799_ Chess

Today's topic is chess.

Here is a story by Paulo Coelho called "The chess game"

A young man said to the abbot from the monastery:
"I'd actually like to be a monk, but I haven't learned anything in life. All my father taught me was to play chess, which does not lead to enlightenment. Apart from that, I learned that all games are a sin."
"They may be a sin but they can also be a diversion, and who knows, this monastery needs a little of both," was the reply.
The abbot asked for a chess board, sent for a monk and told him to play the young man. But before the game began, he added:
"Although we need diversion, we cannot allow everyone to play chess the whole time. So, we only have the best players here; if our monk loses, he will leave the monastery and his place will be yours."
The abbot was serious. The young man knew he was playing for his life, and broke into a cold sweat; the chess board became the center of the world.
The monk began badly. The young man attacked, but then saw the saintly look on the monk's face; at that moment, he began playing badly on purpose. After all, he would rather lose; a monk is far more useful to the world.
Suddenly, the abbot threw the chess board to the floor.
"You have learned far more than was taught you," he said. "You concentrated yourself enough to win, were capable of fighting for that which you desire. Then, you had compassion, and were willing to make a sacrifice in the name of a noble cause.
Welcome to the monastery, because you know how to balance discipline with compassion." 

CD Topics 10th-14th Jan in a story format!

Happy Pongal!

I had been to Chennai to attend the Mylapore Festival along with Nirupam Konwar. Will post the pending topics later in the day today!

798_ Shankranti/Pongal

Today's topic is Shankranti/Pongal.

Happy Shankranti/Pongal to all Cders.

More about shankranti here
More about pongal here

Happy Makar Sankranti to all

797_ Kite

Today's topic is kite.

It is the kite flying season. So let us draw kites.

Here is a story by Story by BK Surat Singh Ayer

In the kite flying season of the year, there was a kite that flew very very high, all the way to the end of its thread. The kite noticed that an eagle was flying even higher, and more freely without the thread tying it down. This gave the kite the idea that if he were free from the thread, then he too could go beyond the height of the sky... that he could even go higher than the eagle. The kite believed that if he could do this then he would be truly and deeply happy. He wanted more than anything to be free from his thread.

As it turns out, coincidentally another kite ran into him and cut his thread. Immediately, he was overcome with joy at his newfound freedom. "Oh," he thought, "now it is my luck to fly up even higher than the eagle!"
With great enthusiasm, he tried to fly up. However, instead of going upwards, the kite gradually flew lower and lower. No matter how hard he tried, the kite continued to stumble downwards until it not only fell to the earth, it also became trapped in a thick bush. To make matters worse, a bunch of kids came and severely damaged the bush and kite. The kite was nearly destroyed as a result of not having any support from his tying thread... his true nature was forever lost as a result of his overly ambitious thoughts.

Sunset from the bench

Camel artists' water colour cakes on Auroville sketchbook approx 8"X5.5"

796_Park bench

Today's topic is Park bench.

Anything can happen on a park bench. After reading this story, we can draw from imagination or from real life experience.

A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said.

After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000. It was signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!

"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized.

But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought. With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un-cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. "I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller." then she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his new found self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he ever imagined. - See more at: http://www.spiritual-short-stories.com/spiritual-short-story-944-Cashing+In+Your+$500,000+Check.html#sthash.timuNsHj.dpuf

795_ Building

Today's topic is Building.

We are grateful for a roof over our head. Let us draw a building [The completed structure is called a building?! English is puzzling :) ]

Here is a story:

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house ... my gift to you." The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. 

Sorry for not posting regularly

794_coffee mug/tea cup

Today's topic is coffee mug/tea cup.
The morning cuppa is so important to kick start our day. Lets draw the cup we drink our brew from.

Here is a interesting story:

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

in my kitchen

793_Kitchen

Today's topic is kitchen.

Food for thought! So let us draw the place where food is prepared. Let us draw our kitchen!

I can direct breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I take pride in my kitchen, but I'm not going to direct a movie.
Julia Roberts 

A kitchen without a knife is not a kitchen.
Masaharu Morimoto 

I do like to cook; I'm sort of a mad scientist in the kitchen.
Kyle Chandler 

792_A cqool cawrtoony caawr ^_^

My view from the window HERE

The Colour"full" CAR!

The Window that was an embarrassment!

792_Car

Today's topic is car.

A car is a mode of transport that helps you go from one place to another. So let us draw the car we own, travel in or our dream car; the one we would love to own or maybe just build our own imaginative car!

In less enlightened times, the best way to impress women was to own a hot car. But women wised up and realized it was better to buy their own hot cars so they wouldn't have to ride around with jerks.
Scott Adams 

It's a never ending battle of making your cars better and also trying to be better yourself.
Dale Earnhardt 


Car designers are just going to have to come up with an automobile that outlasts the payments.
Erma Bombeck 

There's three things men always talk about - women, sports, and cars.
Mario Lopez 

791_Kitty View

791_looking out of the window

Today's topic is draw yourself looking out of the window.

Yesterday we drew the view from our favourite window. Today let us draw ourselves looking out of the window.