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Every little victory is still a victory. They all add up. Suddenly we will triumph.
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Sunday Blessings February 22, 2026
Shoutout Saturday February 21, 2026
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Off The Beaten Path’s Shoutout Saturday # 4 belongs to Michigan Artist and Entrepreneur Darcy Kann of Mio, Michigan. She is the proprietor of Rusted Roots Art & Apothecary. Darcy’s entrepreneurial reach touches the community in many heartwarming ways through her artistic talents. She conducts art workshops for both children and adults throughout the year. These workshops are generally available in-store or elsewhere in the town.
So yes! I want to give big shoutout to Darcy Kann.
The term Apothecary is not a commonly used term around town, but it better describes the practical use of natural medicines, herbs, teas, salves and liniments you won’t find at the local Drug Store. However, you will find an abundance of these items at the Rusted Roots Store in Mio, Michigan. The shops proprietor, Darcy Kann has an assortment of herbal teas, rubs and pain relievers on her Apothecary shelves. I for one am a firm believer in Natural medicines, especially since they helped me recover from my near death experience invoked while in the hands of our the modern medical model of corporate medicine. You can even pick up a copy of the book I wrote about that harrowing experience off the store’s shelves.
I, for one, am a firm believer in Natural medicines, especially since they helped me recover from my near death experience invoked while in the hands of our the modern medical model of corporate medicine. You can even pick up a copy of the book I wrote about that harrowing experience off the store’s shelves.
Other items in the store include a vast array of art, clothes, coffee cups, dog toys and jewelry.
Of course art is an all encompassing theme. There are paintings, sculptures and a beautiful array of handicrafts, including masterfully created quilts of many sizes and colors.
I personally have a pet peeve about shopping locally in support of our many talented artisans and local businesses. The Rusted Roots Art & Apothecary is located in Mio, Michigan at 109 E. 10th St. Drop by for some artistic and healing treats and say hello.
Children’s Book; Yooper Lights
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YOOPER LIGHTS is a children’s book about searching for the magical, glow in the dark yooperlite stones found along the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Yooper stones are made up of mostly syenite rock, which is similar to granite, which means the rock looks like any other typical gray rock, but there’s a magical twist. Yooper stones are rich with fluorescent sodalite, which glows a vibrant orange or yellow under Ultraviolet Light.
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Get your copy of Yooper Lights Here
Blessings February 18, 2026
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No need to be trapped
in a world without
for we are sailors
on the Sea of Possibilities
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Monday Poetry February 16, 2026
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Sanctuary
*
I have many rooms
in my heart. It’s a house
where only a few have been invited
to remain. Each room is occupied
by a kiss or a hug. So much happiness
comes calling, a special cat,
a playful dog. A begonia
or an orchid. The moon
and the stars, even the wind
and the smell of the rain
have a place at the table. I
am blessed with your presence
that still comes and goes
with the quiet dignity
only the deepest of intimacy
can afford.
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More Poetry
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Shoutout Saturday # 3
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The Number three spot on Off The Beaten Path’s Shoutout List goes to Robert F Kennedy Jr. for standing up and going to war against the mega-rich Big Pharma corporations. He has been working diligently to expose their poisons to the light of day. His courage and actions deserve an exuberant shoutout!
The pills and vaccines these criminal companies have foisted on the citizens of the world are finally being inspected and reined in. I can’t wait for the day I never see another prescription drug or vaccine advertised on TV. RFK you are a superhero for taking these drug dealers to task.
Hand in hand with this administration’s Maker America Heathy Again reforms, a shoutout goes to all the naturopaths and chiropractors that promote and practice healthy alternatives to the Big Pharma Industrial Complex. Thank you for all the excellent help and kindness you bestow on those in need. Thanks for demanding and producing the many natural supplements that help keep us out of the hands of corporate hospitals abd their satellite doctor’s offices.
For local residents, a special shoutout goes to the chiropractic office of Dr. Richard Olree of Hillman, Michigan. Another goes to Au Sable Chiropractic of Mio, Michigan. Finally, a shoutout to Naturopath Mysty Berry, Phd of Luzerne, Michigan. Very well done. You all deserve an Olympic medal.
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Bigfoot Creek
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The Portal
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There’s an anomaly
where the compass fails
in the old woods
near Big Creek. North ain’t north
and south ain’t south. East and west
get flipped on their heads.
I, who never gets lost
got lost here…. where the water runs
backwards, then repeats itself
over and over
like a line in a song.
It’s where the hairs
on your neck get tickled….
where your mouth grows dry
and you hold your breath.
It is the longitude
and latitude of Bigfoot—
my Sasquatch friend.
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The Blue Ice Of Michigan
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The Siren of Mackinaw https://www.amazon.com/dp/1940736501
In February of 2018, the blue fire flamed. It roared into life and burned blue brilliance for days— before slipping and sliding away. It remains in our minds where gnomes make their home, where the sweet fairy’s frolic and the unicorns roam. Legend has it, that the bridge will span seven years before the magic returns.
Here it is in February 2026 and the Lake’s the blue ice is piled in jagged shards near the shore. There are castles with dragons and unicorns to behold.
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Innocent Moments: A Poetic Reflection
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Innocence
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The sound of children
comes in swells
like the sea… I love
how they fill the emptiness and silence
with their unfettered selves, how
they interact and fly
with the spirit of kites
and the gulls foray.. how the clouds
pile in the distance and sit
cotton candy pink and purple
as bruises on the horizon.
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“I Wish I Could” children’s book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1940736471
Monday Poetry February 9, 2026
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The Sky is full of
glory, geese and a Navy
fleet of Blue Angels
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