Jenny Bristol

How I Prepare for Change

I don't deal well with change much of the time. Not the big stuff, anyway. It helps quite a bit if I have some transition time to get used to the idea, though. If I'm ready for the change when it happens, it goes really smoothly. If it's abrupt, if I didn't see it coming, or if I can't prepare for it, there is a difficult adjustment period afterward.

Jan 3

Being Female, But Outside the Inner Circle

"Moms' night out." "Girls' night out." "Nail wraps." "A day at the spa." "Out with my besties." "Mani pedi!" All of these phrases and activities leave me cold.

Dec 31

New Book: The Isle of Kern

The Isle of Kern is a fictional guidebook about a British island off the southwest coast of England. It contains plenty of literary elements, with excerpts of a fictional fiction book inside as well.

Dec 29

New Project! First Person History

I've begun a new project called First Person History. I'm extremely excited about this one, because it's all about history. Duh.

Dec 22

Typewriter Blog Entry #1

I've been playing with a new format. Let me know what you think.

Nov 22

What the Heck Is the Southern Ocean?

When I was in school, I learned that there were four oceans: the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Indian, and the Arctic. Now some geography sources talk about the Southern Ocean. Um, what?

Aug 10

Tiny Houses

I'm digging this Tiny House movement. Giving up 3/4 of your stuff and living in a smaller space sounds really appealing to me. Less room to clean, fewer belongings to take care of, fewer places to lose things.

Jul 17

Daylight Saving Time: Know Your Facts!

This isn't about Daylight Saving Time in general, though I think it has outlived its usefulness. This is about people's misuse of terms surrounding it. We're adults. Can't we agree to educate ourselves to the point where our communication is clear? Huh? Can we? Please?

Jun 24

Happy 800th Birthday, Magna Carta!

Happy 800th Birthday to the Magna Carta! Yes, it's that old.

Jun 15

“Be Kind”

As I do every spring/summer, I've been up to my elbows planning next year's homeschooling. It's great fun, and I always put a lot of work into it. The more planning I can do during the summer, the smoother our experience during the school year. And since my daughter is beginning 9th grade next year, I'm also looking ahead to the entirety of high school for her.

May 27

Marriage Equality in Arizona

It's about time. We now have marriage quality in my state of Arizona.

Oct 17

Euclid’s Elements

Ever want to read about Euclidean geometry from the man himself? Euclid's Elements is free online. Obviously out of copyright and all. Being Euclid. Though it's had to be translated into English and such. Regardless, it's available online. For free.

Mar 27

Stephen Fry on Humanism

From his many superb acting roles and books to his hilarity on QI to Molly Lewis's fantastic "An Open Letter to Stephen Fry," I've been a fan of Stephen Fry for about two decades. Here he is, sort of taking on the subject of how to be happy without religion.

Mar 25

Public Libraries Are Important

From story time to book clubs to puppet shows to science presentations to art classes to social opportunities for teens to Irish step dance performances to chamber music performances, our library system offers a wide variety of opportunities for learning and socializing. Not to mention the books and other materials on the shelves. And we take advantage of it all.

Mar 23