Simply Good Living with Tisch

Summer Solstice is a great time of year, but it is especially noticeable near the Arctic Circle - where the sun does not set.... literally.... there is no sunset.... which is a wild phenomenon if you have never experienced it.    Despite all the extra hours of light in the far North, a tomato plant given to us by a friend, produced fruit that never made it past the "green ball" phase.  We learned...

It's turned hot and humid in the South, so we've had to work a little smarter and less harder to manage the heat.     During our time outdoors working and clearing brush, I had a chance to really appreciate the world around me. No screens, no ear buds, just me and nature. It was such a wonderful moment of peace, that I took the time to truly appreciate what was around me.    Taking time to do this...

Crows are amazing, and even those who have studied them for decades are mystified by their intelligence and social behaviors.    Crows keep a close family unit and the hatchlings of last year, are the babysitters this year. A baby crow lives and learns for several years before heading out to start their own family.    Crows can count and communicate important information along great distances to o...

Do you ever find yourself thinking the same depressing, negative, or pwerless thing about a situation, or person?    Why does this always happen?    There she goes again....    I guess there's nothing I can do...    Our brains are hardwired to see dangers and problems everywhere... and in the good old days, when life expectancy was age 35 for men, and even less for women - it was a helpful path fo...

Human Nature is a pretty negative thing, we are tuned into the worst, the bad, the danger.... so what can we learn from the Mockingbird to change the station? Want to learn more about this amazing bird? Or hear some recorded riffing? Here's a trusted source to learn more (including a handy map of where they like to sing): https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/overview# 

We've just had a day of rain, with cool temperatures and a dreary sky.   But, it's evening and the birds are singing all around the yard and garden.   As I pause to take in the beauty of the sound, a peace and sense of contentment fill my soul and I want to share this with someone.    What makes for happiness? Why do we tend to notice all the negatives?  I've just started a new book on the topic o...

Did you know that God's first name is Andy?    It's a cute joke, but as I walked in the garden today it reminded me of a hymn and the joke.   I started this podcast as a way to share stories and lessons from the garden that have helped me and others grow a positive mindset.  But, this podcast almost never happened. I had never thought of doing a podcast, and didn't like the idea that I might not b...

The garden is growing and is actually further along than we've been in years past.      And we are celebrating the excitement of green tomatoes growing on the vine.  But we also have some things that just aren't going the way we planned, planted, or hoped. So, how do you deal with things that don't happen the way you wanted? It really comes down to saying "so what?...now what?" and moving into a s...

Grit... Strength... Survival... Determination....  What does it mean to be a survivor?   How does adversity and challenge make us stonger?      In this episode, I share the story of an extraordinary red-winged blackbird that we nicknamed Zachary Bass, after a movie character who survived against all odds.   This one bird, inspired us to become "bird nerds" and learn more about our feathered friend...

We've had a lot of rain and I'm standing outside the garden looking at the growth and considering our deer fence - a simple set-up of metal posts and fishing line.    How in the world does something so simple keep out the deer?     They brush against it at night and it startles them. That's it... the fence isn't really keeping them away from their goal, their fear of the unknown is what keeps them...

Sunflowers have a few amazing qualities...  one of which is that they always seek the sunlight.  We have several volunteer sunflowers popping up around our bird feeders and in the garden.     Even though they are just a few inches tall, and there are no flowers on them... I can always tell the sunflower seedlings hiding in the clover and grass... because in the morning they are bent toward the sun...

We just started our yearly bout with something we call "Green Ball Syndrome."  It's a condition we bring on ourselves, and happily suffer through the effects of this condition.     Green Ball Syndrome is what we call it when our tomato plants fruit.  The pretty yellow flowers turn into a tiny green sphere that given the proper conditions, turns into a delious, ripe, red, home-grown tomato!   My de...

"I love pulling weeds!" said no one ever! Weeds can ruin a garden, but how do you keep them under control?  We nip them with a garden hoe, before they get too large to deal with easily. In this episode, we'll talk about hoeing, nipping, and dealing with the weeds in our lives before they take over. 

A garden is never the same from one season to the next, it's a lot like life. But for some reason, I can accept that things won't always go the way I planned in the garden.  In our lives, we can take things so seriously. Replay incidents, accidents, and events over and over. But, we can never change the past. So, how do we learn from what happened but not dwell on it? Failing forward is a concept...

In this episode I share a story about a sign in my school's teacher's lounge that read, "Don't Talk About Yourself, We'll do that After You Leave!"  Just before an acredidation board came to tour the school, my dear hubs helped me make a sign to hang alongside this one that showed a version of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote about Large Minds Discuss Ideas, Medium Sized Minds Discuss Events and Small mi...

My dear hubs likes to tease me about how good I am at creating "maximum dammage" in the garden.  It's a fun play on words, because we build up a dam of dirt around each row of tomato plants - it helps us funnel water to the roots of those plants instead of splashing water everywhere.   In this episode, we'll talk about ways to channel our resources to the things that need them.... and to weed out...

Have you ever had someone tell you, "well, it could be worse"? Is there always a silver lining?  A positive mindset doesn't make the circumstances dissappear, but it can certainly make the trip better for us and all the passengers around us.  In this episode I share a funny story that my dear hubs likes to tell, along with some insights from the garden and life to help us consider ways to look for...

Each year our neighbors think we have an instant garden...  but the truth is that appearances can be decieving.  Like with social media.  It is easy to think that everyone is living the good life and you are missing out.  In this episode I'll share 3 simple steps to get your joy and sense of contentment back if you've been scrolling and not finding peace. 

How do you keep on the sunny side when there is so much to be worried about? In this epsisode I'll share how life feels when you don't know what results you'll hear or what that will mean for your life. So much uncertainty can create an environment of anger, frustration, and chaos. So, how do you stay in control and not let the anxiety win?

The Relaxation Station It's the day of the Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024 and lots of folks are really excited to "watch" this amazing event. We're focused on the next cancer test today and keeping life good and happy while we "hurry-up and wait".  There's a little cabin in our yard with a porch and a sign that reads "The Relaxation Station". It's a physical reminder of taking the time to relax. But,...

Befriend the Birds Picking up a hobby or a long term project, show to binge, or other occupation to keep your spirits bright can have a positive energy effect.    Bird song and bird activity bring a bright spot to the day and can lead to a great hobby as you gain their trust and get to know the various birds visiting you. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an outstanding FREE app to identify the b...

Topping Off Our Tanks Have you ever stuffed as much fuel or gas as you could in your vehicle's tank?  We're usually pretty good at watching the fuel gauge on our source of transportation, but how much attention do we pay to our body's fuel level? Our mental, spiritual, and physical energy?  This episode shares a story with the purpose of providing us with reminders to fuel up, top off the tank, an...

The Advocate Question: Who do you fight for? Care for? How do you do it? Being an advocate for a loved one is a responsibility, and a beautiful way to care for them and help them. It helps us as caregivers to know that we are getting the answers and care necessary for our dear one.  But, who is our advocate? So often we forget, or neglect ourselves because we don’t want to be selfish, or self-cent...

Getting lost, and found again... Sometimes our life seems like a cycle, we get it all together and everything is jamming. Then, little-by-little, over time things fall apart. But we don't notice because we're busy. Or we notice, but are so overwhelmed that we can't find a solution. Caring for others, caring for our careers, caring for causes, there is so much to care about. And we forget to care f...