I pride myself on being a voice of optimism. I tend to blah-g solutions not complaints. But here I am, staring at the screen, waiting for my thoughts to boil into a blahg-worthy idea and… UGH. All of my ideas are depressing. Not a single one will launch you into winter break with joy. So I asked Alisha my office elf to help. She came up with some great ideas. A list of nice things we can do for one another this season like send a care package to a soldier, foster a dog or cat, shovel a neighbor’s snow, write a thoughtful note to someone just because, or donate your old books and pj’s to the Pajama Program.…

Before I get to the main business of the day I want to thank all of the people who helped me raise $2600.00 for the Office of Letters and Light.  Their programs provide educators and librarians with the tools they need to inspire creativity and push students to reach goals. Participants are given free access to web forums, workbooks, writing tips, and pep talks from published authors. In addition to a completed novel they are left with a sense of accomplishment and confidence in a field that most people find intimidating and out of reach.

I truly believe that teaching creativity, grit, and innovation, are one of the best ways to guarantee your future success. For everything else there’s Google.  …