“the milkweed pods are breaking,
and the bits of silken down
float off upon the autumn breeze
across the meadows brown.”
– cecil cavendish .
Oct20
Tag Archives: life
Oct14
action on behalf of life transforms.
Group portrait of Potawatomi Indians, including men, women, and children, gathered for a special occasion
at Rush Lake Mission near Watervliet, Michigan, on Sept. 4, 1906.
Library of Congress image attributed to T.R. Hamilton
—
‘action on behalf of life transforms.
because the relationship between self and world is reciprocal…
as we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.’
-robin wall kimmerer
robin is a mother, plant ecologist, decorated professor, author, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. In her books, she blends scientific understanding with the traditional ecological knowledge of Indigenous Peoples. The above quote is from her book, Braiding Sweetgrass, and I had the great honor to hear her speak last year.
—
on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
—
u.s. presidential proclamation:
Sep30
golden carpet.
my favorite tree, the ginkgo. especially beautiful in autumn
—
Mikiko Noji (Japan, b.1978-)
At the Bottom of the Tree, 2023
ink and color on paper
—
“and all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves…”
-virginia woolf, to the lighthouse
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history. Ginkgo trees have beautiful green leaves that turn a luminous gold-yellow in fall. And on one day, after the hard frost, the ginkgo drops its leaves to the ground leaving a gorgeous carpet of color below.
Sep19
‘when a match has equal partners then i fear not.’ – aeschylus
it’s a match!!
i’ve recently been getting
‘match alerts’
with increasing frequency.
in response to my online quests.
there’s a parallel
between three very different things
i’m engaged in simultaneously:
finding a new car for my parking space
finding a new companion for olive the cat
finding a new companion for me.
interesting that the process is somewhat the same:
select the features i am most interested in
state what i am looking for
describe myself, my cat, my driving style
reach out to some that seem interesting
seem to be a potential good fit
watch to see what matches come back.
in all three areas i’m looking for:
a bit of life experience,
maybe a few rough spots, but made it through,
with somewhat low miles,
a few dings here and there,
but not in need of imminent major repairs.
easy going, intuitive, playful, bright, makes life better
some things the same, some different
to keep it interesting.
hopefully by the end of all this
i’ll be sitting on the couch with someone
the cats sitting in the window
the car parked
sitting at a bit of an angle in my straight-lined parking spot.
i’m open to the possibilities.
—
our similarities bring us to a common ground;
our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.-tom robbins
—
image credit: etsy.com
Sep16
tempting, but….
darn it!
i was going to park here until i saw this sign.
it looked like the perfect space.
—
‘the road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.’
-will rogers
Sep10
donkey nannies.
Donkey nannies in Italy
I had no idea this was a thing, and my world was made better by learning that this happens.
Sep9
designed for rest.
terraced lawn with shady trees, designed for busy office workers to take breaks
shanghai, china
—
‘design is people.’
*jane jacobs
*jane jacobs (1916-2006) was an urban writer and activist who championed new, community-based approaches to planning for over 40 years.
Sep8
ahoy!
a beautiful morning spent paddling in the detroit canals and on the river
not long after
we began this perfect day
it looked as though we’d been traversing the atlantic for weeks
having weathered the storms, sea, sharks, pirates, and the slightly bigger boats
catching rainwater in our hoods
eating our last pack of dry ramen
thanks, for the adventure, friends
best day ever!
‘i’m afraid i’m an incorrigible life-lover, life-wonderer, and adventurer.’
-edith wharton
Sep6
follow the sun.
walking downtown each day
passing by this house/garden
that seems to come into being
overnight
yet
vine
by
vine
and
stem
by
stem
with
sweat
and
time
and
sun
and
rain
and
soil
and
wind
and
toil
and
finally
a lot of
pure love
then one day
i look way up
see shining giants
as big as the house
as bright as the sun
stand proudly in front
this friendly gentleman
has found his home in his garden
has found his joy in this bright beauty
has found delight in sharing it all with the world.
“the flower that follows the sun does so even in cloudy days.”
– robert leighton
Sep4
‘the souls of emperors and cobblers are cast from the same mold.’ michel de montaigne
i’ve recently seen not one, but two, outstanding cobbler shops
one in portugal
a combo cobbler shop and bar
and this one in my town
bursting with creativity
a good cobbler is a treasure
both an artist and a craftsman.
—
“i think most of us are raised with preconceived notions of the choices we’re supposed to make. we waste so much time making decisions based on someone else’s idea of our happiness – what will make you a good citizen or a good wife or daughter or actress. nobody says, ‘just be happy – go be a cobbler or go live with goats.’”
-sandra bullock
I didn't have my glasses on.... 