it’s always quickly apparent
whimsy and joy step in
when i turn down a road
finding myself on campus
i think that many find themselves here.
—
‘the joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it.’
-theodore roosevelt
Oct13
Author Archives: beth
Oct12
who?
if you want a cool pen name, try using the pen name generator below-
mine is: beatrice hazelton
although,
i did choose another pen name years ago, rebecca hunter
in case i ever wrote romance novels
even used it on a cross-country writing adventure trip
but kept forgetting my pen name
when my friend
accompanying me as my photographer
called out ‘rebecca…’
sometimes awkward.
rule #1: if you’re going to use a pen name, you have to remember it.
—
‘i love it when people ask if jennifer weiner is a pen name. um…
if i wanted a pen name i could have done a lot better than this.’
-jennifer weiner, american author
—
What is a great author pen name?
I like Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) because the whimsy of the name reflects the whimsy of his style.
Lemony Snicket isn’t just a pseudonym. It’s also a character. It’s quirky and wonderful that a writer would not just invent a name, but then write himself into his own fictional world. What better way to break the 4th wall than to have the book published under the name of the narrator?
“The name Lemony Snicket originally came from research for Handler’s first book, The Basic Eight. Handler wanted to receive material from organizations that he found “offensive or funny”, but did not want to use his real name, and invented “Lemony Snicket” as a pseudonym.”
—
credits: greater dayton public televsion, medieval writings, wiki
Oct11
goodbye, ethel.
“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother, age 96, widow of *Robert F. Kennedy, leaves behind nine surviving children, (2 others preceded her in death), 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren, along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said.
—
‘if you see something wrong, if you speak out…you can change it.’
-ethel kennedy
—
*Robert Francis Kennedy, also known as RFK, was married to Ethel Kennedy, and was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the U.S. Attorney General from 1961-1964, and as a U.S. senator from New York from January 1965 until his assassination in 1968, when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Oct10
treasured.
World’s Longest Treasure Hunt Ends After 31 Years, 5 Months, and 9 Days
The world’s longest treasure hunt appears to have come to an end, after an announcement in France that a buried statuette of a golden owl has finally been unearthed – after 31 years.
“We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was dug up last night, and that simultaneously a solution has been sent on the hunt’s official chatline. The message was posted by Michel Becker, who illustrated the original Chouette d’Or (golden owl) book and sculpted the buried statuette in 1993.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in the search, which has spawned a huge secondary literature in books, pamphlets and Internet sites. They have all been following 11 complicated puzzles set out in the first book by its creator, Max Valentin. When he died in 2009, Mr Becker took over the operation.
The complex clues were supposed to lead to a precise point somewhere in France, where a bronze replica of the actual golden owl would be found under the ground. The winner would get the precious gold original.
A documentary on the treasure hunt by French broadcaster Canal+ said earlier this year that the value of the owl is estimated to be €150,000 (£126,000). The world of chouetteurs – as the treasure-hunters are called – was in uproar on Thursday morning as news of the reported find spread.
“Finally – liberated!” reads one post on the hunt’s chatline on the Discord forum.
“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day,” reads another. And: “It’s like Covid. So good when it’s over.”
“Curiously, I’m relieved. I’m desperate to know the solutions now to see if I was on the right path,” comments another user.
Some hunters remained skeptical, fearing that the cache might have been discovered with a metal detector. Under the rules, the finder has to show that they correctly solved the enigmas and did not just stumble upon the owl by chance. The hunt was mired in legal rows for some years after Mr Valentin’s death, and not all owl-hunters accepted Mr Becker’s inheritance of the central role.
Mr Becker himself originally had no knowledge of the situation of the buried owl. The solution was in a sealed envelope in the possession of Mr Valentin’s family. But after the legal difficulties were resolved, Mr Becker read the solution and travelled to the spot to verify that the owl was still there. In recent years, he has released more clues to the owl community, triggering interest in a new generation of chouetteurs.
—
“it’s not about the treasure – it’s about the hunt.”
-william ritter, american author
—
source credit: hugh schofield, bbc news, paris
Oct9
matcha.
my ‘new to me’ car is here
its color makes me happy
my favorite, green
i’m naming it matcha
just like the color of the beautiful tea.
little smaller and little sportier than my last car
feels like a perfect fit.
—
‘green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.’
-pedro calderon de la barca
—
Matcha-
Matcha has been consumed in Japan since the 7th century and is famous for providing drinkers with a calming sort of energy. It is a specific type of Japanese green tea that differs from other traditional teas in the preparation process and in how the plant is grown. Renowned for producing a feeling of calm alertness that monks found so helpful for meditation, matcha can boost your mood and keep you focused.
Blends of this tea are given poetic sounding names by their producers or sellers. These names are called chamei, which translates to “tea names.” If a particular blend is found suitable by a grand master of the tea ceremony, usually with a family lineage of ceremony masters, he gives it its chamei. It is then known also as his konomi, or “butcher block of leaf.”
Oct8
when your giant sandworm goes missing.
yes, it was a giant sandworm in a local front yard
and then – it wasn’t.
—
as seen on my local nextdoor website:
I am absolutely devastated. Someone stole my inflatable giant sandworm right off my lawn sometime between last night and this afternoon. I didn’t notice if it was gone when I left for work this morning. I don’t know who would do such a thing.
quite a few people responded and almost every single person
answered with a variation of the same 3 words:
‘check the frats.’
—
living in a college town, and three weeks before halloween, this is great advice.
(it may just be me, but i think this would be a hard one to hide)
—
‘sometimes the things you’ve lost can be found again in unexpected places’
–-lemony snicket, a series of unfortunate events #13
Oct7
rock and stroll.
i cannot even begin to express the many reasons why i so love this
i know it is somewhere in michigan
now to find it
or create my own little rock library
perhaps one day
i can answer ‘rock trader’ as my profession when asked.
—
‘if you become a rock on the mountain high above me,’ said his mother,
‘i will be a mountain climber, and i will climb to where you are.’
-margaret wise brown, the runaway bunny
—
photo credit: michigan rockhounds
Oct6
quiet on the river.
now that the kayaks, the canoes, and the rafts
have left the river for the season
everything feels calm and slow and beautiful
in the meditative quiet
of the occasional fly-fishers.
—
“many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
~ henry david thoreau
Oct5
pete the cat.
pete’s glam shot
—
and just like that
in steps pete the cat
(i named him after my fav politician/good human, pete b.)
born memorial day weekend
found in the trunk of an old car in a barn
by faerie tales cat rescue
how could i not support a group with this name
how could i not choose this sweet guy to join our family
pete is a little shy right now and stepping out tiptoe-style
soon he’ll be prancing around
singing his song
in his white shoes
playing and bonding with olive.
both sweet and gentle cats
pete’s foster mom
said his hobbies are
watching tv, eating treats, and playing with feather toys
and
is the most affectionate cat she’s ever met
very similar to olive’s demeanor and minimalist athletic style
i see them as ‘soon to become best friends/siblings.’
—
“no matter what you step in, keep walking along and singing your song… because its all good.”
-pete the cat
credits: pete the cat and his white shoes: eric litwin, james dean, harper collins publishing
Oct4
sayonara, sylvia.
ah, sylvia the silver subaru
sayonara and thank you
for the many, many, many miles without worry
now in the hands of a happy young souzaphone player
and many more miles to go.
—
‘are you just a car salesman or are you a poet too? i’ve never been accused of poetry before.’
-robert charles wilson, american-canadian sci-fi writer
I didn't have my glasses on.... 