Topics

Nov

Life’s Changes on a Thanksgiving Tablecloth

by Janine Boylan on November 19, 2012

Table set with a Thanksgiving tablecloth showing a record of life's changes

Messages and memories are at the table
© Janine Boylan

Our Family’s Thanksgiving Tradition

Many years ago I spread a thick, gleaming white tablecloth on our Thanksgiving table, and, after dinner, passed around a permanent pen and asked everyone to write short notes of gratitude on the cloth next to their place.

Thanksgiving tablecloth with "Bats and Frogs", showing a record of life's changes

My son is grateful for “bats and frogs”
© Janine Boylan

Our First Messages

That year there were just five of us: Mom, Dad, my husband, my tiny son, and me. My son was the first to accept the task. He scrawled “BATS AND FROOGS!” in his boxy uppercase letters. Read more...

Janine Boylan 2 Comments

Cultural Heritage & Traditions/USA

Nov

Cultural Traditions: A Muslim Thanksgiving

by Meredith Mullins on November 14, 2012

Senegalese boys washing horses in preparation for cultural traditions during Tabaski

Leading a horse to water
© Meredith Mullins

Are Ewe Ready for Senegal’s Tabaski?

The boys were washing their horse in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa. When it’s time for cleaning, go where the water is—a philosophy in so many countries where water is a treasure.

How could I resist wading out to join in? And, in so doing, I met a new group of Senegalese friends. Their smiles were genuine and they welcomed the opportunity for a cultural exchange. Read more...

Meredith Mullins Comments

Africa/Cultural Diversity/Cultural Heritage & Traditions/Senegal

Nov

Clever Uses for Old Campaign Signs

by Janine Boylan on November 12, 2012

What’s the Life Cycle of a Campaign Sign?

From Planting to Harvest

Just a week ago, when election season was in full swing, brightly colored campaign signs were sprouting hourly along the roadside. By election day, competing candidates’ signs were jostling for each nourishing ray of motorists’ attention.

Then, suddenly, the morning after the election, nearly all the signs had been plucked away. The freeway fields were bare again.

It made me wonder: what is the life cycle of a campaign sign? Read more...

Janine Boylan 4 Comments

Clever Ideas

World Views: