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Tim’s Tale: A little fictional humor and diversion from the daily news cycle

Timothy Trainer writes: "Silversea’s World Cruise 2022 has lasting after-effects. A local news piece reported that several restaurants and bars filed police reports about a mature-aged man with limited mobility having skipped out on his food and beverage bills. Local police departments distributed a sketch of the man who was finally identified by a local restaurateur and prevented from leaving unless he paid his bill." spirit

Pritzker for President!

Schoolhouse Rock! "The Preamble" to the Constitution, music by Lynn Ahrens we're all heart

Scouting Report, by Timothy Trainer

April 9, 2025 — At this point, foreign officials and business leaders may be exchanging notes about all the reasons for minimizing the U.S. in their respective plans for seeking future economic and trade stability. With the track record of Trump’s first term and the first 90 days of his return to the White House, it might be a rather simple scouting report: Trump White House is unreliable and not trustworthy, knee-jerk decision making, lacking in strategic thinking, blanket application of tariffs, simplistic approach to global trade issues, inability to distinguish between friend and foe. Much more might be on the list, but these points might appear near the top. mind

Shock and Awe (Hardly), by Timothy Trainer

April 7, 2025 — The odds are that more people are now paying some attention to what is going on in Washington, D.C., than during the pre-election campaign. Suddenly, in a matter of a few days, more people are paying attention. mind

March-April 2025: Debbie Venus shares, “It’s never too late to find your purpose. I’m working on a memoir and by sharing my story, I hope my loved ones will gain a deeper understanding, and that at least one person—someone I may never meet—will find hope and strength through my experience.”

What advice do you have for others about creating your best life? Debbie says, "It’s never too late to find your purpose. I’m working on a memoir, and right now this project feels overwhelming. I have scraps of notes everywhere. It’s been years in the making, and as a relatively new writer, the process can feel daunting." we're all heart

“Parting Thoughts,” by Dr. Peter Noonan

When I arrived in Falls Church City Public Schools in the spring of 2017, I knew there was something different about this school system from the others I had the privilege of serving. I didn't know at the time what made this place so special. I learned soon enough! spirit

In honor of Vietnam War Veterans Day: March 29, 2025,” by Tim Trainer, author, “The Fortunate Son”

Tim explains: "President Johnson was sworn into office after the Kennedy assassination in November 1963. In the waning days of 1963, President Johnson had those misgivings about escalating in Vietnam. And in the early months of 1964, he was not yet committed to an increased level of military involvement, but he had an election to think about as well as how he would be politically attacked if he didn’t fight communist aggression. After the events in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964, the path toward greater U.S. military involvement in Vietnam was made easier." soul

Ep5: Today at Elaine’s Literary Salon, learn about the insights of Robert McGee, the author of “Justifiable Homicide”

When does the killing of political leaders become morally justifiable? Killing the Hitlers, Stalins and Pol Pots of the world is easy to justify. Murderous tyrants need to be killed. But what if our leaders are merely idiots, or perhaps corrupt, petty tyrants who aren’t in the same league as Hitler, Stalin or Pol Pot? How much damage can we allow them to do, how many of our rights can we allow them to take away, before killing them becomes justifiable homicide? soul

“Shutdown Threats and the Numbers Game” — an essay by author and IP attorney Timothy Trainer

March 17, 2025 — Another government shutdown threat hung over members of Congress to do something by the end of March 14: U.S. Congress faces looming funding deadline: What to know Not only are government employees and those relying on government funding and services worried about the future of agencies, but Congress also wrestles with a budgetary funding deadline. Racing to act before funding deadlines has become a regular congressional exercise. As usual, a last-minute deal was struck to avert a shutdown. mind

“Is the US Shifting Its Dependency?” Don’t miss these thoughts by author and IP attorney Timothy Trainer

Here’s my question: While the subject of ”rare earth minerals” might be of interest to a limited audience compared to the overall readership of current events, after just a few minutes searching under the topic of rare earth minerals, a long list of articles are found. Even non-science readers will quickly grasp the importance of these minerals after reading just a few articles that describe what they are and the products that incorporate them. mind

Ep3: Elaine’s Literary Salon – Meet Children’s book author Karen Leggett Abouraya and learn about her latest international pageturner, Zamzam

Zamzam is a young boy who enjoys life with Egyptian grandparents in Alexandria, Egypt, and American grandparents in New York City. He shares big and little differences in his daily experiences in each country – including phrases in Arabic and English — but ultimately realizes that the most important experiences are exactly the same​ across cultures. we're all heart

Beautiful Handrolled Beeswax Candles: Burn bright

Ancient Egyptians are said to have sworn by burning beeswax candles: The beeswax didn’t just purify the air but was also was used in rituals to help their loved ones cross into the afterlife. Short of that, here are some benefits you’ll enjoy when you bring home a set of hand-rolled beeswax candles by Hope. soul

The Power and Romance of Rosaries

Your “garland of roses” is the origin of the rosary, which comes from the Latin word rosarium. Holding it takes you on a prayerful journey, for your rosary transcends cultural and language barriers. we're all heart

The Meaning of Malas

The word Mala means “garland” in Sanskrit. Typically made from wood, seed, bone or stone, these strings of prayer beads help to focus your awareness and concentration. Malas by Hope are the traditional string of 108 beads, with a larger “guru bead” to keep track of the repetitions of 108 and to evoke your connection to your highest power. What does the number 108 represent? we're all heart

How Iceland Became a Global Leader in Gender Equality

True Power Institute founder Rúna Bouius asks: "Can you imagine walking into a room filled with fearless women, all committed to creating a wave of change so powerful it could alter the course of history?" spirit

Ep1: Elaine’s Literary Salon features Jeff Markowitz, author of “The Other”

Today’s interview tells the tale of this important book that offers parallel narratives that touch upon several fascinating ideas, including the reach of Nazism—even in rural America—during WWII, the lasting impacts of the January 6 insurrection on today’s world, and the similarities between two time periods each burdened with an oppressive sense of dread. Don’t miss it! soul

Special Olympics: Take the Plunge!

When Tom Haney retired, he wanted to spend some of his spare time giving back to the community while also staying in shape. in 2020 he had another idea: to participate in as many polar bear plunges as possible. soul

How To Navigate Crisis When Our Hearts Are On Fire

The mood was surreal: ash falling from the sky, news reports showing flames racing across hillsides and communities, and an eerie wind rattling windows in neighborhoods uncomfortably close to the danger zone. Los Angeles was burning. soul

Introduction by Kathleen Tysse, vice chair, Falls Church City School Board: “Every community has neighbors, and almost every school system has bus stops — but what makes attending the schools in Falls Church special is that nearly all the neighbors end up at a bus stop for the same schools.”

My family’s bus stop was at a busy intersection for many years. This crossroads brought together not just two roads of traffic but dozens of FCCPS students and their families. These families represented almost every house within a block in each direction. While the time spent at the bus stop was usually brief — just 10 minutes once or twice a day—over the years, it added up to hundreds of hours spent building the kind of community I believe is the Secret Sauce of FCCPS. soul

January-February 2025: Barbara Tarlow Radler, mom, grandmom, and owner of the BTK Group, a healthcare communications business focusing on video production

What did you dream of becoming in high school? I dreamed of becoming an orthopedic surgeon but didn’t really consider what it would take to make that happen. Now, I am so thankful that I switched gears to communications. I can truly say that this is my calling, and I can’t imagine that I would have enjoyed the clinical setting as much as the work I am doing now. spirit

The Little City: “How many educators get to say that they have had an opportunity to work at every school in their school division? This is what makes Falls Church City so special.” — Allison Klink, Director of Early Childhood Education at Jessie Thackrey Preschool in FCCPS

Last year, I lined the halls with the staff and students at Mount Daniel, awaiting the arrival of the graduating class for their yearly tradition of walking the halls of all the city schools in caps and gowns. I knew I needed a prime spot as I excitedly waited for “The Mayor.” He was no longer the 7-year old boy who walked (or ran) in the building, he was an 18-year old man, but with the same charm and radiant smile. we're all heart

The Little City: “Falls Church Education Foundation is a key ingredient in the Special Sauce of Falls Church City Public Schools.” — Mary Asel, President, FCEF Board of Directors; Debbie Hiscott, Executive Director, FCEF (retired); and Suzanne Hladky, Executive Director, FCEF

There’s a saying: if you build it, they will come. In our roles with the Falls Church Education Foundation (FCEF), we’ve had the good fortune to build a wide variety of opportunities for the people and businesses of Falls Church City to come together and show their support for the Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS). spirit

“The China Factor: A Novel,” by Timothy Trainer

In the spring of 2005, the FBI foils a government employee’s attempt to provide confidential information to the Chinese. As the FBI struggles to understand why the information is valuable, its investigation entangles Capitol Hill staffer Kellie Liang and jeopardizes her nomination to a State Department position. What does her partner Aaron do next? mind

The Little City: “Every family is unique, and every family has its own story of overcoming difficulty and finding the support it needs through FCCPS.” — Wyatt Shields, Falls Church City Manager

In 2009, my wife and I were brand new parents, having just adopted two children, 8 and 10 years old. Neither spoke a word of English. For both, an American school was a new experience; in fact, any school was a new experience. It was an incredibly challenging and exciting time for us with so much new – new language, culture, food, everything. So much change takes time, love, and patience. mind