Ah Mei's Apple

When Little Sister eventually grew up and left the farm, she became an accountant for a large electronics factory in Hsin Chu. It would be revealed much later that this plant actually made parts for Apple IPhone. Her family were very proud and would often comment at reunions that even in the care of chickens and the gathering of their eggs, she had shown great management skill at a young age.


"No!" She would protest ineffectively, "I only counted them, I had nothing to do with how many eggs our hen laid". But as far as the Chen family was concerned, Ah Mei was solely responsible for the brilliance of the Apple company and the increase in their stock. And if they were disappointed that she was helpless in programing their fancy phones, they never showed it to her face.

Who Is It?

Yue Li had been in the back courtyard peeling carrots when she heard knocking at the front gate.  She knew that her mistress was sleeping and would not want to be disturbed, but the maid had been taught to answer every call, so she carefully opened the gate and whispered to the gentleman at the door, “What do you want?”

~I am Home, back from Japan. 


Before I left, I participated in Whidbey Island's wonderful Studio Tour and the first painting that sold was this screen.  I laugh, because it was an old screen I had in my possession for 30 some years and I had grown tired of the faded lotus blossoms on it.  The screen was falling apart and so on a whim I re-plastered it and made this quick painting. It is almost 4 feet wide, so it has been hard to get a good photo of it.  As I made last minute preparations for my show I realized I was short and so threw this old thing up on the wall to fill the space.  The first people who walked through the door bought it.  I didn't have a price and indeed, tried to talk them out of buying it for is was barely hanging together.  But they did. And I am glad.  They were the cutest couple.  They returned the last day as promised and told me they had made themselves a Chinese feast from scratch to welcome Yue Li to her new courtyard.

Su Chen Becomes a Monk

Su Chen Becomes a Monk

~still in Nagoya