Category: Uncategorized
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WE MOVED BACK TO NEW YORK CITY
We missed it so much that we decided to move back to New York City. My husband is excited to start his new teaching position. Today we bought bagels at Zabar’s and the first time we left Sheldon alone in our apartment, but when we came back home, it was apparent from the position of…
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PATIENCE
My cab broadsided another cab in an intersection, and my face slammed into the plexiglas divider, my nose broke, and my mouth was severely cut on the coin cup. When the ambulence arrived, the police told my cab driver to hold my purse and stand over there. When I was extracted from the cab, he…
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ELON FOREST
We live near Elon University and walk around Lake Mary Nell with Sheldon, our dog, several times a week. (Did you know that anyone in our community can fish in that lake, which is protected by the biology department? Feeding others is a #mitzvah.) This new initiative is excellent news and a top-tier #mitzvah: “The…
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THE LSAT
I signed up for this event because I am interested in hearing what LawHub has to say to students about studying for the LSAT: From my vantage point, I know students who are struggling with reading comprehension, and I recognize the importance of the English Department to the undergraduate Law Department. If you read these…
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TEACHING POETRY
My students are SO bright! They noticed and identified every subversive, poetic image in these lyrics by Sly & The Family Stone. That’s why teaching poetry is so important. I hand out a packet of poems and lyrics, and my students have a full day or two to mark it up, circle, and underline whatever…
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SELLING OUR HOME
SELLING OUR HOME Everyone in our circle, including our neighbors, is aware that our home has been listed for sale multiple times, due to our past experiences with real estate agents. Mostly, it’s been an enormous shock. Two critical, ethical sins were made regularly. First, since no one else is in the room or can…
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The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
I’m re-reading this seminal book for the millionth time, a refresher course of what I have to offer. My favorite quote? If you make your business about helping others, you‘ll always have plenty of work. –Chris Guillebeau My husband and I interviewed Chris when we lived in New York, and we found him passionate and…
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KEEPING HANDS BUSY, BRAIN BUSY
I am late to the world of knitting and crocheting. After reading Sutton Foster’s memoir, “Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life,” a few months back, I found a beautifully written, moving backstory of a traumatized childhood. The Audible version is narrated by her. Foster makes crochet and knitting into art, and she uses it to…
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WRITING WILL SAVE YOU
Imagine my surprise when I attended a workshop billed as WRITER TO AGENT, with the promise that agents read your five page submission, but when the “Ask An Agent Anything” rolled around, one agent in particular told everyone that he preferred submissions that came from a referral, because that writer has put their entire faith in…
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ON PRESIDENTIAL SHAME SPIRALS
Did you hear the bar when it hit the concrete sidewalk? Trump wants Governor Walz to take responsibility for the shootings, and he won’t even call him. It’s illogical to teach young people that it’s okay not to care about others, it’s downright mean, and show’s once again, how Trump is invested in getting back…
Mary Louise Penaz 