.
.
You probably read the title and are waiting on the drama or the "OH Let me outta this" post but it's not.
Vlad is an amazing young man. He is very excited to be here. He came to the US in 2010 with his father on a business trip. He has dreamed of coming back ever since then.
He arrived in Nashville on Friday January 6 and we have had a great time since then.
On Saturday we took him to breakfast at IHOP, his first experience with American pancakes and such a large menu. Then we took him grocery shopping and he was amazed at the variety of the same items.We then took him to his first Nashville Predators Hockey game. After the first period he told us that he did not like Russian hockey it was too boring, but he really loved American Hockey. He already has a favorite player and can't wait to get a t shirt with the players name and number.
Sunday he came to Church with us. It was a totally different experience for him. His family only goes to Church on important religious holidays. He was not use to such an informal service and a bit confused by the sacrament.
We tried to register him for school on Monday but due to some confusion and some communication errors we are now trying to find a spot in a school for him. He is so excited to start classes. This is an unusual circumstance. There was approval for the school but when we got there today the right forms had not been filled out. So we are now waiting on a place for him. Hopefully we have one for him by tomorrow or Wednesday!
He is looking forward to going to more hockey games and he is starting to think in "English" Sunday in church Leon and I had our google translate application open on our phones trying to help him understand certain words and phrases. He is getting more confident in his English it seems by the hour.
He told us today that he feels like he is at "home". We did not expect to hear that until much later in his stay.
Just 3 days and he already feels like our own son. I am already dreading the day we have to put him back on a plane to Russia.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
2012 Here We Come!
I'm not going to make any resolutions or promises that will get broken later. There are some things I want to put on my 2012 to do list.
- I want to be a better friend and be there for my friends the way they have been there for me.
- I want to make sure my living room and dining room is always company ready.
- I want to run more this year
- I want to be healthy
- I want to go to Cancun with my oldest and dearest friend and her and my family and not just talk about it.
- I want to work on me.
- I want to blog at least once a week.
- I want to work on my writing
- I want to take classes don't care what kind or anything specific I just want to take classes
- I want to work on my painting
- I want to create memories with Vlad and really make him part of our family forever.
- I want to make a difference.
- I want to make 2012 much better than 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Realizations: Dedicated to the Class of 1992 BHS
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.
I had a realization this afternoon. In Jr. High and High School me meet the people that shape us in to our future selves. Relationships, friendships, and the kids in the hall that made fun of you are all struggling to figure out who they are as well. Years later finding people after all that "creation" happened makes for some pretty surprising friendships. I'm glad for facebook. It has given me the opportunity to reach out and ask for forgiveness and to forgive. I am in no way in favor of bullying and name calling and purposely making someone's life hard. But I do know that there were people in my life that did make it hard that rubbed the rough edges off that polished the grime away and helped me shine and be who I am today. I only had one experience in high school that terrified me. I guess being chased through the neighborhood with a knife will do that to you.
I'm not going to say that being noticed and being made fun of was the greatest experience in my life but it helped create a passionate woman whom too timid to speak up for herself then has found a voice to speak up for not only herself but those that have no voice.
My choice friends are still around two very special women. One has known me since 4th grade the other since Jr. High. My two oldest and dearest friends. Shaped me as well. Loving me for me and all my oddities and quirks and goofy clothes. Knowing that money didn't matter that we could share lunch in the sewing room any day and still like each other. And ten or twenty years later we still call each other "fish" or on the phone when life just seems to crowd in too close.
Then there are people that you didn't realize how much of an impact that you made in their lives or they in yours. I have a couple of school days friends like that. Again due to facebook and classmates and myspace.
Oh don't get me wrong there are some people to this day I do not like nor do I want any association with. Those are the people that never seemed to change they are the people that got stuck in the time warp of their high school selves. They are still the mean girls and the mean guys. We all know the type.
The rest of us fall in to the friend category. We are happy when our classmates succeed, we cry at their saddest moments and cheer when they conquer and overcome. We have made friends with their wives and husbands, we have met their children. Some of us even stayed in touch over the years our families growing together. We all feel the ties of that small high school built in the middle of a cow pasture. We all remember our freshman football team "our boys" winning the CIF championship. We cried together at the lost of dear friends much to young to go. We cheered at football victories and losses. We built floats that melted in the rain. We worried when the skies were filled with ashes from the forest fires. We all shared immense love and great dislike for some of our teachers. We marveled at what was before us after we got that piece of paper that said we were done and free to go our separate ways.
We came together at the beginning of the computer age in elementary schools. We had some of the very first computers in our classes. We were there as the moon man landed and video killed the radio star and again as MTV killed the video star. We were the "real world" generation. We grew either together or apart during the LA riots and Rodney King. Our grandparents saw the wall in Germany go up and one generation later we saw the wall come down. We were there for the demise of the record that gave way to the cassette tape that gave way to the CD that gave way to the MP3. We went from VHS, to laser disc to DVD then blu-ray and now blu-ray 3D.
We grew up with Growing Pains and the Cosby Kids and Alex P. Keaton, the Gremlins scared us and Goonies made us all want to do the truffle shuffle. The two Cory's made us drool while Micheal Jordon made us want to soar.
We listened to U2, and Heavy D and the Beastie Boys, and NKOTB and The Jets, and Tears for Fears, Culture Club and Madonna. Debbi and Tiffany. The Cure made us moody and The Pet Shop Boys confused our parents. Michael Jackson made us scared of the night and we crowned him the King of Pop. We put our fist in the air with Bruce and sang Born in the USA with all our heart. We either wanted to sing like or marry Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, George Michael oh my........Bon Jovi taught us how to rock. Bobby Brown stole Whitney and our worlds collided. Garth Brooks and Billy Ray taught us about country and how to do the Achy Breaky. Not that we will ever admit it.
We lived through things that shaped our nation and are now in the position to shape the world for our children and theirs. Our Fathers were Vietnam era vets and joined our brothers and classmates in Desert Storm and Shield. Now our sons and daughters, brothers and classmates are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world their families giving so we can have the freedom to do or not to do.
We have lost a few along the way. We have cried and laughed and kindled old relationships and new loves, we carry those in our hearts that have gone on before us, and cherish the ones we've yet to connect with. We hold close those moments of success and those best times we shared. We are making new moments and memories everyday. Those we never thought we would see again become new friends out of the flames and ashes of the past.
So dear classmates of mine. This is for you, for all the above and all yet to come.
M. Lynne.
.
I had a realization this afternoon. In Jr. High and High School me meet the people that shape us in to our future selves. Relationships, friendships, and the kids in the hall that made fun of you are all struggling to figure out who they are as well. Years later finding people after all that "creation" happened makes for some pretty surprising friendships. I'm glad for facebook. It has given me the opportunity to reach out and ask for forgiveness and to forgive. I am in no way in favor of bullying and name calling and purposely making someone's life hard. But I do know that there were people in my life that did make it hard that rubbed the rough edges off that polished the grime away and helped me shine and be who I am today. I only had one experience in high school that terrified me. I guess being chased through the neighborhood with a knife will do that to you.
I'm not going to say that being noticed and being made fun of was the greatest experience in my life but it helped create a passionate woman whom too timid to speak up for herself then has found a voice to speak up for not only herself but those that have no voice.
My choice friends are still around two very special women. One has known me since 4th grade the other since Jr. High. My two oldest and dearest friends. Shaped me as well. Loving me for me and all my oddities and quirks and goofy clothes. Knowing that money didn't matter that we could share lunch in the sewing room any day and still like each other. And ten or twenty years later we still call each other "fish" or on the phone when life just seems to crowd in too close.
Then there are people that you didn't realize how much of an impact that you made in their lives or they in yours. I have a couple of school days friends like that. Again due to facebook and classmates and myspace.
Oh don't get me wrong there are some people to this day I do not like nor do I want any association with. Those are the people that never seemed to change they are the people that got stuck in the time warp of their high school selves. They are still the mean girls and the mean guys. We all know the type.
The rest of us fall in to the friend category. We are happy when our classmates succeed, we cry at their saddest moments and cheer when they conquer and overcome. We have made friends with their wives and husbands, we have met their children. Some of us even stayed in touch over the years our families growing together. We all feel the ties of that small high school built in the middle of a cow pasture. We all remember our freshman football team "our boys" winning the CIF championship. We cried together at the lost of dear friends much to young to go. We cheered at football victories and losses. We built floats that melted in the rain. We worried when the skies were filled with ashes from the forest fires. We all shared immense love and great dislike for some of our teachers. We marveled at what was before us after we got that piece of paper that said we were done and free to go our separate ways.
We came together at the beginning of the computer age in elementary schools. We had some of the very first computers in our classes. We were there as the moon man landed and video killed the radio star and again as MTV killed the video star. We were the "real world" generation. We grew either together or apart during the LA riots and Rodney King. Our grandparents saw the wall in Germany go up and one generation later we saw the wall come down. We were there for the demise of the record that gave way to the cassette tape that gave way to the CD that gave way to the MP3. We went from VHS, to laser disc to DVD then blu-ray and now blu-ray 3D.
We grew up with Growing Pains and the Cosby Kids and Alex P. Keaton, the Gremlins scared us and Goonies made us all want to do the truffle shuffle. The two Cory's made us drool while Micheal Jordon made us want to soar.
We listened to U2, and Heavy D and the Beastie Boys, and NKOTB and The Jets, and Tears for Fears, Culture Club and Madonna. Debbi and Tiffany. The Cure made us moody and The Pet Shop Boys confused our parents. Michael Jackson made us scared of the night and we crowned him the King of Pop. We put our fist in the air with Bruce and sang Born in the USA with all our heart. We either wanted to sing like or marry Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, George Michael oh my........Bon Jovi taught us how to rock. Bobby Brown stole Whitney and our worlds collided. Garth Brooks and Billy Ray taught us about country and how to do the Achy Breaky. Not that we will ever admit it.
We lived through things that shaped our nation and are now in the position to shape the world for our children and theirs. Our Fathers were Vietnam era vets and joined our brothers and classmates in Desert Storm and Shield. Now our sons and daughters, brothers and classmates are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world their families giving so we can have the freedom to do or not to do.
We have lost a few along the way. We have cried and laughed and kindled old relationships and new loves, we carry those in our hearts that have gone on before us, and cherish the ones we've yet to connect with. We hold close those moments of success and those best times we shared. We are making new moments and memories everyday. Those we never thought we would see again become new friends out of the flames and ashes of the past.
So dear classmates of mine. This is for you, for all the above and all yet to come.
M. Lynne.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Disney World: What is worth the time and money and what isn't.
.
.
From August 6th to August 14th 2011 Hubby and I went to Orlando for our summer vacation. I had never been to Disney World. When Leon and I went on our honeymoon we went to Orlando. We were too young and poor to be able to afford Disney. As we drove away from Orlando back in January of 2005 Leon promised to bring me back and take me to Disney World. Finally we were able so away we went!
Planning vacations in our family isn't always easy. For example Leon will have to submit his vacation this October for his two weeks next year. Even then vacations are chosen by seniority so the weeks we want may not be available. We have been really fortunate and have gotten the weeks we ask for.
So our planning for Walt Disney World started last October. We decided on our week and started planning where we would stay and how much it would cost us just for travel and tickets to the park.
We started by looking for tickets for the parks. We found a really great deal where we bought 3 days + Parkhopper+Water park and more and got 4 days free. We paid about $54 dollars a day.
Next we looked in to hotels. At the time I didn't think it would matter if we stay at a Disney Property or not. We know better now.
There are so many benefits of staying on property:
Buses that run every 15 to 20 minutes to each and every park and Downtown Disney.
Free delivery of purchases to your hotel (this means no carrying around those bulky bags all day long)
Currently you can only add the meal plan if you are staying at the hotels. For example we spent approximately $2600 on our tickets, food, hotel and flights.
Had we booked our park tickets, hotel and dining plan which would have included the number of meals we at each day and 7 days park hopper. We would have spent $2400 and if we stayed with the same flights that would have added $252 for a grand total of $2452.00.
Okay so a couple of hundred dollars doesn't seem like much but when you don't have to worry about missing your shuttle back to your hotel, or what your going to miss because the last bus back is at 10pm and there is no guarantee that there is going to be room for you even if you are there early enough.
So over all we did a really good job on the flight, tickets and hotel. We did not account for cost of dining so we could have done MUCH better and we know for next time.
We had such a good time. We had the opportunity to visit each of the parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. We also had admission to Disney Quest but unless you have children it is boring for adults.
The fireworks at Epcot are worth the trip, Fantasmic is a MUST see if you to Hollywood Studios. The nightly fireworks at the Magic Kingdom are amazing as well as the pre-show. Be sure to ask a cast member which night Tinker Bell is flying.
The one thing we are so happy we did was get a Disney PhotoPass. It is a card that has a bar code on it. There are Disney Photographers all over the parks with professional Nikon D300 cameras that will take your picture. Then they scan the card and your photos are saved online. Most of the Character Spots have Photopas Photographers but some do not. If you use the photopass be sure to ask your photographer for "Magic" pictures. These are special items that are added to your photo's.
There are several options that come with the photopass photos. You can log in and add borders and "virtual" stickers to your photo's then save them. You can also purchase the pictures individually or ALL of the pictures on a photo DVD for $150 for all the pictures that taken while you are at the park. It doesn't matter how many pictures you have. So take advantage of hunting down those photopass photographers.
We also suggest that you either purchase a poncho or bring one with you. It rains most afternoons in the Summer in Orlando. The outdoor and water rides do not stop unless there is lightening. It's kind of like TN weather. Wait around and it will change.
So what is the short list of do's?
Stay on property and get the meal plan and your tickets
Take advantage of the Photopass
If a cast member asks you to flap your arms like wings and gobble like a turkey you just might get dinner for free.
Enjoy where you are. If you don't have kids with you act goofy and silly. Believe me the first time you see your favorite Disney Character you will be 7 years old again anyway.
There is really magic at Disney World soak it up and carry it with you when you come home.
The park hopper option is great if you want to spend the day in one park and watch the evening shows in another.
The short list of do not bother with or be aware of:
Staying off property can cause problems with your plans if you hotel does not have adequate shuttle service.
The park hopper option isn't necessary if your planning on being there long enough to spend a day in each park then you can see everything.
Dining with out the meal plan can be expensive BUT you can bring in your own food and drinks to save yourself some money.
Don't stay anywhere on Highway 192 or what is considered old town. The hotels are some of the oldest in the area and everyone we talked to that stayed in that area had complaints including us.
Most hotels/resorts charge a resort fee that is NOT included in your reservation cost plan on anywhere from $10 to $20 per night.
I hope this helps some of you. If you want to know about something that isn't here please feel free to ask.
Lynne
.
From August 6th to August 14th 2011 Hubby and I went to Orlando for our summer vacation. I had never been to Disney World. When Leon and I went on our honeymoon we went to Orlando. We were too young and poor to be able to afford Disney. As we drove away from Orlando back in January of 2005 Leon promised to bring me back and take me to Disney World. Finally we were able so away we went!
Planning vacations in our family isn't always easy. For example Leon will have to submit his vacation this October for his two weeks next year. Even then vacations are chosen by seniority so the weeks we want may not be available. We have been really fortunate and have gotten the weeks we ask for.
So our planning for Walt Disney World started last October. We decided on our week and started planning where we would stay and how much it would cost us just for travel and tickets to the park.
We started by looking for tickets for the parks. We found a really great deal where we bought 3 days + Parkhopper+Water park and more and got 4 days free. We paid about $54 dollars a day.
Next we looked in to hotels. At the time I didn't think it would matter if we stay at a Disney Property or not. We know better now.
There are so many benefits of staying on property:
Buses that run every 15 to 20 minutes to each and every park and Downtown Disney.
Free delivery of purchases to your hotel (this means no carrying around those bulky bags all day long)
Currently you can only add the meal plan if you are staying at the hotels. For example we spent approximately $2600 on our tickets, food, hotel and flights.
Had we booked our park tickets, hotel and dining plan which would have included the number of meals we at each day and 7 days park hopper. We would have spent $2400 and if we stayed with the same flights that would have added $252 for a grand total of $2452.00.
Okay so a couple of hundred dollars doesn't seem like much but when you don't have to worry about missing your shuttle back to your hotel, or what your going to miss because the last bus back is at 10pm and there is no guarantee that there is going to be room for you even if you are there early enough.
So over all we did a really good job on the flight, tickets and hotel. We did not account for cost of dining so we could have done MUCH better and we know for next time.
We had such a good time. We had the opportunity to visit each of the parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. We also had admission to Disney Quest but unless you have children it is boring for adults.
The fireworks at Epcot are worth the trip, Fantasmic is a MUST see if you to Hollywood Studios. The nightly fireworks at the Magic Kingdom are amazing as well as the pre-show. Be sure to ask a cast member which night Tinker Bell is flying.
The one thing we are so happy we did was get a Disney PhotoPass. It is a card that has a bar code on it. There are Disney Photographers all over the parks with professional Nikon D300 cameras that will take your picture. Then they scan the card and your photos are saved online. Most of the Character Spots have Photopas Photographers but some do not. If you use the photopass be sure to ask your photographer for "Magic" pictures. These are special items that are added to your photo's.
There are several options that come with the photopass photos. You can log in and add borders and "virtual" stickers to your photo's then save them. You can also purchase the pictures individually or ALL of the pictures on a photo DVD for $150 for all the pictures that taken while you are at the park. It doesn't matter how many pictures you have. So take advantage of hunting down those photopass photographers.
We also suggest that you either purchase a poncho or bring one with you. It rains most afternoons in the Summer in Orlando. The outdoor and water rides do not stop unless there is lightening. It's kind of like TN weather. Wait around and it will change.
So what is the short list of do's?
Stay on property and get the meal plan and your tickets
Take advantage of the Photopass
If a cast member asks you to flap your arms like wings and gobble like a turkey you just might get dinner for free.
Enjoy where you are. If you don't have kids with you act goofy and silly. Believe me the first time you see your favorite Disney Character you will be 7 years old again anyway.
There is really magic at Disney World soak it up and carry it with you when you come home.
The park hopper option is great if you want to spend the day in one park and watch the evening shows in another.
The short list of do not bother with or be aware of:
Staying off property can cause problems with your plans if you hotel does not have adequate shuttle service.
The park hopper option isn't necessary if your planning on being there long enough to spend a day in each park then you can see everything.
Dining with out the meal plan can be expensive BUT you can bring in your own food and drinks to save yourself some money.
Don't stay anywhere on Highway 192 or what is considered old town. The hotels are some of the oldest in the area and everyone we talked to that stayed in that area had complaints including us.
Most hotels/resorts charge a resort fee that is NOT included in your reservation cost plan on anywhere from $10 to $20 per night.
I hope this helps some of you. If you want to know about something that isn't here please feel free to ask.
Lynne
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Something to ponder.
I think we have all asked the questions that are posed by the main character in this short story. It reminds me of Christ when speaking and teaching those thought to be the dregs of society. These dirty and unclean souls that needed his touch and attention.
One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter:
What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man’s dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, “I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?”
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, “You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that.” The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, “Why don’t you rest now? I can take over again.” But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, “I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can’t give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home.”
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, “Do you hear someone running over there?” The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man’s clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit’s bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, “Please forgive me.”
“But what have you done that I should forgive you?” the emperor asked.
“You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn’t met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness.”
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man’s property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. “But your questions have already been answered.”
“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled.
“Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”
Leo Tolstoy
Just a thought for the day.
One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter:
What is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man’s dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, “I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?”
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, “You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that.” The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, “Why don’t you rest now? I can take over again.” But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, “I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can’t give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home.”
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, “Do you hear someone running over there?” The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man’s clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit’s bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, “Please forgive me.”
“But what have you done that I should forgive you?” the emperor asked.
“You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn’t met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness.”
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man’s property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. “But your questions have already been answered.”
“How’s that?” the emperor asked, puzzled.
“Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life.”
Leo Tolstoy
Just a thought for the day.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Really bad at posting....
Wow I didn't realize that it had been so long since I wrote anything here. Things around the Blaisdell house are going well. So far this year Leon and I have run 2 5ks and our third is next Saturday.
I started a new fitness program called Art of Strength. It uses kettle bells, cardio and huge marine boat style ropes, TRX bands, medicine balls, bandit loops and truck tires, bar bells and determination. This last Friday was the end of my third week. I can really see the difference since I started this class. My squats are lower and I'm getting stronger.
As many of you know I was not feeling well this weekend. I did go to the doctor today and I have an upper UTI meaning that it's started in my kidneys and all the water I was drinking was a good thing. The nurse practitioner gave me an antibiotic and told me to drink lemon aid and lemon water to help get rid of the water I've been retaining due to the infection.
Guess that's the update!
Lynne and Leon
I started a new fitness program called Art of Strength. It uses kettle bells, cardio and huge marine boat style ropes, TRX bands, medicine balls, bandit loops and truck tires, bar bells and determination. This last Friday was the end of my third week. I can really see the difference since I started this class. My squats are lower and I'm getting stronger.
As many of you know I was not feeling well this weekend. I did go to the doctor today and I have an upper UTI meaning that it's started in my kidneys and all the water I was drinking was a good thing. The nurse practitioner gave me an antibiotic and told me to drink lemon aid and lemon water to help get rid of the water I've been retaining due to the infection.
Guess that's the update!
Lynne and Leon
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