Recently I visited the National Portrait Gallery – located across the street from the Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Capitals, 2018 Stanley Cup champions. The gallery tour was thoroughly enjoyable. Probably the presidential portraits are the most famous collection. It was interesting to note how the artistic styles have changed over the centuries. [...]
This summer I saw several structures that shared a similar purpose. The lighthouses, the lamp, the fish weathervane and the clock tower all support navigation in some form either on land or water. And the Northwestern University clock tower assists students navigating through time. These structures were built to ensure safety. External navigation has always [...]
When you are driving eastbound on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76/I-70) and wish to continue east on Interstate 70 towards Baltimore, you must exit, pay your toll, and drive through several red lights before turning left that takes you eastbound to Maryland. And at that point you have seen Breezewood, PA – fast food, some lodging, [...]
The state stone of Michigan is the Petoskey Stone. It’s actually bits of fossilized coral – remnants of a giant reef of coral that thrived during the Devonian Period (about 400 million years ago). I’ve been searching for these rocks along the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan since I was a child. As you can [...]
What a special memory. I watched these 5 year-olds express wonder and excitement at the beginning of the 4th of July fireworks over Glen Lake, Michigan. They were dazzled by the display. Hopefully, the beginning of a life time of dazzling experiences. I got to thinking about the word “dazzle”. Like the fireworks above, it [...]
Ikigai is a Japanese word that translates to “a sense of life” or “a reason for being” or “a reason for living.” For some this means following your passions. However, it’s deeper than simply following what lights you up. It is a healthy passion that gets you going every morning. Your Ikigai must be sustainable. [...]
I learned a new word today – HEURISTIC. A co-worker used heuristic in a sentence. Sadly, I don’t remember his point, but I did write the word down on my notepad. Then I went to the dictionary. Merriam Webster defined HEURISTIC as “using experience to learn and improve.” Using our experiences to learn and improve. [...]
When searching for truth and wisdom, many seek to study with sages. Some will seek solitude and contemplate the universe. I, on the other hand, am likely to just twist open a bottle of a Diet Peach Snapple. Under each bottle cap is a “Real Fact”. I find them interesting. Recently, I chanced upon “Real [...]
Want to be happy? Consider asking a Dane. Afterall, Denmark is considered one of the happiest countries in the world. And these very happy people have a practice for surviving their long, cold winters. They call it “hygge” (pronounced HOO-GUH). What is hygge? According to Visit Denmark, hygge is “a feeling, an experience, a sensation. [...]
Who knew that I would get out of my comfort zone by wearing comfortable shoes. I have discovered the blissful comfort of Haflingers. This is a German brand with boiled wool tops and cork soles and fabulous instep support. Currently I am the proud owner of four pairs, as pictured. For years, I’ve worn these [...]
