Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror classic: Frankenstein
With Halloween just around the bend, it seemed about time that I reviewed some horror novels. I know for a fact I have mentioned and recommended this book before, but I figured it was about time that it received a proper review: it’s time to look at Mary Shelley’s 1818 horror classic, Frankenstein. Now, I […]
Admitting My Fears
With Halloween approaching, my thoughts are turning to fear. For the record, I am not afraid of falling from a space station and drifting into cold, dark blackness or plummeting to Earth in a fiery death. The reason I am not afraid of those things is in truth simple. I am not currently on, nor […]
Halloweens Past
Well, it’s about time for the “Great Pumpkin” to return to our television screens. “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, first came to me in 1966 and has stayed around for forty seven years. As most of us know, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is an animated television special, based on the comic strip, […]
Articulation
Communication/language is one of the six domains, gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, language, self help/adaptive, and social/emotional, in early childhood development. We communicate through body language or movements, written language and spoken language. Body language begins in infancy and continues throughout our lifetime. Written language begins with marks on paper, coloring, and scribbling. Spoken language […]
Is Your School a Marketplace of Ideas?
World events, particularly those involving war, are always more complex than we would prefer. Even the very best reporting on (for example) the Syrian civil war tries to force a reading where we only must choose in a contest between the good guys and the bad guys. The ease of naming the good guys and […]
Stranger Than Fiction: The Naked Truth
Some would consider President John Quincy Adams to be a male chauvinist by modern standards. In truth, he was simply a product of his time. At the time of his presidency (1825-1829) women had few rights. They couldn’t vote or own land, nor did they have a right to an education. The best a young […]
Patrick Rothfuss’: The Wise Man’s Fear
After a lengthy wait, I finally have my hands on the second book in Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicle. As always, when reviewing a sequel it will be almost impossible for me to not spoil some of the first book, The Name of the Wind. In The Wise Man’s Fear: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day Two, […]
Halloween Party Activities
I am having a Halloween party for my daughter and we are planning on decorating little pumpkins. I am not fond of the idea of carving and paint takes too long to dry. Do you have any suggestions that do not need knives or paint? If you have a limited amount of time and cash, […]
Tiger Lillies for Fall
Hello darlings, with this beautiful new crisp weather, it feel as if fall is really here. The soothing change brings back memories of football games, Halloween costumes, pumpkin pie, and colorful orange, gold and bronze flowers, just to name a few favorites of the season. I have a great suggestion for a theme, if one […]
Can’t Get There From Here?
I went on a business trip this past weekend to a place near McMinnville, Tennessee, which I might add has a rockin’ VFW on Thursday nights. For those of you who don’t know, McMinnville is a bit isolated. Oh, who am I kidding? Saying McMinnville is a bit isolated is like saying the Titanic ran […]
Some Are More Attractive Than Others
This year the mosquitoes seem to be particularly bad and I get eaten up every time I go outside. My husband doesn’t get nearly as many bites as I do, even when I wear repellent. Do you have any idea why I am so attractive to mosquitoes so that I can adjust what I am […]
Doing Battle in Love
One of the key features of common law is called the “adversarial system.” Simply put, a prosecutor argues with a defense attorney. Justice is considered complete when the judge or jury is convinced by the more effective adversary. Some historians trace this system back to the Middle Ages, where justice was served by “trial by […]
Wonders of Coconut Oil
I first noticed the benefits of coconut oil as a great hair product, while being involved with the United Nations and noticing the beautiful long shiny hair of the women from tropical areas, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, among other countries. Their healthy hair and the shine made me wonder what brought about such glorious […]
Language Development
With predictable child development in the six domains, gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, language, self help/adaptive, and social/emotional, we made the connections starting with gross motor, then fine motor and cognitive development. The next area of development to blossom is language or communication.. As we know, infants communicate their wants and needs long before language […]
George Carlin’s: Brain Droppings
I rarely read comedy books, mostly because I rarely find material that manages to capture the same feel of a stand-up performance. I recently picked up two comedy books that literally made me cry laughing from time-to-time: Louis Black’s Nothing’s Sacred (which I reviewed just a few weeks ago) and George Carlin’s Brain Droppings. I […]
Ragweed, Ah yes! I remember.
Allergy sufferers are quickly remembering the reason they suffer in the fall. With the wheezing and sneezing, I feel the dastardly ragweed affecting my life. And, everywhere I go there are dozens just like me. Yes, it is time for my annual fall visit to my wonderful doctor. After antihistamines, decongestants and Tylenol, I give […]
