Rest in Peace, Beverly Cleary
It was announced that children’s author Beverly Cleary died on Thursday. She was 104, born in 1916, and a prolific writer. Many of her books were set in the neighborhood in which she grew up, a middle class neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, and based on her own experiences growing up…
Hermit crabs to the rescue!
Are you caring for others? How are you dealing with the mental health burdens of the pandemic? Have you learned one of the superpowers of making yourself feel better? We were given the opportunity to bring home the school hermit crabs for spring break. There was initially a disagreement between…
Are you spending your money in a way that agrees with your values?
About a month ago, I got to listen to Jane Mosbacher Morris speak on using our money to impact the world via values based spending, not just ESG investing or making donations. Why values based spending? Because ESG investing has many traps (a story for another day), and many families…
The Fallacy of Irreplaceability
This morning I was discussing options with a colleague for a medical research study, we also discussed current work challenges including the poor ergonomics and physical pain caused by working from home. In encouragement to push back enough to take care of myself, my colleague gave me a great compliment….
Welcome 2021 – Reflecting on the lessons learned from 2020
I love watching the birds. I have gardens and bushes and trees of native and flowering/fruiting plants, for the birds, for the bees, for the butterflies. Especially for this extended time at home, flocks of birds at my bird feeders are a bright spot all winter long. Each hunts for…
What should I do with the new stimulus check?
You’re getting an additional $600 x ___ eligible family members from the federal government, arriving as soon as January 2021. You’re now asking yourself, “What should I do with it?” As always, follow your Investment Policy Statement for windfalls. In 2020, this may involve staying focused on resupplying your raided…
What does the new COVID-19 stimulus bill mean for you?
The new COVID-19 stimulus bill has passed both the House and the Senate at lightening speed, and is on to the president’s desk for his signature. Assuming he signs it, we get a 4th Trump administration major tax overhaul in his 4 years (not evenly distributed, of course; TCJA in…
What financial struggles are women aged 35-50 facing?
That was the question I was asked recently. Being right in that demographic, I didn’t have to spend long thinking. The answers poured out of me. Unedited, here’s exactly what I replied. And yes, these words dumped right out of me because I’m living much of this; if I’m not,…
December action item: look at the effects of the November pension lump sum re-calculation
Obviously, I’m a data nerd. Add to that being a money data nerd, and I’m out looking at my pension estimate every October and December. Why am I looking at my pension estimate at those two time frames? In November every year, my employer re-assesses the interest rates, and locks…
Trying a gratitude journal – the report 2 weeks in
Like many, COVID-19 news and the stress of 2020 have been getting me down. Two weeks ago Given the season is one of thanksgiving, two weeks ago I tried something completely new to me. I never expected to be someone to start journaling – I just don’t have the time…