by Ethan Johnson
April 11, 2008

Since I am not native to these parts (Texas), I am reasonably cognizant that we live in a tornado prone area, and any given storm can produce the Big One. But after years of "just" thunderstorms and maybe some hail for good measure, I admit that I slipped into a sense of complacency. Guess what?

by Ethan Johnson
December 23, 2007

Conventional wisdom holds that if one focuses on a particular thing, one will start to see more of that thing. For example, if one decides to buy a new car, and determines which kind, suddenly more of that kind of car are seen in traffic. Or suddenly there is a new aggressive advertising campaign devoted to that vehicle. Conventional wisdom strikes again, as I have been mulling over certain topics in advance of forthcoming articles, and as luck would have it, I'm finding an abundance of supporting material. Case in point:

by Ethan Johnson
December 5, 2007

I am passing along the following anecdote as something of a teaching moment. Not just for the casual reader, who shall shortly be enlightened, but for myself, who apparently needed the lesson.

by Marlena Elias
November 24, 2007

I haven’t attempted to write since the Enron scandal as I don't feel like I actually have something worthy of sharing. Ethan is prolific with his writing and his need to communicate. I communicate all day long at work, so by the time I get home, I don’t have the energy to share myself, so writing hasn’t been a priority. Recently, I learned something about the changes in what I thought was my hard-wired brain that I felt was worthy of sharing.

by Ethan Johnson
September 21, 2007

For whatever reason, we have taken on a lodger. Well, another lodger, what with all of the house geckos creeping around our yard. A few weeks ago, I found something new on our patio that was decidedly unlike a gecko: A toad. I took some photos of it, then released it across the alley from our house. Nothing like getting a handful of toad pee. It brings back memories of Lake Superior, or scout camp. (Sniffle) Another one hopped along a few days later, resulting in another photo shoot and relocation. Now we're on our third distinctly different toad. Since the third time is the charm, I left it alone to see what businesses it had with our yard. The answer: A burrow.

[Edit 9/23/2007: Upon reviewing the photos, it is the same toad each time. Not sure how it is homing in on its burrow, but that kind of tenacity has inspired me to be more welcoming and protective.]

by Ethan Johnson
August 30, 2007

I'm on the board, again! I put our new crop room to good use with my third 12x12 layout. I uploaded the finished product to scrapbook.com, and it's included here with bonus commentary:

by Ethan Johnson
August 11, 2007

Hey hey! I made it through another block of 30 days. Just in time for the absolute worst time of year (weather-wise) down here in Dallas. Let's do the numbers:

by Ethan Johnson
July 26, 2007

Quick notes from Big D: