Paula Johnson

Paula's Grandpa Tom by Paula Johnson Using nicknames has been around as long as anyone alive might remember – and likely generations before that.    Remember the schoolyard ditty: “First grade, babies; second grade, … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Copper and Fuzz

by Paula Johnson Over the years, I have shared many of my journeys with you readers. As a youth, reading was my travelogue. I felt so fortunate to finally experience these strange places around the world. Of course, I haven’t circled … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Travel or Travail

Undercover Cake by Paula Johnson  Have you been searching for something to perk up a meal that doesn’t require much effort? Nothing complicated; you might have things already in your pantry. Maybe something different for a … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Undercover Cake

Triangle Weaver web by Paula Johnson What do high-performance sports cars and spider-webs have in common? Maybe this seems strange, but owners of HP cars of the 60s will recognize this, in spite of their gender.    Both … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Spider Web vs Sports Car

Family Reunion: left to right, John, Judy, Paula, Denis, Chris, and Sue. Gina behind the camera. As many of you know, I enjoy having the time and ability to visit my family in Illinois. This month was an extra special … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Family Reunion

by Paula Johnson What got me started down the latest rabbit hole was a question in my inbox: “How do most Icelanders heat their homes?” As a social science teacher who taught her students HOW to take a multiple-choice test, I applied … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Amazing Geothermal

by Paula Johnson The Ides of September are upon us. Ides were mid-month and were to refer to the full moon. But 2026’s is on the 26th. Calendars were different in Ceasar’s day. Enjoy more trivia. Questions1. How did the term “boycott” … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: September 2026 Trivia

by Paula Johnson Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not the temperature, it’s the humidity?” Well, I used to believe that because I detested visiting Florida in July and August (not just HOT, but the humidity was a killer, and the … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Dew Point

by Paula Johnson Carmi and I had a conversation recently about watching home remodeling shows, and the first suggestion that is often given is to remove walls. That is usually followed with the idea of painting everything … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Home space layouts

by Paula Johnson A recent article about childhood rules and traditions piqued my interest. I wondered how many of them John and/or I enjoyed in our youth. 1. Leaving with your bike in the morning and coming back for suppertime. … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Childhood Ways

You may not be doing birds a favor giving them access to your bird feeder. EarthTalkFrom the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: How has the prevalence of bird feeders in the U.S. affected birds’ evolution? Is … [Read more...] about EarthTalk: Bird feeders

by Paula Johnson Maybe with all this gloomy and rainy weather keeping us from fun activities, this trivia quiz will perk you up a bit. Questions:1. How long is a jiffy? 2. Who became a famous silent Hollywood star after being … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: August Trivia