Month: February 2016

Don’t let this happen to you

The bath was hot, the lavender salts were fragrantly soothing, and I was truly relaxed. Ahhhh… CLANG! It sounded like something large had fallen over, but I heard it through the heating vent. I listened and heard a soft hsssss, like the heat had come on. I really, really want to stay in the bathtub. … read more Don’t let this happen to you

The secret to happiness and health

For 75 years, Harvard has been tracking a group of ordinary American men and their families. From the thousands of pages of research that this study entailed, they found out the secret of happiness and health. You can hear all the details in a TED talk, below, or … … you can read my summary here. … read more The secret to happiness and health

Thought replacement

Seems like every day I hear about something that someone replaced. Hip replacement. Hair replacement. Or they replaced their stove, their car, their bathroom. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could go to the doctor, or the store, and get thought replacement? Old thought: I’m so fat. New thought: I really enjoy eating, good thing that I’m well-off enough … read more Thought replacement

The urge to create

“Teach your kids to code,” suggests Eutopia, offering resources for parents to help their kids learn coding. I’m not sure that learning to code would have made my childhood better. Especially if it took time away from my true calling: making miniature villages. The girl in the photo above, in Laos, probably didn’t think she was “working” or “learning.” She just … read more The urge to create

Self-Publishing School: A review

It only took a couple days before I got that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that said: ‘You’ve been had.’ Self-Publishing School was not what I’d hoped. After less than three weeks, I asked for a refund. I did get the refund, so I wasn’t fleeced. I did get started on two … read more Self-Publishing School: A review

Dying beauty

When I got up this morning, all four of them were nearly dead. I was thrilled. Death has never been a taboo subject for me. In photography, I love shooting dead and dying things – old buildings, insects, cemeteries, birds, racoons. Last week I got this beautiful amaryllis as a gift. It was in full bloom. … read more Dying beauty

Identifying trees, part 1

It’s gray, cloudy, raining like heck. One of those days when you think that the sun itself is science fiction, and that nothing in the world will ever be right again. This is the best time to find a beech tree. Perfect conditions. Drive anywhere, and you’ll see nothing but beech trees. Because right now, they’re the only … read more Identifying trees, part 1

Pretty, and pink, and edible

The air is so warm and sweet, winter must be gone for good. Not just this year, but forever. The birds are singing their little bird hearts out, and the redbuds are bursting with blossoms. Those delicate pink flowers started to show all around Atlanta last week, already. They’re not out yet in North Georgia, but I plan to … read more Pretty, and pink, and edible