Sep11

the names.

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Paper Hearts and SIdewalk Chalk,  Flavia Binsam
———-
Remembering 9/11    –      25 years later
America’s poet laureate, Billy Collins, wrote a poem a year after the tragedy.
He called it ‘The Names’ about the 2,792 who perished that day.
Names etched on
the head of a pin.
One name spanning
a bridge, another
undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled
into the skin.
Names of citizens,
workers, mothers,
and fathers,
The bright-eyed
daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in
a green field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
Or balanced on
the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled
into the dim warehouse
of memory.
So many names, there
is barely room on
the walls of the heart.
Sep10

‘i’ve never had my hair cut by anybody, i do it all by myself.’ – keith richards, rolling stones

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not me or my mom or my hair but similar situation

except for the smile

—

’tis the season

 kids return to classrooms

 it’s school picture day

mom looks at your hair

finds the sewing scissors

‘let me just trim it up a bit’

or

‘i’ll just snip the uneven part off a little’

or

‘let’s just clean it up a touch’

your bangs

have finally grown

to be the perfect length

a little long

a little shaggy

just

below your eyebrows

 hint of a shadow

 brushing

just above the top

of your eyelashes

  clean-up/trim begins

when it’s ‘done’

your mom

smiles

looks at your hair

you

look so cute

beautiful

you take

a peek in the mirror

 long and fancy bangs

have disappeared

 ‘just a trim’

has returned

your bangs

close to the top

of your forehead

very near

their place of origin

they are

a straight line

that’s for sure

cleaned up

no doubt about that

there is always

next year

when you

will have grown

your bangs out

perfectly.

you hide the scissors…

—

 

*when he was asked if there was a name for his haircut, he replied ‘arthur.’

-george harrison, the beatles

* The name is said to have honored his school friend from Liverpool, Arthur Kelly,

who used to tease a young George about his thick, unruly hair by calling it a “turban.” 

Sep9

dropped.

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‘when your first baby drops her pacifier, you sterilize it.

when your second baby drops her pacifier, you tell the dog: ‘fetch!’

*-bruce lansky

 

*  Bruce Lansky is an American author and internationally known children’s poet, anthologist and is often called ‘the king giggles.’ He has a passion for getting children excited about reading and writing poetry. Lansky’s poetry books—including A Bad Case of the Giggles, Peter, Peter, Pizza-Eater, Mary Had a Little Jam, If Kids Ruled the School, and Rolling in the Aisles – are among America’s best-selling children’s poetry books. He is also the editor of the middle-grade fiction series Girls to the Rescue and Newfangled Fairy Tales. Lansky has performed in more than 300 schools from coast to coast and enjoys his quiet time at home in Maine.
Sep8

‘i should have had the pickle.’ – preston sturges

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i’m always up for trying something new

after reading an article

about how to make

quick and easy pickles

i gave it whirl

 so simple

 tasted quite good.

—

here’s my recipe for what i call

‘Quickles’

buy a jar of your favorite dill pickles

store them in your refrigerator

eat them at your leisure

when you’ve finished off the jar

keep the brine

 make your own new batch of pickles

prep/cut up

cucumber spears, carrot sticks, green beans, onions, jalopenos, etc.

pack them tightly into your jar of brine

make sure they’re submerged

seal the jar

give it a shake

put in the refrigerator

after 24 hours or so

open your jar

and

voila

enjoy your new jar of

QUICKLES!

—

tips for safe quickle-ling:

– only use the same brine for one or two new batches to keep it fresh

-always store them in the refrigerator

-if the old liquid loses some strength, 

you can add a pinch of fresh salt, extra dill, or a splash of fresh vinegar 

 

—

‘in the last analysis, a pickle is a cucumber with experience.’

-*irena chalmers

*Irena Chalmers (1935-2020) wore many hats in the food industry. The author of more than forty books, she regularly contributed to such publications as The New York Times, Food & Wine, Gastronomica, Food Arts, and Nation’s Restaurant News. She was a founding member and past president of both the International Association of Culinary Professionals and Les Dames d’Escoffier International, as well as a James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who” of Food And Beverage in America. Her first book won the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the Best Book for Food Professionals in the U.S. and later, the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Award—Best Book for Food Professionals in the World.

Until her death, Chalmers divided her time between being a faculty member at The Culinary Institute of America, “The Last Word” columnist for Chef magazine, food essayist for WAMC/NPR Northeast Public Radio, blogger, consultant, and counselor to many about to embark on their own culinary adventure.

Sep7

a direct passage to the soul.

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national cinema day 2026 is listed as the 5th or 6th or 7tth or 12th of september

depending on the source

in honor of the holiday

i plan to celebrate it a number of times in September

beginning with one of my all-time favorite films:

 

Cinema Paradiso/Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, (Italian),  is a coming of age, nostalgic, sentimental, comedy, drama, all rolled into one, written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore in 1988.

 Set in a small town in Sicily, it is also a celebration of films and comes right from the heart. Mostly told in flashback, it focuses on the friendship between a young boy, Toto((Salvatore Cascio)), and an aging projectionist, Alfredo((Philippe Noiret), who works at the town’s cinema. When Toto  begins helping out in the cinema booth, he learns to love the magic of movies and develops a passion for films that shapes his life path.

Credited with revitalizing Italy’s film industry, Cinema Paradiso has been cited by some as one of the best films of all time, and a world cinema classic. It is particularly renowned for the ending , considered among one of the greatest endings in film history. It was a commercial success, received critical acclaim, and won several awards, including theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prix, and 5 BAFTA awards.

—

‘life isn’t like in the movies. life… it is much harder.

whatever you end up doing, love it.

the way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.’

-Alfredo to Toto

 Ingmar Bergman described film as a direct passage to the soul.

 

—

credits: miramax films, 1988

Sep6

‘wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling.’ -russian proverb

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-before-

skies dark and murky

tornado warning screaming

strong winds blow the trees

 

-after-

sun returns, wind stops

 clouds dot skies of powder blue

tornado moves course

—

 the ducks, one not-duck

unruffled play near river

with tall friend, heron.

 

—

‘more rain, more rest; more water will suit the ducks best.’
*Historically, the saying was used by farmers and outdoor laborers who were forced to pause their work and rest when a heavy downpour hit. While the rain halted human labor, it provided perfect, thriving conditions for water-loving ducks.
(and sometimes a heron too)

 

 

 

 

—

huron river, ann arbor, michigan, usa – late summer 2026

Sep5

marathon du medoc.

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The Marathon des Chateaux du Medoc 

is a famous 42.195 km (26.2 mile) marathon held every September

through the wine-producing vineyards of the Médoc region in Bordeaux, France. 

The 40th Edition of the Marathon:

will take place on Saturday, the 5th September, 2026, (today) and the theme will be “80’s !”     

 Key Features:

Wine and Gourmet Stops: 

 Instead of just water, the course features around 23 wine-tasting stations at local châteaux, alongside gourmet food stops.

Costumes: Runners are required to wear fancy dress or costumes, which follow a different theme each year. 

Atmosphere: The race focuses heavily on fun, music, and celebration rather than strict personal bests, featuring dozens of live orchestras along the route. 

2026 Official rules – the 5th September 2026- THE MEDOC HAS TO BE RACED FANCY DRESSED !

The Medoc Marathon is a 42.195km race restricted to runners only ;
if you just want to walk, the recovery ballad organized on Sunday in our beautiful vineyards (9-10km) is for you !

 Registration limited to 8 500 participants.

The Médoc marathon is open to all runners born before 5 September 2006 (20 years old).

Departure / Arrival

Departure at 9:30 am on the River banks of Pauillac and arrival at the same location. Race time allowed limited to 6:30 hours.

Time Out runners – A team of Medoc Marathon organization called “runners brooms” will run the race during 6.30 hours. They are carrying signs to identify them without confusion. Any runner crossing the finish line behind this team will not be classified nor rewarded. In the mid-race, any runners who is behind these « riders brooms » will be stopped, disqualified and not rewarded.

Bicycles, dogs and Nordic walking batons are banned due to the narrowness of the roads, the presence of many dust roads, and the large number of participants, as they may be dangerous for the safety of the runners. Because of the abundance of tasting stations, any personal assistance is unnecessary.

The Race Director reserves the right to ban any racers or carts which seem dangerous to him for the safety of marathon; he doesn’t have to justify his decision.

Abandonment:

Any runner who wants to leave the race will have to go to an amateur radio spot which are located every 2kms next to all the drinks bars or next to the medical tents. A shuttle will take you back to the finish line.

Awards on arrival:

All entrants will be rewarded until 6:30 hours race.
This time is long enough to enjoy the marathon even for a beginner.

  • many drinks Supplies 
  • many wine tourism activities (optional) 
  • many music band animations 
  • many castles crossing;
  • Many tastings of gourmet food

ATTENTION:  FINISH LINE CLOSED AFTER 6:30 hours race.

NO REWARDS NOR AWARDS beyond this time limit (the 3 000 volunteers who manage this race will thank you about that ).

Bottles of wine as a reward on arrival are not to be consumed on site.

Awards:

At 4.00pm on Saturday 6th on the banks of Pauillac. The prizes will be given only to the runners who are in.

  • For the winner Male and Female : their weight of Medoc wines .
  • A case of fine Medoc wines for the winners of each category.
  • A case of Medoc wine to the first 3 Challenges : Chateaux and Company Challenges.
  • A large number of nicely dressed runners will be rewarded on the finish line by a case of a Medoc wine. 

Special Awards:

  • Wheelchair runners (separate ranking).
  • A challenge for Chateaux contest and for company sponsor contests by the addition of the 5 fastest times.
  • Women’s Challenge for Chateaux contest, for company sponsor contests and for laboratories contest on the basis of the 3 female fastest times.

Charity:

We provide an annual financial and logistical support to many charitable organizations present at the village show : child welfare, league against cancer, organ donation, transplant, etc..

Note: The organizers of the Medoc Marathon remind you that alcohol abuse is dangerous for health and invite you to consume with moderation.

 

 

‘try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.’

-william saroyan,

*american novelist, short story writer, playwright, pulitzer prize and academy award winner

 

 

—

source credits: a lady of leisure, forbes, food and wine magazine, mental floss, wiki

Sep4

two birds.

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Two Birds

M.C. Escher, Regular Division of the Plane (Birds) no. 18, India ink, pencil and watercolor, February 1938

About Two Birds

M.C. Escher created his iconic interlocking motif Two Birds in 1938, exploring how repeating, interlocking geometric shapes can fit together without any gaps. His fascination with interlocking figures began in 1922 when he visited the Alhambra, a 14th-century Moorish palace in Granada, Spain. He spent days sketching the complex, colorful tile mosaics that covered the walls and floors.

 Though the Moors avoided depicting living creatures due to religious tradition, Escher adapted their mathematical tile designs to feature recognizable animals like birds, fish, and reptiles.

Escher had no formal training in advanced mathematics, but he intuitively grasped geometric symmetry. By 1938, works like Two Birds and related prints such as Day and Night, marked his deep dive into tessellations – where a single bird shape serves as both the primary figure and the negative space outlining its counterpart. 

 —

‘mighty is geometry; joined with art, resistless.’

-Euripides

 

 

—

Source Credits: Artchive, Wiki Art, M.C Escher, The Graphic Work, Royal Publishing House

Sep3

tiny spaces in big places.

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on a visit to the university of michigan’s law library

walking through the arch to the quad

inside waits

the reading room

silent and beautiful 

downstairs

in the underground library

among all the many, many books

near the rare book room

happened upon

something i had never seen there 

tiny little rooms, each one unique, tucked away in the great big books

 a welcome quote and greeting

when taking a picture

  one of the librarians

came over

she had created

this delightful space

  took a very long time

to make each one

to bring a bit of joy

to all who found them

this tiny jewel

was such a treasure 

to discover

in these hallowed halls .

—

’embracing tiny living is embracing a life of adventure and meaning.’

-author unknown

 

 

 

 

 

—

image credit for first two big photos: university of michigan

image credit for the tiny places: me

ann arbor, mi, usa, 2026

Sep2

a quiet day.

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‘september is like a quiet day after a whole week of wind.’

*mildred walker

*mildred walker was(  1905 – 1998) was an American novelist who published 12 novels and was nominated for theNational Book Award.  She graduated from Wells College and the University of Michigan. She was a faculty member at Wells College from 1955 to 1968.

 

 

—

furstenberg park, ann arbor, mi, usa