“The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up.” — Mark Twain
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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Cheers to You!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, ways to be happy on July 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
A Red Sun Rises
Posted in Other, Science!, tagged Thoughts, physics, weather, #365Ways, predictions, #365Ways2026, folklore, old sayings, sailors, atmosphere on July 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »
My trip to the mailbox this morning began peacefully enough, a quiet stroll through a slowly brightening day. Then I looked up. The sun hung in a hazy sky, its light filtered by particulates from fires in Quebec, leaving a visible disk that looked like a second moon. The smoke changed the usual morning light from bright yellow to a darker, ruddier hue. Very dramatic.
Today’s forecast? Thunderstorms, which brought to mind the old adage about skies and sailors. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.” It turns out to be based on atmospheric science, and while the logic doesn’t hold up everywhere all the time (and yes, smoke can interfere with its accuracy), it can be useful.
Red Sky at Night: Is the Sailor’s Saying Really True?
The folklore lines up with two pieces of plain physics: how air moves and how light scatters. Low pressure pulls air together and lifts it, which builds clouds and brings rain. High pressure does the opposite. Air sinks and spreads out, which keeps the sky clear and traps dust and fine particles near the ground. Sailors learned the shorthand long before anyone measured a millibar: low pressure for foul weather, high pressure for fair.
Happily, forewarned is forearmed (to use another old adage). Now I wait, and watch for the coming storm.
A red sun rises.
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Time to Get Serious(ly Fun)
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, can't be working all the time, fun, inspiration, Thoughts on July 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »
In a culture obsessed with productivity, fun can feel frivolous. Yet research increasingly shows that play, delight, and shared enjoyment are essential ingredients of a good life.
Here’s to finding time for a bit of fun. Happy Saturday, everyone!
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Tribute to an Inspiration
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, #AmericanDreams, inspiration, kick-ass adults, NASA, persistence, pioneers, space, Thoughts on July 10, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Today, I’d like to pay tribute to Wally Funk, one of the early pioneers in flight and one of the first women to train with NASA. She didn’t get to be an official astronaut in the end, but she could fly just about anything, trained thousands at her own flight school, and much more. She also made a suborbital flight via Blue Origin’s New Shepard ship in 2021, becoming the oldest woman to reach space at 82.
Wally Funk, the oldest woman to venture to space, dies at 87
“I loved every minute of it. I just wish it had been longer.”
If you’re interested in the history of space, or women in space, or kick-ass ladies in general, I highly recommend the 2018 documentary Mercury 13 on Netflix.
Here’s to Wally’s example of determination, perseverance, and all-around excellence, and to finding ways to make dreams come true!
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Great and Glorious
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, all good things, Dolly Parton, quotes, Thoughts on July 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life. I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I re-read passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me. These small actions help remind me that there are so many great, glorious pieces of good in the world.” ― Dolly Parton, Dream More
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Lessons Learned
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, family, inspiration, lessons for living, Thoughts on July 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »
A brief selection of things I learned from my mother:
- Be yourself, even if it takes a while to figure out what that means.
- Look for beauty, it’s everywhere.
- Keep going, even when the road is long and the night is dark. Tomorrow can always be better.
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Stay On the Path
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, future, hope, Motivation, perspective, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“To cultivate hope, people need three things, [Jamil Zaki, director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab] said: They first need to be able to envision a better future, either personally or collectively. Second, they need the willpower or motivation to move toward that future. And third, they must be able to chart “a path from where they are to where they want to be.” — Jamil Zaki, quoted in The Morning
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Safer Summer
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, dangers, nature isn't always nice, preventatives, summer, Thoughts on June 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »
Hey Summer, you’ve got a lot of great things going for you. The sunshine, the blue skies, the warmth and the vacations, so much joy.
Too bad about the ticks. They are out there and everywhere, and as far as I can tell, there is nothing good about them.
Step 1: avoid!
Step 2: if not possible, remove asap.
Step 3: send that nasty little critter to the PA Tick Research Lab to find out what unpleasant diseases it may be carrying, because information is power.
While we’re here, I might as well link to that other summer danger, heat. Because the heat wave about to hit a large part of the North American continent is no joke. Hydrate, watch yourself and your loved ones for signs of heat stress, and keep alcohol consumption down.
Stay safe out there!
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A Bit of Magic
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts on June 26, 2026| Leave a Comment »
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” — J.B. Priestley
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Have Fun Exploring!
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, idea generating machine, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on June 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »
I have no idea what this “game” is supposed to be about but I love it.
Wiki Spy from Neal.fun
Check out all those images; so many interesting people, places, things, and ideas!
Hint: Hovering over an image will pop up a window with the title and source. If you want more info, click the image (a new round of related images will come up) and go to the top of the page. To right of the search field you’ll see a thumbnail of the image you clicked and (even further right) a “View on Wikipedia” link.
Have fun exploring!
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