such a lovely and delicate web was there to greet us
a welcoming art installation created by a spider
—
‘the bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.’
-william blake, poet
—
blake suggests that as birds create and live in nests, and spiders create and live in webs, so humans create and live in friendships. it suggests friendship is as complex, natural, and beautiful as the first two.
—
photo credit: thank you, cws
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
enter this charming store
like walking into a dream
towers, and dragons, and costumes, and animals, and castles, and art, and toys, and books, and puppets
surrounded by enchanting hand-painted murals
a circle where story tellings and puppet shows and theater play are shared
imaginations are encouraged and play flows freely.
‘the world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.’
-jean-jacques roussseau
on the first day of fall with friends
lake michigan
—
‘not every lake dreams to be an ocean.’
-memet murat ildan
‘why can’t i just eat my waffle?’
– barack obama
Brunch has an understandable hold on Americans — after all, who can pass up the opportunity to enjoy a delicious smattering of sweet and savory plates (alongside good company, of course)? Apparently, Americans of the past couldn’t say no either, gathering to share food and fun at so-called “waffle frolics.” These waffle-eating get-togethers were most popular during the colonial era, eventually petering out by the mid-20th century. At their peak, they were elaborate, multi-course meals that showcased freshly ironed waffles as the main course.
Little is recorded about the particulars of early waffle frolics, but one description, by William Livingstone, a 21-year-old Yale student who recounted his party experience in a 1744 letter, describes the soiree as a lavish affair. “After a few games, a magnificent supper appeared in grand order and decorum,” he wrote. “But for my own part I was not a little grieved that so luxurious a feast should come under the name of a wafel-frolic, because if this be the case I must expect but a few wafel-frolics for the future.”
Waffles have been widely eaten throughout Europe since the Middle Ages, sold by street vendors and often consumed on religious holidays. Eventually, they made their way to the American colonies alongside the Pilgrims, and it was in the New World where they were paired with maple syrup for the first time. Culinary lore sometimes suggests it was founding father Thomas Jefferson who ignited the waffle frolic craze in the 1790s upon his return from France, after he arrived with four waffle irons in his luggage. As president, Jefferson reportedly served the treat to Meriwether Lewis at the White House prior to the Lewis and Clark expedition.
‘a wafffle is like a pancake with a syrup trap.’
-mitch hedberg
—
Waffles cooked and served every minute at Waffle House restaurants -145
Weight (in pounds) of the world’s largest waffle, created in the Netherlands in 2013 – 110
—
image and source credits: interesting facts, waffle house, babycenter.com, king arthur baking
it’s a match!!
i’ve recently been getting
‘match alerts’
with increasing frequency.
in response to my online quests.
there’s a parallel
between three very different things
i’m engaged in simultaneously:
finding a new car for my parking space
finding a new companion for olive the cat
finding a new companion for me.
interesting that the process is somewhat the same:
select the features i am most interested in
state what i am looking for
describe myself, my cat, my driving style
reach out to some that seem interesting
seem to be a potential good fit
watch to see what matches come back.
in all three areas i’m looking for:
a bit of life experience,
maybe a few rough spots, but made it through,
with somewhat low miles,
a few dings here and there,
but not in need of imminent major repairs.
easy going, intuitive, playful, bright, makes life better
some things the same, some different
to keep it interesting.
hopefully by the end of all this
i’ll be sitting on the couch with someone
the cats sitting in the window
the car parked
sitting at a bit of an angle in my straight-lined parking spot.
i’m open to the possibilities.
—
our similarities bring us to a common ground;
our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.-tom robbins
—
image credit: etsy.com
a rare sighting of michigan flamingos in the wild
standing perfectly still
not making eye contact or uttering a sound
i dare not tell them that they are not camouflaged.
—
“be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.”
– savannah larsen
—
ann arbor, michigan, usa – september 2024
*Neil Peart was a Canadian and American musician, drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush, known to fans by the nickname ‘The Professor’, derived from the Gilligan’s Island character of the same name.
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.
I didn't have my glasses on.... 