 I was surprised when I got an email from Bella at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers. She asked me to share their link about driving safely when you’re pregnant. I never connected the two in the 80s when I had my kids. I checked their link and found some great common-sense tips I’d like to share with you. Here’s the link to their web site if you want to check it out for yourself. Link: https://cooperhurley.com/driving-while-pregnant/ Part 1: Seat Belts & Safety Tips  Seat Belts: Whether you’re pregnant or not, driver or passenger, wearing a seat belt is the safe thing to do. Take a look at this photo and check out how this mom-to-be is buckled up. She’s following National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines. 1. Mama’s lap belt is under her baby belly. It fits against her hips and pelvic bone. Not across her stomach. That’s dangerous for both mom and baby-to-be. 2. See her shoulder belt? It’s on the shoulder, running across the middle of her chest. It’s not in a dangerous position, like around her neck, or under her arm, or behind her back. Keep as much space as you can between your baby bump and the steering wheel, and as little as possible between your shoulder and the seat belt.  Safety Tips:
1. Buckle your lap and shoulder belt correctly. They’ll keep you safe. 2. Check with your doctor to see if your medications might affect your driving. 3. Adjust your seat, steering wheel, or seat belt as needed. Space and comfort are good things for both of you. 4. Move distractions. When you’re expecting, focus and memory can be tricky. Things like cell phones can take away your focus. 5. If you’re not feeling well, it’s ok to be a passenger, especially if you’re tired, nauseas, or in pain. Tomorrow: long trips and when to stop
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If you’re my age, do you remember January in second grade? That’s when I learned cursive. It was thrilling! But by the time I was teaching second grade, cursive was gone. The era of teaching to the Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test had begun.  So what’s so special about cursive? Take a stroll down cursive’s timeline to see how it developed and why it might be coming back. My Sources: Who Invented Cursive? - Word Smarts Why Cursive Writing and Penmanship Is Important - Word Smarts Part 4: The Twentieth Century and a New Millenia The late 1800s brought change. Spencerian was too slow for clerks and telegraph operators who had to turn Morse code into cursive.  Austin Palmer had a new idea, and a how-to book. He also taught writers to use their arm muscles to write faster. It worked! The Palmer Method became super successful for business and personal writing. If your great grandparents wrote letters during the early 1900s, their handwriting would have looked like this. Do you recognize Zaner-Bloser from your schooldays? I printed in it. In 2nd grade I learned cursive, and in 3rd grade I HAD to use it…on spelling tests and everything else! Imagine spelling a word right but mixing up a cursive stroke. URGH!  Elmer W. Bloser, a classmate and friend of Zaner, bought part of the company in 1891. Five years later they renamed it, Zaner & Bloser, and in 1921 it became simply Zaner-Bloser. As of 1972 ownership of Zaner-Bloser was sold to Highlights for Children. They still own it, and children still learn their letters from them. So what happened to all those kids born in the late 80s like mine? All three of them print. The only thing they write in cursive is a signature. Why?  My two sources claim it’s because of keyboards and touchscreens. That’s partly true: we take tests online. But from my perch as a 2nd grade teacher, it’s testing. From 3rd grade up, tests dominate the curriculum. If it’s not on that test, teachers don’t teach it. They might want to, but penmanship isn’t tested. In Europe, kids are still taught penmanship, and it’s coming back here in the states. Would you believe in 2024 California became the 22nd state to require that cursive be taught again? Why? Research is beginning to show that there are benefits to cursive, like increasing memory. People who take notes on paper remember things longer.  My two original sources:
1.https://wordsmarts.com/cursive-penmanship/?lctg=c4d2fe5b-125d-41db-a63c-ea78909f2d82 2. https://wordsmarts.com/history-cursive-writing/?lctg=a98ce4ad-51ba-48fd-ac39-1bd7f46aac1d If you’d like to learn more, check out this link. It lists twelve benefits your child will miss if they don’t learn cursive. Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-death-of-cursive-writing-will-have-serious-consequences-for-your-grandkids/ss-AA1OTN8q?ocid=winp2fp If you’re my age, do you remember January in second grade? That’s when I learned cursive. It was thrilling! But by the time I was teaching second grade, cursive was gone. The era of teaching to the Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test had begun.  So what’s so special about cursive? Take a stroll down cursive’s timeline to see how it developed and why it might be coming back. My Sources: Who Invented Cursive? - Word Smarts Why Cursive Writing and Penmanship Is Important - Word Smarts  Part 3: Cursive Comes to the New World When the English came to America, they brought their culture too. Their books and their handwriting. The first and most successful one written especially for the colonies, The New England Primer. Many children learned to read and write from its pages, especially in the northeast. This is one of its pages. The verses focus on the role of parents, the wages of sin, and on salvation. Many passages come straight out of the King James Bible.  I can imagine children placing velum, a thin sheet of paper on top, then tracing over the letters and words. That’s how they learned to write, and it’s also why New England had so many literate citizens. Boys, especially. Penmanship was a sign of education and wealth, but it also showed your gender. Everyone added flourishes to their writing. Ladies used curves and bows while men favored straight lines. Do you recognize this document? It’s the Declaration of Independence.  I thought it was written by Thomas Jefferson, but it turns out Timothy Matlack, a calligrapher, copied Jefferson’s words onto that original Declaration. The name of that early cursive, Copperplate.  Do you recognize this man? His name is Platt Rogers Spencer; I’d never heard of him either. Platt was an abolitionist. He lived during the 1800’s, and he worked to free slaves before the Civil War. But that’s not why he’s in this post… In the mid 1850’s he came up with a new form of writing. Its original name, chirythmography. I don’t think I can pronounce it. In Greek it means timed handwriting. Would you believe Platt actually used a metronome to help writers match their pen strokes to a beat? BTW, a metronome is used in music to help you play at a steady pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Funny, I never pictured it as a handwriting tool. Chirythmography is too fancy for me. I prefer its ordinary name, Spencerian script. It’s much easier to pronounce! Spencer wanted to make penmanship available to everyone, and it worked! Look below…  Do you recognize this logo? Platt penned it, and it’s been Coke’s logo ever since. His writing style caught on. Many schools and businesses adopted it. Why? Because good penmanship meant opportunities…for jobs and promotions. Tomorrow: Palmer, Zaner-Bloser, and Beyond If you’re my age, do you remember January in second grade? That’s when I learned cursive. It was thrilling! But by the time I was teaching second grade, cursive was gone. The era of teaching to the Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test had begun.  So what’s so special about cursive? Take a stroll down cursive’s timeline to see how it developed and why it might be coming back. My Sources: Who Invented Cursive? - Word Smarts Why Cursive Writing and Penmanship Is Important - Word Smarts Part 2: Fastforward to Charlemagne and the Middle Ages  Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and the Holy Roman Emperor, enters the cursive story sometime around 768 AD. He remains on the scene until 814 AD. AD means After the Death of Jesus Christ. Charlemagne wanted an English monk to standardize handwriting. Over the years the monks created the first standard form of cursive. Its name, Carolingian script or miniscule. Look below, and you’ll see an older example. Carolingian has lower-case letters. There’s separation between each word and even punctuation, but letters aren’t connected yet. Later versions of cursive will be based on Carolingian.  During the Middle Ages, parchment grew more expensive, so writers pushed letters and words close together. Then in the 1400’s the printing press was created, and typeface grew dark and heavy. By the time the Renaissance came along, people added twists and curls to their writing, making it difficult to read. As a result, people returned to Carolingian.  By the 1300s Italian humanism appeared. Did you notice the print is light and elegant? Its name, italic. The italics we read in books today looks like this… humanism arose from the study of ancient Greece and Rome, and it spread across western Europe. Interesting, the two fonts look a lot alike. Tomorrow: Penmanship comes to the New World If you’re my age, do you remember January in second grade? That’s when I learned cursive. It was thrilling! But by the time I was teaching second grade, cursive was gone. The era of teaching to the Ohio Fourth Grade Proficiency Test had begun.  So what’s so special about cursive? Take a stroll down cursive’s timeline to see how it developed and why it might be coming back. My Sources: Who Invented Cursive? - Word Smarts Why Cursive Writing and Penmanship Is Important - Word Smarts Part 1: In the Beginning, There was the Roman Empire Rome became an empire in 44BC (Before Christ). That’s when Julius Caesar decided to promote himself to emporer, but Rome had already been powerful for 600 years. This illustration features Roman chariot races in a coliseum. Think stadiums with horses and gladiators.  Roman scribes modeled their writing after the Etruscans of Ancient Italy. That’s Tuscany, western Umbria, and northern Lazio in modern Italy. If you want to learn more about the Etruscans, check out Wikipedia’s maps and alphabets. Funny, their alphabet only has capital letters. Links: Etruscan civilization - Wikipedia & Etruscan alphabet - Wikipedia  Check out some real Roman writing! Did you notice it’s all in caps; without one single lower-case letter? It reminds me of the Etruscan alphabet. Tomorrow: Meet Charlemagne. He came up with a new version too Part 2: Fastforward to Charlemagne and the Middle Ages  Charlemagne, the King of the Franks and the Holy Roman Emperor, enters the cursive story sometime around 768 AD. He remains on the scene until 814 AD. AD means After the Death of Jesus Christ. Charlemagne wanted an English monk to standardize handwriting. Over the years the monks created the first standard form of cursive. Its name, Carolingian script or miniscule. Look below, and you’ll see an older example. Carolingian has lower-case letters. There’s separation between each word and even punctuation, but letters aren’t connected yet. Later versions of cursive will be based on Carolingian.  During the Middle Ages, parchment grew more expensive, so writers pushed letters and words close together. Then in the 1400’s the printing press was created, and typeface grew dark and heavy. By the time the Renaissance came along, people added twists and curls to their writing, making it difficult to read. As a result, people returned to Carolingian.  By the 1300s Italian humanism appeared. Did you notice the print is light and elegant? Its name, italic. The italics we read in books today looks like this… humanism arose from the study of ancient Greece and Rome, and it spread across western Europe. Interesting, the two fonts look a lot alike.  Part 3: Cursive Comes to the New World When the English came to America, they brought their culture too. Their books and their handwriting. The first and most successful one written especially for the colonies, The New England Primer. Many children learned to read and write from its pages, especially in the northeast. This is one of its pages. The verses focus on the role of parents, the wages of sin, and on salvation. Many passages come straight out of the King James Bible. I can imagine children placing velum, a thin sheet of paper on top, then tracing over the letters and words. That’s how they learned to write, and it’s also why New England had so many literate citizens. Boys, especially. Penmanship was a sign of education and wealth, but it also showed your gender. Everyone added flourishes to their writing. Ladies used curves and bows while men favored straight lines. Do you recognize this document? It’s the Declaration of Independence.  I thought it was written by Thomas Jefferson, but it turns out Timothy Matlack, a calligrapher, copied Jefferson’s words onto that original Declaration. The name of that early cursive, Copperplate.  Do you recognize this man? His name is Platt Rogers Spencer; I’d never heard of him either. Platt was an abolitionist. He lived during the 1800’s, and he worked to free slaves before the Civil War. But that’s not why he’s in this post… In the mid 1850’s he came up with a new form of writing. Its original name, chirythmography. I don’t think I can pronounce it. In Greek it means timed handwriting. Would you believe Platt actually used a metronome to help writers match their pen strokes to a beat? BTW, a metronome is used in music to help you play at a steady pace. Not too fast. Not too slow. Funny, I never pictured it as a handwriting tool. Chirythmography is too fancy for me. I prefer its ordinary name, Spencerian script. It’s much easier to pronounce! Spencer wanted to make penmanship available to everyone, and it worked! Look below…  Do you recognize this logo? Platt penned it, and it’s been Coke’s logo ever since. His writing style caught on. Many schools and businesses adopted it. Why? Because good penmanship meant opportunities…for jobs and promotions. Part 4: The Twentieth Century and a New Millenia The late 1800s brought change. Spencerian was too slow for clerks and telegraph operators who had to turn Morse code into cursive.  Austin Palmer had a new idea, and a how-to book. He also taught writers to use their arm muscles to write faster. It worked! The Palmer Method became super successful for business and personal writing. If your great grandparents wrote letters during the early 1900s, their handwriting would have looked like this. Do you recognize Zaner-Bloser from your schooldays? I printed in it. In 2nd grade I learned cursive, and in 3rd grade I HAD to use it…on spelling tests and everything else! Imagine spelling a word right but mixing up a cursive stroke. URGH!  Elmer W. Bloser, a classmate and friend of Zaner, bought part of the company in 1891. Five years later they renamed it, Zaner & Bloser, and in 1921 it became simply Zaner-Bloser. As of 1972 ownership of Zaner-Bloser was sold to Highlights for Children. They still own it, and children still learn their letters from them. So what happened to all those kids born in the late 80s like mine? All three of them print. The only thing they write in cursive is a signature. Why? My two sources claim it’s because of keyboards and touchscreens. That’s partly true: we take tests online. But from my perch as a 2nd grade teacher, it’s testing. From 3rd grade up, tests dominate the curriculum. If it’s not on that test, teachers don’t teach it. They might want to, but penmanship isn’t tested. In Europe, kids are still taught penmanship, and it’s coming back here in the states. Would you believe in 2024 California became the 22nd state to require that cursive be taught again? Why? Research is beginning to show that there are benefits to cursive, like increasing memory. People who take notes on paper remember things longer.  My two original sources:
1.https://wordsmarts.com/cursive-penmanship/?lctg=c4d2fe5b-125d-41db-a63c-ea78909f2d82 2. https://wordsmarts.com/history-cursive-writing/?lctg=a98ce4ad-51ba-48fd-ac39-1bd7f46aac1d If you’d like to learn more, check out this link. It lists twelve benefits your child will miss if they don’t learn cursive. Link: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-death-of-cursive-writing-will-have-serious-consequences-for-your-grandkids/ss-AA1OTN8q?ocid=winp2fp Do you recognize this landform? It’s the continent of Africa, and this is a political map from 2021. Did you know Africa is the 2nd largest and 2nd most populated continent? Only Asia is bigger.  Over the summer one of my critique partners, Sandra Martin Denis, traveled to Africa. She went on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.  Before she left, she had some prep work to do. There were shots to take, for yellow fever, typhoid, and tetanus. And her clothes went to a special place called Insect Shield. Would you believe they soaked them in insect repellent, then let them air dry so she wouldn’t have to worry about bug bites? Part 1: The Inspiration for Sandra’s Trip  My interest in Africa started when I read the book The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. The series is enjoyable to read. I love the descriptions of Botswana in the books, and the main character, Mma Precious Ramotswe, a traditionally built lady, as she calls herself, not your typical detective. Precious enjoys drinking rooibos tea, a habit I adopted after reading the books. I also watched a documentary on PBS about a hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti. I knew I had to fly someday over an African park and witness the animal migrations. (Rinda) I was curious about rooibos (ROY-boss) tea so I looked it up. It’s from a West Germanic language spoken primarily in South Africa and Zambia. It literally means red bush. I can’t see the red for all the leaves, which are ground up to make a caffeine-free drink that’s been popular for generations.  It became popular international in the 2000s, coincidentally when the book came out and later a TV series. If you’re curious what it tastes like, Wikipedia said it has an earthy flavor and aroma to yerba mate or tobacco. In the UK, it’s known as bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. Would you believe you can find rooibos tea on Amazon? Part 2: Sandra Goes on Safari—Her Photos & Words My dream came true this year when I went on a safari in Kenya and Tanzania. I took a hot-air balloon ride over the Masai Mara and saw hundreds of different creatures.  Seeing animals in their natural habitat, interacting with each other-- zebras with wildebeest, impalas, gazelles….  A leopard hanging in a tree…  Lions by the side of the road…  Giraffes munching on acacia leaves…  Cheetahs with their cubs—was incredible. TOTAL MAGIC!  (Rinda) I’m so glad Sandra didn’t forget the elephants, especially the baby!  Do you see it in the first photo? There must be something that alerted the adults. They encircled the baby to protect it. That’s what elephants do when they sense danger. Part 3: Sandra Meets the People of Africa—Her Photos and Words  I also loved the people I met—their warmth, pride in their countries, and friendliness. I want to return and explore other parts of this vast continent. My memories of Africa have stayed deep in my heart. This photo came from a Masai village in Amboseli Park.  These kids are dressed for school. All children, even in public school wear uniforms. They’re on a field trip at the end of the year to the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. Buses brought them from villages outside of Nairobi. They were very well-behaved children. Part 4: Africa by the Numbers  (Rinda) Africa takes up about 20% of the land on earth. It’s home to 18% of the world’s population. In 2021 that was approximately 1.4 billion people. Africans are the youngest people on earth. In 2012 their median age was 19.7. Worldwide, it’s 30.4. (Median means the number in the middle.) Africa, as of 2021 is made up of 54 nations. There are also 8 cities and some islands that belong to non-African countries. Would you believe Malta and Sicily are geographically part of the African continent, but both belong to the European Union? Algeria is Africa’s largest country, and Nigeria has the most people. Source: Africa - Wikipedia A Map of African Languages  (Rinda) Would you believe Africa has between 1,250 and 2,100 languages, depending on how you count the dialects? Some say it could be over 3,000! There are 7 distinct families of African languages. They’re spread across the continent. Nigeria has the most people and over 500 languages. Learn more at: Languages of Africa - Wikipedia  Can you imagine how one creature, one animal has the power to shape an entire ecosystem? I knew the blue whale was the largest animal that ever lived…Even bigger than the dinosaurs, but I never imagined it could affect our oceans. When I read an article about blue whales from Animals Around the World, I knew I had to write about them. Their link: https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/why-a-single-blue-whale-can-reshape-an-entire-ecosystem-3-333179/ 1. How Big is a Blue Whale? - A blue whale is 100 feet long, or 6 feet longer than a basketball court. - It weighs 200 tons. That’s as heavy as the engine pulling a train. - Their tongue weighs about 2.7 tons. Can you imagine a whale with an elephant-sized tongue?  - Their hearts weigh as much as a car. Ours, only 10 ounces. That’s the size of a grocery store can. - Blue whales pump 220 pounds of blood through their body. That’s what some football players weigh. - Their arteries are so big grown-ups could swim through them. - When a blue whale eats, goes to the bathroom, or decays after death, i t changes the ocean around them. 2. How Much Do They Eat?  - One blue whale can eat up to 4 tons of krill in 24 hours. - 4 tons of krill equal the weight of one hippo. - It also equals 40 million teeny tiny creatures. - Each one, 1-2 centimeters long. - Eating all that krill keeps their population in check. - That leaves room for other kinds of krill and plankton to live too. - Blue whales feed on thick patches of krill. - A single blue whale can set the trophic levels lower in the ocean. - The plants and animals at the lowest trophic levels are also at the bottom of the food chain. - These 2 animals can equal each other… - 40 million krill equal one 4-ton hippo.  3. How Do Blue Whales Affect the Ocean? Do you remember how one blue whale eats about 49 million krill? That’s about 4 tons a day! That gives them the power to keep krill populations in check. It also allows diversity within plankton communities too.  This map shows where blue whales live and influence ocean life. They don’t live in the white spaces, and they don’t control krill populations there either. 4. Do Blue Whales Fight Climate Change?  Yes, they can! Blue whales live more than 90 years. During that time, they accumulate tons of carbon inside their bodies; 33 tons of carbon dioxide to be precise. When a whale dies and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, it’s called a whale fall. Those tons of carbon are stored away inside their bodies for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. The blue whale population is now in decline, meaning they’re pulling less carbon out of the environment. One blue whale can capture the same amount of carbon dioxide as thousands of trees, and now there are fewer blue whales to do that. 5. Can a Dead Whale Create an Oasis Under the Sea?  Yes! A blue whale stimulates the ocean long beyond its lifetime. As its carcass reaches the ocean floor, the seabed grows rich in resources that can last ocean creatures for 75 years, or the turn of the next century. One blue whale carcass can deposit 2,000 years’ worth of carbon. That’s the year 4025. There are 400 species that can colonize a whale fall. Some of those organisms are found nowhere else on earth. That new community will become a hotspot for biodiversity for decades. It will also serve as a steppingstone for the spread of those species across the plains of our deepest oceans. 6. Did You Know When Blue Whales Move, It Changes the Ocean?  When a blue whale eats, each lunge they make moves over 70 tons of water. The turbulence extends down hundreds of meters. That movement mixes and distributes nutrients, oxygen, and heat through the layers of water. It also affects the chemistry and circulation patterns, and blue whales can temporarily change the temperature and microbes in the water. Would you believe as blue whales dive and surface, they create pressure waves that keep seafloor sediments in shallow water? It also pulls up buried nutrients for ocean communities. Those disturbances are multiplied across a whale’s migration route. One whale can influence ecosystems across thousands of miles of ocean. 7. Do Blue Whales Change the Behavior of their Prey? Absolutely! When a blue whale swims into an area full of krill, they change the way they swarm. Krill take defensive measures like migrating vertically, changing when they reproduce, and where they live. Why wouldn’t they? One blue whale eats 4 tons of krill in 24 hours; that’s the weight of one hippo. When blue whales often swim through an area, the krill population is more stable and diverse. They also feed other ocean animals like seabirds and small fish. 8. How Loud Are Blue Whales?  They are the loudest creature on Earth. As the Earth’s largest animal, it makes sense they have a HUGE voice. It’s 188 decibels loud, or as loud as a rocket ship when it blasts off. Their voice is deep because of its low frequency. Its long wavelength lets it travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles across the ocean. Would you believe the call of one blue whale can change how schools of fish swim? That it can trigger defensive responses in prey, or that it can change migration patterns for zooplankton. Blue whales have ONE powerful voice! 9. Do Migration Routes Affect Ocean Habitats? Absolutely! Blue Whales travel up to 10,000 miles each year between their feeding and breeding grounds. Their routes are biological highways that connect ocean ecosystems. As whales swim between both points, they carry with them nutrients, microorganisms, even parasites. Seabirds, sharks, and other smaller fish know when whales will arrive. They gather, waiting to share in the feast. Some parasites complete their entire life cycle aboard a whale during one of those journeys. It’s hard to believe that just one blue whale can strengthen an ecosystem. They prevent isolation and promote genetic exchange between distant communities. 9. Do Blue Whales Affect Ocean Evolution?  Absolutely! Krill have changed and evolved how they swarm, migrate vertically, and reproduce based on the presence or absence of blue whales. There are distinct differences between the two krill populations. The whale’s baleen digestive system also favors certain krill species and sizes over others in the evolutionary fight to survive. That in turn favors some krill-eating seabirds and fish too. It’s hard to believe one blue whale can drive marine evolution across thousands of ocean habitats. 10. What if Blue Whales Disappeared?  Ocean habitats would suffer. In the Southern Ocean, it’s already happened. Commercial whaling removed about 99% of the blue whales. You can still see the results today. Without whales feeding on them, the krill populations have changed. They’ve grown larger and denser. They’ve stopped changing physically; there’s no need to escape a predator. There’s also a reduction in nutrients. Without whale poop, there’s less iron in the ocean, almost 40% less. Without their deaths, other creatures aren’t born. They become rarer and more isolated. There are millions of tons of carbon that whales no longer remove and store away. We need blue whales to keep the oceans healthy and thriving. 11. Is There Still Time to Save Them?  Of course, if we do the work. The blue whale population used to be over 350,000. Today it’s only about 10-25,000. Thank goodness people have realized we must save the blue whale because of what they do for our oceans. How do we save them? Protect their feeding grounds and migration routes. It saves the whales and other species too. One blue whale is worth millions of dollars to the ocean over its lifetime. Think of the carbon they hold, the nutrients they recycle, and the fish populations that thrive because of them. 11. Is One Blue Whale Irreplaceable?  The conclusion to the article—YES! A blue whale is so much more than its incredible size. Just one whale influences the ocean by the way they eat, migrate, poop, communicate, and even die. All those things enhance biodiversity, stabilize food webs, and connect distant ecosystems.
Blue whales are one BIG animal in the ocean, but they’re key to its health. With the decline in their population, protecting blue whales is more crucial today for the whales, for the health of our oceans, and for their fellow creatures. My source link: https://www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/why-a-single-blue-whale-can-reshape-an-entire-ecosystem-3-333179/  Sometimes your mind just stalls out. Not from lack of effort, but from running in too many directions without pause. Creative energy isn’t infinite—it depletes, especially when life demands too much and gives too little space in return. The good news? You can restart it. Like a muscle, creativity responds to movement, rhythm, and shifts in perspective—especially when you step outside the loop you’re stuck in. Tip #1: Shift What You Take In  If you’ve felt stuck in a creative rut lately, it might be time to change what you feed your brain. Building creative momentum again starts by interrupting your usual routines and leaning into unfamiliar patterns. Sketch something that makes no sense. Read outside your field. Play with an idea you don’t believe in. The point is to dislodge your default thoughts and let the weird stuff in. Letting in new input helps break circular thinking patterns. It pushes your attention to reroute through unexpected mental neighborhoods. Once those connections start firing again, you’ll find the spark hasn’t disappeared—it was just waiting for you to change the angle. Tip #2: Use Movement to Clear Mental Clutter  There’s a strange relief that comes when your feet are moving and your mind trails behind them. A walk clears static you didn’t know you were carrying. It's not just exercise—it's a way of thinking without trying. The repetition of footsteps untangles thoughts quietly in the background. That rhythmic forward motion often acts like a reset switch on problem-solving. Not every idea is born at a desk. Some of your best breakthroughs might be waiting just outside your door, pacing alongside your shadow. Tip #3: Rely on Practical Creative Tools  You don’t need a giant breakthrough. Simple ways to stay creative include sticky notes, sketchpads, lists of bad ideas, or mind maps that go nowhere. These aren’t productivity hacks. They’re frictionless ways to loosen mental bottlenecks. Let your tools be dumb. Let your output be pointless. Eventually, something catches. You’ll be surprised by how often a diagram or scattered phrase gives shape to something previously invisible. Small tools work because they lower the stakes. They allow you to experiment without overthinking, and that freedom lets deeper thought patterns start to move again. Tip #4: Pursue New Professional Pathways  Sometimes creativity doesn’t just slow—it stalls completely, stuck in work that no longer lights you up. That’s when a bigger change can spark something deeper. If you’ve always felt drawn to technology, pursuing an online computer science degree gives you a way to explore programming, IT, and real-world tech applications with fresh eyes. You don’t have to quit everything to start—online programs make it easier to study while keeping your current job. The shift might be the very thing that brings energy and creativity back into your work and your thinking. Tip #5: Engage with Hands-On Expression  You don’t need to “be an artist.” You need space to move your thoughts with your hands. Using art to slow down works best when you stop expecting results. Try a pen, some markers, maybe clay. Let it be terrible. The process is the payoff. The reflection comes later. Making something visual or tactile gives your brain a different channel. You’re not analyzing or solving—you’re observing, releasing, shaping. That act alone can return you to center, especially during periods of mental fog. It doesn’t have to look good. It just has to move something that’s been sitting still for too long. Tip #6: Create Distance to Gain Perspective  Problem-solving isn’t always about staring harder. Taking a step back mentally allows insights to surface sideways. Let the pressure drop for a minute. Change the scenery. Pretend it’s someone else’s problem. These shifts open up angles that brute force can’t. Psychological distance reshuffles mental associations, turning stuck ideas into movable ones. When you detach, even briefly, your subconscious does work your conscious mind can’t. It’s not about giving up—it’s about letting the solution come through the side door while your ego takes a break. Tip #7: Make Time for Drifting  You’re not lazy—you’re building space. Letting your mind wander is how new connections form without effort. Don’t fill every pause with scrolling. Just stare out the window sometimes. Doodle. Breathe. Let yourself be bored long enough for something unusual to slip through. That quiet space where nothing is demanded often becomes the birthplace of something unexpectedly clear. It’s not distraction—it’s incubation. And it only works when you stop forcing it and let your attention soften. Part 8: A Conclusion  Creativity isn’t a single switch. It’s a circuit with multiple wires: movement, curiosity, quiet, reflection, structure, space. You can learn how to rebuild it, even after long periods of burnout or doubt. The key isn’t inspiration—it’s rhythm. You don’t need to wait for something big to spark again. Just start where you are. Small shifts, repeated often, lead to very real change. And if you treat creativity as something to be fed, rather than forced, you’ll find it begins to show up more often—and stay longer when it does. Discover the magic of storytelling with Rinda Beach, a passionate children's author, teacher, and speaker! Explore her books, blog, and author visit opportunities to inspire creativity and learning today! Meet Guest Blogger, Kent Elliot  I am a retired architect with a passion for dogs, DIY, and universal design. After my stroke that left me with mobility issues, I thought I’d need to move out of my home and into an assisted living community. But, using my experience as an architect and with a little creativity, I was able to successfully remodel my family home instead. The relief I felt has inspired me to help others do the same. I created At Home Aging to share what I’ve learned and I’m currently working on a book, Aging in Place One Project at a Time: DIY Home Modifications That Don’t Require a Professional  Can you imagine meeting King Charles wearing a second-hand dress? That’s exactly what Caroline Jones did earlier this year. Her dress cost £8.50 (£ is the symbol for pounds in British money). I used an internet link and converted it to dollars. That day it equaled $11.49. Caroline’s invitation came as recognition for her charity work for Cancer Research UK. Every day she finds a thrift store outfit, takes a picture, and puts it on her Instagram feed. Then it goes on sale at her local Cancer Research UK shop. Copy and paste in my Source link: https://www.msn.com/en-au/lifestyle/other/i- wore-an-8-50-dress-to-meet-the-king/ar-AA1IpLVy Her Instagram Feed: https://www.instagram.com/knickers_models_own Part 1—The Story: Caroline’s story started when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mary volunteered regularly at her local Cancer Research UK shop. When she was going through chemo, she asked her daughter to cover her shift. That’s when Caroline started doing the shop’s window displays.  When her mother died, Carolyn did her first social media campaign in January 2015. How? She shared a year of photos of herself wearing thrift shop bargains. She came up with a name for her charity and then set up a JustGiving page. Her target, £1,000. This year Caroline is repeating her campaign using her preloved outfits, and I have a feeling it’s already more successful. Afterall, it caught the attention of England’s King and Queen, Part 2—Tips for Second Hand Shopping:  Are you ready for some bargain basement deals? Try your local thrift store! Think of it as a treasure hunt. When I looked at the original article, Caroline Jones had 11 tips to get you started… #1. Don’t be afraid to clash.  OOH! I have trouble with this one, but I like Caroline’s suggestion. Pick a basic color and build from there using accessories and make-up. Use them to give your foundation a twist. One of her favorite designs, to pull a triple floral using your dress, bag, and earrings. She said if the dress pattern is too ditzy, go for a bigger one in your accessories. The trick, to balance the outfit so that you’re happy with it. If you aren’t, keep adjusting until you are. 2. Accessorize, accessorize.  Now Caroline’s talking my language! I love to use jewelry in my outfits. Caroline said she spends 70% of her time thinking about it. Not me. I keep trying things on until I’m happy. When you’re not feeling your best, keep accessorizing until you are. When I dress happy, I feel happy. 3. Get the underwear right.  No, Caroline didn’t pick this image. I did; it’s from a 1913 ad. I doubt Caroline gets her underwear from the thrift shop, and I won’t get mine pre-loved either. Wherever you get yours, she said to make sure they’re comfortable and give you good coverage. To quote her, “definitely spend some time on your underwear. It’s something we should all be doing. It makes you feel really good,” and who doesn’t love feeling good?! 4. Don’t get hung up on sizing.  Caroline doesn’t even look at it. She focuses on the cut of the cloth and how it looks. She tries on whatever appeals to her, whether it’s a men’s shirt or a maternity dress. PS—when she posted that dress on Instagram, people wanted to know where to find it. It looked that good on her! 5. Go for bold color.  Remember the rainbow! Caroline loves color and rarely wears black. Why? It makes her unhappy. Check her Instagram account, and you’ll see color everywhere. Caroline starts an outfit with navies, grays and earth tones. Then she layers in those bright colors. Me, I love black. I only buy pieces when they catch my eye and convince me I’ve got to have them. Then I mix in elements from the store or my closet, until I’m happy with who’s in the mirror. 6. Hosiery is my happy place. (except in the summer)  I wonder if Caroline buys hers at a thrift shop. I’m not sure I would. She recommended 2 brands…Falke tights…with extra fabric to help them stay up, and they’re on Amazon too. YAY! The other, Heist Studios, in the UK. Sorry. And her tip that I’d never heard before, put moisturizer on your hands and legs first. It prevents snags. I’m dying to try it out! Caroline also likes ankle socks that match the color of her eye shadow or jewelry. She’s been known to pick up souvenir socks and fishnet pop socks. Fishnet pop socks, who knew?! Caroline says at 56, she’s allowed to play with color and messaging. Me, I think fun is priceless at any age. 7. Be playful.  And yes, Caroline’s worn a Snoopy T-shirt on her Instagram page, but you’ll also find her in bowties, tiaras, pillbox hats, and fancy dresses. Thrift shops are a great place to play with your clothes. Where else would you find a cape? But if you think you need one, keep the lines under it simple and neat. 8. Embrace the skirt.  Caroline loves them, but she also knows a lot of ladies don’t. They’re afraid if they tuck in the top, their hips will look bigger, and no one wants that! Caroline says it’s all about the drape of the fabric, getting the proportions right for you, and drawing the eye up. In this photo, I’m drawn to the hat first, then the shoes. I see the skirt last. Caroline uses jewelry and make-up to get the same effect. PS—I think I should try the same strategy with pants. 9. Layering is your friend.  If you’re experiencing temperature changes from the weather or menopause, light layers are wonderful! I found these two shots of Caroline on Instagram. Jackets are great! When you’re hot, you pull them off, and when you’re cold, put them back on again. And don’t forget, they look great draped over pants and skirts. 10. It’s all about proportions.  If you have curves, you might look away from a bias-cut dress. They’re cut diagonally and run across your body. If you have broad shoulders, spaghetti straps and halter necks might not be a good choice. So what works? Nice wide straps, cap sleeves and boat necks. You’ll look better in them and feel better too. 11. There really is a pair of jeans for you. 
I haven’t looked for a long time…I love leggings. Caroline’s suggestions, first measure the zipper length with your hand. Caroline likes a long one, like the length of her hand. She wears anything from stonewashed to dark shades. She loves the cut of wide-leg button-fly Levi 501 ‘54s. Would you believe they’re based on a pair of jeans made back in 1954? And now, they’re back! Whether you pick wide-leg or boot cut, take a look in the mirror to see if you like the way you look. After reading and sharing these tips, take a chance and walk through your local thrift shop. Who knows, maybe you’ll find a treasure! Me too! I remember bringing my first child home some 38 years ago. It was easy…my husband drove. It took a couple weeks before I finally made MY first drive. I remember the fear and anxiety like it was yesterday. I hope sharing this post will make it easy for you to take that first trip together.  This link came in an email from Morgan Coleman and The Barnes Firm. Please feel free to share this link/post with anyone who’s expecting. It would make my day, Morgan’s too. We both love being helpful?! And that link: thebarnesfirm.com/driving-with-infants-tips-for-new-parents/ #1. Choosing the best seat  This is one of the most important choices you’ll make for your baby. Here’s the original checklist:
Three additional things to consider…Make sure your seat is free from product recalls and that you don’t see any defects (if it’s been in an accident, walk away). Finally think about your routine, car size, and the number of times you’ll pull that seat in and out. Back in my day, we eyeballed ours and picked the one that looked best. #2. Installing that car seat  Installing the seat correctly is as important as selecting it. Here’s the original list:
#3. Never hold your baby while the car’s moving  When a baby cries or needs a bottle, all you want to do is pick them up. Don’t. It’s super dangerous. You can’t protect them from harm in a car, even if you’re in a low-speed crash. I’m not going to imagine it at a higher speed. It’s also illegal. Babies and small children must ride in the back seat, facing backwards, properly secured and buckled into that car seat. It’s the only way to keep them safe. But, there’s an option…I use it all the time…I buckle in beside baby! #4. Make a quick safety check before driving away  Get ready for take-off! Here’s the original list from the website:
#5. Never leave baby alone in the car  Cars heat up quickly, and babies can’t hold their body temperature steady. If they’re left alone, baby could suffocate, have a heat stroke, or even be kidnapped. It’s also illegal in many states. You might think you’ll only be gone a few minutes, but it’s just not worth the consequences if something goes wrong. #6. Minimize distractions so you can focus on driving  When baby’s crying, it’s excruciating for anyone, especially a new parent. Here’s the original list of tips:
7. If your baby is crying, it’s OK to pull over  Having a baby screaming from the backseat can push any parent’s buttons. The simplest solution—look for a safe place to pull over and fix what’s bothering baby. There’s no shame in it; it’s what smart parents do for baby, for themselves, and for everyone’s safety. Tips for Reducing Stress While Driving as a New Parent  - What to Pack in Your Baby Travel Kit
- Planning Feedings and Diaper Changes - Keeping Your Baby Cool and Comfortable in the Car - Soothing Your Baby While You’re Behind the Wheel - Baby-Friendly Safety Gear for a Less Stressful Drive - Frequently Asked Questions About Driving With a Newborn - More Driving Safety Resources and Tools for New Parents |
AuthorWhen I write, I can only have one voice in my head, mine. A little noise is fine. But too much, or worse yet, WORDS, and I must change rooms or pull out headphones. Then I can write on! Categories
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