Gracie Communications

I took a time out this morning and volunteered to lead a reading group in my daughter’s 3rd grade classroom. They were studying action verbs or, as Mrs. Pappas called them, Wow Verbs. They started with a story full of boring words like went, got and going. Within 20 minutes, the stories were full of dancing, swishing, galloping, skidding, racing action. I could even hear the difference in their voices as they read their action-packed versions. These new stories were fun, even exciting.

On the drive home, I started thinking about how we as adults tell our own stories. (more…)

My 17-year-old daughter just called me from her U.S. History class to ask for a ride home. Her teacher – who will remain nameless since I want him/her to keep a job – allowed her to call as long as she told me that she loved me in front of the whole class. Which she did. Twice.

I think letting her call from class was a wise communication move on the teacher’s part. (more…)

The word bumble has gotten a bad rap.  In fact, I didn’t even know the word could be a verb until I read Tom Hodgkinson’s article on being idle in the August issue of Real Simple.  

Bumbling means “wandering around without purpose.” And guess what? Not everyone who bumbles is an idiot.

As Hodgkinson notes, “Children are good bumblers.”  Poets and plein air painters are natural bumblers. I personally think graphic artists are good at it too. As a recovering workaholic (okay, maybe not fully recovered), I have a real appreciation for those who know how to enjoy a good bumble.

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