I would so love to write a profound, informative or entertaining post today, but that's just not going to happen.

Sorry 'bout that. My brain has been stuffed and roasted and is no good for nuttin' this morning, and it's not going to get any better any time soon.

First, I have the cold to end all colds ... okay, not, but that's how it feels. My sinuses have been inhabited by a fleet of Volkswagons and my face weighs thousands of pounds. (On the upside, I can make a snorting sound that Sam says is just what a Triceratops would... more

Although Sam was Super Hero-brave yesterday morning when I dropped him off for his first day at Big Kid School, his resolve apparently fell apart sometime later in the morning. According to reports, he rallied about noon and got into the swing of things, but by the time I picked him up, he'd had enough and was falling apart again. "I was so sad, Mom," were his first words to me. "I don't want to go to school another day. I want to stay home with you and Cj every day."

Does a blade get any sharper than that?

By... more

First, it's Mark's 40th birthday. Happy Birthday, Darlin' ... and no matter how old you may be feeling, you're still a handsome hunk o' L-O-V-E!

Second, it's a deadline day for the book I'm working on. Yikes! Of course, the forces of the universe know this, so caused a day-long power cut yesterday, and today have my broadband connection not working. Sheeeesh. As if it's not stressful enough! But number three on today's hit parade is the biggie: Sam has his first day at big kid school!

He'll only go for... more

The Cricket's Song

Once upon a time, a little yellow cricket lived beneath a tree in a tiny village. Every day, just as the sun began to set, the cricket bounded to the wheat fields at the edge of the village, alighted on a stalk and rubbed his forelegs together, producing what sounded like a song.

The cricket sang different songs on different days. When a storm was brewing, the cricket chirped of the coming storm so that the women knew they ought... more

It's the time of year in Seychelles all tourists love ... the season between seasons that comes in October and goes in late November when the wind can't decide between blowing the Southeast or the Northwest Monsoons. The Indian Ocean is one huge swimming pool with barely a ripple to its surface, the sun is shining and the humidity and temperature are not up in the quadruple digits ... okay, maybe that's a tiny exaggeration ... that the other season between seasons brings in April and May. It's so lovely that Mark did something so rare that people who know him well were shocked: he took... more

Anyone out there want to help me rearrange the way the world works?

I have an idea that I think could put the planet on a much better trajectory toward the future, eliminate a lot of present day conflicts, help the environment and reduce the chance of nuclear holocaust. I say ... we put kids in charge.

Last night we had a dinner party ... six adults and five kids. We grown-ups are all old friends, and although five different countries were represented at the table everyone over the age of 10 speaks enough... more

Continuing the saga of Holly Richardson that started here .

She is also a midwife, and delivering babies seems the perfect job for her. Not content to limit herself to bringing little Americans into the world, she takes her skills on the road. This year she's helped mothers in Rwanda and Zambia. She's now inviting others to help with a project in Zambia. Here's a recent post from her:

Hi friends... more

More on Holly Richardson ...

Not only do many of Holly's kids live with physical limitations, many suffer from mental and emotional fallout from harsh beginnings.

One of their son's fascination with fire sparked a blaze that destroyed the family home. Twenty kids, some in wheelchairs, and suddenly homeless ... what does that bring out in you? Well, in the Richardsons it brought out fortitude, and gratitude for friends by the many.

Unsure what to do, Holly's first response... more

Faster than a speeding vacuum cleaner set on 'Nascar' ... stronger than a two-year old's poopy diaper ... able to leap Kilimanjaros of laundry in a single bound ... Not plane nor bird nor Doc Joyce Brothers, it's a good example of Supermothers! I've been wanting to write about Holly Richardson since I started this blog, but her story, like her family, is so big that I'd not narrowed down the focus enough to know where to start.

Although there are many places where a story about Holly could begin, the basic grabber is this: she's... more

For a child not yet four-years old, Sam is amazingly compassionate. He speaks often of the kids still in the orphanage where he and Cj were cared for, and regularly sorts through his clothes and toys for things to give, "kids that have no family".

He's been known to burst into tears at the thought that dinosaurs have gone extinct, and was so very touched and touching about the dead baby hedgehog tenrec the cats left on our veranda yesterday.

When in Kenya a few months ago, we visited the ... more