Category Archives: language

Giving Thanks . . . in All Things

According to one of the origin myths that bind us together as a unique American people, the day of gratitude we celebrate today traces its origins to a 1621 harvest festival shared between the English Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony … Continue reading

Posted in gratitude, language, music, Stoic, teach, writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Watch: Advent Word 6

Words are my lifeblood, so I want to understand them deeply and fully–to know them and to own them. Thus, I frequently consult the Online Etymology Dictionary, a favorite site for enriching my store of words as I explore their … Continue reading

Posted in Advent, Advent Word, church, etymology, language, religion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hidden: Advent Word 2

Metaphor was my guide as I pondered today’s assigned word. First, my thoughts strayed to one of the Bible verses I memorized as a girl in Sunday school. It was the very early 1960s in a very Protestant church, so … Continue reading

Posted in Advent, Bible, church, language, metaphor, religion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Accident on the Wheel of Fortune

My experience behind the wheel I am told that around 8:00 p.m. on October 28, 2022, I had a car accident. Empirical evidence certainly supports such a hypothesis. If the picture alone isn’t enough, I can report that I had … Continue reading

Posted in accident, art, etymology, gratitude, language, Stoic, word | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Walk Together—and Teach: Advent Words 1, 2, and 3

Brief reflections on my own 26 Advents I first experienced the Anglican liturgy and its repository, the Book of Common Prayer—where I found a home for my rootless soul—on the first Sunday of Advent 1996. Can there be a more … Continue reading

Posted in Advent, church, faith, friendship, God, hope, language, religion, teach, together, Walk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Be Careful What You Delete!

Yesterday, I saw this challenge on Facebook. My snarky response was “Government of the offended, by the offended, and for the offended. Unfortunately, I’m afraid it will never perish from the Earth.” I could probably make an entire post about … Continue reading

Posted in current events, education, free speech, freedom, language, politics, religion, totalitarianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

La Mulți Ani: A Tentative and Cautionary Birthday Wish for the USA

Yesterday, I read in a news article shared on Facebook that Disney has decided  to change the opening announcement at its Magic Kingdom fireworks show. The original greeting began, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dreamers of all … Continue reading

Posted in America, Bill of Rights, critical thinking, culture, current events, divisiveness, education, free speech, freedom, history, hope, language, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Hot Dog Is a Sandwich

Every semester, staff and instructors at FTCC are allowed to take one class free of charge, and I almost always try to take advantage of that wonderful opportunity. This semester I am taking a class in critical thinking offered by … Continue reading

Posted in critical thinking, education, freedom, language, literature, politics, totalitarianism, word, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

What We Have Lost: Our Stories Make Us One

“Thanksgiving lessons jettison pilgrim hats, welcome truth” This headline from the Associated Press exploded inside my skull when I saw it three days ago, and in the dust that settled, I read an important lesson about what has been lost as … Continue reading

Posted in culture, current events, divisiveness, education, freedom, history, language, literature, narrative, politics, story | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Everything Not Forbidden Is Compulsory

When I first passed this sign yesterday morning on the way to class, I thought it was an instruction in etiquette: “Don’t sit here because this is a table, and sitting on tables is rude.” Silly me.

Posted in Bill of Rights, books, COVID-19, critical thinking, current events, divisiveness, education, First Amendment, free speech, freedom, history, language, literature, news, novel coronavirus, politics, society, totalitarianism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments