Thinking Out of the box.

 

In a small Italian town, hundreds of years ago, a small business owner owed a large sum of money to a loan-shark. The loan-shark was a very old, unattractive looking guy that just so happened to fancy the business owner’s daughter.

He decided to offer the businessman a deal that would completely wipe out the debt he owed him. However, the catch was that we would only wipe out the debt if he could marry the businessman’s daughter.

Needless to say, this proposal was met with a look of disgust.

The loan-shark said that he would place two pebbles into a bag, one white and one black.

The daughter would then have to reach into the bag and pick out a pebble. If it was black, the debt would be wiped, but the loan-shark would then marry her. If it was white, the debt would also be wiped, but the daughter wouldn’t have to marry the loan-shark.

Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the businessman’s garden, the loan-shark bent over and picked up two pebbles.

Whilst he was picking them up, the daughter noticed that he’d picked up two black pebbles and placed them both into the bag.

He then asked the daughter to reach into the bag and pick one.

The daughter naturally had three choices as to what she could have done:

1.   Refuse to pick a pebble from the bag.

2.   Take both pebbles out of the bag and expose the loan-shark for cheating.

3.   Pick a pebble from the bag fully well knowing it was black and sacrifice herself for her father’s freedom.

She drew out a pebble from the bag, and before looking at it ‘accidentally’ dropped it into the midst of the other pebbles. She said to the loan-shark;

“Oh, how clumsy of me. Never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.”

 The pebble left in the bag is obviously black, and seeing as the loan-shark didn’t want to be exposed, he had to play along as if the pebble the daughter dropped was white, and clear her father’s debt.

 Moral of the story:

It’s always possible to overcome a tough situation throughout of the box thinking, and not give in to the only options you think you have to pick from.

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Portuguese Angel Wings (Coscorões) Recipe

 

Ingredients

5 cups of flour4 eggsZest of 1 orangeJuice of 1 orange4 tablespoons of melted butter4 tablespoons of sugar4 tablespoons of whiskeyCinnamon (to taste)Sugar (to taste)Pinch of saltOil for frying                                                                                                                       

Directions

1. Beat the sugar, eggs and butter. Add the pinch of salt, orange rind, orange juice, aguardente,(fire water/moon shine) and the flour and continue beating until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl and set aside for 1 hour.
2. After 1 hour, pour the batter onto a very floured counter. Knead the dough with enough flour until the batter is no longer sticky.
3. Roll out the dough into 3×5 inch rectangles 1/4 inch thick. Make cuts lengthwise  in center of the rectangles.
4. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb any grease.
5. Blend sugar with cinnamon in a bowl and coat each Coscorões.

Recipe & Photo Credit: Tia Maria's Blog, portuguesediner.com/tiamaria *

Nancy comic strip 1947

 

As Judy Garland once said, "Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else!”

“Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens” ― Jimi Hendrix

“Even strength must bow to wisdom sometimes.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

“The mind once enlightened cannot again become dark.”
― Thomas Paine

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection”
― Sharon Salzberg

“Don't Gain The World & Lose Your Soul, Wisdom Is Better Than Silver Or Gold.”
― Bob Marley

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
― Joseph Campbell

“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.”
― Paulo Coelho

“Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.”
― Truman Capote

“May you live every day of your life.” ― Jonathan Swift

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
― Mark Twain

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
― Aristotle

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”
― John Lennon

“Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly.”
― Langston Hughes

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
― Aristotle, Metaphysics

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemis

“The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.”
― Abigail Van Buren

KIDDIES CAKES

 

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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF A LITTLE MORE.

IT'S NOT WHO YOU ARE THAT HOLDS YOU BACK, IT'S WHO YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT.

SEEK HIS WILL IN ALL YOU DO, AND HE WILL SHOW YOU WHICH PATH TO TAKE.

Prov. 3.6

GOD IS STILL WRITING YOUR STORY. HE HAS SO MUCH MORE IN STORE FOR YOU.

YOU ARE NOT FINISHED YET, KEEP GOING.

WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT,

I THE LORD, WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

DON'T RUSH, WHAT GOD IS PREPARING YOU FOR. IT IS WORTH THE WAIT.

HAVE FAITH.

GRATITUDE GENERATES MORE BLESSINGS.

YOU CAN BE INSPIRED BY OTHERS BUT WHEN YOU ARE INSPIRED FROM WITHIN, THEN YOU HAVE REAL POWER FOR CHANGE.

TURN YOUR WORRY INTO WORSHIP AND WATCH GOD TURN YOUR BATTLES INTO BLESSINGS.