During the waning years of the depression, in a small southwestern Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand for farm fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively.
One particular day, Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes, but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas.
I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
"Hello Barry, how are you today?"
"Hello Mr. Miller, Fine, thank you. Just admiring those peas...sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your mother?"
"Fine. Getting stronger all the time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No,Sir. Just admiring those peas."
"Would you like to take some home?"
"No Sir. I don't have anything to pay for them with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
"All I have is my prize marble here,"
"Is that right? Let me see it."
"Here it is. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is, this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red marble, like that one at home?"
"Not exactly...but almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way, let me look at a red marble."
"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile, she said: "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargin with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever."
"When they come back with a red marble, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."
I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with the man. A short time later, I moved to Utah. I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently, I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community. While I was there, I learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his viewing that evening, and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the mortuary, we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped breifly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller.
I told her who I was, and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men, that just left, were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size...they came to pay their debt.
"We've never had a great deal of wealth of this world," she confirmed, "but, right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho."
With loving gentleness, she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath, were three, magnificently shiny, red marbles.
The charm of a good house rests in a glimpse of first impression. And to bring this lyrical presence to one’s residence or to decide what a flat you’re trying to own accompanies, one should identify this power game; the energy that is binding the house by means of illuminated colors or furthermore by how they synch into harmony with one another. So here are the essential things one should consider for their dream home.
The color white signifies things such as reverence, peace, purity, simplicity, cleanliness, birth, humility, precision, innocence, and alongside, it helps one who is in its zone to get a hold on his/her thoughts and concentrate them into balanced manifestation, or in simple words, it removes the chaos around.
And as of its complementary, there are many textured marbles in white, and according to their texture depth, one can choose them for interior designs of kitchen, bathroom and what not, or also as a geometric inlay with the white tiled flooring to bring gleam and grace.
With white marble on the floor, imagine a room or hall filled with wooden or metal furniture, or even little of decor plants, and beneficially, most of any dark absorptive color with correct wall ratio will make it look serene. And just visualize the living room or halls painted in a triadic scheme according to the rule of the color wheel, or in alternating stripes and it will be enough to bring all indulgence by contrasting each other into balance.
The Black Marbles – A Mystery StoneThe color black has strong power when it comes to grounding or centering the energies, and signifying flexibility, reserved power, invisibility, peace and mystery, black marble tiles are one of a kind, and looks magnificent on kitchen dining, bathroom, or as decorative in geometric inlays between light colored stones. Primarily, black marbles are considered to be receiving stones, and that they help self-control or discipline, calming, and soothing the root energy of a person. They are also acknowledged to be related to survival instincts, and therefore, in between multitudinous energies, black marbles have a special place.
Onyx, Tronyx, Travertine – The Endless Creative PowerThe marbles are metamorphic stones, which are formed from recrystallized carbonate minerals, and as the minerals of the stone composition differ, there will be different yet unique patterns in the marbles which are also differentiated into categories of Onyx, Tronyx, Travertine. Though the usual colors of soft stones that can be found in nature abundantly are white and grey, there are also rare places which have yellow, pink, blue, red and black marbles with more complex patterns, displaying that there is an everlasting creative element in nature, born in a rarity. And these luxurious stones represent the same, and if installed in the Meeting room, Hotels, Office room, hall flooring, etc. it will trigger creative energy around the zone.
The Red Marble – Color of True PassionThe visual appeal of red marbles stand above any other; the red marble tiles, having the property of emotionally intense color, are psychologically known to increases respiration rate, to enhances human metabolism, and raise blood pressure. They signify war, power, determination, passion, desire and much more. They look luxurious as the bathroom tiles, Red Alicante marbles are recommended highly for the beauty of flooring, the Red Chigan marble with the black, white and gold line look marvelous on a fireplace, and brings the warm atmosphere to the life.
The Grey Marble – Balanced ShadesThe Grey marbles have played a huge role in architectural history and their aesthetic adornment placed them to be the part of many beautiful wall claddings. The grey marbles signify formal, sophisticated and conservativeness, and it is considered to be a balanced color with neutrality, hence becoming a part of flooring to interior design applications.
The Blue Marble – The mind stone!The blue marbles are as if the color of the deep ocean, or the sky that is embracing the white scattered cloud. The blue marbles considered to symbolize stability, faith, confidence, trust, loyalty and considered beneficial to the mind. Their pure virtue makes them part of sumptuous interior and exterior applications.