When I purchased a 50mm lens for my Nikon camera, it was a relatively inexpensive way to make my photos look more professional.

I had been using the lens that ships with the camera, a 35mm telephoto lens that can shoot a landscape and then zoom in to capture specific details. Its versatility was nice. However, photos with the 50mm lens looked so much more refined. It was perfect for very shallow depth of field effects, meaning that there was only a limited distance from the camera that would be in focus, creating a nice blurry background or foreground.

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“I am trying to learn problem-solving skills. Do you have any recommendations?”

I received this question on one of my very favorite topics from a reader of this blog. (Thank you!)

My answer is very simple: I learned problem-solving skills through solving problems.

Each problem required certain resources and tools to solve it. And then, once I solved it, I had those resources and tools to use on the next problem.

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The Bahá’í period of fasting takes place in early March and ends with the Vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere.

Adults abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. It is a time of reflection, renewal, and hungry afternoons. Some days are euphoric, and some are really tough — sometimes at the same time.

On those harder days, I find myself reflecting on how I took lunch for granted. I always think that when the Fast is over, life will be so easy. I’ll just be able to have a snack whenever I need one! I’ll be able to concentrate easily all day, and I won’t have to plan my mornings around eating before dawn.

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I’ve been teaching some online songwriting classes for kids.

It’s been a lot of fun. We’re making up silly lyrics about tacos and learning to jam a little bit.

These kids have varying levels of participation. Some of them are all in, chanting rhythms and offering little bits of melody. Some will sing along when they’re on mute but refuse to turn on their mics to share what they are doing. Some will propose some lyrics or answer questions in the chat. And some won’t contribute at all — their participation is limited to observation.

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It was the last day of school. It had been a bittersweet morning full of summer sunshine and goodbyes.

One of the last remaining students began to cry. “It’s over!” she wailed to her mother. “I don’t want it to be over!”

“It’s okay, honey,” her mom said. “You can have sleepovers with Emma and Sarah — you’ll see your friends! You’re going to camp! Remember how excited you were about that? And we’ll be back here again in just a couple of months!”

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