Branna (McCarty) Shores

A brain as wild as a March hare and marching to the beat of a different drum … well, enough about me! Let’s talk about the month of March’s myriad of milestones! The noun “march” means “a steady, rhythmic walk.”  The verb “march” has one walking with regular, measured steps. The month of March is…

What comes to mind when you think of the words finishing school?! The final bell at the end of the school day? Secondary education or post-graduate studies? Do you even think about it at all? I know I sure didn’t as a young teen until my mom handed me the huge, hardbound Bible of best…

We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, how ’bout you?  This week marks National Public Schools Week 2026, celebrating the achievements of public schools, educators and staff.  Led by the Learning First Alliance, this annual initiative aims to showcase what’s happening in our public schools, their current  challenges, solutions and the ongoing improvement…

Think back to age 10. What did you fathom as the fate of your future? Had a notion to be a nurse, a tendency toward teaching or aspirations as an astronaut?  For me, I dreamed of becoming the next Dorothy Hamill. Every weekend, I strapped on the best Christmas gift ever – a pair of real leather…

Who does Hallmark have to thank for the 145 million cards exchanged each year on one singly delegated date? The victory goes to Valentine’s Day!   A major day for chocolate and roses, this holiday’s origins once blended Roman festivals and Christian martyrs with romantic associations.  Over time, it evolved through medieval traditions and commercialization into…

“I’m just going to “run this one up the flag pole,” in hopes I don’t come across as “not playing with a full deck.” However, I am going to “kick up my heels” and “go the whole nine yards” because that’s me… always having “a bee in my bonnet!” If you are a word nerd like me,…

As you may have noticed, my column has a name now! Last week, my mind was in wander mode once again, wondering what to write.  My goal each week is to share something to inspire, lead to a yearning for learning or simply leave you smiling. My topics may be as random as the wind,…

The Baby Boom has become the Grandparent Gush! There are more grandparents in the U.S. than ever before — some 70 million matriarchs and patriarchs that are embracing a new age and stage in life. Call it a second career or simply a welcome perk among the agonizing aches and pains of aging.   Mary H. Waldrip’s…

“To be or not to be, that is the question.” I wonder if Prince Hamlet was contemplating his New Year’s resolutions when he coined this famous phrase. It is speculated that the prince was pondering the dilemma of whether to live and suffer, or to die and end the pain. The lamentation from our legendary hero…

Who remembers the Noblesville Daily Ledger’s annual Christmas poetry contest? Well, I sure do, as every year it was a competition between my grandma, Bertie Hoover, and I to win the big prize! I started submitting mine in middle school, and who knows how long before that grandma was penning her prose. I won a…