Monthly Archives: August 2025

Aug21

collectives.

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Chesterfield Library, Chesterfield, Massachusetts

—
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR LIBRARIANS
A group of librarians is called a cardigan.

A collection of empty chairs is called an author reading.

A collection of Eric Carle books covered in spit-up is called a storytime.

A group of exhausted mothers covered in spit-up is also called a storytime.

A cluster of teens reading quietly is called a mystery.

A pile of books gathering dust is called a hold shelf.

A handful of change is called a budget.

A stack of books on a nightstand is called a magical thinking.

A group of people who only remember “the cover was blue” is called a patron.

A plastic prize tub of stickers is called a summer reading program.

A collection of missing pieces is called a community jigsaw.

A group of retirees is called a Scrabble night.

A shelf of books in alphabetical order is called a miracle.

A group of shushing librarians is called a cliché.

A group of underfunded libraries is called a tragedy.

by Sally Miller

 

 

 

—

Source: McSWEENEY’S

 

Aug20

music connects people.

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went to my grandson’s (a born entertainer), arts camp

 in a beautiful northern michigan location

to pick him up and to see his choir performance

where some of their rehearsals even took place in the woods

it was a wonderful experience for him for many reasons

new friends, no electronics, learning to play piano, sing new music

time away from home, tell stories, eat camp  food, have new adventures

at the camp performance

my daughter noticed

that grandson j, and his longtime friend, also j

were singing in much the same positions

where they had performed

at a school concert

where they first met seven years ago

so wonderful they are still friends and still love music.

—

‘the true beauty of music that it connects people.

it carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.’

-roy ayers

*Roy Ayers Jr. was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Hw began his career as a jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 70s, during which he helped to pioneer jazz-funk.

—

blue lake fine arts camp, twin lakes, michigan, usa – summer 2025

Aug19

savoring.

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fresh offerings at the Ann Arbor farmer’s market

on world photography day

—

“taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” 

― marc riboud

 

Marc Riboud (1923 – 2016) was active in the French resistance as a young man during World War II, later studied engineering, and became a French photographer, best known for his extensive reports on the Far East.

Aug18

conching out.

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can blowing a conch shell help alleviate sleep apnea? science says possibly.

Sleep aids come in all shapes and sizes — from gummies and pills to masks and machines. Now, researchers are eyeing a surprising new technique to help the millions living with sleep apnea worldwide: blowing into a conch shell.
​
In a recent study of 30 adults with moderate obstructive sleep apnea, about half of participants were taught to blow a conch shell (also known as shankh blowing in Hindu cultures), while the rest practiced deep breathing exercises. Six months later, those who practiced conch blowing were 34% less sleepy during the day and had an average of 4-5 fewer apnea events per hour during sleep. This group’s blood oxygen levels during the night also improved, which is notable as obstructive sleep apnea is typically associated with decreased blood oxygen levels due to repeated breathing interruptions.
​
While more research is needed, the surprising treatment could be a promising alternative for those who are unable to access CPAP machines or find them uncomfortable. Lead researcher Krishna K. Sharma said in a statement, “Shankh blowing is a simple, low-cost breathing technique that could help improve sleep and reduce symptoms without the need for machines or medication.”

*one personal note: a possible downside- your conch-shell noisemaking may cause everyone else in the house to stay awake much longer

—

“natives of the florida keys often refer to themselves as Conchs,

and for good reason: they have been drinking.”

-dave barry, ‘best state ever: a florida man defends his homeland’

—

source credits: tobi thomas, the guardian, photot: alex pena andalou agency

Aug17

burrito cat.

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(none of these burritos are Pete the Cat. but similar in wrapping style)

photo credit: best friends animals rescue

—

Pete the Cat

has had three vet visits in the last few months

the doc has been treating him

for an ongoing issue with a couple of teeth

hoping it would clear up

 yesterday was the last straw for him

when I went to put him inthe carrier

sprinkled a bit of catnip in there

used a laser pointer

gave him a couple of drops of rescue remedy

tried zipping it up after luring him in

he realized it was an ambush

he popped up and shot out like a rocket

ran upstairs

hiding under a bed

olive sat on the couch just watching it all go down

I called the vet to say we’d be late

got him out from under the bed

closed doors to all the other rooms

got a small towel to wrap his front paws

tried to hold on to him

it turned into wrestlmania

 I was definitely losing

I was sweating

no idea what happened to my ‘wrapping towel’

olive was still quietly watching

we were in a battle of the wills

plus Pete has 4 paws and claws

finally

I was able to get ahold of him

 somehow got him in the carrier

I think I lost a pound in our match

went to the vet

 she showed me

how to wrap him in a big towel like a burrito

(a purrito?)

after she was finished with him

Pete walked right back into his carrier

(really!?)

he will need two more appointments

I’m going to have to practice on a stuffed animal

train for our next match

I think we both will need a few drops of rescue remedy

I may have backup standing by

he’s on to me now.

—

‘man just went past with a cat on his head.’

-Terry Pratchett, author

Aug16

framed.

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walking over a bridge in the park

i glimpse a slice of life beyond

centered

in a natural frame

—

‘bridges become frames for looking at the world around us.’

-bruce jackson

 

*Bruce Jackson is an American folklorist, documentary filmmaker, writer, photographer. he is SUNY Distinguished Professor and the James Agee Professor of American Culture at the UB. Jackson has edited or authored more than 30 books.

 

—

argo park, Ann Arbor, michigan, usa, summer 2025

Aug15

superior service.

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while recently at my friend’s lake house

we made this beautiful puzzle

of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

 she purchased during her recent visit to the northern regions

 beautifully made of wood, precision cut, and challenging

but together we managed to complete the puzzle

except

for one piece

that I tried to jam in

 I broke it

our ‘gluer’ didn’t put it back together quite right

so we accepted that it was finished without it

but I felt bad

so I wrote to the company

to see if they could possibly replace the piece

I took photos of it and where it was supposed to be

always worth a shot

the artist who made the puzzle

also the company owner

said she would replace it

(talk  about customer service!)

 I thanked her

 excitedly waited for the piece to arrive

within days it showed up at my house

 what should arrive at my house

all the way from the upper peninsula

but an entire puzzle

at no charge

from the artist herself

as her and her husband

are the small business owners

of their own family owned company

she is a Ukranian artist

who makes the puzzles

among many other things

 he is an American veteran

 I was so amazed by their kindness

that I’d like to publicly thank them here

by sharing a connection to their business

I will certainly buy puzzles from them myself

thank you again for reminding me

that there are wonderful people out there in the world

and for your beautiful work

(all links are below)

Artist, Kateryna Nelson

https://www.facebook.com/artfactorytwinportsWIMNMI

https://www.artfactorytwinports.com/shopall

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtFactoryTwinPorts

artfactorytwinports.com

Gwinn, MI, United States
artfactorysuperior@Gmail.com

—

“customer service is an opportunity to exceed your customer’s expectations.”

-John Jantsch

*John Jantsch is an author, speaker, and marketing consultant who specializes in assisting small businesses. He is the author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, and The Commitment Engine.

Aug14

expression.

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DZ’S (the artist) ART

while at the downtown library

with my young student, EZ

formerly in my class

where we met once a week this summer

as he strengthened his reading and writing skills

by using them to write and illustrate a book

we discovered a tiny work of art

tucked in at the bottom of a crumbly pillar

created by local chalk artist David Zinn, DZ

who likes nothing better

than finding little cracks and imperfections

 filling them in with his whimsical art

leaving them for people to discover

what a lucky day this was

EZ finished writing his very first book

a huge accomplishment

he came so far

we had our last lesson together

he is ready to move ahead

he plans to put on a special outfit

do a world premiere reading

of his book

for his whole family

and we discovered a piece of DZ’s tiny secret art

double happiness.

downtown ann arbor library

EZ’S (the boy) BOOK

—

David Zinn, DZ, (the artist’s)  link  

https://zinnart.com/pages/about-the-artist

—

‘man needs spiritual expression and nourishing…

even in the prehistoric era, people would scrawl pictures of bison on the walls of caves.’

-Fernando Botero

Aug13

science in wonderland.

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yesterday, my post was a note from a former student

with a list of her top 5 things

 that I had taught her

while in my class

way back when she was little.

we had a multi-age pre-k room

so children stayed with us for two years

 we saw a lot of

growth and change in them

over that span of  time.

she was always

very responsible

a rule follower

she learned to open her mind 

to new ideas, to use her imagination 

we made fairy houses together

she  created art and wrote stories.

in contrast

another student

told me

that he had tried for two years

to teach me something

that i never seemed to really learn

he loved facts and non-fiction books

in the spring of both years

when we’d go out into the woods

on adventures in nature

looking under green sprouts and budding trees

i was always looking for the fairies

while he was always trying to teach me 

that fairies weren’t real

because ‘they were not science.’

 he did teach me a lot about science

 but I just never learned

no matter how many times he tried to tell me

about the fairies

 I always said

‘it depends on what you believe,

whatever you want to believe is true to you.’

 he would just shake his head. 

but every so often

I would see him

peeking under the budding stems and leaves

(where they might be hiding)

or blowing the dandelion seeds

(to spread the new fairy babies)

and just maybe….

—

‘only  the curious have something to find.’

-sean watkins

Aug12

top 5.

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loved getting a sweet thank you note

from one of my former students

who is moving up to middle school this fall

on the back of her thank you she wrote

the top 5 things that I taught her

and here’s to number 5!

my personal favorite

it will come in especially handy

you never know when you will need this

it has certainly served me well

over the years

i’m pretty sure

that people who know me

really appreciate it. 

—

‘definitely, i think i’m a life coach for real.

the lessons i give are lessons you can take to the bank.’

-flavor flav