I thought about calling this post “Rocks in My Pocketbook” but I realize it would date me. Pocketbook is a bit passe, like etui or reticule or bodkin. So “bag” will suffice . Our church school’s curriculum for this year is using elements of music, art, writing, and drama in teaching the Bible. I was … More Rocks in My Bag
Edith Wharton had a vivid imagination. As a child, she loved to play a game she called “Making up” which involved inventing stories as, book in hand, she walked around feverishly chanting as if in a trance. This caused her parents much consternation. When friends came to play, she asked her mother to entertain them … More Edith’s Vivid Imagination
I’ve been thinking about last Tuesday and the fun I had reading with third graders in Connecticut. I’m convinced that third graders are the sharpest people on the face of the earth. They are incredibly enthusiastic about everything. Their faces literally shine with unabashed anticipation. They volunteer for anything. They sit on the floor with … More Sharp As Tacks!
“I was raised to be charming, not sincere,” This is one of my favorite quotes from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods. It’s Prince Charming’s rational explanation to Cinderella when she finds out he’s a cad. Ah, the fairy tales of my youth! So many subtle messages sent to guide me on my way through life; through … More On Expecting Princes To Be Charming
Within the ten stories of A Berkshire Tale, ZuZu is constantly amazed by the world around her. During her first year, the tiny tabby encounters many new people on her adventures with her buddy, Nick. Sometimes, she can be a bit overwhelmed and can’t seem to decide if it’s the worst day or the best … More Worst Day, Best Day Ever!
During the past few weeks since my book was published, I’ve been visiting classrooms and reading sections of A Berkshire Tale to students. Let me share some of the things ‘I’ve learned so far: Don’t be afraid to ask elementary school students how old you are. It can be an uplifting experience because they tend to guess … More Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
“ZuZu was born in a barn.” And so, A Berkshire Tale begins. A precocious, tabby kitten lives her days in the same place that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his Tanglewood Tales. But these ten stories are the tales of her first year in the Berkshire Hills of New England. When a family arrives at the farm, ZuZu … More Who Is This ZuZu and Where Is Her Barn?
Around ZuZu's Barn 