Category Archives: personal

I reject the Mensch on a Bench and you should, too

Posted on December 8, 2014 by rglw

There are many things about Christmas that perplex me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t love the Christmas season. And I primarily love this most wonderful time of the year because I don’t celebrate Christmas. I have no halls to deck, no … Continue reading →

Posted in being jewish, everyday life, family, holidays, kids, parenthood, personal, religion, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Thanksgiving redux

Posted on December 1, 2014 by rglw

December starts on a Monday? I hardly feel caught up from the crush of work before Thanksgiving and here I am, typing this post, wondering how it became December. That’s pretty much how I always feel about the passage of … Continue reading →

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I’ll say it: Halloween is not a big deal

Posted on October 31, 2014 by rglw

I’ve been thinking about Halloween a lot lately because as a parent with two small children, I’ve been sucked into this nostalgia that I simply don’t share.  Growing up, Halloween was just not that big of a deal to us. In the Leventhal house, … Continue reading →

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I feel lightness….

Posted on September 25, 2014 by rglw

I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about my present state of mind. Re-reading my last few posts–laments on my August slump, my daughter’s first day of school, and my coming career exploration–I just realized that I seem melancholy. On … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, health, kids, lessons learned, marriage, parenthood, personal, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

When first days and last days collide: back to school

Posted on September 4, 2014 by rglw

Summer is over and no matter how hard I try to conjure up corn on the cob, swimming with my littles, picking berries, lazy post-dinner walks, or getting some sun, those last days are fading. Every last bit of everything has … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, everyday life, higher education, lessons learned, personal, schools, summer, teaching, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What I want to tell my daughter on her first day of school

Posted on August 28, 2014 by rglw

Baby-girl, You have no idea what’s about to happen. Well, maybe you do. People have been grilling you about your level of enthusiasm over this transition for months, asking you at every opportunity, “Are you going to Kindergarten? Are you … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, schools, students | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 100th post: Getting some perspective

Posted on August 22, 2014 by rglw

I finished a book this week–my third of the summer. In June, I tore through Memoirs of An Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. In July, it was Heartburn by Nora Ephron (oddly recommended by Matt Dicks’s delightful wife, Elysha). And earlier this … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, everyday life, personal, reading, teaching, thinking, writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

August slump

Posted on August 15, 2014 by rglw

I know I am not the only person caught in a serious slump. The summer is becoming a blurry afterthought as I cling desperately to every ray of sunshine, every ripe tomato, every minute of twilight in the driveway, watching the girls … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, gardening, kids, lessons learned, personal, summer, Uncategorized, vacation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Vacation hangover (and Chatham redux)

Posted on August 8, 2014 by rglw

This time last week, we were on vacation. On Sunday, we returned from a trip to the beach, and it was mostly magical. We went to a favorite summer spot of my husband’s family in Cape Cod, where we had stayed … Continue reading →

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Sometimes it takes a village, except when it shouldn’t

Posted on July 23, 2014 by rglw

Last week a story surfaced about a woman in South Carolina, Debra Harrell, who was arrested because she made the conscious choice to let her 9-year-old daughter play in a public park while she went to work. I had already seen … Continue reading →

Posted in community, everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, vacation, women, work, writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments