So what does that mean for you? You are not your ancestors, for good or bad When I worked in a local history archive, I sometimes got annoyed by the people coming in to do genealogy research. They always seemed to think that you should care about this random person they were descended from who was so great because…

Literally Shredding the Past to Feed My Future: a semi-poem In my basement were boxes of old papers. Documentation of a marriage now dead. Remnants of a past riddled with mistakes, hurts and memories that I don’t need cluttering my heart anymore than I need this physical junk. They take…

I’ve always loved dandelions. Yellow, bright pops of happiness in grassy yards. So random where they seem to grow. As a child, I’d blow on the puffball, making a wish as the seeds drift out in the wind. …

My home consumes and produces. It is all connected and benefits me and all engaging with it. Home, Defined My home is the house itself (quite small), the land around it (not even .25 acres), and all living things in and on it, including me. Parts of the Home Worms in the basement(1) feed on kitchen…

There are a lot of stories out there encouraging people to make extra money with a side hustle, doing consulting, gigs like Fiverr, etc. Those are great, and if you want an extra side job, definitely get that, but realize that you only really make significant more money by having…

“Let’s grab coffee together sometime!” “We should definitely get the kids together sometime.” “I’ll give you a call sometime.” Crickets. Having the best intentions to follow through on promises to connect doesn’t negate the harm caused by failing to follow through. When we or people we know say things like…

There are several variations on the stone soup tale, but in each one, items — first a carrot, next a potato, then an onion, etc. — are gradually, deliberately added to a pot of boiling water, eventually making a hearty soup. Having that same mentality of tackling one item at…

When I was in high school, I worked in a restaurant and had the pleasure (usually) of working for people coming there to eat. When I went to college, I worked part-time for a woman cleaning her house. …

We can keep our heads down and ignore strangers entirely, or try to except when forced, or we can choose to raise our heads, put a smile on our faces, and occasionally say hi to strangers. …