This is my original blog. I haven’t updated for years. I keep it as a reminder of the journey.
Please see Broke Teacher for education and Poser Homestead for chickens, recipes, and dead zucchini.
Monday I’ve got Friday on My Mind…
Friday. God's gift to the universe. "You've got to send me the calendar dates not the days," said my friend. "Days of the week mean nothing to me." That's how it is in the rest of the world. Not schools. Days of the week are everything in schools. Monday: The day...
I’m No Hero–A Veteran’s Day Reflection
"Happy Veteran's Day, Dad!" said Declan. "Were you in the war? I'm glad you're not dead." Note to self--Declan should write greeting cards. "Mom, do we have to get him a gift?" he asked. "No. This is an appreciation holiday, not a gift holiday," I said. "I can't...
9 Things You Never Want to Hear a Kid Say
I'm minding my own business relaxing after a long day of work when the boy walks in. "Hey Mom, did you know you can cut your hair with paper scissors?" "Why yes, I did." I say. The trick is not to overreact. This isn't some random conversation. It's a revelation....
Recycled Food: How to Eat Cheap without Being a Dumpster-Diving Hippie
"What's that?" the kid asked. She was examining my lunch--apple butter, homemade cheese, and bread I baked that morning wrapped Japanese furoshiki-style in a cloth napkin. "Bread," I said. That was in the days when I still ate bread. "And that?" "Apple butter. I...
Halloween Hell in Three Acts: No Costume, The Town That Shuts Down, & Liquor Treating
[Photo credit... the brilliant Sarah Steenland with whom I've collaborated on some great kids' books with more to come. Watch her travel the world as The Cruising Cartoonist. Visit her Amazon Author page as well!] Halloween: Act One--No Costume for the Lame...
The 4AM Beep: An Angry Ode to New York City
4:19AM The first beep of the day Outside my window. Is it a "good morning?" Or a "FU?" I can't be sure. By the time I open my eyes, the car is gone.
Death of a Copier: Turning Teachers into Cannibals
You can do a lot of things wrong in public education, but never do this: Never tell a single person you can fix things. That's the kiss of death. If people find out, quit today. Get a Witness Protection job in fast food. Otherwise, everyone will hound you. "Can you...
When Famous People Hate You
My friend the photographer went for a portfolio review and came back crushed. A portfolio review is when an artist submits work to experts who give feedback. Her work is unique. It sits at the intersection of art and social justice--the kind of photos people see...
Things Kids Ask to Make Moms Crazy
"How long is an hour?" Declan asks. He already knows the answer. It's a trick question. An hour used to be sixty minutes on the sundial--or sixty minutes, plus or minus a smidge of an Olympic fraction of a microsecond that over time changed the calendars of...
How to Be More Than the Sum of Our Parts
When I write, I write alone. It's never a collaboration unless it's work-based, and even then, I write my twenty, thirty, or forty pages first, then pass them over with a "What do you think?" before they get chopped to bits when "together" kicks in. If I'm writing...
Never Waste a Good Sick Day Being Sick
Fall is here. It's beautiful in New England--the trees are starting to look like they grew out of a Norman Rockwell painting. We used to watch this guy on Public Television back in the days when there were only three channels. He'd paint "happy trees." We called...
The Legacy of a Teacher
Brother Norris was a fascinating man. I heard of his passing this week. He spent thirty years teaching us English, then went on to retirement. It's time for him to look down from heaven and make sure we're not splitting our infinitives. I know he's smiling to see...