Words from the Heart

  For the third year in a row, I am participating in the 30 Poems in November! challenge held as a fundraiser for the Center for New Americans . A wonderful mix of literacy support, literacy practice and literary joy, 30 Poems bring two of my most favorite things together - writing poetry and being of service to others. I am hoping that my family, friends and readers will consider supporting me in my efforts.  The money raised will go to support the various literacy programs provided by the Center for New Americans (CNA).  The poems I will write - some of them - I hope to include in a new book I am writing on Ireland.  This year, CNA is using Razoo as their fundraising venue. You can either click here or on the link at the top of this page.  All donations are gratefully appreciated - no donation is too small! As a teaser, here is a poem I just wrote - imagine the ones I will write in November! POET'S PASSION The letters are strung toge...

Today, I’d like to introduce you to D.A. Russell, author of Lifting the Curtain: The disgrace we call urban high school education , in addition, you will have the opportunity to win your own copy of Lifting the Curtain by entering the giveaway! (More about that later in the blog.) Russell's book, Lifting the Curtain is a "no holds barred" kind of read.  Kirkus Reviews calls the book, “An impassioned look at the shortcomings of public education, from the perspective of an inner-city high school teacher.”  In it, Russell exposes the systemic failures in today’s educational system and offers a solution geared to put the focus back onto the best interests of the children. Anyone who cares about a child should educate themselves about what is really happening in our schools.  As a fellow educator, I was eager to ask Don some questions about the state of our educational system and teaching in general.   Q: While writing Lifting the Curtain, you surveyed both st...

A Dublin Caf é - the hostess was chatting with me about our visit and giving me suggestions of things to see.   I have returned from our dream trip from Ireland.  Decompressing over the past week has left me with many insights into our two seemingly similar, yet definitely different cultures.  Aside from the obvious, I realized that in Ireland there is a completely (and I mean completely!) different work ethics.  Let me explain. On our first day on the isle of Eire, I noticed that the women cleaning the toilets were smiling and greeted women as they came into the facility.  I, of course, returned the greeting, smiling back.  How nice, I thought, but I didn't ponder on it for long. Next, I noticed that the bus and tram drivers smiled at patrons, answering questions completely and politely. In addition, the vehicles we road in as well as the stations were immaculate.  The same was found when we went to tea at the local museum cafés.  ...

No matter where we go in life, we must deal with people, events and things that may or may not be difficult. Having the right "tools" at hand makes our journey less stressful and much more fulfilling. Our guest writer, Lorraine Ash shares her tips on what to take in our spiritual backpacks during Life's journey as we participate in the WOW! Women on Writing blog tour for her new book, Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life . In this uplifting memoir, Lorraine Ash uses her own life experiences to explore inner landscapes where the seeds of divine healing and insight reside. These are the landscapes on which we create our own meaning and find the resiliency to thrive in a changing and challenging world.    Photo credit: ©Asdf_1 | Dreamstime.com     Today, Lorraine answers for us the question, "What is in your spiritual backpack?"   Any traveler, from a hiker to a spiritual seeker, loves talking about maps, directions, and roads trav...