Thirteen Definitions of Words You Thought You Understood
1. Cannibal: Someone who is fed up with people.
2. Chickens: The only animals you most often eat before they are born and after they are dead. ((Folks also eat ostrich eggs and meat.))
3. Committee: A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.
As I mentioned previously, on July 15, 2007, I was honored to spend the day with Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway at the Master Class in Napa. The way such a class works is this: The first portion of the class is a general lecture and group warm-up. Those desiring to be “participants” submit a professional-quality recording in advance and Sir James selects four players to whom he will give instruction while the audience members — “auditors” — watch and learn.
JHSEsq attended the Master Class in Napa with Sir James Galway
Based upon the various videotapes of other classes that I have watched, as well as interviews, information posted on his website and the e-mails that Sir James sends to our discussion group, I knew that the opportunity to attend the class represented a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn from a world-class flutist who has no equal.
“It was a dark and stormy night” here in Northern California. The drive from Lodi to San Rafael in the late afternoon wasn’t bad, but the drive back home to Lodi was miserable because of the steady, hard downpour which made it extremely difficult to see and fairly treacherous since portions of the freeway were beginning to develop standing water since so much water was coming down quickly. In short, it was a miserable trip.
Last Sunday I had the extreme honor and privilege of attending Sir James Galway’s Flute Master Class in Napa. I spent the entire day just a few feet from the master himself!
The teens were in another room being taught by Sir James’ wife, Lady Jeanne. At the end of the class, they performed for the adults and then Sir James joined them for one number. Watching those youngsters play so beautifully with the world’s best living flutist, beaming as they did so, was very moving. But for all of us, the day was an opportunity to learn from the undisputed master of the instrument and create memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
Incidentally, Sir James is known as “the man with the golden flute.” He brought several with him and allowed students to play them. In this photo, he is playing on of his gold Nagaharas.
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JHSEsq blogs at Colloquium
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.
My Lucy doll and I were inseparable. I still have her, too.
School will be starting again soon, so here are some facts about the life experiences of young people entering college this fall, most of whom were born in 1988. They…
If you get too caught up in the mechanics of doing something, you lose the simple joy of the experience.
Have you ever gone to an amusement park with someone who was enthralled with the way the park was laid out, entranced by the technology of the rides, obsessed with the way in which crowd control measures are implemented?
I have. It’s not a fun experience for us “average Joes” who just want to scream when the roller coaster dips, make Dumbo go up and down or the teacup spin faster, or snap a photo or two of the parade down Main Street.
This past week, two deaths came to my attention.
They occurred under distinctly different circumstances and at opposite ends of the spectrum of life, but both had the same result: Loved ones were left behind to mourn and those folks are the focus of this article. We all need to light a candle for them today.
Since I broached the topic of pet peeves last week . . . A couple of days ago, I had a fairly appalling experience. A well-educated, articulate member of my…
This week’s theme: Tiny
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On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how much do enjoy watching sports on television?
6.
I watch very few sporting events . . . I really enjoy ice skating and basketball. I will watch a few other Olympic events, just for fun, if I happen to have a few free moments.
crunk DVR flex-cuff ginormous gray literature hardscape IED microgreen perfect storm RPG smackdown speed dating sudoku [tags]Thursday Thirteen[/tags]
I have a very good friend of more than thirty years who is single (divorced). She recently went through an unfortunate break-up with a guy she really cared about and…
We all make mistakes. But if you want me to answer you, don’t ever call me “Jane.” And if you address or refer to me as such in any written…
In this 1984 photo of my parents helping their first grandchild learn to walk, he appears fascinated with the shadows on the sidewalk in front of them.
It reminded me of this poem by Robert Louis Stevenson from “A Child’s Garden of Verses” (I still have my copy from childhood . . . do you?):
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What is your favorite fruit?
Oh, I can’t pick just one. I love bananas, oranges, peaches, apricots, grapes, plums, watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries . . . ((Living here in California, we are blessed with many varieties of fresh fruit all year long. I grew up with peach, orange, lemon and apricot trees in the backyard. Plus, Lodi is wine country so we always enjoy luscious, delicious grapes.))
Dogs are easier to raise than children because they:
1. Eat less than teen-agers;
2. Don’t ask for money all the time;
3. Don’t ask for the car keys all the time;
4. Are easier to potty train;
5. Normally come when called;
“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing yet had been done.”
~ C.S. Lewis ~
Why do we have to start from scratch every morning in exercising our faith? That’s the question this quote made me ponder.
Two thoughts keep coming to me. The first is a cliche, but true: Every day is a blank slate. And that cuts both ways.
Two weeks ago, I wrote here about my friend who was nearing the end of her days here on earth. She did cross over into eternity last Saturday, June 30, 2007, and this past Saturday I attended the memorial service held in her honor.
I knew the woman in question for about as long as I can remember — at least since seventh grade — but we were never real close friends. We hung out in the same circle of friends, but did not seek each other out individually. Whenever “the gang” was gathered together, we were both there. And we kept up to date on each other’s lives via the other members of our group with whom we both interacted individually. We were always happy to see each other, though. Friendships often work this way.
I really enjoyed reading your responses to my post last week, “What would you do?” I promised that I would tell you this week how I handled the situation. Here’s…
School is out for the summer and my youngest son’s report card is posted on the front of the refrigerator. I can at long last write here about something that…
This Week’s Theme: Sweet My sweet boys paused on the stairs leading to the beach from our favorite hotel in Pismo Beach to let Mom snap their photo.
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How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?A minimum of four: 2 earrings in each ear, although I actually have 4 holes in each earlobe, so most days I wear 8 earrings. I also wear my favorite necklace and a watch. I infrequently wear rings because I have carpal tunnel syndrome which causes my fingers to be tingly and somewhat numb all the time, so rings bug me.
How do you pray for others? Do you pray for a specific result?
For instance, if you have a friend or family member who is ill, do you pray that they “get well,” “recover fully” or use similar verbiage?I took a class on prayer a few years ago and the facilitator taught us something very simple, but profound. We say the Lord’s Prayer which includes the words “thy will be done” but we otherwise don’t seem to pray that way. Instead, in prayer, we say things like “let me get that job or raise or . . .” or “please help ______ get better soon” or “please give me . . .” Garth Brooks sang about lost love and, of course, many of us recited all too often the familiar words, “please make ______ love me . . .”
In reality, what we should always pray, according to that teacher, is a request that the Lord’s will truly be done. That’s a harder thing to do because it requires us to step outside of our self and self-centeredness to surrender to another’s will. That’s a hard thing to do, especially if you are a Type A person who is used to being in charge of your own destiny and unaccustomed to giving up control about major aspects of your own life.