Monthly Archives: August 2011

Hurricane Handicrafts: Finished Projects 2

Posted on August 29, 2011 by

Waiting around for a hurricane to hit can be exasperating. Do I bake a cake, knowing the power might go off any second? How many flashlights and candles are enough? How much outdoor furniture should be stored away? How many … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, postaweek2011 | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Thoughts on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

Posted on August 26, 2011 by

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941,  the day Pearl Harbor was bombed,  a “date which will live in infamy.”   For people of that generation- my parents were teenagers- that date sticks like glue in their minds. Sadly, … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing, Family, Education, teaching, Civil Rights History, holidays, celebrations | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Beach Reading: “The Hare with Amber Eyes”

Posted on August 23, 2011 by

In the past two days, I traveled to Tokyo, Paris, London, Vienna, and Odessa, mostly sitting in a beach chair. Not really a sun goddess, I usually spend most my time in the water or walking up and down the … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Books, collections, Judaism, travel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Screaming Ice Creams: Dirty Diaper, Garlic & Blue Cheese

Posted on August 21, 2011 by

Dirty diaper.  Unless you’re a new parent or a pediatrician, no more description needed. Unless it’s an ice cream flavor. It’s chocolate with chocolate chunks. Like sunscreen and bug repellent, watermelon and iced tea, ice cream screams summer.  The stands … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, food, postaweek2011, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

No Help Needed: A Mother’s Chagrin

Posted on August 18, 2011 by

Piles are growing in the basement. Like the Sorcerer’s Apprentice’s* magic broom and mop, splitting and multiplying nonstop, items seem to appear that weren’t there minutes ago.  A scene, I imagine, similar to dens, living rooms, front halls, basements, and garages … Continue reading →

Posted in daughters, Family, Movies & TV, parenting | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

From Training Wheels to Cleats: My Cycling Evolution

Posted on August 16, 2011 by

The driver of the small school bus ferrying young campers rolled down her window and yelled, “you’re not supposed to be on the road.” I was biking with my friend Randy one weekday morning through a suburban community in New … Continue reading →

Posted in bike riding, Cycling, environment, exercise, health, postaweek2011, sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Letter to Michelle Obama: Let Your Hair Go!

Posted on August 11, 2011 by

(12/11/63) Remember Frieda? She was the character in Peanuts best known for her naturally curly hair.  She delighted in reminding others about it every chance she could. Which brings me to hair again.  At lunch with a college friend we … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, Cycling, Movies & TV, teenagers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

William Sleator: A Tribute to an Oddball

Posted on August 9, 2011 by

Cloning, genetic engineering, black holes, dystopia. The fodder of science fiction and a few of the many themes writer William Sleator addressed in his 30 novels for adolescents. Sleator, who died August 3 in Thailand, took topics from science and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, interviews, postaweek2011, Reading, teaching, teenagers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Post Office Blues

Posted on August 4, 2011 by

There’s a lot of talk about post offices closing, consolidating, and cutting hours. There’s talk about eliminating Saturday delivery.  The US Postal Service is nearly broke. I guess that shouldn’t be too surprising.  How many of us write letters anymore? Yet, … Continue reading →

Posted in art, collections, parenting, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments