In today's encore excerpt -- from A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote. Seven-year-old Truman Capote, abandoned by his divorced parents, is taken in by depression-poor cousins in the rural South. One of these cousins, a distant, elderly cousin, becomes his closest friend and only refuge -- but she is only in his life for two […]
Today's selection -- from The Measure of All Things by Ken Alder. In the 1790s, a geodetic survey was carried out by France’s Jean-Baptiste Delambre and Pierre Méchain to measure an arc between Barcelona and Dunkirk, thus calculating the circumference of Earth: “For those who wish to know the origins of the metric system, there […]
The Pigeon Tunnel is a documentary on John le Carre, whose real name is David Cornwell. As a writer I found it fascinating as his twisted plots with a somewhat cynical edge resonate with me not just because of writing but my own Special Operations background. The title might seem strange, but it’s critical to […]
Our students have compiled research in three topic areas. Below are the links to their research tables that can be downloaded for searching and viewing. For a state-by-state review of Mandatory Reporter laws, click here. For a state-by-state review of Background Check laws, click...
Our students spend the summer working on the research project of the LDICP. Through their extensive research, massive databases of information on state statutes regarding the abuse of children have been created and will be posted here as their work is finalized. Here are...
on Live Write Thrive: This is such an important aspect to writing dialogue, I want to share this post with you that I wrote many years ago. Too many writers fail to show what their characters are doing while conversing, and coming up with a great THAD is the key to success! Back when I […]
using locally foraged plants, artist kayla powers taught us to make our own botanical watercolor paints not a quick process with many steps along the way what an incredible experience from the garden and the forest, to the art, to the heart. — “use your own paint; colour your world” ― israelmore ayivor, author
(This is one of my ‘personified emotion’ poems. Started way back when I wrote ‘Fear’ in high school using this style. I’d been doing a lot of dark ones, so I tried one for ‘Happiness’. Didn’t like that word as … Continue reading →
Firstly, some funnies foraged from the web from Debby Gies – D.G. Writes is where you will find an archive full of wonderful posts across several subjects including writing tips, social issues and book reviews. My thanks to Debby for … Continue reading →
We live in the most perfect area to have a staycation. The gulf with its white sand beaches are only five minutes away. We have the best restaurants with fresh seafood and seats with the best views. The charter fishing experience is top notch. Evidently, this is not a best kept secret anymore. The only […]
Ruqxana Vasanwala's life exemplifies how cooking a good meal for someone can be an expression of love. Her cooking love is shared with friends and family and extends to her beloved cats as well. As much as Ruqxana enjoys making magic with her cooking, what brings her the most joy is serving her food and […]
Welcome to the 13th Annual Positively Present Gratitude Challenge! I love celebrating gratitude in the month of November, and doing this Challenge becomes one of the highlights of my year… The post The 13th Annual Gratitude Challenge! appeared first on Positively Present - Dani DiPirro.
Barbie is back!Truthfully, she never went away and has been part of pop culture since she was introduced back in 1959.Women in their 70's love Barbie as much as little girls today. That's why the Barbie movie this past summer was such a big hit.Smart marketing has kept Barbie viable during the new millennium, i.e., […]
By: Stewart Brennan I look back on the disaster that was 2021 and do not find much of anything good to talk about as it was a year in which online censorship metastasized while the world plunged into a lockstep fascism, where friendships ended, families broke up, and all the celebrations of life came to […]
All-American patriot, artist, designer, entrepreneur, flower arranger, chef, and joyful servant, Sunny Lou Starling, was carried on the wings of angels to the arms of her savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, January 6, 2023. She once said her mission was to “Gather and feed all you can, as often as you can, because you never know if […]
WASP Deanie Bishop Parrish, 44-W-4"Failure isn't failure unless you let it be. It's simply a change in direction. Just count your many blessings move on. With God's help, anything is possible!"Deanie Bishop Parrish passed away peacefully in her home in Waco, Texas, on February 24, 2022, just one day shy of her 100th birthday. She met every challenge […]
In this weekly series, we ask our readers to tell us the year, make, and model of all of these vehicles along with the location where the image was taken and anything else you find of interest in the photos. You can look back on all the earlier parts of this series here. The photos are via Americar.
In this weekly series, we ask our readers to tell us the year, make, and model of all of these vehicles along with the location where the image was taken and anything else you find of interest in the photos. You can look back on all the earlier parts of this series here. The photos are via Americar.
Former Clevelander here. I’ve been wracking my brain about this book for months – it’s a children’s book about a humongous block of cheese being delivered on a flatbed truck, and then people carved a house out of it. ChatGPT says it’s “The Big Block of Cheese” by Jack Prelutsky and their description sounds right, but […]
Jewish Contemporary Romance Novels and Women’s Fiction I love reading a romance with characters like myself, so give me a book with an old, fat Jewish single lady, and I would love that ????, but I will take characters with any one of those traits. I am more culturally Jewish (secular?): I married a non-Jew, […]
September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda smelter. Ore cars and smokestack." Acetate negative by Russell Lee for the Office of War Information. View full size.
September 1942. Deer Lodge County, Montana. "Anaconda Smelter of the Anaconda Copper Mining Co. The smokestack is the largest in the world: 585 feet in height with a diameter at base of seventy-five feet and at top of sixty feet. Flue gases are discharged at the rate of three to four million cubic feet per […]
October 1958, somewhere in Pennsylvania. Big brother is ready for a night of trick-or-treating. Rob from the rich, and share with your understudy! Our fourth selection from a batch of Kodachrome slides found on eBay. View full size.
This despondent looking crew are the drawn from the various Scandanavian, German, and Irish families settled in or near Wadena, Minnesota during the late 1800s. Wadena, located in the west-central part of the state, was (and is) a pretty small town, so some of these kids probably had an epic daily commute, by foot, from […]
In reply to Let George Do It: 1942: Thanks to Rochester for researching George Camplair's history. It really adds weight to an image to know a little more about the people in it. Interesting he was born in Berlin but was ultimately in the US Army. Not that was necessarily unusual, but worthy to note. […]
In reply to NYT Radio Room: 1942: Love the detailed craftsmanship of that little wooden box on the table. The upright rack reminds me of early movie theatre sound system racks made by Western Electric. Those had huge valves on the front.
In the vast realm of online shopping, finding reliable sources for tools and equipment is crucial. Toolbarn emerges as a potential contender, but the burning question lingers in the minds … The post Is Toolbarn Legit? Unveiling the Truth Behind Online Shopping appeared first on Shopping Kim.
Microgreens seem to be all the rage these days and for good reason: they are packed with nutrients and easy to grow! The USDA and University of Maryland found that leaves from microgreens had more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plants. And great flavor. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space […]
I’ve been growing cauliflower for years, but only recently did I learn this cauliflower growing tip from a farmer friend of mine. I was showing her my garden and she wrapped her hands around the leaves of my young cauliflower plants and folded them upward. “When your cauliflower begins to form a bud, pull your […]
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2023 is: felicitous \fih-LISS-uh-tus\ adjective Felicitous is an adjective most often used in formal speech and writing to describe something that is very well expressed or suited for some purpose or situation. It can also be used as a synonym for pleasant or delightful. // […]
Marvel’s The Marvels stands as the biggest box office flop in the history of the MCU, having made less than $80 million domestically since it came out about a month ago, and while star Iman Vellani doesn’t care and is happy with the work she did, others are desperately looking for someone to blame. Disney […]
Love it or hate it, Squid Game: The Challenge is a show that is airing. But if you’re the kind of person who likes the behind-the-scenes, “how the sausage gets made” of reality television, here’s a Squid Game controversy from the sixth episode between Player 065 (Dylan) and Player 399 (Aurora). The pair got eliminated…Read […]
Looks like someone finally said the magic word for a third time because Beetlejuice 2 is one step closer to being summoned into our world. Back in September, Tim Burton announced that his three-decades-later Beetlejuice sequel was “99 percent done” and had “literally... a day and a half” left to film when the actors…Read more...
For the holiday season, Hulu is adding some genre favorites and promising new movies to its library. The streaming platform in December welcomes all four The Matrix movies arrive for binge-watching, including 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections. Hulu also adds Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino’s alternate…Read more...
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. A bright, refreshing fall salad with apples, bacon + the most amazing candied pecans. Perfect for the holidays! Hello, Fall. We have crisp leaves, football tailgating, chunky sweaters, apple cider donuts everything, and my most favorited seasonal salad. Maybe it’s the candied […]
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. Golden brown, juicy chicken with the creamiest lemony orzo + sneaked in greens, all made in ONE SINGLE POT! Hello lemony creamy goodness. This is certainly my kind of speedy weeknight meal, with juicy chicken thighs (breasts can absolutely be substituted) and […]
As a Canadian, I celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday in October, not the fourth Thursday in November. What does that mean? Essentially, it gives me more time to get ready for Christmas since I don’t have another holiday feast to prepare in what’s basically a four-week period. Whew! Since turkey is our traditional Christmas meal […]
I hope you had as wonderful a Thanksgiving as I did. All four of my grandsons, my middle glorious daughter and my Special Guy were there! The food was fabulous. And a lot of it. Calories in the thousands. But my salad brought a glorious splash of color. One of the boys asked, “What are […]
Orin Pickering (left) poses with then U.S. Airman Basic Jacob Beebe, (center) along with his wife Linda Pickering and youngest son Dylan Pickering at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, in July 2015. Following Beebe’s graduation ceremony, he challenged his father, Orin, to enlist in the Air Force himself. (Courtesy photo).‘You can achieve anything if you […]
Christopher Siwanowicz during an overseas deployment (left), and on the Appalachian Trail (right). Photos courtesy of Robert Siwanowicz.The Ranger veterans will be remembered as a forward observer, skydiver, backpacker, standard bearer, and good friend. The post ‘A role model’: Christopher Siwanowicz remembered by family, fellow Army Ranger appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Martha and I are home from our 49 day trip, 37 of which were camping days.We left the Enchanted Trails Campground west of Albuquerque, NM at 6:15 AM and were pulling into our home cul-de-sac at 3:15 PM. 9 hours on the road was a long but incident-free day.We motored with purpose and didn't stop […]
Wednesday, November 22We drove the Honda CR-V to the Superstitions Mountain Museum located of course near the Superstitions Mountains.The main emphasis of the museum seemed to be the tale of the Lost Dutchman's Mine. Note: The Dutchman himself, wasn't lost nor was he Dutch. He was in fact German!Martha called it a nicely curated museum, […]
According to numerous recent polls, Americans believe the economy is in bad shape and don’t trust President Biden to manage it.In response, the president’s supporters have been arguing strenuously that the gloom is mistaken because in fact the economy is doing well—“extremely well,” according to New York Times columnist Paul Krugman; “astoundingly” well and “better than any other […]
If you care about privacy, please stop referring to "privacy advocates." This reflexive phrase implies that certain individuals are trying to increase privacy or otherwise change the status quo--an uphill battle regardless of the issue at hand because most people instinctively distrust and even fear change.In fact, privacy is under increasing assault by government and […]
Long before we were a sailing family, Alisa and I were a young couple in love with adventuring in Alaska. The opportunity to introduce Eric and Elias to the delights of outdoor living in the Great Land was one of the big bright sides of our return to Alaska. Earlier this winter, the boys and […]
So...this beautiful island is our home. See the barky? The boys just had their spring break. A week off from school and nothing to keep us from buggering off in Galactic. The weather was generally poor - nothing like the pics above for the most part - so we just snuck off to the west […]
Special Correspondent Katie Pesznecker attended a conference in Nashville, TN last month. Still, she managed to sneak out and have a good time: enjoying great music and great food with ... The post Music City, USA: Katie goes to Nashville appeared first on Alaska Travelgram.
Sugar-free pumpkin spice creamer is a flavorful and healthy alternative to traditional store-bought pumpkin spice creamer loaded with sugar, corn syrup, and artificial flavor. Made with natural ingredients, like real pumpkin puree, this healthier recipe offers a creamy texture and a delicious blend of fall spices. Now, you can enjoy the taste of a pumpkin... […]
I’m home now. I’m looking at the flea market couch I brought up from California; I had cushions made three times over the years till I got it just right. Now it’s just right. It’s been in my life 42 years. Tim has been in my life 34 years, but he had to be out of […]
I’m saying my goodbyes to Toronto. I’ve seen my last Hot Docs Festival film, and I’m just back from my last author program. I’ve probably had my last roti, checked out my last book at my local branch library, gone to my last art workshop. Horror of horrors, I’ve even watched my last play. The thing […]
News as propaganda kills trust Sometimes it is hard to tell whether scientists or journalists are most responsible for the pervasive global warming skepticism in the world’s largest and most powerful […]
Update: Alaska State Troopers say they have now cited a 28-year-old Healy man on charges of “negligent driving” in connection with this collision. They say Austin Gibbs was charged after “a […]
It’s here. The big day. My memoir, the one I spent 15 years struggling over, launches today from Raised Voice Press. I’m feeling very exposed, very vulnerable. This is not at all similar to when Dolls Behaving Badly launched from Hachette Book Group. That was a novel, and while some of it was based on… […]
I had had Alaska writer Dan Walker’s YA novel SECONDHAND SUMMER on my list for a long time, and two weeks ago finally had the chance to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed. Walker’s book, geared for middle school readers (but still immensely enjoyable for adults), follows 14-year-old Sam’s move to Anchorage from the small fishing… […]
SUPER EASY Have you ever cooked a whole turkey breast in the crockpot? It is fail proof and super moist and tender!!! It is so easy, that turkey and gravy won't be "just for Thanksgiving" any more!! 5 pound bone-in turkey breast 1 envelope dry onion soup mix 3 stalks celery chopped 1/2 cup chicken […]
My list of 10 Best Gifts for Cooks and Food Lovers helps last minute shoppers buy great presents for the food obsessed; most of the items on the list I’ve used and loved for years. Most importantly, if you act quickly, there’s still time to order most of my recommended gifts and have them arrive […]
Oh that's a mess isn't it? It's also very delicious. See, for the Amazing Turnip Girl's birthday, being in July, we do either ice box cakes or ice cream treats. This year has been well, interesting. To say the absolute least. She asked for a "Twinkie Cherry Cheesecake". And I was going to give her whatever she wanted. So […]
All about numbers and counting is the theme for the next session of Sitka Sprouts on Tuesday, Nov. 28. “The theme for our program will be NUMBERS + COUNTING = fun activities that introduce and explore numbers (mostly 1-10) and … Continue reading →
I LOVE my grandmother’s navy bean soup, but it takes forever to make with soaking the beans overnight and then slow cooking the soup all day. I decided to try it in my Instant Pot and it was a success! Not only that, but my kids loved it…score! Ingredients: 1-2 Tbs. olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 […]
Download Radio Show The August 13th show featured a conversation with Starling Birch, videographer and mountain adventurer. We talked about the pleasure and pain of adventuring into the mountains. We also considered the motivations that drive us to put ourselves in often unpleasant and potentially regretful circumstances when exploring the challenging landscape that surrounds us […]
Download Radio Show The July 30th show featured a conversation with Derek Sikes, curator of insects at the Museum of the North and Professor of entomology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. We spoke about bug camps, collecting, more generally about terrestrial arthropods in Alaska, and some particular questions of current interest. If you have […]
Since 2016 I have worked in Hoonah to help build a vision. The Hoonah Native Forest Partnership is a unique model of community-based forestry that seeks to meet the objectives of land managers and the needs of the community. The project relies on training a local workforce in natural resource inventory and landscape improvement. I’m […]
At the end of July we took the boat over to Halibut Cove to hike the Saddle Trail with the kids to picnic at Grewingk Glacier Lake. It's a great trail for kids to master themselves, and Riggs hiked the whole way himself. Raina was in the backpack, but more because we wanted to hike […]
A man who just moved to Homer about a year ago from Chicago has started a podcast interviewing people from the Homer community. He called up my husband a few months ago and asked him if he would be willing to be interviewed. My husband said sure, so the second episode of Alex's podcast features […]
Well, 2017 was not a good garden year in my area, even for those of us with greenhouses/high tunnels. I'm sure I didn't help my chances at all; we had a month between returning home from the States and getting the roof on the high tunnel, and I didn't start any seeds or work the […]
Mountain View is in for a treat — a whole new store full of treats, in fact. Packed with dozens of varieties of handmade custom candies, classic favorites, and assorted other sweets, Sweet Creations Lollipop Boutique is one of the latest businesses to open doors in the neighborhood. Owner Missy Simms made it for the […]
During our time in Washington we also took some time to drive over to Kennewick to visit some of my family in that area. We camped in my aunt and uncle's driveway and visited them and some of my cousins. The highlight for the girls was the nerf war for sure (pictures here). It was […]
My husband loves this cakeso much he had two pieces 'after' eating lunch...Ingredients2 Eggs1 ½ cup Canola Oil2 cups Granulated Sugar3 cups A-P Flour2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg½ teaspoon Kosher Salt1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda4 cups Chopped Apples (peeled and cored): measure after chopping1 cup chopped Pecans: measure after chopping1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract⅔ […]