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Where are the voices of indigenous peoples in the Thanksgiving story?

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In my research and experience as a teacher educator, I have found social studies curricular materials (textbooks and state standards) routinely place indigenous peoples in a troubling narrative that promotes “Manifest Destiny” – the belief that the creation of the United States and the dominance of white American culture were destined and that the costs […]

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Daylight saving time ends this weekend: Don’t let ‘fall back’ lure you into depression | The Seattle Times

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As we prepare to turn the clocks back an hour on Sunday morning, experts in winter depression say the loss of daylight — just as coronavirus infections start to spike again and election tension comes to a head — could make this an unusually difficult stretch. Source: Daylight saving time ends this weekend: Don’t let

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spooky looking house, "Happy Halloween"

Happy Halloween!

Book Recommendations, Fiction, Film, List, Personal / By / /

Because I was having trouble cranking up much enthusiasm for Halloween this year, here’s a collection of items I’ve collected. I hope you’ll find something here to help you get into this weekend’s holiday spirit. Read What You Need: 9 Gothic Novels for Every Mood This is the one that first inspired me. Did you

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Jesmyn Ward on Her Husband’s Death and Grief During COVID-19 | Vanity Fair

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Please read this piece by award-winning novelist Jesmyn Ward. Source: Jesmyn Ward on Her Husband’s Death and Grief During COVID-19 | Vanity Fair

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Mount Rainier as seen from the zoo

Birthday at the Zoo

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My husband and daughter took me to the zoo yesterday for my birthday. It was the first time we had seen our daughter in 6 months. I felt especially celebrated because Mount Rainier came out splendidly. The zoo is now offering timed entrance tickets and has done a good job of adapting to necessary COVID-19 restrictions.

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cinco de mayo trivia handout, margaritas, chips, guacamole, and salsa

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Our great staff here at Franke Tobey Jones provided a Cinco de Mayo party at yesterday’s weekly tailgate happy hour. We are indeed lucky to live in such a caring retirement community. © 2020 by Mary Daniels Brown

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stack of books next to open notebook with pen

The Glossary is Back!

2 Comments / Notes in the Margin, Personal / By /

Back in November 2019 I had to do a complete overhaul of my website. I started Notes in the Margin back in the mid 1990s, and I had accumulated a lot of content over the years. When the old website went down last fall, I had time to copy and paste a lot of that

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Covers: Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner and The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

CC Spin #23: A Change of Plan

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Related Post: Classics Club Spin #23 Earlier this month the Classics Club announced a return of its spin, in which we make a numbered list of books, then read the book on our list with the number chosen at random. Initially I welcomed the exercise, because I have been  having trouble reading and writing in

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World Book and Copyright Day

Book Recommendations, Personal, Reading / By /

Source: World Book and Copyright Day For additional information, including the importance of April 23rd, free book offers, and events you can watch “from the comfort of your armchair,” see this article from Newsweek.

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Super moon over Tacoma, WA, USA, April7, 2020

Last Night’s Super Moon

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Here’s my husband’s photo of last night’s super moon over Tacoma, WA, USA. We often can’t see the full moon here because of cloud cover, but the last couple of nights have been super clear for the super moon. Here’s a photo I took with my phone to give you an idea of how big

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