Brown Landscape with Punches of Green I cannot seem to get over the difference in landscape between the mid-western and southwestern parts of the United States. Although both are beautiful in their own ways, I have to say that I prefer green over brown. Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Yucca Valley, as well as the surrounding…
observations
Silent Sunday: Scenes from Creeping on a Hummingbird
Little Known Fact Series #2: The Green Flash
Some months ago I started on occasional series called Little Known Facts. It might not be a series yet, because there has been one, and only one, post to it. It was back in July and called, Little Known Fact Series #1: The Wisconsin Connection to the Niagara Escarpment. My aim with this series is…
Life: It’s All About Perspective
Over the course of the last year, I’ve done a great deal of soul-searching. I have come to the following conclusion. Life is all about perspective. It is filled with different ways to look at things. And choosing to look at things one way, as opposed to another influences your happiness. It’s a matter of…
The Circle of Life in a Seed Head
Twice in the last week, I visited the school garden which I have been in charge of caring for since last October. I’ve been deadheading and weeding, alone and with a friend, to make the gardens presentable for the school open house, which is this evening. When I planted with students this past May, I told…
The Joys in One’s Own Garden
Today was intended to be a day to finish a homework assignment and a paper, both due tomorrow. But, my husband awoke with other intentions. He was going to pick pears off of our trees that have suffered this season and attempt to dehydrate them. They are delicious, albeit very small. I was frank, bluntly…
The Front Porch
Today, our front porch was cleaned, as I was expecting a guest. The front porch is only a small spot, taking up a square of five feet by five feet. It attracts spiders with their cobby webs, other dead insects and plant debris. It is somewhat dark and not all that inviting. Plants do not grow…
My Journey to Joyfulness: July Update
On June 18th of this year I published a post about finding Joy. At that time, I promised to let you know where I am on that journey in a month’s time. Today, is the day for my joyfulness journey update! Several readers asked what books I had chosen to assist me in finding joy. …
Time Away: Reset II
Over the years, I have known many of my friends to take time away from their families. Mind you, this isn’t, and not meant to be, an extended break. Most of it consists of a day or a weekend; some might possibly take a week. The time spent away might be a trip required for…
Teaching Out of a Bag: The World of Informal Educators
For the first time ever, I got to teach a class during a summer school session today. It sounds kind of crazy but I have always wanted to teach summer school. For many years, I asked. For many years, nothing came of it. But, being at a different school this year, in a different district,…