The Pieta

" The statue is one of the most highly finished works by Michelangelo."

It occurred to me while discussing the noble trait of "finishing what you start", that often when you are passionately working on a task or project, a observer, nay an admirer makes a comment, such as; "Why did you paint the subject with watercolors? Don't you think acrylic would be a better choice?"

Imagine some well-meaning friend passing by the Pietà while Michelangelo is burnishing the stone remarking "The figures appear to be quite out of proportion. Mary seems too much larger than the body of Jesus, draped across her lap."

Now imagine that Michelangelo intended to cause the characteristic of Mary to have "broad shoulders" intentionally to emphasize the mother's strength required to hold the very nature of Almighty God, limp and without life. The mother who is resolute that this is not the end of the story for her beautiful son. or...

...Michelangelo grabs his chisel and hammer and frantically chips away the flaw... I think not.

Do the thing in a manner that speaks to you with the passion you gave it. You finish what you start and "let the dogs bark!"

Location for the 2010 Bayonne Reunion

Pat, our 2010 Reunion Co-chairperson, has strongly suggested the 2010 Bayonne Reunion be held in California. No one else has come up with a suggestion. Leonard, our Welcoming Subcommittee Leader, "leans a bit more towards Berkley. The Embassy Suites at Walnut Creek is less than 15 miles from Berkley and has similar amenities as the location in Baton Rouge and promises to give us a good deal for a family event. What do you think?

1345 Treat Boulevard, Walnut Creek, California 94597
Tel: 1-925-934-2500 Fax: 1-925-256-7233

The Embassy Suites Walnut Creek, CA hotel is conveniently located along the 680 freeway adjacent to the Pleasant Hill BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) Station. This full-service upscale all-suite hotel is just minutes from downtown Walnut Creek, Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts, Six Flags Waterworld USA Concord, Sleep Train Pavilion, Mt. Diablo State Park, John Muir Medical Center, Mt. Diablo Medical Center, Saint Mary's College of California, John F. Kennedy University - JFKU, and the communities of Pleasant Hill, Concord, Martinez and San Ramon, CA. Six Flags Marine World, SBC Park - home of the San Francisco Giants; the Oakland Coliseum - home of the Oakland Raiders Oakland A's and Oakland Warriors; Alcatraz; San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf and Napa Valley are all just a short drive away. Oakland International Airport is 25 miles from the hotel and San Francisco International Airport is 35 miles away.

Guest Accommodations: Each suite is beautifully decorated with a private bedroom and spacious living room. All of our suites are fully equipped with two televisions, a refrigerator, microwave oven, coffee maker, two telephones with data ports and a well lit dining/work table.

Now (5 days, determination date is Wednesday, September 3rd at 7:45 p.m. EST) is the time to vote "location". Next we decide our date! So get ready!

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Bayonne Family Crest

The Bayonne Family Crest

The blazon of arms for this coat of arms is described as follows:

Shield

The shield is "quartered"; upper left, lower right silver with yellow right, lower left shield shield colors.

The silver crescents in each gold (Or, representing generosity and elevation of the mind) segment of the shield denotes one who has been honored by the sovereign; hope of greater glory (horns to the chief).

The royal blue (azure) sun forms on each silver quadrant define glory and splendour; fountain of life. Azure used in the sun and in the signifies truth and loyalty.

Mantling

The mantling of "exquisite plus" is colored in silver (peace and serenity) and azure and frames a centered helmet.

Helmet

The silver helmet above the shield facing forward determines the royal status of Bayonne in a swaggering motif with six encrusted rubies ( one rectangle cut on alternative sides of the neck, a
larger rectangle at the front right and left of the breastplate and one large oval-cut on the left and right shoulders).

Fleur-de-lis

Legend
The English translation of "fleur-de-lis" (sometimes spelled "fleur-de-lys") is "flower of the lily." This symbol, depicting a stylized lily or lotus flower, has many meanings. Traditionally, it has been used to represent French royalty, and in that sense it is said to signify perfection, light, and life. Legend has it that an angel presented Clovis, the Merovingian king of the Franks, with a golden lily as a symbol of his purification upon his conversion to Christianity.

The design can be found in many places long before heraldic times, as far back as Mesopotamia. It is essentially a stylized flower, and served as a decorative element and became associated over time with royalty, especially in the High Middle Ages.

As a heraldic charge, it dates from the 12th c. It is first adopted as a semis on a field by the French king Philippe II (1180-1214) with certainty, perhaps already by his father Louis VII (1137-80). At a minimum, the arms "azure, a semis of fleur-de-lis or" are associated with French kings from 1200.

The fleur-de-lys, as emblem (as opposed to heraldic charge) appears on coins and seals from the 10th c. at least. Typically, it forms the end of a scepter, or decorates the rim of a crown, or is held, over-sized, by the king along with a scepter. So there is, by the 11th-12th c., a strong association with royal sovereignty. In fact, coins of the Emperor Frederic I show him holding such a scepter. Moreover, supposing that it was already called a fleur-de-lys at the time, the lily flower had strong religious connotations, especially with the Virgin Mary, and later (in the 14th c.) with the Trinity.

This article is reprinted from the Bayonne 2008 Reunion Book and is presented both as a sample of edits for this blogsite and to afford those who did not get an opportunity to read the Book the article.