Category Archives: community

Jan27

lights shining.

Posted on January 27, 2026 by beth

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Ann Arbor vigil last night

second one

in a very short time

people came together

in the bitter cold

gathering in community

sharing poetry, music, art

sad, angry, defiant, strong

still with lights shining

in remembrance of Alex Pretti,

VA nurse killed in Minnesota.

—

‘we do not exist for ourselves.’

-thomas merton

*Thomas Merton (1915–68) was a renowned American Trappist monk, poet and author, best known for his 1948 autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain. Based at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, he was a leading 20th-century spiritual writer who focused on contemplation, social justice, peace, and interfaith dialogue, particularly with Zen Buddhism.

Dec9

wine box jenga.

Posted on December 9, 2025 by beth

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who wants to play ‘wine box jenga?’

—

that was the question on the listing.

once again

I love my local ‘next door’ website

for its creative and fun content

you never know what you’ll find .

even these

which you didn’t know

you had to have

until you saw them there.

—

‘enthusiasm is the great hill-climber’

-elbert hubbard

*Elbert Hubbard ( 1856- 1915) was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. Hubbard is known best as the founder of the Roycroft artisan community, an influential exponent of the Arts and Crafts Movement. He and his wife, Alice Moore Hubbard, died aboard the RMS Lusitania when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine off the coast of Ireland in 1915.

Nov23

welcome.

Posted on November 23, 2025 by beth

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Last night I had the honor of sharing a meal with neighbors in my community. Some were volunteers, some came just to be friendly, and others were refugees from all over the world, now part of our community. The annual Thanksgiving Potluck get together was organized by Washtenaw Refugee Welcome, (whose mission is to identify and mobilize resources to support refugees and resettlement agencies in Washtenaw County), and EVERYONE in the community was invited.

Having gratitude for our neighbors was a great reason to come together and a shared meal was a natural way to get to know each other. Many of our refugee families brought food from their cultures and some local residents brought traditional North American foods to share. There was music, and art and things to play with, and toys for the children to take home.

The refugee crisis is a humanitarian issue that continues to touch every corner of our globe. Today, there are millions of refugees worldwide, each with their own unique story of resilience, hope, and survival against overwhelming odds.

They have been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution or natural disasters, often embarking on dangerous journeys in search of safety and a better life. They represent some of the most vulnerable populations in the world, yet their courage and strength in the face of adversity are remarkable.

Over dinner, they shared their experience, their hardships, resilience, and hope for a safer future. Their words were a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and support refugees and the importance of compassion, empathy, and understanding in addressing the refugee crisis. There is a shared humanity that connects us all.

“refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children,

with the same hopes and ambitions as us-

except that a twist of fate has bound their lives

to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale.”

-khaled hosseini

Mar16

flow.

Posted on March 16, 2025 by beth

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Flow (Straume, in Latvian)

this film is a thing of beauty

as the story unfolds before your eyes

a cat trying to survive

along with other animals

some from

across the earth, the air, the sea

the animation is flawless

filled with details

offering clues to the story

becoming clearer over time

while some of it remains ambiguous

there is no dialogue

its mesmerizing score

colors, light, mood, magical quality

all draw you in to

this ethereal vision

the ebb and flow of life, death, renewal

choices made by the individual

and those of the collective community

accepting differences

learning from each other

caring for each other

impacting each other

there are scenes

that will break your heart

that will bring you joy

an ongoing thread of reflection shines through

reminding each

they are still here

who they are

who stands with them

the universal need

for connection and community.

this film is a poem.

—

(Make sure to watch the credits to see a final scene)

—

Flow was the first Latvian production to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The film’s Golden Globe Award was featured at the Latvian National Museum of Art. It was also the first independent film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.

The film’s budget was around €3.5 million, which translates to roughly $3.7 million USD.

Production for this film took 5 1/2 years to complete.

No storyboards were used for the production and there are no deleted scenes.

Co-production: “Flow” was a co-production between Latvia, Belgium, and France.
Director: Gints Zilbalodis (First win for him)
Producers: Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well and Take Five

—

‘each of us is a living system within a greater living system,

connected to each other in more ways than we can fathom. ‘

-Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson

Mar5

food for love.

Posted on March 5, 2025 by beth

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pink and pretty princess cupcakes with edible glitter

for sweet little Nova as requested

(living in foster care)

two giant lasagnas with lots and lots of sauce

for a 3-generation Vietnamese family of 10

recently arrived and all living in one home

—

with all of the challenges going on around us right now

it’s nice to have the opportunity

to work with these grassroots organizations (below)

(both started by one person in their kitchen, spreading across the nation)

to bring a warm home cooked meal or first ever birthday cake

to people who suffer from food insecurity for a variety of reasons and circumstance

making their day a little easier, letting them know that someone cares, and bringing a bit of unexpected joy.

—

https://lasagnalove.org

for families who need a home cooked meal hand-delivered to them for a variety of reasons

(begun 5 years ago and 2.3 million now served)

https://www.forgoodnesscakes.org

(the sprinkle squad)

For Goodness Cakes matches volunteers to make and hand-deliver birthday & graduation cakes

to children in foster care and youth overcoming adversity on their special day

many who have never been celebrated

(begun 9 years ago)

—

‘the older I get, the greater power i seem to have to help the world.’

*susan b. anthony

*Susan B. Anthony was a prominent leader of the women’s suffrage movement and social reformer. Her work helped pave the way for the 1920 Nineteenth Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Inspired by their belief that everyone was equal under God, she became an abolitionist and agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. She was known for her passionate anti-slavery speeches, a rare activity for women at the time.

Dec4

shop with a cop II – holiday edition.

Posted on December 4, 2024 by beth

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for the second time

i’ve had the honor of volunteering

with local law enforcement officers, firefighters, marines,

first responders, heroes of all kinds,

community members

athletes from university sports teams

all there to host children from across the area

from families who are underserved in our surrounding community

the parents receive a stocking filled with gift cards

for gas, food, things for home, other things they want or need

the children stay with us

for an afternoon/evening of fun, food, activities, a santa visit,

and holiday shopping

for loved ones,

for warm outdoor winter wear for themselves,

holiday pajamas, cuddlies,

for things on their dream wish list,

(we find some things to pass on to a parent to give them from santa for holiday gifts)

along with some other things they’ve been hoping for or need

so joyful to see

most children wanted to buy things for those they loved first

we had to steer them back to also choosing some things for themselves

these are children who struggle

yet still understand the joy found in giving to others

j, the little guy who was trusted with myself and a young sherriff’s officer

said his mom’s very favorite thing in the world was mountain dew

he chose this as the first thing to put in our cart

he also bought some toys for his two cats

but just wrote ‘to: cats’ on the tag

so they would both share them

for ‘papa-grandpa’, some chicken noodle soup

j is an only child, raised by a single parent

he’s not had an easy life

yet, he has a gentle spirit

watched the fish in the tanks for a long while

wanted to take them home and let them go

‘because they are prisoners in there’

loves nature, being outside, running,

catching minnows and letting them go,

fishing and letting them go,

and everything at recess

he played hide and seek in the store with us

laughed with no filter

seemed to love every minute where his role

was to just be a child, enjoy all the fun, he certainly deserves it all

even the giant sugar cookie he decorated

with all of the five colors of frosting on it

and every kind of sprinkle.

—-

“the greatness of a community is most accurately measured

by the compassionate actions of its members.’

-coretta scott king

Oct25

connection.

Posted on October 25, 2024 by beth

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the courtship is on for pete and olive

‘the need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water, and food.’

-dean ornish

Sep24

be nice. (the world is a small town.) -austin kleon

Posted on September 24, 2024 by beth

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townies and visitors

listen to the powerful sounds of u’neek

at the end of summer sol festival

in the charming small town of pentwater

where we were visiting friends

realizing just how small it was

when we kept crossing paths with people

who we’d seen or met in other places

doing other jobs or in different circumstances.

chad was the fill-in musician between sets and bands

also the bartender at the ‘yacht club’

also the second place trivia night champion in town.

next we saw the guy who was the host

at the cafe across the street where we had lunch

now a paying customer at the festival pub.

then we ran into the artist who was also a caretaker for his parents and his dog

who we encountered on the beach an hour before

now sharing stories with my friend and dog-bonding.

—

if i lived there and had multiple roles, i would like to work one day a week at the magical toy store as a storyteller, work one afternoon a week selling ice cream at the beach, be known as the pretty good crossword puzzle champion in town, and sit on a bench in the park watching the town go by and writing my homespun recipe column for the local paper, like how to make my baked potatoes.

—

‘one of the important things about being a small-town reporter is knowing what not to put in the paper.’

-terry pratchett

Sep15

market day.

Posted on September 15, 2024 by beth

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so many colors and aromas and tastes and sounds and things to touch

all senses engaged

a beautiful morning at the market.

—

‘what makes the farmers market such a special place is that you’re actually creating a community around food.’

*bryant terry

*Bryant Terry is an African-American vegan chef, food justice activist, and author. He has written four vegan cookbooks and cowrote a book about organic eating. He won a 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award for his food justice work.

—

ann arbor, michigan, usa – september 2024