Author Archives: beth

Unknown's avatar

About beth

Ann Arbor-ite writes about enjoying life with all of its ironies and surprises.
Jul16

when you can’t find your hundred or so cars.

Posted on by
Standard

rolling sculpture car show 
walked downtown to have lunch with my daughter and granddaughter
noticing a few cool cars
were slowly coming into town and parking on main street
interesting to see the mix
some new, some old, some not sure what they were
we guessed that more cars would arrive later for the show
imagine my surprise as i walked a different route home
just one street over
to see cars lined up as far as  the eye could see on both sides
ah, there they are
right behind us
 nothing gets by me
just another reason
why i chose to be a teacher
rather than a professional witness, detective, or spy.
—
‘i know a lot about cars, man. i can look at any car’s headlights and tell you exactly which way it’s coming.’
-mitch hedberg

Jul15

‘i think hope and magic are probably connected. ‘ – Kate DiCamillo

Posted on by
Standard

thanks to the library consortium, and the detroit public libraries

i recently had the pleasure of attending an online talk

featuring one of my favorite authors, kate dicamillo

 just as friendly and full of whimsy as i had imagined

she talked about how she got her ideas

for stories and characters

how they became a part of her

i’ve loved her books for years

she writes for children of all ages

 in the last few years i’ve read some of them again

 with new eyes and life experience

i’ve been even more taken with them

each filled with hope and joy and spirit

 characters who refuse to be anything other than who they are

and who, against the odds, never surrender

she has such a brilliant magic to her writing.

—

‘i like to think of myself as a storyteller.’
*kate dicamillo
—
*Kate Dicamillo has written 30+ bestselling books, beloved by children and adults in touch with their inner eight-year-old, for two decades, including Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Magician’s Elephant, Flora & Ulysses, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Some of these have been turned into operas and movies. Her new books in 2024 include the middle grade novel Ferris and Orris and Timble: The Beginning. She is a rare two-time winner of the Newbery Medal.

—

below is a link to a post i wrote not long ago, about one of my very favorite books of hers, ‘the miraculous  journey of edward tulane’, which was beautiful and moved me to tears.

journey.

Jul14

dress code?

Posted on by
Standard

dropping off clothing at the salvation army

there is a sign up that says;

‘proper attire required.’

 not sure what that would be

people are either there

to donate clothes for people who need clothes

or

they need clothes and are there to pick them up

what is the proper attire for either circumstance?

—

‘yes, we have a dress code. you have to dress.’

-s. mcnealy

Jul13

save me a seat.

Posted on by
Standard
Podcast Friday! Episode 75: “Cast Aside” with Beth Kennedy
on the couch with Vicky and Wynne, sharing stories, smiles, and life lessons. https://sharingtheheartofthematter.com/2024/07/12/podcast-friday-episode-76-cast-aside-with-beth-kennedy/
Jul12

unbottled.

Posted on by
Standard

 gaggle of giggling gangly teenagers
brimming with unbottled energy
 marching down the sidewalk
where are they headed?
do you cross the road?
share the space?
join the group?
think back?
walk by?
smile.
—
‘maturity is only a short break in adolescence.’
-jules feiffer

Jul11

flying with the high notes.

Posted on by
Standard

Heathrow Airport launches live music stage

Heathrow Airport has launched a live music stage to give up-and-coming acts the chance to impress industry executives flying into London for the festival season.

Based in Terminal 5, the first show featured performances from acoustic rock band China Bears, folk singer-songwriter The Halfway Kid and R’n’B artist Olivia Nelson.

Heathrow said those performing on the stage have “access to an audience bigger than Glastonbury”, as it expects 30 million passengers to travel through its terminals this summer. The airport recently had its busiest day in its history, with 264,000 passengers – up 6% on last year.

“The Heathrow Introducing stage isn’t just about providing entertainment, it’s about propelling careers to new heights,” said Karoline Komolafe, of music events company Sofar Sounds, which has partnered with Heathrow.

“It’s a game-changer for those aiming to break into the industry, especially with festival season at its peak, offering exposure to execs traveling through. “I think Heathrow passengers are going to have a brilliant time at the gigs.”Heathrow director of services Tonia Fielding said: “We’re proud that we’re providing people from around the globe the chance to experience the best of Britain’s emerging musical talent and a taste of UK culture from the moment they reach the airport.

“We’re gearing up for the busiest summer on record, meaning we can give artists on the Heathrow Introducing stage massive audiences to play to.” Two more shows on the music stage will be held, on 12 and 24 July.

—

‘the true beauty of music is that it connects people.’

-roy avers

 

—

source credits: heathrow airport,  bbc radio london

The music stage is a partnership with music events company Sofar Sounds.

 

Jul10

burnt toast.

Posted on by
Standard

this book dedication popped up in my feed, and i’d love to know the story.

—

‘remember, behind every great person is a cat ignoring them’.

-author unknown

 

Jul9

the souls they never knew they saved.

Posted on by
Standard
i love the library
i’m there at least a couple of times a week
an unending source
of knowledge, humor, wisdom, drama, community, films, music, and life
the librarians are the lifeblood of the place and somehow keep it all going
in elementary school
i volunteered to help our school librarian, miss hoopengarner
where i had the incredible joy of seeing new books come in before anyone else
proudly getting them ready for the shelves for others to enjoy
i’ll never forget
i unpacked, wrapped, made up a card, glued on a pocket, checked out to myself, and stamped a return date
on the very first copy i had ever seen of ‘charlie and the chocolate factory’
 i was the first one in my entire school to read this book
how very lucky was i?
it was a level of magic i’ll never forget.
—
and now, i have a little game for you to try:
your librarian name is the first name of the oldest person you know
followed by a last name composed of the adjective that best describes how you move through a room
combined with the main ingredient from the last sandwich you ate.
mine is: eleanor stumblecheese
(i rather like it)
let me know how yours turns out
—
‘i’m of a fearsome mind to throw my arms around every living librarian who crosses my path,
on behalf of the souls they never knew they saved.’
-barbara kingsolver
—
image credit: pinterest vintage, santa fe library, the laughing librarian (game)

Jul8

tea haus.

Posted on by
Standard

 tea haus

calm, pretty, peaceful, lovely, sun and music streaming in

sat in soft chairs

for conversation and a tall chilled pink grapefruit green tea

all so refreshing on a very hot day

saw the note below up by the counter

 loved it even more.

—

Have a cup of tea and select from our delicious pastries, savories, and other treats. Our sunlit space has comfy nooks—or you can sit around a table or at the bar. And yes, we now serve tea cocktails, n/a cocktails, tea-infused craft beer, and other drinks in addition to over 200 fine teas!

We encourage engagement, so you’ll find puzzles, games, and books in our inviting space. In this spirit, we ask that you refrain from using electronics, there is no wi-fi. Let’s reconnect with each other!

As always, all our products are made fresh in-Haus, in small batches, by hand, with a European twist.

French macarons, cake, cookies, savories, tea cocktails, and MORE!

—

‘come, let us have some tea and continue to talk about happy things.’

-chaim potok

 

 

 

 

—

photo credit: tea haus, ann arbor, mi, usa

Jul7

‘what you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate. ‘-Katharine Hepburn

Posted on by
Standard

Vik Muniz. Action Photo, after Hans Namuth from Pictures of Chocolate. 1997. Chromogenic color print. The Museum of Modern Art. Gift of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros in honor of Adriana Cisneros de Griffin through the Latin American and Caribbean Fund. © The Estate of Hans Namuth and Vik Muniz/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

—

‘As part of the Artist’s Choice exhibition series at the Museum of Modern Art, Muniz curated a show drawn from the Museum’s collection, and MoMA has recently added to the collection a key picture by Muniz, Action Photo, after Hans Namuth from Pictures of Chocolate, and we hope to continue our exploration and appreciation of this leading artist’s work.’ -MoMa

To make his work, Muniz renders familiar images drawn from pop culture and art history in a variety of materials, and then photographs them. He has fashioned the Mona Lisa from peanut butter and jelly, Elizabeth Taylor from diamonds, Caravaggio’s Narcissus from junk, iconic news images from wet ink, and his self-portrait from dice. Muniz has referred to himself as an “illusionist,” and, with characteristic humor and ingenuity, explores the nature of representation in an image-saturated world.

One of Muniz’s most well-known bodies of work is a series of pictures rendered in chocolate sauce. Action Photo, after Hans Namuth (1997) is made after a 1950 photograph taken by Hans Namuth of Jackson Pollock frozen in mid-dance as he was making one of his paintings, Autumn Rhythm.  Muniz’s subsequent appropriation and translation of this image into chocolate is a perfect marriage of subject and material. The viscous chocolate syrup (incidentally, he used the brand Bosco) is a perfect stand-in for Pollock’s wet, shiny paint drips. This new acquisition not only strengthens the Museum’s Muniz holdings, but is a welcome complement to MoMA’s rich Pollock collection .

Vik Muniz is a Brazilian artist and photographer. His work has been met with both commercial success and critical acclaim, and has been exhibited worldwide. In 1998, he participated in the 24th International Biennale in São Paulo, and in 2001, he represented Brazil at the 49th Biennale in Venice, Italy. He currently works in New York City and Rio de Janerio.

 while this is not me,

this is my exact style of painting with chocolate

while not quite as celebrated as vic’s

they are not as in demand 

and have not yet been exhibited in public.

—

on world chocolate day

—

‘i’las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso.’

(ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.)

-spanish proverb

 

 

—

source credits:MoMa, Inside/Out