beginning our parent teacher conferences
ready to share stories, laugh, chat with families,
at some point
voices grew crackly,
coffee and lots of water became important
leaving at the end, very quietly walking to our cars.
happy families and most of our voices left behind.
what exactly happened?
i’m quite sure that it all started out quite fun.
if only whistles could talk.
—
“every time you blow the whistle, half the people are going to be mad at you.”
-ken cuccinelli
Life finds a way : when nature reclaims space. -BBC Science
WELCOME NOVEMBER…
There is something about November that says ‘keep going’.
We are not quite through the year, yet the finish-line looms.
We are plunged into darkness by Mother Nature.
We are faced with the ‘season of joy’,
and yet many of us wonder where we will find it.
And I think November is a great time to take a little peek behind you,
and see just how much you’ve done.
To take stock of your achievements, your endurance,
your survival.
To rest, reinforce, before the festivities envelope us all.
Before beautiful new beginnings.
And most importantly, November is a time to seek out light.
As the natural order darkens, we must find it ourselves.
We must do whatever we can to brighten our day,
our home, the world.
Seek out light wherever you can my friends,
and pay no heed to those who condemn your sparkle.
You are much-needed.
Keep showing up, in that special way only you can do.
And show up for yourself too
(which can sometimes mean not showing up at all).
This year has been hard.
Again.
But beautiful.
Again.
As is the way of life.
As is the way of life.
-Donna Ashworth
—
art credit: arthur rackham, british children’s literature illustrator, fall fairies from peter pan, 1906
made a quick stop into a local shop
to grab a couple of bottles of wine for gifts
on my way to the checkout line
there was a food sample display
with small broken pieces of ghiradelli chocolate for tasting
i popped one into my mouth
started chewing
but quickly stopped
when i remembered
i had invisalign on my teeth
so i swallowed what was left of it
assuming it would melt
but instead
it got somewhat stuck in my throat
i started coughing while in line
still not melting
still coughing
somehow i said ‘water’
the checkout person
pointed and said , “run to the drinking fountain!”
so i took off
got a drink
some of the water went down
but still not melting or moving
thought i was going to have to be heimlich-ed
yet again no melting or moving
then somehow it finally made it’s way down
walked back to the counter
cashier told me that some people have that reaction to chocolate
but my issue was that i had popped it into my mouth without a thought
and it quickly went downhill (for a bit, but not downhill enough) from there
finally i emerged from the store with the wine and no chocolate
decided that i should probably think about my chocolate
and not automatically start eating it anytime it is offered
but chocolate does that to a person
it just draws you in.
—
“your hand and your mouth agreed many years ago that,
as far as chocolate is concerned,
there is no need to involve your brain.’
-dave barry
and here we go,
with daylight saving time changing its mind once again.
—
“time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.”
– faith baldwin
—
image credit: etsy vintage
89th annual Mud Bowl
It’s another home game in the Big House today for the Michigan Wolverines, but meanwhile on campus, this happens first:
Started in 1932, the annual Mud Football Bowl takes place during Fall Rush homecoming in the natural kettle hole on the side of the old SAE frathouse, which the Ann Arbor fire department fills with 10,000 gallons of water. The party is now thrown by the Michigan Mudbowl Club and all proceeds benefit the UM Mott Children’s Hospital and many, many turn out to cheer them on and celebrate.
—
“there is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.”
-carl sandburg
—
credits: university of michigan, sae, ann arbor townies
“to live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.”
-thomas campbell, author
walking around
on halloween night
cold
with a bit of snow flying
coming upon
a briliant idea
a very large pumpkin
transformed into a driveway bonfire
trick or treaters
chilled to the bone
gathered ’round
like moths to the flame.
—
“fire is our first form of technology.”
-ridley scott
when i woke up on halloween morning
and finally, finally, i am a pinata
even cocoa the sweet dog joined in the fun
no candy in here
but luckily my kind colleagues
were the candy to my pinata.
“i feel like a human pinata. the disappointing thing is, no candy is going to spill out.”
-katie couric
I didn't have my glasses on.... 