I confess to be ‘hooked’ on the ‘gift with purchase’ at department stores and this seems to be a justification in my mind for the higher prices of the few items I buy.  Of course this means I’m running out of room for all the cosmetic bags and purses you receive as well as a miriad of lipsticks in shades that I cannot wear.

Dog people, cat people, bird people…there’s really an unwritten code or way to identify people.  Having a dog, I immediately classify others with same as being mighty fine people…especially if they have a ‘rescued’ dog.  Somehow, you immediately bond and frankly feel superior to those who ‘buy’ their pets.  To be honest, I ‘bought’ a Scottie and then a Saint Bernard but never felt such connection with the creative force (God, who delights in these furry creatures) as I do with Yuki, our  rescued Japanese Akita.

The precious Obama girls will learn so much from their new furry friend…unconditional love, caring for a friend (in animal form) and hopefully many, many years from now…saying goodby.

Put up a hummingbird feeder…remember how you felt when a sunset was incredibly beautiful…or better yet…take some time to be very still and at peace and just ask God if He exists.  You might be surprised at the answer.

Michelle Obama’s capacity for empathy and her genuine warmth are inescapable…it’s the same quality that Princess Diana had. 

It’s a miracle that President Obama (love the sound of that) can smile at all with everything he’s been handed to deal with.  He has a smile that lights up the world!

With everything that I ever read about his mother I see so much of her that has been poured into him.  When I look at either Obama or Michelle I feel vicariously proud and always think how far they’ve come, the courage and grace they show under immense pressure and I get a small sense of how proud their parents are (or would be).

I am not a celebrity but as a teacher to over 3,000 adults and author of ‘The Ch’i of the Brush’, I’ve always known that people I come in contact with are looking to me not only for guidance in painting but they are noting how I conduct myself and how I react to situations. One art patron commented …”We’re not just buying this painting but also you Nan”. Now that was a real WOWOWOW! I don’t think I noticed the overused but relavant word ‘priority’ in the responses. If our intention is to act with integrity in every situation…being like the Bamboo and yielding, bending without breaking…we will lead gracious lives no matter how busy they are. When I am overwhelmed I remind myself “as the day is…so is your strength” and then I just get on with it. I laughed at Cynthia’s comment on behaving in the check out line because the only two times I gave someone a nasty look in the market turned out to be people I knew! Boy did that teach me.

I can’t figure out where to post this comment so Leslie, you’ve got it. I am amazed that Senator John D. Rockefeller was forced to apologize for comments re: John McCain. I’ve always admired Rockefeller and feel he is a man of integrity and measured in his words. What he said about McCain is an accurate description and needed to be said. This is carrying ‘political correctness’ way too far and the need for people to wrap McCain in the flag is beyond me. Can we just acknowledge that he is a war hero in a war most of us would rather forget and move on to his competence in dealing with today’s urgent issues.

What a mystery! I think back to a time in my life when I had been cut off from all relationships and I knew that I just had to step out and give each day my best. Well, I was the grateful recepient of so many beautiful friends that I actually had to pray, “God, don’t send me any more, I can’t handle more than I have.” Of course there is a group of dear friends from grammar school and we probably treasure them the most because they knew us before any of the layers of ‘gloss’ were applied. Each friend I have is a gift and none are taken for granted. What I always ask is ‘am I being a friend. Do I take the time to meet my friend’s needs and am I a soft cushion to land on’. Now, having said that, at this point in my life I can really detect those who would suck all the life out of you and I have no problem with walking away, something I wouldn’t do earlier in my life.!

I would have to agree with Joan Ganz Cooney. My biggest moment of clarity was when I understood that I was really clueless. And for a control freak that’s really something. When I lecture artists one of the first questions I always get is “What is your five year plan?” Well, that does crack me up as I don’t have a five minute plan. I just suit up and show up and good things happen. When they don’t I try and see what I’m supposed to learn. It’s all about doing the right thing and sometimes, your ‘gut’ can lead you down the wrong path as it really is connected to your ego.

I take nothing for granted as I strive to live in the moment and be grateful for everything. A minister friend said he was amazed at how everyone says, “why me?” He would always think “why not you”. Or in other words, stuff happens to everyone. In not taking anything for granted it’s easier to treat everyone with respect and by living in the moment we catch a glimmer of its preciousness.

Some very smart financial people have been saying that the United States could easily become a third world country. Consider our debt… both individual and the country’s… and the vast difference between the’middle class’ (which is rapidly loosing ground) and the very wealthy who have sums of money that would have been unheard of even twenty years ago. Everyone but the super rich is hurting but it seems there’s a ‘country wide’ lobotomy!

“For God so loved the WORLD…” That statement includes everyone, those who believe it and those who do not. If we can truly connect with that concept and become completely loving then we know that love never dies. The part of us that becomes ‘Love’ cannot be extinguished.

Leslie, as always you are the best! To digress slightly, I’m leading 25 of my Chinese Brush painting students on a trip to China. Our goal is to see the areas that inspired the Literati (Gentleman Scholars of old). My only concern now is that we’ll be overwhelmed by ‘modern’ China.

When Americans start focusing on history, not just ours but from the Greeks and moving forward, we will have a clearer vision of who our candidates should be and not what their ‘likeability factor is’. I’m always impressed by the level of cogent thought and political discourse in European countries. Do you think that most citizens would know what the battle of Thermopylae was? When we’re told to open our minds instead of ‘just go to the mall’ we’ll make right judgements. As for Hillary, I’m concerned when someone appears to have lost touch with reality. Remember Nixon and how he would speak of himself during the last months in office?