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Suburban Morning Stroll
I live in a suburban area not too far from a major thoroughfare. Fortunately there are a large number of trees and a nearby creek.…
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Let's Get Political
(apologies to singer Olivia Newton Johns’ recording of PHYSICAL) I don’t much care for President Trump. I’ve had a hard time determining whether my dislike…
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Great Expectations and Grim Reality (WITH APOLOGIES TO CHARLES DICKENS)
As a school principal, I once had a conversation with a parent from Ukraine. His child was in my office because he had refused the…
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Super Heroes and The Rest of Us – The Goldilocks Rule
Popular culture is inundated with Super Heroes. D.C. comic re-writes abound. Most Super Heroes emerged as a result of some societal trauma. WWII brought Captain…
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THE THINGS PEOPLE SAY
If you are like me, you probably have things you say when you don’t know what to say. For example, I went through a phase…
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Definitions
My husband, William B. James, a talented thinker, teacher and writer, passed away on September 2, 2014. For the past five years, I’ve left his…
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Words Matter- Agreements and Picture Books
Agreement vs Deal If I were given the power to delete one word from public discussion it would be “Deal”. The dictionary definitions of deal…
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The Family – 3rd in a series of Those who inspire
Mr. Nguyen and his family arrived in the United States from Vietnam in 1988. After a long wait in a refugee camp, Mr. Nguyen, his…
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A Not-So Modest Proposal
(With apologies to Jonathon Swift 1667-1745) Vigils, comforting words, support and speeches decrying the terrible loss of life have become common place in the United…
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“Over-tourism” or Opportunity?
If you have traveled outside the U.S. within the last five years, you may have realized that you need to develop some new travel skills.…
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The Dog Days of Writing
Working on “word count reduction” for three picture books. Apparently 500 word manuscripts are preferred. I enlisted my trusty co-writer to help with the…
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Paradise – The Aftermath
This is second in the series People Who Inspire Kathy is smart, pretty, talented and tough. She is also a genuine-dyed-in-the-wool heroine. She survived the…
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