Exploring, Experimenting but not Expecting It has been an odd year. The big event of the year — eldest daughter’s wedding — took place with great joy at the end of January. That left the rest of 2023 wide open with no significant plans whatsoever. …

Finding Consciousness in a Word Game I absolutely love to play Wordle. Right after dealing with my emails each morning, I grab my cup of tea and settle in to play both Wordle and another version called Quordle (four games simultaneously). While that sounds a bit excessive, I know some…

The case of the house gremlins — There’s something about going on vacation that causes things to run amok on the home front. I’m just returning from two glorious weeks in northern Michigan, where life calms right down and one’s brain turns to mush. As I floated effortlessly into the driveway, the vacation glow began to dim…

But how best to accomplish it? — “Extrovert? You aren’t an extrovert. You are more introverted than I am! I don’t know anyone who likes being alone more than you.” Interesting words from my brother, who is a pretty solid introvert. “Yes, but I am connected with all sorts of things when I am alone!” I countered…

A wonderful weekend of women Eight females, all part of our extended family, ages ranging from four months to 64 years. One weekend at a cabin on a lake. Mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins. The first-ever girls’ weekend, ironically named because most of us probably don’t identify as “girls.” …

There’s Nothing on the Calendar… The totally blank day on the calendar looked so inviting, after having scratched plans for a brainstorming session and lunch. …

The Epic Sport of Gardening “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” — Margaret Atwood Not unlike the crazy basketball month of March, there’s another insane time of year when one hears the call of the garden. It’s not a dainty whisper, oh…

Finding the Meaning in a Visit from A Bear So, I saw a bear. A great big black bear, who visited our fortunately empty bird feeder poles one night last week at our place in northern Michigan. I was dazzled by the sight of this enormous creature, who actually stood…

How to Manage the almost-Spring Blues Those of us residing in the state of Michigan are in a weather snit. With the exception of one measly week earlier in April, when Mother Nature offered up a series of summer days, we’ve been wallowing in rainy days with temperatures in the…