shifting curtains of light we know as the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights). In ancient … Read more...
Book: MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy
MIGRATIONS by Charlotte McConaghy is the kind of book that is the reason why I read: to slip into the skin of a character and fully inhabit her anguish, joys, thoughts, fears… to be transported to a different setting that … Read more...
Words: “The Ultimate Weakness of Violence …”
From the last book written by Martin Luther King, Jr. — WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE: Chaos or Community? (Beacon Press 2010 edition) two passages confirming his continued relevance in todays world, pointing us in the right direction — … Read more...
Book: THE MERCIES by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Oh, my… this novel — THE MERCIES! The atmospheric setting, the writing, the characterization, the story… I was swept away and transported from the first lovely sentences:
… Read more...Last night Maren dreamt a whale beached itself on the rocks outside her
Book Review: THE FOREVER FRIEND by Suzie Ivy
To the delight of fans, Detective Laci Jolett is back in action in Book/novella #3 of Suzie Ivy’s K9 Forever Series — THE FOREVER FRIEND.
This time it’s drugs in the local high school that has two students in the … Read more...
For The Joy of Animals: The Antics of Badgers
The wonderful thing about wild animals is they always seem to have a few delightful surprises for us humans. Growing up in the midwest I knew what Badgers looked like thanks to zoos and wildlife shows (and hello, UW mascot!), … Read more...
Music: Leonid & Friends Cover “25 or 6 to 4”
A bonus of our current Covid-19 life is having the time to find an awesome cover of an old favorite — Chicago’s 25 or 6 to 4. Especially when you feel like you’re sitting in a jam session with extremely … Read more...
Book Review: CODE NAME HELENE by Ariel Lawhon
CODE NAME HELENE by Ariel Lawhon was the right book at the right time for me – the story of a tough-as-nails woman whose struggles and bravery make our shelter-in-place woes seem trivial. (Yes, the fictional story is – remarkably … Read more...
Backyard Engineering: Bike Experiments In Speed
Most of us like to try new things, especially if they are relatively safe and easy to do. But, would we be willing to endure hardship in order to explore a new idea? Probably not. Yet, most of us will … Read more...
Words: ” A Bright Future For Man …”
If only there were “Here Thanks To Nature” tags attached to everything everywhere as a reminder that our very lives are utterly and completely dependent on nature — not technology…
… Read more...I would feel more optimistic
about a bright future for
Rescue Journey of Piglet and Calf Buddies
A ride to an animal sanctuary was all the bonding time needed for this piglet and calf to become bffs. These two are not only adorable and heartwarming, but living proof that animals — regardless of whether they are domesticated … Read more...
The Lost Era Of Electric “Flying Trains”
Over 119 years old and still in operation today, the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn in Germany is the world’s oldest electric elevated railway with hanging cars. Developed as the first to transport people instead of goods, this electric “flying train” is an … Read more...
Book Review: THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy
I received THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy as a birthday present earlier this week and likely would never have picked it up on my own. What a little gem I’d have been missing. … Read more...
For The Joy of Animals: Seal Holds A Diver’s Hand
It is pure joy to watch the emotionally powerful and extraordinarily moving interactions between diver Ben Burville and his diving buddies. What a wonderful celebration of life and human/animal connection as a wild grey seal holds a diver’s hand!
At … Read more...
Book Review: WORDS by Jessica McCann
In the introduction to WORDS: Essays on Writing, Reading, and Life, Jessica McCann shares with the reader a core belief that is as intricately a part of her personal journey as it is her writer’s journey and forms the basis … Read more...
Canceled Vacation Plans? Consider Mindcations Not Just Staycations
The research is clear. Vacations are good for our health — physically, mentally, and emotionally. According to David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, vacations are good for your heart,
… Read more...“we are actually seeing a reduction