I just read a fascinating article about Muslim girls in literature and thought I’d share it: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/24_02/24_02_muslim.shtml I think it’s a very good article, and very accurate in its portrayal. It talks about how Muslim girls are portrayed, putting into words so many of the feelings I’ve experienced while reading some of the books mentioned. The […]

Both positive and negative is like honey and bitter medicine. Good for you. I did three presentations at a school today and it was so nice to get feedback! The first presentation of the day was my Work in Progress presentation. It’s a presentation I developed to be a kind of on-going look at the projects I’m […]

I met a little seven year old girl named Bibi today, during my Picture the Story presentation, in which I presented Silly Chicken in which the chicken’s name is Bibi! Poor little girl, she looked worried. During the presentation I showed the kids previous drafts of the story, first where I called the chicken Sally, […]

There are only a few reality shows that I really like to watch. First there’s Mantracker, that one’s not odd. I mean who wouldn’t find the idea of a pair of ‘prey’ running through the bush, being chased by a cowboy (mounted on a horse) and his sidekick (also mounted on a horse), interesting? There’s different prey […]

And honestly I am. The revision is looking good, got the first feedback and there doesn’t seem much more than a bit of tweaking to do on it. I’m feeling better, even went to the gym (Curves) today and yesterday. The workout darn near clobbered me, but I got through it. Made a dent in the mountain […]

Sometimes it amazes me that people can look past other people’s differences and see the humanity behind them. I find it fascinating that as societies, communities, we develop a certain collective consciousness, where, even though we might have some conflicts, we’re a cohesive whole. Along come some outsiders, ‘others’, and at first they’re viewed with […]

There was an interesting part of the interview with Shelagh Rogers that I keep thinking about. When she asked me about raising strong-minded daughters, even strong-willed daughters and how that’s what we want our daughters to be and we tend to admire women like that, and yet dealing with them can be frustrating. I have […]

Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you If all men count with you but none too much… This is the first part of the last stanza of Rudyard Kipling’s poem If, and it’s always puzzled me the most. I talk with a lot of […]

I hate listening to myself on radio or watching myself on T.V. It makes me feel so self-conscious. If I laugh too loud, or gesture too much… Radio is a bit better but not much and I’m always worried about saying something stupid! Or something I just shouldn’t. But Shelagh Rogers was such a sweet […]

Frankly, I’ve never really thought about how school boards and PTA’s decide who to invite to visit their school. I just go when I’m called, but today I had a very interesting conversation with a former teacher who was privy to just such a conversation. She’s Muslim and she was hired by a particular principal […]