The epithet that no parent wants thrown his or her way: “Helicopter parent!” I have to confess I am an unwilling helicopter parent. I never asked for this, and I rail at being forced into the role. I come from a generation where parents NEVER hoped to be their children’s best friends. Parents were generally supportive of their high school ... Read More »
Each and every time I attend the national convention for foreign language teachers, or ACTFL, I go into it saying “This is my last year… this is such an expensive event.” Grumble, grumble. Each and every time I leave that same ACTFL convention, I am energized and motivated, filled with exciting new ideas to bring to my classrooms, my department ... Read More »
So this is what is distracting me lately – Digital Storytelling. It’s like taking blogging, and then adding visuals and audio files, and BAM! You have a Digital Story that should make the listener/viewer feel. It is a lesson in editing. Most Digital Stories are 200 words or less. Ask my mom how hard that is – editing supreme! Here ... Read More »
I’ll admit that I’m the first person to fall for a good cocktail. All that artisanal mixology stuff? Love it. Homemade bitters, aperol, muddled herbs and veggies? Sign me up. Here’s the thing (or things): I love the artistry and ritual. But speciality cocktails are also gonna run somewhere between 10 and 20 dollars (depending in which zip code you ... Read More »
Thank to John Atkinson for making things so clear! Read More »
They call it the shoulder season, those weeks that stretch into a month (and then some) that bookend the two big seasons in North Creek: ski and rafting. In April and May, waiting for summer to arrive, I find an excitement in knowing that the sun is going to set a little later each day and that soon the garden will bloom, bringing ... Read More »
If you had ever told me that I would wake up at 8:30 in the morning with thoughts of trying a new recipe pushing me out of bed and into the kitchen, I would’ve laughed in your face. And probably gone back to bed. I don’t know if was some kind of subconscious backlash against the idea of a woman ... Read More »
Carpe Diem. (Not to be confused with the YOLO, as documented here in Urban Dictionary.) Seize the day. Live in – and thoroughly enjoy – the present moment. We hear these prophetic sayings regularly, and most of us understand them logically. Are you on Pinterest? There are more inspirational sayings there than you could ever imagine, each one making you shake ... Read More »
The price you pay for being organized and caught up at work. The email popped up and jingled at me, Tuesday or Wednesday morning: “Look at your Inbox!” Oooh! Employee Wellness Day! Free flu shots! Hmmm. I actually had the time to run over and get my flu shot, even if there was a long line. Two days of lesson ... Read More »
When my Grandma Ruth passed away last May, one of the more interesting things I inherited was her collection of parchment paper, aluminum foil and plastic wrap. She bought in bulk, a coupon clipper and a savvy shopper, so they were either generic brands or marked with “sale” stickers. My grandmother was a good cook and a good baker – although ... Read More »
Sauced In New York Sometimes the food is in the sauce, sometimes we are