A ‘Renaissance Man’ Teacher and a Crossing Guard

Here is another wonderful post from Jennie!

A Teacher's Reflections

Steve the Crossing Guard is an extraordinary teacher.  A ‘Renaissance Man’ teacher.  He is electric.  He thinks outside of the box.  And he truly understands children.  That’s what Jennie says.

Wikipedia says:
When the term “Renaissance man” is used, it does not mean that the man really lived in the Renaissance. It can be used for anyone who is very clever at many different things, no matter when that person lived. Albert Schweitzer was a 20th century “Renaissance man” who was a theologian, musician, philosopher and doctor.^[3]Benjamin Franklin was a “Renaissance man” who lived in the 18th century (1700s) and was an author and printer, politician, scientist, inventor and soldier.^[4]

That is Steve.  His latest blog post sums up what he did this school year at his ‘curbside classroom.’  Hang on for a great ride, and get ready to be challenged. …

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Quotations on Education

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

                                                                     Nelson Mandela

 

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“The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”

                                                                     Thomas Paine

 

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“He who opens a school door, closes a prison.”

                                                                     Victor Hugo

Small Town America

Jennie, thank you for this!

A Teacher's Reflections

Driving the back roads of New Hampshire today.

Every town had pristine flags flying.

The flags seemed proud,

whether they were on a utility pole, or a home,

or planted in the ground.

Small towns and their many flags give a big reverence.

Thank you to all who have served, and to the members of our military who protect our freedom and our country every day.  Those flags speak loud and clear.

Jennie

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Remember to Honor Memorial Day

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I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend, but I also hope you remember why this holiday exists.  The word “holiday” comes from “holy day,” and the remembrance of this day and its purpose should be sacred. It was originally known as Decoration Day after the end of the Civil War, and it was designated Memorial Day in the 20th Century.

This day is intended to honor, give thanks, and remember those who have sacrificed their lives for The United States of America.  Please honor the fallen and the wounded on this day.  I realize the day was meant originally for the dead, but I extend my wishes and  thanks to the wounded also. Regardless of political beliefs or stands on a war, these are the men and women who fought to keep us safe, and they deserve our remembrance.

They deserve our thanks and our honor.

Please keep in mind that this day is not merely the beginning of the summer season, nor is it intended to be the time of a special sale. This should be a sacred and somber time. There will be plenty of opportunity for shopping and vacationing afterwards. Please remember those who sacrificed.

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Quotations on Writing First Drafts by Charles F. French

“Do not revise while writing a first draft!”

 

“No first draft is ever perfect, nor should it be.”

 

“Remember that writing is never finished–it is due.”

(This quotation or something like it has been offered by many teachers of writing.)

 

Get The Draft Done!  — The title of my upcoming book.

 

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.

An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.

Please follow the following links to find my novel:

ebook

Print book

Thank you!

The book trailer:

Maledicus:Investigative Paranormal Society Book I

My radio interview:

interview

 

Available on Amazonf

 

 

 

 

 

A Dragon Is Born

Here is a wonderful piece of art — a baby dragon — from Sarah!

Art Expedition

Those of you following me on Instagram might already have seen it, but I thought I would share it with you here on my blog as well:

My little baby dragon, freshly hatched from its egg!!

Baby Dragon (Clay, 2019)

I formed it with white clay and then applied a glaze that gives it this amazing metallic shimmer!

As you can see, my little one is quite hungry, begging for seconds all the time. 😉

Dragons are usually carnivores, but so far he’s happy lapping up some mango juice and gobbling down the occasional egg. 😉

Baby Dragon (Clay, 2019)

I’ve always been a huge dragon fan, reading every story I could get my hands on, like my all-time favorite “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien (even thought Smaug is quite the Bad Boy really), the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, the wonderful novels by Christopher Paolini (“Eragon” being the…

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Echoes of the Past

Here is a wonderful post from John Bainbridge!

Walking the Old Ways

When I walk I always see more than one landscape. There’s obviously what you see out on your walk today, but there are all those other landscapes too. The landscapes of the past, and those are all merged together in the present lie of the land – a glorious palimpsest.

Stepping Stones at Crosby Ravnsworth (c) John Bainbridge 2019

For the observant walker, this is a joy, for it brings our history to life, many periods of that history, and all there to be considered.

When I see ancient plough marks I can almost see the ancient ploughman who made them, rather like an illustration on a modern paperback of Piers Plowman. See that ruined cottage and think of the people who lived there perhaps a century or two ago. Walk the old paths and think of the way they were used in past times. You can almost visualise the…

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Quotations On The Environment

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“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

                                                                Theodore Roosevelt

 

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“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

                                                                Mahatma Gandhi

 

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“Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.”

                                                                               Bill Nye

May Installment of Promote Your Book!

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We are well into the month of May, and I thought it was time again for a book promotion party!

I want to offer an opportunity for all writers who follow this blog to share information on their books. It can be very difficult to generate publicity for our writing, so I thought this little effort might help. All books may be mentioned, and there is no restriction on genre. This encompasses fiction, poetry, plays, and non-fiction. If I have neglected to mention a genre, please consider it to be included.

To participate, simply give your name, your book, information about it, and where to purchase it in the comments section. Then please be willing to reblog and/or tweet this post. The more people that see it, the more publicity we can generate for everyone’s books.

Thank you for participating!

Keep on writing!

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Celebrate and promote your writing! Shout it out to the world! Let everyone know about your work!

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Let everyone know that you are a writer! Be proud of it!

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Feel free to promote a new or an older book!

I hope this idea is successful, and I hope many people share information on their books!

I will continue to have this party every few weeks.

Gallows Hill can be found here in ebook.

Gallows Hill in paperback can be found here.

An interview about Gallows Hill can be found here.

Please follow the following links to find my novel:

ebook

Print book

Thank you!

The book trailer:

Maledicus:Investigative Paranormal Society Book I

My radio interview:

interview

 

Available on Amazon

Valparaiso Open Air Art II~

Here are beautiful photographs of outside art in Valparaiso, Chile, from Cindy Knoke!

Cindy Knoke

The city of Valparaiso Chile is full of over a thousand large scale open air art murals, some like the one above, cover the walls of multi-story buildings.

The first murals were painted by art students from a local university in the 1960’s and 70’s, in an area of the city called Cerro Bellavista.

This area is now a landmark named El Museo a Cielo Abierto (The Open Air Museum).

Valparaiso in entirety was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

Walking in this city wide open air art museum, one is struck not only by the talent of the amazing artists,

but also by their appreciation of the beauty,

joy, and humor of life.

To this day, artists are continuing to add their talented contributions to this remarkable city.

Valparaiso is a magnet attracting artists of all kinds. Their artistry makes visiting here a pure joy.

Cheers to…

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