A combination of misc details from around life recently… We have Smurf glasses (think 80s McDonalds collectibles) and The Kid was asking about Smurfs. One of the glasses features Handy Smurf which got me to thinking about how he was my favorite, and how I would pretend to be him when I was a kid, … Read more
So much going on, both inside and outside of my brain. I’ve had a lot to say and it all bleeds together and nothing has come out clearly, so I’ve been quiet here on the writing front. I decided to be productive (in terms of writing) by transcribing onto the computer some pieces for my … Read more
The days all kind of blend together. The walks and runs and bike rides. For you, too? That said, early last week, the weather was amazing, particularly for June here in the Valley of the Sun. One morning, I took a walk through the neighborhood and to the canal to see if I could get … Read more
This post passed through my Facebook memories and it helped me to synthesize some of what’s going on. Maybe it will help you, too. This activity has circulated for a while in parenting and teaching circles in the hope of teaching children to understand the power of words. In case you can’t read the text … Read more
There are quite a few memes circulating, as usual, that no one cares about your bread/run/anything they’re not doing. I assume the person posting doesn’t care about them*, but that’s not generalize-able to “no one” or “everyone.” I know personally half a dozen people who have made recipes in the last month that a friend … Read more
Procrastination has showed up in several podcasts in the last few weeks. The content has conflicted in some ways, but I took some bits from them and plan to use them. (Always: take what you can use and leave the rest.) These things are so obvious and fall into place so easily that I can’t … Read more
Kids work through stress and unfamiliar situations through play. (This is why play therapy is very effective with littles.) The last play date we had (two weeks ago?), the kids were playing “corona zombies.” Since play dates have ended, The Kid was playing a robber/spy game by himself where he had to steal and avoid … Read more
Half a year ago, we made plans to go camping in Joshua Tree National Park over spring break. Plans rounded out with two other families in three sites side-by-side. The Climbing Daddy, The Kid, and I have camped at Jumbo Rocks campground before, and the site we happened to be in had some great scrambling … Read more
Well … I didn’t make time for photography this week. (I won’t bore you with all the things that happened instead. Leave it at: onslaught of work- and child-related obligations.) But I did learn a few things about landscape photography, including a trick for sunset shots, and I have opportunity to experiment and learn this … Read more
Adults often reference the awkwardness of growing up, of adolescence. And sure, that’s a weird time in life because so much is new and we have no choice but to muscle through the weirdness, surrounded by other people who are in a similar position, led often by people who are condescending and dismissive. We have … Read more