As more and more people (children and adults) use text messaging as a means of communication via their cell phones, will we find that correct spelling becomes obsolete? Many young people use numbers and letters (4 instead of for, u for you) to speed up the process so they often don’t remember the correct spelling. Adults also have developed this trend, and I find myself (as a teacher, author and English minor) doing the same.  However, most adults have learned to correctly spell.  Many youngsters have not, so they begin to substitute the text spelling into their work at school. Image: sxc.hu Do you feel it’s important that texting may be influencing a generation of non-spellers or “creative” spellers?  Will we, who... [Read more]

Do you have “small treasures” made by children and grandchildren that you’ve saved over the years?  Do these take on special significance for you? Pincushion Image: sxc.hu  I’ve saved a number of these and find the memories joyful.  ONe is a pincushion my daughter made by herself and gave me as a surprise Christmas gift when she was about eight years old. Even though she’s grown with a daughter in college, I still use this and treasure it. My daughter has Christmas ornaments her son and daughter made in art class in elementary school.  Each year she puts them out for display. There are other items children make, some large and some small, some at school and others at home, that parents and grandparents treasure. Sometimes... [Read more]

Making Christmas gifts with your children can be a fun family project and one that creates happy memories, too. Image:sxc.hu It’s not too early to start these projects so you’ll have plenty of time and won’t be rushed in December. When my daughter was small, we were involved in many types of crafts and often made gifts for our holiday giving.  (Grandparents, especially, express appreciation for these items…whether they’re really useful or not!) What types of items can you and your youngsters create? This all depends on the age of the children. Woven and patchwork potholders Collages with family events throughout the year Shadowboxes containing momentos from trips Placemats from autumn leaves, photos, and drawings Drawings... [Read more]

A friend described how his granddaughter was injured…in an auto accident because the faulty driver was texting on her cell phone.  Blackberry image: sxc.hu  His granddaughter and her brother, who was driving, had stopped in a line of traffic at a red light. They were rear ended and the granddaughter was thrown against the windshield.  (She was faulted for not wearing her seat belt.)  The hit from behind was forceful enough that it threw the grandchildren’s car into the one stopped ahead of them.  People from all three cars were taken to the hospital.  Fortunately none were injured enough to require  more than outpatient care. Do you and/or your youngsters use cell phones and text while driving?  Do you feel you’re... [Read more]

“You need to write your memories down, Mom,” my daughter said.  “You’ve been researching family history, but you aren’t writing your memories down for us.” Image: sxc.hu (Perhaps I didn’t consider myself history!)  Actually, I didn’t think of my life and my memoris as that important until my daughter reminded me they would be lost if I didn’t record them in some way for her, her children and future generations. I’ve enjoyed discovering facts and stories, letters and photos concerning my ancestors.  I’m pleased my parents wrote down some of their memores.  But I hadn’t thought much about doing mine. So…I’ve begun to record and share so my family will have... [Read more]