Wednesday, January 2, 2013
It is not down in any map; true places never are. ~ Herman Melville
I’ve been lucky in my life that I’ve found many true places. Places that wait patiently for me to return, some are physical places while others are memories and moments in time. This past week I was able to visit several of my favorite true places and find several more. We went visiting for the holidays. Our first time in a few years. We went south; first to spend Christmas with grandparents and other family in Baltimore then further south to Florida to see old (haha) friends and more family. We all had a blast, especially the kids. So much fun that Dylan made plans to go visit his cousin at college in Delaware. He'd like to see what her school is all about since it has what he wants to study as well as a lacrosse program, so he’s all in …
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts. ~ Janice Maeditere
I love Christmas. Like little-kid love. Like oh my gawd Santa is coming. Santa! Like Elf-level of love. I love the planning. Paying attention all year and trying to find the perfect ornament for each kid. I have to report that once again, I hit it out of the park (I'm nothing if not humble). A replica Orange Line train for Emma to commemorate her new adventure living and going to school in Boston. For Dylan, a custom made ornament showcasing one of his photographs. Photography is a new passion and he has a real talent for it. Both were surprised and happy with their ornaments this year. It's not just gifts that make me love this time of year although they are awesome. I love the entirety of the festive feel to the month of December. …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Schools teach everything – albeit not always well – but they don’t teach the most basic skill of all, a skill that has the capacity to save the world. Schools don’t teach kindness.
They’re making a dent by tagging bullies and troubled youngsters. It’s a start. But I know the way classrooms were run in the 1950s when I was a kid, and I imagine they’re not much better today, perhaps worse because class sizes are larger, and random acts of unkindness harder to detect and treat. How to be kind is easily imparted, easily learned. For me it only required one lesson. It was delivered by a fellow fourth grader, Buddy Bridgers, red-headed, smart and aware. It was recess, we were all hell-bent on four-square, that game with painted quadrants, a large ball, and a line of kids waiting to start in the first quad where you either washed out or worked your way up the chain. At #2, 3 and 4, you held on for dear life. A big kid – …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. ~ John F. Kennedy
Like most reasonable people, I’m disgusted with what happened in Newtown Connecticut last Friday. Sadness and disbelief cast a pall over much of the office that afternoon. On Facebook and other social media, I started to see prayer chains, calls for peace and understanding. Nothing bad or offensive, but then I noticed a few outlandish items slowly start to creep in that bothered me. But for clarity and space, I’m only going to focus on one for this week’s column. “If the staff had been armed this could have been prevented.” Let that sink in for a minute. Arming teachers. In elementary school. Am I the only person who hears this and thinks, “That person must have been dropped on their head as a small child?” If you think that arming …
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Because of their size, parents may be difficult to discipline properly. ~ P.J. O'Rourke
I was talking to a friend earlier today and she was telling me a story that did not paint her in the greatest parental light, but since I have been in her shoes I did not judge; I offered only empathy at her moment of weakness. She was explaining what happened when she, her dear hubby, and their three lovely children started to decorate their Christmas tree this year. Everything was ready. The tree was in the stand and the lights strung. They were getting ready to put the ornaments on when it started. At first it was small, barely noticeable but it grew. Boy did it ever. “Stop it.” Said one. “I’m not doing anything.” Said another. “DAD!” Said the first. “Knock it off!” Said Dad. From there it escalated. Two little kids screaming and …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it. ~ Haim Ginott
Parenting is challenging. As your children grow so do the parenting challenges. Sure we still worry about small problems like minding manners and personal hygiene but more complex and dangerous issues are heading right for us, drinking, drugs, dating, and other issues too numerous to name. It’s always been my belief that the groundwork laid earlier in childhood will come to bear at this time. I hope I’m right because we are moving into dangerous territory, high school. When the kids were younger we tried to treat them with respect while establishing boundaries of acceptable behavior. I’ll admit we were lucky that neither of the kids had any sustained behavioral issues and, for the most part, never gave us any real challenge to our parental…
Monday, December 3, 2012
City officials deny Trojan's request to hand out vibrators on City Hall Plaza, citing that the venue is too family oriented. Instead the sex toys will be given away today at the Boston Center for the Arts.
Trojan, the brand name associated with condoms, will be handing out sex toys on Monday, Dec. 3, from noon to 4 pm at the Boston Center for the Arts in South Boston. But not without controversy. Originally Trojan wanted to hand out sex toy products at Boston's City Hall Plaza, but officials quickly banned that idea, saying that City Hall Plaza is a family oriented area and it wouldn’t be appropriate. The Boston Globe reports that Trojan found a new venue in South Boston: the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts, and it will give out samples of two products from its pleasure cart while supplies last on Monday, Dec. 3, between noon and 4 p.m. Both Trojan and the BCA say that there is nothing wrong with the event as it will be inside in…
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
'Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings,' ZuZu Bailey.
This is one of the family’s favorite Christmas traditions. After we decorate the tree we all snuggle in with fancy hot chocolate and, if they’ve been exceptionally well-behaved that year, they’ll get homemade snickerdoodles. They didn’t get the snickerdoodles last year. Fingers-crossed that this year when I tally it all up, the good will outweigh the not-so-good. I missed the snickerdoodles last year. This is one of our “newer” traditions. We’ve only been watching for the last three or four years. Dylan started it and he really loves the movie. Honestly, I don’t really remember seeing it in its entirety before I started watching it with Pat and the kids. I’m more of a Grinch girl. Oh, and Frosty. I do have to admit that “It’s a Wonderful …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues. ~ Cicero
It's that time of year again. Turkey and football; pumpkin pie and family gatherings. This year will be a low-key Thanksgiving. The North-South game in the morning and one of the sister's for dinner later in the day. It will be small this year just my family and hers. Sometimes we stay home and enjoy the peace of a holiday together and sometimes we go full on super-size and see everybody. Maybe we'll do that next year. The Thanksgiving's of my youth are legendary. Family showed up early and stayed late - sometimes for days. There always seemed to be plenty for everyone and no one complained that they hadn't had enough to eat. As we got older, boyfriends were added and meal times gave way to the realities of blending even more families into…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
And there are 50 percent of the voting public who want stuff. They want things and who is going to give them things? President Obama. He knows it and he ran on it. ~ Bill O’Reilly
I voted for Barack Obama. Twice. For the record, I am not asking for, nor do I expect, a handout. I have worked since I was 17 sometimes two and three jobs at a time. Right now, I have two. NOTHING I have has been handed to me for free and quite frankly I’m getting a little tired of having to defend myself and my choices against people who see this country as “us versus them.” It’s not. It’s about we. You know “We the People…” They're not just words. They refer to actual real people. They refer to US. All of us. Young and old; rich and poor; educated and not. There is no means test to be an American. There is no minimum effort required. If you are lucky enough to be born here, you are an American. Others find their way here to join us. …
Barbara Mulvey-Welsh
8:58 pm on Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The perfect day. more ›