Chinese Fortune Cookies

by Lauraine Alberetti Lombara

       

             January is a tricky month. It creeps up and surprises us as we try to recuperate from a string of holidays that start on Halloween, jump quickly to Thanksgiving, and on to Christmas, Hanukkah or other December celebrations and finally culminates at New Year’s Eve and Day.

              So why do I say tricky?  It’s because most people start making resolutions to diet, exercise or stop addictive behaviors.   It may be that we have overindulged during the previous months and need our resolutions to modify behaviors or make new commitments to improve our lives.  I was thinking about a different start.

              I came across my collection of Chinese cookie fortunes which I read and pondered for a few hours – chuckling, sighing and realizing that here was a trove of potential resolutions to suit any desire, mood or need.  Let me give you some examples:

IF ONE IS DEPRESSED:

“When nothing helps, you’re the best help you can get.”  “Sing and rejoice, fortune is smiling on you.” “Fortune is on your side.” “Play it for all it’s worth.”  “Financial hardship in your life is coming to an end. Enjoy.”

IF ONE IS FEELING UNLOVED:

“Lucky you. Get out your party clothes. The clean ones.”  “Accept the next proposition you hear.”  “Time and patience are called for, many surprises await you.”

IF ONE NEEDS INSPIRATION OR ENCOURAGEMENT:

“You have handled your responsibilities competently.”  “If your desires are not extravagant, they will be granted.”  “Many receive advice, only the wise profit by it.”  “Someone is speaking well of you.”  “Great acts of kindness will befall you in the coming months.” “You will be advanced socially without any special effort.” “You will make a profitable investment.”

IF ONE NEEDS A GOOD LAUGH:

“Man who wakes up famous has not been sleeping.”  “Tomorrow is two days late for yesterday’s work.” ”Don’t stop dreaming, otherwise sleep will get awfully boring.” “If you cannot be good, be careful.” “Ignore previous cookie.”(Yes, that’s what it really says) “If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.”

Now here are some I shall consider for myself – a New Year’s compilation of many of my favorite fortunes as I head into 2017:

1.       “When winter comes, heaven will rain success on you.”

2.       “No need to worry. You will always have everything you need.”

3.       “Your spirit of adventure leads you down an exciting new path.”

4.       “Look closely at your surroundings.”

5.       “You are one of the people who goes places in life.”

6.       “You are heading in the right direction.”

7.       “You will take a chance on something in the near future.”

8.       “You will make some changes before winning.”

9.       “Avoid taking unnecessary gambles.”

10.   “Someday you will become rich and famous.”

11.   “You will inherit some money or a small piece of land.”

12.   “You are entering a time of great promise and overdue rewards.”

13.   “You will travel to exotic places on your next trip.”

14.   “You are heading for a land of sunshine.”

15.   “Soon you will be sitting on top of the world.”

16.   “You will soon be crossing the great waters.”

17.   “You will step on the soil of many countries.”

18.   “It’s not only important to add years to your life, but to add life to your years.”

19.   “Find release from your cares, have a good time.”

20.   “Love, because it is the only true adventure.”

21.   “The important thing is to express yourself.” 

22.   “Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity and humanity.”  

As winter comes and the heavens rain success on me, I shall take a chance, be wise, travel over waters and many lands, sit on top of the world, have a great time and express myself using the four basic premises of writing.

I end with my last fortune, “Confucius wishes you a Prosperous Peaceful and Happy New Year.”

Making a Judgement Call

by Charlotte Savage

One might think because a person is an artist they should know good art when they see it.  Yet, this is not always the case, especially when it comes to judging one’s own work.  In the late 1990’s Sarah attended senior citizen art classes locally; she also attended a one week seminar at an Elderhostel in Rhode Island for several years. The one thing she learnt from her first experience was that watercolor was a difficult medium because once the color is applied, it’s permanent.   Oil paint she discovered was a medium more forgiving; she could repaint until she was satisfied. 

The second time she attended Elderhostel, the curriculum was mixed media; experimenting with colored pencils, pastels, and cray pas (which was similar to coloring with crayons), and she also became familiar with a color wheel.

“Decide what colors you are going to work in,” said the instructor, “then look to the opposite color on the wheel.  Example, if you were doing an outdoor scene the color of your sky would be orange, the opposite of blue.  If the object is green, color it red.”   Sarah chose a green bench in a garden; she colored the sky orange and the bench red.

At the end of the morning session the two instructors critiqued the students’ unsigned work.  They taped all of them to the blackboard.   Joanne and Isabell, the instructors, critiqued each picture explaining what they liked most about each picture and occasionally made suggestions on to how to improve it.  Then they returned the painting to the person who had created it. 

Finally they got to Sarah’s picture.  They stood on either side of it and asked in unison, “Who drew the red bench?”  Since the question of who painted a picture prior to a critique had not been asked before, Sarah thought she had done something wrong and slid down in her seat not to be noticed.  The student who sat beside Sarah poked her and Sarah hesitantly raised her hand.  Joanne said, “This is a wonderful picture, be sure to frame it.”  Isabell said, “This picture is ribbon-worthy.”

 Though Sarah had great admiration for her instructors, she thought her drawing looked like something her nine-year-old granddaughter would have drawn. After painting in oils, using colored pencils and cray pas seemed childish.  Sarah dropped the picture into the trash barrel on her way out.  Joanne retrieved it from the trash and chased Sarah down the path to the dorm saying that it was too good to throw away.  Sarah put it between the pages of her art magazine and took it home.   A few months later she entered it into an art show and it won a ribbon.

The following week she signed up for a watercolor workshop. She had discovered she could learn something new from every workshop—even if it was not in her favorite medium. However, she didn’t have a watercolor easel.  Looking for a board or anything solid to tape her watercolor paper to, she came across an oil painting she had done previously which was mounted on a solid backing; she could place on her easel. 

 Arriving at the class she flipped the painting over and taped watercolor paper to the back of it and lightly sketched a still life. She was applying watercolor when the instructor announced she would be critiquing their work as they painted.

Knowing it would be a while before the instructor reached her, Sarah took a coffee break.  When she returned she saw that the instructor was picking her painting off the floor.  However, she wasn’t looking at the watercolor Sarah had been working on; she was looking at the oil painting on the back.  As Sarah approached, she heard the instructor ask whose painting it was.   The other ladies at the table said it wasn’t theirs.

“Well, whoever did this painting is certainly not afraid to use color.” said the instructor.

 Sarah responded, “That’s just a quick oil painting I did for a larger painting I am working on. I was going to throw it away, but instead I brought it here to support my water color paper.” 

“This painting is extremely well done,” said the instructor, “I would suggest you frame it.”  Sarah did just that and a few months later she entered it into the International Festival art show and it also won a ribbon. 

Sarah has decided not to throw away any of her paintings in the future and leave it for others to judge her work.  After all, she’s only the artist; it’s the judges who appear to know what ‘good’ is!

©2017 Charlotte Savage all rights reserved 

New Year's Resolutions 2017 by Gail Balentine

                          

                                        “Learn from yesterday,

   live for today,

   hope for tomorrow.”

                                     Albert Einstein

New Year's Resolutions 2017

by Gail Balentine

It’s January and time to make some New Year’s Resolutions. Perennial favorites are promises to: lose weight, exercise more, travel more and finally get organized. But this year feels different.

This country has been involved in a contentious political battle and, no matter which side you favor, the process has had an effect. This, in addition to the personal problems each of us contends with, has made 2016 a particularly stressful year for me and many people I know.

That’s why I feel it is even more important than other years to get back in touch with myself and those I care about. With such thoughts in mind, here are my 2017 New Year’s Resolutions:

1                1.     I plan to live more in the moment, instead of in the past or future.

            2.     I plan to appreciate and enjoy more the time I share with my family and friends.  

            3.     I plan to strive to value myself as much as I value others.

            4.     I plan to find more ways to help people less fortunate than I am.

            5.     I plan to spend more time reading and writing.

            6.     I plan to remember that America is a wonderful country, filled with many, many good people who may or may not agree with me politically.   

Happy New Year.

                                                         

Here's to 2017

by Beth Alexander Walsh

Dear 2016,

     Bye bye! Adios! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. 

     You have been a wretched year. 

     In January, you had me mourning the loss of my friend Mary. She must have known how awful you would be because she left before the clock struck twelve on New Year’s Eve. I have tried to carry Mary’s spirit through trying times. Her terminal diagnosis never curtailed her LIVING her life with joy and purpose.

    In February, you took my brother in law Dan away from his wife and two children. His battle with the cruel disease of Multiple Myeloma was heroic and I have watched those same heroic traits in his family as they navigate through life’s milestones without him.

    There have been other losses of people close to family members and friends. I pray that the memories of their loved ones give them comfort. My Winter Street Writing colleague Ken, also passed. I miss the stories and humor he brought to our meetings.

   If this weren’t enough 2016, you gave us shootings in Dallas and Florida and the Bastille Day attack in Nice. The bombings in Aleppo were cruel and inhumane. Don’t even get me started on Brexit and Zika. To add insult to injury you took David Bowie, Prince, Glen Frye, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman and Mohamed Ali and at the eleventh-hour Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds!!   

  I must tell you 2016, the last straw was the Presidential election. Never in my lifetime have I seen such a divisive and hateful campaign. By November you left me sad and exhausted. So, 2016, you must go! I hereby banish you to the history books and hope the conflict you have wrought will turn into resolutions to make our country and world a better place.

Signed,

A Worn-Out American

Dear 2017,

     Welcome!!  I just put up a new calendar on my fridge to honor you. All those empty white squares are full of possibilities! I hope you were taking notes of 2016’s escapades. We don’t need any repeats from last year.

I am giving you the benefit of the doubt 2017. I hope you don’t let me down and I promise to do my part with the following resolutions:

1. I will not give into fear of the future. Fear solves nothing.

2. While I will not give into fear, it does not mean that I will not be awake and aware of all that is going on in my city, state, country and world.

3. I will find gratitude every day and joy in the ordinary.

4. I will read and write more!!

5. I will take the opportunity to learn something new every day.

6. I will pray for our new President every day;

    -that he will be a president to ALL Americans.

    -that he puts country above himself

    -that he has patience and self-control in dealing with other nations.

    -that he be a custodian to our great lands and that clean water and air are not a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder.

    -that he realizes that health care should be a right for every citizen and not subject to the greed and profit of corporations.

I’m counting on you 2017.

Signed,

A Hopeful American