Think House Hunters International backward — On the show, people are often shocked by the sizes of European homes, whether it is apartments, townhomes, or single-family homes. No king bed? Oh my. No walk-in-closet? Where will I put my clothes? My goodness, did you say no garage?! Well, then I’m out! I thought about this show…

And how they can improve your quality of life — It looks adorable, doesn’t it? The charming old, quaint houses on a cobblestone side street. Almost like a colorful puzzle. This is an old photo I shot years ago when visiting a town in the northern part of Denmark. These homes are unique in American eyes, but for a Scandinavian…

Day in, day out. — You might wonder: Why? Why eat this, every single day? The Norwegian tradition for this meal, called packed lunch goes way back. A slice or two of whole wheat bread, with cheese, jam, or liver paste topping it. Traditions This lunch actually originates from a breakfast initiative named The Oslo Breakfast…

Simple, uncomplicated — Once again, the Nordic countries are topping the World Happiness Report. The annual report from the Sustainable Development Solutions Network uses data from the Gallup World Poll to report how people evaluate their own lives in more than 150 countries. The report looks at everything from work-life balance to crime…

You may hear gun shots, but do not be alarmed — I got an email earlier this month from the school district administration. It was capitalized “IMPORTANT” and it was to inform us that somewhere in the district, there would be held a Flag Day ceremony with a 21 gun salute during a 45-minute period. …

Reminders from a young soul — I love kids. My own especially, but I find kids in general to be entertaining and fun. And smart. My middle child, a five-year-old not minimalist, decided he wanted to set up what he first called a “for yard sale” in our garage. There have been a lot of yard…

Oh, the contrasts — I went to a country flea market last week. Ate a cheeseburger, and noticed a little bit of everything. What really got to me were the stark contrasts. On one stand, you had farmers dishing up baked goods. A few feet away, you had knives and tasers, and on another…

Time is worth something, too — All things quick sell. Individually plastic-then-cardboard-packed snacks for kids give parents less to do. Hard-boiled eggs in a plastic container save a busy professional a few minutes in the morning. …

Including nothing — Each place on this earth we all share has its own charm. In The United States, you’ve got the beautiful diversity and contrasts. Scandinavia has received a fair share of glory and honor for their way of slow living. …