and this is how a city is born –
urban planning at its finest.
—
“a city is more than a place in space, it is a drama in time”
-patrick gedde
Jan17
Tag Archives: children
Jan9
relate.
-mem fox
—
first day back at school relating.
Jan8
science through coloring.
periodic table crayon covers teach kids science through coloring
one of the best ways to capture a child’s imagination is with a box of crayons. etsy shop ¡Que Interesante!, which calls itself a place “where geek meets art,” has created special labels for crayons and colored pencils to help kids learn about the elements of the periodic table, and their chemical reactions, while coloring.
¡Que Interesante! used the flame test, a qualitative test in which the chemical makeup of a compound is identified by the color it gives off when placed in a flame, to match chemicals to colors.
“so,” according to the company, “instead of thinking, ‘i want green’ they will think ‘i want Barium Nitrate Ba(NO3)2 Flame’ and then when they take chemistry in high school and their teacher sets some gas on fire and it makes a green color and they ask the class what chemical it was your student will know it was barium.”
—
“as long as chemistry is studied, there will be a periodic table.
and even if someday we communicate with another part of the universe,
we can be sure that one thing both cultures will have in common
is an ordered system of the elements that will be instantly recognizable
by both intelligent life forms.
—john emsley, nature’s building blocks: an A-Z guide to the elements
—
credits: etsy, mental floss, r.obias, que interesante
Dec25
sharing.
they told santa that they would
make sure to send some cookies along for mrs. claus,
because he usually gets to all of them
and she doesn’t get any treats.
the note is to make sure that he doesn’t forget to share.
—
– happy christmas to all –
—
“sharing the same meal reaffirms kinship.”
– deng ming-dao
—
photo credit: neel
Dec22
sprinkles.
“i’m going to need more sprinkles. my cookie is empty.”
(decorating with the kinders)
—
“i cant sprinkle sprinkles on.
i lose control when i have sprinkles.
i’m shaky.
i still remember the great sprinkle accident of 1982.”
-ryan stiles
Dec15
first class.
mister rogers will get his own stamp in 2018
in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, fred rogers’s groundbreaking PBS series that the USPS says “inspired and educated young viewers with warmth, sensitivity, and honesty,” the mail service shared a mockup of what the final stamp may look like. on it, rogers—decked out in one of his trademark colorful cardigans (all of which were hand-knitted by his mom, smiles for the camera alongside king friday XIII, ruler of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
though no official release date for fred’s forever stamp has been given, mister rogers is just one of many legendary figures who will grace a piece of postage in 2018.
singer/activist Lena Horne will be the 41st figure to appear as part of the USPS’s Black Heritage series, while former Beatle John Lennon will be the face of the newest Music Icons collection. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, will also be honored.
—
“every man bears the whole stamp of the human condition.”
-michel de montaigne
—
credits: usps, mental floss, jennifer wood
Dec13
stop time.
two of my grandies at the detroit zoo
experiencing the butterfly house
firsthand
and finding
just who exactly
is patiently sitting with them
waiting for his identity to be discovered. 
“wonder is the heaviest element on the periodic table.
even a tiny fleck of it stops time.”
― Diane Ackerman
Dec12
melt.
littlest hands
with
careful touch
make soft-rolled fluffy snowmen
of whitest peppermint dough.
something’s lost
and
something’s gained
each time someone new arrives
rising from the sparkly snow.
“we build statues out of snow, and weep to see them melt.”
-walter scott
Nov25
a different direction.
a stop by a pub with a cozy fireplace
for a leisurely quiet lunch
and then i saw this –
a menu note at the bottom
‘bottomless fountain pop and vanilla ice cream’ for children
things could quickly go in a different direction.
“i accept that there may be things far grander
and more incomprehensible than we can possibly imagine.’
-richard dawkins
—
london, ontario, canada
Nov13
a day in the life.
a day in the life of glenn frey the cat not the rockstar: a one-act play
as written by grandies j and b
in our early morning wakeup writers’ workshop
with a lot of naturalistic dialogue
a wonderful story arc
many plot twists and surprises
suspense until the final moment
a very dramatic ending
that is sure to leave an audience
on their feet and wanting more.
—
“get into a scene late, get out early.”
– david mamet – the paris review
I didn't have my glasses on.... 