Author Archives: beth

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About beth

Ann Arbor-ite writes about enjoying life with all of its ironies and surprises.
Feb5

fear.

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photo credit: Sushma Hedge

Nelson, Australia, Estuary Beach

Where the river meets the ocean…

‘This has got to be one of the most unique beaches I’ve been to! The Estuary Beach in Nelson as the name suggests is the meeting place for the Glenelg river and the Southern ocean. On one end of the beach, the slow moving and meandering river is noticeable whilst on the other the ocean with its roaring waves! This makes for quite a sight if imagined! The beach also features a giant Oxbow Lake. The sort of shells I found here were quite different from the other beaches around the Great Ocean Road and the Melburnian Bay. This beach would provide as an excellent example for those studying the journey of a river from its source to the ocean. I would highly recommend anyone visiting the area to drop by and have a look at this unique beach.’ – S

 

Feb4

reserved.

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TheRide pays tribute to Rosa Parks with seats reserved on Ann Arbor buses

ANN ARBOR, MI — Bus riders in the Ann Arbor area may notice something different Tuesday, Feb. 4.

It’s Transit Equity Day and the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority, known as TheRide, is honoring civil rights icon Rosa Parks by reserving a seat for her on each of its buses.

very proud of my city

 

 

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source credit: ryan stanton@mlive.com

 

Feb4

‘with theatre, you have to be ready for anything.’ – willem dafoe

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another week and yet another fun grandie experience

this time it was grandie j’s turn

 who loves the performing arts

a natural actor who loves to entertain

always ready to pitch in

and do what needs doing

to bring a show to life.

 in his school play,

beetlejuice jr., the musical

he played a bettlejuice clone

was also a mover, helping with props and stage setup

 what a colorful and lively show

the actors truly seemed to have as much fun as the audience.

bravo, j!

so glad to see you doing what you love.

‘the world is a complicated place, and there’s a lot of division between people.

the performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.’

*david rubenstein 
*(a busy guy, see below)

*David Rubenstein  is an American lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist. A former government official, he is a co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group based in Washington, D.C. Rubenstein is also the principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles (MLB).

Rubenstein is the chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Gallery or Art, the Council of Foreign Relations and the Washington D.C. Economic Club. He is a former board of trustees chairman at Duke University and the Smithsonian Institution. He served as co-chair of the board at Brookings Institution. In 2022, he became chair of the University of Chicago’s board of trustees.

Feb3

history.

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February is Black History Month 

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.

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‘all labor that uplifts humanity has dignity.’— Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

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image credit: pbs

Feb2

and then…

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warning: this may not be an actual groundhog

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happy groundhog day to all and may spring be right around the corner

what is your prediction,  groundhog?

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‘for the record, winter will last until it’s over

and then it will be spring.’

-gilbert cumberbatach groundhog

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art credit: groundhog bucket hat for pet pattern by Svetlana Maxarova

Feb1

fly.

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grandie f whizzes by in the velodrome in detroit

loves to fly on his bike

 works hard for these races

he did wonderfully

 came in 3rd place overall

against opponents who

were older and more experienced

 what a huge accomplishment

keep flying high, f

‘push yourself again and again. don’t give an inch until the final buzzer sounds.’

-larry bird

Jan31

what wisdom.

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BBC A triangular roadworks sign which normally features a man digging has been changed to show a man helping up another from the ground, with the words "Be Kind" replacing the word "Roadworks".
A road sign advocating kindness appeared on a street in Hull in July last year – BBC

Kindness has been chosen as Children’s Word of the Year for 2024 after a survey of thousands of young people.

Oxford University Press (OUP) said “artificial intelligence” and “conflict” were also among the most common suggestions.

It follows 2023’s winning phrase “climate change”, and “Queen”, which was the winner in 2022 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 3,000 children aged six to 14 were asked for their suggestions, with the top three then put to vote by a further 2,000 children.

Andrea Quincey, a director at OUP, said the choice was “encouraging” and reflected children’s increasing awareness of mental health. “We know from previous years that young people are very conscious of the big issues that can divide us as a society and attuned to the important role which language can play in bringing people together.”

“It tells us that empathy and tolerance and the language we use matter, and that kindness is not only a solution to so many problems but is something everyone and anyone can do to make a difference.”

The final vote kindness had been chosen by 61% of children.

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‘what wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”

– Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jan30

all things become possible.

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on a crisp and bright morning walk, we find a great blue heron waiting

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‘creativity is the blue heron within us waiting to fly;

through her imagination, all things become possible.’

-nadia janice brown

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art credit: john goss, great blue heron

mill creek park north, huron river, dexter, mi, usa

winter 2025

Jan29

the year of the snake.

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Year of the snake 2025 – limeyts – Etsy
Materials: archival ink, cotton paper, linoleum block print

happy lunar new year to all who celebrate

 

Year of the Snake: Personality Traits

Snake babies are often described as wise beyond their years. They’re the deep thinkers of the zodiac, known for their calm demeanor, resourcefulness, and ability to analyze situations before taking action.

“On the second new moon after the winter solstice, millions around the world celebrate a holiday known as the Lunar New Year. This year, the momentous occasion falls on January 29th when we say goodbye to the fierce Dragon and usher in the energy of the Yin Wood Snake. The Lunar New Year symbolizes transitions, fresh, new beginnings, and reminds us that even within the coldest, darkest depths of winter, there is the promise of spring. It’s an invitation to look at the cycle. There are cycles in our natural world such as the seasonal cycles, cycle to be found in each day, or the moon cycle. It’s just another larger cycle that we look at to give us some insight on how to navigate and also embrace the transition. It’s also a celebration to invite in something new, like that energy of a seed bursting through a shell and unfurling into new growth. That’s what Lunar New Year is about.”

~Anjie Cho

Jan28

hamtramck disneyland.

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after a wonderful lunch with friends at the polish village restaurant

a bakery visit, and trip to the local grocery

in hamtramck, michigan

(a small city on the edge or detroit

now filled with a mix of polish and yemini people)

we stopped to visit the famous

hamtramck disneyland

located in the middle of an old neighborhood

a one-man folk art display

created over 30 years

in his backyard

 it’s really a lot to take in

ao incredibly creative and wonderful

see the story below:

Hamtramck Disneyland Is A Site-Specific Folk Art Installation Created By Artist Dmytro Szylak

Dmytro Szylak grew up in Ukraine and immigrated to the United States with his wife in the 1950s. Mr. Szylak worked for General Motors for 30 years; after retiring in the mid-1980s, he began building Hamtramck Disneyland atop the two garages on the properties he owned. The project took nearly 30 years to construct, and was constantly being updated and modified by Mr. Szylak until his death in 2015, at the age of 92.

In its heyday, the installation filled the air with whimsical kinetic structures that rattled and whirred as they spun in the wind. The garages were painted in bright stripes, and the space in between was filled with found photographs, posters, and classic Americana images mixed with those of the Europe of Mr. Szylak’s past. It is one of Michigan’s most significant works of folk art; thousands of visitors from all over the world have made Hamtramck Disneyland one of their stops.

After Mr. Szylak passed away, his estate was in limbo, with no plan to protect or keep the art. Driven by the energy and support of the community, a group of residents and artists formed to save this great local treasure. Hatch Art, which operates an art gallery and studios in the former Hamtramck police station, took ownership of Hamtramck Disneyland in May of 2016.

Hatch Art repairs and maintains the installation, preserving the core components of the artwork while proceeding with gradual updates as materials succumb to the elements. The intention is to honor Dmytro Szylak’s work by keeping the future of the installation as lively as he did in the past.

“Hamtramck Disneyland” has been the subject of two documentaries and is one of the top tourist attractions to Hamtramck, a city located within the boundaries of Detroit. It is one of Michigan’s most significant artist-built environments, along with the Heidelberg Project and MBAD African Bead Museum, among others.  Thousands of visitors a year from all over the world have made “Hamtramck Disneyland” one of their stops. In 2006, famed photographer Bruce Weber did a photo shoot with Kate Moss at this location.—

‘art is life seeking itself. It is our intractable expressions of love

for the beauties, ideas, and epiphanies we regularly find.’

— vincent van gogh

 

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text source credit: hatch art, detroit