Jar Full of Smiles: Listening Friends

Out of the jar on a happy blue piece of paper. a little reminder that there are various ways of listening. There is an adage about listening which has a great deal of truth to it. “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” We listen to skim the surface of … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Into the Dark

A small crew of the Washington Academy 7th Graders went down into the tunnel — the entire grade couldn’t go because someone had to monitor the FBI. As they moved away from the tunnel opening and the fluorescent light bars in the room above, they learned how dark things could really be. True darkness is not something we experience often … Read More

Jar Full of Smiles

A thoughtful friend gave me a gift for Christmas that really resonated with me. A jar full of bright strips of paper with sentiments written on them. What a great way to give someone a gift that keeps giving. The idea being that you pull out one slip a day, read it, and have a reason to smile. But it … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Dangling

Why is it when we’ve set our course and taken life by the horns we frequently find ourselves dangling in midair hanging on for dear life? After all, we’re supposed to pursue our goals with confidence, right? We envision our goal at the end of a wide-open eight-lane highway, when in reality it sits at the end of a winding, … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Moment of Truth

As we live our lives, we reach crossroads where decisions must be made, and if the decision is important enough, one which can alter our destiny, or cause us to face up to our fears, it can be called a moment of truth. Picking where to go to college can be a moment of truth. Do you choose to stay … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Epiphany

While the 7th Graders were happy to have found the rumored tunnel, there was one problem — the opening to the tunnel was a good twenty feet above the tunnel floor and there was no easy way to get down there. Even if they jumped and didn’t hurt themselves, the next question was how would they get out? Dennis had … Read More

Beyond Normal Revisited

Four years ago today, while going through chemotherapy for Leukemia and Lymphoma, I was having a pretty rough day, so I blogged about it on my cancer site. The post was titled, Life Beyond Normal, because at that point, my normal had been stripped away, turned completely upside down, shaken, and forever changed. I had to learn what my limits … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: Lighting the Torch

I’ll admit … this is the part of the story where I really started to get excited, even while writing it. The kids now know who their opponent is and have discovered the entrance to the tunnel. They are literally about to enter the unknown, but before they can do so, they have to check the air quality in the … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Power of Paracord

The character of Dennis in 7th Grade Revolution definitely has some untold stories in his past — which for now, remain untold. For example, his shark tooth necklace. I’m dying to know the story behind the shark’s tooth, because it holds a meaning for Dennis and has become his worry stone. Maybe one of these days he’ll tell me the … Read More

Belief

As I am working on the first book in my Homeless Myths series, The Star Warriors and the Secret of the Red Key, the topic of belief systems is present all the time. With Myths in the series name, those things are running through my head. Why do we believe the things we do. What do these kids believe? How … Read More

7th Grade Revolution: The Storeroom

As the personality of Silas Tucker became clear, I knew that if he had gone to the trouble of creating a secret room, then he would have hidden things of value inside. Here was a man who when building his house had put in a hidden staircase, hid a portion of the basement, and created a tunnel to escape through. … Read More

Thankful for Cash Giveaway

Thankful for Cash $250 Giveaway November 15th to December 15th Could you use an extra $250 this holiday season? Here is your chance!! The winner of this giveaway will receive $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com Gift Card.   Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 12/15/17 Open only to those who … Read More