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.

A pigeon peering through a rusted circular metal frame — symbolizing the pigeonhole paradox of being confined by others’ perceptions.
The Pigeonhole Paradox
Part of the “Why and How I Started a Blog” series. I remember my dad talking about the many hats my Grandpa Munks had worn over the years: postman, landlord, cattleman, and many more. It wasn’t mockery....
Colored pencil resting on a spreadsheet—symbolizing why I start with a spreadsheet for planning clarity.
How I Bring Order to Chaos (Hint: It’s a Spreadsheet)
Part One of the Planning as Invitation series – stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. When something new lands on my plate, whether it is a trip, a home project,...
Woman kneeling in structured vegetable garden, wearing gloves and a sunhat, tending the soil — representing a practical, structured gardening approach.
My Gardening Approach: Not Exactly Barefoot in the Garden
A structured gardening approach to dirt, blooms, and the occasional rabbit emergency I know the type — barefoot in the garden, flowing dress, maybe sipping herbal tea while gently patting soil around a...
How to start a blog – flatlay with pink flowers, open notebook, and coffee cup on a white desk
How to Start a Blog: Planning, Personalizing, and Publishing
More Than Just “Pick a Platform” Starting a blog is often painted as a quick-and-easy task: pick a platform, choose a name, start writing. But for me, how to start a blog wasn’t just a checklist....
Whiteboard filled with scribbles and a lightbulb sketch held up with the text “The Whiteboard Squirrel Manifesto” overlaid
The Whiteboard Squirrel Manifesto - A Blog Without a Niche
Part of the “Why and How I Started a Blog” series. Where This Blog Really Started This blog didn’t start with a niche. It was always meant to be a blog without one. It started with a brain that wouldn’t...
A soft-focus photo of a monthly calendar, representing building a blog post queue and planning ahead with breathing room
Why I Need a Blog Post Queue (and Maybe You Do Too)
Let me start with a confession: I haven’t posted a single thing on this blog yet, even though I’ve been building a blog post queue for months. Not because I haven’t been working. Quite the opposite. I...
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Built on frameworks, fueled by real life, and always open to being re-sorted.