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Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways’

We held two memorials this weekend, both opportunities to come together around happy memories and shared stories. It also got me thinking (in a positive way!) about what comes after—not in terms of heaven (or that other place) but how to live and the world you leave behind. 

Today is also Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in Canada, an ideal time to think about those who came before and what they did for their world, and ours.

Given that, this quote seemed like a good fit for today.

Decide what you would like your obituary to say and live the life to deserve it.  

— Warren Buffett

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“To become the shadow to defeat the shadow only extends the shadow’s reach and its reign. In one of the great ironies of our international moment, it appears that many of the people who’ve read “The Lord of the Rings” the most understand it the least. They perceive an emergency – a world in crisis – and grasp for the ring.

But Tolkien’s message is profoundly different. You must demonstrate courage to defend against evil, but to defeat it, you cannot rely on your own strength. It is to the “light and high beauty” that we must turn, even when we cannot see a way through.”

— David French

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“The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.”

— Henry James

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When I hear a story like “crown jewels stolen in brazen theft,” my first thought tends to be “Now what?” (Ok, my first thought was, wait, France still has crown jewels? And then the other thing.)

I have zero interest in actual theft, but you never know when this sort of information might come in handy for fiction. That’s where experts come in. Here’s a law professor and specialist in art crimes on that very subject.

You’ve just stolen a priceless artifact – what happens next?

The high-profile heist at the Louvre in Paris on Oct 19, 2025, played out like a scene from a Hollywood movie: a gang of thieves steal an assortment of dazzling royal jewels on display at one of the world’s most famous museums.

But with the authorities hot in pursuit, the robbers still have more work to do: How can they capitalize on their haul?

And here’s another professor on what might happen to this particular loot.

What will happen to the Louvre jewellery after the heist? There are two likely scenarios

The stolen jewellery includes well-known pieces that are easily recognisable. This will make it difficult, if not impossible, to sell them on the black market, even to well-heeled collectors and buyers.

(Oh, and given post-heist updates, I’d probably add “Don’t drop the loot and / or leave DNA behind” to this list of handy suggestions.)

Perhaps this will help you think about a (fictional!) story.

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“The closest thing we can get to a crystal ball is history.”

— Jennifer Lawrence

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Yours in Syzygy

Tonight, friends, we have yet another supermoon, the brightest of the year. This month is the Beaver Moon. 

The biggest, brightest Supermoon of 2025 rises Tuesday night – The Weather Network

Overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, November 4-5, the Sun, Earth, and Moon will align in syzygy, with the Earth-facing side of the Moon fully illuminated by the Sun.

So last night, tonight, and tomorrow all showcase the moon at its best. I don’t know about you, but I do not get tired of that big bright ball in the sky getting even bigger and brighter.

If you don’t either, look up!

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It’s Election Day in the US! Want to have a say in your community and its policies, in who represents you and for what? Voting is all this and more. 

Haven’t voted yet? There’s still lots of time. 

Need info on where or how to vote? These sites have you covered:

I Will Vote

VOTE411

And if you have additional questions or run into issues, there’s also this election protection hotline  (complete with memorable phone numbers!): 866ourvote.org

  • English 866-OUR-VOTE: 866-687-8683
  • Spanish/English 888-VE-Y-VOTA: 888-839-8682
  • Asian Languages/English 888-API-VOTE: 888-274-8683
  • Arabic/English 844-YALLA-US: 844-925-5287

Sally forth, citizens, and be heard!

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“The gifts you possess can lift you up or pull you down; it all depends on how you use them.”

— Arthur C. Brooks

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My office is filled with random yet interesting items. Maybe a color caught my eye, or a puzzle, or a map (or a bit of pottery, a magic wand, a decoder ring, a set of travel watercolors, or or or). All things that spark my creativity or capture an experience I want to remember.

For example: Mr Man and I had a special dinner a while back. 

Appetizer: mussels steamed with a great deal of garlic and a perfectly reasonable amount of white wine. 

Flavor: excellent. 

Bonus: an unexpected gift, the tiniest pearl I have ever seen. 

Taking a picture of it was a challenge, it’s that small.

I keep it in memory of that night. It’s worth nothing, and everything.

“But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods both.”

– John Steinbeck

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Today, a story by the excellent Arthur H. Manners. Dark, yes, but with a beautiful thread of hope.

Woodsong – Flash Fiction Online

It hit me last night, as a chorus of woodsong filled our hiding spot: we’re never getting out of here.

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