Robin on a Wire
It was a lazy, hot, summer day between my 5th & 6th grade. Several friends and I had made slingshots using an old bicycle inner tube and a forked branch. We were anxious to try them. At first we shot at inanimate objects but soon lost interest and decided to go bird hunting. We…
Read MoreGeorge Washington’s Teeth
In his lifetime, George Washington was already an American hero. Honored and loved by his countrymen, it was only fitting that he was chosen as the first President of the United States. Most people are aware that George Washington had false teeth, but contrary to myth, his teeth were made from ivory, not wood, and…
Read MoreFinding Eddie’s Dimples
Eddie is my grandson who has a passion for writing, and recently he started writing children’s books. As I thought about him an idea for a post involving Eddie in a quest to get dimples started to evolve. So this post is about Eddie’s journey to get dimples. Obviously, this post describes my grandson’s struggles…
Read MoreThe Lion’s Grasp
Anne Hjelle and Debbie Nicholls were avid mountain bikers, so, on a beautiful afternoon in January 2004, they decided to go for a ride in California’s Santa Ana Mountains. They had ridden this trail many times, and they were looking forward to being together, enjoying each other’s company, and pushing their bodies to the limit.…
Read MoreMy Most Important Award
The most important award I ever received was a box of colored pencils from Mrs. Simpson. She was my 5th grade art teacher who also taught penmanship. I remember her being a very demanding and perfectionist type teacher. She expected our letters to be perfect and made us practice over and over on paper…
Read MoreA Mother’s Belief
In the spring of 2016, I spoke at the national conference of the Tourette Association of America. After my presentation Kirsten described an experience her son Henry had had two days earlier. Henry has Tourette syndrome (TS) in addition to ‘High Functioning Autism’. This young man is 13 years old and was invited to…
Read MoreMighty Oak, Little Maple
According to legend, two seeds (one from a maple tree and one from an oak) fell to the ground near one another. The forest in which they lived was dense, with fertile soil. While they started out on the same day, the oak grew faster than the little maple. The oak was becoming a…
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