Today is Poetry Friday (again)! Is time moving faster? It seems to be for me! I don’t know what happened to the last six months! They just disappeared! Karen Edmisten is our host today. Hop over to her blog for more poetry goodness! Thanks for hosting, Karen. This week whizzed by. I’ve got my husband’s…
life experience
Monarch Butterflies…A Compilation of Past Articles
The summer we moved to the Northwoods, I wrote an article about monarch butterflies. My writing was prompted by concern. I had noticed that the milkweed was not being eaten, and we saw only a few adult monarchs flitting around. This started to change my thinking about how we humans should help this iconic species….
Poetry Friday: Summer’s Gifts
This week, I planned to share the summer swaps from those I was paired with for the seasonal poetry exchange organized by the incredible Tabitha Yeatts. I will do so, but I am short one. I just mailed my last swap out and have yet to receive my last swap, too. So, that one will…
Book Reviews: Some Outstanding and Then, Others
I love to read, but I will only do it voraciously if a book is truly outstanding. This week, I had the pleasure of reading such a book. Historical Fiction I read “The Women” by Kristin Hannah (2024). If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. Set in the years during the Vietnam…
Poetry Friday: Memories of Carnivals, Marching Band and The End of Summer
There was always an indication of the end of summer when I was growing up, and it was our town’s Fireman’s Carnival. All the towns in our area had them, and we went as a family to several. There was always a parade with marching bands and firetrucks from the host town, as well as…
Introducing: What? Wednesdays!
Sharing my favorite plants as an avid gardener, week by week July 30th: Liatris or Blazing Star or Gayfeather One of my favorite plants is Liatris, or Meadow Blazing Star, also known as gayfeather. This plant is colorful and a magnet for pollinators, such as monarch butterflies. I’ve grown several varieties in my home gardens over…
There’s a BioBlitz Underway for Monarch Butterflies
One way that scientists gather information about different species is to engage the public. Monitoring life cycles, sightings, phenological events, and migrations are all ways to find out more about what a particular species is doing and how it’s adapting to our changing world. One such example is the BioBlitz that is underway now for…
The Effect of Claps, Likes, Highlights, or Comments Are Motivation for a Writer, Especially On Medium
Medium is strange. There are many ways to show the writer you like their article. These include clapping up to fifty times per article, highlighting parts of the article, or commenting on the article. Writers can show other writers they like their piece by tagging it. I was tagged this week for an article I…
Poetry Friday: Busy Week
I posted some updates on my poetry on Wednesday. I’ve been busy writing some other poems for Summer Swaps, and anything else that inspires me. Beyond that, I’m halfway through writing my chapter for a textbook on teaching with awe. It’s due in August, so I need to be diligent on finishing. Summer has finally…
Why Wasn’t the North Rim Fire in the Grand Canyon More Visibly Reported?
Knowing only politics makes us ignorant. My husband was the one who saw the news brief on his phone yesterday morning. He told me that a wildfire had destroyed the lodge at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and that part of the park was closed. Searching my phone and social media, I couldn’t…









