I snapped these photos of the neighborhood trees and one of our oak trees yesterday. It was a cool, overcast, and drizzly morning but the colors of the leaves popped. The same view this morning, with the bright November sunshine radiating the colors is also beautiful, but, in my opinion, not as striking. Something hit… Continue reading Your Choice
Category: Uncategorized
Civil Disobedience
The power of Google tells me we are approaching the anniversary of Louisa May Alcott’s birth 191 years ago on November 29, 1832. Fantastic. Really? No, not really. I can’t say I’m a fan of Louisa May’s work. I know her work is beloved by generation upon generation of readers and is a staple of… Continue reading Civil Disobedience
Creative Braining
BRAINS! BRAINS! BRAINS! As much as I’d love it to be a post about zombies; this is not a post about zombies. It’s about creating. Although it’s not about creating brain-eating reanimated beings shambling endlessly in search of the living, I hope to shed some light on how we creators shamble endlessly in search of… Continue reading Creative Braining
Advice on Oranges
I was never a big fan of oranges growing up. I liked orange juice. I liked orange jello. I liked orange soda. I also truly enjoyed putting quarter slices of oranges my mom put in our sack lunches into my mouth and acting like an ape. That was fun. The idea of eating an orange… Continue reading Advice on Oranges
Normal?
‘What is normal? Normal is yesterday and last week and last month taken together.’ – Lord Vetinari from Snuff by Terry Pratchett Since the COVID pandemic hit in early 2020, people have lamented the desire to return to “normal”. Normal. What is it? How do we define it? Is “normal” even a real thing? We… Continue reading Normal?
Valentine Lament
In one of my daughters’ classrooms this week, she overheard a group of boys talking. One boy said, “I actually really don’t like Valentine’s Day. Like, at all.” My first response was, “YES! Fight the power, boys!” My next response was that someone should tell those boys, or everyone for that matter, that it’s okay… Continue reading Valentine Lament
A Words Look: Cole Younger
Cole Younger has fascinated me for nearly 25 years. In fact, in my first book, The Younger Days, he plays a prominent role in my fictitious historical world in post-Civil War Missouri. He was smart, brash, tactical, a tremendous leader, and loyal as hell. He would often say his goal in life as a young… Continue reading A Words Look: Cole Younger
Wildlife Ranger Action Guide by Mary Kay Carson
As adults, we often look at children’s books through the lens of our adulthood. We also, however, can look at these same children’s books with child-like eyes. The best books for me are the ones that flick the switch of curious excitement in my brain. As a scientist and a writer, I’m blessed (cursed?) with… Continue reading Wildlife Ranger Action Guide by Mary Kay Carson
Shut Up & Dribble?
‘Shut up and dribble.’ Damn, I hate this so much. When I hear a politician, a businessman, an administrator, or a franchise owner use this phrase, they immediately get kicked off my team. I will never vote for, or support, someone who believes that the athlete’s worth is only measured on a single layer without… Continue reading Shut Up & Dribble?
Joy resides. #FHWP-032020
The Flint Hills Writing Project (@FHWP) at Emporia State University (Go Hornets! #StingersUp) started a Writing Into the Day/Writing Out of the Day writing prompt series during this period of social distancing. This is a great idea from a great group of writers and writing enthusiasts. I’m going to try and keep up as I… Continue reading Joy resides. #FHWP-032020