SCENE: The dining room, last night. Mama has a strangely terrible stomachache and is trying to eat a banana, hoping that it will absorb some of the acid. Nicholas, six years old, is babbling about many things that do not sink in to Mama's distracted mind. NICK: Babble! Babble! Watermelon is your ex-husband. MAMA: What? … Continue reading Watermelon is your ex-husband.
Month: June 2011
When Robots Write Novels in Your Comment Box
Mysterious robots sometimes comment on my articles. WordPress is much, much better at filtering spam than my old blog software, but it does sometimes put non-spam comments in the spam folder. That is where I found the text below, which I have edited a little bit to make it more entertaining, but I did not … Continue reading When Robots Write Novels in Your Comment Box
Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Like reusing glass jars, this is an idea I've mentioned before that has increased its importance in my day-to-day life to the point that it deserves its own article! When you have more of a vegetable than you can eat before it goes bad, clean and shred the extra all at once, put measured portions … Continue reading Homemade Frozen Shredded Vegetables
Our Neighborhood Public School Works for Us!
Today is my son's last day of kindergarten! This has been his first year in public school, and we are very pleased with our neighborhood public school, Pittsburgh Colfax. It's a great example of how an urban school can thrive when faculty encourage parent involvement. On "Take Your Special Person to School Day" last month, … Continue reading Our Neighborhood Public School Works for Us!
The Power of Moose
This is a strategy for crossing the street safely in situations where vehicular traffic is reluctant to yield to pedestrians. A friend of my brother's explained it to me years ago. It is based on a simple principle: Nobody will risk crashing a car into a moose. Hitting a moose obviously would damage the car … Continue reading The Power of Moose
A Nonviolent Strategy for Action Heroes
One day, when our son Nicholas was two-and-a-half years old, Daniel and I were talking about how we would do the Star Wars prequels better (a frequent topic of discussion) and I envisioned a scene in which someone is climbing a high, steep cliff by climbing the ivy growing on it, but as dusk falls … Continue reading A Nonviolent Strategy for Action Heroes
3-year-old shows consideration in a crisis
Here is a story I posted on a discussion board when Nicholas, now 6 years old, was 3. I still find it an encouraging reminder that in many ways he's a really good person. My 3-year-old has been demanding and rude and self-centered lately, and both parents and teachers have been struggling to get along … Continue reading 3-year-old shows consideration in a crisis
Glass Jars Galore!
Glass jars are much better for food storage than plastic containers! We save the jars from peanut butter, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc., and use them over and over again.
Fruit Labels, Jar Labels, Six-Packs, Environment, and Health
You know those annoying little stickers that are on most fruits you can buy individually in supermarkets? The ones that are so thin and so well-glued that they're often impossible to remove without gouging a hole in your fruit? Yeah, I always knew they were evil. In addition to being annoying on edible-skinned fruits, if … Continue reading Fruit Labels, Jar Labels, Six-Packs, Environment, and Health
Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
UPDATE in 2016: This trusty recipe has now carried me through seven summers, another low-blood-pressure pregnancy, another two years of breastfeeding (which increases the risk of dehydration), and several digestive illnesses! Today I've updated some references in this post and linked up with Real Food Friday, where my recent post on using up the vegetables … Continue reading Homemade Electrolyte Replenisher (Sports Drink)
The Earthling's Handbook 