Author Archives: beth

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About beth

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

speak!

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giving a speech has always been a challenge for me

while i love talking

one-on-one, or to a stranger or small group

(and can do so for hours, sorry)

when i have to get up in front of an audience

finding a mic in my hand

it never turns out well

it’s never gotten easier

i’m much better

with story-telling, improv, prattling on, and going off on tangents

so i have reimagined

all of these experiences

as tiny speeches.

 

“i can talk for a long time only when it’s about something boring.”

-lydia davis, author

 

image credit: harvard business review

questions and ideas.

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while on our recent visit to the farm

one of the 3-year old kinder

asked the farmers why the windmill wasn’t spinning

after a short discussion about the wind and movement

he put it all together and was happy to know the answer.

when we sat next to each other on the bus for our return to school

he turned to me with a big smile and said,

“you know, i just love, love, love learning.”

and it almost brought me to tears.

“the capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice.”

-brian herbert

 

 

 

image credit: kobi yamada, apg sales and distribution,

 

on the farm.

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the kinder visited the farm today

met farmers megan and amy

said hello to the animals

had a tractor ride

saw the community garden

walked into the pumpkin patch

said thank you to the land and the plants

for making and sharing the pumpkins with us

they’ll give back

by planting the seeds from a pumpkin

to make new pumpkins at school

 said thank you to the farmers

who taught us so much

who day in and day out

make all of the magic happen.

 

“we have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.”

-wendell berry

just, no.

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a creepy doll mask,

never will i ever…

with my luck and imagination

i picture it never coming off.

 

 

 

“a mask tells us more than a face.”

-oscar wilde

stuck.

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the kinder are learning about the magical powers of glue.

 

butter rum?

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am i the only one who never ate butter rum lifesavers as a child
because i thought they had rum in them?
maybe pirates ate them?
for some reason i never questioned the idea that they’d sell liquor candy to children.
it turns out they didn’t, as described by the candy company below:
what flavor are butter rum lifesavers?
“the aroma alone will ignite your tastebuds as you happily experience the irresistible and warm flavors. each candy is filled with an incredibly creamy texture and a buttery and sweet taste with a hint of saltiness. warm and smooth tasting and echoing a gentle note of rum, creating a decadent and distinctive flavor.”
what?!
 paradigm shift.
“candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”
-ogden nash, american poet
image credit: life savers, mars candy company

be water.

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when all are watering the plants at the same time,

while facing each other,

what could possibly happen?

let’s do the probability math.

 

“be water, my friend.”

-bruce lee

 

october coming.

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september has just flown by

 

“october is a symphony of permanence and change.”

-bonaro w. overstreet

 

 

 

 

image credit: pinterest

coffee art.

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on international coffee day

Meet the Italian Artist who creates Incredible Works of Art From Spilled Coffee

Italians are known for their love of coffee, but while most enjoy espresso for its taste, artist  Giulia Bernardell appreciates it for its creative potential. She turns spilled coffee into works of art that look like detailed watercolor paintings.

Many of us start our day with a cup of joe, but Bernardelli indulges in a dose of inspiration, too. Her bio reads, “My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life.” Bernardelli’s journey to creating coffee art began by chance. One day, the artist accidentally spilled coffee over her canvas as she was working. But rather than clean it up, Bernardelli grabbed a spoon and used it to guide the brown liquid around the white space.

Today, Bernardelli continues to use spoons in lieu of a paint brush, but she also uses matchsticks to achieve intricate details. From architectural sketches to studies of the human face, Bernardelli takes inspiration from everywhere. She even recreates Italian Renaissance masterpieces in her coffee art style. She’s “painted” the  Mona Lisa and The Creation of Adam,  using spilled coffee as pigment.

Since making a name for herself as a respected “coffee artist,” Bernardelli has branched out into new, edible mediums. She also creates art from melted ice cream, fruit, vegetables, and much more.

“coffee is the best thing to douse the sunrise with.”

-terri guillemets

 

art credit: spilled coffee art, guilia bernadelli

source credit: mymet, emma taggart

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Giulia Bernardelli

 

 

 

 

 

frogger, in real time.

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once again, i love the advice/warning/humor posted on my local nextdoor page:

‘As anyone may be traveling east on Ann St. and crossing N. Division… be suuuuper careful! In the morning the sun is blazing right into one’s eyes, and equally, throughout the day, there’s tons of traffic, slower paced pedestrians, fast paced bicyclists in a dedicated bike lane and a jog in the road. I even saw a person on a unicycle in a traffic lane yesterday! It is one hellacious level of “Frogger”! 🐸🚗”

“if you can’t be a good example, be a terrible warning.”

-jennifer cruise

 

art credit: archive arcade