Fostering a new renaissance through creativity, authenticity, spirituality, and art
Polly Castor 
Today we visited Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (click here). This is my son’s dream engineering school, but it is also tiny, elite and very difficult to get into. This is a school especially designed to be a creative, innovative, hands-on engineering school. It is young, built in 1997 to respond to a dearth … Read more
Last Saturday, when we sat in on the Permaculture Class (click here) we spent the day on 6th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. There are several neighborhood gardens there, beautifully re-purposed from empty lots. We also got to grace again Benny’s Burrito (click here), one of my favorite New York City spots for … Read more
The Pastor of our church is two books, the Bible and “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy. Christian Scientists everywhere study all week the same Bible Lesson that then is their Sermon read on Sunday. Especially in light of my role representing our church on our town’s ecumenical clergy … Read more
Today my husband, daughter and I – at the invitation of a friend – had the privilege of attending a permaculture class in New York City, held at the Sixth Street Community Center. We spent all day listening to the students’ final design presentations. Wow, was this inspiring! Not only were all the ideas great, … Read more
This book is for kids and young adults to help them be alert to and wise about advertising. I just completed it with my 8th grader, because her writing assignment was to write an ad, and she thought she hadn’t much experience with ads since we don’t watch TV. This book was excellent at instigating … Read more
I am in Annapolis, celebrating the end of my oldest daughter’s sophomore year at St. John’s College. She is happy, challenged, thriving, and possibly a bit over-scheduled. Every minute doesn’t seem to have enough seconds for her; her days have no excess hours. She was the lead in and co-directed the school play, Eumenides, … Read more
Here are the two new bowls I have made in pottery. The small one was made to house the five marbles that my youngest daughter and I use to help her made decisions throughout the day….
After reading with my daughter The Girl of the Limberlost (click here) and loving it, I resolved to read more by Gene Straton Porter, but haven’t until now. This author, who died in a car crash in 1924 before The Keeper of the Bees was printed, wrote ten novels that have sold more than ten … Read more
These deviled eggs are so good, I’m posting this recipe today because of a blog reader’s request. The recipe makes more dressing than one set of devil’s eggs requires. We keep it in the refrigerator to use as dressing (particularly good on Boston or butter lettuce) or use it to later make another batch … Read more
I’m still stunned that my son and daughter’s Brookfield High School team WON the Boston Regional FIRST Robotics tournament yesterday. They came up from behind to this incredible finish, starting in 24th place at the beginning of the quarter finals! (My son is holding the sign above and is on the right in the first … Read more
Hearing reports of gloriously blooming fruit trees in Annapolis, and places where their forsythia is bloomed and past, I have to own where our flowers are around here. The crocus have been unremarkable this year, we are on the early side for daffodils, although they are beginning to arrive, and the forsythia is only vaguely … Read more
Last night I went down to Greenwich to see this show of the Lower Fairfield County Photography Club at the Bendheim Gallery (see above.) The show runs until May 7th, if you can get a chance to see it in person. For more information click here. Sorry that in a few places there are reflections … Read more
I went to a preview screening of this documentary last night. It was just rough clips of an independent film in the making, interspersed with commentary, and concluded with a panel discussion. I can’t therefore review and rate this as a movie yet, but I’ll share what I learned, as well as some of my … Read more
This page represents March 26, 2011 through April 6, 2011. See close-ups of recent entries below. Enjoy!
This recipe, based on a classic Indian dish, is bound to become a staple in your soup making repertoire. It is delicious, interesting and satisfying. Curried Lentil Soup recipe 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 2 large stalks of celery, finely chopped 1 large onion (12 ounces) finely chopped 1 … Read more
These facts are lifted right off one of the websites I shared with you yesterday. If you want to see backup sources for these facts, click here. Food for thought? Ninety percent of Americans make less in real dollars than they did in 1973 – on average $4,000 less. The wealthiest 400 Americans now control … Read more
