HOW THE LITTLE KITE LEARNED TO FLY

"I never can do it," the little kite said,
As he looked at the others high over his head;
"I know I should fall if I tried to fly."
"Try," said the big kite; "Only try!
Or I fear you will never learn at all."
But the little kite said, "I'm afraid I'll fall."

The big kite nodded : "Ah, well, good-bye;
I'm off"; and he rose toward the tranquil sky.
Then the little kite's paper stirred at the sight,
And trembling, he shook himself free for flight.
First whirling and frightened, then braver grown,
Up, up he rose through the air alone,
Till the big kite looking down could see
The little kite rising steadily.

Then how the little kite thrilled with pride,
As he sailed with the big kite side by side!
While far below he could see the ground,
And the boys like small spots moving round.
They rested high in the quiet air,
And only the birds and the clouds were there.
"Oh, how happy I am!" the little kite cried,
"And all because I was brave, and tried."


Anonymous
Taken from The Child's Book of Verse


Pic : May Fook and Deh Tong kite-flying; Pasir Ris Park, Singapore

MORE ABOUT SAM WALTON

• Forbes ranked Sam Walton as the richest man in the United States from 1985 to 1988, ceding the top spot to John Kluge in 1989 when the editors began to credit Walton's fortune jointly to him and his four children. Bill Gates first headed the list in 1992, the year Walton died.

• The Walton family held 5 spots in the top 10 richest people in the United States until 2005.

• If alive today, Sam Walton would be the world's wealthiest person, twice as rich as Bill Gates.

• Sam Walton introduced the concept of check-out counters at one location in the store. Registers throughout the store were moved to one location near the exits. Customers could be rung up for all their purchases and pay for them at one time, instead of paying for several things at several locations.

• Sam Walton quote "There is only one boss : the customer, and he (or she) can fire everyone in the company from the chairman and down, simply by spending their money somewhere else".

• Sam Walton quote "I'd hate to see any descendants of mine fall into the category of what I call "idle rich" . . . I hope they'll feel compelled to do something productive and useful and challenging . . . working on cures for cancer, or figuring out ways to bring culture and education to the underpriviledged, or becoming missionaries for free enterprise in the Third World. Or maybe - and this is strictly my idea - there's another Walton merchant lurking in the wings somewhere down the line".

• Quote about Sam Walton; by David Glass. "One thing you'll notice if you spend time very much time with Sam about Wal-Marts success. He's always saying things like 'This was the key to the whole thing', or 'That was the real secret'. He knows as well as anyone that there wasn't any magic formula. A lot of different things made it work, and in one day's time he may cite all of them as the 'key' or the 'secret'. Whats amazing is that for almost fifty years he's managed to focus on all of them at once - all the time. That's his real secret".

• Quote about Sam Walton; by Charlie Baum, an early Wal-Mart partner. "I've known Sam since his first store in Newport, Arkansas, and I believe that money is, in some respects, almost immaterial to him. What motivates the man is the desire to be absolutely on top of the heap. It is not money. Money drives him crazy now. His question to me at 6am not long ago was 'How do you inspire a grandchild to go to work if they know they'll never have a poor day in their life?'.

• Today some people say about him "He was a good guy, except if he was running you out of business".

SAM WALTON

One of my favourite books is Sam Waltons's "Made In America". Where money and wealth was concerned, he seemed to espouse an interesting old fashioned view, and was not ashamed to say so. He in fact wrote this book on his death bed; he was suffering from bone cancer; so one can imagine he would speak of what he thought very important.

Anyway - here is an abstract from his book :-


"So along comes Forbes in 1985 and says I'm the richest man in America. Well, there's no question that if you multiply the Wal-Mart stock price by how much we own, then maybe we are worth $20 or $30 billion, or whatever they say. The family may have those kinds of assets, but I have never seen that myself. For one thing, Helen and I only own 20 percent of our family's total interest in Wal-Mart. For another, as long as I have anything to do with it - and I'm confident this attitude will last at least another generation - most of that Wal-Mart stock is staying right where it is. We don't need the money. We don't need to buy a yacht. And thank goodness we never thought we had to go out and buy anything like an island. We just don't have those kinds of needs or ambitions, which wreck a lot of companies when they get along in years. Some families sell their stock off a little at a time to live high, and then - boom - somebody takes them over, and it all goes down the drain. One of the real reasons I'm writing this book is so my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will read it years from now and know this : If you start any of that foolishness, I'll come back and haunt you. So don't even think about it.

Not that I am trying to poor mouth here. We certainly have had more than adequate funds in this family for a long time - even before we got Wal-Mart cranked up. Here's the thing : money never has meant that much to me, not even in the sense of keeping score. If we had enough groceries, and a nice place to live, plenty of room to keep and feed my bird dogs, a place to hunt, a place to play tennis, and the means to get the kids good educations - thats rich. No question about it. And we have it. We're not crazy. We don't live like paupers the way some people depict us. We all love to fly, and we have nice airplanes, but I've owned about eighteen airplanes over the years, and I never bought one of them new. We have our family meetings at fine places like the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida or the Del Coronado in San Diego. This house we live in was designed by E. Fay Jones, who lives down the road in Fayettville and is a world-famous disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright. And even though I think it costs too much, I have to admit that its beautiful - but in a real simple, natural kind of way.

We're not ashamed of having money, but I just don't believe a big showy lifestyle is appropriate for anywhere, least of all here in Bentonville where folks work hard for their money and where we all know that everyone puts on their trousers one leg at a time. I'm not sure I ever figured out this celebrity business. Why in the world for example, would I get an invitation to Elizabeth Taylor's wedding out in Hollywood? I still can't believe it was news that I get my hair cut at the barbershop. Where else would I get it cut? Why do I drive a pickup truck? What am I supposed to haul my dogs around in, a Rolls-Royce?"


Samuel Moore Walton
(1918 - 1992)

SEASONS

Our lives are full of seasons
The good Lord made it so
Although some seasons seem to hurt us
We need them all to grow

What we fear most are the dark times
When the sun has left the sky
We become like a sage in days of yore
Who wondered much and sorrowed more

The shadows press in all around us
Like a kite tossed by the wind on high
Tumbling, darting here and there
A dark cloud that sails across the sky

I'm well acquainted with these dark times
They come by every once in a while
Now I don't fear but hide in a huddle
And smile myself a little smile

For there is much magic in the night
Under the bright silver moon
For the stars He lets out one by one
And we can't see the stars if its noon

In time spring peeks through the crack
I was just at the edge of the dark
The fog gets blown away from the sea
And the colds good for an orchard so young in the bark

Again it goes back to character
And so the seasons intervene
There is something bright in all weather
So He brings us these mingling scenes.


Robyn Toh
14th October 2006



Pic : At the Gold Coast before a storm while on our honeymoon, 1996.

WALKING

Wandering in the garden.








"Lets get back to the house, Leon."








A walk with Mum and Dad.








"The way seems far on these short legs of mine; good thing I'm one of 'em strong super duper hero type boys!"








Amah and Lucky (behind her). On her way back to the house after watering her vegetables.







Ak Kong taking a walk in the garden.








Down to the lake.








"Gee, I'm out of breath walking up this steep path!"
At the bird park.








Leon and Papa at the Bird Park.








Kung Kung and Mitchell.








Walking with the Singapore cousins.








After the kindy concert.








To town on the train.








A day out in Kuala Lumpur.








An evening walk.








Weribee Wildlife Sanctuary, Vic.








Toni and Papa; out for a morning walk.








The Lake Gardens.








Avillion, Port Dickson.









Isa 40:31 Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

IF I WERE AN APPLE

If I were an apple
And grew on a tree,
I think I'd drop down
On a nice boy like me.
I wouldn't stay there,
Giving nobody joy;
I'd fall down at once
And say, "Eat me, my boy!"

Anonymous
Taken from The Child's Book Of Verse

Prov 25:11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Pic : Naomi, Isabel, Leon and Toni eating apples at the Weribee Wildlife Sanctuary, Vic, Australia.

MY LIL' TONI

We have a little girl named Toni
She is such sweet company
Well – that is almost all the time
‘cept when she decides to be grumpy.


Her hair is usually well brushed and neat
She implores us to keep it long
She’ll stay for hours looking at flowers
“My Favourite Things” is her favourite song.

Like a clock, truth is written on her face
Her Dad says she’ll make a good lawyer
She’d remind you of things inconsistent
You’d know what I mean if you meet her.

Books – she ravenously reads them
At great speed goes through one by one
Her favourite authors Enid Blyton
But most books she finds really fun.

My girl is a chirpy little thing
Seeing some good in all weather
She loves different kinds of sweets
But doesn’t like fruit that is sour.

Toni has a number of nicknames
“My Shadow”, “Sunshine”, “This n’ That”
I sometimes call her “My Sidekick”
‘Cause, on many an errand by my side she sat.

She is the most understanding child I’ve ever known
She has the most patient of virtues
Although she has got to that stage and age
That she constantly tries on my shoes.

Comes dark when her little feet grow weary
And her eyes get droopy at night
We pray she’d have peace and God’s rest
As she sleeps till morning’s light.

Robyn Toh
15 Oct 2006

MY SON LEON

We seem to worry continually about our little fella Leon; being such an active child whether he eats enough, whether he will injure himself, whether he will grow up to be a responsible individual, etc . . . etc . . . . . However, his take on life can be seen below :

Relaxing - Penang

Relaxing - Port Dickson

Relaxing - Port Dickson

Relaxing - With Ryan

Relaxing - With his dinosaur book

Relaxing - Drawing (probably dinosaurs)

Prov 19:23 The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
Prov 3:26 For the Lord will be your confidence.

BROODING ON THE EDGE

Sorrow and grief, you have become my closest friend
Wooing me with such ferocity, to you time has no end
Excluding me from the world beyond my mind
Is it insanity, madness you wish me to find . . .

Despair and devastation, you have had your way with me
Haunting, wounding, hours of tears draw no mercy from thee
Piercing my depths, ah, not a soul to hear my wail
I whimper through the hours, where I once thought I would sail

Desperation and rejection, crushing my heart, oh, yet again
I fear thee, I fear thee, no song but darkness where I once sang
Another teardrop splashes right on my wounded heart
Insisting breathlessness and hopelessness still be of me a part

Desolation and loneliness, I thought I had you at bay
But so surely, oh, so surely I was such a fool to say
To underestimate your power to kill and to maim
There seems none but death that will find you tamed

But they say there is Jesus who can mend a broken heart
Joy for sorrow is what he promised from the start
He did not say our trials and troubles soon would end
But hope, help and comfort he promised he would send

From the grave of despair and sorrow You lept up high
You are the One who will never, never die
Creator, our Maker, the Lord that healeth me
Please grant me hope and healing, in your promises may I be.

Robyn Toh
March 1999



Isaiah 61:3 He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.


By the way, I have just found out that a storm is called a "hurricane" when it develops over the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans; a "cyclone" when it develops over the Bay of Bengal and the northern Indian Ocean and a "typhoon" when it develops over the western Pacific.

Photograph : Florida; by Otis Imboden 1973

THE HEAT OF LIFE

The city dwellers all complain
When August comes and brings no rain.
The pavements burn upon their feet;
Temper and temperature compete.


They mop their brows, they slow their pace,
And wish they were some other place.


But farmers do not mind the heat;
They know it ripens corn and wheat.
They love to see the sun rise red,
Remembering what their fathers said:
"An August month that's dry and warm
Will never do the harvest harm."

Michael Lewis
Taken from Dick King - Smith's Countryside Treasury


Romans 5:3 We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance character; and character hope.



Photograph : Newfoundland; by Sam Abell 1970

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you

I hear babies cry I watch them grow
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world

Oh, yeah

Lake Gardens.

Ulu Kancing.

On my Grandmothers property, Qld.
Her farmhouse can be seen as a white object in the rear next to the big tree.

The mountains in the distance - The Glasshouse Mountains.

Batu Dam.

Sung by Louis Armstrong, 1967

John 10:10 I came that you may have life, and life abundantly.