one of the marathoners must have lost a shoe along the way
—
‘a shoe is just a shoe until someone steps in it.
the reason I buy a special shoe for my marathon
is not because it’s going to turn me into an elite runner.
the reason is that when I step into this shoe,
it signals the depth of meaning I’m putting into the moment.
better said, this shoe is like a fitness tuxedo.’
-quotes from the movie, ‘Air’
-quotes from The Office, NBC TV
—
beckley park, ann arbor, mi, usa – summer 2025
together, the two Michigan companies have created some unusual flavors
it’s the creamy, refreshing collaboration you never knew you needed
On top of the three Better Made snack flavors below, Browndog has added to its Faygo partnership with Faygo Root Beer Float ice cream, in addition to its lineup of a half dozen other Faygo flavors.
“This isn’t just ice cream, it’s Detroit in a scoop.” said Paul Gabriel, Co-Founder of Browndog Creamery. “We’re honored to team up with two hometown icons to bring you something bold, unexpected, and ridiculously delicious.”
The three Better Made Browndog flavors are:
—
‘my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate.’
-thornton wilder
*Thornton Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, for the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and for the plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a U.S. National Book Award for the novel The Eighth Day.
—
source and photo credits: mlive.com, edward pevos, bettermade, faygo, browndog creamery
“Soul” by Ugo Rondinone, 2013
“Stick-to-itiveness” is now included in the dictionary. It’s about perseverance — whether we’re born with it or learn it. It’s about continuing to show up and doing what matters, even when you don’t feel like it, and especially when the world is yelling that you don’t matter, that you’re crazy, that who you think you are and what you have to say doesn’t matter. I’ve been thinking a lot about what matters and why I care so much when someone feels what I think doesn’t matter. Why do we keep having to learn, again and again, that we get to choose what we care about? Today, as I listened to Erin Brockovich tell her story, I was reminded that thinking differently is beautiful, and whatever we think, feel, and care about is valid and matters. It is our responsibility to amplify what we care about. There is no special reward for conformity of thought or action, but there is an internal reward for expressing the uniqueness of who we are.
Ugo Rondinone made a series of stone figures in a variety of sizes for his exhibition Soul in 2013. Each one is different, but they have a visual uniformity, as if they’re all from the same humanity. When you look closely, though, their heads sit slightly differently on their bodies, their legs are longer or shorter, their torsos are thin or thick. They are us. And we are them.
-Heidi Zuckerman, CEO and director of the Orange County Museum of Art and author of Why Art Matters: The Bearable Lightness of Being.
—
Installation view, Ugo Rondinone, soul, Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Maag Areal, Zurich, 2013. Courtesy of the artist.
Photo: Stefan Altenburger
tiny bird builds her tiny nest, tiny piece by tiny piece
—
when the world feels heavy
keep going
help someone
make baby steps
do what you can
take little actions
share your thoughts
do small kindnesses
notice hidden beauties
in places you do not expect
it will make all the difference.
—
Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid.
(Little by little, the bird makes its nest.)
this lovely french expression reminds us that big results come from consistent, small actions.
— THE PARIS LESSONS
—
photo credit: rufous hummingbird by penny hall/Birdshare
out walking in my neighborhood
when the 100+ degree day
finally cools down
seeing people out
doing what it’s too hot to do
under the blazing sun of the day
as dusk falls
gardeners are digging
pets are walking
people are strolling
neighbors are talking
fireflies are flashing
the town is quietly abuzz.
—
‘life is like butter, when it cools down, it can be reshaped.’
-alan sheinwald
peace drawing – h.k., age 5
—
“peace is the only battle worth waging.”
— Albert Camus, France, 1913–1960
*Albert Camus was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist.
He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history.
capturing
that very last second
as the sun slips
over the trees
floating on a boat
laying back
looking up
as day turns to night
soon
sky to stars
hot day to breeze
water lapping
so very slowly
sleep tempting
quiet calling.
—
‘there is absolutely no reason for bring rushed along with the rush.
everybody should be free to go slow.’
-robert frost
—
irish hills, mi, usa, june 2025
on the first day of summer and make music day –
when music and summer are one.
–
Make Music Day is a free celebration of music around the world on June 21st. Launched in 1982 in France as the Fête de la Musique, it is now held on the same day in more than 1,000 cities in 120 countries. Make Music returns to Ann Arbor for another wonderful day of music in 2025.
Completely different from a typical music festival, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part. Every kind of musician — young and old, amateur and professional, of every musical persuasion — pours onto streets, parks, plazas, and porches to share their music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. All of it is free and open to the public.
—
“in summer, the song sings itself.”
― William Carlos Williams
I didn't have my glasses on.... 