Currently browsing tag

Gardening

Walter and Clyde

21 Goals for 2021

When I wrote my “20 Goals for 2020” last New Year’s day, I had no idea how prescient some of my plans …

Book advance

20 goals for 2020

Amid the debates about whether we’re starting a new year or a new decade, I saw a Twitter thread last week about …

The definition of magenta

Happy Saturday, all! “Where flowers bloom, so does hope” –Lady Bird Johnson xoxo, shawna NaBloPoMo May 2015 May 1– To selfie or not …

Sun lovers

It felt like a near-death experience. Me. Turbo kickboxing after eight months away. Burning chest, raspy breathing, nausea. And my chipper instructor …

Flowers in a drought

Despite the blessedly beautiful storm clouds covering my neighborhood right now, California is in a terribly, ugly, awful, persistent drought. Thinking about …

Fixing my tomato mistakes

There are few things I like better about summer than sweet, ripe tomatoes from the garden. In fact, I’ve cultivated quite the …

Spring, in full burst

Maybe it was too much Alice and Wonderland as a kid, but I can’t help anthropomorphizing flowers. Like this hydrangea, which looks …

That elusive quality of nature

“Time is that elusive quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once. Lately, it doesn’t seem to be working.” …

All the feels

Anger. Irritation. Sadness. Engagement. Chagrin. Satisfaction. Pride. Possibility. As a researcher, I’m interested in how emotion influences communication. When I’m angry, how …

Helping things grow

Sometimes, it’s literal–cultivating veggies and flowers. Often, it’s educational–helping students learn and expand their thinking. Frequently, it’s personal–generating ideas and new skills. …