I’m the type of person who looks for connections in life. From small moments of serendipity to unlikely strokes of fate, I look for events, words, places, and people to which I feel connected. We are getting ready to go to Scotland in October. For some reason, this trip has caused some trepidation in my…
Writing
Poetry Friday: What if?
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…
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…
Poetry Friday: Me and My Bumbles
As many of you already know, I’ve been creating native gardens for bumblebees. This project started in February 2023 when I took a course from Pollinator Partnership to become a certified Pollinator Steward. The process ends when I make a community presentation on my habitat and the type of bees it is attracting. I plan…
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…
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…
Poetry Updates: Submissions and Swaps
This week, I submitted 8 poems to two different publications. Four went to Rattle, a publication of adult poetry, and four went to High Five, a Highlights publication for children aged 2-6. Through this submission process, I realized that I might be more suited to writing adult-themed poetry. There were fewer restrictions on the Rattle…
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…








