Another Donation this morning!!!

I woke up this morning to find an email from Paypal..letting me know that I had another donation for "The Colors of Love" art supplies for the kids of Karunya Mane!!!!!! I know that the lovely soul who donated this money would choose NOT to be identified...I really would like to say though that this woman is one of the most Compassionate and Giving people I have ever had the chance to meet and know..and call my friend. She does more for the underprivileged in India than you can even imagine..you just have no idea. I am touched and humbled by knowing her. Thank You my friend~

Total amount:
$50.00 USD
Currency:
U.S. Dollars
Confirmation number:
46Y39157UD067130B
Purpose:
"The Colors of Love" 2009 art supplies for Karunya Mane Kids, Mysore, India

Well...she got my message, and now I am waiting to hear from her on where I can send her the supplies. Laruga has generously offered to help me on this endeavor and I am EVER so Grateful to her. Were like two "little peas in a pod" and we have never met~ so amazing how this internet can connect kindred souls who are on the same path together for the good~makes you feel good to the depth of your being I tell ya!

from Brookes blog....

Also, I’ve received recently two messages that stood out. The first message was from a Californian woman named Tracy who travels to India each year to help street kids and their moms. Last year, she was able to bring 90 pairs of shoes to the street kids in Mysore, and this year she is bringing art supplies. She has offered to send some of the extra art supplies she has gathered in the states to help the children in Krupa’s slum and hopefully others in the Visakhapatnam community.

The second message was from an Indian:

“what you have decided to do is something great…to come to a foreign land and to help the poor over here is commendable…I hope my fellow country men learn a thing or two from this…Community service in India is very poor and no one bothers to think about the fate of those at the bottom of society...though India boasts of having 4 out of the top 10 billionaires in the world, not much money is given to charity in India.....I hope our millionaires and billionaires learn to give their wealth to charity by following bill gates and warren buffet.... and when you get back to America, tell your countrymen not to waste food or other valuable resources because most people in the world have no means to afford it.... and please stop polluting the environment. This is our planet, we are all one large community, let’s protect it and enjoy it. Eradicate poverty, Save our planet.”

So far, I've learned a lot from these and similar messages.

Thanks so much for sharing!

there are so many...

who need our help..it seems almost impossible to help them all. But I saw this girls blog and what she is doing for the slum kids and their moms in Andhra Pradesh, India..and for a young girl, I admire her strength and tenacity in doing what she is doing to help the poorest of the poor in this particular area of India. Her name is Brooke and..I contacted her via email and told her that I would like to help her with supplies for the kids. We can spread the love..can't we? That is my plan...more to come on this one..you can bet on it! Read her story below....

Today, I held my first English class in my host family's maid, Krupa’s, slum. The children living in the slum have recently starting learning English in school, but can't afford the fee for the outside tuition required to excel or even pass in the subject. If they don't learning English, they won't be able to continue later on in school. My classroom is Krupa's tiny hut and since I teach at night we have to work by torch or flashlight. For my first class, there were almost a dozen students (the maximum capacity of the hut) ranging from grades 3-7, and also some young children, mothers, and grandmothers interested in learning some English. This weekend I'm going to buy some supplies to give to the students and to furnish the classroom. The English spoken in the slum is extremely limited, so I will need to rely mostly on pictures to teach the children new words. It takes almost an hour for Krupa and me to take an auto from my house to her hut after she finishes her work, and the plan is for me to teach for a few hours and then return home. I'm hoping that I will have time to go and teach at least 3 times a week for the rest of my stay in India. It is impossible to describe how much this simple act means to Krupa, a widow, her children, and the other children in the slum. It would be extremely difficult for these children to overcome the obstacles presented to them and better their lives without becoming educated and learning English. There is no safety net in India and no one is going to hold an impoverished widow and her children's hands. Before my host mother met Krupa, Krupa was being cheated on and abused despite the fact that she was the sole earner in the household, carrying at least 50 huge vases of water (for 1 to 2 rupees) each a day. At that time, the children who I am working with now were surviving on a meal a day of rice with dirt and rocks that wouldn't even be passable for a dog. For this family, their leaking hut alone is a miracle.

the beauty of my friends~

OK..is it because i am getting older that i cry over things like this or is it simply because the beauty of a friends sweet gesture on my behalf touches me so deeply that the tears just start to flow and there's just no way of stopping them? I mean seriously people!

(my sweet friend from Canada)

I had to comment on Jenny Doh's blog.
Let's hope it will send some people your way.
xoxoxoxoxohttp://jennydoh.typepad.com/crescendo/2008/09/the-power-of-art-for-good.html#comments

and then there is this email from yesterday....another dear friend from Texas sent this to all of her friends and contacts....

Hi Everyone,
My friend Tracy is conducting a charity drive for the children of Mysore, India. She will be delivering supplies to the children there early next year. I ask for your help with this, below is all the information. You may mail everything to me and I will make sure she receives all of it.
Thanks a million,
Lydia
"The Colors of Love" the 2009 charity for the kids of Karunya Mane in Mysore, India
Next year I am heading back to India and I have started a new charity for the kids of Karunya Mane in Mysore, India!!
I am collecting Art Supplies for them this time~ anything you can send me would be More than Wonderful! But here is what they need....
Colored Chalk
Glue, Tape
Origami Paper
Coloring Books
Crayons
Colored Pencils
small manual Pencil Sharpeners
Last years charity, "Walking in Their Shoes" was such a HUGE success and it brought those kids SO much Joy..Lets do it again!!! I will keep my blog updated with photos and information as I get closer to leaving as well as when I receive Art Supplies~ Thank You so much for caring and making such a Huge difference in the children's lives!

How incredibly LUCKY am I to have such beautiful souls in my life that surround and support me in all that I do?! VERY! I am so Blessed and so Grateful~

more support for "The Colors of Love" 2009 Karunya Mane Charity!!!

today our mail person brought with him a beautiful card and check from Marie~ for my charity for the kids of Karunya Mane and their Art Supplies!!!! YES! It is happening for us once again this year~ and things are trickling in for their art supplies....I am excited to say the least as this is my dream for 2009 and the children whom I was so blessed to meet and spend time with earlier this year. Now next year i will be doing it again..but this time my husband will be accompanying me :0) AND instead of shoes I will be bringing a HUGE suitcase Filled with all sorts of different Art stuffs for them~ and to tell you the truth, I can't wait to see their faces!! That is the most heart warming part of it all~ to give and not expect anything in return..but a Smile..I tell you, it is Priceless!

I Thank You Marie~ blessed soul that you are~ I know we have never met...and your gesture was beyond my expectations!

Namaste my friend!

my first Art Supplies for "The Colors of Love" 2009 Karunya Mane kids!!

these were purchased today with the money that my friend Colette sent me for the kids art supplies!
I was able to get them all pencils and these HUGE boxes of Crayola Crayons! They are going to have such Fun with them!! It's only the beginning...stay tuned~~~~

a Nice Surprise today from my dear friend~

Payment Details
Amount:
$20.00 USD
Transaction ID:
49E365455G043290R
Subject:
You've got a payment
Note:
Dear Tracy, please use this money for art supplies for the children. Thank you. Much love, Colette xoxo

This was such a surprise for me today~but I really shouldn't be surprised. Because my friend Colette in Canada has been a HUGE supporter to me and Both of my Charities for the kids in Mysore. Last year she graciously sent me money for shoes when I had "Walking in Their Shoes" the 2008 charity for the Karunya Mane kids...this year is no different. She is always by my side and she backs me...always has. I love her so much because of her beauty that radiates from deep within her and literally touches everyone who knows her..and those whom she meets. Some people have that, they are born that way..maybe we all have that, but you just can't see it as clearly. It comes naturally with her though..and I am a better person because of her, because of what I have learned from her..all these years. I am blessed to call her my friend~
Thank You so much Colette~ the kids thank you too!

20 years ago today.....

our wedding invitation~

that little boy in the shorts is my 24 year old son!

he cried during the whole ceremony and I laughed~

I married my best friend, my soul mate, the man of my dreams~
and with each year our love grows stronger and neither one of us can believe it has been 20 years already!! It's been a great ride and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have done it any other way...or with anyone else. He makes me laugh, daily. He makes me smile when he walks into a room...and you know that little excited feeling you get when you see someone that you adore and love so much..I still get that everytime he comes through the door at the end of the day..it MUST be Love~

Happy Anniversary Ray~Lets add 20 more!
I love you~

Operation Shanti

http://operationshanti.blogspot.com/

Please visit Operation Shanti blog today!
and scroll on down to the Art Class post!!!

ahhhh...the life of the party! always!

The life of the party
This is a very lighthearted time, when you should be able to relax and enjoy yourself with friends and loved ones. You will enjoy being with groups of people, and you will wish to express your feelings of affection. Your favor will extend even to the point that you want to share it with everyone. This is also a good time to go out and meet people. You will not have the fear and shyness that may sometimes make it difficult for you to encounter new people, nor will you need to worry about making a bad impression on the people you meet. This influence helps to ensure you will make a favorable impression upon everyone. If you usually enjoy being the life of the party, you will certainly have the chance to play this role now.

Update on "The Colors of Love" 2009 Mysore, India charity!!!!

yesterday i received an email from one of my readers/friends here in the Ashtanga World~~~actually she is a friend and reader and fellow blogger of many of us here~

an amazing soul who has stepped forward to help out with my charity for 2009 "The Colors of Love" benefiting the children of Karunya Mane in Mysore ,India. Many of the yogis who travel to Mysore to practice with Guruji have "caught on" and have been donating their time with Operation Shanti and the kids and moms at Karunya Mane..and it makes my eyes "glisten" with tears every time I get an update from Operation Shanti along with photos (click on link) of some of the kids doing art ! http://picasaweb.google.com/tracyk223/Art# and click on the photos to view them in full size! They are beautiful!!

Talk about tears...you should have seen me yesterday after getting Yogamums aka Kristis email! Thank You again Kristi, from the very bottom of my heart dear friend~

Hi Tracy,

The principal at my kids' school said that I could do a "drive" for the art supplies at school -- yay! This is the perfect type of project for our school -- we are an IB "World" school and try to teach with an international perspective, and emphasize service. I will be sending out info to the parents and kids soon -- it is a small school (120 kids) so I don't think we'll get an overwhelming amount of stuff. I did want to ask you something -- the art teacher and I were talking about it and thought it might be good to send some notes from our kids and photos to the kids in Mysore along with the supplies. What do you think? And do you think you could take photos and email them to me when you give the kids the supplies so our kids can see where their donations are going?When are you going to Mysore -- I guess I should know that so I can make sure you get everything in time!

Kristi aka yogamum

If you would like to donate art supplies, please just leave me a message and I will send you my mailing address! Anything will help and be appreciated!

Namaste~

stud muffins...umm, i mean cake

you know i never bake, in fact i hardly ever even cook...but my new "runners world" magazine came in the mail today and after an intense 1 1/2 hike with my dogs i was well, shall we say, bored...
all i needed was some whole wheat flour and baking soda. so i walked to the health food store up the street and bought those two needed items. walked back home and could not find my muffin pan....see, i told you i never bake! god, how long has that been missing????
so, this is a cake. it is supposed to be muffins..Stud Muffins to be precise, but my studs will love it all the same ;0) (i hope!)

taking what comes

after i finished up my yoga practice this morning, as i layed still and peaceful in savasana, feeling the cool breeze blowing in from my sliding glass door outside...i felt such gratitude for this body, this life, this moment. it will never come again. tomorrow will bring a completely different experience and feeling. as will each new moment of this day. taking what comes, and accepting all that is.

yoga was wonderful today...

on being clear

lately i have been really noticing things going on within my body. i mean, i have always been aware, but i have started to REALLY listen and as such i am experimenting....soon i will turn 47, and when i was at the docs office getting my scrips for the trip, she asked me how i am doing and i said that things are great, no aches or pains..everything seems normal. Everything.

then about 3 weeks later i started noticing little things. like on my right hand, my pointer finger has this little pain in the first joint...who knows...maybe arthritis setting in? who knows...but then when i was painting last weekend, every time i had to squat down to paint the trim...OMG, my knees hurt like he$$ every time i stood back up..i mean hurt like red hot pokers were going through them...

so, i decided it was time to experiment...less running, more yoga for starters. so instead of running 25 to 30 miles per week i have cut down to 15 miles per week with 3 to 4 days of yoga. so far, so good....then i noticed that my mid section seems a bit puffy..or fluffy?! hmmmm, me no like that either...

so it has been a week with no red wine at dinner..my puffy/fluffyness has shrunk down..(oh, except for the dreaded pre-menstral thang) but i do feel much better and lighter. so i am going to keep on keeping on with this little test of mine and see how and what changes..

my finger by the way still hurts like he$$! ;0)

namaste~~~~

our second home

when we arrived the gardener had just finished up the yard~and the new double-pane windows were installed!!
we painted the inside of the house for 3 days...a 3 bedroom,with living room, dining room and a huge family room....my hands hurt! We have a team of guys in there redoing the kitchen this week as well as laying new carpeting..so, it is on its way to being finished. It looks amazing, and now I just have to find the perfect tenants! I will~things have a way of working out nicely~~~~

but is is good to be home and done with the painting part of it all~

Namaste~