As always, my 13 year-old son has waited until bedtime to download his anxieties. He's a bright, sensitive kid whose worries run the gamut from global
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WAITING FOR THE BIG C
I hate waiting. Yet, somehow I managed to book my mammogram for the week before Christmas, and found myself waiting for something I didn't want during
Read MoreONE OF THE BEST WRITING TIPS EVER: SPIN CLASS!
Two of the most common questions people ask writers are: 1) When do you write? And 2) What do you do if you get writer's block? When I see
Read MoreKayak: One Word, One Life
“Kayak.” The word was written in red ink across the top of the manila file folder. Shaky letters, a modest schoolboy hand. Definitely my dad's
Read MorePiano Chicken and other Tales of Cooking Gone Wrong
Just in time for holiday feasting, I've decided to eat lean. This was a guilt-inspired decision brought on by invading my son's Halloween bag, which I
Read MoreMurder and Mayhem in a Parked Car
When the man knocked on my window, I jumped and shrieked. It was dark and rain was pelting against my car windshield. I opened my window just a crack.
Read MoreThe First Rule of Teaching: Do No Harm
It wasn't until I went on a field trip with my son and his eighth grade teacher that I started pondering the recent debates about how a teacher's
Read MoreThe Book Tour: Is It Worth It?
As I was winding down my book tour to southern California recently, I stopped at a cafe with new friends I'd made in a high desert town called
Read MoreTurkeys, Boltholes, and Self-Sustainability
I live in a typical New England suburb: tall trees, a smattering of ranch houses, a few grand Colonials, a Cape or two. Yet, we still have our share
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