If you don't know what's going on in the world, then congratulations! You have found the only rock big enough to shut out an actual uprising. (But really, not congratulations, you really should be world aware.) I have been debating, going back and forth, not if I should say something--of course I should--but what I … Continue reading Silence is Violence

In the musical, Billy Elliot, the title character is asked to describe how dancing makes him feel. He sings one of my favorite songs from any musical ever, "Electricity". In a touching song, Billy explains exactly how he feels when he's dancing, and the audience is given a direct look into Billy's thoughts, into his … Continue reading What Writing is Like

As most (many, all) of you know, much of the world is under quarantine because of COIVID-19. There is a lot of propaganda from all sides--at least here in America where everything must be driven by politics, else is cannot exist--that says this is a media hype created by the liberals, or an attempt for … Continue reading Quarantine Chronicles: COVID-19, Distance Learning, and How I’m Dealing With it All

A few weeks ago, I drove three hours from my house to the Dallas area stay the night with my best friend before my flight to Rhode Island. I prefer flying out of Dallas, even though there is a small regional airport in the city where I live. It also gives me an excuse to … Continue reading Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered: How True Crime Podcasts Helped Me Find My Voice Again

Look who's back with a book review! Me, it's me. I've been reading. And painting. And singing. And performing. And not finding quite enough time for self care, but I'm getting there. I've even found a few spare minutes here and there to play a few video games. This week, I had the immense pleasure … Continue reading Review: No Truth Left to Tell by Michael McAuliffe

Today I flew to Providence, Rhode Island, for a week-long workshop. I'm really pumped about the things I'm going to be learning and all the ways I'll be able to use them in my classroom. I love bringing innovation and excitement to my room; kids need it. And God knows I need it. This morning, … Continue reading Flying and the Art of Listening

2019 summed up: If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. So, the long version of things is 2019 was a rough year for me. Every time I got on here to post a blog, all I could think to do was talk about how bad things were in my … Continue reading Triumphant Return

Kilauea's smoldering lava fields -- a unique place to bury the bodies.Recently, I had the pleasure of reading a new crime novel by Robert McCaw, Off the Grid. And it's like the jacket copy was made just for me. For those of you who don't know, I am the co-host of a true crime podcast, … Continue reading Review – Off the Grid by Robert McCaw

Do any of you remember the original Top Gun? Tom Cruise, the reckless bad boy in a flight suit. The killer soundtrack (my mother-in-law listened to her copy of the soundtrack so many times that it stopped working recently). The action. The needless love story. It was one of the few movies I actually watched … Continue reading Review – Lions of the Sky by Paco Chierici

So... You may have noticed I've been gone for a while. You may not have, I don't know. But the fact remains, I have been gone for nearly three months from the Pluckyverse. I took some time off this summer to recover from the busy school year and to set up my new classroom and … Continue reading A Very Plucky Hiatus