In sixth grade at Miami Shores Elementary School, I had a special privilege: I was chosen to be an assistant in a first grade classroom. The program was called Teachers of Tomorrow, most often known as TOTs. Becoming a Teacher of Tomorrow Sixth-grade students were selected for a TOT role or a Safety Patrol roleContinue reading "Helping in the First Grade Classroom"
A Pilot at Heart
I enjoy writing about family photos. I do this partly to remember and partly to share with future generations. If you’re writing a family history book or blog, writing about family photos can be a helpful way to piece your story together. You might use those photos and stories in your book. Or they mightContinue reading "A Pilot at Heart"
A Little about My Dad
My dad, William Sturgeon Gillis, Jr., was 51 when I was born. Can you imagine? He had just put his first daughter through college, and along comes a baby. It wasn’t until I was in my 50s that I truly appreciated what he was dealing with. Dad’s Parenting My mom was his new wife; heContinue reading "A Little about My Dad"
A Passport, a Piccolo, and a Summer I’ll Never Forget
In 1982, I was in 10th grade at Winter Park High School. Back then, high school in Florida started with 10th grade. I played flute and piccolo in the band. The annual district solo and ensemble music contest was a big deal, and I had experienced that scene for two years in junior high. InContinue reading "A Passport, a Piccolo, and a Summer I’ll Never Forget"
Big Screens and Bigger Memories: My 1970s Movie Adventures
When I was young, my grownup cousin, Sandra, tried to describe what a movie theater was like. She said a bunch of people could sit in rows, all facing the same direction, and somehow everyone could watch a movie on a giant screen. How could they see over each other’s heads? I couldn’t picture it.Continue reading "Big Screens and Bigger Memories: My 1970s Movie Adventures"
Frozen Pillows and Porch Ice Cream: Summer Evenings with Mom, Dad, and Taffy Cat
Summer evenings in Miami were hot and muggy throughout my childhood in the 1970s. The hotels along the beach blocked the ocean breeze. The inland neighborhoods wilted in a steamer. But we had a beautiful evening rhythm in our home, buoyed by the sweet scent of the jasmine hedges that wandered through our neighborhood ofContinue reading "Frozen Pillows and Porch Ice Cream: Summer Evenings with Mom, Dad, and Taffy Cat"
Hurdling Hedges and Finding My Voice: A 1970s Miami Summer
The hedge that enclosed our side yard seemed too tall for me to jump over. But every summer morning, I took a running start and cleared the hedge on my way to the rec center across the street. No one could figure out how I hurdled that hedge—even when they stood there watching. But IContinue reading "Hurdling Hedges and Finding My Voice: A 1970s Miami Summer"
My First Cars in High School and College
For the first two years of high school, I took the bus to school. It was fine because I had good friends in my neighborhood, so we rode together. I wasn’t thrilled about how early we had to be at the bus stop. I’ve never been a morning person. Other than that, it wasn’t soContinue reading "My First Cars in High School and College"
Getting to Know My Grandma Eunice
I wish I could have known my grandma (my mom’s mom) much better. I knew her as well as a little kid could. I just wish she had lived till I was older. I would love to have shared grownup conversations with her and learned more about her life. Her name was Eunice LaSenius Washburn,Continue reading "Getting to Know My Grandma Eunice"
View from a Glass Box: Transit through Sweden 1988
In my senior year of college, I did a semester abroad at Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza in Poznan, Poland. It was January to June 1988, about a year and a half before the Berlin Wall fell. The new wave of uprisings in Poland had just started. It was a rough time and place for thisContinue reading "View from a Glass Box: Transit through Sweden 1988"
Exploring Generations 