“the present is the ever-moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. in that lies hope.”
-frank lloyd wright
–
wishing you a happy new year, when midnight arrives in your part of the world
—
art credit: dan reynolds
Dec31
Tag Archives: life
Dec23
what is coming.
since the early 70s,
the tree at the American Museum of Natural History has been decorated with paper ornaments.
this year it features origami critters—beetles, butterflies, and grasshoppers-
that represent exhibits past, and attractions coming in the new year.
(The New Yorker)
—
“what is coming is better than what is gone. let this belief aim you in the direction you need to go.”
-karen salmansohn
Dec21
essence of life.
picture from a past solstice celebration
—
every year
one of my favorite things to teach and share with my class
is the story and traditions of the winter solstice
i get to play the sun
the children play the tilting earth and the seasons
who spin and dance and throw snow
as the season changes
the sun stays in the middle
offering extra light
to the other side of the earth now tilting toward it
knowing it will always return to them
even as our days grow shorter
they quietly rest on the ground
waiting, waiting
only to emerge
when the time is right
happy to dance once more
in the light of the warm spring sun.
—
*notes: here is my recipe for the winter solstice, and many thanks to all for your low-tech special effects support of this performance: torn paper snowflakes made by the children, many smiles, a bit of dizziness, a sun doing an interpretive dance, a person to turn off and on the classroom lights at just the right moment, a flashlight, a yellow paper sun, a dj to play the music (‘carol of the bells’ by george winston, and ‘here comes the sun’ by the beatles) at just the right time, and a class full of kinder/whirling twirling planets throwing snow, lying down, and awakening as emerging new life in the spring when the sun returns. somehow it all falls into place, each year a bit differently, as is the way of the world.
—
“spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. joy is the essence of life.”
-agnivesh
Dec14
a day.
it was a 2 ice-pack kind of day
a bandaid, temperature check, coughing kind of day
but all in all a great day
we learned about the winter solstice
saw part of the big kids’ play
danced and sang in spanish
shared books
had an outdoor adventure
(add in a couple of scratches, a few sticky burrs,a clothing change, and lots of bravery)
but at the end of the day
we all had both mittens
and headed on home.
—
“there is no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.”
-alexander woollcott
Dec13
most just happen.
this is pretty much me on any given day
for the next few weeks
as we head into the new year
all activities and adventures are on the table
some planned and most just happen.
—
“it’s the mishaps that make if fun, and brings you the surprise.”
-anna wintour
Nov18
lots of years plus one.
yesterday i went to sleep being lots of years old
today i woke up being lots of years plus one more year old
i’ll begin by sharing the day with my kinder
who love to celebrate most everything.
—
“do not grow old, not matter how long you live.
never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”
-albert einstein
—
image/cartoon credit: gary larson, the far side
Nov10
carry on.
trying to piece the world back together
Warehouse giant Costco likes to do everything big, from super-sized bottles of ketchup to barrels full of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Their latest exclusive offering: A jigsaw puzzle with 60,000 pieces that may take up an entire room when it’s finished.
The sprawling What a Wonderful World puzzle is actually 60 interconnected 1000-piece puzzles to make assembly (somewhat) feasible. Each features a painting from the Dowdle Art Studio of a fascinating landmark from different parts of the world, including The Great Wall of China and The Eiffel Tower.
Once each section is completed, it can be connected to the larger canvas. When finished, the puzzle measures 8 feet tall and 29 feet wide. An included legend helps you keep track of which puzzle goes where in the literal bigger picture of things. Costco has declared it the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle, and that’s likely to be true. The What a Wonderful World puzzle retails for $599.
—
“the world is like a dropped pie most of the time.
don’t kill yourself trying to put it back together.
just grab a fork and eat some of it off the floor. then carry on.”
-elizabeth gilbert
—
credits: penn news, chris hopkins, jake rosin, mental floss,
Nov9
*concert!
“Tonight! A big forest concert under the direction of Musical Director Woodpecker!”
*(just because we all need a fluffy forest concert break about now)
—
“i’m afraid concerts spoil people for everyday life.”
-l.m. montgomery, anne of green gables
—
image credit: Peter Gray’s Delightful vintage art, from an old German children’s book
Oct24
continual celebration.
surrounded for a long weekend by big people who choose to live creative lives
working daily with little people who quite naturally live creative lives
i realize they are the same kind of people
who are, in spite of everything,
open, honest, vulnerable, full of wonder, bravery, creativity, joy, passion, and spirit
i feel such an admiration for them and kinship with them.
—
“life should be a continual celebration, a festival of lights the whole year round.
only then can you grow up, can you blossom.”
-rajneesh
happy diwali to those who celebrate!
Oct17
feeling the beat.
on the very next day
after i punched an aggressive clown in a haunted house
and my heartbeat had resumed its normal pace
i found this heart on a sidewalk
made of old gum weathered with time
yet the message was still clear.
—
“i would rather live with a tender heart, because that it the key to feeling the beat of all other hearts.”
-jenny slate
I didn't have my glasses on.... 