There’s an old Western romance novel, “Call of the Canyon,” by cowboy author Zane Grey. It is set in Arizona’s Northland in the 1920s, featuring Oak Creek Canyon and the high desert terrain surrounding Flagstaff and Sedona. Stunning, glamorous Carley Burch is the heroine who follows her fiancé from her high-society life back East to the rugged and wild Southwest. By the way, it was a passage in the book about Carley warming her hands by the fire in Flagstaff’s Hotel Weatherford that inspired … [Read more...] about Grounded in a Calling Received in a Bathtub
Bonnie Stevens
Bear-Resistant Container Lands REI Deal for Local Entrepreneur
An inventor and avid backpacker working with the entrepreneurial program Moonshot at NACET has landed two major distribution deals for her next-generation bear-resistant food container, including one with outdoor recreation powerhouse REI. Holly Jaleski, of Flagstaff, said the inspiration for Grubcan came to her while she was out on the trail. “My husband and I were hiking out at the beginning of a week-long backpacking trip in Yosemite when the bear-resistant canister I was carrying in my … [Read more...] about Bear-Resistant Container Lands REI Deal for Local Entrepreneur
Five Pounds to Perfect
Do you ever hear yourself starting sentences with, “If only,” or “When I,” or “After I?” They sound like this: “If only I had a doctoral degree, I could get the job I really want,” or “After I make my first million, I can travel to exotic lands,” or “When I lose five pounds, I’ll reward myself with a beach vacation!” These sentence starters sort of sound like goal setters, but don’t be fooled. They can really be tricky little non-starters. Five pounds may as well be 500 pounds, because, in … [Read more...] about Five Pounds to Perfect
Hissing is Never a Good Sound
I once had dinner with a rattlesnake. It was an uninvited guest, but nonetheless, it showed up at suppertime while I was grilling. I did what any courageous Arizonan should do who doesn’t have a long-handled shovel or a pair of snake tongs. I called the fire department – which I’ve heard is the No. 1 reason people make emergency calls to Scottsdale firefighters. I’ve also heard it’s the No. 1 call they hate. Knowing this, I called anyway. The dispatcher explained that this particular evening … [Read more...] about Hissing is Never a Good Sound
Life’s ‘Best Used By’ Date is Now
Humans are creative and resourceful, but sometimes it takes a transformative event to get us motivated. In the new movie “Grace and Grit,” featured at the Sedona International Film Festival, filmmaker Sebastian Siegel and spirituality guru and former U.S. presidential candidate Marianne Williamson visited Sedona to discuss how deeply focused people can become when death is staring them down. The movie is an adaptation from Ken Wilber’s book with the same name. His wife, Treya Killam … [Read more...] about Life’s ‘Best Used By’ Date is Now
We are Better When We Move
Turns out the Sundance Kid had it right. “I’m better when I move,” he explained, during a job interview to be a payroll guard, when asked if could shoot. And the truth is, so are we. Except now there’s a whole lot of research backing Sundance up, much like Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang when they were robbing trains (which is a physical activity). Banner Health applauds physical activity. In an article published in 2020, the medical non-profit giant and largest employer in Arizona … [Read more...] about We are Better When We Move
Reflecting the Glow of a Lucky Starfish
There’s a popular story told by many a motivational speaker that describes a person walking along a beach who was picking up starfish on the shore and tossing them back into the ocean. An observer told the starfish thrower that his efforts were basically pointless because there were so many starfish on that stretch of sand, so he couldn’t possibly save them all and what he was doing was not going to make a difference. Unphased by the discouraging comments, the starfish thrower kept walking … [Read more...] about Reflecting the Glow of a Lucky Starfish
Mental Toughness Finds a Way Out of the Jungle
If Maui were a woman, she would look like Amanda Eller. At a lean 5’7 and donning a long, breezy, tangerine-colored dress, Amanda seemed to float, not walk, down the main street of Makawao. Her delicate golden leaf earrings dangled and shimmered against her long smooth, shiny, dark brown hair. Tan, fit and self-assured, Amanda is a calm, poised vision of tropical health. If there is such a thing as an old soul, that would be Amanda, wise, yet youthful. From my perspective, she is the human … [Read more...] about Mental Toughness Finds a Way Out of the Jungle
Be Camera Ready, Like James Bond
The thing about Opportunity is she doesn’t necessarily arrive after you’ve lost five pounds, gotten out of your sweatpants, whitened your teeth and brushed your hair. Opportunity is quite stubborn about being on her own schedule. She’s kind of a brat that way. She shows up when she feels like it, whether it’s convenient for you or not. That’s why you have to be sneakier than Opportunity. I’ve found the best way to outwit Opportunity is to make a habit of being Camera Ready. Being Camera Ready … [Read more...] about Be Camera Ready, Like James Bond
Real Estate Market Maintaining Momentum in the New Year
Staying strong since last June, the housing market on the local, state and national level has risen to a 14-year high, despite the pandemic, economic uncertainty and a difficult presidential election. Even during historically slow periods, like the holiday season, homebuyers are quickly purchasing the few homes listed for sale. The shortage of housing inventory and extremely low interest rates have driven the hyperactive real estate market, says long-time realtor Gary Nelson, who heads the … [Read more...] about Real Estate Market Maintaining Momentum in the New Year