A mortar and pestle used to be standard equipment in kitchens, pharmacies and high school science labs. They could be made of stone, wood or metal, but most often they were ceramic, as in the picture below. Image by ariesa66 from Pixabay Sixty-five years ago I sat in a high school classroom as our teacher demonstrated how gunpowder … Continue reading Demonstration of power
high school
In the mood for a little subjunctive?
I made it through high school without ever encountering the subjunctive mood. Then I decided to learn French. I fought my way through the bewildering thicket of conjugations of regular and irregular verbs, then I was introduced to the subjunctive mood. My head hurt for weeks. I didn't seem to have any reference point in … Continue reading In the mood for a little subjunctive?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Sixty years ago that question was often asked of me and my friends during our high school years. The suggestion was being planted in us that we needed to become something important – to be Somebody. Our parents had lived through the Great Depression of the 1930's and wanted a better life for their children. … Continue reading What do you want to be when you grow up?
Flatlander Faith 