Happy Monday!
1. The Sycamore Farm barn photo was taken down the street from my house. It reminds me of the children’s board book, The Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown, which I used to read to Sophie when she was little. She loved that book (still does) and we always had fun trying to find the little kittens and Snoopy pail hidden in the pictures. It’s neat when a place reminds you of a sweet memory.
2. Did you do anything to commemorate September 11 yesterday? Last night I watched a documentary on CNN that detailed the minutes leading up to and after the attacks, filmed by a documentarian who was following several New York firefighters. The man was making a “day in the life of firefighters” story. But he ended up with something completely unlike any day.
Sophie asked me why I was watching something about the World Trade Center towers if I cry every time I see them. It occurs to me more and more that she will never share my feelings and understanding about September 11 because to her, it’s just something they learn about in school or seen in a YouTube video. It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since our world changed forever.
3. This story from ParentCo about talking to your kids about guns is a must-read! To be clear, I’m not against toy guns (or gun for that matter). Guns and children and safety are a reality in today’s parenting world. And like the writer says, no matter how much we tell our kids about guns and safety, we all know how well kids listen (read: sarcasm). This paragraph is spot on:
Play dates often come with a list of dietary restrictions or the occasional screentime policy review. And we’ve become accustomed to asking other parents if their child has allergies or other needs. … Asking about guns in the home should be that normal. Just an everyday question asked between parents. ‘Do you have guns in the house?’
4. I finally jumped on the #AmWriting podcast bandwagon and am now listening to all the old episodes to get caught up. #AmWriting is hosted by K.J. Dell’Antonia (New York Times “Well Family” columnist and contributing editor) and Jessica Lahey (The Gift of Failure). Each week they talk about writing, reading, pitching and getting things done. They offer great advice about writing and I’m finding their tips on completing projects and tasks extremely helpful.
5. Do you think mom blogs are dead? This article in PR Weekly offered a point / counter-point discussion about whether the contemporary mom blog is gone for good. I have a lot of opinions on this subject, which I’m saving for a future post. But I’d love to get your thoughts.
6. Finally, I watched “The Night Of” in two days. I won’t spoil the HBO mini-series, but I will say this: aside from the show being riveting, it did a great job of illuminating racial bias, and showing how the justice system really does convict and punishes a person before they’re even found guilty or innocent in a court of law.
I also watched the movie “The Devil’s Knot,” a true story about the West Memphis Three who were convicted of killing three young boys. The movie was okay (I’m searching for the documentaries). But watching it made me want to quit everything and start working for The Innocence Project. Do you think they’d hire me?
What’s going on in your life? What are you thinking about this Monday in September?
Other Posts You May Like:
- Monday Musings ~ August 29
- Monday Musings ~ August 15
- Monday Musings ~ July 11
- Monday Musings ~ June 20