For starters: that cover! It spoke to me immediately. But what is beneath the beautiful artwork is equally delightful. While I have enjoyed all of Sonja Yoerg’s novels, TRUE PLACES has to be my favorite, with its juxtaposition of nature and affluent suburban living. If you enjoy book club and upmarket women’s fiction in contemporary settings – … [Read more...]
Universal Well-Being And Planetary Considerations
What will it take for us to let go of our endless debates and finger-pointings over global warming or global climate change? When will we begin to truly recognize that the heart of our human existence and survival is the planet Earth and all it holds? As E. B. White noted decades ago, everything we do or hope to achieve is intimately reliant on … [Read more...]
Book Review: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens
I was fascinated by WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING when I first learned about author Delia Owens’s background studying wildlife in Africa, and her awards as a nature writer. I was in the mood for a book lush in setting and critters and love of the earth. I had hoped this book would fill that need. When the introduction discussed the roots of this story – … [Read more...]
Fast Facts on Hurricanes
The month of September is peak hurricane season. The Atlantic Hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th. So as Florence makes her way slowly down the Atlantic coast, it seemed a good time to compile some fast facts on hurricanes. A hurricane is a cyclonic tropical system that draws energy from the warm moist ocean air and expels … [Read more...]
Start With A Good Roasted Chicken Bone Broth
Fall is just about here and, depending on where you live, it may be time to make some soup. To make really good tasting soup, you need a rich tasting broth. I usually start with the remains of a whole 4 lb chicken that I have either cooked on the grill or roasted in the oven. Remove as much meat as you can, reserve 2-3 cups for a chicken soup … [Read more...]
Words: “After Us, There Will Be Others…”
You know you are hanging out with the right kind of friends, when, on a day you most need it, you are gifted with a beautiful starfish and the words "You make a difference every day!" The original Starfish Story was part of a 16-page essay called "The Star Thrower" written by Loren Eiseley (1907–1977) and was published in 1969 in The … [Read more...]
Then The Giant Wasps Came
The odds were running high against the young Kohlrabi plants from the start. They were an impulse buy spurred on by my childhood memories of eating them raw and fresh peeled from my grandmother’s garden. I love Kohlrabi's sweet cabbagey flavor. I'd never seen Kohlrabi for sale in our local garden center before. Nor had I seen them locally … [Read more...]
Walking In Nature — A Basic Tool For Creative Multitasking
Author Julia Cameron points out that one of the most valuable tools for creativity is one of the simplest — walking. When she wrote THE ARTIST’S WAY she didn’t address exercise until week 12 in the program. In IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN AGAIN: Discovering Creativity and Meaning at Midlife and Beyond, which was written twenty-five years after … [Read more...]
Mule Deer Shows Some Tough Love
This mother mule deer in Arizona, doting and attentive just a week before, warns her young buck away. Why? It turns out she is pregnant with a new fawn, and that she’s taught the year-old buck all she can about survival. Her hormones have kicked in, and her brain is wired for the survival of the new fawn growing inside. After the new fawn is up … [Read more...]
Forget Their Shoes — Ask and Listen!
The often quoted standard procedure for gaining empathy and understanding is to imagine ourselves in another person’s shoes. But recent research by Tal Eyal, Mary Steffel, & Nicholas Epley (2018) suggests that stepping into another’s shoes and taking their perspective isn’t enough. As psychologist Tal Eyal explained in a Quartz … [Read more...]
Refreshing Salads For Hot Summer Days
Looking for something different to make for dinner? Take advantage of some great produce to be found in the markets at this time of year. There are so many choices and great meals can be prepared with these veggies, even though it is hot outside. These refreshing salads make delicious sides to grilled meats or fish. And, you have a great … [Read more...]
Words: “The Field Of All Possibilities…”
When all the stars align in our favor, we tend to feel a sense of self-satisfaction that the universe has fallen into place for us. But instead, maybe we should feel a sense of humbling recognition that among the field of all possibilities, we have fallen into place within the universe. After all ... "... the field of all possibilities is … [Read more...]
Only Human? So What Does That Take?
There are days when it feels like being human should be easier than it is. We are “Only Human” so what does that take… Can we recognize our fallibility without making an excuse? Can we allow others to be humble without acting superior? Can we acknowledge our limitations without creating an escape? Can we accept our … [Read more...]
Topi’s Camping Adventure
What did you do this summer? That seems to be the universal question of greeting as summer winds down and we begin to migrate back to our normal routine of work, school, and fall social occasions. Of course, how you react to the question usually depends on how you feel your summer ranks on the spectacular summer vacation scale. If you had … [Read more...]
Book Review: THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli
Wow. I could probably stop there, honestly, because that’s about all you need to know. But… I can’t do that because I loved this book too much not to talk about it. THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli is an intense portrayal of yet another of America’s darkest periods of history. And it is told through the perspectives of three fascinating characters: … [Read more...]
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