What I love, learn, and lose time in: Explorations that grow deeper with attention — from layered gardens to open itineraries, tangled family trees to quiet fascinations.
This is the most expansive category now: gardening, genealogy, travel, photography, creative projects — essentially any curiosity-driven hobby or exploration. It gives you room to grow without adding new categories.
Not a Blueprint — A Feeling I think about flower beds the way some people think about paintings. Not in the sense of perfect symmetry or high drama, more like mood, rhythm, and cohesion. I want a space that feels intentional without feeling overworked. A place where your eyes can land, then wander. Where things […]
Garden Like an Impressionist: If Monet Had a Hose (and a Spreadsheet) Read More »
A Garden Meant for the In-Between Year I have always been the kind of person who plants a garden before the last moving box is unpacked. It is my way of learning a place, a small act of settling before the routines of life catch up. When we moved into this house, though, I stepped
How a Community Garden Plot Helped Me Understand the Value of Temporary Structure Read More »
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, a kind of moving meditation. I knew why I was doing it, to rest the soil, to feed
Groundcover as Connection: Notes on Self-Sustaining Systems Read More »
A Familiar Practice, Seen Anew I wasn’t looking for a shortcut. I was looking for a way to think faster. After a year of watching the yard wake and fade, I already knew its temperament: where the water pooled, which corners baked dry, what the rabbits liked best. What I needed was a way to
The Digital Gardener: Companionship, Not Control Read More »
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 seedling. That’s not my gardening approach. I’m out there in boots, bent over pulling on some weed or other, sweaty — far
My Gardening Approach: Not Exactly Barefoot in the Garden Read More »
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, but on a tree? That was new. Google Lens told me it was a mulberry, but
The Best Gardening Resources You Might Be Overlooking Read More »
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 planning, you’ll quickly learn the dynamics of the group shape every detail. Planning a trip for a
Planning for People, Not Just Places Read More »
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 a few weeks, I’ll be on my way to Alaska for my very first cruise. It’s a trip that combines
Anticipating Alaska: Thoughts Before My First Cruise Read More »
On planning with precision, managing with intention, and still leaving space to wander. Let’s Be Clear: I’m Not a Pro, Just a Planner I’m not a travel agent. I don’t get commissions from tour companies or free upgrades from airlines, and I’m not paid by hotels or airlines to send guests their way. I’m not
I’m Not a Travel Agent (But I Plan Like One) Read More »
Vegas is a city of dazzling extremes, but if your experience never leaves the Strip, you’re missing its soul. We found it on a Vegas Arts District pub crawl, a walkable afternoon filled with good beer, great vibes, and a neighborhood that surprised us at every turn. Our Crawl: A Plan Brewed Around Able Baker
Vegas Arts District Pub Crawl: Your Walkable Afternoon of Good Beer & Great Vibes Read More »
