you never know who you’ll encounter in the neighborhood,
that’s what makes it so interesting
wonder what he thinks of us?
—
“and the moral for dinosaurs is: lock the back door!”
―
May31
dino-mite!
Monthly Archives: May 2020
May30
empathy.
—
image credit: d. desky
May29
today is…
(not my actual class, but what they might look like
if they weren’t preschool students
if it was back in the day
and
if they were leaving an actual school building)
HAPPY LAST DAY TO ONE AND ALL, LOVE YOUR TEACHER – WE MADE IT, AND I SALUTE YOU!
—
“today is the first and last day of forever.”
-stephenie meyer
—
image credit: ann arbor district library archives
May28
keep the heart touchable.
doing virtual early childhood parent-teacher conferences online
did not feel natural
but i give parents so much credit
some went to elaborate lengths
to find a space and time
where their child wouldn’t find them
so we could openly talk
and share stories
about how their child
touched our hearts this year
we talked to parents
in a closet, in a basement, up in an attic room,
and those who sent their child off on an errand
some waited until their child was asleep at night
but one thing was the same
this was a wonderful group of supportive, think-on-their-feet parents
who kept our connection with their children going
even from a distance
as we all navigated our way through this uncharted territory
and we were so lucky to have them as our teaching and learning partners this year.
—
“in a world where the great technologies enable us to record, replay, cut and paste, zoom in, and delete –
listening is the crucial commitment to keep the heart touchable.”
-mark nepo
—
photo credit: bored panda
May27
music amongst the trees.
a new garden begins
in the first spring
spent at my home
first things first
a door is decorated
tiny flowers are planted
shells and stones and treasures and glittery things
are scattered
leaving room for more to come
the fairies are welcome
to visit and stay at their leisure
i’ll listen very quietly.
- “there is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.”
-minnie aumonier
May26
banjo.
met this musician
while out on a walk
playing
just to make people feel better
music and compassion
flowed from him.
—
“the banjo is truly an american instrument,
and it captures something about our past.”
-steve martin
May25
remembering on memorial day.
thank you.
“since it is not granted to us to live long,
let us transmit to posterity some memorial that we have at least lived.”
e. joseph cossman
—
image credit: pngitem.com
May24
no control.
it is highly likey that someone lost control of their remote control.
i can only imagine the story.
—
“why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery’s dead?”
-steven wright
May23
grass roots.
detroit mower gang – these volunteers compete to maintain detroit’s old parks
As small budgets and bureaucracy leave playgrounds and parks uncared for in Detroit, a group of twenty-five volunteers known as the Detroit Mower Gang is taking matters into their own hands.
This past weekend, volunteer lawnmowers competed for a championship belt awarded to the person who cuts the most grass during their 12-hour Motown Mowdown. They kicked off at Hammerberg Playfield, an un-owned park on Detroit’s west side, tackling the overgrown lawn, repairing swing sets for the neighborhood before splitting up to cleanup 10 other abandoned playgrounds in the city.
“No one owns this particular park, it just fell through the cracks,” said Tom Nardone, 50, of Birmingham, who started the Detroit Mower Gang in 2009. “We just try to keep it alive. … Without a group, you couldn’t mow this park with a mower in a couple of days.”
A decade ago, Nardone bought a lawn tractor off Craigslist and took it to a park on Interstate 75 and Eight Mile Road. He started a Facebook group to find others who could join the project and eventually, it turned into a mower gang, he said. “When the city was getting close to filing for bankruptcy there were more than 300 parks in Detroit and the city said it could only care for 72.”
Last year, the founders formed a nonprofit called Enemies of Debris and also host trash fishing, where the same group pulls trash out of the Detroit River. The group said there have been fewer lots scouted each year because the city is catching up to them. “We hope they put us out of business,” Nardone said laughing. “We could start a bowling league or something.”
—
“i like the grass roots people the most.”
-doug ford
—
credits: optimist daily, detroitnews.com – sarah rahal, max ortiz – photo
May22
high tide.
after
a lot, a lot, a lot
of rain
the river rose high
up and over
paths washed out
nice to intersect
where the land met the water
with this very happy dad
following his wife and son
in kayaks
making their way
through what was very recently
a grassy playground
on island park
paddling through to the river
“ever think you’d find yourself paddling here?”
“no, but i’m so, so happy that i am!”
—
“celebrate the success of others. high tide floats all ships.”
-susan elizabeth phillips
I didn't have my glasses on.... 