Growing up, my favorite author was Judy Blume. I read everything she wrote, most books multiple times. I loved her! When my sister came through town the other day, she lent me her copy of Judy Blume’s novel for adults, Smart Women.
Originally published in the 80s, the subject matter is still relevant today. It’s a novel that tells the story of a couple of divorced women with children – Margo and B.B.- in their 40s. As a divorced woman of 42, I could really relate.
I spent much of my adult life single in an attempt to protect both myself and …read more

In Bird Watching with Youngsters, I discussed birds and in another post, Keeping a Bird Watching Journal.  One of the journal activities I mentioned was writing a story or poem about the birds you and your youngsters see.  You/they may want to read some bird stories or poetry first to get an idea of the type of writing you’d like to do.
*Poetry – Your poem can be of any type, rhyming or free verse, about one bird or the numbers of birds you see around your home or on a trip.
*Nature Story – I often wrote these for children’s magazines.  …read more

Keeping a bird watching journal provides an enjoyable summer activity for youngsters and the adults.    Actually this can be a year round project, but since it’s mid-spring, let’s start yours now.
There are various ways you can do this:

Simply keep a list of the birds you see.
List the birds and write something about them.
Add a sketch to the list and description.
Write a story or poem about the birds you see.
Make a papier mache model of a bird…or use other materials for a bird sculpture.
Make a painting of some of these birds you see and list.

In my anthology, Tales of Adventure and Discovery, …read more

Ever heard that lipstick contains high enough levels of lead to be carcinogenic? Or maybe that a particular over-the-counter cold remedy increases women’s susceptibility to certain hormonally controlled cancers? These and four other e-mail health hoaxes are the subject of a recent WebMD article that busts the myths and gives you the straight facts.
To check on e-mail health warnings you receive, visit Snopes.com and TruthorFiction.com
Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King