Life Lessons


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

Friday, March 17, 2017

Tea Time and Visas

Song - Tea For Two by Yehudi Menuhin & Stephane Grappelli



Yesterday Mr. B and myself went to an interview for obtaining our Visas for traveling to Britain this Spring.

Yes.....we know that you don't need a Visa.......yet.......but with all of the shenanigans that our current President is pulling, there has been talk!  So we didn't want to be trip-less if something should happen in the next few months!

I was both excited and nervous about this portion of the process. We spent hours online filling out our forms and then another few hours pulling together "qualifying documents" like our bank statement, new & old passports, house mortgage, travel plans, plane reservations, etc.





I anticipated that we would be shown into the UK Embassy and we would talk with a friendly person  of British decent and cute British accent and we might be served tea sandwiches or sweets......but surely some proper English tea!






We would pour over all of the paperwork we brought with us and discuss where we were staying and what sights we were seeing.  I thought this lovely person might have some input as to things that we might wish to change on our itinerary.

So in the morning I Googled the address of the place.

Mmmm....it was out near the Oakland Airport in an industrial area.  That didn't fit my vision for an Embassy....at all!

Then on the way there, Mr. B broke the news to me that he thought it would just be a USCIS place.  (I still had high hopes!)




We pulled up to this lovely building and.......



......even though we had a "timed" appointment, we went from one sitting area to another....along with many, many other people.  It felt like DMV or the Social Security offices. They finally called my number and it flashed on the big screen 2-7-6.

Yup that was me.  276.  I was photographed and fingerprinted and told to send all of the "supporting documents" to NYC within 5 days.  Mr. B number 277 was next....same thing.

NO tea, no cute accent, no interview, no lodging discussion, no, no, no....




Just signs....and people....and no food, no drinks, no cameras, no cell phones allowed.


Remember how at the beginning of this post I told you that I was kind of nervous?

Well, besides my fantasy of a sweet tea day, the other half of my brain was thinking.....

"Mmmm.....I wonder what happens if I answer a question wrong or different than Mr. B?"





The Dungeon for us both!!!!

Mr. B just laughed and knows what life with a Gemini is like.


"Kilt - it's what happened to the last person to call it a dress."






Tuesday, March 14, 2017

The Duke

Song - Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler




Do you know this man?  

I don't either but I found this photo yesterday in a shoe box on a shelf I was cleaning.




(I really should be painting)

The shoe box was full of post cards and old photo's totally unrelated to our family.
 I bought them at the flea market in Lake Tahoe several years ago.





And since this name and date were on the back of the photo.....

I Googled him.




 (I really should be painting)

His name was on the Harvard Autograph File collection, just several names down from Einstein's!

So I Ancestry-ed him.





(I really should be painting) 



He died at 60 of Typhoid Fever. I found his grave.

I learned about his parents, two wives, children and siblings.





(I really should be painting) 

So I wrote to several of his family members to see if they would like a copy of the photo and for them to be able to see if it really is him!

I got a reply.


They said that the brothers married Kramer sisters in NY and the sisters were instrumental in preserving George Washington's headquarters on upper Manhattan.
 

 

 (I really should be painting) 





Now I have sent them the photo and I'm ready to paint.

My work here is done!!!


"George Washington slept here" - J. Baird

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