Stories and Reflections…by Diane Lisa
Venus Flytrap (Dionaea Muscipula) My daughter wants to take care of a fly problem in her apartment by using Venus flytraps, carnivorous plants. The Venus flytrap has always fascinated me. The leaves are lined with sensitive, hairlike fibers that detect the movement of its prey—ants, flies, beetles, slugs, or spiders. Then the plant closes upon … Continue reading Nature’s Insecticide: A Carnivorous Plant
Today the weather is searing hot – 97 degrees with 71% humidity and a “real feel” temperature of 111. I am outside, sitting on a bench in the shade of a huge maple tree, with my laptop open…and I am content. I love the peacefulness of this day. Usually, our neighborhood has a fleet of … Continue reading 97 Degrees
Hearing the persistent squawking of a bluejay and the frantic chirping of a wren, I looked out my kitchen window to see what the fuss was about. In the dim light of dusk, I could see both the bluejay and wren perched in the huge old ash tree; the small brown wren stood on a … Continue reading The Fledgling
My hometown is an old farming town in theory, but it has become a modern suburban town in the past thirty years. For public relations, the few remaining historic buildings from the 18th century have been depicted on pamphlets, but it is a façade. We are dominated by one modern development after another; men have … Continue reading The Evolution of My Hometown
Riding in the narrow backseat of the green VW Beetle, I, aged 7, am wedged between my older sister and brother, ages 9 and 10. My feet rest atop a hump in the center of the floor, and I am not squished, but I am certainly enclosed. My father smokes his pipe, and I do … Continue reading Sunday Dinner
One afternoon, my older sister and I were fighting in our shared bedroom. I had taunted my sister – maybe taking one of her toys, calling her a name, or poking her in the side -- as I often did, and she began shouting out, “I’m going to hit you! I’m going to hit you!” … Continue reading I’m Going to Hit You!
This past Sunday morning, my fifty students in the spring Girls on the Run program ran a 5K race. The race we attended was an especially family-oriented event, with a kind crowd, full of parents, siblings, friends, and townspeople. As the girls ran through neighborhoods, spectators cheered, posted encouraging signs, and turned on their sprinklers … Continue reading Enjoying a Race As a Coach
