family health observations projects work in progress

Home Improvements Delayed by Pandemic

I’m blogging late today. Hubby and I have been sanding, priming, and Bondo-ing trim as part of our home improvement projects. The weather has been lovely today, so we’ve been able to work outside, which kept the dust mostly out of the house. As I was sanding trim with an orbital sander, I had plenty of time to consider blog topics. I want to talk about “My Fair Lady,” but after today’s work I don’t…

Continue reading

family health history

On Blogging as a Grandma

I officially became a grandmother this week. My daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Hubby and I are beyond excited and can’t wait to meet the baby. We’re going into a self-imposed quarantine, complete with Covid tests, for a couple of weeks in hopes that we’ll be healthy enough to visit without introducing anything into the household. We’ve already had both of our Covid shots (Pfizer, if you’re wondering). Due to the pandemic,…

Continue reading

family health

Pandemic Hair Gone and Other Related News

Pandemic Hair Last week marked the first anniversary of Minnesota going into a state of lock-down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Walz declared a state of emergency Friday, March 13, 2020, and businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits, including the museum I lead, started shutting down within the following week. After a year’s worth of following pandemic protocols, including masking, distancing, not gathering with our children or other relatives (except for Hubby’s mom, who needs…

Continue reading

design history pragmatic historian product packaging

Scented Toilet Paper, Pastel Toilet Paper

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were faced with a lockdown for several weeks, there was a run on toilet paper, paper towels, and facial tissue. Entire sections in stores where these were kept were empty. Strict limits were put on the number people could purchase at any given time. For months, there were gaps on the toilet paper shelves. Where there used to be several options for purchase, you were lucky if…

Continue reading

history observations pragmatic historian

Let’s Not Wait for History to Make Judgements

Throughout the four years of the Trump regime, as report after report came out about corrupt, unethical, possibly illegal, democratic-norm-breaking behavior, joined by an incessant number of lies, conspiracy theories, threats, and nasty comments, there has been a common refrain on Twitter. “History will not judge these individuals well.” As though merely pointing out how future people will look back on this time, shake their finger, and say, “Tsk, tsk,” and individuals currently engaging in…

Continue reading