Prompt #41 — Sleep — I’ve always been a morning person, even years ago when I could still occasionally sleep late. There’s something new, fresh, and uplifting about knowing the whole day is ahead of you. I’m most productive in the morning, especially after a refreshing night of quality sleep. But all too often, deep…

It’s easy yet transformative — What if I told you there was something that turns you into a serene, peaceful soul? And requires no travel or physical energy? You’d probably say it’s impossible or must be too expensive. Well, it’s neither. It’s the opposite of impossible. It doesn’t require anything beyond an internet connection. …

Why I hike in the gloom — Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m a sun worshipper and probably suffer from at least some form of seasonal affective disorder. It’s not as bad anymore, but for many years, it made me feel physically ill to be inside on a beautiful sunny spring, summer, or fall day…

and still, not enough people care — It smells smoky more often than not here in eastern Iowa where I live, and we don’t even have any alpine forests. Europe is experiencing unprecedented wild fires, and Maui, HI is literally on fire. …

And this is not about my short, underwhelming stint on the school track team — A lot of the milestones most people associate with life success aren’t important to me. I don’t need to be married (although for many years, I thought I did). I don’t long to be a grandmother. …

even as wages increased faster than inflation Unemployment is at a 50-year low, inflation is at the lowest point since the pandemic, and buying power is at the highest point in two years. …

a court sport like no other In 2022, I joined more than 36.5 million other Americans playing pickleball. It’s the fastest growing sport in the country, especially among older people. To me, it’s the best of both worlds. I’ve enjoyed tennis for most of my life. My biggest problem with…

Seeing a squirrel feel safe enough to come up on my deck made me cry. — One of my friends’ mom died the other day. Another lost her 50-year-old husband to cancer last year. My parents have been gone for years. It can be sad getting to that age where loss of loved ones becomes more common. …

It’s no longer acceptable to stay neutral on guns Nothing is more infuriating than to watch slaughter by mass shooting hit 226 in the middle of May. That averages to about 1.66, or almost two per day. Equally maddening is the almost 3000 unintentional shootings, in a five-year-span, by children…