A good lesson from a bad egg

It rained the day of my second-grade Easter egg hunt, so our room mothers hid all the eggs inside the classroom. This was back in the day when we called it an “Easter Egg Hunt,” not a “Spring Fling” or other such nonsense. Only one child won a prize for finding the Golden Egg, and…

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Really Good Banned Books

In these days of sensitivity, some of my favorite childhood books seem like they would be banned.. However, when I checked online library collections, most remain in circulation.  ***Instert heavy hearted thoughts on banning books (I don’t approve) and what taxpayer’s money should be used for here (it’s loaded) and that’s a column for another…

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Where are my pickle forks?

Allow me to reassure all mothers of young children that you aren’t going crazy. There isn’t a ghostly haint pilfering your silverware. The disappearing Oneida isn’t being sucked into a dark vortex for use at alien dinner parties.  The vanishing utensil phenomenon is real, yet the cause is hard to believe. As a seasoned mother…

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Here’s a video

Some of you may have already seen this video from Wisdom Harbour, or a shorter clip if you are a subscriber to my newsletter (Look to the right sidebar – “Don’t Miss Out”).  It’s one of my stories I wrote for Exploding Hushpuppies.  Wisdom Harbour, produced by the team from New York Times best selling…

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It’s 3 o’clock somewhere

The world is at its best at 3 am, for that’s when mothers everywhere awaken to pray.  Deep sleep is paused for rested minds, finally cleared of daily routines. The needs of others have been placed on our hearts and mothers begin to talk to God. My doctor said waking in the middle of the…

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Will Ziploc bags save the world?

The solution to saving the next generation may begin with a Ziploc bag.  When I asked, “Is it okay if I substitute a salad for the French fries?” The teenage server looked baffled. His eyes darted around the restaurant, then finally said, “Oh! You mean Fries!” I guess adding “French” was a little too exotic…

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Saying goodbye to Lois Lane

My long time blog readers have heard many stories about my sweet beagle, Lois Lane. She has received her own fan mail and I’ve had readers ask about her during book signings. You’ll see in this story, that she passed away on her 15th birthday after a very happy and spoiled life — which is…

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The two-bite rule

“Hey! He didn’t leave any broccoli for me!” “You already had lots of it, now give me some!”  My two boys were the only children I knew who would sit at the dinner table and fight over steamed broccoli. While they had one friend who would only eat macaroni and cheese and another who refused…

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Pop-up VBS – here’s the scoop

I sat and watched again on TV last spring as a teen turned violent and shot and killed his peers. His teachers said he was “disconnected” from his community. I felt glad that couldn’t happen in our small (but growing) tight-knit community because everyone feels involved here, right? I mean, Southern Living loves us, so…

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All parents should home school (?)

Every parent should home school — but hold on, before you yank Junior out of the 4th grade at Possum Valley Elementary, let me explain. After home schooling one of my sons for a few years and sending the other all the way through public schools, as well as teaching in a public system, I’ve come…

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