Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #WillMissTheColorGreen, astronomy, equinox, fall, inspiration, Thoughts, yay on September 22, 2021| 2 Comments »
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the Autumnal Equinox. I’ll miss the sun and sandals and the color green, but think of what we get in return: bright leaves, harvest time, crisp blue skies, walks in the woods, evenings with books and hot chocolate by the fire.
(And it’s not like we have a choice so we might as well make the most of it;)
Welcome to Fall!
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Posted in Funny, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #BizBuzz, #istheresuchathingasnegativeinspiration, ramen, silliness, Thoughts on September 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »
To Whom It May Concern,
Enclosed please find an updated version (below) of my recently-submitted action matrix. I am happy to report that it encapsulated a number of actionable tasks, and allowed me to pivot in order to capture value from low-hanging fruit, as well as formulate a plan to circle back for future forward-facing goal-setting opportunities while absorbing a number of critical learnings.
Translation: some stuff was done, some stuff was not done. I might get to it later, but yeah, that’s not happening now. Now it’s time for lunch!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, family, J.R.R. Tolkien, quotes, remembrance, Thoughts on September 20, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have beenOf yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hairI sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever seeFor still there are so many things
That I have never seen
In every wood in every spring
There is a different greenI sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never knowBut all the while I sit and think
― J.R.R. Tolkien
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door
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Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Affinity Photo, creativity, harry potter, patronus, things with wings, yay on September 19, 2021| Leave a Comment »
If you are familiar with Harry Potter then you know what a patronus is. (If not, check out this explainer.) I like the books and the concept, but also the imagery. So I decided to see if I could work out how to do the glowing-semi-translucent-super-cool-flying-animal effect in Affinity Photo.
I used a modified version of this Photoshop tutorial, and while the instructions don’t exactly translate to Affinity it was close enough to get me in the ballpark.
And of course now all I can see are the bits I’d like to change,* but isn’t that always the way? Next time!
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* Seriously, those wings are way too small. It’s so weird that a mythical Greek creature swapped into a magical wizarding world refuses to obey the laws of physics.
Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, cooking, elves, home, inspiration, yay on September 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »
One of our neighbors has a decades-old grape vine that is both enthusiastic and agile, and it has branched out to surround our shared yards, three fences, and at least two trees. It is also a prolific producer of grapes. Wildlife like them, but sometimes too much. Last year we were a hit with wasps, which I could have done without.
This year, hot off the pick-your-own fruit farm, I decided to try a bit of juicing.
Grapes + Instant Pot == juice, and it’s dark purple and dang tasty.
I should have used a higher grape-to-water ratio, but didn’t want to waste the fruit if the recipe was a dud. The juice is just about sweet enough to drink straight and tastes of minerals and a fall afternoon. I suspect these grapes would make fantastic wine.
Have I discovered one of the long-lost vines behind the prized vintages of the Elven Court in Exile?
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Affinity Photo, creativity, imagination, inspiration, photo compositing, Thoughts, tutorials, whales on September 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I’m having fun crossing things off my list, like juicing my backyard grapes and mowing. I also spent some time with a compositing tutorial, and made this image as a reminder that the world is often deeper and more astonishing than meets the eye.
Plus, whales are cool.
Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, inspiration, lists, optimism, Thoughts, Writers on September 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »
This is my (non-day job related) To Do List Action Matrix (sounds very official, amirite?)
Not the complete list, you understand, but a selection of the items I am most likely to tackle in the next few days.
He he. Let’s see how far I get, shall we?
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, climate change, creativity, inspiration, lawns, pollinators, Thoughts on September 15, 2021| Leave a Comment »
A storm rolled through last night.
I’ve always loved good thunder and lightning, but this was next level. As I listened to the rumbles like drums and watched bolts of energy streak through the sky, I thought a bit about Mother Nature, and how we often seem to be playing catch-up.
When it’s wet, find a nice cave for shelter. If it’s cold, master fire. If it floods, head for high ground until the water recedes.
I’m oversimplifying, of course, but our instincts, and now our infrastructure and our policies, often seem static or reactive. Particularly in times of great change.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get ahead of the curve?
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Take pollinators, for example. (You knew I’d get to that at some point, didn’t you?)
In the US and Canada, my home turf, communities are full of bylaws governing what you can and can’t do with property in the communal sphere. It’s your land, but you probably aren’t allowed to grow a towering oak directly under a power line or leave rusting car parts by the sidewalk as a tetanus reservoir for children and dogs.
That all seems reasonable, and on the side of the greater good. But what about redefining “good” to include not just aesthetically pleasing symbols of European aristocracy in a bygone era (a.k.a. close-cropped grass lawns), but also what we all need for a healthy and successful future?
Take this gentleman as an example:
Kansas City Man’s Plea For Native Flower Justice Unites Gardeners Around The World
He did what scientists and ecologists around the world are encouraging, and turned his yard into a pollinator paradise. My hat is off to him. But the city reacted by telling him to cut it down because it violated city code. I would argue that this is because they are operating on an outdated definition of what’s “good.”
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A recent survey asked teens how they felt about the job their elders are doing on climate, and the results were both predictable and cause for a bit of reflection. The kids are deeply disappointed, and they have reason. The good news is that many members of “Generation Greta” aren’t waiting around.
That’s not to say that nothing has changed. Solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines, the push for accountability down the supply chain, all good things. Even so, many of our current policies remain stuck in the past. We’re on the right path but we’re not going fast enough. And not everyone is moving in the same direction.
It’s time for the sort of thinking at which writers and creatives (and teenagers) excel: new ideas, new approaches, and a reimagining of what we can do now, even in the face of current challenges.
Even if it’s something as small as what grows in your front yard.
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As I sat there last night in my cave, rain and thunder all around, I realized that our definitions aren’t all that will matter in the end.
And that it’s always smart to stay on Mother Nature’s good side.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, #avoidingdisaster, work on September 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »
It’s Tuesday and I’m balancing multiple project deadlines, staying one step ahead of potential disaster (much like this aerial acrobat, but with a tad less flexibility)!
Hope you are too:)
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers on September 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »
J.R. Johnson 
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