it was a 2 ice-pack kind of day
a bandaid, temperature check, coughing kind of day
but all in all a great day
we learned about the winter solstice
saw part of the big kids’ play
danced and sang in spanish
shared books
had an outdoor adventure
(add in a couple of scratches, a few sticky burrs,a clothing change, and lots of bravery)
but at the end of the day
we all had both mittens
and headed on home.
—
“there is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.”
-alexander woollcott
this is pretty much me on any given day
for the next few weeks
as we head into the new year
all activities and adventures are on the table
some planned and most just happen.
—
“it’s the mishaps that make if fun, and brings you the surprise.”
-anna wintour
what a wonderfully kind gesture
for someone to leave a gallon of milk and bread behind
to be discovered by someone else who may need it more.
—
“let us temper our criticism with kindness. none of us comes fully equipped.”
-carl sagan
with my tiny home
loaded up
with bushels of nuts and piles of books
ready for the coming season
you’ll often find me sitting
in the quiet of the early morning
with a steaming cup of coffee
tapping away at my blog
telling the day’s story
reading others’ stories
smiling by the light of the screen.
—
“i blog because i’m not a good rapper.”
-gerry l’crow
they quite naturally
are always busy
little hands
hunting and gathering
collecting, counting, carrying
organizing, sorting,
moving, lining up
until it feels and looks just right.
or until recess ends.
whichever comes first.
and then there is a mad rush
to fill pockets, and mittens, and hands
with as much as they can hold
treasure to be transported home
to go through the whole process again.
—
“we used to be hunter-gatherers, now we’re shopper-borrowers.”
-robin williams
the tiny drinking fountain in our room
had been shut off for over 2 years
as a precautionary measure due to covid.
this year
one kinder, a young 3
decided he was going to fix it
fidgeting with it every day
without any tools
looking under it and all around it
pushing the button
day after day
he never stopped trying
nothing happened
until
one day we came in
noticed it was working
(perhaps a building elf had stopped by after school)
i took our little fixer over to see it
showed him the water coming out
told him he must have finally fixed it!
hard to imagine
the look of shock and joy on his face
to see it working
after all of his hard work
and refusal to give up
the class now celebrates him as a hero
and use the fountain every day
he proudly checks on it often
his face still amazed every time.
—
“i’m good at figuring out how things work, but I don’t know how this happened.”
-nora roberts, the collector
on the very first day
of my new and improved
healthy eating and exercise initiative
a rogue chocolate-covered raisin
emerged from hiding
under a blanket on my sofa
where it had quietly sat
lying in wait
for me to discover it
i stopped
breathless
knowing this tiny temptation
was a test
oh, what a test
who would know
just one
practically a fruit and coffee/cacao product
dark chocolate and fruit are both good for my heart
who cares if there’s a bit of blanket fuzz on it
that’s just added fiber
could this be the gateway
to a slice of triple-layer chocolate cake or velveta-laden nachos?
not today, fuzzy amazing hidden chocolate-covered raisin, not today.
the struggle is real.
—
i looked to the writers to seek their wisdom
they have a difference of opinion on this.
are you on team wilde or team emerson when it comes to temptation?
“i can resist everything except temptation.”
-oscar wilde
“we gain the strength of the temptation we resist.”
-ralph waldo emerson
work somewhere world famous
plus,
fries.
—
“there is this power that comes with being famous.”
-rod stewart
Santa speaking to crowd in front of J.L. Hudson department store
during the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade-1942
only 30 more sleeps!
—
“to celebrate a festival means;
to live out, for some special occasion and in an uncommon manner
the universal assent to the world as a whole.”
-josef pieper
The holidays are here and the barrage of advertisements has begun, but one brand is standing above the rest for their powerful message this season.
U.K. retailer John Lewis & Partners, known for their imaginative Christmas advertisements, is instead putting a spotlight on an important cause for 2022.
In this year’s highly anticipated ad, the brand has launched “The Beginner” which shares the story of a family preparing to welcome a child in foster care — but the viewer doesn’t know that at first.
A cover of Blink 182’s “All The Small Things” by Mike Geier begins to play as the man’s efforts progress through more falls and skateboard-related injuries through the Christmas season.
At the end of the video, the family is seen opening the door to a social worker and a girl, who is holding her skateboard. “I skate a bit too,” the man says pointing to his own battered board.
The ad ends with a frame sharing that there are more than 108,000 children and young people in the U.K.’s care system.
In the United States, according to a 2021 report by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 391,000 children are in foster care.
In just 24 hours since being shared, the ad has amassed more than 2.2 million views.
“As someone who’s been in the care system myself as a child, this really feels close to home … It does make you think about how powerful adverts can be, even if they are simple and basic,” one user wrote.
“there will come a time when you believe everything is finished. yet that will be the beginning.”
-louis l’amour
—
credits: today show, kait hanson, john lewis and partners
I didn't have my glasses on.... 