Things I'm Thinking About

Exploring how structure takes shape in everyday experiences and quiet realizations

Our original name for the blog was Can I Just Build a Spreadsheet First because that is how I organize my thoughts. It is something of a personal mantra, and because I actually hear myself say it out loud when I need to make sense of something, it became the natural starting point for capturing ideas that needed a place to land.

 

With time, I realized the spreadsheet is not the structure itself. It is the foundation that lets structure take shape. It is where ideas begin to sort and stretch, connecting and reshaping until they start to build on one another. What grew from that process, the space where those connections continue to evolve into something larger and more layered, was always present. Now it simply has its place at the front.

Welcome to Things I Am Thinking About.

Wooden hourglass with blue sand on a desk beside notebooks and a pen, symbolizing reflection and the time it takes to explain.
In Defense of Explanation
Part of the series: Why and How I Started a Blog Another uninvited thought spiral, dropped here for safekeeping. This one’s about the art of explanation, why we stopped doing it, and what we’ve lost by...
A cross-section of soil showing roots and soft light threads representing self-sustaining systems that connect structure, care, and renewal.
Groundcover as Connection: Notes on Self-Sustaining Systems
Scattering the First Seeds I was in the garden scattering seed for a fall cover crop, a mix of buckwheat across the long flower bed that had worked hard all season. The motion was steady and familiar,...
Cover of the book “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt featuring a girl in a yellow ball pit looking at a phone
Book Preview: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Book Snapshot I first learned about The Anxious Generation when Jonathan Haidt appeared on the Art of Charm podcast. His way of breaking down how societal shifts ripple into parenting decisions—and ultimately...
Scrabble tiles scattered across a wooden table with the letters A and I placed together in the center, representing AI prompt fluency and the art of structured language.
Prompt Hack vs. Real Life Layering
I love a good prompt trick as much as the next person. The right phrase at the right time feels like magic. A clever format that gets an AI to deliver exactly what you hoped for? Gold star. But clever...
Cruise ships docked in Juneau, Alaska with mountains and forest in the background — first Alaska cruise.
Anticipating Alaska: Thoughts Before My First Cruise
There’s a special kind of joy in looking ahead to a trip you’ve been waiting for, knowing the suitcases aren’t packed yet, the lists are still scattered, but the countdown has truly begun. In just...
Stack of vintage letters tied with twine beside an old photograph, symbolizing intentional, personal communication and the art of rethinking newsletters.
Rethinking the Newsletter in the Age of TL;DR
Part of the series: Why and How I Started a Blog We used to love newsletters, didn’t we? The rhythm of sending updates, sharing a few ideas, maybe slipping in a photo or a link that made us smile. They...
Hand coloring a cookbook cover with crayons, symbolizing community teamwork and planning with heart.
Planning with Heart: Fundraising, Friendship, and Finding the Framework
Planning with Heart: Fundraising, Friendship, and Finding the Framework Part Four of the Planning as Invitation series – stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. The...
Close-up of mulberries ripening on a tree branch — a reminder that the best gardening resources often start locally.
The Best Gardening Resources You Might Be Overlooking
The first year we lived in this home, we noticed a tree in the yard dropping berries. A tree with berries. What? I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where berries are everywhere, I am no stranger to them,...
Two digital heads facing each other above a smartphone, one with circuit lines for AI and one in warm tones for human thought, connected by chat bubbles — symbolizing plain language AI prompts.
Plain Language AI Prompts: The Human Side of Talking to AI
Plain Words, Better Prompts When I talk with people, I rarely use crisp, binary language. I soften things, leave space for interpretation, and expect them to fill in a bit of the meaning. That is part...
A group of travelers sitting arm in arm at the edge of the water, symbolizing connection and group travel planning.
Planning for People, Not Just Places
Most travel advice starts with where to go and what to pack. But if you’re planning for more than just yourself, the who might matter even more than the where. If you’re doing any kind of group travel...
A vintage brass alarm clock beside stacked notebooks with seedlings sprouting from the pages, set against a soft garden background. Symbolizes the slow, organic process of scaling a blog.
Scaling the Blog, Keeping the Thread
Part of the “Why and How I Started a Blog” sequence. It starts with a blog. But then your brain whispers: “What about a YouTube channel?” “Should I post this to TikTok?” “Wait, do I need a newsletter...
Vintage computers on display, representing early exposure to technology and the beginnings of turning ambiguity into structure.
Turning Ambiguity into Structure – How a Jazz-Lounge Professor and an Early Spreadsheet Program Changed Everything I Knew About Clarity
Part Three of the Planning as Invitation series – stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. I have always loved puzzles, especially the numerical ones. Math made sense...
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Built on frameworks, fueled by real life, and always open to being re-sorted.