When I was in graduate school for my natural resources degree (EE/EI), one of our first assignments was to read two papers written by seminal voices in the environmental field. One was by Richard Wilke and the other was by Jo Kwong. Before I started the assignment, I was pretty sure that I felt that…
responsibility
Poetry Friday: Isn’t Every Day, Earth Day?
Earth Day 2022 Isn’t Every Day, Earth Day? We’ve lived on this planet for eons. Home… For humans, For animals, For plants. For millions, and billions, of species Before our eyes many are disappearing At alarming rates But, since YOU go on, YOU forget the others that have gone. Our lives are short but collectively…
A Week of Change
This week has brought some change to our family. I’ll be writing about this change in the coming weeks. Is change good or bad? It is stressful or exhilarating? How do you cope with change? I know that I don’t always cope well with change. Most people don’t. The failure to cope well with change…
Aging and Discrimination in Today’s Society
Lately, I’ve become concerned with blatant discrimination toward our elderly. Early on in my nursing education, I worked at a nursing home. I never thought much about the elderly at that time in my life. But, as I’ve aged – now in my late 50’s – and watched my parents age – now in their…
Stop Assuming, Please!
There’s a lot of assuming going on. You might assume I am a Republican. Actually, I was a registered Independent voter when we lived in New York State twenty-five years ago. When we moved to Wisconsin, I might have registered as a Republican. Honestly, I don’t know. And, it doesn’t matter because I don’t vote…
I Forgot How Nice it Feels
I’ve forgotten how nice it is to talk to someone (anyone, really) about my conservation work for monarch butterflies. This morning I got to do just that for half an hour! I cannot tell you much yet, but I was interviewed for an upcoming article by a conservation organization. This was something that just came…
18 Days
Last night was the first time I slept in my own bed in 18 days. No, I was not on a trip. I was caring for my parents in another state. Our care involved three, one-way plane rides, three 888 mile trips on the I-90, and staying at my parents and my sister in law’s…
Poetry Friday: Words Won’t Come Easily
Finding time to write in the last two weeks has been difficult. And, when time is found, the words just do not seem to come. This is unusual for me and it is not writer’s block. It is because I have been helping to handle a family crisis. My mom has been in the hospital…
Memorial Day & Monuments
We’ve been to Washington, D.C. three times in the last ten years. The monuments to our fallen soldiers are a sight to appreciate and contemplate. They have made the greatest sacrifice for our way of life – a free life. Perhaps most impressive is the tomb of the unknown soldier, not pictured in today’s piece….
Maintaining a Cabin
Anyone who owns a home knows that it’s a lot of work. When you own a home and a cabin or cottage, it is more work. Still, we know how lucky we are to have both. Our “cabin” is a four season house – it could be lived in all year and we do visit…