two of my grandchidren in 2017 march with our community
‘Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future.’
-John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
Aug28
Aug27
they’re back…
Fire Department Responds To Burning Mattress,
Unsafe Concerts, As UM Students Return
(Ann Arbor News headline – college move-in week)
—
‘the unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life,
is that there is no core curriculum.
the entire place is an elective.’
-jon stewart
—
source credits: click detroit wdiv, mlive, ann arbor news
Aug26
fighting words.
our founding fathers irked england by inventing american english
thomas jefferson is credited with coining over 100 words — more than any other president. among the words the third president introduced are “indecipherable,” “belittle,” and “pedicure,” the latter of which means to care for the feet and toenails. “Pedicure” was one of several words that Jefferson borrowed from the French after spending many years in Paris.
next time you get your pedicure,
you’ll have TJ to thank for bringing this word to us,
otherwise you wouldn’t have known what service to ask for
when you booked your appointment.
—
‘where can i find a man who has forgotten words so i can have a word with him?’
-zhuangzi
—
source credits: VOA, Saturday Evening Post
Aug25
spirals.
“the whole universe is based on rhythms. everything happens in circles, in spirals.”
– john hartford
*John Hartford was an American original. He was a musician, songwriter, steamboat pilot, author, artist, disc jockey, calligrapher, dancer, folklorist, father, and historian.
—
source credit: cast-light.com
Aug24
slackers.
noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
There wasn’t an acrophobe in sight at the Slackline King Championship in China’s Zhangjiajie National Forest Park this week. Competitors from across the globe walked a line about an inch thick that was suspended 1,300 feet in the air between two peaks more than 5,000 feet apart. watch if you dare.
—
‘a lot of people have a fear of heights. not me, I have a fear of widths.’
-steven wright
—
credits: source: abc news, photo: deng daoli/vcg
Aug23
the dragon of delay.
headed out to do some errands
get gas, groceries, pick up garden stakes, return something
but I happened upon this puzzle
just sitting there
when I got in line to return my item
like it was waiting for me
so I bought the puzzle
figured I’d do the rest of the errands another day
couldn’t wait to get home to put it together.
—
‘slaying the dragon of delay is no sport for the short-winded.’
-sandra day o’connor
Aug22
is it time for a name tag or tattoo?
yesterday i replied to my funny blogging friend from wisconsin
midwest mark at mark my words
https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/132543474/posts/5777286675
who wrote about using funny fake names when making reservations
he asked if anyone else did this
which reminded me that i sometimes
use other names when ordering coffee
because for some reason
people often seem to get my name wrong
‘beth’ becomes: ben, seth, beck, bet, betty, etc.
am I not articulating well?
is it my fault that my parents
gave me such a complicated name?
with so many letters?
sometimes they ask me to spell it
B. E. T. H.
then they say
‘oh, just like it sounds.’
yes.
one time
I was with my teaching partner
whose name is judy
we each ordered a drink to go
with our own specifications
we each gave our names
when we got our drinks
they read:
‘judy 1’ and ‘judy 2.’
—
‘i’ve had my name mispronounced so many times, i’m not even sure i’m saying it correctly.’
-author unknown
Aug21
collectives.
Chesterfield Library, Chesterfield, Massachusetts
—
COLLECTIVE NOUNS FOR LIBRARIANS
A group of librarians is called a cardigan.
A collection of empty chairs is called an author reading.
A collection of Eric Carle books covered in spit-up is called a storytime.
A group of exhausted mothers covered in spit-up is also called a storytime.
A cluster of teens reading quietly is called a mystery.
A pile of books gathering dust is called a hold shelf.
A handful of change is called a budget.
A stack of books on a nightstand is called a magical thinking.
A group of people who only remember “the cover was blue” is called a patron.
A plastic prize tub of stickers is called a summer reading program.
A collection of missing pieces is called a community jigsaw.
A group of retirees is called a Scrabble night.
A shelf of books in alphabetical order is called a miracle.
A group of shushing librarians is called a cliché.
A group of underfunded libraries is called a tragedy.
by Sally Miller
—
Source: McSWEENEY’S
Aug20
music connects people.
went to my grandson’s (a born entertainer), arts camp
in a beautiful northern michigan location
to pick him up and to see his choir performance
where some of their rehearsals even took place in the woods
it was a wonderful experience for him for many reasons
new friends, no electronics, learning to play piano, sing new music
time away from home, tell stories, eat camp food, have new adventures
at the camp performance
my daughter noticed
that grandson j, and his longtime friend, also j
were singing in much the same positions
where they had performed
at a school concert
where they first met seven years ago
so wonderful they are still friends and still love music.
—
‘the true beauty of music that it connects people.
it carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.’
-roy ayers
*Roy Ayers Jr. was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Hw began his career as a jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 70s, during which he helped to pioneer jazz-funk.
—
blue lake fine arts camp, twin lakes, michigan, usa – summer 2025
Aug19
savoring.
fresh offerings at the Ann Arbor farmer’s market
on world photography day
—
“taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”
― marc riboud
Marc Riboud (1923 – 2016) was active in the French resistance as a young man during World War II, later studied engineering, and became a French photographer, best known for his extensive reports on the Far East.
I didn't have my glasses on.... 