Jul28

it’s not safe to talk.

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‘It’s Not Safe To Talk’, David Hayward, Sumi ink and watercolour on paper

 

 “It’s Not Safe to Talk”, it’s origin story – A woman contacted me to say she saw a young bright maple tree surrounded by dead and dying trees as if they were trying to silence it. She heard, “It’s not safe to talk!” How I feel! She said keep shining. So I painted it.
(Ink used to make calligraphy) – David Hayward

 

It’s not safe to talk, but as long as we talk, we’re alive.

 

Bio from the artist: I’m a lot of things. Pastor turned artist. Cartoonist. Writer. And other things I’m still figuring out. To be all these things is simply to be human. Complex, meaningful, creative, curious, and evolving. – DH

 

Jul27

spinning.

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while my sister was here

we paid a visit to one of our favorite stores

‘spun’

i’ve written about it before

while i’m not a knitter

my sister is very good at it

 we both love the feeling

of being in the store

it’s whimsical and welcoming

the yarns, so beautiful

  always a bit of fun and community going on

like their brilliant ‘tour de fleece’ event

for spinners of all kinds

and

i especially love

the tiny baby sweaters.

 

(warning: sweaters are much tinier than they appear in the photo)

and

there’s a surprise

a tiny baby sheep is in the pocket

shhhh….

 

—

‘i love the way kintting brings people together.’

– debbie macomber

Jul25

just living isn’t enough.

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what a charming scene to happen upon

a tiny bench for a child

to sit and rest

or watch the world go by

or dream

a small bowl of water

for a dog to have a drink

the happy chalk drawings

to bring smiles

for those walking by

the flags

to celebrate our country

to remember what it stands for

 plants

to enjoy the beauty of

nurturing and growing

such a kind and generous thing to do.

—

“just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”

-Hans Christian Anderson”

Jul24

that look.

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when you get that look

—

pete the cat

lets you know

that you have forgotten

to do something

he put

on his secret inner schedule

and

you should have known.

—

below are

some literary and pop culture phrases

that describe the look

choose your own adventure here:

which is your favorite ?

do you know another?

 write your own caption:

—

“A look that could curdle milk.”

“Her eyes narrowed into two dangerous slits of ice.”

“He shot a glare so sharp it felt like a physical blow.”

“A silent stare loaded with quiet, simmering fury.”

“Eyes that burned with an unspoken warning.”

“A look heavy enough to crush stone.”

“The kind of stare that makes the room drop ten degrees.”

“A hard, flat gaze devoid of any warmth.”

 

—

‘bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down… and won.’

– John Prine, american singer/song writer

Jul24

rippling.

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the lake rippling 

calm cool as the dark welcomes

in the star-lit night 

 

—

“nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”

-Lao Tzu

Lao-Tzu (l. c. 500 BCE, also known as Laozi or Lao-Tze) was a Chinese philosopher credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism.

 

 

 

—

 irish hills, michigan, usa – summer 2026

 

Jul23

crazy vanilla.

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60s ice cream: Vintage Sealtest Crazy Vanilla striped ice cream (1965)

Retro “Crazy Vanilla” striped 60s ice cream (1965)

  treat from the 60s 

 crazy cool so delicious

a mind-bender too

—

here’s their pitch:

Don’t let the crazy stripes fool you. They’re vanilla too!

AD

Crazy Vanilla looks like crazy because it has red and blue stripes leaping all over the place. But it tastes like vanilla because that’s what it is — vanilla ice cream.

It’s the coolest, craziest flavor ever. And who else but Sealtest could bring you this wacky treat? Start swinging. Pick up on this wild flavor today. Man, like it’s the craziest!
—
“Peace and productivity,” said the Sixties. “Let us keep things groovy.”
― Belinda Kelderhouse, author, Pop Fiction 
Jul22

free stuff.

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MY FAVORITE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORHOOD POST OF THE WEEK (with responses)

Especially the first sentence

 

My robot lawn mower drove itself into my free pile and someone took it. Which is fair. It looked free. It was not free. If you’re now the owner of a white Navimow you didn’t expect to have this week, I’d like it back! Happy to give you something for your trouble. No questions, no hard feelings — it just works for a living and I’d like it to come home. =) Also whatever to the bozo who took the container for the pop-top thingies but left the thingies ?! C’mon! 

Oh no! I’m sorry this happened to you. Here’s hoping robots of the future show better judgment than to hop in a free pile!

Disappointed I didn’t hear about the free pile. 

UGH! I put out a shelving unit. Someone took the shelf boards, left the unit for me to have to dispose of, because who wants a shelf unit without any shelves?

A robot lawn mower… I had no idea such a thing existed! I hope you get it back. 

Sorry to hear that. Had no idea how expensive they are. Hope it returns. If it is like my IRobot Roomba they can shut it down.it doesn’t have gps to help locate it?

 it does have gps, but not to “phone home” … for that it’d need a cellular modem or something.

·Not to pour salt on the wound, but did you find it worth the money? The fact that it did not go around the pile is a bummer – my neighbor has one and it does a terrible job of mowing. 

You see these robot lawn mowers all over the place in Europe.  If you stand in front of them, they will stop and wait for you to move.  If you do not move they try to move around you. 

This reminds me of the scary sweeper they have at Sam’s Club. It only stops if you’re certain height. I saw a mother having to pull her child away from this crazy thing.

I have had people go shopping around my house when I had free stuff out. I had a table taken, a shovel by the front garden, and some other minor things. Sorry about your mower, that is not a minor thing.

When I was a kid my dad made a “robot” mower from a little tykes trike. I helped with something but not much. This was early seventies and it mowed about 100 ft. before my dad put int the crawl space. It now hangs in my garage.

Edit:  It has been RETURNED !!!  Thank you, bozo !!!  (Wait, wait … you’re not the bozo — the person who messed with the little thing-a-majigs is. You’re the hero of this story! Robot says thanks !!

What a happy ending. almost like a Disney movie.

 

—

‘i don’t care how much money you have, free stuff is always a good thing.’

-Queen Latifah

 

Jul21

wildman.

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Not many people can say they were arrested for picking and eating a dandelion in New York’s Central Park, but there’s at least one: Steve Brill, also known as “Wildman.” Although the 1986 charges were eventually dropped, the story made national headlines (he even landed on Late Night With David Letterman), and the city ended up hiring him to lead foraging walks in the very place he was arrested.
​
Fourty years later, the 77-year-old forager is still hosting nature tours in the park to help people identify, responsibly harvest, and cook with plants and mushrooms — and ultimately, get “closer to nature, one bite at a time,” per his website. He also has several books, an app, and even a plant card game.
​
Urban foraging in New York is technically illegal. But Brill ensures he’s only picking invasive and renewable resources, and maintains that what’s gained in awareness is irreplaceable. “People appreciate what’s going on, how the ecosystem works,” he told the Associated Press. “Then they become more protective.”
​
​ If you’re in the New York area, check out his calendar to forage with him.

—

‘a foraging wild creature, intent above all upon survival, is as strong as the grass.’

-richard adams

  • Richard Adams (1920–2016) was an English author best known for his debut 1972 novel, Watership Down. Originally a civil servant, he wrote the acclaimed naturalistic story about wild rabbits at his daughters’ urging. He later wrote other anthropomorphic and fantasy works . A former British Army veteran who served in World War II, Adams did not begin his writing career until he was in his late 40s. Following the overnight international success of Watership Down, he retired from the Civil Service in 1974 to become a full-time author.

 

—

source credits: AP, nicenews

Jul20

choice rubbish.

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i guess they have something for everyone

 

—

‘if you want rubbish, you will get rubbish.’

-Rishi Kapoor

Jul19

here it is.

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if you’ve been looking

here it is

i found it

right in front of me.

 

 

—

‘i’m a big cockeyed optimist. i try to accentuate the positive as opposed to the negative.’

-Betty White

*Betty White,  (1922-2021) was an American actress and comedian.

She was a pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades,

 known for her positve approach to life.