Published in Petness·7 hours agoMember-onlySorry, I Cannot Date You if You Insist on Misgendering my TortoiseA true story — Ten years ago, I purchased a Russian Tortoise from Petco. I had no idea what the turtle’s gender was, so I named it Murphy, which, having grown up watching Murphy Brown, I thought was a sufficiently androgynous name. As it turned out, Murphy is a female. Her shell is flat…Pets2 min readPets2 min read
Published in Grading with Crayon·6 days agoMember-onlyTeaching Shakespeare to High School StudentsWhy do we continue to torture them? — I like Shakespeare, and I understand why his plays have had such an impact on the western world, with their universal themes and infinitely quotable lines. I get it — Shakespeare is important and timeless. I get it, but my students don’t. They don’t understand what’s happening in Macbeth right…English3 min readEnglish3 min read
Published in Grading with Crayon·Jan 24A New Publication about TeachingIntroducing Grading with Crayon — I’ve gone back into the classroom after a six-year unintentional hiatus. To celebrate my return to teaching, I’m starting a new publication: Grading with Crayon. Okay, it’s not completely new. I used to have a blog by the same name. What can you expect from Grading with Crayon? Stories about…Education2 min readEducation2 min read
Published in Catness·Jan 19Member-onlyHelp! I Have Barn Cats!And it looks as if I’m stuck with them — My irresponsible nephew has an irresponsible mother-in-law. She moved in with him and his wife, bringing her un-spayed female cat with her. My nephew’s unneutered male cat is now the father of two litters of kittens. After work today, I’m stuffing my nephew’s cat into a carrier and taking him…Cats3 min readCats3 min read
Jan 18Member-onlyForcing Kids to JournalThe joy of teaching English — I took a six year hiatus from teaching, but now I’m back in front of a classroom for two hours a day. Specifically, I volunteer as an English teacher at the small Christian school I attended. From 9:17 to 10:49, I’m a teacher again. The school has shriveled to almost…Teaching2 min readTeaching2 min read
Published in Boomers, Bitches, and Babes·Jan 17Member-onlyThe Value of Routine for Making Life ComfortableThe worst part of moving is the disruption in the day-to-day — After my brother-in-law Paul died of colon cancer, my older sister Sherry became unmoored for a while. They had been married since she was in high school; she had never done life alone. She had never paid the bills or made the phone calls. Her days became shapeless, filled with…Routine3 min readRoutine3 min read
Published in Boomers, Bitches, and Babes·Jan 4Member-onlyLiving Out of a SuitcaseWhen home doesn’t feel like home — On December 21, I moved from Arkansas to Illinois with five cats. My sister and brother-in-law, on whose property I lived in Arkansas, had decided to come home to Illinois, leaving me no option but to move with them. Since they were uprooting me, they let me live with them. …Moving3 min readMoving3 min read
Published in Catness·Dec 19, 2022Member-onlySaying Goodbye to Scooter and FrankieMy house is a little emptier — If you’ve followed the story of my cats, you know that I got Scooter around Thanksgiving 2021, and that, for my cat Fat Zombie, it was hate at first sight. They fought every day, and Scooter always had the scratches on his nose to prove it. Frankie showed up this…Cats2 min readCats2 min read
Dec 18, 2022Member-onlyMoving into a Closet with Seven Cats“Make sure there’s a space for me,” I told my sister and brother-in-law as they searched for a house. After all, they’re the ones who decided we were moving. …Moving2 min readMoving2 min read
Dec 14, 2022Coffee and I Had a Falling OutIt’s not you; it’s me — Last Wednesday, I dragged myself to urgent care. My colon was full of anger and inflamed diverticula. I needed antibiotics. I had already put myself on a liquid diet. “Good girl,” said the doctor, then she made that diet even stricter. She ruled out coffee through the rest of my…Coffee2 min readCoffee2 min read
