Day 266: Poinsettia at Dallas House

Today's painting is of a Christmas flower in Dalla's house. Love the deep colors.  I learned that the name of this famous Christmas flower is from a French gentleman, J. R. Poinsett.  I will keep this in mind when I see these red icons.  Merry Christmas.




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Day 265: a Sunday in the Snow

It has been a long time since Ron and I have been in snow. Everything has a magical look. Last night Ron went for a run at dusk and passed a church where a wedding was being held. Outside waiting for the bride and groom was an actual Cinderella horse drawn carriage that looked like a glass coach. White horses waited in in frosty night. Everywhere we look is beauty. Our hosts Dalla and Jeremy Brown of Gananoque ON are pictured here.







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Day 264: good advice

Thanks to the Todo Institute for this fine article
A WIN/WIN HOLIDAY
by Ken Potts

It seems to me that people tend to display two extremes of behavior about this time of year. A good many of us, not able to deal with the increasing stress we feel preparing for the holiday blitz , wind up acting impatient, surly, and even downright rude. Often we direct these behaviors at the store clerks, restaurant staff, or even the complete strangers we encounter. I know we’ve all met some of these Christmas curmudgeons; hey, some of us are these Christmas curmudgeons.

On the other hand, there are those among us who manage to take a totally different approach to the season. It may be because we just don’t add all that much stress to our lives at Christmas times, or because we are a lot more stress hardy than the average person, but, whatever the reason, we just don’t let it get to us. If anything, we are even nicer to and more considerate of other people during the holiday season.

Now, one of the things I’ve learned as a therapist over the last thirty five years is that

we can sometimes dramatically change the way we feel by simply changing the way we behave. Or, “fake it til you make it,” as a good friend puts it. We may feel impatient, but if we act patiently it can often help us to feel less impatient. We may feel like grumbling at every clerk we encounter, but if we are polite we will actually feel less surly. We may feel like butting into traffic or cutting off a slow driver, but if we are courteous and understanding, we will feel less of a temptation to be rude.

In other words, if we act like the nicer, more considerate people in the second category I mentioned above, we can wind up even feeling like them. And, let’s face it, feeling less stress around about now has got to be a good thing.

Willing to give it a try? Then let me give you some tips on how to get started:

1) Leave large tips in restaurants, even if the service is not as good as it should be. If you have ever worked in food service at Christmas, you know how tough it is.

2) Make eye contact and smile at every checkout person, clerk, or customer service type you run in to.

3) Let people with only a few things to buy cut in line in front of you.

4) When you’re driving, give other people a break when it comes to getting out of parking spaces, out of driveways, changing lanes, etc… And give them a wave when you do it. And drive at a safe speed.

5) Treat merchandise in stores as though you are the one who is going to have to come back and straighten it up at the end of the day.

6) No matter how rude someone else is to you, be polite. If a clerk, sales person, or wait staff is so out of line that you need to talk to a manager, do so calmly and rationally.

7) Give a buck or two to any and every legitimate charity that asks for your help during the holiday season. Hunt out a few others and just donate something for the heck of it. They need the help, and it will remind you that you have a lot more than a lot of people.

You get the idea. I guarantee you that if you work on behaving in the ways I have suggested, you will feel less stress and enjoy the coming weeks more. And, not incidentally, the world will be a bit of a better place to live in because you are in it.

From Thirty Thousand Days: A Journal of Purposeful Living – Holiday 2010 Edition.
Reprinted by permission of the author. Reverend Ken Potts is a pastoral
counselor and marriage and famiy therapist with Samaritan Interfaith Counseling
Center, Naperville, Illinois. He writes a weekly column for the Daily Herald,
where this article first appeared.
Posted on December 16, 2010 2:30 PM


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Day 263: The Socialist Pig

In Gananoque ON visiting best friends. Here is the counter at a cool coffee shop called the Socialist Pig. Real books make up the base. Wonderful coffee too.


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Day 262: Decorating the Christmas Tree with Gratitude

I am grateful to the ToDo Institute for this wonderful idea.  Their web site is a gift in itself.  I repost their article here with thanks. 

Decorating the Christmas Tree with Gratitude Dear Patricia, Our family includes my two daughters (now ages 11 & 13) who have always looked forward to the holiday season.  A few years ago we designed an approach to decorating our Christmas tree which has become one of the most mindful and enjoyable activities of the season.  First, we lay out our growing and eclectic collection of ornaments on the table, ranging from the handmade ornament Chani created in first grade, to a shiny, bobbled ornament that would be comfortable on the tree of the Russian Czar.  Then we take turns selecting and hanging the ornaments on the tree, one by one.  As each of us takes a turn, we contemplate who we'll dedicate this ornament to, and search for a suitable ornament for that person.  Grandma likes the color combination of black/red so she might get a matching ornament.  Jody, the girls' piano teacher, might get an ornament shaped like a musical note, or something that suggests a quality that she possesses.  As each of us prepare to hang the ornament, we announce who it is dedicated to, and thank that person for something they did for us or gave to us.  Thanks to John for putting up siding on the teahouse this fall.  Thanks to Barbara for letting us stay at her house when we were visiting New York.   The ornaments go up, one by one, and the tree becomes a canvas for all the love and support we received from our circle of friends and family.  Each ornament represents the kindness and generosity of someone we know or have known.  In some cases, we dedicate an ornament to someone who is no longer alive and, in doing so, honor that person's life with the memory of their loving deeds.  We might spend 30-40 minutes each evening for three or four nights before we complete this process.  The decorating itself becomes a reflection on our good fortune, and even before the appearance of presents underneath the tree, we are reminded, throughout the season, that our lives are blessed and that we have been the beneficiaries of great generosity from an ever-expanding circle of wonderful people. All the best to you and your family, Gregg Krech, ToDo Institute author, Naikan: Gratitude, Grace and the Japanese Art of Self-reflection

Day 261: Flowers

In the summer of 2009 I was part of a weeklong house party with artists, filmmakers and writers. The brilliant and talented Victoria LaBalme was my hostess.  We spent time at her magnificent estate known as Eagle Nest in the Adirondack.   Several days were rainy and we sat by the crackling fire.  I did this painting of a vase of flowers.  I like it very much.  Is it okay to like your own artwork?

Day 260: Painting flowers - Cattleya

Over this holiday week I'm traveling to Canada. It's a challenge to keep my vow to post everyday. But I want to offer some ordinary things that I find lovely to look at. I'm not sure why, but I love painting flowers. Today's study, done several years ago, is of a Cattleya orchid with the most remarkable orange color.


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Day 259: Watercolor of our trees 2008 + 2009

I painted this  on the left in 2008. The tree was 14 feet tall. Majestic.

The other painting is from 2009.

Day 258: our little tree

2010 was a different kind of Christmas. Those of you who know us know that Ron has a passion for finding the biggest fresh tree that he and three men can drag up the stairs. This year we are traveling for the holiday and he agreed to forgo the BIG TREE.
Instead here we have our miniature tree and cable car. Ho Ho Ho and merry Christmas to all.



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Day 257: Our Christmas Tree

We have a family tradition of buying THE LARGEST TREE that Ron and three men can drag up the stairs. It's a really big deal. And there is often a family fight over the size. Ron wants enormous. I want medium size. I usually let Ron win. We've been collecting ornaments for a long time. Since this year we are going to Canada for Christmas we decided to forgo the big purchase. I am a little sad about this. I miss the smell of the tree and waking up to see it through the bedroom door. At night I love to sit in the living room with only the lights on and bask in the wonder of it all. Instead I'm looking at a watercolor of the tree from 2008. Life is still good.

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Day 256: Smooth lunch

A very good friend is going through some dental challenges while his mouth heals from surgery.  During this time he needs to eat only soft foods.  We collaborated on a gourmet lunch that is as lovely to look at as it was tasty to eat.  I made a gorgonzola basil tomato soup.  His gorgeous platter included a beet ganoush (looking for all the world like a blackberry or raspberry ice, a hummus with garlic and red pepper. The dark grain is quinoa.  Mine was on a bed of spinach with some soft rye bread.  Raspberries garnish the plate.
We finished off the meal with a  Meyer lemon pastille, a cream custard that was richly divine.  Not a bad life, eh?  So when life gives you lemons by all means make beet ganoush and lemon pastille.

Day 255: The Madson Family Christmas letter

I'm sorry we went overboard this year.  There are too many photographs in this collage and too many items in our calendar of events.  I get tired just looking at it.  But now that I've made it I have to do something with it.  So, I'll post it here as another item from ordinary life. Lots of ordinary life.  Lots.
And here is the list of what we did in 2010.  Phew . . .

RON AND PATRICIA’S TRAVEL ADVENTURES IN 2010

The Madsons were on the road over a dozen times in 2010. Good health for both Patricia and Ron signaled a GO to a number of trips both in the US and abroad. Here is where we went:

February – Doe Bay on Orcas Island, WA - attending a 10 day Improv Retreat with Rebecca Stockley and Matt Smith. Also visited with Gary and Cheryl Madson in Bothell,WA

March – Road trip to LA for NCAA women’s basketball playoffs. Stanford women were victorious, winning PAC 10 tourney!

March – Vancouver trip to attend wedding of Carol Anne Bickerstaff. Patricia was the mistress of ceremonies.

April-May – Sedona AZ roadtrip to attend watercolor workshop with Jeanne Carbonetti. Ron takes lots of photos.

June – Tassajara in the Carmel Valley. Ron attends a weeklong workshop with master photographer, Peter Cunningham. Patricia relaxes in the mineral baths and paints.

July – Virginia Beach, VA – first ever RYAN family reunion at Virginia Beach. Amazing house on the backbay. Ryans, Dunlavey’s, Gaddis, Offenbachers, and Madsons all converge on the beach. Also a visit in Richmond with Kathleen and a jaunt to see Peggy Ryan and Mary Frances and Buddy Wood.

August – Ireland adventure – three weeks. A week in Tipperary to watch Hurling finals and hunt down Ryan ancestors. A week in Dingle listening to great music and a week in County Cork (Schull), painting landscapes with Judy Whitton and group. Perfect weather!

September – Ron on a road trip to Death Valley with son Jason to photograph the desert. Great reunion!

October – Richmond, VA for Patricia’s 50th high school reunion. October – Halloween weekend: Racine, WI to stay with son, Jason and his wife Karen and attend photography show of Jason’s work.

December – Gananoque, ONTARIO spend Christmas with best friends, Dalla and Jeremy Brown at their home.

Family was all important in 2010.  Reunion was our theme: The Ryan family reunion at Virginia Beach, Ron’s reunion with his son first at Death Valley and then in Racine, WI, and Patricia’s high school class reunion in Richmond, VA. 

Ron’s genealogy chart is bursting at the seams.  Lots of friends on Facebook this year have made it full of happy news and surprises. 

We are wishing all of our friends and family the best of holidays.  May we all recognize our many blessings and the miracle of ordinary life.  And we wish all good things  to each of you in the coming new year.

Day 254: Bodhi Day

I took this photo of Ron standing in front of a magnificent Buddha statue at the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona, AZ in early May.  This garden and stupa is a place of great tranquility there.  Today is Bodhi Day in the Buddhist calendar.  This is the day when the historical Buddha awakened to the real meaning of life.  This event is commonly called enlightenment.  While I can make no claim to enlightenment myself, it strikes me as something both simple and profound.

Seeing "things as they are" is suggested as one definition for this type of understanding.  I do know that life is precious.  We get one chance to live it in a way that helps others and is respectful of the earth.  On this Bodhi Day let us each celebrate the wonder of this.

Day 253: Things as they are

I no longer hush
my very elderly dog
barking at people


they pass by the house
he engages with purpose
chasing them away


let every moment 
of precious singular life
be just as it is.
              Catherine Hagan

This thoughtful poem is a reminder to treasure things as they are.  And while I don't have an elderly dog, I do have a pug nose Himalayan cat. His name is Bodhi.  Tomorrow, December 8 is BODHI DAY in the Buddhist calendar.  This is the day that the Buddha was said to have become enlightened under the Bodhi Tree.  

"Let every moment of precious singular life be just as it is."   Thank you, Catherine.

Day 252: Saturated Watercolors

I am a great admirer of the watercolors of Nava Grunfeld.   Her newly published book is featured here.  Her work which is labor intensive uses a multi layering technique.  Her delight is truly intense color (something rare in the world of watercolor) mainly around still life subjects.

So, as soon as I can find a bit of time I plan to have a go at painting this bowl of cherry tomatoes.  I recommend that you go to her web site and study her breathtaking work.

Day 251: La Di Da Show

Our plein air painting group has an exhibition this month at the LaDiDa Cafe in Half Moon Bay.  Each artist was invited to provide three framed works to display.  Here is a photo of the three I have on view.  The middle painting, titled JOY is one that I did in Sedona Arizona last spring.  I was studying with Jeanne Carbonetti whose colorful works are in inspiration.    The other two paintings are local scenes, one from the Pillar Point Marsh and the other painted at the Cyrress Flower Farm in Moss Beach.

Day 250: Japanese print making

This afternoon Ron and I went to the Museum of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco to see the exhibition on Japanese printmaking and its influence on Impressionist art world wide.  It is a beautiful show and meaningful in the light of the recent exhibitions of Impressionist art at the De Young Museum.   Artists worldwide saw the beauty and the craft of these astonishing prints.

Day 249: A birthday wish

Today, December 3 is my birthday.  I am 68 years old today. What a gift to be given another year.  The day was full of love and happy wishes.  Ron took me for a meal of a lifetime at the five star French Laundry in Yountville.  To see photos of the nine course meal check out my Facebook photos of the nine courses.

Day 248: A Frog in a . . .

.
 I have a good friend who has recently undergone some major dental surgery.  His condition, as he heals, requires that he eat only liquid foods for some time.  He informs me that he has gotten creative with his diet and that his blender has become his best buddy.  And, as it turns out, there aren't many things that can't be pulverized to make a nutritious (if not crunchy) meal.  As we were talking about this state of affairs this morning my husband stated simply:  "A frog in a blender is still a good frog."

Gives you something to think about.  A frog.  A blender.  I actually found images.

Day 247: The ladies of Curves

Four years ago I joined the Curves family of women who show up a few times a week to "jiggle and bounce" (as Ron says).  We spend a half hour moving around a circuit of ten machines and bouncing in between to upbeat music.  Recently I passed my 900 mark and got a t-shirt for my efforts.  I've enjoyed having a regular way to move my body.  Also, the Curves system promotes friendship and the fun of doing something a little hard with others.  We trade gossip and recipes and reviews of local restaurants, etc.  Here I sit, all color coordinated, with the current owner, Bonnie.  This is the Half Moon Bay branch of this business.  Good for cardio and strength training.  Here's a salute to the women at Curves!