Category Archives: family

Taco Math

Posted on July 26, 2013 by madelynruth@yahoo.com

Are we there yet? I still ask that question, so it makes sense that my kids do, too. Fortunately, they’re at the age where I can get them to figure it out for themselves. It’s one of those word problems … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, family, math | 1 Comment

Tom Swifties

Posted on July 7, 2013 by madelynruth@yahoo.com

I went to hear Elmore Leonard speak at the Coolidge Theater in Boston about 10 years ago. My biggest takeaway was that he never used adverbs when his characters talked. You should be able to tell from the dialogue if … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, family, summer, tom swifties | 4 Comments

The Bird House

Posted on April 4, 2013 by madelynruth@yahoo.com

The Bird House at the National Zoo is at the end of the path, past the pandas, whose love lives are the subject of WAY too much scrutiny, and past the elephants, who just got some new, flashy digs. These … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, Canary in the Coal Mine, family, tourism | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Launched!

Posted on September 2, 2012 by madelynruth@yahoo.com

I have always preached (to the members of my critique group, in particular) the importance of celebrating. Nice rejection letter? Celebrate! You sent out your manuscript? Celebrate! An editor said ‘gedzundheit’ when you sneezed all over her lapel? Celebrate! (After … Continue reading →

Posted in family, kidlit, Mission Possible, stress | 5 Comments

Kerfuffle

Posted on April 22, 2012 by madelynruth@yahoo.com

So this whole Daniel Pinkwater/New York State test thing had our family talking this weekend, though the conversation hasn’t been just about the test. “What the heck,” my kids wanted to know “was Daniel Pinkwater doing writing about a hare … Continue reading →

Posted in family, kidlit | 2 Comments