The Institute of Philosophy in the Arts, Architecture and Humanities
Salon on the Spiritually Creative Life

[Photography by Nathaniel Taylor]

THE SALON ON THE SPIRITUALLY CREATIVE LIFE

Our 29th Year Continues
... still on Zoom!

Please join Carol Soucek King virtually on
Sunday, June 8, 2025 Via Zoom
To discuss one of God's essential aspects
illuminated throughout her book
Under the Bridges at Arroyo del Rey

Humor

With Main Presentation

David Bender
Teacher, Psychotherapist & Master Storyteller

"Humor and Storytelling"

With
Nathan Haines
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer
&
Graham Lance Richardson
Retired Realtor

"If man is made in God's image, then God must be wonderful." - David Bender

Scroll Down for:
Morning's Agenda
Speakers' Bio
Zoom Info
Today's Lyrics
2025 Salon Dates/Themes

9:30 am Pacific Standard Time
Zoom Room Arrivals and
Himalayan Singing Bowls by Healing Arts Practitioner
Janet Martorello
 

10 am until noon – Program

Meditation
with
Nan Rae
Artist/Teacher/Author

Nan Rae’s latest published book – now available on Amazon
INSPIRED THOUGHTS ON LOVE!
Published by Laughing Elephant Books
Now available on Amazon
Personalized copies may be ordered at NanRaeStudio.com

Opening Song

"The Garden"
© Dean L. Carlston 1/21/2017
Dean LeGrand Carlston, DDS
Composer/Singer/Instrumentalist

Dean welcomes us to listen to and download his music at no charge by accessing his personal website: deancarlston.com

Salute to June Birthdays,
Special Congratulations, & Prayers
with
Graham Lance Richardson
Retired Westside Realtor after 35 years.
Licensed Plumber & Gas Fitter.
Certified Welder to 100%.

Main Presentation:

Humor and Storytelling

Master Storyteller David Bender’s philosophy of life – “Ye who does not seek Heaven on Earth surely shall not find it after death” - shines through in his collection of jokes and stories that may include “The $100 Bill,” “The Man Who Wanted to Meet God,” “The Mother Mouse,” “The Buddhist Monk on the Road,” “The Man in the Pit,” and “The Indian Brave.”

Science fiction/fantasy writer and publisher Nathan Haines will mystify and delight with “The Fall of Numenor” in the original Old English, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Retired realtor/former big band singer in Australia, licensed plumber and gas fitter/welder to 100% x-ray and world traveler Graham Lance Richardson returns with his much-in-demand recitation of “Clancy of the Overflow” (1864 poem by Banjo Paterson).

Music Interlude
by
Douglas Decker
Recording Engineer/Musician/Composer
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
by Eric Idle, Performed by Monty Python - 1979

Poetry Reading
with
Patricia Ferber
Sculptor/Painter/Educator/Curator/Poet
"Humor"

Followed by Discussion

Opening the Discussion will be
Nino Wong, designer/business leader/Volunteer
Chairman of the Chinese Garden Docents,
Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens.

Pauline Field, management consultant, Founder of 50/50 Leadership, author of Fiesty and Fearless: Nice Girls CAN Be Leaders, will tell about her forthcoming webinars for those who are retired and soon to be.

All are invited to continue sharing thoughts on
Humor.

until noontime

Finale
"Doodle Doo Doo"
by Art Kassel, Mel Stitzel 1924
Susie Katharine Shaw
Actress/Vocalist

To conclude Susie will lead us in Richard King's favorite
Native American Prayer

Love Faith and Joy - Carol Soucek King, MFA, PhD, Founder
Please respond if attending:
kingcarol@aol.com or 626/449-1238

About Our Speakers

David Bender

Teacher, Psychotherapist and Storyteller, David began his career teaching at the University of Toronto as a biologist, and later became a psychotherapist, photo-restoration artist and storyteller.

David first studied how to tell stories in order to become a better teacher and therapist. Today he leads a small zoom storytelling group that meets every Thursday evening, 7 p.m. PST. He invites us all to join.

In his own words: “I see stories not only as a way of entertaining but also a way of problem solving and helping people see things from a new perspective. Stories not only can tell us about how people lived in other times and places; they also can show us how other people dealt with problems.

“Stories can often be seen as an allegory or a metaphor for life. In the story about the man in the pit, the pit can be seen as any difficult problem or even just feeling disparate or depressed. In the story about the mother mouse, the other language can represent an education or life experience.

“A good story will be remembered and retold for a long time. It becomes part of who you are. (Learn from other’s mistakes, you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself).

“Having lived for many years in other countries, including Israel, England, and Canada, I have an international perspective. I see morality divided into two sets of poles: Holiness vs. Evil and Good vs. Bad (well represented by the Catholic Cross). Unlike Holiness and Evil, surprisingly Good and Bad are often interchangeable; As a Canadian, I was taught that Benedict Arnold was a hero, as an American I know him to be a traitor. Who is right?

“A good story will briefly transport the listener to another time and place. Listening to a good story is a wonderful way to exercise your imagination. It is said that, ‘God created man because He loves a good story’. “

Stories: A Collection of Jokes and stories titled:
"If Man is Made in God's Image, then God Must Be Wonderful."

His stories may include: The $100 Bill, The Man Who Wanted to Meet God, The Mother Mouse, The Buddhist Monk on the Road, The Man in the Pit, and The Indian Brave

Author: I also have strong opinions on, and write extensively on such diverse subjects as economics, politics, planetary and mental health.

I am currently publishing 4 books designed to help people better understand this crazy world we live in.

The 5 Secret Languages of Women (God designed women to both think and see things differently than men do. Unfortunately, our schools have been training girls to think like men. If our society is to survive, women need to re-learn how to use their, almost forgotten, way of thinking. It says in the Hebrew bible that God made women in order to help men see things from a different perspective. Most men refuse to listen, so society has developed self-destructive values. (There are two versions of this book, one written for men and one for women.)

"There are no words that can tell you what a woman or a cat knows." ~David

Magical Marriage by the SACRED Path (A guide to building a good marriage and healing painful ones. In a magical marriage your souls become intertwined forever. The book outlines what each of you need to know and do to build love, appreciation, respect and trust in a marriage. When done correctly, it is the most wonderful thing in the world.)

“By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will be happy. If you get a bad one, you will be a philosopher.” ~Socrates

The Jewish Secret of Success (Traditionally this secret was passed down from father to son. After the holocaust much of this knowledge was lost. I am finally putting it in writing so that those who do not have parents who can teach it to them can once again learn it. Real success is based on having a loving wife, children that you are proud of, and being valued by your community. Wealth will follow. It is a way of life.)

"Luck favors the prepared mind." ~L. Pasteur

Books in the works:

God's Plan for Man is in Our DNA (God put His Sacred Laws for Mankind right in our DNA so that every human being could get to know them just by looking inward; but the fruit from the tree of knowledge has blinded us. Jews who study the Jewish bible say that God's real message is found in the white space surrounding the writing, not in the written words.)

"Do not do unto others what you would not have done unto you." ~R. Hillel

The Dark Side of Sex (explaining the nature of and cure for Sex-Addiction, Adultery, Casual Sex and why we are now so dependent upon alcohol, drugs and anti-anxiety medications. People have become used to feeling like helpless victims and as a result turn to mind-numbing self-gratifications for some pleasure.)

"The two most important dates in a person's life are the day you were born and the day you find out why." ~Mark Twain

Contact:
Phone: 949-777-6720
Email: davidbender999@gmail.com
Email: storytelling.CA@gmail.com

Email me and I will send you an invitation and link to Thursday evening Storytelling and I will tell you how you can buy my books.

Nathan Haines

Nathan is a science-fiction and fantasy writer, German translator, and public speaker. He has traveled the world talking about Ubuntu (Linux) and has written an easy-to-read book on this computer operating system.

Besides being a "techie," Nathan is a lover of language. He speaks and translates from German, as well as Old and Middle English. He can tell you almost anything about astronomy and still uses a fountain pen.

He runs Starbound Publishing, where he provides publishing services and consulting to independent authors.

His published books and stories include: Beginning Ubuntu for Windows and Mac Users Third Edition, Called Under, Fireflies of the Heart, A Toast to Being Human, and the English translations of the novels from the X-Universe, beginning with Farnham's Legend.

Email: nathan@starboundpub.com
Website: https://www.nhaines.com/

Story: "The Fall of Númenor" in the original Old English, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Graham Lance Richardson

Retired Realtor for 35 years on the West Side of LA.
Sang with a big band in Australia
Graphic Arts & Printing Sales
Licensed plumber and gas fitter
Welder to 100% x-ray
From and educated in Australia.
World traveler

Poem: Clancy of the Overflow (1864 Poem By Banjo Paterson)
Harkening back to a time when people who worked in offices longed the simpler life of a drover (Ausralian cowboy).

Email: grahamr75@icloud.com
Phone: 310 490 3470

For the time being, the Salon will continue to meet on Zoom. When appropriate, we will meet in person once again at Arroyo del Rey.

For access to the Salon on Zoom:

This meeting is being hosted by Zoom.
There is no charge to use this service.

Before the Salon on Sunday:
You will need to either go to the Zoom website, www.zoom.us, and register for a free account to access this meeting through your web browser or download and install the Zoom application on your device.

If you download the application to your device, you do NOT need to register for a free account. To download the Zoom application, click on this link... https://zoom.us/download

For any questions or assistance,
email Curtis McElhinney at Curtis@curtisvision.com

Three Songs

"The Garden"
© Dean L. Carlston 1/21/2017

Come sit a while in my garden,
Let go your thoughts of strife
Love will heal and sustain you and nurture
the garden of your life.

Come sit a while in my garden,
Rest your weary mind
Love will give you strength and vision,
without which we are blind.

Don’t follow those who say:
You must look beyond your heart
They will rob you of your passion,
they will tear your dreams apart

All in life that really matters,
Flows with passion through the heart
If we never look elswhere,
The devine will not depart

Love is life’s main ingredient,
Flowing through the heart to set us free
Love propels life itself,
Until our dreams become reality

Come sit a while in my garden,
Calm your restless soul
So love and peace can visit,
and help your garden grow

Lyric inspired by the writings of Carol Soucek King
and Ray Bradbury as contained in Carol’s book
“Under the Bridges at Arroyo del Rey”

"Always Look on the
Bright Side of Life"
by Eric Idle, Performed by Monty Python - 1979

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best

And

Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life
If life seems jolly rotten
There's something you've forgotten
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing
When you're feeling in the dumps
Don't be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing

And

Always look on the bright side of life
(Come on)
Always look on the right side of life
For life is quite absurd
And death's the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow
Forget about your sin
Give the audience a grin
Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow

So always look on the bright side of death
just before you draw your terminal breath
Life's for the fit
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughin' as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you

And

Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life
(C'mon Brian, cheer up)
Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the bright side of life
I mean, what have you got to lose?
You know, you come from nothing
You're going back to nothing
What have you lost? Nothing

So
Always look on the right side of life

"Doodle Doo Doo"
by Art Kassel, Mel Stitzel 1924

Please play for me that sweet melody called the
Doodle Doo Doo, Doodle Doo Doo.

I like the rest but the one I like best is
Doodle Doo Doo, Doodle Doo Doo.

Simplest thing, there’s nothing much to it.
You don’t have to sing, you just Doodle Doo Do it.

I love it so, wherever I go-
I just Doodle Doo, Doodle Doo, Doodle Doo Doo.

All 2025 Salon dates and themes

STABILITY
Sunday, January 12, 2025

GROWTH
Sunday, February 9, 2025

POSSIBILITY
Sunday, March 9, 2025

FAITH
Sunday, April 13, 2025

GRATITUDE
Sunday, May 11, 2025

HUMOR
Sunday, June 8, 2025

UNDERSTANDING
Sunday, July 13, 2025

KINDNESS
Sunday, August 10, 2025

HARMONY
Sunday, September 14, 2025

LOVE
Sunday, October 12, 2025

HEALING
Sunday, November 9, 2025

SPIRITUALITY
Sunday, December 14, 2025

Please let us know which salons you can attend by replying to KingCarol@aol.com or (626) 449-1238.

With all loving thoughts and hoping to see you soon!

Carol Soucek King, M.F.A., Ph. D.
Email: KingCarol@aol.com  
 

CAROL SOUCEK KING MFA, PhD © 2002-2025 All rights reserved