An artist's gift to me; his sugar bowl - before & after I polished it a bit....

In memory of my dear friend, Richard Volpe - he passed 12/19/1985....it was in the spring, when I first met him.....

If it hadn't been for a wonderful
66-year old man who lives in Delaware, I don't think it would have occurred to
me to now and again, put up a memory about someone that was special to me, and
no longer lives on this earth.

I felt the blog was finished with
the great picture of my children (a few entries below this one). Then my
son Thomas called; he sparked another memory of someone in our family who lived
over 150 years ago - someone that most of the world knows
about.

Well in Laguna Beach, California
most people know about Richard - his art-works were some of the best, and so
many flocked to get his latest pieces.

I met Richard at a coffee shop in
San Juan Capistrano; by accident - and was ever so grateful for that
spring day when I'd decided to visit the mission there. I had my rented
books on Father Serra, and while I later saw the sketch of Father Serra and
realized he didn't look like Richard, my first glance at Richard made me think
how much like a 'priest' he appeared ... slight of build - tanned, and soulful
eyes that looked so wise.

Over the next 9 months before he died, we spent days and evenings together - his wisdom was profound.

While having tea at his home near
the end of his life, he offered me a few of his paintings. While I knew I
wanted the one of his giraffe that hung by his entry-way, I also knew that his
only source of paying his high cost of medical bills, was going to be the
inventory of art that would be sold to pay that debt.

I told Richard we had to be
practical - we talked about his financial situation - suddenly, he got up from
the davenport, and walked to the sugar-bowl; he dumped the sugar into a glass,
and handed me the old bowl. He told me of his memories about the bowl -
said '...this won't be worth anything - take this,
then.'

As I sat by the fireplace, I rocked in Richard's beautiful rocker; a log was my foot-rest; Richard said he'd found that because he was so short, his feet never touched the floor when he rocked, and he needed something to 'push away' with.

How I wish Richard were still here; he was born the same year as my mother. If Richard were rocking and talking in that chair, I could fill a blog about his life - I could type for him; I could put some of his words of wisdom up on his behalf.

So, this blog might have new entries after all.....

Then as I was thinking of Richard
- putting up this photo of the sugar-bowl he gave me, an e-mail came in, and I
saw a series of photos of 'new life' - in Ten Watt!

I thought about Sandy - this is
her latest foal; she lost one of her precious horses to death in January of
2008. I thought about her words that she wrote in her 'story' titled 'She
Carried Me'.....

I thought about all that Sandy is
- an extra-ordinary artist; she manages a large office complex, and handles the
rigors of a large horse farm - tireless at her age, and
ever-caring.

Now we have 'new life' - we have
spring; all of us have had losses; hurts, and yet many
joys.

I think it's time to now introduce
this delightful foal - and for you to make a visit to Sandy's web-site to see
more of the glory of life and some of her memories as
well. After you take a peek at Ten Watt (below), visit the web-site; see where she romps with so many other beautiful horses....http://rollingsranch.com