I’m sure you’ve heard this comment, or perhaps even said something like it yourself: “Why are you being so defensive?” This is normally said in a way that makes it very clear that defensiveness is a bad thing. I want to know why defensiveness is so awful. If someone is being a jerkface to you, what’s wrong with defending yourself? I asked my husband this question tonight. He said, “There’s nothing wrong with being defensive. Usually, the…
Olio: a miscellaneous collection of things Here are a few online items I’ve found intriguing lately. The Power of the Long Walk from 99u – Walking is definitely one of my go-to activities for creative thought. I walk twice a day with Doggle Woggle and while helpful, they’re not really long enough for creative musing. It doesn’t help that I have to be ever watchful lest the dog see a squirrel or freak out about…
The peonies have been blooming in central Minnesota. When I see peonies in bloom, I think of ants. My mom told me that ants are needed to open peony flowers. How cool! A symbiotic relationship, like little sucker fish on bigger fish. But, it’s not necessarily true. A little online research on a couple of websites (peonies.org and Iowa State University Extension) featuring an early-style web layout (which certainly helps date them) shows that peonies…