happy things left behind after someone’s day at the beach on lake michigan
—
“there are better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
-c.s.lewis
holland, michigan, usa – fall 2021
what a surprise and delight
it was to meet peter
(who is known as jonathan when in trouble)
the proprietor of a tiny shop near the beach.
how was i to know
that he was
a visiting nurse
a gentle spirit
a master
of local lore, directions, recommendations
who worries about what will happen to his store
when he is gone
and wonders
if the people who take it over
will be able to make enough money
in spite of some adversity
he was brimming
with happiness and passion
as we spoke at length
about the joys of sea glass
with all of its pits and scratches and imperfections
that only serve to prove
it’s the real thing
having survived
a long and challenging journey
having arrived at last
on a soft and sandy shore
collected by hands
that appreciate it for all of its beauty
exactly as it is
“for me, the difference between an ‘ordinary’ and an ‘extraordinary’ person
is not the title that person might have,
but what they do to make the world a better place for us all.”
-jody williams
—
wells, maine – august 2019
here.
where i’ll be in less than 24 hours.
see you all when i get back.
A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. – Robert Orben
—
image credit: dominican republic ministry of tourism
got a message from my good friend’s husband.
seems he’s taking 12 of us on a mystery trip to celebrate her milestone birthday.
he said, ‘pack your bags, and we’ll all meet at the airport.’
he said, ‘you won’t have to worry about a thing, it’s all taken care of.
your part is just to get some days off of work.’
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour. Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up (and that’s an invitation), roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up (to make a reservation), roll up for the mystery tour.
The magical mystery tour is waiting to take you away,
Waiting to take you away.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up, roll up for the mystery tour.
Roll up (we’ve got everything you need), roll up for the mystery tour.
where are we going?, i wondered.
i imagined we might be going to chicago, where i was born, and just a few hours away.
it’s a bit chilly there in the winter, but always so much fun.
“The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon, center, exits the water during the Chicago Polar Plunge, Sunday, March 2, 2014.
A few weeks ago, newly-minted Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon invited Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to be a guest on the show. The politician responded on Twitter, agreeing to stop by the Tonight Show if Fallon in turn agreed to participate in Chicago’s Polar Plunge — an annual dip into freezing Lake Michigan to benefit the city’s Special Olympics.
Fallon agreed, and this morning, he made good on his promise. Both Fallon and Emanuel plunged into the slushy 32-degree water — the comedian wearing a suit and tie and the politician sporting some kind of wetsuit. Fallon had asked his fans to wear neckties in solidarity.
he said, ‘and bring your passport.’
imagine my shock and awe when i found out we are going to the dominican republic instead.
it’s a bit warmer there in the winter, and sure to be a lot of fun too.
local dominican celebrity host, exits the water of the caribbean,
no neckties needed.
i see my path, but I don’t know where it leads.
Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it. – Rosalia de Castro
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image credits:
conversationpieces.co.uk,ephemrasociety.org,runawayguide.com,grammarly.com,
washingtonpost.com,andrewnelles/ap,etraveltrips.com,fanshare.com,
songwriters: LENNON, MCCARTNEY, Magical Mystery Tour lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC