Yesterday, one of my blog readers responded to my post that she thought I needed to give myself some Grace. As I read her comment, I stopped to think. Her words really resonated with me. But, the question is: how do I do this? I push hard. In almost all situations, I set high expectations…
American Experience
Poetry Friday: On Being a Helper
Late this morning, I retreated. I retreated to the lower floor of our house. I dragged a chair, one of those lightweight IKEA Poem Chairs that we’ve had since our first apartment in Baltimore Maryland, over to the spot of sun that was slipping in our patio door and splashing light on the tile. I…
A Free Lesson on Spring Bulbs
My post today will not be too long. I spent time over the last three to four days, and much of this morning, putting together a FREE mini Phenology & Citizen Science lesson on Spring Bulbs. Last year, when I made presentations it was suggested to me more than once that instead of PowerPoint I…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Popular Past Posts
Today, I thought I would link to some of my more popular past posts. For whatever reason, these posts have been read over and over. I’d love to know what makes them so popular with readers. Read one or a few. Each post can be accessed easily by clicking on the title or indicated text….
Contemplating Lack of Motivation
This two-week break (no school – online or otherwise) has caused a great loss of motivation for me. No longer up at 6:30, I blame this on insomnia creeping back into the house. The two hours between one and three a.m., as I lay wide awake in my bed, grateful to be safe in a…
Right Now, Less is More
During the last three weeks, I’ve noticed that we have less of certain things. Today, I noticed that we have been receiving far less mail than we usually do. This is a very welcome change. For some reason, we get a lot of mail. Most of it is junk mail that comes in and goes…
Baking & Cooking Lend Comfort
Over the last month, we’ve been treated to some homemade bread products. Our son, a graduate student, has been home temporarily due to the virus and passing some time working on a sourdough starter, bread, and pretzels. They’ve been warmly received by everyone in our home – especially his younger brothers. We’ve laughed as he…
Slice of Life Tuesday: Time of Uncertainty
My parents did something risky this week. They drove from their condo in South Carolina back to their primary residence in Western New York. They are both in their early 80’s. I have to be honest and say that I truly do not understand this decision. For weeks now, my sister and I saw it…
Upcycled Mask Making
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently made a recommendation for citizens to wear masks while in public during the coming weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems this recommendation was made due to the probable likelihood that people can be asymptomatically carrying the virus and infecting those around them. This…









