Tag: NPR

Seven free (or low-cost) things I do every week for fun

Bloganuary writing prompt
List five things you do for fun.
View all responses
Witch-adjacent woman waits for Aldi to open during an ice storm. What fun!

Hike. I love hiking in northern Illinois. It doesn’t matter if I’m alone, with the Rockford Fringe, or with my family — it’s always marvelous. But I love hiking out of town (or state) even more. I frequently daydream about where I get to hike next.

Blog. It’s good writing practice and always takes me on new paths of truth. Blogging is like hiking for the mind.

Mushrooms. Foraging for choice mushrooms brings gladness to my heart every single time. I also love cooking ’em up!

Witchcraft. I started reading about witchcraft several years ago when a friend of mine asked me rather seriously, “Are you a witch?” I was like, “Uhhh, no….” He patiently pointed out that I love nature and the outdoors and gave off a certain vibe and should look into it. I don’t usually like being mansplained, but I trusted him enough to read up on the subject and very quickly understood what he was implying. Witchcraft isn’t as scary as it sounds and it’s really just a new way of paying attention to the environment and each other.

If you’re curious about “witching,” here’s something simple you can do: Pay attention to whatever wild animals you see this week. Notice which one you see the most. That animal is trying to tell you something. Google their spiritual meaning and see if you can make sense of the message. Example: If you see several hawks this week, that can mean you are angry about something and need to work through it.

Fasting. In the spring, I fast for 19 days in solidarity with my Baha’i and Baha’i-adjacent friends. I rarely see these friends anymore so this practice helps keep me in touch with them, at least spiritually. It is fun to think of them and pray for them.

Read Romance Novels. Here’s a link to some NPR-recommended romance novels. NPR also introduced me to Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez. I’ll admit I’m a little embarrassed whenever anyone catches me reading a romance novel but the truth is these books can be a lot of fun.

Aldi. I used to detest grocery shopping but a few years ago, I decided to give Aldi a try. My whole world brightened when I discovered this small, approachable store with self-checkout. Now I look forward to shopping. I only wish I thought cooking was fun.

Math. I wrote most of today’s blog when I was in the parking lot at Aldi, waiting for it to open. I don’t usually write on my phone, but I thought I’d give it a try. As such, I wasn’t paying technical attention to what I was writing, lost count and went over the “five item maximum.” I hope you don’t call the #bloganuary police on me!

Thanks for reading. I hope you had fun! -Connie

My first spore print! Another fun thing you can do for free. Place your mushroom “gills down” on a piece of paper and let it sit overnight. In the morning, the spores will have fallen onto the paper and you will be able to properly ID your mushroom AND you’ll have a lovely piece of art!

Ruled by the clock

Jesse travels quite a bit for work but was able to “sneak” home for 43 hours this weekend. I know the hours (and even the minutes) because the Kuntzes are a family that is ruled by the clock.

For decades, I’ve known about being “on the clock” and “rocking around the clock,” but being “ruled by the clock” wasn’t a phrase I had ever come across until the spring of 2018. That’s when I read Sound Reporting by Jonathan Kern for my old radio job.

On most days it doesn’t matter whether we’re reporters, editors, producers, directors, or hosts, our working days are ruled by the clock.

Jonathan Kern, Sound Reporting

Firstly, it’s a good book. If you enjoy news radio, especially NPR, read it.

Secondly, just working days, pal? Show me one person in news radio who truly takes a day off. Show me one radio person who doesn’t always have one eye on the clock. If there’s a fire, radio people will look at the time before they look for the exit.

Empaths, I invite you to grab a partner and act the following scene from A Conversation You Will Never Hear in a Radio Station by Connie Kuntz.

John: Oh, I forgot my phone and watch and all 17 clocks within 25 feet of each other are missing. Do you know what time it is?

Mary: Gosh, I have no idea.

John: It’s still morning, right?

Mary: Not sure!

John: So what’s new?

Mary: How would I know?

The world explodes. End of scene.

You see, it’s funny because it’s a conversation you would never hear in a radio station.

Anyway, my family and I are ruled by the clock, just not as much radio people. So before Jesse decided to squeeze his break in, we debated whether it would be worth it to come home for such a short interval. There are times when it’s best to stay in the “work groove” because breaks don’t always refresh and renew the spirit so much as destroy momentum. Normally we “choose momentum,” but not this time and I’m glad.

While he was home, we went to Funderburg Forest Preserve for a hike. I was on the lookout for fresh mushrooms but found an abundance of sharply-lobed bloodroot instead. Cute!

Bloodroot.

Seeing the spring ephemeral softened my stress but it was a very windy afternoon.

Illinois wind is not exactly the loving caress of Mother Nature. It’s aggressive and a little cruel. It cuts into your eyes and tangles your hair. But it also has a way of knocking some sense into you so by the time we met our kids back at the trailhead, we were all smiles.

Mother Nature is not ruled by the clock but she knows how to slow time down. She’s amazing. I’m not sure what inspires her, but I know we should listen to her more often.

Thanks for reading my blog. Nine more days until I reach the 100-day mark. But who’s counting? -Connie

Sam, Angelo and Fern off the trails at Funderburg.