After reading a few beautifully coined year-end letters expressing gratitude for various activities and accomplishments during this year of extreme variance, I felt certain that my life defined by the mundane. But then I started thinking beyond my isolated environment and realized this past year has been anything but mundane. There was/is a worldwide pandemic…
Winter from the Inside Out
Winter can be spectacularly beautiful. It can be fun and playful. It can be long and dreary. It can be charming and cozy. It can be a lot of work. Sometimes it can even be surprising. But these days, to me, winter is best seen from the inside out. So, this year I will be…
Pandemic – week 18: more about love
18 weeks = 4.5 months= 126 days, feels like 2 years. I started writing this blog about my feelings, my activities and my distress, but quickly realized how shallow that would be in light of world events. So I would like to turn my attention to mankind and share a small offering of love. This…
Pandemic 2020 – week 12
What started out as an inconvenient challenge has become a touchstone for humanity. We have experienced the hoarding that has brought anguish to the neighbor with whom one may share tools, news, and advice, but not canned soup or cleaning products; the stress on the economy causing the closure of so many independent stores and…
Update during Pandemic – week 8
Hello Everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I think of each of you every day so here is a chatty letter telling of some things I’m learning (and relearning, and relearning…) from this experience: I am constantly being reminded that to overcome the mundane requires imagination and persistence, and that doing things just…
Adventure
I’ve had several people describe me as adventurous. That may be true, but I know for certain there are many types of adventures that I would never attempt under any circumstance. For instance, the activities listed on this site: https://matadornetwork.com/sports/15-ridiculously-adventurous-things-to-do-on-your-travels/ Nope, no cliff jumping, shark diving, or portaledging for me. So what constitutes an adventure…
To Love the World More – Pandemic week 1
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” Rachel Carson During the first week of “self-distancing” I’ve learned a few things and I’ve noticed a few things. First, there is a tremendous need to love the world more. By this I mean there…
Good Question
I just came across a question, “Who are you when no one is watching?” How many of us take time to answer that question? Last year, I intentionally did not plan any trips after June knowing that our first grandchild would arrive in July. Uncertain of my new role as Grandma, I reserved all my…
Zoo Take 2
Empathy. I recently heard a very inspiring talk at the Minnesota Zoo about how empathy is the beginning of the journey to conservation. I have to agree. I had the privilege of growing up in a family that spent every free weekend, holiday, and vacation hiking, camping, horseback-riding, fishing or skiing in the Rocky Mountains….
Travel
In a Minnesota suburban YMCA I overheard a woman describe her trip to Alaska as “It’s just like Minnesota but with mountains.” She went onto convey the banality of the trip. I couldn’t believe my ears. Does this look like MN? Alaska is spectacular, as is Minnesota. There are similarities, but to compare the two…
Phototraveler: Wanders and Wonders 