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1 week ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
Yesterday, I had the sheer pleasure of watching two squirrels playing in my backyard. For a few minutes, all my worries faded away. I laughed. I felt refreshed, like I had just taken a nap. The world continues to be heavy. I hear it in a few of my friends’ voices. I see it in the headlines. I watch it in the way strangers treat strangers. Those squirrels reminded me to lean into joy. I’m rereading a favorite book. I’m sending greeting cards and calling friends. I’m baking Rice Krispie treats.
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2 weeks ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
TGIF! We made it through another tumultuous week. This is the last weekend before taxes are to be filed. This is the last weekend before Passover and the Easter Tridiuum. Even if you are not observing these religious traditions, you may be busy preparing for brunches, egg hunts and the like. So, I’ve decided to look for some more uplifting news this week. I hope you find something that encourages you, inspires you or simply makes you smile.
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3 weeks ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
This has been a long and difficult week. Two-thirds of the workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are expected to lose their job, part of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s plans to shrink the Department of Health and Human Service from 82,000 to 62,000 workers. The U.S. stock market saw its worst day since 2020 following President Trump’s announcement of the latest round of tariffs.
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3 weeks ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
Most folks use ladders in their day-to-day lives, either professionally or personally. That's why training on safe ladder usage so important—and so difficult, says Mike Van Bree, president of the American Ladder Institute (ALI) and director of product safety and engineering at Louisville Ladder Inc. "Nobody wants to get hurt. Let's start with that," Van Bree says.
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4 weeks ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
I was looking at a to-do list I made for the next few months, and I was surprised to see both how much I accomplished and how much I have added to it. Such is life, I suppose. I decided to set a one-week moratorium on making any updates or changes, because I want to give myself a chance to congratulate myself for what I have achieved.
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1 month ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
I had to wear my winter coat on the spring equinox, but I don’t mind at all, because I know warmer weather is on the way. I love the anticipation and the excitement of looking for those early signs of life. It’s such a great display of keeping the faith, putting in the effort and persisting even when it feels pointless. Then, when everything suddenly bursts into life, you can’t help but feel renewed, too.
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1 month ago | 
ehstoday.com | Dave Blanchard |Adrienne Selko |Nicole Stempak
Those of you with long memories, if you’re old enough to remember back 25 years, might recall that Y2K was the dominant trend on everybody’s mind as the calendar was nearing the year 2000. Prince had it wrong when he sang that “we’re gonna party like it’s 1999.” Instead, the business world was filled with angst as to whether all computer systems were going to shut down when their internal calendars rebooted not to the year 2000 but backwards to 1900. The fear was that the world would go offline.
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1 month ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
Each week, when I write these notes to you, dear readers, I’m forced to pause and reflect. On how I’m feeling. On what’s going on. On what I want to communicate. That last one always gives me pause, because it boils down to what story do I want to tell. Most of the time, I turn toward nature for its consistency and universal appeal. There’s nothing quite like seeing the first bursts of green in the ground following a long winter.
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1 month ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
Over the holidays, I had the privilege of watching my friend’s dog while she and her husband visited out-of-state family. I have been entrusted with Cocoa’s care several times before, and I never take it for granted. It is a big responsibility to care for someone else’s beloved companion, but it’s also a great gift. This visit was filled with cuddles, presents and freshly boiled chicken—same as always. But Cocoa’s most recent stay was imbued with greater significance.
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1 month ago | 
ehstoday.com | Nicole Stempak
In the past week, I’ve started to feel more capable and reassured. I can keep tottering for work-life balance. I can lift heavier weights. I can tackle this big project. It’s a mindset shift, probably buoyed by the longer days, and it’s powerful. One other thought that has propelled me is that I am part of things: Mother Nature, a community, a circle of given and chosen family.
