I believe in recycling. Same sign, different date. My neighbor and I found renewed energy at yesterday's No Kings rally, but truly will be joyous when this ugly time in our country comes to an end and we can devote our energy to rebuilding.
Laura Smyth
@smythtype.bsky.social
Poet, graphic artist, concerned human being
After the inspiring protests yesterday, even in my remote part of the country, it definitely is a "Fortunate Son" soundtrack kind of Sunday!
Alas, my one tiny spaghetti squash, the only one from this year's garden. It makes a charming companion to my favorite coffee mug (gifted to me in my youth by another charming companion and Portland roommate). Who knows?Maybe this squash has seeds that will be prolific next summer. Here's hoping.
Treasuring every last drop of Summer that this October day has to offer.
As often on high stress days, my refuge is cooking. And also admiring light.
It's Sunday morning and the entire pot of coffee is all mine. I feel the same glee I used to feel at 5-years-old in front of the penny candy counter holding a dime.
St. John's Wort casting a shadow. The air is clear today, and hummingbirds and bees are fueling up in my wild backyard. Find moments of joy where you can so you have the spiritual fuel you need when your help is needed.
Finding it hard to cope with the onslaught of negative news? I'm hoping my new blog helps. thefurthershores.com/will-it-take...
My sweet friend Max. He's a great pressure valve in this high-pressure environment. #cats #petsitting
A few blooms from my yard: some just budding, a few nearly open, and one about to finish.
So much coming at us every day (even those of us not being hunted down or bombed or betrayed) that I hesitated to share this small moment today when I was able to help a fellow creature on his way. But I believe that loving the world each day and cooperating with life around us is our lifeline.
We’re closing in on the 3.5% rule! 8.6 million and counting! We’re in awe. Lots of events still happening make sure to be counted. Big towns, small towns you showed up.
After 2 weeks on the road, it's a joy to be back in my little Keweenaw home and have the lilacs, forget-me-nots, and lily-of-the-valley blooming in welcome.
It is greed and the apotheosis of idiocy, as emblematic of Trump, that has brought us to this place. Now what do we do? I know... I’ll write a musical! Music is light. And light, like love, can be the antidote. I hope you’ll check it out. TheFurtherShores.com
Reviving my spirit with a Pacific Ocean view for a few days. It's a gift to be here.
Preoccupied with planning a trip, I just found this scrap of a poem in a notebook: If I am a goddess / as my friend insists / I am a goddess of rubber bands and stray thoughts / of tripping but catching yourself / half way down / of patience worn thin /elbows no longer bending
We can probably all agree that leaving humans in charge after the ‘Firmament’ was divided may not have been the best idea. There are “89 seconds” left on the Doomsday Clock. Can we still show we were ready for such an awesome responsibility? That’s the big question. TheFurtherShores.com
May 6 and the first real porch-sitting morning up here on the Keweenaw. All the chickadees, sparrows, jays, crows and geese sound as happy as I feel to be having breakfast in the sunshine with no snow.
The darker the news, the more light and growth we need to keep ourselves strong. My transplanted spaghetti squash starts are climbing and blooming. The growing season is short this far north, so it's best to start early in a safe, warm place. Everything about gardening is metaphor.
Dining room tables are overrated. Mine just became a greenhouse.
My pal "Rosie" showed up to spread encouragement at our No Kings rally in Houghton, Michigan today.
Alert. Alive. And anxious. This Saturday morning, as I head out to join in the NO KINGS march, I'll hold this image in my mind of the upward-reaching starts for the garden I will grow this summer.
Imagine how lovely it will be when the orange clown is gone from the world’s stage! Once the wounds he inflicted heal, we’ll recall him by his hollow, orange mask, far more tragic than comic. The most incompetent fool to ever strut upon a stage. Kindly support us here: TheFurtherShores.com
Found my momentary consolation for the mess we're all in: I am adored by my neighbor's big orange cat.
At least 20 people lost their lives over the weekend as storms ravaged the country. Meanwhile, Trump & DOGE have terminated 1,000 employees from NOAA — the agency that provides severe weather forecasting and warnings. Make no mistake: these cuts put people's lives in danger.
Yesterday, I heard returning Canada geese. This morning, I saw one of the town feral rabbits survived this rough winter (300+ inches of snow). More squash sprouts on my kitchen windowsill waiting for the thaw. I'm gathering my inner resources for the march tomorrow. Hope you are as well.
