Bonkers busy at the moment, and predictably behind. If only I’d started the day with one of these:
Creative fun, yes please!
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Archive for the ‘Other’ Category
Bonkers Busy
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, cool stuff, invention, Thoughts on May 14, 2025| Leave a Comment »
If You Need Me, Haller
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, forest-bathing, inspiration, nature, Spring, Thoughts on May 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »
It’s Tuesday, ugh, but it’s also spring, so today I’ll be taking a moment to enjoy the bluebells in the forest of Hallerbos.
Join me!
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The Basics
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, difference, diversity, humanity, quotes, similarity, Thoughts on May 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“We talk so often about the differences between people, yet here in our country we find that, in spite of circumstances which create great differences, we have certain great similarities. Rich or poor, we want our children to be well educated. Rich or poor, we want them to do better than we have done. Rich or poor, we want the respect of our neighbors and perhaps their affection. Love and death come to us all, no matter what the circumstances of our lives. In the big things that matter, the similarities are far greater than the differences. If this is true at home it is true anywhere in the world. People want the same things. They strive for the same things. They suffer from the same things. The differences are important but often superficial. The basic things are similar.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
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I Say Yes
Posted in Likes, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, books, creativity, free reads, innovation, inspiration, libraries, library, national treasures, news, NPR, public libraries, reading, Thoughts on May 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I love libraries. Growing up, our local library was a great place to study, read, or wait for the bus, and was a never-ending source of new and interesting information. I’ve moved away but still donate, because I want others to enjoy the benefits I had. Libraries are idea repositories, the physical embodiment of one of humanity’s most impressive accomplishments: the preservation and dissemination of knowledge. The real genius of our current iteration of this concept, however, is that we made so many of our libraries free.
Once upon a time, only the rich could afford books. (Heck, for a long time, few could read at all. And while we’re here, feel free to take a quick detour into the world of traditional bookbinding.)
Now, we all benefit when we all learn.
To those who say that the world is worse than ever? I give you public spaces filled with the magic of ideas, free for the borrowing.
Libraries are a great source for reading material but can also supply music, movies, information, classes, tools, seeds, eclipse glasses, museum passes, fishing poles, a taxidermied sandhill crane, or help with your taxes.
How cool is that?
Why am I talking about libraries? Because PBS has a new documentary about the evolution of the public library system in the US, and it got me thinking. Here’s a review from another national treasure, NPR:
‘Free For All’ review: This library documentary is worth checking out
…this documentary ends up covering all sorts of ground. The historical beginnings of American libraries, with nods to Ben Franklin and Andrew Carnegie. The growth and importance of tiny branches in rural communities. And, at each stop, a focus on individual libraries, librarians and everyday patrons.
Those in the US can watch the full film here:
Free for All: The Public Library – Independent Lens
How public libraries shaped a nation and remain a beloved sanctuary for Americans today.
If you can’t access the film, here’s a bonus article:
10 Ways Public Libraries Make Our Lives Better
Any answer must begin, of course, with books.
It asks, “With the internet putting a seemingly infinite supply of answers, arguments, and amusements at our fingertips, do we still need libraries?”
I say yes.
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True North
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Canada, election day, politics, Thoughts, voting on April 28, 2025| Leave a Comment »
It’s election day, if you’re a Canadian. And if you haven’t already voted (early voting is a great option, consider it for the next time around), there’s still lots fo time to make your voice heard.
How? Here’s what you need to know to vote today.
For even more answers to election-related questions, visit Elections Canada.
So go forth and help shape our future. And enjoy being part of the true north, strong and free.
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Time for Cake
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, bright side, cake, Spring on April 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Morning clouds have given way to a beautiful day here, and I’m enjoying new birds and blooming flowers and neighborly nods from those passing by.
Because I’ve got to be honest, with a day job that requires me to stay up to date on politics, it’s been harder to focus on good things lately. So whatever you do, wherever you are, I wish you a day in which the good outweighs the bad, and a personal filter that highlights the many positive things in this world.
Speaking of looking on the bright side, it’s time for chocolate cake🙂
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Light the Way
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, Thoughts, Writers, writing on April 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Trying hard and working hard is its own reward. It feeds the soul. It affirms your will and your power. And it radiates from you, lighting the way for all those who see you.”
― Charles M. Blow
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Rising
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts on April 21, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Life is about understanding opportunities. Understanding how rarely they come along, and then rising to meet them when they do.”
― Richard Osman, The Bullet That Missed
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Moose on the Loose
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, cool stuff is cool, inspiration, moose, nature, slow tv, Sweden, Thoughts on April 19, 2025| 2 Comments »
I’m still watching the Fish Doorbell (it’s been quiet at the times I’m on but it’s still fun), and now I’ve added a new livestream to my list of “things to watch when I need a minute of chill.”
If you also need a minute of chill, check this out:
Livestream of moose migrating to their summer pastures fascinates millions | AP News
Before Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” began airing Tuesday, Ulla Malmgren stocked up on coffee and prepared meals so she doesn’t miss a moment of the 20-day, 24-hour event.
“Sleep? Forget it. I don’t sleep,” she said.
Here’s the direct link to this distillation of slow Swedishness: Den stora älgvandringen – Idag 00-00 | SVT Play
Despite the many ongoing challenges of animals in the modern world, there’s something deeply comforting about this reminder that the non-human world continues to turn.
And moose are still on the loose.
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Taxes, Again. And Always.
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts on April 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
It’s Tax Day in America. On the off chance that you have yet to file, there’s still time to get your paperwork in by tonight’s deadline. Need an extension? Here are some details on how to make that happen:
When Is the 2025 Tax Deadline, How Can You Get an Extension? | TIME
It may also be comforting to know that taxes have been with us for a long, long time. Here’s a bit of ancient history on that subject.
The World’s Earliest Evidence of Taxation
What remains today, such as stone inscriptions, clay tablets and bamboo records, tells a story far beyond administration. These tax relics reveal how early states governed, what they valued and how they balanced power with the burden on taxpayers. From Sumer to China, civilizations devised ingenious, and sometimes bizarre, ways to track, collect and enforce taxes, leaving behind vivid clues of how they funded their ambitions—and proved that even in the Bronze Age, nothing was certain but death and taxes.
(And given the timeframes involved, I’m going to give this round to taxes.)
Taxes can hurt but they do have benefits. And once you’ve sent off your paperwork, check out these sweet Tax Day food deals 2025.
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