Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on July 6, 2016. It is bittersweet for me, but after writing this column for seven years, I find it’s time to say good-bye. I started this column when I was pregnant with my youngest son, who will turn seven-years-old this August. Unlike his older brother, he was a … Continue reading Time to Say Good-bye (to the newspaper)
my newspaper columns
Happy Father’s Day
Note: I meant to post this on my blog on Father's Day, but I was sick over the weekend and nothing got done. It was published in the Barrow Journal on June 15, 2016, before father's day. 🙂 Father’s Day is this weekend, and I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that my kids … Continue reading Happy Father’s Day
Summer Break Begins
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on May 25, 2016. I wrote it a couple of weeks ago, so some of the events I mention in it have already happened. I am exhaling a sigh of relief as I write this column because this week marks the end of so many things. Our … Continue reading Summer Break Begins
Everybody Needs a Mentor
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on April 27, 2016. This bread-baking mission I’m on is full of frustrations, but since I’m doing it for fun, that’s okay. It’s like a puzzle I’m determined to figure out, and I’m relieved I have no deadline for it. I bought a book, Classic Sourdoughs: A Home … Continue reading Everybody Needs a Mentor
Capturing Wild Yeast
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on April 13, 2016. I have never been much of a cook or a baker, but I greatly admire those who have these skills. While I can see that cooking can be an art, it’s not my go-to creative outlet. But I wish I were better … Continue reading Capturing Wild Yeast
Schools on Trial
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on March 23, 2016. If you’re a parent with a child in public school, you may want to read Schools on Trial: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational Malpractice by Nikhil Goyal. Nikhil Goyal is an accomplished twenty-year-old journalist (he’s one of Forbes’ 30 … Continue reading Schools on Trial
The Mistakes Writers Make
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on March 2, 2016. As an editor of a homeschool magazine, I get a lot of queries (i.e. “pitches” in the form of letters or e-mails) from writers wanting to write for us. I rarely respond to any of them because they rarely warrant a response. … Continue reading The Mistakes Writers Make
On Homeschooling and Mommy’s Learning Curve
Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on February 17, 2016. I’ve been noticing lately how easy it is to sit down with my six-year-old and do his lessons. He might complain that he doesn’t like lessons, but when we sit down together, we usually have fun, and sometimes he wants to write … Continue reading On Homeschooling and Mommy’s Learning Curve
What is a True Friend?
Playing a story starter game at our homeschool Valentine's party. Note: This column was reprinted in the Barrow Journal on February 10, 2016. It was first published in February 2013. But we had another Valentine's party with our same friends this year as you can see in the photo above. On Valentine's Day I will take … Continue reading What is a True Friend?
On Becoming a Birder
My six-year-old's painting of a yellow-bellied sapsucker. My six-year-old loves birds, and because of that, it's become an interest for the whole family. We watch them, identify them, draw them and paint them. It's a great project! Note: This column was published in the Barrow Journal on February 3, 2016. I’ve always liked birds, but … Continue reading On Becoming a Birder