Gifts from the Heart

On Saturday, December 6, the Cups of Kindness Art Show and Sale will open in Peninsula, Ohio, at the Peninsula Art Academy and Elements Gallery. More than 70 artists have donated artwork for this wonderful event. All proceeds from the sale of these beautiful pieces will be donated to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. According to information provided by the Foodbank, each dollar contributed will help them to provide 7 nutritious meals to individuals and families in need! That is a terrific return for such a small investment!

If you live in northeast Ohio, why not make plans to visit historic and picturesque Peninsula this weekend? It is filled with old-fashioned holiday spirit, and beauty. There are wonderful galleries and shops, restaurants, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Plus, you can attend the opening of the Cups of Kindness Art Show and Sale, where you can find wonderful one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends, and help the Foodbank at the same time!

If you can't come to Peninsula, you can still visit the art show. Just click the Cups of Kindness badge to the right of this post! There you can view and purchase (beginning Dec. 8) beautiful artwork, or donate directly to the Foodbank.

There are many opportunities for generosity during this season of giving. You can give joy, hope, smiles, compassion, kindness and nutritious food. When you give from the heart, you receive an abundant measure of good in return. Why not share a "cup of kindness" with someone today!

Thank you!

I Could Have Written This...

This is not my original work, but it certainly seems like something I could have written:

"So far I've done alright, God. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very happy about this. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed. And from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help."
- Author Unknown

Does Unschooling Really Work?

When I present workshops on interest-based, student-led learning, there are always skeptical parents who say, "But my children wouldn't do anything if I didn't tell them what to do."

If I explain that my daughters are very self-motivated, because I have always encouraged their curiosity, and modeled inspired learning for them, those same parents shake their heads, and say, "Yes, but my children aren't like yours. My children can't teach themselves.

I was thrilled to watch Sugata Mitra's talk, titled, "Outdoctrination: Society, Children, Technology and Self-Organization in Education, which Professor Mitra delivered at the 2007 LIFT Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

If you are unsure if children can really teach themselves, watch this video!