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Marta Randall - 08:39 pm PST - Mar 17, 2000 - #3147 of 3276

It's Friday of a week that seemed to last a good 10 days since Monday, or more. Perhaps its the turning of the weather that made this week seem so long -- I think we have transited from winter into deep spring and into those delicately balanced few weeks in Northern California after the rains have greened the hills, and before the natural cycle has started browning them again. Great billows of wild mustard pillowing up between rows of grapevines or in lush patches through the pastures, amid grass high enough to soften the outlines of the hills. California poppies bright orange amid the blue of lupines, and more delicate patches of wild radish, tiny pink and white flowers on tall stalks. Red-winged blackbirds in the pastures, sitting on the barbed-wire fences or swooping across the road, vivid black and red movements against the green. The fruit trees are in flower now, too, and the California walnuts have taken on that slight green buzz that means that leafing out is imminent. The weather prophets claim that it will be in the 80s tomorrow. Wish you all were here.

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House and Garden
Lola G. - 01:07pm Aug 3, 1999 PDT (# 61 of 106)

I went to the Red Cross & gave blood a bit ago, and as I was at the recovery table, sipping juice & eating cookies, I got lectured by another woman at the table that giving blood was a good way to lose weight if I'd skip the cookies. Uh huh. Bloodletting as weight control. "Sorry, I love Nutter Butters."

Speaking of gastroporn, I was just on vacation with my family. My mom's not been able to smell for probably 6 or 7 years, and so really can't taste other than knowing something's sweet, salty, bitter. So I spent a week tasting her food and describing it to her in luscious, overripe detail. I really enjoyed it. I think I may take up menu editing as a part-time profession.

Best (or least awful) Airports

Home and Away
Michael Wise - 07:44pm Jul 31, 1999 PDT (# 33 of 41)

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Education
Paul Ricciardi - 01:49pm Jul 29, 1999 PDT (# 507 of 548)

MaryBenAmi, again you have hit the mark. Children, in fact all of us, are learning organisms. The amount that children learn before they even come to school is enormous, but never fully taken into account. Their greatest self-teaching has been learning to speak. that it is done by simple imitation, very little attention is paid to it. In fact, learning to read is far more simple to master than learning to speak. Maria Montessori recognized the powers of children long before the educational establishment even began to think about them. In fact, many who call themselves educators today don't recognize what children bring with them to school. If teachers understood the powers children have and applied those to the learning of reading, writing, math, etc., you would see great changes in educational results.

Has drama finally killed literature?

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