Monthly Archives: February 2012

Cycling the Florida Keys

While there wasn’t any snow to escape from in New Jersey,  a February mini-vacation cycling the Florida Keys warmed unused muscles, anticipating spring riding. Key Largo Bikes arranged the luggage transfers and suggested the hotels. (We broke the trip in half).  … Continue reading

Posted in bike riding, Cycling, environment, exercise, sports, travel | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Finished Project: Cabled Cardigan

Perfect for the Playground.   Pattern from Vintage Modern Knits: Contemporary Designs Using Classic Techniques  by Kate Gagnon Osborn and  Courtney Kelley (borrowed from local library) Araucania yarn, hand-dyed merino wool, alpaca, silk blend from Chile and  Blue Moon buttons purchased from Accents on Knits, Morristown, NJ.

Posted in Knitting | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Wanting Wednesday’s Ashes: When I Wished I was Catholic

Today is Ash Wednesday. I know this because I see people’s foreheads smeared with what my Grandfather Abie called schmutz, or dirt. As in, “wipe the schmutz off your face.” As a kid, I wanted to be Catholic. All my … Continue reading

Posted in celebrations, commentary, Education, Family, holidays, Judaism, teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Parental Angst: A Son’s College Story

I remember the phone call verbatim. 10 years later. “Mom, I left my luggage on the train.” Jacob, then 17 and a high school junior, had taken the train from Newark, NJ to Philadelphia, PA. He had transferred to the … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Family, parenting, teenagers | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

From “A Wrinkle in Time” to Astronaut

As a young girl, Janice Voss selected A Wrinkle in Time at her local library, unaware that the book would change her life.   At age 16, she entered college, then interned with NASA, determined to become an astronaut. Voss died … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Education, Reading, teaching, teenagers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

On the Trail of The Ancestors: A Black Cowboy’s Ride Across America

Here’s the link to my book, freshly minted and available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Ancestors-Cowboys-Across-America/dp/1468123920/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_1 Please share!

Posted in Books, Education, interviews, travel, Writing | 9 Comments

Happy 200th, Charles Dickens!

Charles Dickens would have been 200 years old this month.  His birth is being celebrated with museum and library exhibits throughout Britain and internationally. Prince Charles, attending a celebration in Portsmouth, Dickens’ birthplace, read:  “Despite the many years that have passed, … Continue reading

Posted in Books, celebrations, Education, Family, New York City, Reading, teaching, Theater, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tangerine Tango: 2012’s Color– and Mine!

Post Halloween, I tend to stash my orange sweaters to the back of the drawer. Now,  Pantone, the Carlstadt, NJ- based design mavens declared 2012’s color of the year, Tangerine Tango. Sounds more like a cocktail than a clothing color. For … Continue reading

Posted in Fashion, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Black Jockeys at the HOOD

Welcome to The HOOD; the House of Original Dreams. A state-funded program serving at-risk youth ages 16-21 in West Chester, PA, 35 miles outside of Philadelphia.   Here young people can prepare for the GED, learn job skills and life lessons.  … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Education, teaching, teenagers, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Title IX: 40th Anniversary & A Daughter’s Recovery

Today is National Women and Girls in Sports Day.  And it’s the 40th Anniversary of Title IX.  I found this out by reading Sin City Siren’ s post:  http://sincitysiren.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/titleix-anniversary/ and was immediately reminded of an article I wrote a few … Continue reading

Posted in Books, celebrations, commentary, daughters, Education, exercise, Family, health, parenting, sports, teenagers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments