Culture
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Family :: An Interview with My Grown-up Daughter
Instead of reading this mom’s memories and reflections on what it was like to raise my children, I thought you, dear readers, might be more interested in my grown up daughter’s perspective. So I worked up a few questions and sat down with my daughter Molly in what I told her was a “no holds barred” interview on growing up with me as her mom. To be honest, I knew she liked me so it wasn’t much of a risk, but I was surprised at her favorite memories (some seemingly insignificant moments), and what were the most important ways I helped her get through her tough middle school years.…
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Gardening Styles :: The Japanese Garden
The cascade long ago ceased to roar, But we continue to hear The murmur of its name. The Simplicity and Beauty of The Japanese Garden: A diverse environment harkening to bygone years, the Japanese garden provides a tranquil landscape to garden wanderers. Pristine in keeping through extreme pruning techniques, it offers the avid gardener a challenge in form and design. A 1,000 year old evolutionary process, the garden features numerous styles from the strolling gardens of recreation to the dry stone Zen gardens used for religious purposes. In its earliest forms, the Japanese garden was featured as a sacred place and commonly marked by pebbles. During the 6th century and…
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Dandelion Moms Project Kindness :: April
The Buddy Cruise: This month is Autism Awareness Month so we wanted to feature an organization that helps educate about special needs as well as provides a way for families with special needs children to come together and support one another with their yearly Buddy Cruise. I had a chance to speak to one of the Directors of the organization and she talks about the work they do to promote awareness within the community and in schools. Tell us more about the Buddy Cruise and who started it. Founded in 2008, Buddy Cruise is a non profit charity that provides educational opportunities and resources for families, while promoting…
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Culture :: World Autism Awareness Month
Each April 2, Autism Speaks celebrates Light It Up Blue along with the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day. Light It Up Blue is a unique global initiative that kicks-off Autism Awareness Month and helps raise awareness about autism. In honor of this historic day, many iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, bridges and retail stores are among the hundreds of thousands of homes and communities that take part to Light It Up Blue. (Source:Autism Speaks Website). Advances in Autism Research: It may seem hard to believe that just two decades ago, autism was a mysterious and somewhat…
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Dandelion Moms Project Kindness for March :: Update
In March, the dandelion moms project kindess featured a grass-roots organization looking to raise money and books to build a library in the small town of San Francisco de Macons in the Domincan Republic. We are happy to report that they have raised $15,689 (some money was donated privately) of the $19,000 needed! Thank you dandelion moms for your donations and for sending in almost 120 books that will be used in the new library! Rebecca Rousculp, one of the organizers and creators of this campaign wrote and said: “114 books is an amazing contribution. We started with 600, so that is boosting our collection significantly! Thanks again for your support and all those books!”…
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Play :: History of April Fools’ Day!
On April Fools’ Day I always try to come up with a good practical joke to play on my little brother. Granted, he is over six foot tall, but he will always be my “little brother.” I was curious about the origin of April Fool’s Day and found out it actually dates from 1582 and was spread throughout Europe. Here is what I found courtesy of urban legends.com. Theories of origin: The origins of April Fools’ Day are a bit obscure. The most frequently cited theory holds that it dates from 1582, the year France adopted the Gregorian Calendar, which shifted the observance of New Year’s Day from the…