Dad’s 1972 commencement address to Ithaca College graduates
(shared by Anne C. Serling)
May28
beyond this point.
May27
night rain.
Kasamatsu Shirō (Japanese, 1898–1991)
“Night Rain at Shinobazu Pond”, 1938, Woodblock Print
—
‘rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth without rain, there would be no life.’
-john updike
—
Shiro Kasamatsu (笠松 紫浪, Kasamatsu Shirō; was a Japanese engraver and print maker trained in the Shin-Janga and Sosaku-Hanga styles of woodblock printing.
Kasamatsu was born in Tokyo in 1898 and apprenticed at the age of 13 to Kaburagi Kivokata , a traditional master of Bijin-ga, pictures of beautiful women. Kasamatsu however took an interest in landscape and was given the pseudonym Shiro by his teacher, which he used as a signature mark in his prints. Kasamatsu exhibited his paintings in government sponsored juried exhibitions. He completed his first woodblock prints in 1919 for Shozaburo Watanabe after the publisher saw his paintings on exhibit. Almost all the woodblocks were destroyed in a fire in Watanabe’s print shop following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Around 50 prints were published by Watanabe by the late 1940s. Kasamatsu began to partner with Unsodo in Kyoto in the 1950s and produced over 100 prints by 1960. He also began to print and publish on his own Sosaku-Hanga style and produced nearly 80 prints between 1955 and 1965.
May26
one of these things…
snoopy, human organ, snoopy…
—
“one of these things is not like the others. one of these things just doesn’t belong.”
–Sesame Street
May25
we will remember them.
thank you for your service and sacrifice
on memorial day and every day
—
text credit: excerpt from the fourth stanza of Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem, “For the Fallen”, known as the “Ode of Remembrance,” frequently used to honor those who gave their lives in service.
image credit: facebook
May24
we have a job for colbert in michigan.
for those worrying about what colbert will do next
michigan has the answer:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18dQPxPB1z
let’s go, colbert!
—
‘confidence is not, ‘they will like me’.
confidence instead is, ‘i’ll be fine if they don’t’.
-christina grimmie
—
Before Stephen Colbert made his debut on “Late Night” in 2015, he stopped by Monroe, Michigan, where he interviewed Eminem on the Monroe public TV show “Only in Monroe.”
During his final show on CBS on Thursday, Colbert alluded to that when he said, “Tonight is our final broadcast from the Ed Sullivan Theater. We were lucky enough to be here for the last 11 years, all right? Can’t take this for granted, though technically our first show in July of 2015 was from a public access station in Monroe, Michigan for an audience of 12 people.”
Well, on Friday, he returned to Monroe, according to LateNighter, where he hosted “Only in Monroe” once again.
This time, he was joined by Jack White and Jeff Daniels.
May23
family in flagstaff.
sharing treasures
blue squishy sparkly frog
tiny treasure chest
filled with coins and ‘jewels’
longtime town favorite hangout
meeting place
one dollar gelato night
most of the town showed up
swinging on the urban trail
relaxing at the end of a long day
—
towering ponderosa pines, mountain town charm, starry skies,
active outdoor lifestyle, hight altitude mountain air
flagstaff family found there
—
flagstaff, arizona, usa – may 2026
—
flagstaff, arizona, usa – may 2026
May22
flagstaff.
where route 66 took us
downtown full of color
day and night
along the way with cloud shadows on the hills
—
‘have gone to flagstaff. be back on monday.’
Vacation (1983), warner brothers film
—
flagstaff, arizona, usa, may 2026
May20
Loretto.
the original staircase
the current stairs
the story
The Loretto Chapel’s miraculous spiral staircase in Santa Fe
The Loretto Chapel is a former Roman Catholic Church in Sante Fe, New Mexico that is now a privately owned museum and wedding chapel. It’s known for its spiral staircase the “ Miraculous Stair”, which rises 20 feet while making two full turns, all without support of a break or central pole…it’s held together by wooden pegs, no glue, nails or other hardware…33 stairs, noted to be the age of Christ at the time of his death. Built between 1877-1881. (story has it a mysterious stranger appeared, built the staircase and then disappeared without collecting pay, the Sisters of Loretto believed the mysterious builder was Saint Joseph himself)….railings were added in 1887.
the legend
the model
—
the link to the Loretto chapel and the stairs’ history:
—
“the difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible Is what takes a little longer.’
-fridtjof nansen
—
source credits: Loretto Chapel
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA – May 2026
May19
folk.
one of my favorite museums ever
Urania Proscenium No. 11, a 19th-century German toy theater, Joseph Scholz of Mainz.
this vibrant hooked rug, crafted by artist Celso Gallegos, late 1920s or early 1930s.
he rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.
Monica Canilao, Teotilian del Vallek. Oaxaca, Mexicto, 1960
Sculpture titled “Ms. Utopia” by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE,
featuring a mannequin dressed in Dutch wax cotton textile, 2013
pinata near the offices, artist unknown
quilt titled Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free: Fannie Lou Hamer (2024) by artist Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi. The quilt honors Fannie Lou Hamer, a prominent civil rights activist and community organizer who championed voting rights.
This blue and white ceramic vessel is a work by Los Angeles-based artist Elyse Pignolet, often featured in exhibitions exploring contemporary female experiences. The piece is part of a body of work that utilizes traditional ceramic techniques—specifically blue and white glaze reminiscent of historical European pottery—to subvert expectations.
papier-mâché sculpturen created by artist Roberto Benavidez.
part of an exhibition titled “Truths Be Told”
from the Ray Neutrogena collection
vibrant hooked rug crafted by artist Celso Gallegos in the late 1920s or early 1930s
- The rug features a central tree form surrounded by various native animals.
museum guests of all ages were invited to stitch with museum materials
,
folk art is handmade, utilitarian or decorative objects, created by everday, often self-taught artists with a specific cultural community. instead of following formal academic rules, it relies on deeply-rooted community traditions,
preserving cultural heritage, history, and daily life through generations.
—
—
‘from our first babblings to our last word, we make but one statement, and that is our life.’
-richard paul evans
—
source credits:
museum of iunternatiuonal folk art, santa fe, new mexico, u.s.a – may, 2026
May19
curating joy.
doodlet’s
the most whimsical, charming store i have ever entered
filled from store to ceiling
and everywhere in between
with nothing but pure joy
in s small, yet lovely space
it took us over two hours
to walk through
look and touch everything
choose our treasures
“we cannot cure the world of sorrows but we can choose to live in joy.”
-joseph campbell
—
new mexico, usa – may 2026
I didn't have my glasses on.... 