#WATWB: The End is not the End

“Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending.” ― C. JoyBell C. In early 2017, two women – Damyanti Biswas and Belinda McGrath Witzenhausen – came up with an idea for a monthly blogfest that would promote positivity and light inRead more

#WATWB: Fox Cities Trail System

For this month’s We Are the World Blogfest, I’m going to share the Fox Cities trail system in the Appleton, Wisconsin area. These are some of the biking/walking trails that I utilize throughout the year, but most often in spring, summer and autumn. I may have gushed about our trails before, but the community that also includes Neenah, Menasha, Fox Crossing, Kimberly, Kaukauna, Combined Locks and other surrounding townships, provide many miles of natural landscape, rivers, lakes and farmland. FromRead more

#WATWB: Knit the Rainbow

Knit the Rainbow (KtR) was created in 2020 after the founder, Austin Rivers, discovered the housing disparities facing LGBTQ+ youth in New York City. KtR provides knitted clothing for this population, to help them survive the NYC winters. “Austin learned to knit while performing on a tour in Japan and felt he could use these skills to provide warm protective winter garments for LGBTQ+ youth facing homelessness. KtR hopes to educate people across the country about the housing crisis theseRead more

#WATWB: Tradition

This is going to be a short post for the November’s We are the World Blogfest (WATWB). It is the Thanksgiving weekend here in the U.S. and between cooking, feeding my face on Thanksgiving Day, and engaging in my own holiday tradition, I’m going to be a tad busy for a few days. Instead of focusing on a particular person, I thought we could focus on holiday or family traditions. Or create new ones from the possibilities in the followingRead more

#WATWB: Blessing Bags

Having volunteered in the past at homeless shelters in the Appleton area, this news story hit close to my heart. From WBAY Channel 2 in Green Bay: Help for the homeless in Appleton came as members of the United Steelworkers in town for a conference dropped off blessing bags at a local shelter, with many bags expected to go to kids. That drop-off site was at the Pillars shelter, near the city’s downtown. Five hundred blessing bags filled with personalRead more

#WATWB: Friends and Friendship

Normally, for a We are the World Blogfest post, bloggers share a link to a positive story about people, places, or community. I’m going to do something a little different for August and share a few words about friendships and how our friends make our lives better. What could be more positive than that? Friendships make the world go around and I have a ton of gratitude for the friendships, both male and female, that I’ve made over the years.Read more

#WATWB: A Home for Soldiers

While biking on vacation a week ago, my girlfriend and I came across the Milwaukee Soldiers Home along the Hank Aaron State Trail. This home is a national historic landmark dating back to post Civil War. From the webside via the link above: “The Milwaukee Soldiers Home was built in 1867 as a place of healing for veterans returning from the Civil War. As one of his last acts, President Lincoln signed legislation to create a national system of homesRead more

#WATWB: Goats in Service

During this past week, starting on June 21st, goats were hired to combat invasive plant species at the 1000 Islands Nature Center in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. You can watch a video and read more HERE. Thousand Islands first used goats to eat invasive plants in 2018, when nine goats from Mulberry Lane Farm arrived at the center. Ridding the grounds of the invasive species allows the native plants to grow and thrive. Read additional information from the 1000 Islands website HERE.Read more

#WATWB: You are Never Too Old

I know little about the game of golf, except for the time I took lessons and practiced with a few ladies from work. I quit after it seemed I was good at whacking the ball hard, but had no finesse in putting. I don’t follow players or watch golf tournaments now, but I know names of some of the game’s most famous: Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, Lee Travino, Gary Player, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus. And then there’s PhilRead more

#WATWB: Reparation in Evanston

Addressing and eliminating systemic racism in America has been a constant struggle for over a century and it feels that in the last year, we’ve taken a step backward while realizing the pervasiveness of racial bigotry that still exists in this country. However, there is always hope in the future. It is the Evanston, Illinois, City Council which gives this suburb of Chicago faith in action. Reparation is a positive step for the city and as it states in theRead more

#WATWB: Health Equity in the U.S.

For this month’s We are the World Blogfest, I’ve chosen to spotlight the Director of the White House’s Covid-19 Health Equity Task Force. Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who is an associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine, has a huge task in front of her as she addresses disparities related to the pandemic and how people are treated for the illness. You can read about Dr. Nunez-Smith and what she hopes to accomplish HERE and HERE.Read more

#WATWB – Hope in a Poet

When day comes we step out of the shade,aflame and unafraidThe new dawn blooms as we free itFor there is always light,if only we’re brave enough to see itIf only we’re brave enough to be it ~Amanda Gorman~ By now, most of you have heard of this young, twenty-two year old poet laureate who spoke so eloquently and intelligently at the U.S. Presidential Inauguration on January 20th. Amanda Gorman is a shining star in the world, a bright light, aRead more