Published in ILLUMINATION·Jan 1Member-onlyYet Another 10 Things I’ve LearnedIt seems that I’ve learned a lot in life, but never really thought about it. Here’s yet another list. Hopefully, it’s my last list but I wouldn’t count on it. Please feel free to put things you’ve learned in the comments. The vast majority of people make decisions based on…Lists3 min readLists3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Dec 19, 2022Member-only10 More Random Things I’ve LearnedI wrote a story last week listing 10 random things I’ve learned over the course of my life, but that didn’t cover it all, so here’s some more. Most people (90% according to Briggs — Myers) make decisions based on feeling, so using logic to try to affect their thought…Life Lessons3 min readLife Lessons3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Dec 13, 2022Member-only10 Random Things I’ve LearnedI recently turned 59. This means I’ve learned a lot of stuff over the course of my life so far. …Life Lessons2 min readLife Lessons2 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Nov 30, 2022Member-onlyWorking with Negative SpacesFirst, what do I mean by negative spaces? Negative spaces are places where things aren’t, but yet kinda are. For example, if we look at the picture above, we see two people’s faces or a vase. When we see the vase, the people’s faces are the negative space and when…Math3 min readMath3 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Nov 21, 2022Member-onlyUsing Fractions to Solve Percentage ProblemsThere are three ways to solve percentage problems: 1) treat it like a ratio, 2) the 10% method and 3) substitute in a fraction. Today I’d like to talk about that third option. This is a method that works with a limited number of percentage problems. The problems need to…Math3 min readMath3 min read
Published in The Haven·Nov 6, 2022Member-onlyWhat They Don’t Tell You About AgingFirst off, who is “they”? Who is responsible for telling us ANYTHING about aging? Is there some sort of government agency that’s supposed to be putting out a manual? I never got mine. Or maybe it’s some non-profit group who does the aging equivalent of Schoolhouse Rock. …Aging3 min readAging3 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Oct 21, 2022Member-onlyNew, Easy Way to Divide Fractions and Mixed NumbersI’m SO excited. (I know you guys will understand — my husband just looked at me.) I did something by accident today, and when I thought about it, it was not only mathematically valid but applicable to dividing any fraction or mixed numbers. I suppose there should be a bigger…Math3 min readMath3 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Oct 17, 2022Member-onlySubtracting Mixed Numbers.This week’s math hack is a trick to make things simpler when you’re subtracting mixed numbers. First, I always treat the whole part and the fraction part of mixed numbers separately. Second, when we borrow, instead of adding the whole to the top number we can do the subtraction first…Fractions3 min readFractions3 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Oct 11, 2022Member-onlyDividing Mixed Numbers By Whole Numbers.I like efficiency. Though I like math, I don’t like doing math I don’t need to. That’s why the traditional way of dividing mixed numbers by whole numbers makes me a little crazy. Most of the process is doing (changing to an improper fraction), and then almost immediately, undoing (changing…Fractions2 min readFractions2 min read
Published in Math Simplified·Oct 3, 2022Member-onlyDivide FirstI always encourage my students to work with the simplest numbers possible. Doing so not only reduces the chances for error but often makes the problem easy enough to do in your head. When we’re doing something that requires both multiplication and division, I tell them to divide first. Some…Mathematics Education2 min readMathematics Education2 min read
