Every day, students show up to learn. Whether they’re five years old in a traditional classroom or fifteen in a home school setting - or anywhere in between - there's curiosity, intrigue, and interest somewhere inside them waiting to be entertained and engaged. Some show up craving the excitement of learning, while others are there without any excitement, unless that necessary hook can grab their attention. Long ago, one of my favorite quotes grabbed my attention and hasn’t let go since.

Have you heard of Buy Nothing Day? It's a day celebrated worldwide to protest consumerism. Here in the US, it's celebrated on Black Friday, probably the biggest shopping day of the year. Buy Nothing day started in 1992 in Vancouver - and now is celebrated by over 65 nations. There's even a hilarious Buy Nothing catalog of items you want for Christmas and already have.

Memorial Day Weekend starts the begining of summer - and all the attendant travel plans! Our own national parks are becoming more and more popular for travelers looking for lower costs and higher values - and all that natural beauty! How do you avoid the big crowds on holiday weekends?

What is a petrified forest? They look like trees, but when you touch them they're cold. Transformed by minerals in sediment, volcanic ash, and groundwater, the trees have become fossilized. No longer wood, these trees tell the story of the climate and ecosystem millions of years ago.

You've got a lot of stuff, you're tense, you're tired, you're waiting for a plane, and you have a 4 year old (or a 6 yr old or a 9 yr old - they're all restless at the airport).  Maybe you have one hour to relax before the first flight or, perhaps, you have 4 hours to enjoy on a layover.  Yes!  "relax" and "enjoy".