Wanderings & Ponderings
Many of us are searching these days. No matter our age, background, or beliefs, we just want to be happy! How can we do this in a constantly-connected yet lonely-and-divided world, where depression and anxiety are at an all-time high and where our planet is bearing the brunt of our humanity? My life, writing, art, and adventures are all an exploration of this question. So far, I’ve found it all starts with inner peace and outer connection. Simple, but definitely not easy. I hope you enjoy the tips, tools, and ideas I’m learning along the way. I’d love to hear some of yours!
Don’t Just Hike: Go for a Plalk!
No, it’s not a new kind of stride or weird X Games challenge. Plalking is the trendy Swedish import of picking up litter while you walk. Garbage can be downright dangerous to animals and plants in the wild. So turning your hike into a plalk not only ups your exercise quotient, it also helps protect the natural world we love. Read more in my latest blog.
Turn Food Scraps into Garden Gold
Want to grow your best garden ever, save money, and help the environment at the same time? Start backyard composting. Though not exactly magic, it sure seems like it when your carrot peels, old leaves and avocado pits turn into the richest soil you’ve ever seen! Learn the simple do’s and don’ts.
My Very Hungry Caterpillars
After raising monarchs for years, I wonder if we’re like hungry caterpillars. Perhaps we’re reaching the limits of our gorging and we’re poised for metamorphosis? Read more in my latest blog at www.merrybrennan.com
Pictures & Words: a photoplay collection
I agree: a picture is worth a thousand words, But I also believe words can enrich an image, sort of like walnut crunch on a hot fudge sundae or rémoulade on crab cakes. I love flavoring my photos with brief thoughts, quotes, and inspirations. See my growing “Photoplay” collection.
Natural Rx: 5 Exciting Planet-Savers
Does the “big picture” on our planet ever make you suck in your breath… and not in a good way? Yet, every day brings me more hope, especially when I turn to nature. Beside the healing effects we get from nature, researchers are also leveraging the powers of flora and fauna to help remedy our impact on the planet. Read some promising solutions and ponder how we each can help our Earth.
Natural Rx: the Healing Power of Being Outdoors
What’s your favorite way to tap into what the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen calls "outdoorphins?" It’s old news that a walk in the woods is great exercise and can improve your heart health and weight. But did you know exposure to nature might also help fight a cold? Reduce stress? Help kids with ADHD? And maybe even prevent certain kinds of cancer? Read more for the latest findings.
What Does YOUR Flower Say?
Who needs texts, tweets or even telephones, when you have a vase of tulips? From early Chinese dynasties to the Victorian age, flowers spoke volumes and even delivered secret codes for clandestine communication. We may no longer rely on floriography, as it was called, but our botanical friends still hold lots of meaning. Check out your special flower!