Travelers who visits the Musée d’Orsay in Paris will not be disappointed. It’s absolutely one of my favorite European museums. These art works by Caillebotte and Degas are just some of the treasured masterpieces that you will see here. The Floor Scrapers demand the viewer’s attention…showing a dramatic perspective. Look at the splayed stripes of the wooden …
Chartres Cathedral: now and then
Les trois femmes: my mother, daughter and I traveled to Chartres, France and visited Chartres Cathedral. The night before we drove from Paris to Chartres, we watched the movie that was filmed in Chartres called Cash / Gold Brick about a French adventure of a very handsome man who works in a perfume factory owned …
Book Club: Be Ready When the Luck Happens
Our book club met in December to discuss Ina Garten’s new book. A group of elementary teachers gathered on a Thursday evening to a warm dinner of an Ina inspired meal. Teachers make for excellent book club discussion because of our love for routine, structure and reading. The consonance on Ina’s book was two thumbs …
Edith Head: Hollywood’s Costume Designer
Three generations of fashion lovers ventured to Oklahoma City to see Edith Head: Hollywood’s costume designer exhibit on the last day it was showing. This exhibit was too fragile to travel. Imagining all these beautiful pieces going back into their treasure box makes us feel so lucky that we could see them in person. Thank …
Marie Antoinette: Petit Trianon
“You like flowers, so I have a gift for you: Petit Trianon.” ~Louis XVI to Marie AntoinetteMarie Antoinette spent most of her time at the très charmant Petit Trianon with her children and dearest friends. King Louis XI offered Petit Trianon to Marie Antoinette, who made it her private retreat with secret gardens, a theatre, …
Matisse: Le Madras rouge
It was my first time visiting Philadelphia and I was there for the ISTE (International Society for Technology). My mom and daughter had come to Philly to make it a little vacation. There was a little window of time that I had off during lunch and my mom said, “Let’s go to the Barnes Museum.” …
ISTE inspiration for EdTech and teaching teachers
When I stress and feel nervous, I quote Eleanor Roosevelt. “You must do the things you think you cannot do. People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.” Her words remind me that it’s normal to be scared but pushing through and jumping in will make …
I only have pies for you
The kitchen is the most joyful room in the house. There is power in making food together because sharing food is the most natural way to connect. Time well spent with a friend in the kitchen is a great way to press the reset button. My friend Kris and I share a love for food…especially …
BBQ chicken…Texas-style!
Big city or small, there is always a large base of Texans who love BBQ. Going to school in Alabama, I spent time enjoying Dreamland BBQ. My husbands parents are outside of Memphis so I also explored Tennessee BBQ. I’m from Denton, Texas and have always enjoyed Texas-style BBQ. I like my sauce slightly spicy and sweetened …
Girl Scout Gold Award: Melanoma Prevention
This is the happy face of a proud Girl Scout earning her Gold Award. My daughter, Zooey, spent a good part of the year working on her final Girl Scout project for her Gold Award. Zooey’s project focused on the education of skin care awareness and melanoma prevention, the disease that we lost my dad …
Advice from an elementary teacher about summer learning
Next year will mark my twenty-fifth year to be an elementary teacher. Parents ask me a lot of questions about how to keep their child learning during the summer. The best thing is to of course enjoy summertime and get in all the family time that school schedules get in the way of. Here are …
Advice from an elementary teacher about summer learningRead More
Dancing at Ivybrook Academy
My dear friend Kris surprised me with a question…”could you come dance at my school for career day?” Of course I said yes! When I grew up, I always said that I wanted to be a ballerina. I’m an educator with a dancer’s heart. The best audiences are always children. I was delighted and can’t …