jamesinamerica: December 2005

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

December 2005

Wow! what a crazy crazy month. I had to sail on the Costa Mediterannea and do an evaluation for training. I sailed from Fort Lauderdale on the 15th and disembarked in La Romana, Dominican Republic on the 20th. During that time I gave 7 presentations and interviewed 60 people. Upon arrival in La Romana I did an inspection of the Casa de Campo Institute on the 29th and then flew back to Miami.
Mum (my mum Nelly James) and my sister Lesley had arrived on the 17th so I was looking forward to seeing them both.
My daughters Shelly and Tamsin came home for Christmas and it was meet and cook and drink etc. for the next few days and then some.
We had the most fabulous Christmas with everyone home. Our Friends Maureen and Larry La Castra had a nice party around their house with Larry's sister Maxine, her husband Grant and their daughter Brianna visiting as well as Maureens Mum who is an official tester of random scotch for quality.
We had Christmas dinner at our house with 21 people, my what fun with La Castra's and Witherses as well Hezards and our lot as well.
The Hezards had a nice buffet and cocktails at their house while Granny (my Mum) and nanny Maureen La Castra's Mum) watched the Austrian Orchestra on the Hezards big screen TV.
Boxing day saw the usual open house and it was great to see all our friends who stopped by.
Mike and Jen Withers hosted a dinner at their house for the New Year which was a delightful time. Wow we even had a "Knees up Mother Brown" and a bunch of other oldie pub songs going, poor Tom La Castra slept through the lot as he was so worn out from fishing all night.
New Years was at home and relitavily quiet.
In the New Year Larry had a nice Sunday roast dinner at his house and unfortunately Paul and Simon couldnt make it as they had the Boomerang regatta in Fort Lauderdale. Speaking of regattas, they both had a four day "Orange Bowl Regatta" after boxing day. We went out on Mike and Jens 47' Hunter sailboat to watch, but there was very little wind. We did have a lovely day out on the boat though. The following day our friends Suzanne and Raza Hassan with their son Joseph as well as our Tamsin went out sailing again, I met them when they got back and we had a nice dinner at Outback Steakhouse in Miami Beach.
During the holidays I also took Mum to the Morakai Japanese Gardens and Mum and Lesley to Fort Lauderdale beach, the Alligator Farm, an airboat ride on the Everglades, Coral Castle, Hard Rock Cafe, Bayside Marina, Sawgrass Mills Mall, Walmart (for Lesley as she's never been) the 84 Diner ( as neither had been to a diner) and the Jungle Queen to see the lovely canals and mansions of Fort Laderdale, the "Venice of America."
Tamsin and Shelly have now gone back to the UK and Tamsin is now in Hong Kong for five days on her way to Sydney Australia for a bit of work experience.
Thats about it for now and I am quite tired thank you very much.
Comments are most welcome.

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Only 24 hours in a day

When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar........and the beer. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous yes. The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions--things that if everything else were lost, and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

The Man in the Glass Good Guidance for all

THE MAN IN THE GLASS When you get what you want in your struggle for self, And the world makes you king for a day, Just go to the mirror and look at yourself, And see what that man has to say. For it isn’t your father or mother or wife, whose judgment upon you must pass, The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one staring back from the glass. Some people may say you’re a straight shooting chum And call you a wonderful guy But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum If you can’t look him straight in the eye. He’s the fellow to please, never mind all the rest, For he’s with you clear up to the end, And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years And get pats on the back as you pass But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Shays Story

At a fund-raising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question. "Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?" The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child." Then, he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning.I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning." In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first, Run to first." Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled "Run to second, run to second!" By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay! Run home!" Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a "grand slam" and winning the game for his team. "That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world."

jamesinamerica

The Swiss Mountains

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

December 2005

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Nanny & Papu

About Me

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Hilton beach Bora Bora 2005

Only 24 hours in a day

Weird plant outside my back door

Links Go ahead...give them a click

The Man in the Glass Good Guidance for all

We man in the garden with Mau's roses

Shays Story

Dutchmans Pipe vine

Produce Market in Funchal, Madeira