#365Ways2026 | J.R. Johnson

Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways2026’

And So…*

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, Go Canada!, hockey, Olympics2026, Thoughts on February 22, 2026|

* Full post title: And so, for reasons completely and entirely related to the hockey game just played at a certain Italian ice rink, Mr Man and I are heading out into the woods in order to embrace the beauty that is inherent in Nature, and immerse ourselves in the glory and joy that is to be found in this great nation. Because we could use some calm right about now. (And could I have titled this post “Oh, Canada”? Yes, but I very much did not because this country punches way above its weight through sheer heart and vision and commitment (and insanely early hockey practice, let it be said!), and there is no way I’m trash-talking that.) So we didn’t get gold this year, and yeah, that stings. But we are winning where it counts. Go Canada!

“We have nothing to fear and a great deal to learn from trees, that vigorous and pacific tribe which without stint produces strengthening essences for us, soothing balms, and in whose gracious company we spend so many cool, silent, and intimate hours.” ― Marcel Proust

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People, Making a Difference

Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, birds, broken isn't always forever, inspiration, nature, people power, volunteering on February 21, 2026| Leave a Comment »

This story is so encouraging:

The Ordinary People Who Saved the Bluebird

There was a time when seeing a bluebird felt less like spotting a bird and more like witnessing a small miracle. But then, the Eastern bluebird population made a comeback. The hero?

A lot of volunteers — and an ordinary box.

Sure, we broke it. But now we’re fixing it, and that’s a story I think we all could use.

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So Much Life!

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, inspiration, Writers, writing on February 20, 2026| 2 Comments »

This was a fun article to stumble upon:

Tiny Memoir Contest Winners

We challenged teenagers to write a story about a meaningful moment in their lives in just 100 words. These are the subjects of some of the 14,232 “tiny memoir” submissions we received.

Teens do (nonfiction) drabbles. The New York Times called them miniature memoirs, but regardless, they are wonderful!

This reminds me of a book that my father gave to us all one Christmas, a lovely collection of poetry by children: Ten-Second Rainshowers: Poems by Young People.

The perspectives were touching and timeless, full of meaning, depth, joy and humor, much like these stories.

The Times chose 17 winners, but the detail I particularly like is that there were over 14,000 entries.

So much vision, so much thought. So much life!

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It Has Come To My Attention

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, blog, notes, technical issues on February 19, 2026| 1 Comment »

It has come to my attention that my site’s subscriber emails sometimes arrive with only parts of the post included, particularly when there are quotes involved. Sorry!

I’m not sure whether this is a WordPress thing, a “my theme on WordPress” thing, or what, but I do know that I don’t have a fix for it at the moment. At least without even more time in CustomerServiceLandia and/or overhauling my site, which, sure, I hope to get to… eventually.

Given that, if you are an email subscriber and posts look incomplete or otherwise wonky, please click through to the site for the full entry.

And enjoy!

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Can’t Stop Laughing, Though

Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, bad kitty bad!, baking, bread, Thoughts on February 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

An adventure:

“Hey, Self, we haven’t made bread in a while. Maybe it’s time.”

“Sure, sounds good. And while we’re at it, let’s play around with the rise. This sourdough levain looks great, let’s try using just that and a pinch of yeast and see where that takes us.”

“Terrific idea, Self!”

/hours pass

“So, this second rise is taking forever, right?”

“Indeed it is. Perhaps our fun and innovative exploration into alternative rise methodologies wasn’t a wise move after all.”

“True, true, but the fireplace is on, let’s see if raising the heat will help.”

/another hour passes with encouraging results

“This is working, we just need more heat. Let’s move the dough off the coffee table and snug it right up against the fireplace.”

“Excellent idea, Self. The cat’s super sacked out, what’s the worst that could happen?”

No, he’s not sorry.

/sigh, although in my defense, the dough was covered with several layers of tea towel plus plastic.

“Ok. So maybe not the best idea ever.”

“Not so much. Can’t stop laughing, though.”

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Happy Happy Holidays!

Posted in Holidays, tagged holidays, #365Ways, #365Ways2026 on February 17, 2026| Leave a Comment »

There are a lot of holidays happening today or starting this week, including some of the big ones: Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, Mardi Gras (and Lent), and Ramadan.

If I used AI casually I might ask it for an image of a fiery horse eating a beignet at an iftar meal, but instead I’ll just wish you all a wonderful week!

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Rays of Ravishing Light

Posted in Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, democracy, inspiration, President's Day, Thoughts on February 16, 2026| Leave a Comment »

“Yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of ravishing light and glory. I can see that the end is more than worth all the means. And that posterity will triumph in that day’s transaction…” ― John Adams

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Not Too Long & Not Too Short

Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, anthologies, creativity, inspiration, Kickstarter, Writers, writing on February 15, 2026| 4 Comments »

Here’s a quick notification for anyone interested in writing and publication venues and supporting a fun Kickstarter:

Missed-Fits: A Calendar of Fools Anthology by Storm Humbert

The idea for Missed-Fits is born of two central motivations at Calendar of Fools: the desire to create truly unique books and reading experiences for our readers, and the desire to provide a service or fill a gap we see in the professional short fiction space. In this case, the gap we saw was a relative dearth of stories of a certain length (1,200 to 2,100 words)…

I backed an earlier Calendar of Fools campaign and am happy to see that these anthologies are still going strong.

Given that I like books, often write stories that don’t fit traditional venue length requirements, and enjoy supporting artists, this is right up my alley.

Perhaps these are things you like too?

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It’s Playtime Time!

Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2026, stress-free fun, Thoughts, winter on February 14, 2026| Leave a Comment »

If there’s one thing I frequently excel at, it’s doing things badly. And I don’t mean this in a negative way.

I find something really enjoyable about just muddling through low-stakes activities, because for me at least, it’s clear that it’s all about fun. If it’s something I’ve never tried before, I’m not going to be great right off the bat. And I’m not there to win prizes, head off to the Olympics, or generally ratchet up expectations to the point of stress. It’s a temporary retreat to childhood with many of the perks and few of the perils.

For example, we’re going snowshoeing today and I fully expect to be terrible at it. And that’s okay!

With any luck, a good time will be had even as I fall, get snow in my mittens, and laugh hysterically while generally have a blast.

Here’s hoping you have a good day too!

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