Monthly Archives: December 2024

Dec21

A survivor’s story.

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‘Surviving Sue’ is a compelling memoir written by the daughter of an extremely dysfunctional family matriarch, Sue. Sue stormed through life, loud and bold, without boundaries, fueled by mental illness and substance abuse. Through all that she endured, the author/daughter, Vicki Atkinson, found her way through one extremely challenging situation after another, with compassion, strength, wisdom, and a survival instinct.
 
While managing life with her mother, Sue, and advocating for her disabled sister, Lisa, Vicky became a licensed therapist, married, had a child, and carried  on with her life as best she could. In spite of all she went through, Vicki came out the other end knowing that her mother Sue’s illness was not all that she was, she was also funny, an artist, and someone who loved to take on causes helping others. 
 
I would highly recommend this book to anyone as an engaging read, and a master class in resilience, strength, and compassion for the human condition. With a will and a way, great things can be overcome. This is a memoir you will not soon forget. 
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This book is available for purchase from: www.eckhartzpress.com/shop/surviving-sue/

Kindle version available on: Amazon.com

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”my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive;

and to do so with some passion, some compassion,
 
some humor, and some style.’
 
-maya angelou

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Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Consultant and author of “Surviving Sue”, Licensed Professional Counselor, Believer in People, Possibilities & Potential 😉

Vicki’s blog victoriaponders.com 

Vicki’s podcast sharingtheheartofthematter.com

Source credits: ‘Surviving Sue’ by Dr. Vicki Atkinson, published by: Eckhart Press, Chicago, IL, USA, July 2023

Dec20

pere noel.

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pere noel/father christmas,  by jan pashely

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it’s not long now, santa….

==

“not believe in santa claus! you might as well not believe in fairies!”

* francis p. church

* Francis Pharcellus Church was an American publisher and editor.

In 1897, Church wrote the editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”.

Dec19

who you are.

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so proud of my dear friend

breeda kelly miller

who had an idea 

that grew

into her one-woman play

‘Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home’

performed around the world

and

into a book by the same name

and

at long last

the airing of her play on *PBS this past monday.

where i had the pleasure of watching it on televsion with her

bravo, breeda kelly miller

your family would be so proud of you.

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‘we all have different gifts so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.’

-fred rogers

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Detroit PBS brings live theater back to TV Monday with “Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home.” True stories of an Irish immigrant, brought to life by her Michigan daughter. Join Breeda Miller and me at intermission and after. On TV or online locally at https://www.detroitpbs.org/live-tv/wtvs-hdtv/ — Mon. 12/16, 8:00pm ET
 
 
 
Dec18

weeds.

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‘raindrops on weeds in a broken wall’

*photo/edit credit: hollie jane wright

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i find this photo so stunning

it looks like beautiful italian glass

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‘weeds are nature’s graffiti.’

-j.l.w. brooks

 

Dec17

hair.

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 i love having kind of free spirit messy-ish hair

each day is a new hair adventure

but after spending the night at my daughter’s house

i woke up in the morning

with hair wayyyyyyyyy beyond 

the messy-ish look

looked around 

 found this spray

gave my hair a light mist

wondering what would happen next.

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“i like to walk around with bare feet and I don’t like to comb my hair.”

-beyonce knowles

 

 

 

Dec16

needles.

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 “oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, thy leaves are so doomed.”

– doug coupland

 

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poetry credit: brian bilston

Dec15

‘the great artist is the simplifier.’ vincent van gogh

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‘pere noel’

picasso created this when he was 78  years old

to give as a gift to his friends on christmas eve.

i really love this one. 

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Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Père Noël

signed, dated and dedicated

‘Picasso 24.12.59. pour Gilberte et Serge’ (upper left)

colored wax crayons on paper

19 ½ x 13 3/8 in. (49.5 x 34 cm.)

Drawn on 24 December 1959

Maya Widmaier-Picasso and Claude Picasso have confirmed the authenticity of this work.

Picasso gifted this work as a present to Gilberte Duclaud and Serge Chauby on Christmas Eve 1959.

Duclaud was the owner of Galerie 65 in Cannes, which held multiple exhibitions for the artist.

Sold at Christie’s in auction and now in a private collection, 1970.

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‘anybody with artisitc ambitions is always trying to reconnect with the way they saw things as a child.’

-tim burton, american film writer/director

 

Dec14

live!

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dinner at the irish pub
live music and dancing at ‘live’
for the infamous ann arbor happy hour (6:30-9:00)
musicians from the past back for another round
quite a contrast, quite a mix, quite fun
we’re not done yet.
 
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The New York Times
Screen grab of NYT article that sparked nationwide interest
in the “Ann Arbor Happy Hour” with the over-65 crowd.

Nationwide media attention is growing to unusual proportions over a story out of Ann Arbor.

It all started with a New York Times article about the over-65 crowd enjoying dancing and music at the city’s Live nightclub.

Since then, there have been requests for local interviews from NBC’s Access Hollywood, CBS’s Drew Barrymore Show, Vanity Fair, WGN in Chicago, by a documentarian who produces pieces for Netflix, and a reporter from our national network at NPR.

72 year-old Randy Tessier is a writing lecturer and a musician who organized the Ann Arbor Happy Hour at Live. He was even flabbergasted learning ABC’s Kelly and Ryan did a feature on them. “Kelly and Ryan? And I’m in the suburban homes where they’re eating Wheaties. Unbelievable!”

Since the New York Times article, Tessier says he’s even been contacted by U-M’s president, Santa Ono.

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‘to be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest.’

-pema chodrun

 

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source credits:  WEMU News , cathy shafran, nyt

Dec13

freeze frame.

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Previous winners from hair-freezing competition at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs / SWNS

Hot springs enthusiasts are hoping for Arctic temperatures in Canada so an annual hair-freezing contest can go forth later this winter. The yearly competition began in 2012, launched by a spa in the Yukon territory that has since produced some  hilarious pictures.

In the town of Whitehorse, a 10-hour drive from Juneau, Alaska, bathers dip into the naturally warmed waters at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs. If the outdoor temps are cold enough, people can make their hair freeze into wacky shapes.

Contest categories include best female and male, best group, best facial hair, and a people’s choice award, and every category winner receives a $2000 cash prize.

“We kick off the Hair Freezing contest as soon as the temperature drops to -20°C or lower,” said Satyam Jain, a spokesperson for The Hot Springs.

“We usually keep an eye on the forecast to see how long the cold temp will last and start the contest anytime between December and March.”

Their website includes instructions on how to freeze hair:

  1. Dip your head in the hot springs and wet your hair completely. Don’t worry- freezing your hair won’t damage it.
  2. Allow the cold air to slowly freeze your hair. Keep your ears warm by periodically dipping them into the hot water. Be patient–all wet hair will eventually freeze, this includes eyebrows and even eyelashes.
  3. Once your hair has become pure white with lots of frost and ice buildup, ring the bell near the pool entrance and have our staff come out to take your photo!

 


Everyone is hoping for a cold winter so the spa can continue their long run of contests and for more fun to be enjoyed by the visiting bathers.

 

 

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“a lot of people like snow. i find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.’

-carl reiner, american comedian/writer

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source credit: nice news

Dec12

biting off less than i can chew.

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i’ve always been drawn to miniature anything
my imagination is in awe of them
also find food art to be fascinating
the more kitschy, the better
this is kind of my perfect combo 
 tempted to give these a whirl
i wonder
how many mini bites of this cake it would take before i was full?
 
 
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‘a day is a miniature eternity.’
-ralph waldo emerson