Archive for September, 2011

State Slogans

My daughter (21) and I got into a little chat this morning about state slogans. Oh my gosh, how we laughed! If you’re looking for a great way to foster discussion around word play or if you want to expose your kids to the various cultural associations with each state, be sure to Google the list. Here are our favorite top ten:

10. Texas: It’s Like a Whole Other Country (Sometimes, it seems they wish they were!)

9. California: Find Yourself Here (If there were ever a state where finding yourself rose to the level of imperative, California would be it!)

8. Delaware: It’s Good Being First (If you say so…!)

7. Indiana: Restart Your Engines (Home of the Indy 500)

6. South Dakota: Great Faces. Great Places. (Can you name both?)

5. Illinois: Mile After Magnificent Mile (Look up Chicago’s shopping district to understand this one.)

4. Kansas: There’s No Place Like Home (Used to be “The Land of Ahhs” – can you identify the irony in this one?)

3. West Virginia: Wild and Wonderful (Awesome! I want to live where people are wild and wonderful!)

2. District of Columbia: Taxation without Representation (snort)

and finally, drum roll please…….

1. New Hampshire: Live Free or Die! (I ask you: who enforces that?!)

These slogans give you a great chance to discuss word play, the history of various states, their selling points and how advertising is a vital part of any state’s economic growth (is the state emphasizing travel? business? historical importance? shopping? buying a home and staying put?). Here’s a link to the Wikipedia page: State Slogans.

Enjoy!

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Friendship

Last week, I got to skinny dip in the Pacific ocean halfway around the world on the North Shore of Oahu. My four best friends from high school and I celebrated our half century mark together! 1961—President Obama’s birth year and ours.

People who’ve known you your entire life are especially valuable as you get older. One way to stay young is to value your friendships with those who knew you when you were young. (I remember reading that.) It’s true! I felt like a kid while we had dance parties in the kitchen and laughed until our sides hurt remembering the ridiculous antics of our high school days.

It was also nice to have some time off after an especially hectic summer for Brave Writer. I did spend the entire flight over putting final revisions on the Jot It Down writing program. We’ll put those final edits in next week with a release date of September 20 pending. It’s looking beautiful!

I returned to rain, cloud cover and temps in the 60’s. Fall is here in the northern hemisphere. I hope to be back in the blogging saddle as well. What topics would you like me to cover? Post them in the comments and I’ll see what I can do.

🙂

Aloha!

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