driving home at dusk
golden moon shines
through drifting clouds
light changes
moving into darkness.
—
‘wild is the music of autumnal winds amongst the faded woods.’
-william wordsworth
Oct28
Oct27
halloween style.
this guy and his cat
the jack sparrow pirate from the carribean type
of the skeleton world
hat tilted back
a bit of drink
to keep him hydrated
his jolly roger
may have flown somewhere in france
welcomes all
relaxed and confident
not bothered by anything
seen his share of scraps
even being in a giant web
only having one foot
no hands
a cat with an eye patch
sitting on deck
of my daughter’s porch.
now, this mixed family
skeleton parents and dog
kids and clowns of all kinds
all ages and stages
everyone welcome
they do not discriminate
lots of hugs for all
love everyone to be at the party
outdoorsy types.
—
love my neighborhood
all are welcome
—
‘may everything you do be full of fearsome frolics and frightful fun.’
-my little monsters, halloween edition
Oct26
cocoa has a job.
cocoa has an important job
cocoa is in charge of guarding the food
cocoa gave herself this important job
cocoa has a craving
cocoa is motivated
cocoa will not
take her eyes off of it
until she is home
when the food is
safely in the house
only then
can she rest
not really
Cocoa will rest
after she has
taste-tested it
to make sure
it is safe for
the rest of
the family to eat
still not really
Cocoa must do
more that one test
just to make sure
it is really, really safe
cocoa is full
cocoa is clever.
—
‘cravings are the brains way of saying, “TREAT YOURSELF”. my cravings are louder than my logic.’
– c. vela
here’s to you, sweet cocoa, aka ‘sad grandma’
Oct25
‘oh, I am fortune’s fool!’ – William Shakespeare
at the end a long chinese lunch
we each opened two fortune cookies
our first ones were empty
not a good sign
what are the odds?
luckily we had a second chance
one offered ‘a great opportunity…’
the other ‘it’s in the cards…’
pretty positive
quite generic
on the back
was ‘the fantasy casino’
now our fortunes made sense
the cookies were ads. .
which were better?
the loaded casino cookies?
or
the sad empty cookies ?
both were disappointing
a reminder
we make our own luck.
—
”million-to-one chances…crop up nine times out of ten.’
― Terry Pratchett, English author
*Sir Terence David John Pratchett (1948 – 2015) was an English author, humorist, and satirist, best known for the Discworld series of 41 comic fantasy novels and for the apocalyptic comedy novel Good Omens which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman.
With more than 100 million books sold worldwide in 43 languages, Pratchett was the UK’s best-selling author of the 1990s. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and was knighted for services to literature. In 2001, he won the annual Carnegie Medal, and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.
—
‘
Oct24
‘i do like artfully breaking rules.’- alton brown
(not the actual rule-enforcer with a watch, but similar)
—
went to park in a structure
across the street
from where i was having my hair cut at 10:00
it was 9:55 when i arrived
pulled into a spot on the ground floor
knowing the lower floors open to the public at 10:oo
to leave room for customers
yes, i am a customer
assumed it would take a couple of minutes
to grab my things and leave my car
so the timing should work out
not thinking it would be an issue
when i turned my car off
an officer on foot
waved and rushed up to my car
as soon as i looked at him
i guessed
it would indeed be an issue
he told me i couldn’t park there
because it wasn’t yet 10:00
i said that i planned
on it being 10:00
by the time i gathered my things
and left my car
no, that is not the rule
if you do this, everyone is going to do this
when i had pulled in, most all of the floor was empty
other than a few people at the ev chargers
while he was chatting with me
others pulled in
parked all around me on the ground floor
he insisted that i move up to a higher floor
then began rushing over to each car
to say the same thing to them
i moved up to the next floor
lo and behold
there he was again
saying we all would have to move
to at least the 4th floor as the sign said
i continued winding around
moving up to the higher floors
which were packed from the workers
who had to arrive early
along with
my fellow parkers
who he had forced to move to the top
so the only place left to park was on the roof
at that point some people who had been forced to move up
had started driving down to lower floors
now that it was officially past 10:00
it had turned into a french farce
left my car on the roof
met up with a uni student
who also had been pushed up to the top
he gave me a nod
‘that guy’s like a mall cop.’
yep.
we took 7 flights of stairs
down to the ground where we’d started
little bit late for my appointment
i’m sure all of us who had driven to the top
had made it out of
the early curfew time at that point
so it had really been a ridiculous exercise
i got the feel he might not be a person
who was flexible
felt more comfortable
with hard and fast rules
i imagine
he must have been exhausted
chasing after all those cars
the salon
booked a 10:15 slot for my next appointment.
—
‘one had followed the rules, and one had not. but the problem with rules… was that they implied a right way and a wrong way to do things. when, in fact, most of the time they were simply ways, none of them quite wrong or quite right, and nothing to tell you for sure what side of the line you stood on.’
– Celeste Ng
—
*Alton Brown (born 1962) is an American tv personality, food show presenter, author, voice actor, YouTuber, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Ford Network show Good Eats as well as other shows on the network. Brown is also a best-selling author of several books on food and cooking.
*Celeste Ng (born 1980) is an American writer and novelist.Her short stories have been published in a variety of literary journals. Ng’s first novel, Everything I Never Told You, won the Amazon Book of the Year Award. Her second book, Little Fires Everywhere, was made into a TV miniseries.
Oct23
there is goodness in the world.
wonderful to see this very moving true story played out onstage
The core framework of Come From Away is 100% true: on September 11, 2001, 38 commercial aircraft carrying close to 7,000 passengers from around the world were diverted to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, when U.S. airspace closed. The local town of roughly 10,000 residents housed, fed, and cared for the stranded travelers for five days.
While every event in the musical is grounded is real testimony, playwrights Irene Sankoff and David Hein interviewed thousands of people and merged some stories or created composite characters rather than direct biographical replicas.
True stories and real-life inspirations in the show include:
- Captain Beverley Bass: She was meant to be flying from Paris to Dallas but ended up spending 28 hours on the Gander runway, awaiting information. She was the first ever female pilot to be made a captain by American Airlines. Beverly progressed up the ranks after many years and made global news again when she led the first ever all-female crew from Washington DC to Dallas.
- Nick and Diane Marson: Nick (an engineer from Britain) and Diane (an American) met after being stranded on the same flight and both were housed in nearby Gambo at The Society of United Fishermen. They formed a close relationship, went sightseeing and spent evenings with the locals. They fell in love, married, and have attended hundreds of performances of the show.
- The Kevins (Kevin Tuerff and Kevin Jung): Were a gay couple on their way home to Texas until their flight was diverted. Their experience of community warmth inspired Kevin T to launch the Pay It Forward 9/11 global charity initiative. Like many other passengers, Kevin T was incredibly affected by his time in Gander. As a CEO of a marketing firm, every year on 11 September, he closes the office and gives his employees $100 each to do a good deed for a stranger. It’s his way of giving back after he’d received such kindness from others. Originally something he did internally at his own company, it has grown into the Pay-It-Forward 9/11 foundation, which encourages everyone to do three good deeds on that date each year.
- Bonnie Harris (Animal Shelter Manager): Was a local who coordinated volunteers to care for stranded animals, household pets, an epileptic cat (with its medicine strapped to its crate), and even rare zoo animals (including pregnant bonobos and chimps) traveling in the cargo holds of the grounded planes. She teamed up with two other women (Vi and Linda), and went into the planes to check up on the animals. They spent 10 hours in cramped and dirty conditions checking on every animal. Bonnie convinced officials to let the animals off the planes and moved to a hangar where they could be properly fed and cared for.
- Claude Elliott: The long-serving mayor of Gander helped coordinate the massive logistical and humanitarian rescue.He was very involved in the town and had a great relationship with the community. When the planes arrived, Claude was dealing with bus driver strikes and got them to agree to use the buses to transport the passengers to wherever they were staying. He played an incredibly important role, orchestrating everyone’s movements and ensuring all passengers were well looked after over those several days.
- Oz Fudge: One of just two Gander police officers, Oz was beloved in Gander and was known for his gentle, humorous, and constant presence helping the “plane people” navigate the town. When they landed, Oz jumped into action, helping wherever he could and ensuring everyone felt safe and sound. He even arranged a birthday party after discovering that some of the passengers were sick children on a Make a Wish trip to visit Disney World.
- Beulah Cooper and Hannah O’Rourke: Beulah, a Gander teacher, formed a deep bond with Hannah. Many special friendships started between the passengers and the people of Gander, and one of the particularly moving bonds is between Beulah and Hannah.
Hannah was a passenger and was incredibly worried about her son, a firefighter in Brooklyn. His base wasn’t far away from the Twin Towers, so Hannah was distraught when she couldn’t get hold of him, and no one seemed to know where he was or if he was safe. Hannah spent her days in Gander calling her son’s voicemail and waiting by the phone, hoping to hear from him.
Beulah was helping out passengers, making trays of sandwiches and taking people shopping for clothes. Her own son was a volunteer firefighter, so she empathized with Hannah’s situation. Beulah frequently checked in Hannah, comforting her and telling her bad jokes to distract her. To this day, the two women are the best of friends.
- The “Screech-In” Tradition: A famous local pub where outsiders are inducted as honorary Newfoundlanders by kissing a cod and drinking local rum, (Screech), as happened to many of the stranded travelers.
In the face of tragedy, the community gave the passengers the warmest of welcomes, opening up their homes, schools, churches and anywhere else that could be turned into temporary accommodation for the “plane people”. The small town suddenly doubled in population for several days, played a huge part in what happened, and the effect it had on passengers and the Gander community.
They provided meals, bedding, and hot showers. Schools, churches, and legion halls became makeshift dorms. Some residents even invited visitors to stay in their homes. Pharmicies filled prescriptions without cost, banks of free public telephones were installed so they could call home, and donations of toiletries, clothing, and food flowed in. Much of the food was stored at the Gander Community Centre’s ice rink, turning it into “the largest walk-in freezer in the country,” according to the mayor.
Once basic needs were met, they organized tours of the town, bowling matches, and concerts by local bands. Visitors also were introduced to regional cuisine, including partridge berries and flipper pie. One passenger was a rabbi who created a makeshift Kosher kitchen, and allergies, vegetarians and vegans all were accommodated. When asked about their generosity, residents responded that their efforts were not out of the ordinary. “For us, it was just every day,” said Janice Goudie, a local newspaper reporter. “You don’t turn your backs on people in need.”
The play has been a huge success since its first performance (in Gander). It was nominated for seven Tony Awards, and won Best Direction of a Musical. In the Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine categories and won Best New Musical, Outstanding Achievement In Music, Best Theatre Choreographer, and the Royal Albert Hall Awards. (The relatively small cast of 14 actors each play several parts within the show, and with simple costume changes, they transform from plane passengers to Newfoundland residents.) A live band plays throughout and join the cast on stage at times.
The “plane people” didn’t forget their time in Canada once they were home. Passengers kept in touch with one another and their Newfoundland hosts, made websites dedicated to their individual flights, and even traveled back to Gander for anniversaries of the attacks. The passengers and crew of one flight created a scholarship fund for students in the Gander area. The initial donation of $15,000 has, since 2001, grown to more than $1 million and provided scholarships to more than 200 local students.
Newfoundlanders too, remember this extraordinary moment in their history. A Peace Park was built in nearby Appleton, from $5,000 donated by stranded passengers. The park features a section of World Trade Center steel and a monument dedicated to first responders. Every year on 9/11, they hold a ceremony to remember those killed in the attacks, and to honor those who cared for the stranded passengers.
—
There have been many non-fiction books written about the true story and an official companion books for the musical itself.
- The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede (2002/2003; updated 2021):Is the foundational journalistic account of the events that directly inspired the musical.
There is a documentary of the real-life story behind the hit musical Come From Away:
You Are Here: A Come From Away Story (2018)
There is a filmed live Broadway production of the play
is available to stream on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and the Roku Channel.
—
‘There is goodness in the world that floats to the top in times of disaster.’
– the mayor in a 2017 interview
Oct22
manoomin and meeting.
last week i joined a small group taking a seasonal cooking lesson
learning to make wild rice soup with fresh veggies, herbs and spices
along with a savory focaccia with herbs, garlic, and olive oil
(some ingredients grown in the park’s gardens)
we began with a lesson on wild rice (manoomin)
which isn’t a rice at all, it’s a grass
from the waters of northern Mnnesota
where the Ojibwe live
where our instructor grew up
very close to the Canadian border
along with a lesson about the traditional harvesting and processing of it:
*(see below)
lots of dicing, slicing, measuring, mixing, stirring, tasting, timing,
laughing, questions, comments, coffee
some people chose to be hands on, some to observe
after a couple of hours
the soup bubbled
the bread was golden
we shared our meal
at a long table
where our last lesson
was learning about each other.
—
‘the joy of cooking is that you get to touch it and play with the ingredients and play with them. it’s a craft.’
-stanley tucci, american actor
—
*Traditional Harvesting Steps
- The Team: Two people ride in a canoe. One sits in the stern and gently pushes or steers the boat through the shallow water with a long pole. The other kneels or sits in the bow with two smooth cedar sticks (called knockers or bawa’iganaakoog).
- The Tapping: One stick gently pulls a cluster of stalks over the canoe, while the other stick taps the stalks twice like a heartbeat to dislodge only the ripe kernels.
- The Reseeding: Unripe grains stay on the plant, and many mature seeds fall into the water to replant the next season’s crop.
Traditional Processing Steps
- Drying (Curing): Spread the freshly harvested “green” rice out in a thin layer in the sun or shade for a day or two to let surface moisture evaporate and prevent mold.
- Parching: Heat the rice in a large metal or cast-iron kettle over an open wood fire. Stir constantly with a wooden paddle so the grains toast evenly, harden the kernel, and make the outer hull brittle.
- Jigging (Threshing): Place the warm, parched rice into a clean pit lined with clean canvas or a wood-lined tub. A person wearing clean moccasins or soft-soled shoes gently dances or treads on the rice to crush and separate the tight hulls from the grain.
- Winnowing: Pour or toss the threshed rice upward into the breeze using a birch bark basket or shallow tray. The wind blows away the lightweight chaff and dust, leaving the clean, dark wild rice behind.
If you plan to harvest wild rice in Minnesota, tribal regulations and state permits have strict rules on dates and who is allowed to harvest on reservation waters.
—
source credits: nature conservancy, ann arbor parks and rec, minnesota deptartment of natural resources
Oct21
casa dominick’s
Casa Dominick’s
friendly and welcoming
just relax and be social
Dominick’s opened in 1960 on Monroe Street in Ann Arbor across from the U-Mich Law Quad. Founded by Dominick DeVarti, a WWII veteran and engineer, the rustic outdoor cafe grew from a failing grocery store and coffee shop into an iconic hub for students, townies, mathematicians, and the early Ann Arbor Film Festival.
DeVarti built much of the sprawling, multi-level rustic space by hand, combining old houses with a breezeway bar and sun-drenched second-story balconies. He also opened other pizza spots, including a Ypsilanti location that he sold to Tom and Jim Monaghan. He taught them how to make pizza and asked them to change the name, which eventually became Domino’s Pizza.
In the late 1970s, DeVarti salvaged stained glass from the dome of the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing before it was discarded, installing the historic pieces in the upper level.
Also in the late 1970s, mathematics PhD student Zevi Miller spent months working out complex group problems in the basement while nursing a single café mocha all day long until he solved it.
The walls are lined with posters from early Ann Arbor Film Festivals and historical campus moments, including the 1971 “Free John Sinclair” concert.
The spot is famous for half-gallon mason jars of house-made sangria, (made for sharing and so good), pizza, submarines, pasta with homemade sauces, and very relaxed outdoor patio seating.
In the 80s, Dominick’s son Rich took over, greeting regulars from his makeshift office inside the original 1920s house structure.
Rich’s son, named after his grandfather Dominick, began working with him behind the service counter/bar, keeping the seasonal open-air tradition alive. They close by 9 pm and are ready for business the next day at 11am, rain or shine.
picture below is their office and meeting space
‘i think we should have more coffeehouses, more cafes, more ‘third places.’
more places where people can eat, get together, that’s not work, not home,
and where they can interact with people who are different from them.’
-eric weiner
Oct20
‘i am a museum of everything i’ve ever loved.’ – author unknown
what a wonderful tiny museum
dedicated to the man
who ran all the big museums
—
Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882–1971) was a prominent zoologist, herpetologist, and the 7th President of the University of Michigan, serving for 22 years from 1929 until his retirement in 1951.
He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from the university in 1906, specializing in herpetology and became the chairman of the Zoology Department. He founded a new U.S. school of herpetology and described 16 new reptile species. Before becoming president he served as Director of University Museums (Museum of Natural History, and the Museums of Anthropology, Zoology, and Paleontology) and led many research and scientific expeditions. As president, he guided the university through the Great Depression and World War II. Upon retirement, he wanted to be called “Sandy,” live a relaxing life, and moved to northern Michigan. His name is preserved on campus buildings and institutions, and an Ann Arbor city park.
—
‘how does one measure the success of a museum?’
– J. Paul Getty
—
Tiny Ruthven Museum of Art, Burns Park, Ann Arbor, USA, October, 2026
—
Source credits: Ann Arbor News, 1951, Wiki
Oct19
a short play in 3 acts and 2 cats.
act 1
pete the cat decides he’d like to sit where olive is sitting
olive is pretending to be asleep
hoping pete the cat will get bored
go sit somewhere else
pete the cat develops a plan
olive is ignoring pete the cat
olive hangs one leg down
to show how deep in sleep she is
olive is in her special spot
that she now won’t move from
act 2
as pete the cat stands up
planning to relocate olive
one way or another
olive suddenly awakens
from her fake deep sleep
quickly swivels to face pete the cat
a spontaneous kung-fu battle ensues
act 3
pete the cat feels
even more emboldened
to make a major move
in a surprise attack
pete the cat takes flight
olive is ready
now taking up
even more of the coveted space
olive takes a stand
like a stone
refusing to budge
even if she has to
get dehydrated and starve to do so
she has not been to her buffet and water fountain
in 30 minutes
olive knows it is so worth it
pete the cat has other plans.
the end.
(a suspenseful dramatic ambiguous ending)
—
‘with theater you have to be ready for anything, ‘
-wilem dafoe (olive’s favorite theater quote)
—
‘there’s no real theatre without taking risks.’
-haris pasovic (pete the cat’s favorite theater quote)
