how lucky am i to find this downtown, on a walk on a beautiful day?
—
“i’m well aware. a world without rainbow sprinkles is a world without happiness.”
-l.m. augustine
Apr20
Monthly Archives: April 2023
Apr19
*fork over.
why is it
that within 5 seconds and 2 steps
when carrying a plate with a fork on it
that the fork somehow slams to the ground
even when i’m focused, keeping the plate level, moving at a normal pace
is it math? science? is my body always a just a bit a-kilter?
—
*in reading about what dropping a fork means, all i that i can find are superstitions.
after looking at superstitions from around the globe, from a variety of cultures, both historical and current
many disagree about what will happen when you drop a fork
but they seem to be narrowed down to three major things that will happen soon:
good news, bad news, or love.
this explains a lot of my life.,
but why the fork falls remains a mystery.
—
“if they drop a fork, you give them another one”
– from ‘caddyshack’
Apr18
booties.
Adjustable Cat Anti-Scratch Shoes,
Anti-Scratch Cat Feet Claw Covers
—
just a guess,
but i’m thinking
this was not
thoroughly thought through
market tested
or
focus grouped
and may not go well.
—
“nothing dies harder than a bad idea.”
-julia cameron
—
source credit: mingott pet
Apr17
tangled cord.
not us, but what we might look like if we were minions,
as we share a similar level of excitement about being at the movies
—
how fun to meet my friend
at 10am at the theater
like skipping school
on a sunday morning
attending the church of film
i bought a coffee
snuck in my breakfast bar
as we walked in
i saw an older couple
and reacted by saying,
“wow, there are other people here!”
their response was to just stare ahead
we continued on to our seats
5 or 6 more people arrived
while we waited for the movie to start
my friend and i caught up
we started bonding with the others near us
talking about how good we all hoped movie would be
how it was funny we were all at such an early movie
talking about the trailers
someone noticed
there was no audio during the movie trailers
thinking it would be taken care of
by the time the film started
we were all in our comfortable recliners
with our snacks, chatting, and feeling a bit decadent
when we realized the audio may never happen
the manager walked in
telling us there was an issue with the sound
something technical…
(try unplugging and plugging it in?))
no one to fix it at 10am on a sunday morning
how quickly the air was let out of our giddy balloon
we lined up still chatting as she refunded us
some walked out with a sunday breakfast of popcorn and drinks
plans suddenly turned
but it was fun while it lasted
and we’ll be back.
—
“just a single cord is enough to be tangled”
-munia kahn
—
image credit: universal pictures
Apr16
no mow.
(landscaper waiting patiently)
—
the city has introduced an initiative
asking residents
to let their lawns and parks
grow to one foot tall before mowing
to benefit the struggling pollinator population
the landscapers are standing down.
—
“the grass is always greener once you don’t have to mow a lawn anymore.”
r.k. milholland
Apr15
homesteading.
Michigan man searches for answers after ‘couple’ takes over custom mailbox
Don Powell opened his mailbox one day last August and found, along with the usual mix of bills and pizza coupons, two small dolls sitting on a miniature couch near a tiny table, along with a note: “We’ve decided to live here. Mary and Shelley.”
He first thought the wooden figurines – a man and a woman – were put in his mailbox by mistake. He wondered if someone in the neighborhood was playing a joke. “I went around to the other homes on the cul-de-sac to see if anyone else had gotten dolls in their mailbox,” he said. “No one had.”
After moving into his home with his wife 5 years ago, he ordered a custom mailbox designed to look like their Powell’s home. While it is against the law for someone other than the mailbox owner and the mail carrier to put items in a mailbox, Powell could see why a doll family might want to move in.
He was amused, but his first thought was to evict the couple and their belongings into the garbage can. But then, struck by a change of heart, he pushed the couple and their belongings to the back of the mailbox and went about his business.
That was just the beginning of the story. Soon after, someone dropped off a dog for the couple living in the mailbox, along with a rug and even some art for the wall. Then came a four-poster bed.
“I thought, ‘OK, someone is really playing a joke on me,’” Powell said, admitting that by this time he was enamored by the situation and wanted to have some fun with it. “I didn’t think it was my neighbors.”
He went on Nextdoor, and asked whether anyone would fess up and admit they put Mary and Shelley in his mailbox, or if they knew who did. No one came forward, so he posted again, joking that he’d contacted the police and asked them to do extra patrols of his mailbox.
“The whole thing got rather whimsical,” he said. “I have a quirky sense of humor.”
When Halloween rolled around, Mary and Shelley were mysteriously replaced by two dolls in skeleton costumes. Around Christmas, Mary and Shelley reappeared with miniature-sized gifts for their mailbox home. Powell took pictures and documented it all on Nextdoor.
“The response (on Nextdoor) was just incredible,” he said. “People were saying, ‘This is so much fun to read, I was ready to get off of Nextdoor, but this makes me want to stay.’”
Many posters, he said, were leaving comments and sending Powell messages asking for the next installment.
At some point, a second mystery note appeared, claiming the Mary and Shelley dolls formerly lived in a two-story Dutch-style doll house, but had decided Powell’s mailbox house was more accommodating for their cousin Shirley – a third figurine with a broken leg – who sometimes visited the couple.
“Then, after the ice storm, I did a post that said the family was locked in the mailbox and couldn’t get out,” Powell said. “Somebody asked if they lost power, I said ‘No, they don’t have power to begin with, but they do have a wood burning stove and were working from home.’”
In the beginning, Powell said, he was worried the mail carrier would stop delivering the mail. Given the large size of the mailbox, space has not been an issue.
Powell said no new furniture or other items have arrived in the last month or so. Still, at this point, he’s not sure he’s ready to learn the true identity of the person who brought Mary and Shelley into his life.
“I’m kind of enjoying the mystery,” he said. “I look forward to new things being added to the mailbox.”
The author of numerous health-related books, Powell says the experience has given him a new idea.
“I am thinking, given the reaction (on Nextdoor), of writing a children’s book,” he said. “I think it creates a novel story.”
—
“everything in life is unusual until you become accustomed to it.
-l. frank baum
—
credits: Laura Colvin, lcolvin@hometownlife.com
Apr14
passport.
so this happened today-
—
“the three most important documents a free society gives are a birth certificate, a passport, and a library card.”
-e.l. doctorow
Apr12
discovery shopping.
(not me, but a baby who shops with my same level of fervor as she fills her cart)
i love the adventure of shopping at t.j. maxx
walking in, not knowing what kind of treasure i’ll find
one can never enter
looking for a particular thing or size
you have to keep an open mind
be willing to discover as you go
i don’t enjoy regular shopping
but this
is almost a sport
a discovery scavenger hunt
going up and down the aisles
filling my cart
with all kinds of things i didn’t know that i needed
or that they even existed
like the stuffed duck with four legs
the vintage style pink baby reindeer with white snow glitter
and a pinecone falling off of it
a very soft blanket with woodland creatures and plants
a sweater that is my exact favorite shade of green
the thai chili and lime bath soap
i cannot believe that no one bought these treasures before i arrived
it’s all a matter of luck and timing!
—
“a discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind.”
-albert szent gyorgyi
Apr11
squirrely.
*National Park Service warning that begins,
“Most squirrel bites originate at the front, or “bite-y end,” of the squirrel.”
Most? Yeah, most. Wanna fight about it? In general, it’s best not to be in contact with any part of a wild animal.
Let’s be honest, squirrels can be cute and fluffy (if not friend, why friend shaped?) therefore, people don’t usually mind them getting too close. But cuteness fades when a squirrel bites your hand, steals your car keys, and floors it out of the park with all your food in tow. Um, was Grandma in the car?
We kid about the keys and driving, (that’d be nuts), but squirrel bites really can happen at parks. Best to keep hands and fingers away from bitey ends. Feeding human food to any wildlife is bad for them and makes them fearless and potentially aggressive.
In conclusion, squirrels may not know better, but YOU do. Although it may feel flattering, (well, aren’t you the animal whisperer) if any kind of wildlife approaches you, back away and maintain that safe distance. It’s your responsibility and your safety —help us keep wildlife wild. Has anyone seen our car keys?
*i’m such a fan of the national park service’s humorous approach to warning the public about the creatures in their parks. humans need reminders from time to time.
—
“this town is infested with squirrels, have you noticed?”
“i’d rather say it’s rich with squirrels.”
― e
I didn't have my glasses on.... 