One day at the beach, I walked along peacefully intent on taking photographs of shells and other bits of nature that the ocean tide delivered on the sand. I sought out colorful shapes: golden yellow, pale pink, deep purple, and luminous blue. I was deep in thought, in the flow of the moment. I felt truly happy.
Tag: creative thinking
Room for Imagination
Just before I awake in the morning, I often have what I call a “waking dream,” a clear and powerful image comes to my mind. It is a place so vivid that I think it is real, that I have been there but my rational mind knows that I have never visited such a place.
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.
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.
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 Little Girls are Made of
When I walk down the corridors, I am greeted by a variety of girls, ages three to eleven. They wear colorful leggings, light-up sneakers, unicorn headbands, wild curls and long twisted braids. They come in all shapes, shades, and sizes. And they are the hope we need in this world, especially right now.
Writing to Entertain
It's Wednesday, time for Kindergarten writing workshop. I have a hop in my step as I walk down the hall towards the Kindergarten classroom. I open the door, and the teacher rushes over to tell me that she desperately needs my help.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 