At my daughter’s high school, the week before Valentine’s Day is dubbed Spread the Love Week. The activities of the week are designed to celebrate love, and not just on a single day. Sharing acts of love over a whole week instead of just a single day is an excellent idea. The focus of the…
Tone of voice is to words what a visual impression is to sight. It’s an underestimated aspect of communication. Whether written or spoken, tone of voice reveals itself. A message can take on a very different meaning depending on the tone of the delivery. Emotions are conveyed, and moods are influenced by how something is…
December is upon us already, and there will be no shortage of reasons to celebrate. At the end of the month, three holidays align this year: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. We all have our reasons for celebrating. The three holidays acknowledge different points in history that represent hope and the idea of overcoming the impossible.…
The Junior-Senior T.P. Wars are a part of the Homecoming traditions at my daughter’s high school. Every evening during homecoming week, the 11th and 12th graders hit many of the opposing classmate’s houses. Hundreds of toilet paper rolls are tossed into trees, wrapped around plants and furniture, torn into tiny bits, and strewn across the…
Tomorrow marks a day in American history that no American will ever forget. Most people cannot recall what they ate for breakfast, but on 9/11, no one can erase the details of that day. Where you were, what you were doing, even what you wore is probably on total recall. For some, there is no…
What did the horse say after it tripped? I can’t giddyup! What do you call an angry carrot? A steamed veggie! These aren’t stage-worthy jokes, but I bet they at least made you chuckle, which is worth something. A sense of humor is good for the body, mind, and soul. Beyond lifting spirits, laughing has…
Much of my happiness comes from the outdoors, either being outside or bringing parts of it inside. Nature fascinates me to the point of referring to myself as a “Nature Nerd.” It’s impossible for me to walk a beach or hike a mountain without collecting seashells or rocks. I am easily awed by the intricate and colorful patterns of a…
Art museums display weird, shocking, pleasing, and beautiful works. The mediums and messages from one piece to the next vary, even among works from the same artist. Viewers are attracted to what is familiar and understandable. Works that speak to a person stay with them. Pieces that the “I just don’t get it” factor is…
In 1930, Watty Piper wrote “The Little Engine That Could.” The most famous line in the book is, “I think I can. I know I can.” Nearly one hundred years later, the lesson of believing in yourself remains the same. The Little Blue Engine never told herself or let anyone else tell her she couldn’t.…
Each month, a full moon hangs in the night sky. To most, this monthly occurrence isn’t noteworthy. Moons wax and wane without much acknowledgment. At our house, that isn’t the case. Not a month goes by without noticing the full moon. My father makes sure of it. Years ago, when my daughters were little, their…