How to motivate yourself when you don’t feel like it
What chores do you avoid? Maybe it’s cleaning the bathroom. Or grocery shopping. For me, weeding was a grueling chore. Then I came across Daniel Pink’s “Pinkcast” called
Insights
Insights, Photography
How to love a bumblebee
Let’s face it. Honeybees get all the attention. They’re cute, fuzzy and necessary to our survival. But so are bumblebees. Maybe more so. But I didn’t know that stuff until
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What is the #1 goal you need to complete your bucket list?
There’s something really satisfying about checking a goal off your bucket list. Your goal might emerge on cue, like a sunrise. Or demand patience. Here’s what happened at 4,000 feet in Joshua Tree
Insights, Kodiak, AK
Why I’m to blame for the government shutdown
On January 18, 2019, the New York Times ran an article about my hometown of Kodiak, Alaska called A Small Alaska Town Reels As the Coast Guard Weathers on Without Pay. We do
Insights, Kodiak, AK
When did you last spend time being quiet?
On a clear, crispy winter morning, I’d just finished taking pictures of hoar frost. Fairyland stuff. I’m trying to do what feels right. And you? Are you walking each day? Learning how to knit? Adding kale to your smoothies? Before you dive headlong into
Insights, Kodiak, AK
The coffee spilled all over the floor…
I was first to get up this morning, which meant it was my job to start the coffee. I pushed the button on the brewer, then washed a few dishes. Minutes later, I smelled coffee. Such a wonderful smell. I grabbed a mug, turned, and to my horror,
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Weather: The biggest show on earth
The weather is the biggest show on earth. It engages everyone. Best of all, admission is free and good seats are plentiful. Plus, no commercials. And it runs 24/7. To some though, the weather is just something to be tolerated. Clouds are
Gardening, Insights
What’s your Why?
I invite you to pause and ponder for a moment… Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you volunteer at the animal shelter?
Insights, Kodiak, AK
Have you every asked yourself, “Am I good enough?”
I have a confession: I’m learning how to play the harp. At age 62, no less. While practicing in the window seat that overlooks the bay, self-doubt often sneaks in, and I wonder, “Good grief, will I ever be a decent harp player?”
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Winter hummingbird: My favorite photo of 2017
On Christmas morning, my sister sent me a photo from her iPhone. Not unusual, right? But when I tapped the screen, I froze and stared at my phone in wonder. In the center of the photo was the silhouette of a hummingbird,
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Is every snowflake perfect? What about us?
The glow from a small porch light defined my coordinates on the globe: A trampled patch of snow, the size of a manhole cover, located between a sliding glass door and an outhouse ‘privacy’ tent.
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Ansel and the Snowflake
It was 8 PM and I’d been trying all day to photograph snowflakes. But try as I might, the wind was howling and I could only “harvest” bits and pieces blown off the roof.
Cooking, Insights
Goodness gracious great balls of chocolate!
For health reasons, Marty and I recently adopted a plant-based diet, a personal story I share in this post. No more animal protein (meat, dairy, eggs) or processed oils. Suddenly the cookbooks I’d consulted for 40 years were no longer
Cooking, Insights
My New Year’s resolutions after a health crisis renews my love affair with plants
In October 2016 my husband experienced a mini-stroke. We were traveling in our motorhome at the time, camped near Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. While Marty’s 5-minute episode didn’t leave any outward signs of damage,
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Sustainable Santa knows if you’ve been good
During this year’s annual Harbor Lights Festival in Kodiak, Marty and I joined hundreds of friends and neighbors to walk the docks and vote for our favorite Christmas-y boat. One little boy looked up at us and with firm conviction declared, “Santa Claus is coming to town!” Yes, Santa Claus is coming to town
Cooking, Insights
A pumpkin pie recipe that’s sure to trigger conversations at the dinner table
Our food journeys are most pronounced during the holiday season. We wrestle with thawed-out turkeys, shop for once-a-year ingredients, and open cookbooks to pages stained with last November’s cranberry sauce.
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Why take another photo?
I’ve been carrying a camera around since I was ten, starting with a Brownie Instamatic camera, a gift from Mom and Dad. It’s all digital now. Thousands of images later, sometimes I’d wonder, “Aren’t there enough photos