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loving the signshowing and telling mewhere the sidewalk endsdifferent today than yesterday.
—
-stephen king
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May19
Author Archives: beth
May18
left or lost?
came across this journal
tucked into the base of a tree
was it left for someone to find?
was it lost by someone and dropped?
either way i left it undisturbed
to finish out its story.
—
‘the true delight is in the finding out rather than in the knowing.’
-isaac asimov
May17
petit pique-nique.
when the squirrels have their own picnic table
‘
—
‘there are few things so pleasant as a picnic eaten in perfect comfort.’
- -w somerset maugham
May16
we all need a little Bara Bada Bastu in our lives.
Eurovision, the annual international song competition run by the European Broadcasting Union, kicked off earlier this week. So far, 16 acts are confirmed for Saturday’s final, including Sweden’s KAJ — pictured above and among the favorites to win. Click here to listen to their competition song, “Bara Bada Bastu,” but be warned that it’s quite catchy.
—
“my taste in music ranges from,
“you need to listen to this,”
to,
“I know, please do not judge me.”
-author unknown
—
image credit: Harold Cunningham/getty images
May15
poppy.
morning, out walking, seeing the sun hit just right, on this poppy
—
‘of all of the wonderful things in the wonderful universe,
nothing seems to me more surprising
than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof.
take that poppy seed, for instance;
it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter,
hardly visible, a speck, a pin’s point in bulk,
but within it is imprisoned a spirit of beauty ineffable,
which will break its bonds
and emerge from the dark ground
and blossom in a splendor so dazzling
as to baffle all powers of description. ‘
*Celia Thaxter
*Celia Thaxter,( 1835 – 1894) was an American writer of poetry and stories. For most of her life, she lived on the Isles of Shoales, a group of islands off the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine.
May14
making paper.
I have always been drawn to beautiful paper of all kinds
especially homemade paper
recently I had the opportunity to make paper
with a small group of fellow enthusiasts
we began by collecting invasive plants on a park trail
choosing stems, green leaves and blossoms
some with a faint scent
some with color
added some torn pieces of reused papers
chopping, mixing, blending
all the pieces with water
mashing, straining, draining, shaping
adding details, textures
each piece it’s own style
finally set to dry
now inspired to try more pieces
loved working with the botanicals
maybe add some threads,
some hints of finely crushed stone?
—
‘fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.’
-william wordsworth
May13
we become it.
Study Finds We Don’t Just Hear Music — Our Brains and Bodies “Become” It,
A recent study found what many of us know to be true: When we listen to music, we embody it on a deep, physical level that goes beyond hearing.
Drawing upon insights from neuroscience, music, and psychology, the study out of McGill University supports the neural resonance theory, which suggests that our brain and body’s oscillatory patterns align with a tune’s rhythm, melody, and harmony — “from the ear all the way to the spinal cord and limb movements.” These patterns help shape our musical preferences, sense of timing, and instincts to dance to the beat.
While other research has suggested that the brain relies on learned expectations and predictions to feel music, these findings present a different explanation: “This theory suggests that music is powerful not just because we hear it, but because our brains and bodies become it,” said co-author Caroline Palmer. Researchers show brain rhythms sync with sound to create emotion, movement and meaning.
Potential applications of the theory include:
- Therapeutic tools for conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s and depression
- Emotionally intelligent AI that can respond to or generate music more like humans
- New learning technologies to support rhythm and pitch education
- Cross-cultural insight into why music connects people around the world
—
“music is an outburst of the soul.”
― f
—
Source credits:
Study was led by Edward Large (University of Connecticut) and co-authored by Caroline Palmer.
Canada Research Chair and NSERC Discovery, McGill University, Science News, Science Discovery
Nature Reviews, Neuroscience
May12
‘dandelions don’t tell no lies.’ – mick jagger.
i just love this painting. simple, yet so very much to see.
—
‘organic as a dandelion seed, the ship of our imagination
will carry us to worlds of dreams and worlds of facts.’
-carl sagan
—
art credit: “Dandelions” by Susan Cairns, Ireland, Oil on board.
May11
to all who mother.
‘mothers can look through a child’s eyes and see tomorrow.’
-reed b. markham
—
art credit: Lincoln Seligman, Highland Dunes, Marti Mother and Child painting
May10
happy guy muffins.
i felt so lucky
to visit the bakery
with special treats
made by the class
i taught last year
some new children
some i knew from before
including this little one
one of the happiest guys you’ll ever meet
even last year when he was three
at first too shy to speak out loud
but said everything he needed to say
with his huge smile
now here he was
selling his homemade
sprinkle lemon happy guy muffins
each one for a penny
smiling wide and chattering up a storm
still the happiest guy around
on a warm and sunny day.
—
“what sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity.
these are but trifles, to be sure;
but scattered along life’s pathway,
the good they do is inconceivable.”
-joseph addison
I didn't have my glasses on.... 