Live and Learn New Mexico!

You would think that with my background and education, I would be a stickler for correct grammar and punctuation. Quite the opposite. I studied the English language and its history for my BA, and I have come to realize over the years that language changes and we need to stop holding on to what doesn't serve us anymore. Punctuation for example. Let's start with the apostrophe. There are actually two reasons we use apostrophes. The first is to take the place of a missing letter or letters. Contractions are a good example.  When we smoosh two words together to make one word, or when we shorten a single word, a letter or two are dropped and the apostrophe takes their place. "Do not" becomes "don't", "cannot" becomes "can't", and "we are" becomes "we're." Sometimes we drop the last letter of a word to make its tone more casual. "I'm just thinkin'," again, a missing letter. Another u...

1036517156700455/div> I have been thinking about school and all its problems a lot lately. My funny, imaginative grandson Oliver is old enough for early education and I don't think he should go.  School isn't what it used to be. It's an outdated, cumbersome mode of helping our kids learn. I would also argue that it often squelches the spontaneous, sparkling creativity young children possess. Most importantly, it is becoming dangerous to attend public school. I don't think I need to explain more.  We must face the fact that the system could be better. It could reflect all the learning tools and styles that work well in today's world. We need to quit holding on.  Here are some ideas regarding the school bus driver shortage and in many cases, the teacher shortage: 1. Each week (month, whatever), one third of learners in a school learn online, watching live classes at home, public library, or community center. Next week, it's another third, etc.  2. E...

1036517156700455div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Yesterday was hell on wheels. Everything went wrong all at once. I found out I didn't win the gymbird 10,000 step contest. I could handle that...no expectations.  Then I got an email saying I didn't make it past the first interview for a job I think I'd love. Sniffle Then, at the local grocery, my card was declined. Thank goddess for Jason, the guy behind me. He paid my tab. You rock, Jason!! You are a kind person. At some point late in the day,  I thought about my pocket rock. I knew when I reached into my pocket, it wouldn't be there. It wasn't. What I didn't know is when I lost it. I checked my bathrobe pocket...my bedside table, the floor...no luck. I had had that rock for quite a while. Losing it when everything was wrong made sense. It's a sign of transition...time to move on somehow. I needed to pick out a new one.  Just days b...