Though to him it was the way he lived his life, my grandma took that statement with her the rest of her life, and thought it important enough to impart on me. So now I pass it on to you in hopes that you fall in love with the now :)
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Fall in love with now
Two friends parked their car then got on a ferry to go to lunch and enjoy their day somewhere new and exciting. Where they lived in Argentina there were not many cars because not everyone had the privilege. If something happened to it there was no replacing it. While they were gone there was a really bad flash storm. One of the friends could not be happy. She wanted to go back and see if the car was ok. However he knew that whatever damage would have been done to the car had been done already. He looked at her and said "why ruin the now by worrying about a maybe?".
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Coffee Fact of the Day
Caffeine content of dark vs light roast??
A light roast (blond roast) is one that has been cooked less. Think of the caffeine in the coffee beans like alcohol. Alcohol cooks out of food just like caffeine cooks out of coffee beans. This means that the dark roast (though generally liked more because of its less acidic taste) has less caffeine. What ?!!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Walk to La Feria
My Grandma once told me about the man she loved. He loved to send letters, and spent hours writing them. She saved every letter he ever wrote to her in a box. This story was from one of the many letters he sent her:
(letters originally in Spanish)
Today I was walking and thinking of you. I passed houses on my way to la feria (the open air market) from our house. The sun was setting over the water, and I could smell the salt sprayed into the air by the waves. As I walked I passed an old man. He was dressed nicely, but he looked sad, and his coat was buttoned up wrong. As I walked I thought, why was his coat buttoned that way? Had he not noticed? I passed a mother with two children that ran around her, and I missed my own children. I passed the nice houses with gates and saw that there was nobody in the yards, the blinds were closed. There were no children playing. I thought that I would not trade with them. I reached la feria and bought colored string, and paper for this letter. As I walked back I passed the same old man again. He looked happier than before. His coat was buttoned right, and I smiled as I wondered who had fixed it, and who had made him happy. There is beauty everywhere.
(letters originally in Spanish)
Today I was walking and thinking of you. I passed houses on my way to la feria (the open air market) from our house. The sun was setting over the water, and I could smell the salt sprayed into the air by the waves. As I walked I passed an old man. He was dressed nicely, but he looked sad, and his coat was buttoned up wrong. As I walked I thought, why was his coat buttoned that way? Had he not noticed? I passed a mother with two children that ran around her, and I missed my own children. I passed the nice houses with gates and saw that there was nobody in the yards, the blinds were closed. There were no children playing. I thought that I would not trade with them. I reached la feria and bought colored string, and paper for this letter. As I walked back I passed the same old man again. He looked happier than before. His coat was buttoned right, and I smiled as I wondered who had fixed it, and who had made him happy. There is beauty everywhere.
God and the Teacup
Sometimes the most drastic changes can be the result of the smallest happenings. This was the case for myself. My life was touched at the very center by something as simple as a children's story. The ripple effect was amazing ! I realized for the first time that even in the darkest places of the world ... there is love. Though it may not have the same effect on you, art is like that, I would like to share this simple story.
It begins with a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked “May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful.”
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, “You don’t understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, “Don’t do that.” “I don’t like it!” “Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!”
Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy!
“I’m going to be sick” I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; ‘Not yet.’
He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then ….. then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. “Help! Get me out of here!”
I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, ‘Not yet’.
When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! “Ah, this is much better,” I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. ‘Oh, please,Stop it, Stop, I cried.
He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’.
Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What’s he going to do to me next?”
An hour later he handed me a mirror and said ‘Look at yourself.’ And I did. I said, “That’s not me; that couldn't be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful!”
Quietly he spoke: “I want you to remember, then,’ he said, ‘I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.”
It begins with a couple who took a trip to England to shop in a beautiful antique store to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially teacups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked “May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful.”
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, “You don’t understand. I have not always been a teacup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, “Don’t do that.” “I don’t like it!” “Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!”
Then. WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy!
“I’m going to be sick” I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; ‘Not yet.’
He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then ….. then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. “Help! Get me out of here!”
I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, ‘Not yet’.
When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! “Ah, this is much better,” I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. ‘Oh, please,Stop it, Stop, I cried.
He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’.
Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What’s he going to do to me next?”
An hour later he handed me a mirror and said ‘Look at yourself.’ And I did. I said, “That’s not me; that couldn't be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful!”
Quietly he spoke: “I want you to remember, then,’ he said, ‘I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.”
THE END
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