Good things
Things that make me smile.
-
This Cathedral for Boys, This Cathedral of Dreams
in the summertime,within the ivy-covered walls,upon the sun-drenched grass, the green, green grasswhere full grown boys lived out my dreams,in nine inning shares of timelessness,to hear the thunder of Ted Williams’ bat,to watch the smooth, smooth stride of Willie Mays,to sit in awe of lads once like me,but who grew up somewhere to become so much more,these mythic figures of a mythic game,a game once began on sandy backlots,now continued on fields in majestic ballparks,they are all grown up these once little boys,grown-up beyond the reach of mortals who wear tailored grey suits as they go to work,they live in realms of near perfection,they walk in air beyond our own,they…
-
Why I teach math through knitting
Sara Jensen, Carthage College One snowy January day, I asked a classroom of college students to tell me the first word that came to mind when they thought about mathematics. The top two words were “calculation” and “equation.” When I asked a room of professional mathematicians the same question, neither of those words were mentioned; instead, they offered phrases like “critical thinking” and “problem-solving.” This is unfortunately common. What professional mathematicians think of as mathematics is entirely different from what the general population thinks of as mathematics. When so many describe mathematics as synonymous with calculation, it’s no wonder we hear “I hate math” so often. So I set out…
-
The Home Team by David Collins
Most of us are born to our allegiances. Especially for the home team. Our fathers taking us to our first baseball game, the perfectly manicured green grass and white on white of the baselines so precisely laid out before us as giants warmed up under the brilliant summer sun. From then to eternity that team was mine. It binds us to a town a city, an era, it becomes who we are, it defines us in ways beyond rational explanation. We wear our loyalty in game jerseys with our hero’s name emblazoned on the back, we paint our faces our team’s colors, we name our children after our favorite players.…
-
Top 10 reasons why I love baseball
by Aron Wallad 1. The Ultimate Challenge Hitting a round ball with a round bat. The feeling I would get when I hit the ball. Just think of a baby that is crying for food. When that baby gets her bottle the first thing you hear is that ahhhhh sound. Oh that ah. When I hit a ball perfectly I would have that ahhhhh. 2. I call it contentment at a high level. I played all the time when I was a kid. Some of my favorite memories were from the diamond. When I hit two home runs in one game off the star pitcher form our High School team. I rounded…
-
San Diego
I loved living in San Diego. I moved there in 1990 to begin my freshman year at UC San Diego, a school that I would probably never get into today if I applied! UCSD was perched on the cliffs of La Jolla, and if you had the right dorm room, like my friend Natalie did, your dorm room might even have an ocean view. I met my now husband, Greg, at UCSD in 1992. He’s from the Bay Area, but I did not hold that against him as long as he didn’t limit my paper towel usage. We are a mixed marriage-I’m Catholic and he is Jewish, he is a…
-
Effort Is the Secret to Success
By Daniel Blanchard The Strenuous Life is the name of a speech given by Theodore Roosevelt in Chicago, Illinois on April 10, 1899. Based upon personal experiences, he argued that the strenuous effort and overcoming hardship were ideals to be embraced by Americans for the betterment of the nation and the world in the 20th century. Well, here we are now just beginning the 21st century and I think Teddy Roosevelt’s preaching about effort, both on the personal level and a national level are as valuable today as they were over a century ago. The more things change, the more they stay the same, right? It’s just a fact. Things don’t get…
-
Last day of school!
Alex’s sophomore year ends today. No more pencils, no more Chromebooks, No more teachers dirty looks… He’s an upperclassman now.
-
Studies Show Handwriting Improves Memory
According to a recent study at Kent State University, the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and others, using pen and paper instead of laptops to take notes boosts memory and increases the ability to retain and understand concepts. Of course, in the past, handwriting was the only option for capturing key information. But if a pencil broke or the pen stopped working, important details could be lost. Then, along came the laptop and tablet, and taking notes seemed so much easier.But it turns out that taking notes by hand helps improve listening and cognition skills, and boosts the ability humans need to summarize information. The Journal of Psychological Science cites…
-
Moms with MS
Alex sported a new haircut on his first day of kindergarten and, as I recall, was both nervous and excited on that warm August morning a decade ago. His first day of high school last year was definitely less warm and fuzzy. Note the contrast in both photos between the innocent five-year-old and the grumpy teen. However, despite Alex’s eye rolling, I would not be deterred from capturing his “first day of high school” image for all eternity. Alex turned 16 a few weeks ago, and the months until he goes to college seem to be accelerating. I would love to press the rewind button for a…
-
Independence
This is a great article about a new dad successfully caring for his baby from his wheelchair. https://parentingonwheelsblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/the-fluidity-of-independence/
