Last Friday, I did something today I hadn’t planned to do. After receiving an email, I ordered instructional materials for lessons on some conservation topics! Why I did this, I have no idea! I do not have anything planned in the near, or even far, future. Regardless, I felt compelled to order the materials! After…
What gets you up and going in the morning? Routine? A special project? Work? A commitment? Something else? This morning my youngest was up and out before 6 a.m.! He was going to see visit his girlfriend at college. His motivation to go was obvious. He wanted to see her. When I looked at my…
This post was inspired by the saying, “I’ve got bigger fish to fry!” Today, while scrolling social media, I was shocked at the apparent need some people have to voice their opinions on trivial things. And, they not only voiced their opinions, they condemned others for an opposing opinion! Case in point – The color…
As previously written, I committed myself to reading at least 20 books this year. It was a lofty goal, but one I thought important to motivate me to read more. I love reading but sometimes life gets in the way or I end up being too tired at night to read more than a few…
Unfortunately, I am seeing a trend across disicplines and the way professionals in those disciplines are treated that might be the root of some of our societal problems today. The disciplines are healthcare (particularly doctors), education (particularly teachers), and law enforcement (particularly police officers). The trend I see is the lack of respect these professionals…
When I started Evergreen Garden Club in the fall of 2004, its main purpose was to provide student enrichment through hands-on activities using an outdoor environment such as the school grounds. The first group, now adults in their mid-twenties, researched local butterfly species and host plants to enable a well thought out conversion of an…
This summer was like any other summer with respect to my plans to raise more monarch butterflies. It’s a hobby that has kept me occupied for the last seventeen summers. Starting in 2002, raising monarchs has been part of each breeding season. In addition to creating habitat in our yards (2) and school yards (numerous),…
Today, the school year kicks off in our local communities here in the Coulee Region of Wisconsin. Most, not all, are entering this year on a virtual platform as opposed to in-person, classroom learning. While the majority of students were exposed to an online learning environment last spring, it was brief if you consider how…
My poem this week is inspired by all the children returning to school. It is a time of year that I am fond of because of the sense of newness and anticipation for the year ahead. While this year will be a year like no other, I think the sense of anticipation can still be…