Author Archives: beth

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About beth

Ann Arbor-ite writes about enjoying life with all of its ironies and surprises.

power.

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one of my kinders

made me this bracelet

and said it would

 give me power.

 it worked.

“the power of imagination makes us infinite.”

-john muir

alive.

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author unknown

always welcome.

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the ponies and friends all came out for the dance party

this time is was a love fest and tea

everyone was welcome

all colors, sizes, shapes and species 

they were in their finest fancy fashions

and ready to have fun.

one pony told them she didn’t want to come

because it looked like a boring party

they were kind of sad but then they thought

maybe some other ponies had been mean to her once

and she was just acting that way

because she didn’t want to get her feelings hurt again

so they invited her back and showed her how to be nice.

“kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome.”

-amelia barr

brighter.

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no students today

teachers get together to talk and play

and

to see how it feels for our kids

as we encourage them to experiment

to play with the process

rather than make a project

 for the pure joy of creation

we try out materials

with no expected outcome

just for the chance to see what will happen

when we are finished

we share what we’ve made with each other

and as it happens

each one is a beauty in its own way.

“colours are brighter when the mind is open.”

-adriana alarcon

dequindre cut.

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working together on a community cleanup project at *the dequindre cut in detroit

on a day filled with helping hands

larger than life art

walkers, runners, bikers, dogs and blue skies.


*the dequindre cut greenway is an urban recreational path in downtown detroit that opened to the public in May of 2009. … formerly a grand trunk railroad line, the dequindre cut is a predominately below-street level 2 mile long greenway with separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. 

“if your support the community, they will support you.”

-jerry greenfield

dequindre-cut, detroit riverfront conservancy

rain or shine?

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cold, morning rain does little but make one anxious to reach their destination, even if that is work or school. this innovative student solved the problem of hands free walking on one such campus morning in 1969. “U-M engineering student gary keck of detroit is too unconventional to raise an umbrella. he wards off the morning rain with a stylish sombrero. ole!”

“optimists are neither in denial nor naïve about challenges and difficulties in life.

they simply attend to and acknowledge the positive.”

– eric kim

credits: oldnews.aadl.org, ann arbor townies

on april fools’ day and beyond.

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(someone who looks a lot like me at happy hour last night)

“it is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor.”

-max eastman

image credit: funnytimejoy.com

“colors speak all languages.” -joseph addison

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                                                        Crayola Is About to Kill Off One of Its Colors

The world’s most famous crayon-maker is planning to make this year’s National Crayon Day (today, march 31), one for the record books. As TIME reports, Crayola is planning to retire a classic color from its 24-pack crayon box for the first time in a century. Is dandelion facing certain death? Could blue violet be waving bye-bye? Is scarlet saying see you later?

Crayola hasn’t confirmed which color is being killed off yet, which means that every shade is on the colorful chopping block. But they’ll announce their final decision via a live stream event today, which you can RSVP to on Facebook.

While you’re awaiting the big news, you can make your own voice heard by telling Crayola which color you can’t live without by sharing a photo on Instagram with your favorite color and using the hashtag #ShareYourFave.

“colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”

-pablo picasso

credits: istockphoto, jennifer wood, mental floss, time magazine

gnosiophobia.

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“lalalalalalalalalalalala……..”

gnosiophobia is the fear of knowledge. 

image credit: quickanddirtytips.com

“i’m hoping this matter will not involve my eagerness to help you.”- joel

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and yet another encounter with a customer service rep 

this was the rest of our live chat conversation

once joel and i reached an impasse with no solution:

Joel: Still with me?
Me: yes
Joel: Will there be anything else I can assist you with?
Me: no, thank you anyway
Joel: I’m hoping that this matter will not involve my eagerness to help you.
Joel: Hope you had a great rest of your day.

(somehow i really had hoped that joel would have involved his eagerness to help me…)


“patience is the calm acceptance that things can happen

in a different order

than the one you have in mind.”

― david g. allen