Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts on September 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »
I recently sent a note to someone that ended with these lines, and I thought it might be nice to share.
We’re all unique collations of time and place, our essence just the latest collaboration of elements that have formed and reformed time and again, star stuff reshaped from single-cell amoebas to a pterodactyl flying high above an unnamed sea to a hominid spraying paint against a cave wall to Leonardo to you.
And you are special.
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Posted in Entertainment, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, advice, knowledge, Thoughts on September 13, 2025| 2 Comments »
This is excellent:
Need advice? Call these older folks for tips on love, dating and moose hunting
You can call 204-788-8060 and hear prerecorded messages from the residents on various topics. Press 1 for Carl’s advice on following your dreams. Press 3 for Randy’s wisdom on how to grow in new ways (he joined some clubs and got a girlfriend). Press 4 for guidance on surviving Winnipeg winters (if possible, don’t be there). Press 0 for Cheryl’s tips on being true to yourself (“it’s you who has to live with yourself later”).
In related “older people are awesome” news, The Thursday Murder Club movie was fun, recommend.
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, inspiration, life, persist, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Awful first drafts are fine—Agree with this. If you don’t finish something, you’ll never get in the game. Just quell the voice in your head that says “Are you kidding? No one is going to want to read this drivel” and keep on going.”
― Jamie Freveletti
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Posted in Other, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, space, Thoughts on September 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Because some days it’s helpful to remember that even the biggest challenges are literally small.
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Posted in Entertainment, Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Canada, creativity, inspiration, mystery, Thoughts, treasure hunt on September 10, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Are you a fan of puzzles, or mysteries, secrets or treasure? Then perhaps you will be interested to hear about the latest in a tradition of hidden treasure games like The Secret:
A $1 million treasure hunt is underway in Canadian wilderness | Popular Science
An actual treasure chest filled with around $1 million in gold coins is hidden somewhere in Canada. However, the mystery isn’t tied to a centuries’ old pirate bounty or unsolved bank heist, however. These riches were instead intentionally hidden by a mining consortium to celebrate the country’s “rich mining heritage and spirit of adventure.”
The clues are presented in the form of a 13-stanza poem. Have I already asked AI for its opinion on this poem? Maybe. Is it fun that one of the top contenders for the secret stash spot is a place I go to on the regular? It is! And while I doubt that I’ll spend much more time on this, it’s an entertaining idea.
(Speaking of entertaining, I expect that Josh Gates, TV host, explorer, and aficionado of similar puzzle/treasure hunts, will be doing a show on this at some point.)
Because this game is sponsored by a Canadian mining company, the winner will have to be a Canadian citizen to claim the prize.* Sorry (not sorry)!
You have until the end of 2026 to find it.
If nothing else, it’s a fun boost for poetry and a good excuse to get out in nature (explore responsibly, folks!).
Regardless, the hunt is on!
* Although what’s to stop someone from finding it, enlisting a Canadian to cash in the prize, then becoming enmeshed in a sea of ever-shifting lies and betrayals as each party battles to claim the full amount, opening up endless avenues for dramatic retellings and fictionalized accounts? Why, nothing!
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers on September 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Theresa
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, life, mental-health, Mondays, nature, take a break, Thoughts, work, Writers, writing on September 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Poor Monday. It gets a bad rap not because of what it is, but what we have made it. The first day of another round of school or work, forced to carry the weight of expectations, regrets and often just plain exhaustion.
It’s not Monday’s fault, it’s ours.
How can we do better?
By making sure that we are doing our best to stay sensible, as in balanced but also as in aware. For me, that usually means going outside.
I’m an introverted reader/writer type, so you know I think that being inside is great. There are comfy chairs and cuddly kitties and good books inside. There are mugs of hot chocolate and fun recipes and cake inside. But I always enjoy those things more when I’ve been out in nature.
This weekend Mr Man and I discovered two new hiking spots and had a great time out in the woods.
We had dinner with friends. They gave me a fun new mug that captured a lot of what I wanted to say about the weekend.
Sometimes it’s okay to take time off. And sometimes a break is more helpful than trying to power through and keep working.
Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should.
So I try to take a little time when possible, even if it’s a quick walk after lunch or remembering something transformative, like looking up at the stars and realizing that someone out there may be looking up at me too, or standing on the edge of a live volcano (Hawaiian, not Icelandic; stay safe, people!).
Then when I head back to work, even on a Monday, I’m better for it.
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, art, creativity, history, inspiration, painting, Renaissance, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 6, 2025| Leave a Comment »
One of the best ways to understand art and think about developing your own abilities is to study those who came before. That applies to writers, musicians, painters and more. I’m going to go out on a pretty short limb and say that every master crafter out there had a “see Spot run” or “macaroni and string” phase.
The problem is that we don’t see that, we see their masterpieces. And that can be inspiring but also discouraging. How did they make the leap from macaroni to the Mona Lisa*?
That’s an excellent if somewhat off-base question. Because for most artists, that transition isn’t a leap at all. It’s more of a journey, and anyone can go on one of those. (Consider how often you hear someone being called an overnight success, and they laugh and say, “Yeah, but it took years.”)
Here’s an example from the art world.
Raphael is now considered one of the three great masters from the High Renaissance. (Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo being the other two, so he had a high bar to reach. My point is that he didn’t start out at the top.)
Where did he begin, how did he improve, and what lessons does his progress give to aspiring artists out there?
How Raphael Became A Master – YouTube
This video provides an in-depth look at the what, when and how of it all. Hopefully it can also provide some encouragement to anyone working to improve, regardless of their art form.
And while it’s true that talent helps and that there are child prodigies out there (looking at you, Mozart!), most who achieve excellence do it exactly the way you are doing it: setting goals, studying what works, and practice, practice, practice.
* A note on the title: I know that the Mona Lisa was Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, and Raphael painted a lot of Madonnas, but given that titling this piece “From Macaroni to Madonna” seemed more likely to evoke ’80s pop music rather than classical art, I went with this instead. (Although to be honest, I’m feeling a little bad about this decision and may change it later!)
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, bravery, creativity, persistence, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »
“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”
— Mary Tyler Moore
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Posted in Other, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, Thoughts, Writers, writing on September 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »
Have I posted this before? Don’t think so, but even if I have, it’s worth posting again.
“Yell. Jump. Play. Out-run those sons-of-bitches. They’ll never live the way you live. Go do it.”
― Ray Bradbury
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J.R. Johnson 
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