Daily Thoughts
Freedom of Expression
There is an old, and ridiculous, expression that has irked me for many, many years, that children should be seen and not heard. I have traced the origins of this phrase from its coining by John Mirk in his 15th century religious writings directed to “young maidens,”...
Secret Languages & Inklings
When I was 14 years old I had a friend in the neighborhood with whom I spent a lot of time. I remember at one point in the summer we were intent on getting ourselves into the Guinness Book of World Records and decided to do that by earning the record for two people on...
Small Beginnings Matter
Every Sunday my husband and I spend some time mapping out the coming week and this almost always begins with updating our oversized whiteboard makeshift calendar for the week. This is the place he and I look multiple times a day to see what’s coming up for that day or...
Works of Art
My husband and I have been introducing our teenagers to some of the 1980s movies that influenced or inspired us when we were teenagers—movies that stood out to us or had a strong impact on us in some way. The Breakfast Club easily is one of their favorites so far with...
Check & Mate!
When I was in high school we had to take at least a semester of a foreign language as part of the curriculum to earn our diploma. The choices back then were French or Spanish, though I’m fairly certain some of the advanced college course students considered Latin as...
Forward Thinking
One year ago I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of rushing winds and driving rain. I’d been following the reports and models for Hurricane Helene for Western North Carolina and, having grown up on the East Coast and gone through hurricanes growing...
Weird about Weird Facts
One of my favorite days of the week is whatever day we make our way to the library because there is nothing I enjoy more than perusing the stacks for fascinating fact books and books focusing on other intriguing topics and people. As I stack our books on the small...
Destination: Critical Thinking
When I was young, I remember my mom watching the sci-fi spectacle of its time, Star Trek. Obviously, this is the original Star Trek, which, back then, didn’t require any such distinction because it was the only Star Trek show of its time. For the time period, its...
Untamed Adventures with Shakespeare
all the world's a stage... From his poems and his plays to the English language and modern movies, William Shakespeare remains one of the greatest influences when it comes to creative works and other creative expressions. Personally, I find the unique words and turns...