Stranger Than Fiction: The Hanging of “Murderous” Mary
Erwin, Tennessee was the scene of one of the most bizarre public executions in American history. The condemned was a female elephant named Mary who was reported to have killed as many as eighteen people by popular accounts. Actual accounts and historical documents proved that she had killed only one person. This was the only […]
The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook
Graduation time is upon us and the invitations and announcements are piling up in the mail box. I love to give books as gifts and I usually customize the book to the person. Sometimes, however, it is hard to know what to get a graduate just entering college or looking for their first real job. […]
Childhood Obesity
In the past 30 years, we have seen childhood obesity more than double in children and triple in adolescents. The numbers have shocked many including The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Why we are seeing these rises may have many complex answers, the experts have boiled it down to too little exercise and […]
Interviewing for Pain
Among teachers there is perhaps no greater pain than hearing a parent ask his child, “What did you do in school today?” We find it painful because we know what the answer will be in most cases. I’m not sure why this happens (perhaps the effort of recalling the entire day is simply too much!) […]
She Deserves A Little Back
I’d like to take a different turn this time around and strike a more serious note. Yes, I am capable of being serious. While it’s true that I can inject the mental image of a goat into any situation, it is not the sum total of my existence. For instance, if you ask me, “What […]
Mother’s Day Memories
Mother’s Day is the day we pay tribute to the mother who gave us life and love. Of course, we love and appreciate our mother every day, but today is that special day that comes once a year. This day is filled with memories, not only of our mother, but past Mother’s Day gifts and […]
Java Trend
My teenage daughter has recently gotten into drinking coffee. This seems to be a trend with a lot of her friends and I am concerned that it may not be healthy. I would appreciate any information on the issue and some insight into the trend. While coffee was once considered bad for general health, recent […]
Bronze Bling
Hello darlings, if one wants to be in vogue, one must reach for bronze, gold or silver eye shadow, nail polish or clothes. Bronze is really the trend and the eye shadow looks so pretty on blue eyes- it makes them pop! Gold is the ticket for brown and hazel eyes. Silver is so alluring […]
When Zombies Arrive
I was at the movies this weekend and a frightening fact began to emerge. When a superhuman terrorist attacks, we send Ironman to stop him. A lizard monster evolves from a science experiment and Spiderman swings to the rescue. When a rogue demigod threatens the Earth, Thor and his big hammer are sent to save […]
Stranger Than Fiction: The Heroine of Lime Rock
Being the “keeper of the flame” or a lighthouse keeper was once a very difficult job. Before computers and modern conveniences made the job more automated, keeping a lighthouse required almost constant attention, long hours and hard labor. The job of the lighthouse keeper was to warn ships that are passing too close to land. […]
Enthusiasm
A mere 300 years ago it would have been a grave insult, perhaps enough even to initiate a duel, if one were called an “enthusiast.” In the years following the “Glorious Revolution” (the overthrow of King James II of England) displays of enthusiasm were simply not acceptable. It was believed that any such exuberance would […]
Romantic Summer Style
Crochet is such a beautiful feminine style, it is chic season after season. Long crochet skirts are so ethereal and comfortable. Crochet packs like a dream, takes up such little room and never wrinkles. So for traveling I always take several crochet skirts in various lengths. A loosely woven crochet sweater worn over a cami […]
Why is it still this cold?
I do not remember May being this cold. Is this seriously abnormal for this area at this time of the year and is this the coldest May on record? While the past several years have certainly found May to be much hotter than it has been this year, this is not that unusual in the […]
Carla Emery’s: The Encyclopedia of Country Living
I absolutely love spring and, as the weather gets warmer, my mind and body long to be outdoors. Though I am a city girl, my family are third generation farmers and I have spent my fair share of time outside of the city lights. I have found a wonderful way to marry two of my […]
The Rules of Engagement
The single most important element in learning is to become engaged with the subject. The single most important element in teaching is to engage the student with the subject. Merely presenting information (or merely taking notes) is neither teaching nor learning. Alas, this non-teaching and non-learning event is taking place in some classroom somewhere today. […]
John Lucas’ The Future
Upon my last trip to my local book store, I ran across a book whose title caught my eye: John Lucas’ The Future: An Essay on God, Temporality, and Truth. Obviously, this is a philosophy book, mostly dealing with issues involving God’s will and presence, and its relationship to time as we understand it. Let […]
