So by now you probably know that I like to go all-in when I’m researching a new idea to write about here. When I read 80 Days to Elsewhere by KC Dyer it reminded me of a podcast I had listened to a year or so ago about two women who were racing around the…
Day 8 of the 20 Days of Me! They say you shouldn’t play favorites but sometimes I just can’t help it. It’s true. I may love all seasons (well, parts of all the seasons anyway 😂) but I do have a favorite. It may even be a cliche favorite but that’s okay because I…
Is life more extraordinary than we might realize at the time? Two friends, Gene Weingarten and Tom Schroder, came up with the idea for this book when Gene asked Tom, “I wonder what happened on May 17, 1957.” And so began the journey that ends with One Day: The Extraordinary Story of an Ordinary 24…
The Marvelous Thing That Came From a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation This book, written and illustrated by Gilbert Ford, is a delightful telling of how Richard James was inspired to create the Slinky toy. A mechanical engineer tasked with finding a way to cushion delicate machines aboard…
Have you ever wondered about the first cross-country road trip? Americans have driven millions of miles back and forth across the country over the years but someone had to be first. That someone was Horatio Nelson Jackson. I’ll admit, I hadn’t given it much thought myself despite my own epic road trip history. A picture…
“Magetsi a mphepo,” he whispered. I will build electric wind. I live a life of comfort in my upper middle class American home. I don’t worry about things like famines or poor sanitation. When I’m hungry I go to the store to buy whatever I want from the thousands of options. I eat,…
In the Mojave Desert, in a small town called Boron, you will find the Twenty Mule Team Museum. It’s not much to look at by big city standards but when you look a little closer you will see the love and dedication of a community that has preserved a bit of history and the way…
Death Valley is the hottest place on earth so definitely not where you would expect to see snow but I’ve been there twice in my life and I’ve seen snow both times. What’s the secret? Visit in the winter! Furnace Creek We checked in at the Furnace Creek visitor center (home to the famous…
I don’t know what it is about windmills, but whenever I see one of the old classic designs out on the prairie, I just want to stop and take a picture. There are a few windmill museums in the world and I’ve been lucky enough to visit one. So many windmills! Who knew there were…
It’s time for the next installment of 20 Days of Me! Today you will discover the truth about me. Am I a Messy Bessy or a Neat Nellie? If you know me in real life or if you follow me on Instagram (and especially in my Instagram stories) you probably already know the answer. …
Last summer I received a letter that had been carried by the Pony Express. And no, it hadn’t been lost for 158 years. Want to know what happened? Keep reading… The Pony Express is a well-known American mail delivery service of the early 1860s. A relay of young horseback riders rode non-stop at top…
Ali Pasha, the war hero, lived a life of quiet anonymity for 50 years. But in 1968, he was discovered and in 1986, his fame grew even more widespread. The headline read, “A Great War Survivor of Shot and Shell.” Who is Ali Pasha, you may be wondering. Well, to learn Ali’s story, we must…