Why You Should Commit 30 Minutes To Daily Learning (Without Fail)
Guest post by Sean D'Souza
I own a sieve.
It's called my brain.
I distinctly remember listening, then reading a book and then months later I listened to it once again. And I couldn't remember almost 90% of what I'd read and, mind you, listened to, earlier.
With such a terrible memory, it does cross my mind that I should
Oh little Peepsqueak. This picture of you reminds me of something that happened to me when I was little. We were visiting an aunt in Washington. She had a rope that dangled from a tree in her backyard. She also had a big DOG that came running into the yard barking at ME! I jumped on that rope and UP, UP, UP I went! I did not even know I could climb a rope! I just did it! ha ha!
Most of my art comes from my imagination, but it is also from my memories and from my life experiences. All that being said, I think I can still climb a rope!
Filed under:
My Characters,
Peepsqueak!,
Reflections 
5 Stars An elephant never forgets, or does he? Elefante is a young elephant who forgets to tie his shoes and then falls down, having tripped over those laces he forgot to tie. He forgets to clean up his toys and put them where they belong. His sister tripped over the mess Elefante left [...]
The Holiday season is approaching fast, the streets of New York City all decorated in lights. I love this time of the year. A walk down 5 ave or Madison ave or anywhere in New York, you can see, feel, hear, smell and taste the holiday season. There are all kinds of fun things to do. What is the wonder of it all? Christmas celebrates Jesus's Birthday while Hanukkah celebrates a wonderful story about how a small amount of oil good for one day ended up burning for eight. This was the miracle of God. Both of these holidays are very different from each other. Then there Kwanzaa I am not sure what that celebrates but it also involves lights. What are these holidays about. I believe all three are about family, communication and a love for your religious beliefs.
There is lots of wonder in these holidays. They have been celebrated for many centuries but do people truly know there meaning? Our children see them as a way to get gifts. Doing this time shopping is encouraged by all stores. I believe it is much more important to learn about these holidays instead of making them just another way to make an extra buck. Sit down with your children, tell them what the true meaning of the holidays are and do not buy the latest gadgets on the market. Here is a good idea for a gift give your children books about the holidays instead.
Reviews
Picture Books
One Candle - "One Candle" By Eve Bunting. Illustrated by K. Wendy Popp. Published by Joanna Cotler Books an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. 2002. Summary: "Every year a family celebrates Hanukkah by retelling the story of how Grandma and her sister managed to mark the day while in a German concentration camp." This book has wonderful illustrations and a very powerful story about one family's celebration of Hanukkah. This book is a great example of something that should be taught to your children on this wonderful holiday. The Jewish people believe in family and community and this wonderful books looks at both. I highly recommend it to your kids and to you as well. It has lots to teach everyone.
Talia and the Rude Vegetables- "Talia and the Rude Vegetables." By Linda Elovitz Marshall. Illustrated by Francesca Assirelli. Published by Kar-Ben publishing a division of Lerner Publishing Group Inc. 2011. Summary: "City-girl Talia misunderstands her grandmother's request that she go to the garden for "root vegetables" but manages to find some she thinks are rude, as well as a good use for the rest she harvests. Includes a recipe for Rude Vegetable Stew." This picture book has lots of fun pictures and a wonderful Jewish story line. When I read this book it touched me. It is about the Jewish tradition of charity, family, community, and holidays. This is a must have for any young child in your family. The holidays are not about gifts, shopping but about family, charity and love. This books combines all three. The best part is it comes with a very tasty vegetable stew now that cannot be beat. Make it a must have for every child and adult.
The Littlest Frog- "The Littlest Frog." By Sylvia Rouss. Illustrated by Holly Hannon. Published by Pitspopany Press. copyright 2001 Printed in Israel and sold in New York. This is a funny twist on the bible story of Exodus. A long time ago the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt. It is believed they build huge pyramids, cities and castles. It is written like a Jewish folk tale. This time is celebrated doing S
When they have anniversaries of sad or tragic events, theyears seem to skip by, and I am always asking myself the same question, “Was itreally that long ago? It seems like it happened last week.” Maybe that’s truefor me because those memories of events seem so vivid.”
I don’t know why I had the television on that morning, but Idid. I saw the second plane hit the second tower as it occurred on TV. The hostof the Morning Show didn’t know what was going on in New York City, possibly awhole invasion of the city, starting with two planes used for the destructionof landmark buildings and thousands of lives
.
At that time in my life I had been retired a year, and wewere in the middle of a painting all the ceilings in our house. So, we had theTV on constantly. We stopped whatever we were doing for new news about theincident. From our covered sofa and other chairs, the tears filled up ourhearts and mind, as relatives looked for their missing loved ones. Those scenesare etched in my heart.
Soon after that there was a new spirit in America—cars wheredriving with little American flags on them, many houses proudly displayed flags,people were opening doors for one another, and smiling at strangers. We wereall glad to be alive, and determined to live in a better, safer world.
That “high” of good feeling and good in the country hascertainly declined, due to two wars and bad economic times. If only we couldput our tears symbolically in one place and move on with a brighter spirit,while never forgetting 9/11.
That is possible—at least to put our tears symbolically inone place. There is real 100-foot TeardropMemorial that was dedicated September 11, 2006 in a ceremony attended by formerPresident Clinton and other dignitaries. The sculpture was donated by theRussian people and is located in New Jersey.
The Teardrop Memorial is verylarge, big enough to contain all our sacred tears for those who died...
Megan Branch, Intern
What’s the very earliest thing you can remember? That sandwich you had for lunch today? Your last day of high school? How about your first day of kindergarten? Can you remember anything before that? In Karl Sabbagh’s new book, Remembering Our Childhood: How Memory Betrays Us, he challenges the idea of “recovered memories,” an idea that has been at the center of several recent court cases. In Remembering Our Childhood, Sabbagh uses scientific experiments to show how fragile our earliest memories are and how easily they can be reshaped during early childhood. In this post, I’ve tried to copy something Sabbagh does in the book and collect early-childhood memories from some of the OUP staff. Some responses were funny, some were sad, some seemed like they couldn’t be true. Whether you have faith in the accuracy of early-childhood memories or not, the employees at OUP definitely have some interesting ones. After you read, feel free to comment with your own recollections from early (or not so early) childhood.
Paige, Marketing Manager, Online & Scholarly Reference: My earliest memory is a mosaic of images from my family’s house in Omaha, where I was born and lived until I was nearly four. I remember the bright pink only-in-the-70s shag carpeting in my bedroom, the view out the backdoor to the park, the house flooded with sunlight, and the brown, green, and beige color scheme.
Rebecca, OUPBlog Editor: When I was about two and a half my Nana Sara passed away. I don’t really remember Nana but I do remember that day. I remember being terrified at seeing my father upset and my brothers, (who never paid attention to me) took me into the study to distract me and keep me away from all the friends and relatives who had come to sit Shiva. They helped me draw a picture of Nana and then let me hide it anywhere I wanted in the house. I hid it behind a picture frame in the hallway and no one found it there until we moved eight years later. I distinctly remember being both scared of what was happening to my father and excited that my brothers were giving me their complete attention – and I was so proud that I kept the secret of the hidden picture for so many years.
Susan, Senior Publicist: My earliest memory is from before I could speak or sit up on my own. I was lying down on my belly in my crib and I distinctly remember trying to lift my head because I wanted to take a look around. I tried and tried but realized quickly that I was unable to get my head up and that I would just have to be patient and wait. This is all before language but I remember thinking this precise thing. I simply put my head down, closed my eyes and decided to wait.
Betsy, Publicity Manager: My parents took me on vacation was when I was three. I remember packing all my dolls into the backseat of the car, and I remember being in the hotel room and being so happy that I could still watch “The Muppet Show” with my dad even though we weren’t at home. The TV was mounted up on the wall, and I had to look up to watch, but I was so happy to see Miss Piggy.
Cassie, Publicity Assistant: Can my answer be that I hardly remember anything? Most of my childhood “memories” have been extrapolated from one of the many, many, many pictures documenting it. So, for example, I think I remember falling asleep with a giant picture book/encyclopedia type thing about wolves when I was about six, but it may just be because I have a picture of me, dead to the world in my little pink room, with a giant book open across my chest.
Lauren, Publicity Assistant: My first memory is my mother standing in the kitchen holding my just-born brother and pushing a drawer shut with her left hip. She was wearing a blue terrycloth shirt and it was sunset, so the kitchen was very orange.
Shannon, Editor, Humanities: Well my first memory is of the moon landing in July, 1969. My mother stopped vacuuming to point at the fuzzy black and white television screen and explain the impossible goings on going on there. I mean, the TV itself was mind-boggling enough for a small fresh brain.
Purdy, Publicity Director: I was the youngest of three boys, still in diapers, growing up in a small house, in a small town during the dawn of the 1970s. I remember we had a dog named Stacy whose white coat was only interrupted by a brown black triangle near her throat. She had ghostly eyes that could be blue or gray, or white depending on the light. She was extraordinarily beautiful and had a wolfen look to her. Each morning I’d climb out of my crib, wake my brother Richie (whom I called Neighbie, short for neighbor, because I didn’t quite understand our fraternal relationship), then we descend the stairs to watch Popeye or Captain Kangaroo cartoons on the television before Neighbie went off to school. Often we’d discover by a big goopy pile of dog poop downstairs and Neighbie would step right into it and wiggle his toes about. He claimed this was “fun,” he claimed to “like the way it feels.” When he grew bored, however, he knew better than to walk about the house and sent me back upstairs to seek help from my sleeping parents. My reports were met with groans and more often than not, “Not again! What is wrong with that boy?”
Sarah, Associate Director of Publicity & Communications: My earliest memory is being tucked into my parent’s bed with my brother and my two cousins. I’m not sure why we were all bundled into bed together if our parents were having a date night together or what. But at this time we all lived together in a two family house in a working class area of New Jersey.
Megan, Intern: When I was really little, probably around 2 or 3, I had some kind of eye condition that meant monthly appointments at a huge children’s hospital downtown. I don’t remember what went on at the appointments, but I do remember the waiting room. I loved going downtown each month and getting to play with the bright red, perfectly detailed, miniature kitchen, complete with metal taps!
My thoughts go back to that fresh sunny morning 7 years ago. My prayers go out to all who grieve and have suffered from the tragedy that day.
I remember clearly that I was in a Bible study with dear women at church, when our pastor came downstairs to ask us to pray due to an airplane crashing into one of the World Trade Center Towers. We gathered in a circle and began to pray.
Several minutes later he came back down and gravely told us that another plane had crashed into the other tower. We all sank to our knees to pray more. Later on, he returned saying there were rumors of planes above DC, and a rumor that a building in DC had been hit, and again with the true fact that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon.
The husband of a woman in our circle was working there at that moment. Many of us had close friends who worked at the Pentagon and neighbors as well.
We left to see what to do to support our neighbors and to see about removing our children from school. (many of our husbands work in D.C.)
I removed my three young kids from their elementary school and tried to reach my husband. It was a harrowing time. I remember that my husband could not get through on his cell phone and that the trains and metro situation and the whole city of D.C. was in a state of chaos and shock and wondering how to get back home, or what to do. Some govt. folks were told to move to different sections of their buildings.
The shock of it all is still fresh. One of the strangest things that I remember is the beauty of the day that morning, how clear the sky was, the temperature so perfect, school had just begun and it was a fresh start. I pray that for those who lost loved ones, and are still suffering the loss, or still suffering from the mental anguish and shock, that they will find peace and comfort, and know that they are not alone.
.jpeg?picon=3304)
This picture reminded me of a time when I was about 11 years old. We used to go to a local “pond” and there was a big old oak on the bank which had a rope hanging from it. We would run, jump “tarzan style” onto the rope and swing out over the pond – letting go as we swung out and taking a “flying leap” into the water. One Sunday afternoon, I ran from the car, jumped for the rope – grabbing it with both hands and – BANG !!! My head hit the tree and left a scar which I still have in my temple until this very day. I had not noticed that someone had wrapped the rope around the tree one time – it was not hanging free. As I swung out – I actually flew in a circle, right back into the tree trunk!
oh no! Owch! I can just picture that!!!!! haha!