Yale professor Laurie Santos created a bit of a stir when she developed the course “Psychology and the Good Life”. The essence of the course was teaching students about what research tells us actually makes people happy. And further to that, what we can do to move the happiness needle. Oh to have had this…
“It’s Your Life – Make it Sing!” -Lowry Olafson My dear wife Valerie is to blame for a lot of great things in my life. If I am pushing beyond my comfort zone, chances are Valerie is involved in some way. And so it was a couple of weeks ago, when Valerie said: “Merry Christmas!…
On my recent road trip down the long, wide stretch of I-5 asphalt from Seattle to LA, I quietly cursed the rental car company. “Sorry sir, you requested Sirius satellite radio but your car does not have Sirius installed. Would you like us to remove that from your booking fees?” The answer of course was…
As I trod the trail in a fir-fragrant afternoon under a hazy sky, I “got to thinkin’” as I joke with Valerie when I have a spell of contemplation. It wasn’t a solitary walk, Dusty the ragamuffin dog alternated between lagging behind and speeding ahead depending on how interesting the scentscape was in either direction….
I first saw Rob Crow at the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. He looked a bit like a demented Santa Claus in cargo shorts and a longshoreman’s cap. He was playing bass and singing backup for Nick Reinhart (as part of a touring incarnation of Nick’s band Dishevelled Cuss). Okay, so maybe I couldn’t really…
When I was growing up, my grandma had a great system for spending time with her grandkids. It ensured bickering would be low to nil, and the level of care quite manageable. She would invite all of us kids to spend a week with her and grandpa at their modest but cozy home during the…
My wife Valerie and I love podcasts about plant-based living, mindfulness, and health. The hosts and guests tend to be quite concerned about the environment. That might be no surprise, but what raises my eyebrows is when the host ask their guest something like: “How is the family? You’ve got five kids right?” Whoa, five…
Two years ago, instead of springing for a nice all-inclusive year-end vacation, I decided to literally put my money where my mouth is. I got a root canal for Christmas, which led me to figure that it was time to have my teeth checked. It had been three years since my last check up. My…
When you think of the words “dog lovers”, you might have visions of the legions of breeds, their breeders and fans at their show-of-shows, the Westminster Dog Show. A great sendup of this world can be found in the Christopher Guest mockumentary “Best in Show” (which also includes Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, more recently…
This past week we learned of another death. Oliver died at little more than a year old. That seems tragic enough, but he wasn’t expected to live past six weeks. Oliver was a suckling pig, destined like his brothers and sisters to be the tender main feature at a barbecue or luau. A kind-hearted person…