Kana's Chronicles

Life in Kana-text (er… CONtext)

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recent posts

Kana Smith holding one of her books
  1. Kana Smith's avatar

    what an apt description–I know that feeling too! Like thumbing the wheel of a lighter when there’s not enough fuel…

  2. dovalpage's avatar
  3. joannerambling's avatar
  4. Kana Smith's avatar

    I do enjoy each obsession as it’s upon me… But I will say that some of them are more USEFUL…

  5. just call me Sharon's avatar

Author: Kana Smith

  • The Dragon Biographer

    Our son Christian (age 11) was feeling rather expansive yesterday evening about the firework-making job of his invisible dragon (descriptively named “Dragon”—Christian’s companion since he was 2 years old), and the use of fireworks in Dragon culture. As soon as I realized he was on a roll, I grabbed for the keyboard and began typing…

  • We now PAWS to bring you this Public Service Reminder

    Fourth of July, U.S. Independence Day…   Our guest this afternoon has been a frisky and friendly German Shepherd, who arrived in our yard trailing a broken leash. Given that the leash was attached to a choke collar with metal prongs, he must have really wanted to get away. We figured it had been a frightened-by-fireworks…

  • Boundaries (or… “This Righting Isn’t Write!”)

    She calls herself an editor. In actual fact she’s a person with terrible written communication skills (as well as terrible manners) and a dubious grasp of the English language. She pays well, though—more than twice what I used to make per article—so maybe the practice of regularly having to advocate for myself is just part…

  • Kitchen Chemistry #3: PEOPLE-Cleaners

    Well, here we are with the third installment of Kitchen-Chemistry do-it-yourself cleaners—doing positive things for both our wallet and our well-being! If you’re just joining, the previous installment covered household cleaners made from kitchen ingredients… They’re doing a great job of cleaning the house, they cost next-to-nothing to make, and we know they’re better for…

  • Barter ECOnomics & the Much-Maligned Art of Packrat-ism

    I’m a little embarrassed. One of the lovely side-effects of living below the poverty-line  is the realization that most money-saving behaviors are thoroughly environmentally friendly. I’m embarrassed because it shouldn’t have taken a detour into destitution for us to put this type of lifestyle into practice. A matter of putting my money where my mouth…

  • Shakespeare with a Pre-Teen (& a dab of Kitchen Chemistry)

    The warm-up “Green Show” before last night’s production of Romeo & Juliet let slip a spoiler about the ending: Romeo & Juliet end up dead.  “Oops,” the Fool-Squad fool exclaimed. “If there’s anyone here who didn’t pass ninth grade English, we just ruined the surprise.” I had a laugh at that, given that I was…

  • Home to Roost

    Never mind the “Secret Lives of Bees”–I’m intrigued by the Secret Lives of Kids. I would never guess what’s going on in my own kids’ heads if I didn’t chatter and play with them. Case in point: our 11-year-old son, Christian, has been harboring a long-standing wish to own chickens.  I had no idea. He…