© 2010 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

Click here for last week’s comic.

We had a fun time last night at the North Regional Broward College Library with an author visit and craft. This is by far one of the best children’s libraries I’ve ever visited! The book selction is huge, and the Children’s Library is so inviting. Myrna Steinberg started a craft and story program years ago here, and it has really taken off. The children were so well behaved and curious. And wow, they are knowledgeable about the rain forest! They learned about Lilly Badilly and the process of making and illustrating a book. After the program we made butterfly mobiles. It was a lot of fun, and I’d love to go back sometime for another visit!

A special thank you to Children’s Librarians Myrna and Michelle and to Tina Valant and Max, the Reading Dog for referring me!

Check out my 2 latest LA Parent book reviews. These are both great for curious readers young and old.

Theodore Roosevelt for Kids: His Life and Times by Kerrie Logan Hollihan

Native American History for Kids by Karen Bush Gibson

This morning I sat in a Starbucks, drinking iced tea (and trying to ignore a loud, obnoxious man sitting near me) while reviewing a book about Teddy Roosevelt for LA Parent Magazine. Roosevelt’s life was fascinating – his passions, ideals, tragedies and triumphs.  I really got into reading about him when it suddenly hit me that there’s so much to learn about everything. No matter how many books I read, how much research I do, there’s an infinite amount of intriguing facts I just don’t know, but desperately want to know.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com

A person could spend two lifetimes just becoming an expert on US Presidents alone. But I cannot focus on just one thing. There are too many fascinating subjects. For instance, I’d love to be an entomologist and study insects in detail. Or a forensic scientist and solve crimes using DNA. Of course I want to know all about the world – people, places, cultures, natural wonders and mysteries yet to be solved. And I long to discover facts about famous artists, scientists, writers and successful business people. And the list goes on.

Until I can figure out how to get an endless amount of knowledge into my brain, I’ll keep absorbing as much information as possible about any and everything I can get my hands on.

Spiders in Greynold’s Park, North Miami, FL.

© 2010 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

Click here for last week’s comic.

Darwin at 7 1/2 months . . .

I have tortured myself with coming up with a design to use some of the many colorful French cotton fabrics I have collected over the years. I did an awful lot of designing, measuring and cutting, only to redesign, remeasure and recut. My husband does the math for me. (FYI-what is with rotary cutters with new blades not cutting all the way through the fabric? Don’t get me started.) It is not like me to change my mind so much, but if I’m going to do all this work, it better look darn good. Here are the fabrics I am using:

I only wish my 3 talented, quilt-making sisters-in law (Mary Lu, Jeanne and Donna) lived near me to help out.

Stay tuned for the finished king size quilt. But don’t hold your breath!

Through the National Council for Geographic Education, I participated in an interesting webinar today hosted by ESRI, the company that makes GIS Software essentially to educate the world about the world. The session today was presented by my friend, Dr. Joseph Kerski (Click here to read my interview with Dr. K) and by Professor Carol Gerhmehl.

This photo is in the Public Domain

Today’s lesson was about the building of the Erie Canal across the state of NY in the 1800s. I certainly learned a great deal, and what made this lesson crystal clear was the fact that I was able to see the GIS software in use as I listened to the lecture. You’ve really got to observe a demonstration of ESRI’s software programs, if you haven’t already. You can view layers of information that paper maps simply cannot offer. This is by far the best way to teach children (and adults) about many aspects of geography.

Back to the Erie Canal. . . Did you know that Philadelphia was the largest port in US prior to 1820 and that New York was not the largest city in the US until 1830?  Neither did I! Before the 363-mile Erie Canal was completed in 1825, water transport from New York west to Ohio was challenging, time consuming and expensive due to the mountainous barrier. Boats had to be small enough to be lifted out of the water in places. (Click here to read an article about transport before the canal.) The Erie canal, connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie, essentially reduced the cost of transporting goods from $100 per ton to about $10 per ton. As far as time savings, the canal reduced the route between New York City and Buffalo from 20 days to only 8! In 1862 the canal was widened to provide even better transportation services.

Learning this today made me realize the many things we take for granted. Building a 363-mile canal in the early 1800′s must have been quite an ordeal. I simply cannot imagine what life would be like if it hadn’t been built. Thanks to today’s lesson, I have a new appreciation for this important man-made, American waterway.

Read more on the Erie Canal website.

Learn more about GIS Software from ESRI here.

Learn more about joining the National Council for Geographic Education here so you too can educate yourself and your children about the world.