Why I think the way I do: Essays, origin stories, memory-touched narratives, thoughtful first-person pieces.
All reflective essays, origin stories, lived experiences, “thinking it through” pieces, and personal narratives live here. This becomes the home for the storytelling core of your writing — the “how we got here” and “why it matters” pieces.
I learned a hard lesson during a cancer fundraiser years ago about sending information in a way people can actually use: having a plan is not enough if no one can see it. I was tracking everything in a spreadsheet, coordinating volunteers, and managing timelines. We were getting things done, but I had not made […]
Why I Send the Same Information Three Different Ways Read More »
This isn’t a single story. It’s a layered one, stitched together from a second-grade envelope notebook, Rainbow Girl cookbooks, college credit charts, Thanksgiving spreadsheets, and itinerary-filled welcome bags. What began as instinct eventually revealed itself as something deeper: a kind of planning as invitation, a way of thinking that welcomed others in. The Pattern I
Planning as Invitation: Structure, Care, and Shared Freedom Read More »
Part of the Origins of a Planner series. I am, unapologetically, an app junkie. I love discovering new tools and imagining they will be the magic fix that finally brings every system in my world into one perfect rhythm. I download, explore, test, and build, half for efficiency and half for curiosity. I like to
Comfort in the Familiar: Why Structure Frees Curiosity Read More »
Why My Brain Explodes When I Try to Find Calm I sat down today to get organized, or at least to start organizing a scattered mind. That was the plan. What actually happened was something closer to setting off fireworks in my own head. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the amount of work. It was the
The Chaos of Organizing a Scattered Mind Read More »
Part Five of the Planning as Invitation series — stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. The Politeness Loop There’s a funny thing that happens when you bring thoughtful people together. They’re kind, considerate, and careful not to step on each other’s toes. No one wants to seem demanding. Everyone
Structured Hospitality: Why the Best Plans Feel Like Invitations Read More »
Part Four of the Planning as Invitation series — stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. The Cookbook That Changed Everything During my years in Rainbow Girls, a Masonic youth organization with a formal leadership progression, I held several officer roles. But it was the Office of Charity that changed
Planning with Heart: Fundraising, Friendship, and Finding the Framework Read More »
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 to me. It was logical, solvable, and deeply satisfying. I was good at it, often working ahead of the class. So when
Part Two of the Planning as Invitation series — stories that trace how structure evolved from instinct to intention to care. If you looked at my folders today — digital spreadsheets, color-coded itineraries, pre-trip newsletters, and layered Word documents — you might assume I have always had intentional planning habits. Everything has a place, a
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 shut off. I wasn’t trying to go viral or sell anything. I simply needed a place to document the unglamorous stuff, the way I think things
The Whiteboard Squirrel Manifesto: A Blog Without a Niche Read More »
