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 […]
December 15 2013
Have you ever struggled to get your kids or grandkids to sit still in church? Have you wondered if it’s worth the effort, and what are they getting out of the service anyway? Two-year- old Evan has it all figured out. Church is “Amen.” On Sundays, it’s “go Amen.” During the week he says, “more […]
November 27 2013
Last week I found myself channeling Blanche DuBois. No, I was not dreaming about Marlon Brando. I was relying on the kindness of strangers. On my way to Fayetteville for a day of poetry workshops, I stopped at my favorite Thruway rest area for my morning coffee. I was in line at Starbucks, getting my […]
November 22 2013
This was not the message that I intended to post today, but I decided that I could not let the day go by unnoticed. There’s nothing like an anniversary to make you think about the passing of time. As I was working at Wellwood Middle School this week, I was very aware that the kids […]