jeffwagg and I exchange stories by giving each other a word which is the seed for the next correspondence. This is my response to his choice of “Heat.” It’s 9 p.m. I’m sitting at my desk, doing homework and chatting… Read More ›
Family
Astrid of Belgium, Memorial Chapel in Switzerland
When I lived in Brussels with my family, I was slightly confused at the many things named “Astrid”. I knew that “Astrid” was a more “Nordic” name. I asked around and was told about the wonderful, still deeply loved, Princess… Read More ›
On My Grandmother
The following is an excerpt of the eulogy I gave at my grandmother’s funeral in 2004. She died from Alzheimer’s. Grandma lost her own mother when she was only 14. She told me stories about learning to cook on the… Read More ›
Fairy Tales, Fairly Told
I have been working on a fundraising project for the past year. The result is the book Fairy Tales, Fairly Told. It is the second critical thinking/skeptic children’s book I have written. The book is for ages 3-10, though for… Read More ›
My Privilege
Privilege: a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most Several years ago I was picking on my oldest son, then a teen, for something I thought he was doing wrong, and called him… Read More ›
Toxic People
My dad left home at 17 to join the Air Force. To the best my knowledge, he never set foot in church again, save for rare ceremonial events. He’s not said much about his religion in his home, other than… Read More ›
가족 Meet My Family, The Immigrants
Editor’s Note: We are glad to welcome justpaperskater to our group. She’s been a friend for many years and has great stories. We looking forward to her sharing her stories and hearing about her adventures in the months to come…. Read More ›
Book Lovers, Anyone?
I found this cartoon on a blog the other day. Unfortunately, I can’t furnish attributes, so whoever came up with this drawing, well done. You must love books, too. I was offering tips and tricks to my new Kindle… Read More ›
Ray Bradbury, and the dyslexic daughter
My wonderful daughter Aynsley is dyslexic. No, not the funny kind of dyslexia where people supposedly write “Dyslexics Untie!” It is a severe form of dyslexia. She was diagnosed at age six, though even as a younger child, I knew… Read More ›
Native Americans, and Parental Failure
I used to live in Wisconsin, which is a beautiful and friendly state. I was pregnant with my second child, and my friend, also pregnant with her second, made plans with me to visit the local Native American Museum. Sadly,… Read More ›