Just one word: Plastics! was the famous line from the Dustin Hoffman movie the Graduate. (Watch the clip!) The anonymous party goer told Dustin that PLASTIC was the future. Obviously, he was right, with a vengeance. Plastic is used everywhere, in every country in the world in millions of ways. It is indispensable for preserving perishables,…
What came first: the chicken or the egg? One could argue about that topic without coming up with a definitive answer. But determining whether legs or wheels came first is not debatable. No child has yet been born with wheels instead of legs. Go ahead, google “child born with wheels.” There are no aliens or…
The average woman today weighs approximately what an average man weighed in the 1960s. Women have grown in girth, but not height. The average man today weighs about what a typical professional football player weighed in the 1960s. So far, the heaviest human was a US man who weighed 975 lbs. Walking speeds vary, but the…
I was so glad to receive this video from a new fan who just finished reading Sailing Back To Ellis Island. He read the book in anticipation of his upcoming class trip to this National Park. I hope that his exploration of this historical place is enriched by the tales from real immigrants contained in the…
Sometimes the simplest tools are the best. Being in the thesis phase of a grad program, I’ve found that my best rhythm balances head and hands—pairing work projects with the writing that starts most days. Being able to use my hands is always at the top of my gratitude list, after an accident last year…
We have given away all the hard copies of the “proof” version of The Curse of the Magic Mirror! THANK YOU to all fans, from far and wide, who volunteered and are receiving their copies as I write! I can’t wait to read your reviews. BUT if you missed the hard copy, click KINDLE NOW and you can…
Everyone has words of wisdom to share, if you ask the right questions or take time to listen. In talking with one of my neighbors, I discovered that she and her husband were childhood sweethearts. When Diane was a 14-year-old junior high student, she met the boy who lived three doors down. He was a…
I am looking for people who like to read! Come on admit it! I want to hear from you! If you would like to review my new book The Curse of the Magic Mirror, go to ww.enjella.com and sign up to receive a free copy. I can send you a paperback book via snail…
The tour guide at the National Archives called the Smithsonian America’s attic, the Library of Congress its bookshelves, and the Archives the sock drawer. (Huh? Do people store valuables in sock drawers, rather than a locked box or safe?) The Archives displays copies of the founding documents for the United States: the Constitution, Declaration of…
What comes next after raising a family and producing at work? The children are launched; the career ladder is scaled; the future is open. What will be our narrative as we get older? This is the question facing adults as we enter our so-called retirement years. Psychologist Erik Erikson’s theory of psycho-social development suggests that…
The Curse of the Magic Mirror is finally a book! Bursting onto bookstore shelves everywhere in less than a week! It has been a long process. It starts with the idea (of course!) put into words. It progresses to a video phone call with the famed and talented illustrator, David Trumble. We brainstorm and inspire each…
We don’t know what the future holds, as nearly every shift in a trauma hospital reminded me. I would encounter patients who never expected that their day, and sometimes their life, would end in the ER or ICU. John Lennon wrote “Beautiful Boy” for his 5 year old son: “Life is what happens while you…
