‘if you don’t know the guy on the other side of the world, love him anyway, because he’s just like you. he has the same dreams, the same hopes and fears. it’s one world, pal. we’re all neighbors.’
-frank sinatra
—
art credit: happy toddler rock art
hello there !
good morning!
Mickey Mouse?
—
(not my pancakes, but someone was working their pancake art magic!)
happy national pancake day!
—
“everything can have drama if it’s done right. even a pancake.”
-julia child
two white storks building a nest together for their young
—
spring is in the air and –
this confirms it
this is where babies come from,
I knew it!
—
‘the stork is voiceless because there is really nothing to say.’
-will cuppy
*Will Cuppy, ( 1884-1949) was an American humorist and literary critic, known for his satirical books about nature and historical figures.
—
image source: birdfact
Bill Waterson, Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages,
1985 -1995; Exhibition Catalogue
random nice people i’ve never met – ( photo courtesy of Wright Labs)
—
recently my friend roy, who is a fellow introvert, posted this:
‘as an INTROVERT, I can survive a lot..
but ‘let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves,’
is where I draw the line.’
I so get this.
while I love people, love being around them, and frequently talk to strangers, I much prefer small groups and having real conversations with one or two people rather than big party small talk, get nervous when I know I’m going to be called on, or when public speaking. (if I’m one on one with someone, I can talk for hours, much to their dismay.) when in a big group setting I hang out for a while, find a way to slip out before long using my Irish goodbye technique, and head home to relax and recharge.
another friend who also gets this, a very accomplished woman, was once in this situation and when it was her turn to introduce herself and share one thing, she was so nervous that she blurted out the only thing that came to mind and said, ‘my name is T, and I play with the squirrels in our backyard.’ the room was silent.
—
‘never assume that loud is strong and quiet is weak.’
-author unknown
for my blog friend, Audrey, and all Minnesotans, who are still out there fighting, struggling, and just trying to live their lives. The surge continues. People are still being taken, traumatized, afraid to go to work or school, and while not in the big city of Minneapolis, the smaller towns are suffering too. Thank you for standing up and showing us the strength of community and for not giving up, we are learning how to be courageous and caring from you, I’m happy to support you and hope that others will too –
—
‘No more apologies for a bleeding heart when the opposite is no heart at all.
Danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.’
-Toni Morrison
Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress in 1968 and represented New York’s 12th congressional district for 7 terms. She helped to create the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). In 1972 she became the first Black candidate for a major-party nomination for President of the United States and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Throughout her career, she was known for taking “a resolute stand against economic, social, and political injustices”, as well as being a strong supporter of black civil rights and women’s rights.
Born in New York City, she spent ages five through nine in Barbados. Shirley excelled at school and earned her college degree in the United States. She began working in early-childhood education, and became involved in local Democratic Party politics in the 1950s. In 1964, overcoming resistance because she was a woman, she was elected to the New York State Assembly. Four years later, she was elected to Congress, where she led the expansion of food and nutrition programs for the poor and rose to party leadership. She retired from Congress in 1983 and taught at Mount Holyoke College while continuing her political organizing. Although nominated for the ambassadorship to Jamaica in 1993, health issues caused her to withdraw. In 2015, Chisholm was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
—
‘Black history is world history.
it is not an elective, a footnote, or a trend.
it is the foundation, the blueprint
the unshakeable truth
that we have always been here –
building, creating, and leading.’
-andrea bolder
while staying with the menagerie at my daughter’s house
we had the chance to watch a lot of the olympics together
some of us had strong opinions about the competition.
—
‘your opinion has been duly noted.’
-garfield the cat
—
art credit: babushka cat.com
a large and passionate crowd turned out in the cold last night
speakers, chanters, singers, hot cider, flags, signs, hand warmers
even a counter-protester
before the city council met
some community members
spoke at the meeting
the Romulus city council
unanimously approved a resolution
against a planned ICE detention center
in which they outbid an auto supply company
to purchase a vacant building in the city
during the meeting
the mayor said the city will not issue a permit or a certificate of occupancy
unless mandated by a federal judge to do so
next step is to take it to the state
power of the people.
—
‘the time is always right to do what is right.’
-Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
American Sampler
Activating the Archive
Guest Curator: Julie Ault, Artist
Jan, 2026 – Ongoing
Vertical Gallery
THE ART, LANGUAGE, AND LEGACY OF PROTEST
This archive looks back to a period when protest reshaped the nation. Curated by MacArthur Fellow Julie Ault in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Labadie Collection of political dissent, this eighteen-month exhibition transforms UMMA’s towering Vertical Gallery into a living record of activism.
Bringing together artworks, archival documents, and rare ephemera from the 1950s through the 1970s, American Sampler explores the interconnected movements for Black Freedom, civil rights, and resistance to the Vietnam War—and the visual strategies that gave them power. Through striking juxtapositions of art and protest material, the exhibition asks visitors to consider how acts of dissent are built, communicated, and remembered.
Featuring works by Romare Bearden, Robert Indiana, Corita Kent, Jacob Lawrence, Nancy Spero, Félix González-Torres, and others alongside archival materials such as protest posters, Freedom Rider testimonials, GI resistance material, and courtroom records from the Chicago Seven trial, American Sampler uplifts the shared aims of art and activism. Opening in advance of the United States’ 250th anniversary, Ault offers a timely reflection on dissent as a cornerstone of American democracy and identity.
I went to see American Sampler and it was fascinating to see the artistic and written expression of artists, writers, and activists of the past. Original documents, posters, writings and historical pieces were on display, and I learned many new things about the history of politics, protest, and social movements in the process. Afterwords, I attended a discussion with the curator of the University of Michigan Library’s Labadie Collection, Julie Herrada, who worked closely with artist and curator, Julie Ault on the project.
—
“artists are the gatekeepers of truth.
we are civilization’s radical voice.”
-paul robeson
I didn't have my glasses on.... 