Life Lessons


"Figuring out our gifts in life is part of our journey to becoming enlightened human beings.” – Allison DuBois

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Wooden Bowl

Song - Old Man by Neil Young  **


Yesterday,  I purchased a wooden spoon to replace one that I broke on New Year's Eve.  (Someone was pounding a pan with the spoon a little too enthusiastically at midnight!)

When I was paying for the spoon, the cashier stared telling me how much she loved to cook and how she likes using wooden spoons.  She also said that it reminded her of a story about a grandfather and his wooden bowl. 

At home I "Googled" the story and enjoyed it so much, I thought I would share it with you.





The Wooden Bowl 

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 

“We must do something about Grandfather, ” said the son. “I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.” Therefore, the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.


There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather’ s direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?”
Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather’ s hand and gently led him back to the family table. 

For the remainder of his days, he ate every meal with the family. 

And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.


"A monk told Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”
Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?
The monk replied, “I have eaten.”
Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”
At that moment the monk was enlightened. " --Zen story


**Song suggested by Mr. B!  Nice one!!!

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Oh Snap - Gurl

Ok....because it's Friday, I just thought I would toss out a little humor!


Click here  >>>  Drive thru Prank



And near Red's Java House  in SF there are cars that can do this.  Why?



Enjoy your day!



"Never have more children than you have car windows." -- Erma Bombeck


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

1513

Song - My Father's Eyes by Eric Clapton

As many of you know, I have been working on my family tree.  Mostly on my father's side as his ancestry is Scottish and English.  The Scottish kept terrible records as they were almost always fighting someone and I think they liked to fly a little "under the radar" as far as records were kept!

My dad's father was like that.  His name was John but his nickname was "Scotty" and he was a small but a fiesty man.

He called me "Lassie".....I just loved that!


John "Scotty" Crawford



On the other hand, the English kept wonderful records. 

They are so delightful in helping you with research as it is a passion with a lot of them.  And on the plus side - IT'S ENGLISH!  No translation!



Henry Gore and Sarah Routley Gore with my grandmother Violet


My mother's ancestry is another story....Italian, sometimes Austrian or German....what can I say but they could of cared less about registering a baby or two, unless it was through the church but most of those records were destroyed in WW I  or they are in some language that I can not understand because they are Northern Italians and the border kept changing with each war.


My maternal grandfather is the cute one on the far right - Arturo Giovianni Malacarne



In the 1500's  I had a grandmother (13th great grandmother to be exact - rather appropriate for this New Year) named Lady Margaret Erskine. She was married to Robert Douglas (my 13th great grandfather) in 1527 when she was 15 -17 years old. 

She became the mistress of James V of Scotland after only 3 years of marriage. (Dad, I hope you are not reading this?.....)




And bore him a son...


James Stewart (1531 – 1570)





(Long noses must run in our family or else that portrait painter should be fired!) 



I guess this is all okey dokey with the husband if your wife is the "chosen one".....but I haven't gotten  that far yet.  (Part II coming soon.....)

Apparently Margaret was a favorite of the King's and he was trying to work with the church to arrange a divorce so he could marry her.

"Through her liasion with the king, Margaret became the mother of James Stewart (1531 – 1570), first Earl of Moray, the half-brother to Queen Mary Stuart, and regent for James VI (I of England). She was not the king’s only mistress, but Margaret was his acknowledged favourite. After the birth of their son, King James had made enquiries concerning a papal dispensation which would enable him to marry Margaret, and make her his queen, thus legitimating their son and making him the heir (1536), but Lady Margaret having been a married woman at the time of her son’s birth rendered that solution impossible. Her son’s later legitimization (1551) was in regard only to inheritable property, and had nothing to do with rights to the succession."

Also one Great x ?? grandfather was the first commoner to play golf and several (well, quite a few actually were beheaded in the Tower of London)

Such is life in the early days.....one day you are playing a new game called golf and living in a castle and the next you are in the Tower.

Much better to be reading about it than actually living it!

The good part about all of this is that I am finally learning my Geography and History!



"Many miles away there's a shadow on the door of a cottage on the Shore of a dark Scottish lake." 
-- Walter Scott

Monday, January 7, 2013

Singing in the Rain


Song - Singing in the Rain by Gene Kelly

Love, love, love the energy in this painting!



The whole time I was painting it, I was thinking of titles.

ROMO

Sergio

Clinch

SF wins the NL Championship 2012....mmmm....

But after it was finished and I had a chance to photograph it for the new show at the Lafayette Gallery and really look at what was happening, I came up with "Romo - Singing in the Rain". 

I then went online and checked out other sources and discovered that I was not the only clever one around. 

Several newspeople dubbed him with the same title.  Can you believe that?

One even had Sergio hanging on a lamp post with Gene Kelly!  Both had their mouths wide open and were happy and in the rain.

Oh well.....it was original in my head but......some smarty pants beat me to the punch line!

"There were so many great moments ... You can't just really pick one." - Sergio Romo

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