Girls In The Pits People ask me where I find my stories. They're everywhere. And we girls are good at asking questions, right? We also love wearing hats - just check out my photo page! I once met a woman by the name of Sue Duncan in the general store of Rugby, Tennessee. She was knitting with the fur from her angora bunny rabbits. She was dressed in period costume and wore an attractive straw hat. I asked lots of questions, some about the plump rabbits she had with her. Owner of Rock Creek Rabbitry, Sue loved demonstrating how to spin fur into yarn for knitting and weaving. She had English, satin, and giant angora rabbits. What I discovered was that Sue not only wore her straw hat, but she wore a 1700's plumed feather hat when she rode her white horse sidesaddle. Hmmmm. We had something in common. I also rode horses sidesaddle. I asked more questions. Sue also worked for the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area Park as a Park Ranger in Oneida, Tennessee. She was also a firefighter which required another hat. Sue wore many hats! And that's how the title to the story "Many Hats" came about that was published in the December/January 2004 Hopscotch magazine issue. Mrs. Duncan was delighted to model her many hats and costumes for me so I could take pictures for the article. Another writer I've met who has worn many hats is Ronda Rich. When she was a young sportswriter, her editor assigned her to cover a stock car race. She said, "I was appalled. Devastated. I haughtily informed him it was beneath me (after all, I was enrolled in an aristocratic women's college where steeplechases were accepted forms of entertainment - stock car races were not)." Car racing wasn't her idea of a fun time. However, Ronda enjoyed meeting the drivers and pit crew members and their families while in the race car pits - the place where they changed tires and refueled. She began to have fun. Later, she wrote a book called My Life In the Pits and became an author. She's also a syndicated newspaper columnist, has written several books, and has become a speaker as well. You just never know where you might be when you find the next story. You could be a girl in the pits wearing many hats! And, while in the pits, you don't always have to have "hat hair." You can still learn how to manage on bad hair days, learn grooming habits for good hygiene, and what to eat and drink to help maintain healthy bodies. For instance, did you know that green, black, and oolong teas have what's known as antioxidants that help fight toxic chemicals, cancers, and help prevent heart attacks and strokes? It's an oo-long story, but one you can research and write about for that next science fair project. You can even throw a tea party while learning how to trim your nails and hair and deciding on how many hats you would like to wear in life and call it research!

Girls Playing Hard, Working Harder Annie, Abby, and Caroline are girls active in school projects as well as outside activities. All three are great examples of how play complements work. Annie is a dancer. She is also the new incoming president of her class and will be traveling to London to visit relatives and work on genealogy. Abby plays soccer and runs track on a school team and will be attending sailing camp. She will also travel to Africa to assist a tribe struggling to survive the drought. Caroline is a drama student and will be acting in Westside Story this summer. These girls are great friends who work hard but also find time to play. By snowboarding, tubing and wakeboarding, they stay in shape. Every now and then, they take time out to rest. I'm sure they're thinking of writing about their great adventures. If only those ponytails could talk!

A Love For History To write historical fiction, I need to know history. Though the United States of America is a relatively young country compared to Europe and other eastern countries, she does have an amazing past. A lot of the USA's recorded history began when the colony of Jamestown was founded, and then later, Williamsburg, VA was established nearby. It was in Williamburg that the House of Burgesses met. During these meetings, elected men were chosen to make laws by which this country would stay united. The above young history buff enjoys dressing up in period costume. Her dress is the attire a young girl would wear in Williamsburg during the 1700's. It wasn't until 1920 that the United States as a whole acquired women's suffrage - the right to vote - by the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.