Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs

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.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Ten Question Often Asked By Children Whose Parents Are In Prison

March 30th, 2011 by admin

By Howard Zehr and Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz,
Author of “What Will Happen To Me?”

Children need time to adjust to the separation caused by having a parent in prison. But it takes more than time. As we have heard in their voices, children also need to make sense of what has happened to them and to their parent or parents. Because of this, they have many questions.

Some of the questions they ask are straightforward. But sometimes their questions come out indirectly or in their challenging behavior. Incarcerated parents, as well as caregivers of children or other adults in their lives, often have to answer their uncomfortable questions. Read the rest of this entry »

Teenagers Suck: What to do when missed curfews, texting, and “Mom, can I have the keys” make you miserable

April 13th, 2009 by admin

Is it any wonder . . .

Most people go through mid-life crises when their kids are teenagers?

Fewer parents are grounding their teenager — to avoid being stuck at home with them?

So many moms and dads downgrade to one-bedroom condos once their teens graduate from high school?

Mood swings? Check. Eye rolls? Check.  Slamming doors and easily annoyed teens? Check. Check. Read the rest of this entry »

The KidDictionary

February 27th, 2009 by admin

Absolutely great book by author Eric Ruhalter. Get one for yourself or your parenting friends. You can visit http://thekiddictionary.com/ for more information or to purchase this book.

Assassins in Toyland

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 »

« Previous Entries