Finally, finally, it is gardening time in Michigan. After the long cold winter, I love seeing things become green again. On one side of our back yard, too tree-covered for anything but shade-loving plants, perennial hostas and ferns appear like springtime magic. Behind the house is a small woodlot, created by the city as a … Continue reading
Recently, I’ve been spending time with a four-year-old scientist. Her imagination and curiosity, combined with her mom’s dedication to presenting her with accurate information, has resulted in all manner of interesting conversations about insect body parts, endo- and exoskeletons, how my petunias might be feeling about being planted, and which fish could enjoy playing together. … Continue reading
I know that people research almost anything. Years ago, when I was on a university committee to evaluate applications for sabbaticals and internal research grants, I was surprised and delighted at the variety of things our faculty were studying. Your sabbatical has to coincide with the migration patterns of Central American spiders? Sure, no problem. … Continue reading
Has the pandemic time allowed you the chance to be creative? For some folks, I know, the pressures of children at home, school at home, work at home, every minute at home have left no time for anything but survival. For others of us, at different stages of life, the time at home has left … Continue reading
I’m back! I know there is a small-but-loyal following for this blog, and perhaps some of you noticed my being AWOL the last few months. Truth is, I’ve been so busy writing that managing a blog, too, was more than I could do. I just finished the manuscript for the 7th edition of Creativity in … Continue reading
I love it when I find a website that really makes me think. I did that this week, with the site for the Global Oneness Project. The Global Oneness Project says its goal is to “to plant seeds of empathy, resilience, and a sacred relationship to our planet” through the power of stories. Their stories … Continue reading
If you haven’t yet seen Mark Rober’s wildly viral How to See Germs Spread video, you should. In fact, stop reading and go watch it right now. The clear demonstration of how germs spread from surface to surface is disconcerting, to say the least, but also clear and easy for young people to understand. Wonder … Continue reading
In a New York Times opinion column this fall, Larry Smith, founder and editor of Smith Magazine, suggested that his six-word memoir format is a good one for recording our pandemic times. I agree. Six-word memoirs are exactly what they sound like, an expression of a memory or a moment in time, limited to six … Continue reading
Thanksgiving is going to be different this year. In the midst of a spreading pandemic, many of us will be missing holiday traditions and large family gatherings to stay safely at home. As we do, we’ll be trying to figure out how we can connect virtually and—if we are creative—perhaps invent new and valuable traditions. … Continue reading
We have a squirrel-proof bird feeder in our yard. We’ve had it for years and it really is quite effective at keeping squirrels out of the bird seed. The seed is protected by a weighted bar. A bird can sit on the bar and eat happily, but if a heavier animal tries to do the … Continue reading
