Category Archives: On Learning
The Rabbit In The Soccer Net
(originally posted 10/2014) The other day my six-year-old ran in the house screaming: “A RABBIT IS STUCK IN THE SOCCER NET!” When I went outside the poor thing was writhing frantic, the webbing wrapped double around its neck. The … Continue reading
Dirty hands
A month ago I started doing a CSA workshare at a local farm one morning a week in exchange for a full share of weekly produce. I wanted to get my hands on the fresh vegetables and learn a few … Continue reading
Not just the facts
I was getting ready for an interview recently, a follow-up phone call for a magazine piece profiling a semi-famous person. An entrepreneur who’d started off on the completely wrong foot before finding the right calling as a television personality, and … Continue reading
Night shift
Driving past highway construction last night, had a heated conversation with the younger boys about jobs that sometimes require working when other people are sleeping. Nope, shouldn’t be necessary, says the 5yo. “What about doctors and nurses in hospitals?” I … Continue reading
The Myth of the Perfect Start
The log was 30 feet up in the air, a sort of telephone pole of a balance beam. I was supposed to walk from one end to the other, holding onto nothing. The rest of the group had done it. … Continue reading
First You Crawl
I went to a dance pageant recently, a holiday performance of ballet, modern and jazz with local girls age 6-16. Actually, I have no idea how old the dancers were. Some were clearly 25, which is amazing, since I know … Continue reading
Own Your Opinions, Kids
One of my children told me recently that he couldn’t ever be a reviewer — of books, art, restaurants, or a sports columnist — because he didn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. (Never mind that just a few weeks before, … Continue reading
Daring to Care: What fostering animals taught me about parenting
The kids were clamoring for a new pet. A year earlier we’d said goodbye to our dog, and before that, the cat. In between was an unsuccessful series of hermit crabs. When each one crossed that proverbial rainbow bridge in … Continue reading
If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Into The Kitchen
When my first novel came out two weeks ago, I had most of my ducks in a row. I’d arranged a book tour to places where I had the most friends and family. I’d written magazine articles related to my … Continue reading
On Rejection and the Beautiful Blueberry
I was not in the best of moods the other morning. It was gray and sleeting, and I’m guilty of letting weather affect me. The to-do list seemed overwhelming, and the calendar said there were to be no babysitting hours … Continue reading
