There is a theory of education that suggests we thrive with a little bit of danger. A school in Japan has even been built around that concept. Where we travel straight hallways between our classrooms and neat aisles around our desks, they navigate trees, nets, ladders, ropes and slides, the… Continue reading
My dad was just a boy when his mother was left to raise five children on her own. As the oldest boy in the household, he took his position to heart, grew up fast and rose to the challenge of supporting and protecting his family. He was too young to… Continue reading
I had been single for about half a year and was living deep in the Ganaraska as Valentine’s Day approached. The isolation was restorative, but with only my boys, coyotes and red squirrels for company, I had to admit I was lonely. Then one day, my solitude was interrupted by… Continue reading
My son was, at least for a while, the youngest zip liner in Nicaragua. He was two years old at the time and our family had arranged to go zip lining as part of our vacation. My son and I were to keep our feet on the ground while the… Continue reading
When I was married, we honeymooned at a bed-and-breakfast on the edge of the Ganaraska. The owner of the house considered herself a fortune teller and at breakfast she took my hand to read my palm. She looked at it only briefly. “You have two life lines,” she said dismissively,… Continue reading
I was engaged in reassuringly normal small talk one day when the discussion turned unexpectedly to animals and, in particular, which animal best symbolized each of us who was talking. If someone is going to describe you as an animal, you want them to say you’re a lion, a… Continue reading
I was buying some treats at the Pastry Peddler a few years back when a charming stranger took great interest in me and my dog. She struck up an animated conversation with me, although we had never met, and I recall being struck by the warmth of her nature and… Continue reading
Until recently, I have always had a hate-hate relationship with the bicycle. I got my first bike when I was already old enough to know what it felt like to fall. The appeal of balancing myself on two wheels completely evaded me. My parents both worked full-time and although… Continue reading
Some things start off with a bang and others with a bombastic eruption. It was my oldest son’s birthday and to celebrate, he wanted to host a fishing derby. We set off to look for prizes and found ourselves rummaging through a bargain bin of unwanted toys at a local… Continue reading
