April 12, 2026 By Maria Have you read a book and thought that’s so funny because it’s true, and then paused as you realized, oh it is true. . .I had that experience when I read the Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary. Today, April 12th, is D.E.A.R. Day and the anniversary of Beverly Cleary’sContinue reading “Just Read!”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Happy Birthday, Miss Austen
March 14, 2026 By Maria Last Sunday a friend texted me a happy international women’s day message. That made me think, this is the perfect week to post this Jane Austen piece I have been working on. In typical fashion of this blog, my Jane Austen post is late, later than I planned at least.Continue reading “Happy Birthday, Miss Austen”
Long Walks and Slipper Thievery
March 4, 2026 By Maria When my husband first came home with the puppy it was unexpected and expected at the same time. I knew how much he wanted one and even though he went to look, I figured it was going to happen for real this time. When the kids came down the stairsContinue reading “Long Walks and Slipper Thievery”
The Perseverance of Baking
February 27, 2026 by Maria On a busy Monday afternoon, I picked my younger two kids up from school and trekked out on a short list of errands with them in tow. They were not thrilled to say the least, however, after our first stop at the library they were pretty quiet because their nosesContinue reading “The Perseverance of Baking”
Strega Nona’s Autumn Comfort
September 24, 2025 By Maria I tried so hard to get this post out last week, but the unexpected arrival of a puppy took up most of my time. Last Monday September 15th, was the birthday anniversary of American children’s book author, Tomie dePaola. I am sure I am not the only one who findsContinue reading “Strega Nona’s Autumn Comfort”
A Roar to Read About
August 21, 2025 By Maria Most people, including myself, think it’s normal for a kid to cuddle with a toy teddy bear, which is essentially a fierce predator. When my daughter was a toddler, her favorite stuffy was a teddy bear named “Bear-Bear”. Bear-Bear is still sought out for cuddles at bedtime but now isContinue reading “A Roar to Read About”
Unique and Resilient
August 9, 2025 By Maria This is a piece I wrote a couple of years ago regarding my middle child. He is now nine years old, not seven, but he still enjoyed these stories when we revisited them recently. I was actually about to return the books to the library, when my son asked meContinue reading “Unique and Resilient “
Teatime and Closeness
July 24, 2025 By Maria Tea. My family all know that I love tea. I started drinking black tea with milk as a teenager. On a trip to England, I was introduced to British tea and that was the end of that. No more weak Lipton Tea for me ever again. Tea has been myContinue reading “Teatime and Closeness”
Planting Seeds of Kindness
July 17, 2025 By Maria Now that summer is here, all three kids are home and unfortunately, they are not getting along as well as we would like. We have had many talks about kindness and treating others as you wished to be treated, and so on. Thankfully, we are starting to see a shiftContinue reading “Planting Seeds of Kindness”
Boxes of Adventure
May 26, 2025 By Maria What is the box? Is it a device for carrying something? Is it a way to transport something through the mail? Is it used for storage? Treasure? Trash? Maybe you think it belongs in the recycling bin. But my question is, what do your kids think a box is? Well,Continue reading “Boxes of Adventure”
More Bookshelves Please 