“Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you.” — Parker J. Palmer
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, creativity, life, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Another fun astronomy fact today (and for many other days!).
99% of people on Earth will get sunlight at the same time this Wednesday
On July 8, at about 11:10 GMT, about 99 percent of the world experiences sunlight at the same time.
That is pretty cool!
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Posted in Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, all in this together, astronomy, fun facts, science | Leave a Comment »
Apologies for being ever so slightly behind the times on this, but we just (as in yesterday!) experienced aphelion. That’s right, on June July* 6th at 1:30pm EDT, the Earth and all of its inhabitants (that’s us!) were 152,087,775 kilometers or 94,502,962 miles away from our favorite life-giving ball of fire.
The Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical path, which means that there is one point on the path closest to the Sun and one point that is farthest away from the Sun.
And in case you were wondering: Aphelion: Earth is as far away from the sun as it ever gets. So why is it so hot?
(* edited because it’s July now, somehow; catch up, brain! And on a related “really far away from the Sun” note, we just watched Project Hail Mary and thoroughly enjoyed it:)
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Posted in Science! | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, aphelion, astronomy, Earth, science, sun | 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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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, all good things, Dolly Parton, quotes, Thoughts | 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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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, family, inspiration, lessons for living, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Happy 250th birthday, America!
How far have we come? There are a lot of answers to this question, but here I’d like to focus on what life used to be like in the 18th century.
Life in 1776 — Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress
Step back in time and explore the world of 1776. The features below offer a fascinating journey into the daily lives, culture, and events that shaped this era. Uncover the rich tapestry of life in 1776 and gain a deeper understanding of the foundations of our modern world.
For a (somewhat more recent) perspective on America’s evolution, journalist Derek Thompson takes a look back at what America was like a hundred years ago through the lens of a detailed report trying to capture history for future benefit (with excellent charts and graphs).
What a Forgotten 100-Year-Old Government Report Says About Who We Are
The document is almost entirely forgotten. But today, for America’s 250th birthday, I’m blowing the cobwebs off this sucker and taking readers inside its yellowed pages for a look back at what life was like in the U.S. exactly 100 years ago, when the U.S. was celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary.
In many fundamental ways, we’ve come a long way. What will the next 250 years bring, and what will we need to bring to it?
“We must dare to be great; and we must realize that greatness is the fruit of toil and sacrifice and high courage.” —Theodore Roosevelt
Here’s to our courageous future.
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Posted in Holidays | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, America, Fourth of July, inspiration, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Can you really survive on Mars? What science fiction gets wrong about off-world living | Space
Arnie said, “Get your ass to Mars”, but is it really a good idea? We asked the experts about our Martian future.
How likely is it that humanity will be able to live and thrive on Mars? Short answer, no. Longer answer? Still no! Doesn’t mean we can’t dream of new and exciting vistas in our future, though!
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Posted in Science!, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, inspiration, Mars, science, space exploration, Thoughts, Writers, writing | 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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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, future, hope, Motivation, perspective, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind. — John Diefenbaker
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Posted in Holidays | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Canada Day, freedom, o canada, Thoughts | 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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Posted in Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, dangers, nature isn't always nice, preventatives, summer, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
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