the wine and egg diet from vogue magazine in the 70s

highly likely it was not written by anyone in the health field

maybe you have to stay drunk to get through it?

—

‘the second day of a diet is always easier than the first. by the second day you’re off it.

-jackie gleason

 

 

a few of the apple blossoms

spotting a tree-trimming crew

stood rapt for an hour

checking out the trucks

watching the crew

going up in the bucket

cutting the branches

picking up the leaves

wearing helmets

warning walkers and cars

and then-

they fired up

the chipper.

 like being at the circus

hearing the buzz

squealing

as they 

watched the chips fly

into yet another truck

excitement level 11. 

—

‘if the world is our stage remember our children are sitting in the front row.’

-s. topaz

 

 

 

 

 

 

a reminder that no matter how windy the outside world around us may feel 

we can always seek peace and calm below the surface.

 

—

art credit: windy days, kristina kemenikova

 

Thank you, on veteran’s day

—

‘when the world makes you cynical,

wherever you seek true humility and selflessness,

look for a veteran.’

-barack obama

—

photo credit: New York Times

don’t even try to sneak two out of here!

—

‘it was difficult to get into my friends’ rock bands when i was a teenager. they somehow didn’t see the need for an accordion player. that’s when i realized that i had to find my own path in life.’

-Al yankovich

—

inspirations: pete for the photo, and rosalia, musician and master accordionist

—

‘what is Santa’s favorite fruit?’

sugarplums!

-parade magazine

my new adventure

an on-call teacher

a couple of mornings a week

at the university of michigan child care center

children from 12 weeks to age 5 spend their days here

while their parents research or teach or take care of others at the hospital

i’m working with the multi-age outdoor class

‘the apple blossoms’

3s, 4s, and a couple of young 5s

getting a hands-on education

all outdoors

learning by doing 

drinking milky tea on a chilly morning

imagination, exploration, discovery, building, caring for nature

trying new things, failing at times, and trying again

gardening, cooking in the mud kitchen, finding animals 

working with others, working alone

we are the guides

we are all learning

eating, sleeping, growing, weeping

laughing, yelling, whispering, hiking, finding

the apple blossoms thrive in the outdoors

this is what we see when we look up 

sleeping under the pines

soft needles below 

tarp and mat and comfy blankets and cuddlies

all tucked in 

hearing stories read aloud

looking to the sky as we drift off to dream. 

—

‘children grow up hearing how broken the environment is,

how broken beyond repair.

plant strawberries together, make wild medicines, paint the sunrise.

show them proof, that for every act of destruction,

they can sow a seed, however small, of beauty.’

-nicolette sowder

‘i walk to love the world.’

-mary oliver

 

ann arbor, michigan, usa – november 2024

today is the day.

—

“may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

~ nelson mandela

—

image credit: smithsonian magazine photo contest, the american experience,

freedom..american flag at pictured rocks, lake superior, michigan, usa, amie nola