Anglo-Mother of an Aggie..?
/ March 30, 2010 0 COMMENTS

As I settled into my homeschool I became cool in the eyes of my children.  I was awarded the mother of the year.  I knew this because they would proudly brag to their two friends (they’re homeschoolers remember and don’t socialise!) about me allowing: Snakes to co-habit with us and shed their skins in my…

Chalk Filled Gyms and Dancers’ Bags…
/ March 29, 2010 0 COMMENTS

Now I had offspring and somehow, between birth and homeschool I’d caught the awful American craze of organised sports for all children who could walk.  This is not an English thing, believe me!  In my homeland (and why am I not still there?) they come home from school and that’s it!  They eat their tea,…

Legal Alien…
/ March 26, 2010 0 COMMENTS

I unwittingly became a Legal Alien on accepting Mrs-Hood.  My children grew up thinking I was some extra terrestrial being and would introduce me as their “Mum, the  illegal alien”.  This further confused my father (ish) -in-law who thought it was bad enough them having a Brit. for a Mum  without them having to contend…

Love at First Sight…
/ March 25, 2010 0 COMMENTS

My husband, the handsome Texan with blue eyes, admitted to loving me at first sight.  I hadn’t given him permission or even really noticed the chemistry that had arced between us while I dashed around hiring out cars to a group of loud American tourists, of which he was one.  I am being unfair and…

Before You Ask…
/ March 24, 2010 0 COMMENTS

Okay, I can hear it!  What’s a nice girl like you doing flying off to America to sojourn with someone she only knows as a blue-eyed cowboy?  Trust me in this…with the chastity belt of my Catholic Convent Education firmly strapped into place by my parents I was as safe as I could be!  Plus…

What’s a Fortnight?
/ March 23, 2010 0 COMMENTS

Many, many years ago, well, not that many, I decided to travel to America.  It was to be a short visit; a fortnight at the most.  Australia had always been at the top of my list of places to visit but opportunity landed me at DFW airport toting one tiny suitcase and a snazzy duffel.  …

The Goldfinch:  Donna Tartt
The Goldfinch: Donna Tartt
/ September 24, 2006 0 COMMENTS

The Goldfinch is a mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.

I’ll Be There:  Holly Goldberg Sloan
I’ll Be There: Holly Goldberg Sloan
/ July 21, 2006 0 COMMENTS

     Beautifully written and emotionally profound, I’ll Be There is a gripping story that explores the complexities of teenage passions, friendships, and loyalties.

I’ll Be There:  Holly Goldberg Sloan
I’ll Be There: Holly Goldberg Sloan
/ July 20, 2006 0 COMMENTS

Beautifully written and emotionally profound, I’ll Be There is a gripping story that explores the complexities of teenage passions, friendships, and loyalties.

Man’s Search For Meaning
Man’s Search For Meaning
/ April 26, 2006 0 COMMENTS

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival.