One of my most favorite parts of our time in New Orleans was Mardi Gras. It is a magical time of year, a season, that goes from January 6 and Epiphany to Mardi Gras Day itself, Fat Tuesday. We had so much fun attending parades, bonding with new friends, as well as hosting and sharing […]
Today’s Agenda: Tell your hair story. Watch “Hair Love” Discuss Read about either The Crown Act or Deandre Arnold and reflect on your findings. I gave this agenda to my students this week and just about all of my students participated (and they don’t always do so). Everyone has some kind of a hair story. […]
Long Term Eligibility When I was 12 or 13, I wanted a softball mitt of my own for my birthday. As a former college baseball player and Little League baseball coach, my dad had raised my sister and I to play catch with footballs, baseballs and softballs–which meant that I ended up with a strong […]
I have written before about our fur babies. About our special girl, Zoey, who we adopted when we first moved to New Orleans in 2009 and who was diagnosed with a brain tumor 6 years ago around this time. She was our Outlier. I’ve also written about our Boy Bleu, who we adopted in late […]
My great-great grandfather, Joseph Cooper, was a craftsman who made traveling cases and bags. I am able to locate him on the British Census records each decade from 1861–when he was an apprentice to a jewelry box maker–to 1911, when he is a father, living with his second wife, Ann, my great-great grandmother, and 5 […]
“We must, we must, we must increase our bust.” from Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume Judy Blume was definitely a favorite writer of mine in Suburban Detroit during the 1970s and early 1980s and her words are part of the backdrop of my growing up. Books such as Forever, Blubber, Deenie, […]
I am starting this post, nestled up comfortably on the couch, during the weekend leading up to my 52nd birthday. I’m kind of excited, actually, for this birthday and year. This wasn’t quite true for my birthday in 2018. As a milestone year, turning 50 had a lot of pressure attached to it. Just like there […]
This post is about hope and letting go of some of the drama. Oh, and most importantly, wishing everyone a happy new year. First, the hope part. My Grams Cooper always had Lady Slipper orchids in her small garden next to the Cottage, but I don’t remember her having any orchids in the house. My […]
For reals. I thought I would spend this October reflecting and writing about my 8th Breast Cancer Awareness Month since I was diagnosed. I had a couple of posts mocked up to write and thought I would make the time to finish the pieces. When I returned to Chicago Public Schools in late August, I […]
Well, well, well. Lookey here. My little sister is turning 50 on this extra special day: 9-19-19!!! My first partner in crime. My first best friend. My first best buddy. The one who has always had my back, regardless–even if she was also stealing space from my side of the backseat on family car trips […]
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