The Quest for Legendary Art on Independence Day

It is a humbling experience to see the work of master artists, just footsteps away from each brushstroke on canvas. No amount of planning, research, or anticipation can replace the sense of wonder when I stand face to face with the same image the artist once analyzed for hours as it evolved from nothingness. The […]

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The Birthday Boy Bakes his own Cake

Derek is thirty-one years old today, and there’s no better way for a master chef in the making to celebrate his birthday than to bake his own cake. After a little research, he selected a kitchen-tested chocolate cake recipe by the chefs of “Team Tasty 101: YouTube- How to Make the Ultimate Chocolate Cake.” It […]

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A Thanksgiving Dinner For Two

The Thanksgiving holiday, like most American traditions, has a complicated history. Over the years, I have had a personal disdain for the inaccurate retellings of Native American history, over-abundant feasting, and the crowds of mass consumption for the “newest” products. Focusing on these unfortunate characteristics takes a bitter toll on my ability to appreciate much […]

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The Community Garden Finale

I always knew that I had a green thumb as a kid when my Grandma Berger would unload her tools from the station wagon and enlist my help to tackle the dirt surrounding our home. I loved digging my hands through the soil and getting physical with the work of tilling, weeding, and carting piles […]

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Tips on Isolation from E-Learning to Outer Space

As the world goes into a panic with the highly contagious COVID-19 virus, all schools have converted to E-learning. Communicating with my students on email, the Canvas portal, and Google Meet video chat, we are all experiencing different levels of anxiety and cabin fever.  With our local area on an essential-only travel advisory, I find […]

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