A Rumi Lesson

An elderly man had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the man bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the man one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old man smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

 

Thoughts on Black Friday From A Friend

 

"Greedy Friday is upon us. We are being catapulted toward Christmas. The very thought exhausts me. All of this, as if the past two years didn't exist. We were flattened, trapped in our houses, looking over our shoulders and many of us without work. It was, and has been, filled with doubt, anxiety, fear and death. It  further divided us at the very time we needed most to be together--yet we were unable to stand close, to hug, to grieve. I do not feel at all inclined to celebrate as if it's all back to normal whatever that may turn out to be. In fact that seems disrespectful and entitled.

I have seen 82 Christmases. Now, in these years I'm spending a great deal of time in memories. It's as if I've stepped into an attic stacked with boxes of photos, letters, old dolls, playbills, a pair of white gloves, a charm bracelet. To touch them again fills me up. So. This Christmas I will give no presents except to children. I will also keep a fistful of singles to hand out to homeless in parking lots, on sidewalks and at the freeway entrances. There is one thing you can give me. I want you to write a couple sentences beginning with "I remember when we...." Mail them to me and I will sent you back a memory. And that will show we are loved." - C. Sutherland

 

Not Just About A Book Club Yappy Hour

 November 11, 2021

November 18, 2021

Thoughts on a Faithful Friend

 

"It is time in the northern hemisphere to exhale, hear our deepest quiet, observe and follow the rhythm of nature.

I wrap the blanket around myself and venture out to place suet and seeds in the bird feeder, the icy lace on each leaf beckoning quietly for my attention.

My dog, old and gentle, accompanies me in the garden. It could very well be our last season with him, and I spend a good part of each day letting him know how loved he is. I'm sad, but grateful for every day he has no pain and he gently places his chin on my knee.

Each loving moment with him is a gift we will never get back. His name is Rocky, but in my heart his name has always been Prince, because of his lion heart and extremely gentle spirit. He loves everyone. And everyone loves him. He is the epitome of good. He's changed me for the better, as only an animal spirit can do."-D. Bauer

Just For A Laugh

 

  An Oxford comma walks into a bar, where it spends the evening watching the television, getting drunk, and smoking cigars.

• A dangling participle walks into a bar. Enjoying a cocktail and chatting with the bartender, the evening passes pleasantly.

• A bar was walked into by the passive voice.

• An oxymoron walked into a bar, and the silence was deafening.

• Two quotation marks walk into a “bar.”

• A malapropism walks into a bar, looking for all intensive purposes like a wolf in cheap clothing, muttering epitaphs and casting dispersions on his magnificent other, who takes him for granite.

• Hyperbole totally rips into this insane bar and absolutely destroys everything.

• A question mark walks into a bar?

• A non sequitur walks into a bar. In a strong wind, even turkeys can fly.

• Papyrus and Comic Sans walk into a bar. The bartender says, "Get out -- we don't serve your type."

• A mixed metaphor walks into a bar, seeing the handwriting on the wall but hoping to nip it in the bud.

• A comma splice walks into a bar, it has a drink and then leaves.

• Three intransitive verbs walk into a bar. They sit. They converse. They depart.

• A synonym strolls into a tavern.

• At the end of the day, a cliché walks into a bar -- fresh as a daisy, cute as a button, and sharp as a tack.

• A run-on sentence walks into a bar it starts flirting. With a cute little sentence fragment.

• Falling slowly, softly falling, the chiasmus collapses to the bar floor.

• A figure of speech literally walks into a bar and ends up getting figuratively hammered.

• An allusion walks into a bar, despite the fact that alcohol is its Achilles heel.

• The subjunctive would have walked into a bar, had it only known.

• A misplaced modifier walks into a bar owned by a man with a glass eye named Ralph.

• The past, present, and future walked into a bar. It was tense.

• A dyslexic walks into a bra.

• A verb walks into a bar, sees a beautiful noun, and suggests they conjugate. The noun declines.

• A simile walks into a bar, as parched as a desert.

• A gerund and an infinitive walk into a bar, drinking to forget.

• A hyphenated word and a non-hyphenated word walk into a bar and the bartender nearly chokes on the irony

- Jill Thomas Doyle

Day After Thanksgiving 2021

 

 We had planned a special family get together outdoors at a park by the bay for my family today. My sister Jocelyn  had not seen my brother Randy in two years. You can believe this reunion was teary. We also were able to celebrate my best friend Mary's birthday. She's been my bestie since the 3rd grade! I had hoped for a sunny beautiful day and my wishes came true. What a special family reunion this was!

 

 

Steven Sondheim (March 22, 1930 – November 26, 2021)

 

From wikipedia: 

Stephen Joshua Sondheim  was an American composer and lyricist. Among the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater.  Sondheim was praised for having "reinvented the American musical" with shows that tackled "unexpected themes that range far beyond the [genre's] traditional subjects" with "music and lyrics of unprecedented complexity and sophistication". His shows addressed "darker, more harrowing elements of the human experience", with songs often tinged with "ambivalence" about various aspects of life.

Sondheim started his theatre career by writing the lyrics for West Side Story (1957) and Gypsy (1959) before becoming a composer and lyricist. Sondheim's best-known works include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970) Follies (1971),  a Little Night Music (1973),  Sweeney Todd: The demon Barber of Fleet Street  (1979),  Merrily we Roll Along (1981), Sunday in the Park with George  (1984), and  Into the Woods (1987).

 

  “Even in a time so full of loss, this news feels like a unique punch to the heart. Which is appropriate, I guess, given that is exactly how his music always affected me. What do you say when the ocean goes away, or when a mountain disappears? Steve was that elemental and irreplaceable a part of my career and my understanding of art and life. And I’m surely not alone in that feeling. I don’t really have the words. Steve would.”-Michael Cerveris

Happy Thanksgiving 2021

 

 “Each day I am thankful for nights that turned into mornings, friends that turned into family, dreams that turned into reality and likes that turned into love." Thinking of loved ones near and far. May your Thanksgiving day be full of wonderful blessings. Also thinking of the many far less fortunate that we. May our hearts be full of gratitude especially on this day.

Thinking of My Mom and Dad

 My friend Sherri  began posting daily gratitudes for the month of November. It has been nice to begin my mornings reading things that fill her heart with thankfulness. I began a daily mile walk a couple of weeks ago. It also is a good way for me to begin my day and gives me time to think on things I'm grateful for. The past two chilly mornings I have worn my dad's old, soft,  cozy cartigan. It was one of his favorites. As I walked this morning I was thinking about my gratitude for such loving parents. They taught me so many good lessons just in the way they were. Through my father I learned patience and the art of stillness and observation. From my mom the lessons were many. She was the opposite of my father in a lot of ways. She was not still like my dad. She was a wanderer and an explorer always wanting to learn new things, see new places, meet new people. She was kind hearted and generous of spirit and loved to laugh and entertain. I miss both of them and their loving open hearts. Holidays are times when I miss them so much yet feel their presence the most. I'm imagining days of old when they were busy in the kitchen working together to prepare a feast for the family. My mom would always greet us at the door with open arms. She was always ready for a celebration. I think that's a good way to live one's life.

 

A Trip to the zoo

 

Back in the Saddle Again

 Sunday Mike and I did a two hour hike above the wetlands preserve area. He asked me at the end of our hike how I was doing and I assured him I was fine. He said “ I think you’re officially back to your old self!” Yesterday I had my  6 week post op appointment with my surgeon Dr. Gorab. Thankfully everything went fine and he agrees with Mike “I’m back in the saddle again.”

 

Santa and Sofia and Bobo

 Santa paid a visit to the SMU campus last night. He was at the Dorm that Sofia is the mascot and I heard she usurped all of Santa's time. She asked him so many questions. "Is Rudolph coming to get you? Do your reindeers speak English or animal? Can you get quieter shoes this year because last year I think I heard your footsteps? How long is your naughty list?...and many other questions. When I asked Sofia what she asked Santa for she whispered: "I asked him for a Barbie wheelchair and a Barbie schoolhouse set".

 

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe (Sherri and Maria's)

Maria's Turkey Stuffing

 

Seasoned Basic Dressing Mix

Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Mix

1 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. butter melted

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2  cups toasted slivered almonds

2 cans water chestnuts sliced

Italian seasoning to taste

salt optional 

fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter and sherry (san antonio brand)

 

Bake in buttered casserole  9x13 for 30 minutes 400 degrees 

 

Preferred brand of stuffing

 If you can't find the above use this.