beth and pam
sisters
room mates
best friends
suddenly
one
was gone
way too early
and
one
was left behind
way too early
and
still
missing the other
on her birthday
—
in french you don’t really say, “i miss you.”
you say, “tu me manques,” which is closer to
“you are missing from me.”
i love that.
“you are missing from me.”
you are a part of me.
yes, that is it.
– author unknown
just sittin’ on a dock on a bay this weekend
aussie joey f, sizes up the competition
—
“if you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it.”
– james a. garfield (american president -20)
every time
i see a parking meter
i think back
to my days
in grad school
it was a frenzied time
driving
everywhere
running
to classes
day and night
not sleeping much
running
to substitute teach
running
to student teach
running
to cater
running
to family events
running
to drive my daughter
back to college
ironically
we were university rivals
running
to interviews
and all that jazz
and
no money
and
no time
and so
parking
was not
on the radar
i was
always looking for a spot
close to class
in a hurry
playing the odds
parking
with construction crews
or
at almost expired meters
or
halfway in and halfway out
of legal street spots
and
tickets were piling up
until
one day
i came out
in between classes
and
my car was gone
i called the police
they said they had it
but
i had to
pay off all of my tickets
plus the new one
they had given me
before they towed it
to get it back
they had reached
their tipping point
i walked to the station
and got in line
with about 200 thousand or so
other students
paying off tickets
i waited patiently
i planned
when it was my turn
to tell them
that
i was a single mother
working 2 jobs
going to school
trying to balance everything
with no money
and
that i was doing all this
to follow my dream
and i hoped
they would grant me
compassionate dreamer’s amnesty
and call it even
but instead
they said
we’ll need 450$
cash or certified check
which seemed like a fortune
and so
i called my daughters
to come to the station
and
pick me up
and
take me
to ransom
my car back
and
this meant
ramen noodles
would be back too
and
my amnesty bubble was popped
but my dream was still intact
===
i was complimented on my driving today.
someone left a note on my windshield that said, ‘parking fine’
– author unknown
–
image credits: annarbor.com, neatorama.com, wsj.com
happy national banana lovers day!
august 27th
—
credits: reddit.com, tumblr.com, jack kerouac
it’s early
and mom
has headed off
for her first day ever
teaching school
so
peaches
is over
playing
with
babies j & b
and
already
all of the cans
are out
to make music
and bubbles
are
all over the kitchen
from making
bubble soup
and
cupcakes with sprinkles
and
goldfish crackers
are for breakfast
and it’s not even
time for our
tie-dye
adventure
yet
hopefully
mom’s home a bit late
for
it’s a cat in the hat kind of day
in the house
—
—
credit: ‘the cat in the hat’ – dr. seuss
a ticket
to watch
the detroit lions
play
a
pre-season
football game
the score
has no meaning
like watching
kids run around with a ball
gentle
careful
not to play too hard
no one wants to get hurt
and
a walk outside
after the game
leads to
a free front row seat
right on the curb
best seat in the city
on a warm and breezy
summer night
live music
fills the air
you listen
as our hometown boy
eminem
and his friend
rhianna
sing their hearts out
outside
right across the street
only 50 feet away
where
the detroit tigers
play baseball
fireworks go off
great music booms through the air
clear as a bell
bikes
that light up like magic
glide on by
and
fans of all kinds
music
and
football
and
those who just love detroit
all
together
running
and
dancing
and
talking
and
smiling
in the street
and
happy police
stand by
and
take it all in
a great feeling
fills the street
and overflows
as all paths cross
and
worlds collide
into
a perfect night
—
between two worlds life hovers like a star,
twixt night and morn, upon the horizon’s verge.
– lord byron
my dear friend carol
who is always full of surprises
has had a demolition derby car named after her
i think that is perfect
and a fine honor, indeed.
we began as a mixed group
of teachers and parents
and
became friends
stayed friends
formed
a book club
had
passionate discussions
about books
but
over time
it became
challenging
to get
everyone
in one place
on a regular basis
for hours at a time
on the same night
so
one day
we had an idea
and
decided
to meet
after work on fridays
at the end of each week
late in the afternoon
just for a bit
on a drop-in basis
whoever could make it was welecome
and we
talked about
books, life, family, loves, our news, the world
and we
listened
to each other
and
asked and answered questions
about things
in our lives
that made us happy
or
that made us sad
or
that we didn’t understand
or just
needed
to tell someone
and
wanted
the perspective
of others
we trusted
as we
shared our personal stories
and we
celebrated each other’s lives
and we all made a point
of being there
on a regular basis
and sometimes
husbands
kids
dates
visitors
popped in
and out
and soon
the books fell away
and
we met
just to
spend time together
so
one day
i had an idea
and
i gave us a name
on a shirt
as a christmas present
*h2.e.l.p.
*(happy hour extra large print)
book club
of ann arbor
and to
make it official
and it seemed
just the right name
for us
for more than one reason
and
a couple of times
each year
we kick it up a notch
when
we go
on an
overnight adventure
to a local hotel
or a cottage on a lake
where it feels
so far away from it all
yet
they’re
just
a
few miles away
no husbands
no kids
no dates
no visitors
and
we stay up
most of the night
with food and drink
and music
sharing our stories
and
our own
good company
and
sometimes
we sneak into the pool or take a dip in the lake
for some
late night swimming
and play games
and
all sorts
of
other antics
and merry-making
happen
it’s a slumber party
of the highest order
after all
and
i may even suggest
that we
read a book
one day soon
one that
that has it all
romance, mystery, action and adventure, travel, suspense, humor, friendship
and no vampires
it’s one of my favorites
and
it’s sure to
inspire a passionate discussion
about its surprise ending
—
“the first rule of book club – is that nobody wants to talk about book club.”
― douglas lewis
I didn't have my glasses on.... 