alley filled with public creative expression
ever-evolving
ever-powerful
—
“i’m a great believer in poetry out of the classroom, in public places,
on subways, trains, on cocktail napkins.
i’d rather have my poems on the subway than around the seminar table at an mfa program.”
-billy collins
—
ann arbor, michigan, usa
summer 2021
7-ELEVEN HAD TO MANDATE CUSTOMERS NOT FILL TOILET BOWLS OR KIDDIE POOLS WITH SLURPEES.
For nearly a century, popular convenience store chain 7-eleven has been quenching consumer thirsts with Slurpees, and other refreshments. (It got the name 7-Eleven owing to its original operating hours—from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.—starting in 1946.)
With success comes the occasional hiccup, and not just from one too many Slurpees. As the world once again celebrated Slurpee 7-Eleven Day on July 11, it was not without some historical issues. Beginning in 2015, on this special day, 7-Eleven offered to fill up containers brought in by customers for just $1.50. The problem? Some decided to drag in kiddie pools, toilet bowls, and sleds to game the system. The following year, the store mandated that any container had to fit in a 10-inch cutout set up in stores.
p.s. for some inexplicable reason, the detroit market is the Slurpee capital of our nation
—
“had I known I was going to face down death today, I totally would’ve bought myself the Slurpee.”
-laura thalassa
—
credits: pinterest, google
what a charming little cottage
i never stop smiling
in moments spent wandering through a toy store
such a lucky find –
a good humor man golden book
and what better hosts to greet us?
“i have a lot of growing up to do. i realized that the other day inside my fort.”
– zach galifianakis
—
the dollhouse and toy cottage, plymouth, michigan, usa
summer 2021
thanks to artist david zinn, for his lovely sidewalk chalk ode to the library
—
the day has arrived at last
the library has reopened
after what seemed like such a long, long time
our community couldn’t be happier
it has been so greatly missed by so many.
—
‘Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul.’
—Library at Thebes, inscription over the door
-Charles Darwin, on discovering seasickness
—
having always been prone to motion sickness
from most any mode of travel or spinning movement
vertigo from a pilates class
spinning on any ride known to mankind
cruising on the water after a hurricane
twirling
watching hand-held camera shots on film
riding on and in planes, trains, buses, and automobiles
(not when riding on horses or camels, at least)
i should not have been surprised
watching richard branson fly off into space
listening to the play-by-play
of speed, g-force, lack of gravity, the woozy view from the window seat, the up, the down
when i began to feel motion sick
sitting on solid ground
in my living room
on earth.
one of many reasons i am not an astronaut.
sources: the guardian, tim radford, bbc, almay photo, virgin air photo
seemingly overnight
baby yeti
has transformed from a crazy toddler with mini claws and fuzzy fur
into an awkward, gawky teenager
who’s not quite sure what to do
with his newly stretched out body and all his parts
can’t wait for the
sassiness
storming off to his room
eye-rolling
questionable choices
acting like he doesn’t know who i am
mercurial emotions
and the puberty talks.
—
“no matter where you are or where you grow up,
you always go through the same awkward moments of being a teenager
and growing up trying to figure out who you are.”
-aimee teegarden
now this is what i call a room with a view.
—
“when you chop wood, chips fly”
-nikolai yezhov
i have always loved alphabets
when i was young
one of my favorite days ever
was when i could finally
decode the letters and read words
i love alphabets created out of every imaginable material, and alpha art and images of all kinds
today i tried to look up the word for someone who loves alphabets
and there was nothing to be found
the closest i could come was for someone who loves words:
“human society, the world, and the whole of mankind is to be found in the alphabet.”
-victor hugo
The Old Village of Lawers, currently for sale in Scotland, comes with some baggage. In addition to its centuries-old ruins, the property purportedly comes with the ghost of a seer whose famous for her accurate predictions. If this sounds like your dream listing, the historic village can be yours for $173,000, CNBC reports.
The sale of the Old Village of Lawers in Perthshire, Scotland, is being managed by the Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group. The settlement dates back to the 17th century, and it includes the ruins of the Old Lawers Church, a kiln, and mill, and the House of Lawers. The latter site housed the Lady of Lawers in the late 1600s.
The seer put forth various prophecies in her lifetime, including visions of “fire-coaches” and ships powered by smoke. These have since been interpreted as predictions of trains and steamships. She also proclaimed that the ridging stones for the church would never be laid—a prediction that came true when a storm washed them away. Today, the ghost of the Lady of Lawers is said to haunt the village she once called home.
The 3-acre property offers more than dilapidated buildings and supernatural legends. It also comes with a private beach, semi-ancient woodland, and the rights to fish for trout and launch a boat in Loch Tay. The village, which has been unoccupied since the early 20th century, is perfect for someone looking for a truly secluded getaway in central Scotland. The Old Village of Lawers is listed for £125,000, or roughly $172,859 USD.
who’s in?
—
“the village is coming back, like it or not.”
-david brin
—
source credits: mental floss, michele debczak, cnbc
