Mar7

a rude awakening.

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what a wonderful way to relax

ending a long day with a beautiful book

all about finding your comfort

settling in at last

not a care in the world

tucked into my warm cocoon

until

the book’s spell

works a little too well on me

and i am very suddenly and very rudely awakened

right out of my comfort zone

after falling asleep and dropping the book on my face

hard.

it should come with a warning.

 

—

“littera scripta manet – ‘the written word will remain’. that’s true, but it won’t be that much comfort to me.’

-christopher hitchens

Mar6

lost and found and lost and found again.

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Update on my recent post – great news:
After enlisting the public’s help to find Elvis Francois, a sailor who survived weeks lost at sea off of ketchup and seasonings, ketchup giant Heinz has finally tracked him down – and plans to gift him a new boat.

On February 14, the company published a call for help on social media, saying they were struggling to get in touch with Francois. The Dominica-born sailor made headlines after he spent 24 days adrift in the Caribbean Sea in January. After being rescued by the Colombian navy, Francois, 47, told officials that he had survived off of a bottle of ketchup, garlic powder, and Maggi stock cubes, which he mixed with water. Ketchup helped him survive weeks lost at sea.

Heinz told CNN on Monday that they found Francois with the help of local reporters in Dominica working for the publication EmoNews. The company had previously said that they hoped to gift him “a new, state-of-the-art boat” to celebrate his safe return. “We were able to connect with him and discuss the best way help support him and his family,” a Heinz representative told CNN. “We (Heinz) and Elvis are currently working out the logistical details of gifting him his new boat.”

The company emphasized the central role social media played in helping locate the sailor. “Anyone who shared, liked or commented on the brand’s post helped broaden the reach and played an important part in finding Elvis,” said Heinz.

Francois was repairing his boat off the island of Saint Martin in December when his boat was pulled out to sea. He told Colombian authorities that he lacked the navigational knowledge to return to shore and spent 24 days lost at sea. He was rescued after a plane spotted his sailboat with “help” engraved into the hull, according to Colombian authorities.

—

“sometimes,” she whispered, “you need to be lost in order to be found.”
 -danika stone

 

 

—

credits: zoe sottile, cnn, emonews, columbian navy press office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mar5

warmth.

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after yet another unique and powerful winter storm

with lots and lots and lots of

heavy, wet, beautiful, pure white snow

i woke up early to a power outage

spending my morning in the library

with coffee, power bars, and locals

powering up, reading, talking, and writing

watching as a lovely grandmother

kneels down to her young grandson’s level

as she very patiently and quietly

teaches him and then lets him

check out each of his very own books

one by one

gently guiding him as he goes

only when he needs it

 when he proudly finishes his work

he loads each into his own little backpack

she helps him

put on each woolen mitten and zips up his coat

he holds onto her leg as she slowly stands

 they very naturally cradle their hands together

as they make their way out of the library

 back out into the world with beautiful white snow

what a simple yet powerful act of love

that warms me

more than this comfortable and welcoming building ever will

it’s always the people within who do that.

—

“if a family has an old person in it, it possesses a jewel.”

-chinese proverb

Mar4

home is where….?

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The investigation is ongoing and more arrests may occur.
What if you came home one night and your house was missing?
Michigan State Police troopers have made an arrest in connection with a cabin that was stolen from a county road in northern Michigan. Police said through tips, several search warrants executed on cellular devices, and interviews, troopers were able to locate the cabin only a few miles away.

The troopers said Jeremy James Knoll became a suspect when the cabin was found on his property. He reportedly attempted to hide the cabin by placing large pieces of sheet metal around it and altering its appearance, but troopers found matching serial numbers inside the stolen cabin.

Knoll was charged with receiving and concealing stolen property and was given a $20,000 bond. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests may occur.

—

“home is wherever you leave everything you love and never question that it will be there when you return.”

-leo christopher

 

—

source credits: Dane Kelly, WILX

Mar3

commitment.

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even amidst the wind and snow and ice

these two kept good company together.

 

—

“commitment is an act, not a word.”

-jean paul sartre

Mar2

now you see me, now you still see me.

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a very cooperative model, not me, but she has a similar look

can you see her?

—

when i was young

i was shy

and used to believe

that if i had sunglasses on

i was invisible

 which worked well for me

until i found out

it wasn’t true

 tried to remember all that i had done

while thinking i was invisible

and wow.

—

“i am more than what you see.”

-ray bans

 

–

 

–

photo credit: pinterest

Mar1

undecided.

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march arrives and mother nature sits undecided

—

 

 

“the seasons change their manner,

as the year had found some months asleep and leapt them over.”

-william shakespeare

 

 

 

—

ann arbor, mi, usa – march 2023 – mlive photo credit

Feb28

velveeta on my mind.

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looking back through the recipes i’d saved

from days of yore

when the trio of daughters were young and hungry

i found this very important recipe

cut out to keep it safe

for fear i would forget how to make it

definitely a keeper

one to pass down through the generations

it had three steps after all

how was i supposed to remember all of that?

is velveeta really considered a cheese

or more cheese-ish?

—

“cooking is a philosophy; it’s not a recipe.”

-marco pierre

—

“i love velveeta cheese.”

-dolly parton

Feb27

road rally.

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*mongolian rally car (not us, but similar situation)
—
okay, so it was not an intercontinental road rally
that speeds through tough terrain
in a variety of countries over a number of days
but
i went on a nighttime road rally scavenger hunt
that went through a few cities for a few hours
 (or more if you got lost or had an inside track on where to find something)
a wonderful adventure with a great team and lots of laughs
including:
a marriage proposal, a virgin mary statue, a condescending best buy nerd,
a welcoming fast food worker, a parking lot dance-off
swinging on a swing set with a group
ending with a dinner with people i had never met before.
no bumps in the road, just pure fun.
—
“there is always strength in numbers.
the more individuals or organizations that you can rally to your cause, the better.”
-mark shields

—

*The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia. The rally originally ended in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. However, to avoid punitive costs and taxes associated with vehicle imports and disposal, the rally now passes through Mongolia and ends in Ulan-Ude. The principal launch is from Goodwood Circuit in the United Kingdom, with subsidiary starting points in the Czech Republic.

Feb26

shopping and dropping.

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three out of three are down for the count.

everyone enjoys the ‘shopping experience’ in their own way. 

 

—

“shopping is always fun for those that enjoy it.” 

-auliq ice