The Wells Fargo Wagon Rides Again

amazon On my playlist are many songs from classical American Musical Theater. One of my favorites is a rousing production number from Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man. It’s called “The Wells Fargo Wagon.” The townspeople of 1912 River City, Iowa, line up to await the...

First Grade Workshop: Making Art Out of Letters

art I recently did a workshop in the first grade class of one of my granddaughters. I’ve done such workshops many times – on poetry, art, calligraphy, medieval manuscripts – with the emphasis dependent upon the grade level and the wishes of the teacher. I titled this...

The Chocolate Gene

candy The exact nature/nurture divide is still being debated, but when it comes to chocolate, I have it from both sides. I was raised in a household with a father who loved chocolate and a mother who loved to bake. It was considered normal to have chocolate cake or...

July 4th : A Legacy of Independence

american Independence Day is the birthday of our country, the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The first one to sign the Declaration was John Hancock, in a script said to be large enough that the British King George III...