Tag Archives: Wonder

Stars and Birds!

Last night, Heath and I attended Dark Skies & Deep Space: Andromeda Rising, hosted by the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department. The skies were clear, and the stars slowly came out for us to enjoy. Spencer, a City of Boulder Ranger, used a laser beam to point out different constellations in the sky. My favorite was the Summer Triangle, mostly because I had never heard of it before!

A constellation diagram of three stars forming a triangle.

Image from the NASA website

Spencer also posed an interesting question after discussing the history of naming the constellations: If we were to create new constellations today, what popular culture would be represented in our night skies?

Some of the answers were fun and funny, such as a chat window of a Microsoft Teams meeting or Spider-Man. My first answer was, of course, a dog, because I love them so much. But we already have dog constellations, so I didn’t share that answer.

Then I thought of the perfect answer, and I yelled it out: Dolly Parton.

Spencer responded, “That answer deserves a round of applause.”

I have since Googled “how does one name a constellation,” because I wondered if I could start a petition to get a constellation named after one of the greatest musicians, feminists, and philanthropists of all time. From my scant research, naming a constellation isn’t up for discussion. The International Astronomical Union does not accept proposals for new constellations or sell naming rights (anyone who is selling you a star is essentially selling you a piece of paper and nothing else).

Oh, well.

I’ll have to think of another way to honor Dolly Parton. In the meantime, I’ve decided that anytime I think of a current event that raises my ire, I’m going to say out loud, “Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library have given over 330 million books to children,” to add more positivity to the world.

But back to the night skies – one thing I learned from a Dark Skies Colorado volunteer is that last night in Boulder County, over ONE MILLION birds migrated through the night sky.

ONE MILLION!

The volunteer explained that this is one reason it’s essential for people to turn off their outdoor lights at night, especially during bird migration season. Which, in case you are wondering, is March through June for spring migration and Mid-August through November for fall migration.

The City of Boulder isn’t the only one educating on the importance of dark skies this migration season. Today was also Lafayette’s Migratory Bird Festival at Waneka Lake. I strolled over there this afternoon under a very hot September sun (92 degrees at 2pm). Raptors from HawkQuest, local musicians, artists, vendors, and non-profit organizations shared all kinds of information on how we can help birds.

In addition to turning off your outdoor lights, other simple steps include using red lights outdoors instead of white, or replacing upward-facing light fixtures with ones that face down.

So consider yourself informed!

Please do turn off the lights if you’re able. Tell your friends and neighbors.

Then look up into the night sky and say out loud, “Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library have given over 330 million books to children.”

Let’s put more good into a world at a time when we need it!

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

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Meet Phoebe!

I’ll be taking care of her until Monday. While I don’t normally dog sit anymore – it’s too hard to juggle a full-time job, writing, marriage, narcolepsy, and health – I made an exception for Phoebe.

Phoebe’s human mom is a friend of mine from a monthly book club I love. When her regular dog sitter wasn’t available, I agreed to step in because of the specific circumstances. Besides, as I wrote about recently, I really miss having dogs in my life.

It took Phoebe a while to warm up to me. We had two meet and greets, complete with a walk, before she agreed that I was okay. Before that, there were many nips of my calf muscles and Phoebe felt she had to herd me away from her human. It’s a good thing she’s so small and cute, because otherwise it might not have been so endearing.

Now, though, we are good friends. I know this for sure because Phoebe greets me by showing me her belly every single time.

We really are having a great time!

One of the best parts about agreeing to take care of Phoebe is that I was introduced to the Rothman Open Space. It’s a prairie trail system with the Rocky Mountains in the backdrop. It’s wide, expansive, and glorious in the early morning.

Best of all, there are prairie dogs!

If you live in Colorado or other areas in the Midwest/West that have prairie dogs, you may think this is no big deal. However, I did not grow up with prairie dogs within walking distance. If we wanted to see prairie dogs, we would have to visit Zoo America in Hershey, PA, which we did often. The prairie dog exhibit was one of my favorites.

So you can imagine my delight that the Rothman Open Space is filled with what must be hundreds of prairie dogs! I love listening to their chirps and squeaks in the morning. And while I do miss my Waneka Lake walks and the abundance of wildlife there, the prairie dogs are a good substitute.

In addition to my sheer joy and enthusiasm for the prairie dogs, it’s fun to get writing inspiration while on these walks. I’m currently revising a middle-grade manuscript, and it turns out that my brain works just as well in the open space as it does around the lake. Thank you brain!

I’m also discovering new sources of inspiration, most notably a golden retriever who watched from behind a sliding glass door when Phoebe and I walked by on the trail. I swear the dog bowed at us. Immediately, my mind whirled with the possibilities of what secrets a golden retriever who bows will be keeping.

So while I did not set out to shake things up a bit by sitting for Phoebe, it’s good to be reminded that you don’t know what you don’t know. I had no idea I had access to such a wonderful place. And now I can’t wait to bring friends and family here the next time we have visitors.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to do something, let this post be your sign that you should give it a try. You never know what may happen.

Happy Summer!

Stop and Smell the Lilacs

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One of the small things that I knew I’d miss when we moved from Norfolk, CT, in May 2023, was the lilacs I walked by every day on my way to work at the library.

Lilacs are my favorite flower fragrance, and purple is one of my favorite colors. Stopping to smell the lilacs was one of my favorite sensory experiences, taking just a few moments of my time yet filling me with joy.

I also knew I’d miss the half-mile commute to my job because I could walk it in less than 10 minutes. I loved walking, and then I’d be at the library!

Sometimes, it still amazes me that I was a librarian. I couldn’t even say that was a dream job. In the realm of possibility, it seemed impossible, given that I don’t have an MLS.

And now that I’m a professor again, I’m once again amazed. I swore to myself that I would NEVER return to teaching. I was done with academia. It wasn’t a good fit for me.

Except, I never really left teaching. At the library, I started an online media discussion group at the beginning of the pandemic. We read books such as The Now Habit, watched the Top 10 Ted Talks You Need to Know, and listened to psychology-themed episodes from podcasts such as Hidden Brain, The Happiness Lab, and Gretchen Rubin. We’re now five years in and still continuing on.

I also developed and led a Books & Boots program where we would read a book and then walk in the woods to discuss it. It makes me so happy that this program is still going strong today.

Books & Boots, Ells Crane Trail, August 2022

Then there were the in-person workshops that I led, on topics such as The Psychology of Stuff: Why We Have So Much and What We Can Do About It and Spring Cleaning Hacks: How to Get Started When You Don’t Want To.

And, of course, there was my other part-time job at the Congregational Church as the Director of Community and Creativity. I led multi-week discussions on Great Courses such as the History of the Bible and World Religions. Not to mention, I gave a few sermons that were some of the best public speaking moments of my life!

Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC), Norfolk

In hindsight, it shouldn’t amaze me at all that the job I ended up in again was teaching. It’s so clearly a part of who I am – I just wasn’t in the right teaching job the first time around.

And I still had some growing to do because the person I was when I quit teaching in 2016 is not the person I am now.

That person was limited in creativity and imagination. She didn’t KNOW who she was, and she felt more than a little lost in this great big world.

That time off allowed me to gain clarity on who I was and what I wanted.

I never once regretted that I quit my tenured associate professor position in 2016.

But those lilacs I would be leaving behind on my daily walk-commute, I would regret leaving them because of how much happiness they brought me.

Except…

There are lilacs on my walk across campus to the psychology and neuroscience building!

Lilacs outside the UMC building on the CU campus.

A walk that I take after I ride a bus. A bus ride in which I read a book or answer emails, or stare out the window in wonder that I now live amidst the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, on the way to a teaching job that brings me a lot of meaning and purpose.

All to say that I still walk to work and my commute isn’t awful! In fact, it’s mostly enjoyable.

So, you better believe I stop to smell those lilacs.

Because not only are they one of my favorite sensory experiences, but they also remind me that you don’t know what the future has in store for you. What you worry about may never come true. And what happens may be better than you ever imagined.

Enjoy these last weeks of spring, my friends.

Waneka Lake, May 28, 2025

Dogs, Cat, Book

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Greetings from Boulder! After a couple of weeks housesitting outside of Taos, New Mexico, we are back housesitting in Colorado until next year. Haha! Can you believe 2024 is a little over a month away?! Seriously, though, we’re here through December.

There’s been a lot of new animals in my life these past several weeks.

Friends, say hello to:

Tobi, a sneaky German short-haired pointer with the snuggly heart of a little dog, and who nearly always has his emotional support stuffed animal with him.

Gus, the ring-leader of the New Mexico pack, who zooms with style and gusto when we’re out on our walks.

And Puddles, who may have some fluff for brains, but also wins over hearts with just one look.

I’ve posted multiple times on this blog about my love for walking dogs (especially Annie and Dodger) in the woods. It turns out I also love walking dogs in the high desert of New Mexico. Few things in life have brought me as much joy as walking with Tobi, Gus, Puddles, and Heath on a one-mile stretch of dirt road that leads to a national forest. We walked together every day, and every day I felt connected to something greater than myself. Dogs really are magical that way.

Although I was sad to leave our housesit in New Mexico behind, I wasn’t sad to leave New Mexico. It’s a beautiful state, and I saw shooting stars in light-pollution-free skies. But, it’s not a place I want to live.

Which brings us to Boulder ….

Friends, I would love to stay here for the foreseeable future! I’ve applied for so many jobs back in Connecticut, none of which have panned out, that I’m forced to conclude it’s not yet time for us to return there. Of course, I could get a job offer tomorrow and then we may be packing our bags and humming a different tune come January. Until that happens, Boulder is the place I (we) want to be. I have honestly never seen Heath happier anyplace than here.

Unfortunately, Boulder is absurdly expensive and has limited options for housing. We’re using this time housesitting to investigate whether we can realistically stay. For me, that means applying for jobs in the area. Monday I’m going to visit a few places in person to network and see if I can make some connections. I’ll also continue applying for remote jobs. So if you know anyone who needs a talented research psychologist with excellent communication and community engagement skills, feel free to send my information their way.

In the meantime, I’m savoring my time in Boulder. The house we’re staying in is at the base of the Flat Iron Mountains. We got a couple of inches of snow over the last few days and I’m filled with wonder and awe every time I look at them. To make my heart completely buoyant, I’m also walking one of the sweetest, lovey-dovey-est dogs I’ve ever known.

Everyone, meet Foster:

Foster is half couch potato/half love bug who enjoys walks as much as I do. I love taking him outside for our daily sojourns and we’ve become good friends.

Foster also has a cat brother named, Joey.

Joey is aloof most of the time until he absolutely wants your attention. Which, he then lets you know. He’s a champion mouser and very vocal about his trophies so I’m learning to deal with some circle of life stuff that I’d rather pretend doesn’t exist.

While in Boulder, I’m also sorting out what it means to be a self-published author. Yes, that’s right – I took the plunge and decided to self-publish an illustrated book about dogs (BIG surprise there) and the ridiculous ways we describe them.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know it’s my dream to be a traditionally published author. I’ve been working at it for seven years now and I reached the point where I wanted to see something published with my name on it.

So, I took this book of silly dog poetry I wrote nearly six years ago about doggolingo (the internet language invented to better describe our dogs), purchased some photos from Shutterstock, and hired a book designer that I connected with through Facebook. I’m thrilled with how the finished project turned out.

What’s not so thrilling is that the self-publishing landscape is not easy to figure out. For example, I don’t know why my book is available through the Barnes and Noble website (you can buy a copy HERE), but not Amazon. Lest I let perfection be the enemy of good, I’m simply embracing my I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing ways and leaning into the discomfort.

At the very least, it’s a good (albeit expensive) learning experience.

Thank you to everyone who’s been reading this blog throughout the years. I’m grateful that you’ve been with me on this journey. Now, onward and upward. I’m excited to see what happens next.

Vote for My Happy Place!

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One of my happy places is being in the woods, especially if I’m with a dog.

Barbour Woods, Fall 2021

There’s a sense of freedom and hope surrounded by all the beauty where I can’t help but feel comfortable and connected to something greater than myself.

Barbour Woods, December 2021

For most of our time in Norfolk, the Barbour Woods was my go-to spot for being in the woods. I started walking Dodger there in 2017 and then in 2020 added Annie (and occasionally Fergus) to my walks.

Barbour Woods, June 2020

Barbour Woods, Winter 2023

The Barbour Woods has 10 different trails, all with their own woodland charms. For example, the Old Carriage Trail has the Kilarney Bridge, the Swamp Trail has vernal pools, and the Beechwood Loop Trail has a view of Haystack Mountain.

Barbour Woods, October 2022

Barbour Woods, October 2021

Barbour Woods, Spring 2022

There are few places in this world where I’m happier than the Barbour Woods.

So it gives me great pleasure to announce that the Barbour Woods is a finalist in the 3rd Annual Readers’ Choice Awards from Rural Intelligence for Best Hiking Trail.

If you don’t mind sharing your name, email address, zip code, and gender with Rural Intelligence, you can vote for the Barbour Woods every day through November 13 by clicking here.

Yes, you can vote every day in each of the categories. No, you don’t have to vote for any other category if you don’t want to.

I’ve had a lot of professional and personal disappointments these past few months, so I’m throwing myself into campaigning for the Barbour Woods to win. As a board member of the Norfolk Land Trust and Co-chair of their outreach committee, I have access to our social media accounts. I’m posting daily reminders to vote on our Instagram Stories. It’s fun because it gives me an excuse to go through my photos and find my favorites of being in the woods.

I know it’s not much, but when there are so many things out of my control right now, it feels good to have a plan: post every day on social media and remind people to vote.

So please vote for the Barbour Woods!

Even if you’ve never been on a trail there, you can take my word for it that these woods are AWESOME.

Goodbye, Ocean!

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Heath and I are officially back in Norfolk! The return is bittersweet because we loved living at the beach in Old Lyme. Nearly every day, I watched the sunrise and sunset. Norfolk is beautiful and the woods and mountains here are outstanding, yet they also obscure the sun. I miss these moments in a way I can only describe as grief.

Rising before the sun and heading to beach became an easy morning ritual. I woke up with excitement wondering what today’s sunrise would look like. Sometimes Heath joined me and sometimes he didn’t. Either way, the moment was almost always perfect except for one morning when I missed Heath being there. I sent him this photo to let him know I was thinking about him.

He replied back that he needed glasses. So I added a pair and then a few more artistic liberties. As one of our friends said on Facebook, “I would argue Heath has never looked better.”

Here’s my last sunrise on Friday morning, November 18th:

In time, I know the grief will subside. Norfolk turning into a winter wonderland will help, especially when I’m out in the snow-covered woods with Annie.

Although she did snub me the other day after weeks apart. She jumped out of a car door and headed straight in my direction. “Annie,” I cried with my arms open wide. Then she ran right past me to say hello to everyone else standing in our group. Quite the humbling experience.

Eventually Annie did make her way to me and she howled in delight at our reunion, so she is, of course, forgiven. How could I not forgive her, since she is towards the very top of my gratitude list.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’m grateful to those who read my blog and offer words of support and encouragement when they can.

This card is from my undergraduate mentor and his wife. Two people I love very much in this world.

Found on the Beach

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Now that I’m on the other side of covid (even though I still have a cough), I’ve been walking the beach here in Old Lyme nearly every day. Here are some of my favorite finds:

A Wheaton Terrier named Samson

An English Cream Retriever named Hella

Ducks

Geometric patterns …

especially on a perfect seashell!

A message in the sand from Heath, which I totally walked past since my head was looking down at seashells. We found out later the mystery object is a sac of skate fish eggs.

Unfortunately, I also find a lot of garbage. On one day, I found two disposable masks and some plastic. Every time I’m out on the beach I regret not bringing a trash bag. I just don’t don’t think about it until I’m already out there.

Then there was the morning I found a pair of washed up underwear!

I talked to one of the locals that morning as I strolled back to the house and she told me that she finds a lot of underwear in the summertime, as well as items like iPods, Fitbits, and wallets.

The most surprising thing of all that I found is a renewed sense of wonder and awe! I didn’t even know I needed these emotions supercharged in my life. But watch the sunrise and sunset for multiple days in a row and you realize that you may have been taking your usual walks in the woods for granted.

Here are a few of my favorite sunrises:

And here are a few sunsets:

And since it’s Halloween, here’s a creepy tree we saw while in Essex, CT, last week.

We’re here for another 2.5 weeks. Here’s hoping I find even more … including things I’m not even looking for!

A New Achievement

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In October 2021, the Norfolk Land Trust put out a call to local photographers asking them to contribute to a January and February 2022 exhibit of their trails. Now, I am not a photographer; however, I do take a lot of photos.

A lot of my photos are of Annie in the Barbour Woods, which happens to be a Norfolk Land Trust Trail. Sometimes, I even take photos of the Barbour Woods without Annie in them. She’s very fast and quite curious so she’ll zoom ahead to get in some good sniffs or bury her ball to dig it up.

Meanwhile, I walk to catch up with her and marvel at the natural splendor around me.

The most marvelous of those places (in my opinion) is the Swamp Trail. During the spring and fall, vernal pools pop up and the beauty of the trail takes on a fantastical quality. I have probably taken close to 1000 photos of the Swamp Trail in the last 2-3 years. One of them was bound to be good.

So I offered my photo for the exhibit.

Imagine my delight when my photo sold for $75.00!

To know that someone saw my photo and saw value in it is validating in surprising ways. I love those woods and I love being there with Annie. And I just happened to be lucky enough to be there at the right time with my smartphone to capture the way the light danced between the trees and water. I remember that day and how I felt awe and wonder at the way the woods looked. The moment felt like magic; like a wonderful gift that Annie, the woods, and I will share forever.

I took that photo and somebody saw something in it enough to pay $75.00. Yeah, that feels good.

Here’s the best part: I know the person who bought the photo. Norfolk has an abundance of good people, and this person and their spouse are two of them. I consider both my friends.

When my friend handed me an envelope today with the check, I shook my head. I wanted them to have the photo just because. My gift to them because when we eventually move, I will miss them dearly and I will miss their in-person friendship. It makes me so happy to know that photo has a home with them.

That feeling is worth way more than $75.00!

I also contributed a photo of Annie and Dodger running on the Carriage Trail.

Because of course I did. Raise your hand if you’re not surprised.

A Different Kind of Tired

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I have re-discovered a new form of exhaustion! The good news is that this re-discovery means I’m sleeping well enough to notice. The bad news is that, well, I’m exhausted. I’m calling it bone-weary tired because it’s not just mental. This tiredness has seeped into my infrastructure. It comes with the territory of being a housesitter.

After fifteen consecutive months in the same housesit (phooey to you, covid), the owners finally made it home from being abroad. Fifteen months is a long time to housesit, and the effort and diligence of packing up, moving out, and making sure the house was ready to welcome their family home took several days of nonstop work. Up early. Late to bed. Oh, and also work at the library in the meantime.

Did I mention the ice storm? Yes, because there was also an ice storm that hit Norfolk on Friday, February 4. The storm itself was nothing special. Except a few tree limbs hung so low in the driveway that for three days, I couldn’t drive it.

Packing your car is not easy when you have to walk approximately an eighth of a mile one way on solid ice. Nevertheless, I did it. It helped to have the best form of motivation — mother nature in all her icy glory!

In the days following the ice storm, Norfolk turned into a sparkling ice palace thanks to the thick coating of ice everywhere and the brilliant blue skies and sunshine. I’ve never been so happy being so exhausted.

As I walked up and down the driveway over and over, I marveled at the wonder around me.

I also had my buddy Fergus as a companion, but I’m not sure he appreciated the splendor as much as I did. He likes to run, sniff, and be as cute as possible.

So even though I’m bone-weary tired, I got to spend a lot of time outside enjoying myself. I also chuckled to myself more than once to be careful what you wish for. As you may recall, in my last blog post I was craving functional fitness. I certainly got it this past week, and then some.

I’m also keeping track this year of invigorating experiences since I had one early on. The standings so far:

Most Invigorating: My walk with Annie dog in the woods on January 11

Runner Up: Packing up my car after an ice storm, February 5-6.

Starting on Thursday, I have five days of vacation. They cannot get here soon enough. My bones and brain need it. And the best part — I’ll be with my buddy Fergus the entire time.