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| There Are Many Ways to Enjoy "Valetine's Day" by Joan Douma
Sunday is Valentine's Day! I will be going to my "wellness" group, with four others, where we share our lives; help each other solve life's problems and enjoy a good friendship. Rather than the pot luck we typically do we're treating ourselves to a Mexican of Thai bite out at a local restaurant following our meeting which will be fun to do on this special day.
Yesterday I had a unique and wonderful experience, as well, around "Valentine's Day." I was married for 25 years to Don, and we raised three children (and we have five grandchildren, and one great grandson, between us, divorcing, in the year 1979, when we were in our forties.
During our marriage I was blessed with wonderful in-laws, and have maintained my relationship with them, as friends, for the past 33 years that Don and I have lived our lives, single. I drove over to Ripon, CA with Don yesterday, for a gathering of one brother-in-law, and three sisters-in-law, a nephew and wife, and their two children and four grandchildren. It was a wonderful gathering which included a good meal (prepared by Charlotte in her home where we met) with many laughs and sharing, about the past, present and future of all of our lives. I was struck as I gazed around the room at Don, almost 83, Lewie 85, Marvis close to 80, and Charlotte, almost 83, and myself almost 75 years, just how special it was for us to be together, caring, all of us, about each other, as we have been doing, for me, for 56 years!
Don and I drove home then, talking about our children and grandchildren, singing some old songs to a tape he played in his car, and even reminiscing about when, both before and after we were married (me at age 19, he 27, in 1954), we danced to Jack Fina and his wonderful band, at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, CA. What wonderful times those were we shared all those years together; it was a very special day!! Of course, I do not get the roses I used to from Don, when married all those years (no, they go to whoever is his girlfriend and dance partner that year) I have the most special thing I could have on this Valentine's Day; FRIENDSHIP with an ex-husband, the sharing of the "good times" in our past, an appreciation of what we each brought to our marriage and to raising our children during these days gone past.
I share this with the February E-Newsletter readers because I think it is rather a unique relationship we have finally attained and really, is the ultimate in relationships on this Valentine's Day 2010. Oh yes; I intend on Monday, Don's birthday, to surprise him with a homemade banana cream pie which only I know is his very favorite dessert and I will enlist our granddaughter, Maggie's help in the process and she can walk over with me to deliver his birthday surprise!!!!!
Joan Douma's a Seedlings of Change board and Global Community member! |
Study Abroad Program: Shanghai, China by Claire Sayers
Originating in China, Mah-jong is a game of skill,
intelligence, calculation and luck - and is usually
played by four people. The object of the game of
Mahjong is to build complete suits (usually of threes)
from either 13 or 16 tiles. The first person to do so
wins. The winning tile completes the set of either 14
or 17 tiles.
Mahjong's immediate ancestor was a card-game called Ma-Tiao ("Hanging Horse"),
which was a simple set-forming card (or tile) game. At first it consisted of four suits
from 1 to 9 and four bonus cards. In the 19th century, it was played with a total of 108 cards of 3 suits, named Ping (cash -> circles), So (string -> bamboos) and Wan
(myriads -> characters). It evolved into a proto-version of Mah Jong 19th century,
probably in the hands of scholars, officials and aristocracy. During the Cultural
Revolution in China, Mah Jong was banned along with other games that were originally gambling games. Currently the game is tolerated but not encouraged.
A set of Mah-jong tiles differs from place to place, utilising at least 136 tiles usually and 144 most commonly. Mahjong tiles include: the Circle suit (each tile containing a number of circles that represent copper); the Bamboo suit (consisting of a number of bamboo sticks except for the 1 Bamboo); the Character suit (each tile representing ten thousand coins); the Wind tiles (East, South, West, and North); the Dragon tiles (red, green, and white); and the Flower tiles (typically optional components to a Mahjongg set and often containing artwork).
When setting up the board, shuffling the tiles is needed before piling them in walls
around the table. All players throw dice and the one with the highest total would be the dealer. Players pick up their own tiles after rolling the dice.
Scoring in Mah-jong involves points, and when gambling with Mahjong scores are
often directly translated into sums of money. Points are obtained by matching the
winning hand and the winning condition with a specific set of criteria, with different
criteria scoring different values. The points obtained may be translated into scores
for each player.
A player wins a Mahjong round by creating a standard Mahjong hand. A full game of Mahjong ends after 4 rounds.
Examples of a Mahjongg Hand
There are several ways that you can go Mah Jongg. Shown below is an example of a hand you may need to do so:
This Hand scores: 20 for going Mah Jongg, 10 for having no Chows, 8 for the Flowers, 4 for the Exposed Pung of 9 Bamboo, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 6 Wan, 2 for the Exposed Pung of 5 Bamboo, 4 for the Concealed Pung of 8 Wan and two for the Pair of West Winds if they are the player's own Wind or the Wind of the Round.
Works Consulted
"The Rules of Mahjongg: Overview." Mahjonged.com. 2006. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. http://www.mahjonged.com/ The Special Hands. World of Mahjongg, 5 Nov. 2009. Web. 4 Feb. 2010. http://www.mahjongg.com/gamespecialhands.htm
Claire Sayers is a member of Seedlings of Change Global community! |
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"Habari Gani" is Swahili for "What's the news?"
Hello from my heart to yours,
Participate with Seedlings of Change in celebration of life, ourselves, being from the heart and living the change. Share your news, thoughts, participate in projects, programs and events join our Global Community, Facebook Group and Twitter.
Sharon Emmett Seedlings of Change Global Community's Quilt Circle Coordinator is beginning work on Seedlings of Change Global Harmony quilt! We have fabrics now from Kumud of India, Denise of Paris and Anna of Connecticut. Seedlings of Change first annual fundraiser event is scheduled May 1, 2010 beginning at 7 PM at the ELKS downtown Missoula, Montana; Sharon is co-creating a beautiful unique wall hanging quilt for the silent auction. Sharon writes, "I really feel that beautiful square should be in the center of the wall hanging/quilt for Seedlings of Change Global Harmony quilt. I already can picture some of the other materials fanning out from this, and tying it all together." Participate and join us!
Your help is needed! We are in need of sponsors, donations and volunteers for Seedlings of Change May 1, 2010 event. Sponsors will receive recognition in all advertising and promotion of this event locally, on the website and in the above mentioned networks. We are also requesting Silent Auction contributions. This will be a wonderful celebration I'm excited to share more updates with you in the weeks ahead. We hope you'll attend!
A huge from the heart thank you to Claire and Joan for their participation in our February 2010 monthly E-Newsletter!! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we have in bringing it to you. Help us create awareness of Seedlings of Change and share this newsletter with your friends and family.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Blessings of all things good always in all ways with light, love and gratitude, Eveline Maria
Eveline Maria Smith
Seedlings of Change
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LOLO, Montana 59847
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