Owen's Christmas Gifts
From Around the World

Christmas arrived for Owen and he received an assortment of gifts from around the world.  He listened carefully as I explained his gifts and letters from important people.

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Owen's first letter is from Vincent van Gogh and a gift of his painting, Bedroom in Arles.


Christmas 2015


Dear Owen,

You have another painting of mine, which is called The Drawbridge at Arles with a Group of Washerwomen.  I painted it in 1888.  This painting, Bedroom in Arles, I also painted in the same year.  Your papa thought that you would like this one also. 

Your papa tells me that it reminds him of your bedroom.  There is your bed and the chair in which he sits as he reads to you before you go to sleep.  However, he tells me that you started a new tradition of sitting next to him leaning on the bed rather than sitting on his lap while he is seated in the chair.     

This was a drawing that I did and sent it to my brother, Theo.  I have brother just like you do.

Description: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Vincent%27s_Bedroom_in_Arles_-_Letter_Sketch_October_1888.jpg
After I got advice from Theo, I used paint to finish my idea.  I hope that you like my painting.  Years ago when I painted this picture, I said, "I dream of painting and then I paint my dream."

Description: Vincent van Gogh - De slaapkamer - Google Art Project.jpg

Owen when you go to sleep each night, dream your dreams, and they will become your life.

In the meantime, continue to paint well my son,

Description: Description: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Gogh,_Vincent_van_1853-1890_Signature.jpg
Vincent van Gogh

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Owen points to the chair where I read to him before he goes to sleep.

Owen's next letter is from Charles Darwin.


Christmas 2015


Dear Owen,

Your Papa talks and writes about you all the time.  He especially likes telling people about your favorite that I gave you...dinosaur coprolite.  He tells me that you call it, dinosaur poop. While you enjoy your fossilized dinosaur poop, I hope you like these Christmas gifts to you. 

One of my gifts is a horse's tooth, which was found in Florida near Disney World.  This is what horses looked like around two million years old. 

Description: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Mesohippus.jpg

The other fossil is of a clam, which is from Madagascar and about 180-million years old.  You like shinny fossils.  However, this is what the fossil looked like when I found it.

Description: http://media.eurekalert.org/multimedia_prod/pub/web/48839_web.jpg

Papa cleaned it up for you, and it is now shinny.  I hope you love your clam.  Just keep your fingers away from the clam; it might nip you if you are not careful. 

Take care,

Description: Description: "Charles Darwin", with the surname underlined by a downward curve that mimics the curve of the initial "C"
Charles Darwin

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Owen is holding a horse's fossilized tooth.

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Owen is explaining about how a clam opens its mouth to eat.

Owen's next letter and gift are from Chinese elves.


Christmas 2015


Owen,

I hope that you have a very nice Christmas.  Several months ago, your papa asked me and my elves to make an ornament for you and Jack.  I asked him about the design that he wanted for you.  He suggested an owl.  He has fun teasing you and thought that you could scare everyone by saying, "Whoo, hoooooo" when your parents and Jack come near this owl ornament.  

Description: http://demandware.edgesuite.net/sits_pod20/dw/image/v2/AAID_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-pier1_master/default/dw6b410e0c/images/2936874/2936874_0.jpg?sw=1200&sh=1200

Well, I need to get back to working and getting ready for next Christmas.  In the meantime,

Take care,

老人

Shèngdàn lǎorén


Christmas 2015


Dear Owen,

I am presenting this kata to you.  The people in Tibet give a kata when they visit a special person.  You and your brother are special.  Therefore, this kata is for you.  Your papa will put it on you so you can wear it for a while.  Then, put it in your room and never forget how special you are.

Dr. Norbu, who was my brother, gave your papa a kata when he visited Lhasa, Tibet.  My brother wanted him to present his kata to the Shakyamuni Buddha.  

Description: https://www.wolverton-mountain.com/images/travel/tibet/lhasa/fullsize/101.jpg

Description: https://www.wolverton-mountain.com/images/travel/tibet/lhasa/fullsize/102.jpg

I wish you well during the Christmas season and the New Year,

༄༅།།ལོ་གསར་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཞུ།,

Description: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Dalai_Lama%27s_Signature.svg/1280px-Dalai_Lama%27s_Signature.svg.png

His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama

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Owen intently listens while I tell him that he is special.

Jack and Owen present me their gift, which says, Our Papa Rocks.

Description: C:\Users\Owner\Dropbox\Lindsay\xmas papa 002.JPG

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This is Jack and Owen's gift in my home in Crown Point.

After opening their gifts, off we went to make dessert...banana flambé. 

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Description: C:\Users\Owner\Dropbox\Lindsay\xmas papa 017.JPG

This Christmas, Owen decided that he didn't like kiwi seeds that he had for lunch.  Jack and Owen cut the bananas, and I showed him banana seeds.  Apparently, he liked banana seeds, because he ate all of his bananas flambé.


Credits for the photos:
Horse
Christmas ornament
Clams
Painting



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12/30/15