‘the rock’ at george washington park
on central campus at the university of michigan
painted by volunteers with the michigan refugee assistance program
—
“seeking asylum is a human right.”
amnesty international
george washington park, ann arbor, mi, usa
A Little Wild Spot. The ramshackle old house pictured above, unoccupied for two years at the time this photo was taken in 1966, was Anne Mueller’s “rough box.” After her death at the age of 85, her wildflower garden on the corner was deeded to the city for a park. The house now gone, Postman’s Rest Park, was named as a tribute to Norm Kern and Bob Schlupe, the mail carriers who stopped each day to see that “Annie” was all right when she was widowed and left without family in her later years. (ann arbor news, 1972)
1972 postman’s rest park
2017 postman’s rest park
during my visit to this tiny park
situated on a quiet and peaceful corner
in a tree-lined neighborhood
filled with old bungalows, gardens, and lawns
i sat in the swing for a while
taking it all in
looking around
at the greenery and wildflowers
there was a very special
warm and welcoming feeling
i wanted to know more about this lovely space
and was so pleasantly surprised
to discover its touching story
a pioneering newspaperwoman, ann mueller
left this beautiful space
where her wildflower garden had once bloomed
as a tribute to those who cared.
—
“take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
-ovid
—
credits: news photo and caption – 1966 ann arbor news, jack stubbs – 1972 ann arbor news
grandies r and v
understand trust
“the best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
-ernest hemingway
spent tonight at a rally
on the diag at the university of michigan
with mayor chris taylor addressing our city
as we stand in solidarity with charlottesville
and for all those who continue to stand against
racism, hate, violence, and inequality
organized in 10 hours
through grass roots movements
and a lot of heart and passion
a police officer, a mayor, a photographer, a bagpiper, a retiree
and hundreds of others
all different
yet all here for the same reason
kindness.
—
“it is the kindness …that finally decides our fate.”
— barack obama
found this sweet surprise
waiting for me in my mailbox
a very old tiny sleigh with a handwritten letter
from a neighbor i’ve never met
who’s lived nearby for over 50 years
she left it for me to add to my fairy garden
when the season is right
she took the trouble to repaint the sleigh
and write me this lovely note
wanting to visit the garden
but too shy to stop by to see it up close
it was such a kind and thoughtful gesture
i wanted to thank her and figured out where she lived
then wrote her a long letter back
to let her know
how much i enjoyed her special gift
and what it meant to me
i really hope that we meet in person in my garden one day.
—
“give what you have. to someone, it may be better than you dare to think.”
― henry wadsworth longfellow
“i’m going to give this to my mom, it will make her so happy!”
—
“love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.”
-john lennon
the ponies and friends all came out for the dance party
this time is was a love fest and tea
everyone was welcome
all colors, sizes, shapes and species
they were in their finest fancy fashions
and ready to have fun.
one pony told them she didn’t want to come
because it looked like a boring party
they were kind of sad but then they thought
maybe some other ponies had been mean to her once
and she was just acting that way
because she didn’t want to get her feelings hurt again
so they invited her back and showed her how to be nice.
—
“kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome.”
-amelia barr
at the nature center for grandie v’s 6th birthday celebration
the scientist helps us to measure our wingspans
before we take a stroll outside to find this beautiful bird
rescued and healing a broken wing
whose wingspan we hope will return one day
and we are grateful to have our wings.
“happiness makes up for height for what it lacks in length.”
-robert frost
amidst the more than a million people without power days
our local library
has been opening at 6am
and closing late
acting without anyone asking
as an ad hoc community center
in order to offer
a safe and welcoming haven to all
full of
electricity and books and computers and games and story times
a friend to all ages
stay as long as you like
take as much as you need
on a morning visit
during my current nomadic existence
i sat with 2 high schoolers
an old couple
college roommates
a gaggle of 3 year olds
and a family
all here for the same reasons
a bit of respite
a cup of coffee
a bite to eat
a wealth of good company
a comfortable chair
and
an awful lot of warmth.
—–
“a library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.
it is a never failing spring in the desert.”
― andrew carnegie
I didn't have my glasses on.... 