The notoriety of Walla Walla!
Back in 2013, there was an article in our local paper that I just found stashed in my files. I hope you find it as much fun as I did! It said: Our area is famous for the Native American tribe from which it derives its name, for the pioneers who settled in our beautiful agricultural WW […]
When “why” is the wrong question
Our brain loves to solve problems. It functions beautifully to figure out how to make a pumpkin pie, sail across oceans, or build a house. It’s a wonderful tool for creativity. But if we are trying to understand ourselves, find a way out of suffering, it can derail us because our minds get caught in […]
3 lessons from a squirrel +1 extra
Squirrels are a lowly rodent to some people, but to admirers they are high flying acrobats, fuzzy tailed philosophers, scampering tree huggers, and resourceful survivors. (The are also awfully cute!) Here are 3 (+1 extra!) life lessons we can learn from our squirrel friends. We all know the easy one: to save for the future! The […]
That elusive balance
The opposite of stressed is calm and balanced, right? Work, kids, life, money, time, energy…if we could just balance it all. But balance is actually a state of constant motion. Think of a tightrope walker, a plate spinner, a bicycle rider, or a gymnast on a balance beam. If they stop moving, just stand still, […]
What is the Ben Franklin effect?
You may know a lot about Benjamin Franklin-for example, that he invented bifocals, graces the $100 bill, and experimented on electricity with a kite and a key. But you may never have heard of the Ben Franklin effect that was even cited in Dale Carnegie’s book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” In a nutshell: […]
More word play!
Oxymorons are fun to play with! (after all, I am an ex-English teacher!) Ever wondered about such phrases as… icy burn? fight for peace? definitely maybe? How about … government organization? act naturally? open secret? Why do we use phrases that don’t seem to make logical sense? For one reason, they are fun! Oscar Wilde […]
Serenity or Senility Prayer?
We all know the basic Serenity Prayer, but have you tried one of tweaked ones? Here are some…and you may know of others! My favorite one (which I couldn’t find an image for) is “God, grant me the serenity to accept there are things I’ve no time to read, time to read the things I […]
Book Power!
Enjoy this delightful poem originally written for the 50th Anniversary of our National Children’s Book Week in 1969. I like it! BOOK POWER by Gwendolyn Brooks BOOKS FEED AND CURE AND CHORTLE AND COLLIDE In all this willful world of thud and thump and thunder man’s relevance to books continues to declare. Books are […]
A little bit of wisdom…
Taken from a friend’s collection, these thoughts as images can make a good impression on our minds. Recognize any of them? All of them? Here are 11 of my favorites. Which one is your favorite? […]
Productive procrastination?!
We’ve all decried it, denied it, defied it. But most of us continue to see procrastination as the bane of our lives. But did you know? Researchers now suggest that wasting a bit of time here and there can actually be good! When used correctly, procrastination helps us think creatively and make informed decisions. After all, historically speaking, it […]