Compassion

Hi,

It was a beautiful day in Chiang Rai.  Various forecasts called for everything from sunny skies to wind and hail, but it was just another great day.  Afternoon clouds had us guessing for a while, but they just kept on going.

The ‘Easy Monday’ song was recognized by a lot of you.  It’s a classic R&B tune, a sad song delivered with lots of emotion by the writer.  “Left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay.  I had nothin’ to live for, looks like nothin’s gonna come my way.  So I’m just gonna __ __ __ __ __ __ __ watchin’ the tide roll away.  __ __ __ __ __ __ __, wastin’ time.”  Hint:  Now that you have the location, this should be a snap.

When we took Daku out for his morning exercise, Gong was already at work, watering the trees and flower beds.  We are extremely happy with the way things have turned out.  Both Gong and Natcha are smart, have initiative, and take care of business.  It’s nice to know that things will get done as they see the need, rather then us always having to direct everything.  

We had a rather interesting morning.  The Fantastic Four started out at Chivit Tamma Da, so Cat could see about getting a job.  For the first time ever, we were the only patrons in the place.  It was pleasant, sitting by the river, no servers rushing around, no chatter at the next table, just a quiet morning in the garden.  

After a routine run at the Healthy Market, we stopped for mangos and pineapple from our favorite new vendor.  Lisa also got a fruit basket to take to the bakery, our next stop.  The last time we were there the owner confided in Lisa about health problems.  Today when Lisa walked in, she ran up with a big smile and told her she didn’t have cancer.   It was nice to have a connection with a person we thought was just grumpy.  It turns out there was something going on.  It just goes to show, we might never know unless we practice compassion.

Our last stop was a trip to Boot’s house to deliver some mail.  We had a really sweet ‘driveway visit’ with Boot and BamBam.  Bam was so excited to see us all.  She kept going around to all of us, but mostly Lisa.  As you can see in today’s photo, her coat has changed a bit and now she has a dramatic blonde streak on her head.

Last week Cat and her sister took an all day motorbike riding class at Green Wing Honda.  Cat has been riding since she was 12, but this was in preparation for the test to get a license.  The next day they took the test and passed.  She also finished the paperwork to get her Thai passport, which is in preparation for a possible trip to the States later this summer.  

Back at The Big Brown House, we replaced a big stationary window in our bedroom with sliding glass so we can create more airflow on cooler days.  It was impressive, watching the way they handled the giant panes of glass with suction cups.  The whole job was finished in about half a day.  Now we just need some cooler air to test this out (555).

In case you’ve lost count, this message is number 2300 since I began posting this as a ‘blog’ back in 2007.

Have a Happy Tuesday.

                    Peace,

                              Danny

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

~The Dalai Lama