two more winter storms coming this weekend
i wish i had a pet snow chicken
no need for it to pull me on a sled
instead
we could fly downhill on a toboggan together.
—
‘snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.’
-andy goldsworthy, artist, naturist
—
image credit: sled chickens of the north, from the far side, by Gary Larson
a wonderful letter arrived in the mail
just in time for Valentine’s Day
—
‘wherever you go, go with all your heart.’
-confucius
Beavers completed a million dollar dam project in 2 days
Beavers know a thing or two about efficiency — and this story is evidence of that. Last week, a beaver colony in the Brdy region of the Czech Republic cut out the middlemen and built several dams right where they were needed, all in the span of about two days. For context, the local government had a plan in the works since 2018 to restore waterways in the area, but the animals essentially beat them to it.
“They built the dams without any project documentation and for free,” Bohumil Fišer, head of the Brdy Protected Landscape Area Administration, said in a translated statement, per Radio Prague International. He added that the beavers saved the government around 30 million Czech crowns — the equivalent of $1.2 million.
The beavers’ craftwork will go a long way, benefiting the rare stone crayfish, frogs, and other wetland species. “Beavers always know best,” added Jaroslav Obermajer, head of the Central Bohemian Office of the Czech Nature and Landscape Protection Agency. “The places where they build dams are always chosen just right — better than when we design it on paper.”
—
“clearly, animals know more than we think, and think a great deal more than we know.”
*irene m. pepperberg
*author of: ‘alex me: how a scientist and a parrot discovered a hidden world of animal intelligence and formed a deep bond in the process’
—
source credits; nice news, brdy protected landscape area administration
this company knows how to mix things up!
what did you wear during your covid meeting days?
here’s something that i wore one day (with pajamas)
to surprise and cheer up my teaching partners and class
when we met online during this very challenging time.
channeling my inner llama
—
‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it, and if you don’t got it, flaunt it.’
-mindy kaling, american comedian/actress
‘Ink, by Japanese artist under the nickname Avogado6
—
‘there is something magical in seeing what you can do,
what texture and tone and colour you can produce
merely with a pen point and a bottle of ink.’
*-ida rentoul outhwaite
*Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, was an Australian illustrator of children’s books.
Her work mostly depicted magical creatures, such as elves and fairies.
—
a little guy who i work with (age 5)
wrote this in his journal in response to my question
what a brilliant list.
translation:
1.kindness
2. goofiness
3. dignity
—
‘it is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer.’
it was my annual day of getting my taxes done
really not sure
if this was a win or lose year for me
a hybrid year of working, retiring, one-offs, investments…
and I found myself once again with friendly judith
who I’ve gone to for years
I brought her favorite coffee and an energy bar
and settled in for a session at her desk
she has managed to work small miracles over the years
knowing exactly what to claim, how to claim, and the latest changes
even though I had some technical ‘glitches’
with me trying to download docs to her
we had lots of good laughs
and once again, somehow, at the end
I emerged a winner
here’s to you, judith
may you long use your magic math skills to help others.
—
art credit: charles schulz
it’s that seashell soup time of year.
I have a memory
from when I was very young
of my mom making me what she called ‘seashell soup’
when I had a cold, or it was cold outside
it’s comfort and warmth
were a balm and a cure
when I grew up
i wanted her secret recipe
for this magic elixir
turns out it was:
shell shaped pasta, butter, and a little bit of broth
all this time
i thought it had special secret exotic ingredients
but it did somehow work their magic
i think the secret ingredient was
i felt the caring of someone who made a special soup for me.
and this is one magic trick i can perform.
—
“but perhaps the most precious heirlooms are family recipes.
like a physical heirloom, they remind us from whom and where we came and give others, in a bite,
the story of another people from another place and another time.”
-stanley tucci
I only made it through two uniforms in the lineup
brownie and junior scout
with aspirations to go all the way through
beginning as a brownie (fun!)
officially becoming a junior scout
after my ‘flying up’ ceremony
I imagined all kinds of adventure
canoeing, camping, first aid, parades, hiking, building fires, survival, rescues…
earning badges galore
anything was possible
bring it on!
but
my leader had a different vision
of what a junior scout should do and be
we made a lot of crafts
like oranges with cloves stuck in them
(pomaders)
to use in closets at home
each week I looked forward to the announcement of what was to come
yet it was always another craft
or making something to eat on foil
literally all I remember
then the cookie sale
I was really quiet and dreaded going door to door
I knew my days in the scouts were numbered
this was not my path
I would need to seek out my own adventure
and while my path was all over the place
that’s exactly what I did.
—
‘I am an aging Girl Scout.’
-amy sedaris, american actor, comedian, and writer
50 protests/50 states/50 capitols
good to be one small part of
these peaceful protests
filled with people
refusing to be silenced
in my state capitol of lansing, mi, usa
and all around the country
people traveling long distances
sharing rides
taking time off of work or school
in cold and bad weather
to show their refusal to sit down
lawmakers of all ages and races and genders spoke out
this young activist, a local college student
who helped to organize our state’s protest
spoke with passion and cried
while addressing
why this is so important
already understanding at such a young age
some truths are universal
proud to stand with each and every one of them
on national tv tonight – protests in states across the nation
united in their cause.
—
“in matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems,
for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.’
-albert einstein
I didn't have my glasses on.... 