Category Archives: Life

Sep12

‘the world needs people who save lives.’ – frederick buechner

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after a day of remembering and honoring 

those who were

lost, helped, survived, changed forever

a calming evening walk in the park

brought soft pastel skies

trees full of life

if you look very closely

you’ll see

a survival flight helicopter

where every minute matters

on it’s way

to rescue

move someone

 pick up or deliver something

that will save a life

 when i hear one or see one 

in the sky above me

i know they literally

hold lives in their hands

 the weight of this 

 heavy

yet fragile

hope is in the air.

—

‘part of my life is saving life.’

-dith pran

 

*Dith Pran (1942-2008) was a Cambodian-American photojournalist for the New York Times. He was a refugee and survivor of the Cambodian genocide and one of the subjects of the Academy Award – winning film ‘The Killing Fields,’ in which he was portrayed by Haing S. Ngor, a fellow survivor.

*Frederick Buechner (1926-2022) was an American writer and theologian. The author of thirty-nine published books, he has been and continues to be an important source of inspiration and learning for many readers, writers, preachers, and theologians. His work encompasses multiple genres, including fiction, autobiography, essays, sermons, and other nonfiction. Buechner’s books have been translated into twenty-seven languages for publication around the world.

 

 

 

 

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beckley park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – late summer 2026

Aug26

“i wake up with new dreams everyday.” – Dolly Parton

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“Now the night I graduated from Sevier County High School, back in 1964, we were all asked to stand up and talk about what we were going to do with the rest of our lives. And everybody had a different story. And when it came my time I stood right up there. I said I’m going to Nashville and I’m going to be a star. Well the whole place laughed out loud. And I was so embarrassed, cause I thought, ‘How odd. Why is everybody laughing? ‘Cause that is what I’m going to do.’ But as bad as I felt at that moment and as embarrassed as I was, it did not shake me from my dreams. So I guess I showed them, huh?”

– From her 2009 University of Tennessee, Knoxville commencement speech

 

Dolly Parton, 8 years old (tallest, front center) with her family

 

Dolly Parton – 1946-2026
one of my favorite humans
who brought so much joy to the world
you will be missed by many
—
Photo credits:
Dolly in car, Jim Herrington, 1998
Family photo, Estelle Watson, 1954
Aug10

national lazy day.

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National Lazy Day (yes, it’s real), arrives every August 10, offering a much-needed pause from our always-on world. This is your official permission to ditch responsibilities, ignore chores, avoid work, and fully embrace the art of relaxation. So, kick back, put your feet up, and savor a day of blissful inactivity. Feel free to celebrate! I’ve provided a list of helpful vocabulary to throw around when discussing the holiday with those who might need a greater understanding of the concept. (Both home and work options below.) Pro Tip: If you have already begun your celebration, you can always wait to read this post until tomorrow. 

 Fancy words for lazy:

Indolent: Avoiding work because you prefer a state of comfort.

Languid: Moving in a slow, peaceful, and unhurried way.

Torpid: Being very slow and inactive, like an animal sleeping.

Oscitant: Drowsy and yawning, showing a highbrow form of inattentiveness. 

-Merriam-Webster

British words for lazy:

 Layabout: An idle, lazy person who avoids physical or mental exhaustion or to try to  get a job.

Skiver: Someone who avoids work or dodges their duties by trickery or playing hooky.

Work-shy: An adjective and noun style term used for someone who actively avoids doing any form of work. 

-Cambridge

Traditional Slang and Nouns for Lazy:

Slacker: Someone who avoids work and effort.

Couch Potato: A person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, watching TV.

Lazybones: A harmless, old-fashioned name for a lazy person.

Goldbrick: Someone who shirks duty or pretends to work.

Workplace Nicknames for Lazy:

KitKat: Used for someone who is always taking a break.

Sensor Light (or Motion Light): Describes a person who only starts working when someone in authority walks past.

Wheelbarrow: Someone who only moves or works when they are pushed.

E.T.: Refers to someone whose main goal all day is trying to “go home”.

Seaweed: Used for a worker who just floats around the office all day doing nothing.

Cordless: Describes someone who works unplugged or only functions for a couple of hours before dying out. 

#1 Laziest Animal in the world: Pygmy Blue Tongue Lizard

Pygmy blue tongue lizards don’t enjoy interacting with the rest of the world, and they’re hyper-cautious about predation. The skittish pygmy blue tongues spend their lives hanging out in spider caves and don’t leave unless forced. For sustenance, they sit with their mouths open and wait for food to fall in. The same goes for water; they rely on raindrops landing on their tongues.

—

‘doing nothing is very hard. you never know when you are finished.’

-leslie nielsen, american actor

 

 

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image credit: malta rabbit club

Aug7

interesting objects.

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the bike has moved into the garden

the chair has moved to the side of the road

the dinosaur has moved to the patio

 watching over the solar power

—

what do a bike, a chair, and a dinosaur have in common?

they are all objects found along the way

on an afternoon walk

that seemed to want to stay

none of them are far from home.

—

‘curiosity is natural to the soul of man

and interesting objects have a powerful influence on our affections.’

-daniel boone

*Daniel Boone ( 1734 – 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes  of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western border of the Thirteen Colonies.

 

Aug2

short and sweet.

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short and sweet meet at the park.

—

‘life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet.’

*sarah louise delany

 

Sarah Louise “Sadie” Delany (1889–1999) was an American educator, civil rights pioneer, and best selling author. She became famous at age 103 alongside her sister Bessie after publishing their life story.

First Black woman to teach home economics (domestic science) in New York City public high schools.

Earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Fought against racial bias and segregation in daily life and her profession.

Co-authored the hit memoir Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years in 1993 with Amy Hill Hearth.

The book inspired a hit Broadway play and a television film.

Lived to the age of 109, sharing wisdom from a century of American history.

 

Jul27

spinning.

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while my sister was here

we paid a visit to one of our favorite stores

‘spun’

i’ve written about it before

while i’m not a knitter

my sister is very good at it

 we both love the feeling

of being in the store

it’s whimsical and welcoming

the yarns, so beautiful

  always a bit of fun and community going on

like their brilliant ‘tour de fleece’ event

for spinners of all kinds

and

i especially love

the tiny baby sweaters.

 

(warning: sweaters are much tinier than they appear in the photo)

and

there’s a surprise

a tiny baby sheep is in the pocket

shhhh….

 

—

‘i love the way kintting brings people together.’

– debbie macomber

Jul25

just living isn’t enough.

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what a charming scene to happen upon

a tiny bench for a child

to sit and rest

or watch the world go by

or dream

a small bowl of water

for a dog to have a drink

the happy chalk drawings

to bring smiles

for those walking by

the flags

to celebrate our country

to remember what it stands for

 plants

to enjoy the beauty of

nurturing and growing

such a kind and generous thing to do.

—

“just living isn’t enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.”

-Hans Christian Anderson”

Jul21

wildman.

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Not many people can say they were arrested for picking and eating a dandelion in New York’s Central Park, but there’s at least one: Steve Brill, also known as “Wildman.” Although the 1986 charges were eventually dropped, the story made national headlines (he even landed on Late Night With David Letterman), and the city ended up hiring him to lead foraging walks in the very place he was arrested.
​
Fourty years later, the 77-year-old forager is still hosting nature tours in the park to help people identify, responsibly harvest, and cook with plants and mushrooms — and ultimately, get “closer to nature, one bite at a time,” per his website. He also has several books, an app, and even a plant card game.
​
Urban foraging in New York is technically illegal. But Brill ensures he’s only picking invasive and renewable resources, and maintains that what’s gained in awareness is irreplaceable. “People appreciate what’s going on, how the ecosystem works,” he told the Associated Press. “Then they become more protective.”
​
​ If you’re in the New York area, check out his calendar to forage with him.

—

‘a foraging wild creature, intent above all upon survival, is as strong as the grass.’

-richard adams

  • Richard Adams (1920–2016) was an English author best known for his debut 1972 novel, Watership Down. Originally a civil servant, he wrote the acclaimed naturalistic story about wild rabbits at his daughters’ urging. He later wrote other anthropomorphic and fantasy works . A former British Army veteran who served in World War II, Adams did not begin his writing career until he was in his late 40s. Following the overnight international success of Watership Down, he retired from the Civil Service in 1974 to become a full-time author.

 

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source credits: AP, nicenews

Jul11

unfolding.

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the river at the end of my street

—

“i would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

– john o’ donohue

 

—

*John O’Donohue, an Irishman from County Clare, was a priest and writer, philosopher and poet, environmental activist, life teacher, speaker and humanist. With Anam Cara, Eternal Echoes and Divine Beauty he wrote world bestsellers. He loved human existence in all its facets. His most important topic was to live life to the fullest without fear. To him, the maximum transgression of being human was the unlived life. -irland news, markus bauchle

 

 

 

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huron river, ann arbor, michigan, usa – summer

Jun27

on main street.

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relaxed evening on main street

perfect summer weather 

live music duo playing 

adults slowing down

children making art

enjoying the night

 

—

‘my ideal city would be one long main street with no cross streets or side streets to jam up traffi.

just a long one-way street.’

-andy warhol

 

 

 

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ann arbor, michigan, usa – early summer 2026