⊕an adventure to Monterey Bay Aquarium

We decided to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium in one of the Thanksgiving holidays.

With the guidance of GPS, we took 880 South, 17 South, 1 South, 
then arrived the aquarium in about 1 and half hour.

The Giant Octopus was our first must-see stop.
Then with the map in hand, we pretty much visited almost
each exhibit area, including watching a Jelly Fish presentation.

Giant Octopus

Beautiful Jelly Fish

Amazing Leafy Sea Dragon

This is the first time I saw this amazing creature. The way they move in the water is so graceful.

This was a wonderful trip for us. We learnt and appreciated knowing the 
magnificent creatures in the aquarium.

⊕Joan Baez - Gracias a la vida

Joan Baez is one of my daddy's favorite singers.
I started listening to her songs when I was very little.
Naturally, I like her too.

I like the simplicity that her figure presents and yet deep and powerful
meanings her songs convey to the world.

I like her passion and the love to the world.
I love the beauty in her voice.
I really like her.

I found this song from youtube.
She sang it with great passion and grace, as usual.
I think it is a great song to hear in Thanksgiving holidays.

I found the lyrics in Spanish and the translation in English in this web site:
http://www.williammorin.com/graciasalavida.html
Thank God. I can read both languages in one page! Thank the people who
contributed to this web site.

Thank you, Joan Baez.

⊕枯木新芽, 死而後生. It's rebirth.

I thank the lesson that the plants taught me this morning.
There are new shoots in the dried branch that I was planning
to remove. To my surprise, these new green shoots are
signals of life.
I thank you, God, for showing me the vitality from dried branches.
Where I think the only thing I see is dried, still branches,
incredible life power is happening.

It's rebirth.

今早在修剪花草時, 意外看到, 我一直以為枯掉的樹枝, 竟長出新葉!
這是我計畫要折掉的枯枝耶! 看到可愛的, 小小的綠葉, 小心地從
看似乾掉的樹枝縫冒出頭來, 我的心裡充滿感動與感謝. 造物主的力量
太神奇, 太偉大了, "死而後生", "浴火重生", 這些成語在我腦中浮現,
生命的力量讓我讚嘆!

計畫要移除的枯枝 dried branches that were planned to remove

嗨! 大家好~ Hello World!

開心地呼吸新鮮的空氣~ Gratefully breathing fresh air

嫩綠的新葉們 new green shoots

⊕America! The Beautiful

前幾天小朋友在圖書館借了一本有聲書, 書名是"America! The Beautiful.",
放出來之後覺得非常好聽, 書中也介紹這首詩及曲的來源, 原來這首歌已經
有百年多的歷史了。

這首詩是由Katharine Lee Bates這位女詩人(同時也是衛斯理學院的英文教授), 在
1893年紀錄她旅遊足跡到達處, 感受到的自然壯麗與對歷史人文事蹟的景仰,
爾後, 她的遊記彙集成了這首流傳百年之久的"America! The Beautiful."
 1895年Katharine公開出版這首詩.

我們這本有聲書配置的曲子是由 Samuel Augustus Ward先生所做, 就像Katharine一樣,
Samuel也是在旅行中受到這塊土地的瑰麗啟發, 哼出這首曲子. 聽說, 百年來,
經過無數次的比賽為這首詩重新譜曲, 但沒有一個曲子如Samuel先生做的這首如此
廣為流傳及受到大家喜愛.

有趣的是, Samuel這首曲子於1888年出版, 但直到1904年, Katharine的詩及Samuel的曲
才被放在一起成為一首歌, 並到1910年才出版.

Samuel先生於1903年過世, 因此他並不知道自己的曲子成為美國人最愛的一首歌.
Katharine小姐則過世於1929年.

這是意境深遠且曲調優美的一首詩,　小朋友很喜歡聽.
在這裡附上Youtube上Willie Nelson及一群明星合唱的版本：



它的歌詞是（來源：http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/america.htm）

(lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates; music composed by Samuel A. Ward) O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.

America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.