February 27 2014
Last week I lost a friend and former colleague, Leo Krzanowicz. At age 89, Leo’s death was not a tragedy. He lived a long and fruitful life, but he is still to be mourned. Leo taught at #22 School on Zimbrich St., Rochester for forty years and was probably the most loved teacher by everyone […]
February 19 2014
I have a new pet peeve. I hate it that every magazine that I subscribe to comes in the mail wrapped in cellophane. I hate having to rip that wrapper off (they’re made like steel) while trying not to drop all the inserts that are enclosed. Which brings me to the second part of the […]
February 14 2014
What does a writer give the people she loves for Valentine’s Day? I suppose the ideal gift would be a love letter. I chose the second best thing, a book. This year I made books for Evan and Molly. Confession time. I was planning to give the kids these books for Christmas, but never got around […]
February 10 2014
Gary and I recently got back from a 10-day trip to Florida, and while we were gone I lost 2 pounds. That may not sound remarkable, but you have to know our history. Gary and I have taken many trips in the 40 years we’ve been together. No matter where we go, how long we […]
February 07 2014
Whenever we ask the grandkids a question now, their response always starts with “Umm,” as if they’re thinking it over. I don’t know which adult in their lives they’re copying, but I kind of like it. Speech coaches will tell you to get rid of The “ums” and ” ers” from your vocabulary, but wouldn’t […]
February 05 2014
Rochester scored big this past weekend: one big win and one big loss. First the win. Weren’t you proud to watch Renee Fleming singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? Rochester might not have an NFL team, but we do have a music school, and Fleming did us proud. She added some class to […]
January 22 2014
The grands are learning new words so quickly now that every time I see them (which is almost every day) they surprise me with their new vocabulary. And they have favorite words. Evan’s favorite word right now is “mine.” Everything that he touches is “mine.” Molly’s favorite word is “more.” She can have a tray […]
January 14 2014
Rote learning has been looked down upon in educational circles for some time now. The emphasis is on understanding, but I’ve always believed that some things you just have to memorize – like the multiplication tables. I cringe when I see some of my family members, who shall remain nameless, counting on their fingers. Spending […]
January 07 2014
I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. I think I’ve discovered a better way to start the new year. A few years ago I read a book about writing by the best-selling author, Debbie Macomber. In the book, Debbie told about how she chooses a word to focus on and think about every year. I liked […]
December 27 2013
Are you a little bit tired of hearing and singing Christmas songs? As much as I like to sing Christmas carols, they don’t seem quite the same after Christmas as before. But, think about the purpose of Christmas carols. I believe that most were written as a way to tell the story of a God […]