Oct28
the center.
Oct27
where hobbies, hijinks, and capers go bad = my childhood #7
my middle sister and i hatched a plan to get on the radio
when we heard about a fund raising radio-thon.
anyone who called in with a year-long pledge
would hear their names on the radio as a thank you.
as soon as our mom went upstairs
we dialed up the station on our kitchen phone
excitedly pledging to send 2 dollars a month for a whole year.
within the hour, we heard our names announced
we were so proud and cheering for ourselves
until all the noise caused our mom to come downstairs
asking what we were celebrating
as she quickly reminded us once again
that we were young kids with no income
(other than what we made from our other schemes)
and there was no way we could actually pay them a cent.
how quickly our fame turned to shame
how fearful we were
thinking the radio station
would send someone right over to our door to collect.
though they might not have found us
as we were soon busy doing hard time in our room.
—
‘fame is a fickle food upon a shifting plate.’
-emily dickinson
—
image credit: eBay
Oct26
a day.
what i saw
as i arrived at school
for parent teacher conferences
at the beginning of the day.
also what i saw
as i left school
after parent teacher conferences
at the end of the same day.
stories shared
questions answered
conversations had.
a day always passes
no matter how busy or how calm
no matter what we have done or not done
somehow slipping by.
—
‘the long day wanes; the slow moon climbs the deep.’
-alfred lord tennyson
Oct25
step.
“your next step is simple. you are the first domino.”
-gary keller
Oct24
rise above ourselves.
This image took my breath away, in it I’m sure we all recognize a hundred faces of our own nieces, daughters and little friends. How refugee children sleep in Europe in 2018…. I wish for her a warm bed with the softest blankets and a princess netting just because it’s pretty, not to keep out hundreds of mosquitoes, and a nightlight in the shape of the moon. All of these things inside a safe and happy home. A garden and toys to play with, a school to go to. Just the normal and most basic rights for any child. – m. graeve
—
‘compassion brings us to a stop, and for a moment we rise above ourselves.’
-mason cooley
—
image credit: muhammed muheisen,
story credits: open homes open hearts, merel graeve – stories from the ground
Oct23
silly.
Spijkenisse near Rotterdam has replaced the usual crossing sign by the town hall with one of a man with a bowler hat and briefcase flinging his leg high in the air, in emulation of John Cleese’s performance from the ‘Ministry of Silly Walks’ sketch.
Aloys Bijl, a local fan of the show, saw a similar sign put up by a prankster in Sweden, and asked Spijkenisse council to make an official version. “Cleese parodied a man from the ministry, and sometimes strange things do happen in town halls.”
Alderman Jan Willem Mijnans liked the idea, and agreed to preside at the not-very-formal opening of the rebranded crossing.
“It’s nice to see people crossing the street with a smile on their face, and we hope lots of people will do so,” he told the expectant crowds, before trying out his own silly walk.
The crossing is one of the busiest in town, but Mr Mijnans assured the public that, no matter how silly their progress, “traffic rules still apply, and cars have to stop as normal”.He added that the sign will revert to the original if it proves to be more of a distraction than an aid to road safety.
The people of Spijkenisse have taken to the idea with great enthusiasm, and filled social media with clips of pedestrians crossing with a variety of outlandish gaits.
—
‘mix a little foolishness with your serious plans.
it is lovely to be silly at the right moment. ‘
-horace
—
credits: abc news, news from elsewhere, martin morgan, nos public television
Oct22
‘the outside doesn’t always match the inside.’ – r. crane
farmer m shows the kinders what’s inside.
—
‘who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.’
-carl jung
—
oakland county farmer’s market, pontiac, michigan
Oct21
luster.
‘there is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky.’
-percy bysshe shelly
—
i’m not sure about today’s
hail, rain, snow, sun, wind, lightning, and thunder.
i suppose some could classify these as ‘luster’,
but probably not ‘harmony.’
Oct20
billion.
when the mega millions jackpot
hit 1 billion dollars tonight
i decided to take my chances
shell out 2 dollars
buy a lucky ticket
and imagine for at least 12 hours
what i would do with my billion
not a bad price for half a day of creative fun.
the winning ticket?
what would you do with a billion dollars if you won?
—
‘a billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.’
-everett dirksen
Oct19
upside down.
we’ve all had those days.
—
‘when everything gets turned upside down,
it only leads to better quality stuff.’
-john krasinski
I didn't have my glasses on.... 