an important message from the dictionary in response to this query.
—
‘the investigation of the meaning of words is the beginning of education.’
-antisthenes
Apr19
Author Archives: beth
Apr18
‘mistakes are the portals of discovery.’ – james joyce
(a repost of mine from April 30th, 2014 – in honor of Record Store Day)
saved up my change
69 cents
to buy my very first record
was a young beatles fan
got a ride to the store
found ‘lady madonna’
ran to the counter
counted out my change
skipped out of the store.
—
put the record on
moment i got home
quickly discovered
in my rush and excitement
i’d actually purchased
the fats domino version
of the same song
so not the same
so different
new to me
but wow
whiplash
didn’t know
there was such a thing
as cover versions.
–
do you ever get that excited that you lose sight of the mission?
do you ever discover something wonderful and new, quite by accident?
‘the four building blocks of the universe
are fire, water, gravel and vinyl.’
-dave barry
—–
image credits: captiol records, reprise records
Apr17
it’s a new day. after the storm.
a new day in ann arbor
—
‘it’s a privilege just to wake up to a new day.’
-*keith richards, the rolling stones
(*if anyone knows this to be true, it’s keith)
Apr16
“the only way out is through.” -robert frost
late night/very early morning april in ann arbor
waking up to sirens/alarms
the storm came quickly
a tornado touched us
for a few moments
leaving its mark
blew through
much to fix
lots of mess
none hurt
a win.
—
‘there are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.’
– willa cather
—
photo credit: kai pertainen, ann arbor, mi, usa, april 15, 2026
Apr15
the table.
group cooking class/lunch
vietnam spring roll making
oodles of fresh spring vegetables
sauces, wraps, spices, citrus
20 people, mostly unknown to each other
a long table set to share our meal
photo above was the goal
photo below was more accurate
for our early attempts
we got somewhat better
by our third and fourth tries
had a good time together
no matter the shape of things
made it more fun
no longer unknown to each other
and very full.
‘i went to culinary school to eat.’
-christina tosi
*Christina Tosi (born 1981) is an American chef and cookbook author. She is founder and co-owner with Momofoku of Milk Barand serves as its chef and chief executive officer. Food and Wine magazine included her in their 2014 list of “Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink”.
—
image credits: pinterest
Apr14
miss d.
was this cute dog’s fairygodmother/minder
for a little while at an outdoor event
we swapped stories and had snacks
quite a sweetheart, but man
she never stopped scanning the horizon for her dad
ever on the lookout
not about to be abandoned with me
must have heard about those two cats at my house
word spreads.
—
‘no one appreciates the very special genius
of your conversation as the dog does.’
-christopher morley
Apr13
as cheesy as it looks.
a behind the scenes very close-up look
at how a grilled cheese sandwich really comes together
it takes a village
to achieve this perfection.
—
in honor of this week’s ‘grilled cheese day’
—
‘i gut check every show.
i say, “gut, gut, does that feel true to you?’
and gut says, ‘yes, it does, stephen,
let’s get a grilled cheese sandwich.’
-stephen colbert, the late show
—
image credit: etsy.com
Apr12
celebration.
University of Michigan basketball celebrated its national championship victory with a huge downtown parade yesterday
thousands lined up on the sidewalks of downtown Ann Arbor
to watch as the players rolled through
Coach Dusty May and his wife, Anna, rode by
in a vintage fire truck from the Michigan Firehouse Museum.
the marching band hitched a ride on another fire truck
the wolverines/basketball players had a blast waving to the crowd,
riding in the back of a line of ford pickup trucks,
throwing out balls to the kids and signing autographs
so many smiles all around.
—
go blue!
townies, fans, students, families, grads, police, and everyone who happened by,
had a great time celebrating their big accomplishment
—
‘celebrations infuse life with passion and purpose.
they summon the human spirit.’
-terrence e. deal
Apr11
compliment.
i recently read something from a woman
writing about her life online
having a really tough day
who got the best compliment she has ever received
from a reader who she didn’t know –
‘if we were in kindergarten together,
i would have hung my coat up on the hook next to yours.’
she said it brought her to tears,
and then, great joy.
wow, i loved this compliment too.
what is the best compliment you have ever received?
—
‘a compliment is verbal sunshine.’
-robert orben, american comedy writer and magician
Apr10
the spirit.
(how have I walked by this so many times and never stopped to read it?)
This sculpture hangs on the face of the Carver-Gunn Building owned by native, John Carver, who commissioned the work himself.
In 2016, Carver said that his appreciation for public art grew as he traveled to cities like Seattle. Back home, he said, he became inspired by Ann Arbor’s ‘Percent for Art Program’ which sets aside 1 percent of the cost of city capital-improvement projects for publicly funded art.
Carver—who has a long history in town as the past owner of various music clubs, got to wondering what he could do as a private individual. Margaret Parker, former chairwoman of the city’s Public Art Commission, suggested he approach McGee, a much-acclaimed Detroit artist with strong ties to Washtenaw County, including teaching at the Ann Arbor Art Center, the University of Michigan and an 18-year stint at Eastern Michigan University.
McGee came up with idea to create a piece called “The Spirit of Ann Arbor.” It’s 8 feet by 16 feet, made of brushed and powder-coated aluminum, McGee said in a phone interview.
“Seeing what was happening and the activity of the youth in that city, it was very energetic to me, and very beautiful,” McGee said of his long association with the area and the inspiration for the sculpture. “I’m influenced by the ambience in that city, and the energy that goes through there.”
Carver was delighted with the result. It sits on the face of the building at the southeast corner of Liberty and Thompson streets, with retail stores downstairs and the University of Michigan offices renting the second and third floors.
“I’m real happy with it; i think it’s going to liven up the area,” Carver said of the piece. “It’s exuberant and joyful.”
Asked the cost of the piece, Carver chuckled and said, “more than a Chevy but less than a Bentley.”
Carver also expressed happiness with the choice of McGee to create the work: “He loves Ann Arbor and loves education and life in general,” Carver said. “He’s really about making the world a better place.”McGee has a number of other works in public view, including at one of the Detroit People Mover stations, both Beaumont and Henry Ford hospitals, the Detroit Institute of Arts, EMU and elsewhere. He received the Kresge Eminent Artist award in 2008.
McGee said he hopes the abstract figures in the work—dancing, falling, standing—capture the “uplifting spirituality” he sees in Ann Arbor.
Charles McGee, left, and John Carver
And he’d like it to lead to more projects in other communities: “I hope that this may be the catalyst for some things that might influence (other) cities,” he said, that they might “make art a part of the chair they sit in.” Both Carver and Parker hope the piece will lead to support for more public art.
—
Source Credits: Bob Needham, Steve Jensen, Margaret Parker, Ann Arbor Public Library
