Not getting everything done you’d hoped? Life intruding into your carefully made plans? It happens. Some days are weird.
And some days you just need to give yourself a break.
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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Some Day Is Today
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, Thoughts, Writers on July 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Happier For It
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts, yay on July 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »
For reasons known only to the universe, we know a surprising number of people who were born today. That means it’s an excellent chance for me to cheer them on.
Not everyone wants a big to do, but whether you love your birthday, loathe it, or struggle to remember how old you are, the day is also an opportunity for the rest of us to appreciate you.
You’re here. And we’re happier for it.
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The Side of Kindness
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, kindness, Thoughts on July 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »
We recently had something of a family emergency. We’re okay and I’m mentioning it now not for sympathy, but because it reminded me that no matter what it looks like from the outside, you never really know what a person is going through.
When you can, err on the side of kindness.
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Enjoy the Ride
Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, aphelion, astronomy, science, space on July 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Whoops, I forgot to mention a recent solar system milestone. Two days ago, the Earth (that’s you and that’s me!) reached aphelion, or the point in our orbit at which we’re the farthest distance away from the Sun. That puts us at approximately (give or take the distance we’ve traveled in the past two days) about 3 million miles farther away from the sun than we are at perihelion.
It also raises a funny question:
Aphelion: Earth is as far away from the sun as it ever gets. So why is it so hot?
This happens every year in early July, which might sound backward. If we’re farthest from the sun, shouldn’t it be cooler?
The answer lies in the fact that the Earth gets closer to and farther away from the Sun, but it’s also tilted.
Our planet spins at an angle — about 23.5 degrees — which means different parts of the globe receive more (or less) sunlight depending on the time of year. In July, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, bringing longer days and higher sun angles that lead to more direct sunlight — all of which produce summer-like heat.
And as this Space.com article details, we’re also moving at our slowest:
Since Kepler’s laws of motion dictate that celestial bodies orbit more slowly when farther from the sun, we are now moving at our slowest pace in orbit, slightly less than 18 miles per second (29 kilometers per second) compared to just over 19 at perihelion.
Given that, today might be a good time to relax, and enjoy the ride.
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With Joy
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, failure, inspiration, persistence, Thoughts on July 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »
This world belongs to you. You are here to lead, to blossom out in the open, to show your heart to strangers, to fail and fail and fail again — with grace, with humor, with dignity, with joy.
— Heather Havrilesky
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Instructions for Living
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts on June 30, 2025| Leave a Comment »
There’s a bird hanging around outside, one that’s been frequenting the yard on and off for the past couple of weeks. It’s a cardinal. Pretty, but not extraordinary around here.
This particular bird, however, is a bit peculiar in that it seems to have some interesting blotchy marks on its wings. Or maybe its belly. Or its back? Perhaps it’s just a juvenile taking his first flights into adulthood. I can’t be sure because I’m a typically nearsighted book nerd and the pesky little guy refuses to sit still long enough for me to get my phone or binoculars.
So I think it may have some unusual markings, but maybe it’s just me. All I know is that it’s interesting and I’d like a closer look.
I haven’t been able to get that close-up look, yet, but the possibility of it keeps me focused, and paying attention to what I can see. Squirrel shenanigans, a giant lazy bumblebee, gulls riding air currents overhead, a huge black wasp, a tiny little bee feeding on grass flowers, a chipmunk, lightning bugs in the yard, the beauty of the volunteer daisies around the corner of the house.
I may not always see everything I hope, but I see far more than I would if I were not paying attention at all.
And that’s a very good thing.
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
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A Busy Busy Day!
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, action, inspiration, life, philosophy, quotes, Thoughts on June 29, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“To live is not to breathe but to act.”
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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Sharing Happiness
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, happiness, quote, Thoughts on June 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »
We took a little time out this afternoon to deliver encouragement to some hardworking friends. And delicious 0% blueberry beer from Broadhead Brewery, perfect for a hot summer’s day.
Recommend!
“Happiness is not made by what we own. It is what we share.”
— Jonathan Sacks
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Beauties and Mysteries
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, quoteandaprettypicture, Thoughts on June 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”
— Rachel Carson
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A Quick Primer on Ranked Choice Voting
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, #InquiringMinds, politics, primers, Thoughts, voting on June 25, 2025| Leave a Comment »
A random explainer for curious minds: In case you’re wondering about voting in the New York City mayor’s primary, or what people advocating for ranked choice voting are going on about, here’s an interactive demo. With ice cream!
(Here’s a more complicated explainer, but the ice cream works for me!)
Ranked choice voting: Get the scoop on how it works
Get a taste of RCV by ranking your five favorite ice cream flavors and then follow along as the votes get counted and we find out which flavor tops the cone.
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