To make writing interesting and strong, we are told to describe things in groups of threes. I wonder what the origins of this Rule of Three is from.
Month: March 2022
Invitation to Joy
I think that my major role as an educator is to invite joy. I have always thought this from the beginning of my career over forty years ago. Maybe it’s because I started teaching in a nursery school. You can’t help to be joyful when teaching two, three, and four-year-old children. They actually exude joie de vivre and happily invite adults into their world. It’s a great place to dwell.
Shifting to Neutral
This month, I have been listening to the audiobook of Sacred Rest by Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith. One concept Dr. Smith’s lays out is the idea of shifting to neutral like when you are at a car wash. You are asked to shift to neutral and step off the brake. Just let go and breathe. … Continue reading Shifting to Neutral
Much Loved: Stuffed Animals & Their People
Mark Nixon's Much Loved is in the inspiration for this post, which features my most treasured stuffed animals.
Kitchen Literacy: Luck of the Irish
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! For years, I would bake Irish soda bread and read leprechaun stories with my young students. There is nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread while listening to fanciful tales.
Consider the Pomegranate
Then my mom introduced me to the pomegranate, which we called a Chinese apple back then. Pomegranates were actually native to Iran and Northern India. They were so exotic to me.
Nature’s Cure
When the world becomes too much, I invariably turn to nature. As I walk the trails, I am on the lookout for something to surprise me, something to capture my imagination. Nature is the best cure for writer’s block.
Mugs and Memory
They are nothing flashy, just some cups that caught my eye or were given to me. Their power is in the memories they hold: who gave them to me, why I gave them, where did they come from?
March Snow
I was hoping to escape spring snow this year. This year, I desperately need spring to come early. I am through with gray, cold, and drudge.
What Girls are Made of – Part 2
In each poem, I want to create a snapshot of childhood and how girls navigate in the world. I’m going to take time to think back on what was important to me back then.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 