Sunday, January 04, 2026

My Outdoor Cat Needs A Name

 


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Saturday, January 03, 2026

Annual Planning - Will Harlow, HT Physio

Thoughts from Will Harlow - HT Physio :

My annual planning approach:

Every year, I keep an entire day in the period between Christmas and New Year completely free of commitments so I can go through a process I call Annual Planning. I lock myself away for the whole day and try to take a 40,000 foot view of the year ahead. I think about what I want to do and who I want to become in all aspects of my life – personal, health, business and relationships. This day gives me some of my biggest breakthroughs.

The key to making this process effective is to ask the right questions. I'm sharing some of my favourites below in case you want to do your own version of Annual Planning and need somewhere to start:

Personal

  • What does “success” actually mean for you now (not 10 years ago)?
  • What parts of your current identity no longer serve you?
  • If 2026 ended and nothing materially changed, what would you regret most?
  • If someone wrote your obituary at 90, what do you want the through-line to be?

Health

  • What does “elite health for my age” actually mean in measurable terms?
  • What activities give me energy vs drain it?
  • What behaviours must be protected even in busy periods?

Relationships

  • Who deserves more of me in 2026?
  • What relationships am I neglecting due to “busyness”?
  • What would my wife or husband say I should change?

Future

  • What are my 5 personal non-negotiables for 2026?
  • What must be true for you to say “this was a successful year”?
  • What is on my "Stop Doing" list for 2026?

Let me know if you'll give this a try for 2026.

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Friday, January 02, 2026

Best sign so far this year

 On my morning walk, we saw ... 


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Thursday, January 01, 2026

Free CLE January 2026+

 As we step into a new year of learning and connection, I’m excited to share this month’s lineup of Free CLE Webinars—ready for you to explore, use, and pass along to your networks. Every listing is free to attend, though credit approval varies by jurisdiction. If your state isn’t listed, you may still be able to self-apply depending on YOUR local rules.


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January 2026 Free CLE

January 5: 
January 7:
January 8:
* Styles: Word’s Most Complicated Feature Explained and Demonstrated. Part 1 of Mastering MS Word: A 3-Part CLE Series by Clio. 
January 9:
* ICE, ICE… Maybe? A Courthouse Survival Guide for Immigrant Clients. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
January 13:
* New York Settlement Math Made Easy. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
January 14:
* Global Public Health Law: A Transdisciplinary Approach. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
* The Past, Present, and Future of International Justice. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
January 15:
* Automatic Tables of Contents and Tables of Authority in Microsoft Word. Part 2 of Mastering MS Word: A 3-Part CLE Series by Clio. 
* AI and Its Place In Legal Practice. By Attorney Action Club and San Francisco Lawyers' Network.
January 16:
January 20:
* Appointment of Counsel, Ethics, and Due Process for Parents in CHIPS Cases. By Children's Court Improvement Program of Wisconsin.
January 23:
* Eleventh Annual Media & Entertainment Law Symposium. By Fordham Media & Entertainment Law Society.
January 27:
* Spending Programs and the New Roberts Court. By Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
* Minnesota's Recent Trust & Estate Law Updates. By Minnesota State Law Library.
* GR 33 Disability Accommodations in Court. By Washington State Bar Association.
January 28:
January 29:

February 2026 Free CLE

February 4:
February 5:
* 2026 CPLR Update. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
* Early Case Assessment. By LexisNexis.
February 10:
* Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) Webinar. By Children's Court Improvement Program of Wisconsin.
February 11:
February 12:
February 13:
February 17:
February 18:
February 19:
February 24:
* Seat at the Table: Building Fairer Juries Through Inclusion. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
February 25:
February 26:
February 27:
* Justice is Gray, Ethics is Black & White. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.

March 2026 Free CLE

March 4:
March 5:
* Emily Dies in Paris: The Art of Ancillary Probate in New York. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
* Core Law 2026. By CES.
March 10:
March 11:
* No, I’m Not the Court Reporter: Seeking Justice Without Bias. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
March 12:
* Bankruptcy Fundamentals. By LexisNexis.
March 18:
March 19:
March 25:
* PJI Backstage Pass: Inside Knowledge to Strengthen Your Case at Every Stage. By New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers.
March 26:
March 31:


April 2026 Free CLE

April 1:
April 8:
April 21:





If you’ve spotted a new program worth highlighting, I’d love to hear about it. The calendar remains a living resource, updated throughout the month at http://4freeCLE.blogspot.com..

Here’s to a year of continued growth, shared knowledge, and expanding access to education.

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Monday, December 29, 2025

The Hot Water Tank And Me

Me and Tiny New Hot Water Tank

The little 4‑gallon hot water tank that served the basement kitchen and 3/4 bath finally gave up. A plumber quoted me $2200 to replace it… for a job that’s basically unplug, unhook, swap, re‑hook. My wallet said “nope,” so DIY it was. This would also give me the change to do some preventative TLC while the tank was out of the way: paint the floor and lay down leftover vinyl.

Ordering a new tank (under $200 delivered!) was the easy part. Twisting the valves off the tank ... not so much. After 15 years, they were welded on by the sheer force of time.

I texted Heather an apology for the delay. She asked if she could try. She’s half my size, but sure, why not? A few minutes later she texts back: “Got them off!” Except… the hoses didn’t fit the new tank, so she put everything back.

I understood none of this. How did she get the valves off, and why didn't they fit the new tank?

It turns out - she had disconnected the hoses from the valves, which was far more logical than me trying to twist the valves themselves off. All I needed were new valves. Ordered two for under $50 from Ferguson, and despite the holiday chaos (including one wrong shipment), everything arrived by Boxing Day.

Meanwhile, Heather had already painted and laid the vinyl like a pro. And she seemed to have zero trouble with any of the hoses. Naturally.

On The Big Day, I shut off and removed the old tank while Heather kept her dog from losing his mind. I got the big hoses on easily, but there was one small hose to the kitchen sink that I just could not get back on. My official excuse was that working blind under a sink amid a maze of pipes is not as easy as in the movies.

After too long wrestling with it, I finally asked, “Heather, can you do this one hose?”

“Sure.”

A few minutes later - done!

I plugged in the tank, she turned the water back on, and slowly it filled. It works - see the green light! And yes, I took a selfie.

A good day for learning new skills - including asking for help - and saving $1750 is never bad! See less

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Monday, December 15, 2025

Postcards 4 Democracy – West Seattle

I was grumbling to a friend that too much of my political giving seemed to vanish into consultants’ fees, with little to show for it in terms of encouraging democracy. My friend suggested we stop by a coffee shop, where a group called Postcards 4 Democracy – West Seattle met every Tuesday to write get‑out‑the‑vote postcards.

I walked in, ordered a black coffee and a blueberry scone, and introduced myself to Katherine and Naomi, the group’s leaders. “This week,” they explained, “we’re writing postcards to likely Democrats in Pennsylvania who aren’t registered yet. We include a QR code sticker to make registration easy.”

I scanned the QR code myself and confirmed my own registration. Then it hit me: this wasn’t just a postcard, it was a personalized invitation — a direct nudge to someone with something concrete to do. I was in!

Since then, our group has grown to three or four dozen people, meeting weekly to write postcards and share conversation. We deliberately avoid over‑organizing: there’s no need for big meetings or complicated structures. We always have addresses and postcards ready for newcomers, and we help anyone who wants to learn how to get their own from Field Team 6 or other sources. What matters most is the community — Jonathan designing cards for each campaign, Maryanne sharing news from the Senior Center, me asking for advice about my apple tree.

We always take a photo of our stack of postcards before taking them to the USPS. Celebrations are important!

Over coffee, we weave together friendship and civic action, one handwritten message at a time. For me, this is about more than postcards. It’s about strengthening democracy through creativity, community, and shared purpose. As Bob Putnam reminds us in Bowling Alone and The Upswing, civic engagement flourishes when people come together. Our circle is one small example of how community ripples outward — and it leaves me hopeful that together, we can build something big.

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Monday, December 08, 2025

On A Friend's Loss of A Mother

Dear Friend,

I am sorry to hear of your heavy loss.

I remember 
when my mother passed; 
it was difficult.

Yet even now, 
when I face a problem, 
I ask her what is right, 
and the answer comes.

We all must go, 
and yet something stays.

May their memory 
be a blessing.
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Friday, December 05, 2025

Paradise Alliterated

 Battling bold beings banished,

Convene cunning council, considering conquest.

Discerning disobedience, Deity declares destiny.

Furtive fiend finds fair fields,

Guardian Gabriel greeting garden guests.

Heavenly hosts hurl havoc. However, heroic hand halts,

Infinite intellect initiates invention,

Just Judge joins joyful journey.

Knavish knowledge kind kingdom kills. 

Lamenting Lord levies lasting loss.

Mortal miseries mighty Michael manifests:

Now, no natural nest. New nation needed.

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Wednesday, December 03, 2025

Fixing our political system through joining

 Fixing our broken political system isn’t just about elections - the decline and the rebuilding starts with each of us in our neighborhoods. Political scientist Bob Putnam ("Bowling Alone", "The Upswing") has shown again and again that democracy rises and falls with civic participation. When people stop joining clubs, churches, dance groups, or bowling leagues, trust and cooperation erode. When they rebuild those face‑to‑face networks, democracy strengthens.

This has been a trend since the 1950s - and COVID threw us off a cliff. History proves this is reversible. In America’s Progressive Era, civic life was rebuilt after the Gilded Age collapse, and government became more responsive. Putnam’s studies in postwar Italy and post‑WWII America show the same pattern: strong civic engagement = strong democracy. The documentary *Join or Die* (on Netflix) explains this beautifully. The good news is people actually *like* this stuff. After COVID, there’s a real hunger for in‑person community. We just have to “turn the dial up to 11” on rebuilding clubs, associations, and local groups. Here in West Seattle, we tried it: on Nov 8 we held a **Joiner Jamboree**—1,000 people packed into a church basement with 60 local clubs. The Kiwanis signed up more members in one day than all year. Dance groups discovered they could share infrastructure. Political groups started planning joint efforts. In short, we saw civic life being rebuilt in real time. So what can we do? Start small, start local. Organize events where people can connect face‑to‑face. Support clubs, choirs, hiking groups, service organizations. Every new member, every collaboration, is a brick in the foundation of democracy. If we want to fix politics, we need to fix community first.
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