Thanks to http://www.stumbleupon.com for the picture

-o=0=o-

When I started to learn, I thought I was smart.
The more I learned, the smarter I thought I was.
Then, one day, I realized that the more I learn,
the more I know, the more I know that I do not know.

I stopped thinking that I was smart.
In fact, I began to realize that I was a fool.
The more I learned, the more foolish I realized I was.
One day, I realized how complete my foolishness was.
On that day, I felt liberated.

Those lines were written by Chade-Meng Tan, a software engineer and motivator at Google. It's worth having a quick look at his website www.chademeng.com

-o=0=o-

HELEN BEATRIX POTTER

The famous writer of children's books was born into a wealthy Unitarian family on 28th July 1866.

Her parents were both artistic and had a keen interest in nature and the countryside. Beatrix and her young brother Walter had many small animals as pets and they would happily spend hours drawing them.

She was educated by governesses and had a private tutor for art lessons.

In 1893 she wrote The Tale of Peter Rabbit for the five-year old son of one of her governesses and with her illustrations the book was published in 1901.

Once upon a time there were four little rabbits, and their names were - Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. They lived with their mother in a sandbank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree.

“Now, my dears,” said Mrs. Rabbit one morning, “You may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden;  your father had an accident there; he was put into a pie by Mrs. McGregor.”

         

In 1913, when she was 47, Beatrix married William Heelis a local solicitor.

Apart from her writing - she published more than twenty-three books - she was a successful farmer and a breeder of prize Herdwick sheep.

Beatrix died on 22nd December 1943, leaving most of her property to the National Trust. This was the largest gift the Trust had received at that time, and it included more than 4,000 acres of land, 16 farms, cottages, cattle and sheep.

More information can be found at the Peter Rabbit website www.peterrabbit.com

-o=0=o-

"The Mirror"

Frank Dicksee 1853-1928

-o=0=o-

MELISSA VENEMA age 17 plays Nino Rosso's trumpet piece "Il Silenzio" accompanied by the Metropolitan Orchestra at Carre Amsterdam. Uploaded by Trompet8310

-o=0=o-

JOHN'S QUIET CORNER will be updated every Friday

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=