each kinder
was asked
what wish
they would like
to send out
into the world
on a piece of paper.
one said this:
she understands important things.
—
the liberties of none are safe
unless the liberties of all are protected.
– william o. douglas
—
credits: 1920s AMELIARANNE Bedtime Goodnight, susan b. pearce
go slow reminder sign
—
with the world spinning by
and the kinders
always moving so fast
(with frequent collateral damage)
we decided
to try slowing things down a bit
so
they painted signs as reminders
practiced spelling and saying it
posted them around the room
first day –
one hit his head
because he
‘decided to jump backwards’
one fell down
while stretching and balancing
on a shaky stool
one banged something
when skipping down the hall.
we’re still working out the details.
=
wisely, and slow. they stumble that run fast.
– william shakespeare
ice cream in the snow: dairy queen opens for the season
looking for a sign a spring? like a daffodil peeking out of the frost-covered ground, the dairy queen has removed its shutters and turned on the “open”sign, even as the parking lot and picnic table remain dusted with snow.
the seasonal soft-serve ice cream destination opened for the season on monday, and will operate daily from noon to 8 p.m. – rain, snow or shine – for the time being. once the weather warms up and demand for ice cream intensifies, the shop’s hours will extend.
—
my advice to you is not to inquire why or whither,
but just enjoy your ice cream while it’s on your plate.
-thornton wilder
—
credits: jessica w, ann arbor news, mlive.com
f and m are transported to a place deep in outer space
—
“the only thing that scares me more than space aliens is the idea
that there aren’t any space aliens.
we can’t be the best that creation has to offer.
i pray we’re not all there is.
if so, we’re in big trouble.”
― ellen deGeneres
vintage japanese mikuni wind-up tin rabbit, mid-leap.
—
happy leap day. according to 30 Rock,
which is an authority on these matters:
anything that happens today, didn’t.
—
credits: pinterest, nbctv
kinders’ fairy castle
they all worked on it
‘for days’ = (2 hours)
used
cardboard
tape
paper
sparkles
markers
coffee cup trays
egg crates
ribbons
imaginations
creativity
problem solving skills
engineering
balance
music
tippy stools
teamwork
laughter
flags
noise
to
create a masterpiece.
now they go inside
with
flashlight
and
books
and
magically
can read.
—
a great building must begin with the unmeasurable,
must go through measurable means when it is being designed
and in the end must be unmeasurable.
– louis kahn
—
image credit: purple cover.com
watched an episode
of this iconic show
in honor of my late father’s birthday.
he told me a secret
about this agency
when i was young.
one day
he showed me his special
man from u.n.c.l.e. card.
told me not to tell anyone.
i was always fascinated by the world of spies.
made perfect sense to me
i thought advertising was his cover
why he traveled so much.
told everyone i knew immediately
told them not to tell anyone.
they told everyone they knew immediately
with the same request.
when i got married
i asked him about it.
he told me
that he thought
i had figured it out long ago.
we laughed for a long time.
he had
the most incredible imagination
and
he always made me laugh.
i still laugh
even when i think about him now.
snow day
Today we woke up to a revolution of snow,
its white flag waving over everything,
the landscape vanished,
not a single mouse to punctuate the blankness,
and beyond these windows
the government buildings smothered,
schools and libraries buried, the post office lost
under the noiseless drift,
the paths of trains softly blocked,
the world fallen under this falling.
In a while, I will put on some boots
and step out like someone walking in water,
and the dog will porpoise through the drifts,
and I will shake a laden branch
sending a cold shower down on us both.
But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,
a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.
I will make a pot of tea
and listen to the plastic radio on the counter,
as glad as anyone to hear the news
that the Kiddie Corner School is closed,
the Ding-Dong School, closed.
the All Aboard Children’s School, closed,
the Hi-Ho Nursery School, closed,
along with—some will be delighted to hear—
the Toadstool School, the Little School,
Little Sparrows Nursery School,
Little Stars Pre-School, Peas-and-Carrots Day School
the Tom Thumb Child Center, all closed,
and—clap your hands—the Peanuts Play School.
So this is where the children hide all day,
These are the nests where they letter and draw,
where they put on their bright miniature jackets,
all darting and climbing and sliding,
all but the few girls whispering by the fence.
And now I am listening hard
in the grandiose silence of the snow,
trying to hear what those three girls are plotting,
what riot is afoot,
which small queen is about to be brought down.
—
credit: Billy Collins, “Snow Day” from Sailing Alone Around the Room: New and Selected Poems (New York: Random House, 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Billy Collins.
thank you so much
kind robot
for calling me
to give me
the good news.
it’s officially a snow day!
—
image credit: googleimages
I didn't have my glasses on.... 