Surprises! — This post is about a few characters and some surprises that have unfolded before and after closing on our desert land. If you haven’t read Chapter 1, do it! It’ll give you a little more context. With our office warehouse lease renewal date coming in fast (Aug 31) we were…

Where and Why — A couple of years ago I announced Ken and I were moving to Chicago, only to denounce it a couple of weeks later. We finally found our “what’s next,” and I decided to wait until it was a done deal before mentioning it publicly (lesson learned). …

My mom was fifty-three when she passed away. I’m forty-eight, and I’ve been working through this peculiar fear about being almost the same age my mom was when she passed. I’m not looking for answers or asking why she passed. I’m just working through this latest chapter of life stuff…

Following Unknown Paths — We were looking for a plot of land that we found on the internet marked For Sale. The map led us down miles of desolate gravel roads off a highway in the middle of Nevada. After fifteen minutes or so of driving West(ish), we could finally make out a cluster…

The Study of Hands in Ben Shahn’s Work — Going through my book stacks this weekend, I found this book, Prints and Posters of Ben Shahn. It brought back a flood of memories and some thoughts on how to engage kids in a conversation about Art that Says Something. My major in college was Fine Arts, emphasis: Metal Sculpture…

Approaching It Like a Science Experiment — My favorite way to gather material for a case study is to follow the form of a science experiment. It goes something like this: Identify the research question Develop a hypothesis Design the experiment Conduct the experiment Analyze the data Draw conclusions Communicate your results This post covers steps 1–3. …

Answering a Friend’s Question — I received this question from a dear friend, I really want to bring another revenue stream into our household fast! What platform would be the most monthly inexpensive to create a website where I can promote myself, blog, and sell my own ebooks and possible curriculums? I hope this information…

I’ve been here for years — “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years I’m rockin’ my peers, puttin’ suckers in fear Makin’ the tears rain down like a monsoon…” — LL Cool J 🤗 Around the time I decided to pause my blogging in late 2021, our little idea-baby, Picture This Clothing (PTC), was on life support…

The Final Song of My Music Memories Challenge — I went many years without listening to Manu Chao, but I resurrected the Clandestino album a couple of years ago after Ken and I opened our own shop and made a mega playlist to work to. …