tiniest little house – charleston, south carolina, usa
—
‘all safe in my tiny home.’
– erwin moser, artist
Oct19
Author Archives: beth
Oct18
what the tide leaves behind.
salt flats, tide pools, birds, fish, dolphins, grasses, treasures
beachcombing
on the southern side of the entrance to Charleston Harbor,
north of the city on Folly Beach, South Carolina, USA
—
‘there’s peace in the pull of the tides.’
-author unknown
Oct17
haint.
this is the haint blue ceiling of the porch on the very old house
where we are staying in south carolina
—
Haint Blue is a term used for a range of pale, blue-green colors that are similar to the color of water or the sky. They’re often used to paint the porch ceilings of homes in the southern United States. The reason people paint their porch ceilings this color is a tale of tradition from the Deep South.
The word “haint” is a colloquial way to pronounce “haunt,” another word for ghosts or evil spirits. The word comes from the Gullah, a community of people descended from West African enslaved people who settled on the coast of Georgia and South Carolina.
The Gullah people created this color by mixing indigo with lime, milk, and other natural ingredients. They painted porch ceilings, shutters, and even doors in this shade to keep away “haints” aka. restless spirits. The idea was simple but powerful: they believed that haints were afraid of water, spirits couldn’t cross water or sky, and so the color blue would protect the home.
Haint Blue paint was a form of protection for the Gullah and the southern communities embraced it wholeheartedly. That’s why so many porch ceilings throughout the south are painted a beautiful light blue-green, which has become known as haint blue.This color is tied to memory, protection, and survival.
—
‘color is a power which directly influences the soul.’
-wassily kandinsky
—
charleston, south carolina, usa, October 2025
Oct16
do it on purpose.
whether you’re walking your dog through the neighborhood
in your silky pajamas and slippers late in the morning,
or carrying a big bag of cash down the main street
during the rush hour
always walk with confidence and your head held high.
“find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
-dolly parton
—
charleston, south carolina, usa, october 2025
Oct15
cats dancing.
a sign from the rescue cats at the cat cafe-
cats have such a great sense of humor
—
‘common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.
a sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.’
-clive james
—
charleston, south. carolina, usa
october 2025
Oct14
magical portal.
once again I found myself in the magical portal at the airport
I always forget
this secret-ish place
exists on a lower level
at the airport
connecting one concourse to another
you have to enter it occasionally
depending on where your gate is
you go down the escalator
leaving the hustle and bustle behind
then you’re
suddenly thrust into a very different kind of space
colorful psychedelic wavy walls softly glow
as you glide through on a moving sidewalk
soft ambient new age-y calming music
wraps all around you
until you arrive
at your destination
on the other side
it’s kind of mind-blowing
I can’t imagine the different reactions
different kinds of people must have
but I know I am always surprised anew
when I find myself there
sometimes you’ll meet someone
who brings it up
in the outside world
have you ever been…?
do you know about…?
it’s like you’re part of a secret club
hiding in plain sight.
” Airports exist in a strange, liminal space where time feels unreal. You could spend anywhere from one hour to three days there, and life just pauses. It’s a universal place of transit, yet untethered to any real “place.” “With a little imagination, airports become magical portals to distant lands. Sure, maybe you have a ticket to one specific place, but in reality, you could go anywhere. Infinite connections, endless possibilities — just a gate away. Foreign, yet familiar. Transient, yet grounding. Impersonal, yet deeply human. Static, yet always in motion. Liminal. Universal.” – clarissa tan, yale news
Oct13
a powerful symbol on indigenous peoples’ day.
In Navajo (Diné) culture, laughter is considered a powerful symbol of connection. The moment a baby laughs for the first time, it is believed they are choosing to join the human community. Until then, the baby is viewed as still being in transition between the spiritual and physical worlds.
This tradition, known as the A’wee Chi’deedloh ceremony, is typically observed around three months of age. Family members pay close attention during this period, eager to be the one who makes the child laugh. Whoever succeeds earns the honor of hosting the celebration, often preparing a meal of salted food and gifts to mark the occasion.
The ceremony not only celebrates the baby’s first expression of joy, but also emphasizes generosity and community. Salt is symbolically offered to guests to encourage the child to grow up to be generous and kind. It’s one of the earliest social teachings given to a Navajo child, using joy as a path toward belonging and humanity.
—
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an official city and state holiday in various localities in the United States that celebrates and honors Indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. It is celebrated on the second Monday in October.
—
source credits: unity, navajo traditions
Oct12
‘good enough never is.’ – debbi fields
good harbor grill
good help wanted
—
‘whatever you are, be a good one.’
-william makepeace thackeray
—
glen arbor, michigan, usa, October 20
Oct11
rain on the lake.
up north
not quite so far
lower peninsula
the weather changes its mood
deciding to rain on the lake
—
‘for after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is to let it rain.’
—
glen lake, empire, Michigan, usa, October 2025
Oct10
‘creativity takes courage.’ – henri matisse
a colorful marble orb spider, not unlike this one, came down on its web
(and not on anyone’s hand, the spider above is a model/actor)
appearing as we were having a glass of wine outside before dinner
it lowered itself down checking us out
with excited and mixed reviews from the group
not long after
we moved inside
while some of us
were in the kitchen finishing up dinner preparation
the rest of us were left to our own devices
in the living room
with more beverages
and a tray of appetizers
i thought it would be a great idea
to fashion
a marbled orb spider hanging from its web
out of leftover pieces from the tray
everyone pitched in
when it was finished
it seemed a challenge
to decide which was more lovely
the outside real spider
or
the inside interpretive spider
art and beauty
are very personal choices
as we all know
—
‘life is like art. it’s all interpretive.’
-robert holden
‘
I didn't have my glasses on.... 