Category Archives: Life

Jul3

where some see light, others see night.

Posted on by
Standard
The City of Ann Arbor Government
and the 
US National Weather Service – Detroit
issued this statement yesterday:

 

We lost 38 seconds of daylight yesterday. By the end of the month, we’ll be losing over 2 minutes each day and by the end of next month, nearly 20 minutes per week. Here’s what you can expect as you savor the waning days of Michigan’s warm season:

July: -45 minutes lost
August: -1 hour 16 minutes lost
September: -1 hour 22 minutes lost
October: -1 hour 23 minutes lost
November: -1 hour 1 minute lost

It won’t be long until you have an extra 6 hours of darkness to spend on your indoor hobbies. Have a great Monday.

i think that someone may have been very hot and had a tough monday.
—
“we’re burnin’ daylight.”

-john wayne

—
image credit: kur4

 

Jul2

literacy?

Posted on by
Standard

when reading this article about literacy

i was saddened by it

yet i was struck by an typo

not meant to be ironic

that perhaps unknowingly proved the point.

“literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.”
― kofi annan

Jul1

beaver tails.

Posted on by
Standard

safe_image.php.jpeg

Beaver Tails

(no rodents were harmed in the making of this treat)

Some people might be horrified at the idea of eating the tail of a semi-aquatic rodent. But the sweet beaver tails that Canadians feast upon aren’t taken from beavers. Instead, they are big paddles of whole-wheat dough, fried to golden crispness. The final product is often doused in toppings such as cinnamon-sugar, chocolate, whipped cream, and maple butter.

While their name has become shorthand for a big, wheat doughnut, most come from one place: the BeaverTails chain of pastry shops. For the last 40 years, the Ontario-founded company has been slinging beaver tails, or queues de castor, at outlets across Canada. Flavors range from savory (garlic cheese, anyone?) to sweet (apple cinnamon). Fan favorites are the Killalou Sunrise, topped with cinnamon-sugar and lemon, or the Triple Trip, which boasts chocolate hazelnut spread, peanut butter, and Reese’s Pieces. In eastern Canada, they’re often a winter treat, perfect for after skating.

As the tails have slowly spread around the world, from Dubai to Dollywood, their indulgent taste and evocative name has made them an iconic part of Canada’s cuisine.

happy canada day to our sweet neighbors to the north!

 

—

credits: atlas obscura/gastro obscura/taste montreal

Jun30

pie for breakfast.

Posted on by
Standard

used the berries we picked

to make a strawberry pie for breakfast

what a fine way to begin a day.

“to whoever invented fantasy, redwood trees, and pie for breakfast; well done.”

-dr sun wolf

Jun29

reach.

Posted on by
Standard

“we sit in the mud… and reach for the stars.”

-ivan turgenev

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

—

photo credit: pinterest vintage

Jun28

coffee talk.

Posted on by
Standard

nothing like waking up early

 sipping a warm cup of strong coffee

 chewing on something that seems like a berry

 your brain catching up

and wondering

why there is a berry in your cup

because you don’t normally

add berries to your coffee

and you spit it out

only to discover

that it was really a random giant ant not a berry

who climbed into your cup

in the time it took you to walk out of the room and back

and you have unwittingly shared your coffee with him

and he, with you.

—

“it is not enough to be busy. so are the ants. the question is: what are we busy about?”

-henry david thoreau

Jun27

the papermaker.

Posted on by
Standard

i have always had a great love of paper

especially handmade

each piece unique

the feel, the smell, the beauty,

 the unlimited opportunities

to decorate it, to write and draw and paint upon it,

to fold it, to cut it, to wrap with it, to read from it, to create with it.

the short film below is a glimpse into the life of an artisan

who is also passionate about paper.

—

“The Papermaker“ is a short documentary about one of the last handcrafting papermakers in Europe and his great love for paper. Gangolf Ulbricht makes unique tree- free papers by hand. For international artists, conservators, photographers, printers and many more. He learned his uniqe craft in Germany, Japan, France and England. In this short film we see him producing his fine paper in his basement studio in the Arthouse Bethanien in Berlin-Kreuzberg. He talks about his love and dedication for this craft – and it ́s future. Gangolf has worked for a number of known artists like: Jenny Holzer, Louise Bourgeois, Guenther Uecker, Jonathan Meese, Damien Hirst, Christiane Baumgartner, Matthias Weischer and many more.

https://uncrate.com/video/the-papermaker/

—

“fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”

-william wordsworth

 

 

 

 

—

credits:

Directed by DANIEL EGENOLF
Director of Photography LINE KÜHL
Edited by BORIS SEEWALD
Music by RALF HILDENBEUTEL
Sounddesign by ALEXANDER HEINZE
Produced by kingsandkongs.de

Jun26

strawberry fields forever.

Posted on by
Standard

today

picking in the fields

tasting along the way

tomorrow

the pie.

 

—

“strawberry fields is anywhere you want to go.”

-john lennon

Jun25

wisdom and kindness.

Posted on by
Standard

what a lovely afternoon spent

with a family whose three daughters

 each of us have taught and loved in our turn over the years

as they gave thanks to all of their teachers

by cooking and serving us an amazing brunch

at a beautiful table

complete with many homemade delights

main courses, sweets, desserts, coffee, and fruit prosecos

dad and daughters prepare our meal

while mom finalizes the drinks and details in the dining room

—

such an amazing and generous gesture

as their last daughter leaves the familiar comfort

of our elementary school

and moves on to her next chapter

in the middle school division

along with her lovely family

who we will miss

and who have taught their daughters

the wisdom of gratitude and kindness.

—

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

-jean-jacques rousseau

Jun24

other worlds.

Posted on by
Standard

while watching the little league game

i caught a glimmer of shiny blue movement

out of the corner of my eye

 and suddenly there appeared

a shimmery mermaid

all scales and tails

coming from far away

skipping onto the field

staying safe in the background

to see just what

this other world was all about

and in an instant

she was skipping off again

returning to the safe world she knew

in the great bathtub sea. 

“it’s fun to peek into other people’s worlds

and see how they go about doing things.”

-norah jones