June 23rd, 2011 by admin
Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs
A True Story of Bad Breaks and Small Miracles
By Heather Lende
Published by Algonquin Books
978-1-61620-051-0
Description
After a near-fatal bicycle accident in her tiny Alaskan town, bestselling author Heather Lende has an opportunity to contemplate faith and friendship, observe the breathtaking beauty of the northern wilderness anew, and truly come to appreciate the remarkable inhabitants of Haines, Alaska, without whom she could never have recovered. Lende’s idea of spirituality is rooted in community, and her irrepressible spirit and commitment to living life on the edge of the world deepens our understanding of what links us all. Like her own mother’s last instructions, ”Take good care of the garden and the dogs,” Lende’s writing, so honest and unadorned, offers profound lessons to live by. Here she reminds us (courtesy of Ralph Waldo Emerson) that “the proper response to the world is applause.”
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January 21st, 2009 by admin
By Emily Sue Harvey
www.renewalstories.com
History itself affirms that the family is the foundation of society. It is the glue that holds together civilization itself. Block by block, it builds nations. But the most important place for family is inside each of us; it is who we are. We’re living in days when the traditional family is challenged to the hilt. More than ever, parenting and nurturing roles are important and necessary. Like an orchestra, each family member is an instrument, with notes that blend the unit. Read the rest of this entry »
September 17th, 2008 by admin
By Bruce J. Gevirtzman,
Author of An Intimate Understanding of America’s Teenagers: Shaking Hands With Aliens
As September approaches, almost every schoolteacher in America fills with excitement and trepidation. It is, after all, a new year. Like baseball in spring, anything seems possible for a teacher in the fall when it comes to a renewal of spirit: new students, new gimmicks, new courses–and hope does spring eternal. Most good teachers take a mental inventory of what needs to be done to become more successful in their classrooms; unfortunately, however, that usually means having to dwell temporarily on the downside of education. Read the rest of this entry »
July 1st, 2008 by admin
Apparently when you tickle Elmo he’s not laughing, he’s having a seizure.
–Jay Leno
In an attempt to assure the world’s children that millions of Chinese-made toys currently being recalled for containing toxic lead paint and tiny choking hazards can no longer hurt them, high-level Chinese officials announced Tuesday that millions of playthings are being rounded up and immediately put to death . . . According to the Xinhua News Agency, in the past three days alone, factory owners roused an estimated 365,000 Barbie dolls from their dream homes in a violent series of raids. During these raids, the Barbies were separated from their Kens, stripped naked, and had their heads shaved. They were then taken to an undisclosed area, leaned against the wall and shot by a firing squad as toy soldiers were forced to watch. Read the rest of this entry »
June 30th, 2008 by admin
By Lisa C. Greene and Foster W. Cline, MD
Jessica is generally a happy kid. But she didn’t look very sunny when she got home from school. So, her mom asked, “How was your day at school sweetheart?”
Jessica’s answer was slow, with some reluctance: “Well, mom, I don’t know…. not so great…. Read the rest of this entry »
