Author Archives: beth

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About beth

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

wishing.

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wishing you a holiday season filled with joy, wonder, and peace

beth

 

ready?

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‘it’s december and nobody asked if i was ready.’ – sarah kay

 

image credit: Vogue Christmas 1914

 

growing darkness.

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mary oliver shares her solstice words with the world

 i return to my former classroom

to share my solstice dance and words.

A survivor’s story.

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‘Surviving Sue’ is a compelling memoir written by the daughter of an extremely dysfunctional family matriarch, Sue. Sue stormed through life, loud and bold, without boundaries, fueled by mental illness and substance abuse. Through all that she endured, the author/daughter, Vicki Atkinson, found her way through one extremely challenging situation after another, with compassion, strength, wisdom, and a survival instinct.
 
While managing life with her mother, Sue, and advocating for her disabled sister, Lisa, Vicky became a licensed therapist, married, had a child, and carried  on with her life as best she could. In spite of all she went through, Vicki came out the other end knowing that her mother Sue’s illness was not all that she was, she was also funny, an artist, and someone who loved to take on causes helping others. 
 
I would highly recommend this book to anyone as an engaging read, and a master class in resilience, strength, and compassion for the human condition. With a will and a way, great things can be overcome. This is a memoir you will not soon forget. 

This book is available for purchase from: www.eckhartzpress.com/shop/surviving-sue/

Kindle version available on: Amazon.com

”my mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive;

and to do so with some passion, some compassion,
 
some humor, and some style.’
 
-maya angelou

Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Consultant and author of “Surviving Sue”, Licensed Professional Counselor, Believer in People, Possibilities & Potential 😉

Vicki’s blog victoriaponders.com 

Vicki’s podcast sharingtheheartofthematter.com

Source credits: ‘Surviving Sue’ by Dr. Vicki Atkinson, published by: Eckhart Press, Chicago, IL, USA, July 2023

pere noel.

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pere noel/father christmas,  by jan pashely

it’s not long now, santa….

==

“not believe in santa claus! you might as well not believe in fairies!”

* francis p. church

* Francis Pharcellus Church was an American publisher and editor.

In 1897, Church wrote the editorial “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”.

who you are.

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so proud of my dear friend

breeda kelly miller

who had an idea 

that grew

into her one-woman play

‘Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home’

performed around the world

and

into a book by the same name

and

at long last

the airing of her play on *PBS this past monday.

where i had the pleasure of watching it on televsion with her

bravo, breeda kelly miller

your family would be so proud of you.

‘we all have different gifts so we all have different ways of saying to the world who we are.’

-fred rogers

Detroit PBS brings live theater back to TV Monday with “Mrs. Kelly’s Journey Home.” True stories of an Irish immigrant, brought to life by her Michigan daughter. Join Breeda Miller and me at intermission and after. On TV or online locally at https://www.detroitpbs.org/live-tv/wtvs-hdtv/ — Mon. 12/16, 8:00pm ET
 
 
 

weeds.

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‘raindrops on weeds in a broken wall’

*photo/edit credit: hollie jane wright

i find this photo so stunning

it looks like beautiful italian glass

‘weeds are nature’s graffiti.’

-j.l.w. brooks

 

hair.

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 i love having kind of free spirit messy-ish hair

each day is a new hair adventure

but after spending the night at my daughter’s house

i woke up in the morning

with hair wayyyyyyyyy beyond 

the messy-ish look

looked around 

 found this spray

gave my hair a light mist

wondering what would happen next.

“i like to walk around with bare feet and I don’t like to comb my hair.”

-beyonce knowles

 

 

 

needles.

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 “oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, thy leaves are so doomed.”

– doug coupland

 

poetry credit: brian bilston

‘the great artist is the simplifier.’ vincent van gogh

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‘pere noel’

picasso created this when he was 78  years old

to give as a gift to his friends on christmas eve.

i really love this one. 

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Père Noël

signed, dated and dedicated

‘Picasso 24.12.59. pour Gilberte et Serge’ (upper left)

colored wax crayons on paper

19 ½ x 13 3/8 in. (49.5 x 34 cm.)

Drawn on 24 December 1959

Maya Widmaier-Picasso and Claude Picasso have confirmed the authenticity of this work.

Picasso gifted this work as a present to Gilberte Duclaud and Serge Chauby on Christmas Eve 1959.

Duclaud was the owner of Galerie 65 in Cannes, which held multiple exhibitions for the artist.

Sold at Christie’s in auction and now in a private collection, 1970.

‘anybody with artisitc ambitions is always trying to reconnect with the way they saw things as a child.’

-tim burton, american film writer/director