It seems like there is never enough time to get around to all the things that need fixing around the house or the small projects that you want to do to improve the house. Never enough time to take care of the lawn; fix the doorbell, the leaky faucet or the broken garage door; mount…
Sir Alec Guinness
April 2, 2014 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sir Alec Guinness (1914-2000). In his career of more than 50 years, this British actor appeared in a wide range of roles in plays, films and TV shows, including star turns in drama, comedy, spy stories and more. We have many of Guinness’ movies…
Working Horses, Continued: Technology That Changed Chicago
Previous: Working horses As previously mentioned, the relationship between horses and humans is complex. People like horses. Pigs—not so much. People ride horses for pleasure and bet on horse races. Cow races—not really. Horse racing and pleasure riding have always been enjoyed by Chicagoans, but horses have mostly been used in harness to pull heavy…
Working Horses: Technology That Changed Chicago
Horses were the animal most closely integrated with urban America during the nineteenth century. Many twenty-first century Chicagoans picture horses as something people rode around on until automobiles became available. This is not true. Horses drew wagons which served as trucks, taxis, buses, etc. City folk walked or took street cars (often pulled by horses)…
Bonjour and Parlez-Vous Francais?
Bonjour my friends! I recently returned home from a trip to Montreal, Canada. From the moment I planned this trip, everyone who has been to Montreal asked me, "Do you speak French?" and I'd answer truthfully, "No" and I was told I better bone up on my French. I listened to everyone's warnings and found some fantastic resources…
Gridiron Greats: Football Reads for Everyone
I enjoy watching Da Bears from time to time, and by "watching" I mean eating fried foods/pizza with friends. And I don't know much of anything about college football (sorry, Michigan friends). I can't deny, however, that the drama of the game can be pretty exciting. No wonder there are so many great football reads…
Diary of a Not-So-Wimpy Series
I am amazed by the enduring popularity of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney that begins with Greg Heffley's Journal and recently added its 8th title, Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck. School-age kids still ask for these books every day and the series even grabs the attention of normally reluctant readers. But what's a parent to do when your…
Livestock: Technology That Changed Chicago
Although livestock are not usually thought of as a technological innovation, domesticated livestock are an Old World import. As Roger Caras points out in A Perfect Harmony, none of the large North American animals have been domesticated. Near Chicago, horses were the only Old World animal to be widely embraced by the Native Americans. For…
Create Art and Music
Taking inspiration from Penny and Her Song, try some of these activities to create music and art in your home. Make Your Own Musical Instruments Singing is fun—but making music with instruments you create is even better! There are several books that can help you do this, we looked for ideas in The Kids Can Press…
Make Music Together
Penny brings home her song and tries to share it with her family in Penny and Her Song. Share the love of music and reading with your family by trying these activities: Sing together as a family. Ask your parents what songs they learned as children and ask them to sing them with you. What…
1 - 10 of 20
- Go to page 1
- Go to page 2
- Next page