The photos of Syrian refugees fascinate me, despite the magnitude of this tragedy. In particular, I notice their “baggage”. Some have backpacks, others a tied scarf, others a small suit case or a bag. Each time I see the photos, I wonder: what is in those bags? What would I take if I were forced…
I am at Grandpa’s house, a wonderland of my childhood with a treasure-filled attic and scary basement. I love most the button jar stowed behind a door in the hutch. Each time I cross Grandpa’s threshold, I run to the buttons. Perhaps that is why Grandpa gives me sewing cards, a set of pre-punched designs…
I have been buying Burt’s Bees facial wash, cuticle cream, and shampoos forever. When I travel, I often take along their sampler pack. The beeswax is good for my dry skin and the soaps are gentle. I read last week that Burt, founder of Burt’s Bees died, and I learned in the obit that he…
I learned about solar panels when I outfitted my camper. They are so easy to use, and I ask over and over why more campers and others won’t use them. Now, I read about this awesome program in California. “In California, polluting companies are paying to line the roofs of the disadvantaged with solar panels.…
from a talk given on Memorial Day 2015, Wishek ND I am so honored to be here today. I did not directly earn the right to stand before you on Memorial Day. However, important men in my life have served and won this right on my behalf. My grandfathers, Grandpa Willis and Grandpa Henderson served in World War…
This is not a list of specific autos that are heavy polluters; rather, the amount of auto pollution depends on a number of factors! Consider this from Treehugger.com: “A new study by researchers at the University of Toronto found that 25% of cars and trucks are causing about 90% of pollution from vehicles. The scientists…
During my sabbatical trip last summer, I bought a zero-gravity lounge chair from Cabelas (Billings, MT). My other chair was uncomfortable, the bed in my camper was awful, and I ached from head-to-toe. I needed to solve those problems so I could sleep in the camper and lounge outdoors during the day, for 6 weeks.…
Some headlines from my morning news feed: “Coca-Cola is removing a chemical linked with fire retardants from all its drinks by the end of the year” “Dunkin’ Donuts to remove titanium dioxide from donuts” Yesterday I wrote about Ringling Brothers agreeing to eliminate elephants from its show. Truthfully, every day, I read encouraging stories about…
As a child I often visited my Dad in NYC. One of our favorite outings was to see the Ringling Brothers Circus at Madison Square Garden. I remember the lumbering elephants, foo-foo dogs, clowns in tiny cars and sparkly acrobats swinging on ropes and walking the tightrope. Tigers in cages! Bears in tutus! Hot dogs,…
Well, the word of the day is most interesting today, and certainly meant to coincide with New Year’s Eve. Flapdragon FLAP-drag-uhn\ noun 1. an old game in which the players snatch raisins, plums, etc., out of burning brandy, and eat them. 2. the object so caught and eaten. Quotes Thou art easier swallowed than a…