by Dawn | Jan 30, 2013 | gratitude, spirituality, Teaching, wellness, writing
I have a special shelf dedicated to books written by important people in my life. Some were written by mentors, like Dr. Stan Lemons’ collection and Dr. Brenda Meehan Waters, both among of the best of academics, and others by close friends. They have all...
by Dawn | Jan 13, 2013 | family, gratitude, simplicity, wellness
I’m going on a yoga retreat. First off I don’t “do yoga.” At first, I declined–this isn’t just yoga, it’s a weekend of yoga–a weekend of quietly turning my energies inward, getting rid of the clutter in my brain, and...
by Dawn | Jan 12, 2013 | family, food, gratitude, organization, politics, simplicity, sustainability
It all began with blips on the financial radar in 2006. I was pregnant with Declan–the hero of some of these stories. The universe was about to come crashing down. I felt it. I wasn’t sure what was about to happen only that something was wrong in the...
by Dawn | Jan 10, 2013 | family, food, gratitude, simplicity, sustainability
I found my canvas bags. In my move, I’d lost them and I’d been forced to use plastic. I’d committed a great many enviro-crimes in moving from House A to House B, the least of which was forgetting my bags. I confessed this to my green friend. I...
by Dawn | Jan 5, 2013 | education reform, gratitude, politics, satire, Teaching
I would just like to pause to take a moment to be thankful for Congress. I had been a little down about the public perception of education. I even got chastised by a good friend after sending a link to an education article in which I had some involvement. “You...
by Dawn | Dec 27, 2012 | education reform, family, gratitude, parenting, satire, Teaching
In fourth grade, I won a spelling bee. Or something similar. I got a prize. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I was an avid reader, the kind of kid who didn’t mind getting sent to my room because there were books there. I took my prize upstairs and...