Search Results for: blog 9 11 changed the way we look at the world

Where Were You on That Day?

Today, many genealogists have created online blogs that they use to talk about their research, post family photos, and share family stories. I have a suggestion for a topic that will give you a lot of material to work with. Ask your family members where they were when a significant event happened, and write down their stories. There are certain events that are so shocking, and so tragic, that they cannot be forgotten. Sometimes, those events affect an entire nation, (if not the entire world). People remember exactly where they were, and what they were doing, right before they found … Continue reading →

The Day the World Stood Still

I still remember vividly the day those towers fell. I was only 12, but I remember that feeling of fear that filled my parent’s faces as they heard the news as the first plane hit. I heard them question each other wondering if it might have been an accident, until 17 minutes later the second tower was hit. We were on our way to school. Every television was on, as we watched the attack that day. As children we feared what this would mean for us. We could hardly comprehend what was happening. Now looking back 11 years later we … Continue reading →

Phyllis Diller Dead at 95

The world lost a truly iconic comedian yesterday. Phyllis Diller died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 95. (This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0) Diller was a pioneer for women comedians. She set the way for all of today’s female comedians, even Joan Rivers, who Diller called her protege. Rivers paid homage to Diller yesterday saying that Diller was the first to compete with male comedians and taught her something important – to be “very simple.” Much of Diller’s comedy centered on home life – something many … Continue reading →

The Science of Dogs

Over the weekend I watched the National Geographic documentary “The Science of Dogs.” It explored canine genetics, studying what it is about a dog’s DNA that makes it the species with the greatest number of breeds. The documentary revealed that there is something uniquely malleable about canine DNA that allows it to make a staggering variety of small changes. The example given by the documentary explained that one can breed cows in such a way to get different color patterns or shapes of horns. But all cows will look fundamentally the same and share identical characteristics. As we well know, … Continue reading →

Activities Fostering an Appreciation of Other Cultures in Elementary and Middle-school Students

My last blog discussed activity ideas for helping young children become comfortable with racial diversity. Here are some ideas for teachers of elementary and middle school students: –Make sure they know the science of skin color. A good book is All the Colors We Are: The story of How We Get Our Skin Color. This is a bilingual (English/Spanish) book with photographs and simple explanations. –I like to follow or precede a discussion of the science of skin color with an artistic or aesthetic look at the beauty of different skin colors. I like All the Colors of the Earth, … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Month in Review: June 2008

What a happy month is June, filled with the renewal of spring and the promise of summer. In the last month, we have shared so many ideas for frugal living and saving money. This past month has seen some pretty big increases in food, gas and other items (look for an upcoming post about strawberries increasing more than 100 percent). Now more than ever, it is important to save money where we can. This is why I decided to do a month in review. June 2nd Frugal Living Review: May 26th Through June 1st Garage sale shopping has got to … Continue reading →

What Makes a Good Search and Rescue Dog?

The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is on a mission. They are rescuing dogs, training them to save lives, and sending them out to work with firefighters and other emergency workers. This is the search dog pledge: no one is left behind. Most candidates for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation come from shelters and breed-specific rescue groups. Dogs who are adopted by the SDF are guaranteed a lifetime of care — whether or not they work out as search and rescue dogs. Dogs that don’t complete the program are placed in loving forever homes. Active search dogs that retire … Continue reading →

Pixie Hollow: One of the Stickiest Places I’ve Ever Been

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Pixie Hollow is the latest of Disney Online’s virtual worlds. Pixie Hollow is their way of making the most of the Disney Fairies brand and expanding the franchise in new and creative ways. It is also a very clever way of turning young children on to the idea of online gaming. Once the graduate from Pixie Hollow, they just might be ready for World of Warcraft. After all, World of Warcraft has elves too. But maybe it isn’t that bad. I’ve been to Pixie Hollow and I have to admit it was a very sticky place. By sticky, I mean … Continue reading →

A Simplified Look at Gluten-Free and/or Casein-Free Diets for Autistic Kids

If you start to delve into the massive amount of information available on dietary restrictions for your autistic child, you might initially be overwhelmed. How can you determine what should be eliminated from your child’s diet, and what shouldn’t? Or is diet even a factor you should be concerned with? All over the internet, you’ll find testimonials from parents who have eliminated one substance or another (or several) and observed marked improvement in their son or daughter’s behaviors. But are these parents only seeing what they want to see? Will dietary restrictions really help your child? It’s hard to know … Continue reading →

A Picture Book for Kids with Juvenile Diabetes

I am very excited about a project I’m working on with my mentor and hero, Rick Walton. Rick has a son with juvenile diabetes, and I have two, and because we write picture books, we decided to join forces and create a book for very young children who are newly-diagnosed with the disease. The book will be donated to kids in the hospital, as a gift inside the “bags of hope” which contain items to help these newly-diagnosed children (and their parents) cope. Pitching the Book Although we had seen picture books written about diabetes, we hadn’t seen one specifically … Continue reading →