live in the Moment

funny how time just seems to pass us by...

wasn't it just yesterday that my kids were still in school themselves? or does it just SEEM like yesterday. You know, I remember when I couldn't wait for time to pass...but Oh how we learn when we get older that time is a thing to "cherish" and "respect".

I am realizing that now as I have my two little grandchildren, and I know that with just a blink of an eye, they will be big too.

I don't really wish for time to go by quickly anymore. I have come to the realization that if you wish for time to pass by because of something you want to do..or somewhere you want to go...(like back to India) that while you are in that moment of time enjoying that "time"...before you know it, it is gone as well...

so with that

I Live in the Moment and appreciate all that IS

of course we did!

prepping for the photo..... (although Nick is just saying "lets go, I'm ready!)

and here we are! (see how Nick looks just the same as in the last shot??!! Model Material I tell ya!)

At the Taj India Restaurant with our very best friends! And if you look really closely you will see that the place is Empty! Why you ask? The food not good? Slow night? Bad location? none of the above...we Closed the Place Down!!! Yes!! Dinner was 3 hours of laughter and lively conversation..deep spiritual talk..India talk...and all of a sudden we looked around and everyone had gone. Happens Every Single Time we get together...Every time..

Because the fact of the matter is, when you are with people whom you connect so deeply with..and have so much in common..that time just goes and before you know it, an hour dinner turns into 3! We tipped well, and had some great conversation with the Indian men that were sitting behind us (owners no doubt). So everyone was happy!

Heather and Nick gave me this most amazingly beautiful book for my Birthday too..and of course it brought tears to my eyes..because, well, if you don't know why by now..then you just haven't been paying attention!! :0)

Here's to Good friends! Everyone should be so blessed to have some as good as ours!

Fun Times!

having a wonderful weekend here in California...

the weather is still summer/fallish..with those big beautiful leaves all over the ground and the soft breezes that blow. Soon we will be changing our clocks back one hour and the darkness will fall earlier. I have been going on some pretty hardcore walks around the area..did I mention we have a lot of HILLS here???? Good for the legs and the heart...

Yin Yoga as well and of course my Ashtanga Practice...I love to break it up and do a variety of things. My body and my mind love it as well.

October is about finished..then we will have Thanksgiving and Christmas..time goes by so fast...my son from school in December and then both of our children will have been raised and brought up...

but they are never really gone, and I like that fact....must be the Indian influence in me!!!

Speaking of India...

we are going out to an Indian restaurant tomorrow night with two of our Best friends..the conversation will be non- stop as we have SO much catching up to do...

and with any luck we will "close the place down" as we ALWAYS do! Fun times!!

Hope your weekend is equally as exciting~~

Namaste

and here is Another Update too!

this is an email from "YogaGumbo"..our Kristi~ if you don't know already she started a charity drive at her childrens school for two weeks, and the parents are donating art supplies for the kids of Karunya Mane..AND the children are making notes for them as well!! I CAN'T wait to get them and give them to the children in India!!
Thanks again SO much Kristi~~~~so, so much!


We are still collecting items for another week or so!
We have received several items (erasers, pencil sharpeners, pencils, origami paper) but I know that people will be donating at the last minute. I need to send out a reminder!
I think it is wonderful that you are doing this and I am so glad to help!

Kristi

Update on "The Colors of Love 2009" Mysore Charity!!

so far I have checked off Crayons, Colored Chalk, Pencils and Origami Paper for the kids of Karunya Mane in Mysore, India. What I still need to collect for them are the following items...

Glue, Tape, Colored Paper, Coloring Books and small Pencil Sharpeners.

I am Really, Really hoping that I am able to collect more donations..I have until mid January..soooooo.....if you would like to donate any of the items that are still needed, I would just SO love it!! If you scroll down to the bottom of the page my mailing address is there along with more information about "The Colors of Love 2009" charity.

It is so little to ask...really, perhaps if you feel it in your heart to help..it would mean so much to the children in Mysore, India! (and of course to me too!!)

Namaste and Thank You!

open letter to Ganesha

an open letter to Ganesha..remover of obstacles...from my crazy, funny, adventurous friend Tracey..who, as we speak, is on her way Back to India. Her trips NEVER disappoint I might add...

Dear Ganesha,
As you probably already know, Little Red and I will arrive in your homeland of Bharat this weekend, and we are very much looking forward to it. The last time I tried to contact you, I gave this elephant (in photo of me above to right) some peanuts and asked him for a blessing of good health on the journey. I received his blessing as shown above, and thought he'd pass the message on to you. But of course it was after this that I had that ugly bout with Giardia - so I'm thinking that either you were really upset about that one helping of beef I had in the bolognaise sauce at the hotel that first night, or perhaps said elephant wasn't really a messenger at all and was really just out for the peanuts.But I digress.Anyway, I know you’re busy being the most worshipped deity in the Hindu pantheon, but I was thinking that if it isn't too much trouble that you could ensure our good health and safe passage to and throughout India. I also have high hopes that this trip will spiritually reset us both, as sometimes the small things in life tend to take us over and we forget how lucky we really are. Clearly going to India will remind us of this. And also, it would be really swell if you could hook us up with a great tour group with which we will enjoy fun times and great adventure with - preferably one that includes a set of hot twin brothers, with British accents. We'd both really appreciate that. ;-)I know your probably thinking, "Well fine, but what's in this for me?" I'll tell you - Little Red promises that when she gets married she's going to have no less than 3 living elephants at her wedding, decorated in your honor, like the one above. Of course, admittedly, she doesn't know this yet, but we have a 16 hour flight to Delhi on which I will speak of it incessantly until she concedes ;-) Let the adventure begin!Thank you for your attention. Please pass on my regards to Shiva and Parvati.
Namaste,Tracey
P.S. - Little Red's mom says hi.

just be

For a country we nearly slayed from our itinerary, India has surprised and delighted us a million times over. A fascinating land of contradictions where 4wd Porsche's weave through dusty slum-fringed streets and anorexic donkeys haul loads of bricks on their rickety backs for construction of the newest mansion.

I like to see how people view India..through their eyes..sometimes it amazes me what they see and how they see it. I love the differences in others and I feel that is what really makes this BIG, Huge world of ours go around.

I see India as a place of religion..literally to the Brim with religion..and that I think is what I really love the most. You cannot travel 10 feet and there is another place of worship..with worshipers kneeling down in front..saying their mantras and praying..paying their respects..it was what i do love most about this county that i have grown to love so much...even before stepping foot on its beautiful soil more than 5 years ago.

How can you explain the feelings that you have for something so close to your heart and buried so deep within your soul?

It just IS.

Maybe there is no need to explain...life is so much as it is...why explain the unexplainable?

Just be and let it be....

that is how I see it.

Namaste~

Darshan is Back!

Darshan's back...
Someone saw our poster and approached our people on the street, letting them know that he had seen Darshan in the Agrahara area (about a mile from our area) with a street worker.Everyone rushed over there and got Darshan back!Mom Kavitha sends her thanks to everyone who was concerned for Darshan, and who sent good thoughts to their family.

If you are in Mysore now Please Read! Missing Child!

I just found this information out from Operation Shantis Blog....Please Read!!

Darshan is missing
For readers in India, please please please keep an eye out for little Darshan. He went missing on Sunday the 12th, and was last seen around 1:00 pm near the tea stall, near where mom works on Sayyaji Rao road, near KR Hospital and the Nandini Milk Stand, across from Ashoka Bookstore. Friends looked everywhere for him until late in the night and mom Kavitha filed a report with the police. Posters have been put up throughout the city.Darshan may have been taken from Mysore, so if you are out of the city area, please do still keep an eye out for him.Darshan is three years old. He recently got his head shaved at the temple, and here is a picture closely resembling what he looks like today.If you know anything or think you've seen Darshan since Sunday and if you are in Mysore, please tell our street moms in front of KR Hospital near the Nandini Milk stand. You can also email us at info "at" operation-shanti.org.

We will post a phone number for you to call shortly.

Thank you for your concern.

peace

I had quite an incredible morning...

I was so blessed to be able to be the facilitator in 2 healings, they were actually the second healings for two very special people who were here from South Dakota... They had their first healings last week and they leave tomorrow.

I don't usually blog about the details of the healings that I do...but I wanted to say a public "Thank You" to Denny who had his second healing today and I just KNOW that he had a healing that went deeper and beyond anything that any of us can or would be able to comprehend.

Denny came home from Iraq 2 years ago...and brought home some "baggage" that nobody should have to carry home...and I won't even begin to say that I "understand" what it is that he experienced, because how could I say that when I will never know first hand? I have so much thankfulness in my heart for him and what he did over there for us...nobody chooses to go over and do what he had to do, and he is one of reasons that we are all safe here...

I don't agree with war, but I do have so much gratitude for the boys who are sent over and who do what they can to ensure our freedom here. Denny had an experience last week during his healing and today as well...that can only be described as "God reaching out to him and smiling down on him" there are really no words to describe what happened...but to him it meant the world and it gave him a sense of Peace that he said he has not felt in a very, very long time...

what a gift...what a blessing...and we were both so Thankful today~

Denny gave me some money for the Kids of Karunya Mane to purchase some art supplies...so I added his 30.00 to the total that you see on the right...

I will buy some things and then post the pictures here soon~thank you Denny..meeting you was a gift, for us Both and I will always remember you!

"May the long time sun shine upon you,
all love surround you,
and the pure light within you,
guide you on your way."
(Kundalini farewell blessing)

making it real!

that is what we did yesterday! we bought our airline tickets to india!

now it feels REAL....

leaving on the 26th of january for 5 weeks~

too short of a stay...but at least i will be able to be back "home" again!

getting 10 year visa soon as well!

namaste~~~~

beautiful karma

soon I will be walking along this little strip on the coast of varkala, india...

i have been walking so much more than running lately, it feels good.

when i am in india i always do lots of walking and yoga...so i guess i am just getting into the "mode" a bit early.

hills are fun to walk up..so exhilarating and you really do feel stronger once you get to the top!

on another note...we found the perfect renter for our home in sonoma county....we actually had it rented before we were done with all of the upgrades...

like i said, things have a way of working themselves out nicely, and this sure did~ it makes life easier when the person just falls right into your lap~~~

my husbands cousin said she believes it is because we have "beautiful karma"

i like that!

beautiful karma is a beautiful thing in my eyes~

Excited!!

today was a day of planning...

planning?

Yes..planning.

For our trip to India in January! (of course)..what else!?!

It all got started this morning when I opened up an email from Ganesh..funny, dear, Ganesh...(of ganesh and anu of course)

then we began....

Indian Railways...Spice Jet....Cathay....Nilgiris Nest...The Wood House...omg, it was so much FUN!

It is a lot of work to plan a trip that will take you away from your home and family for almost 6 weeks..but you know, if we could take our dogs and Oliver with us tomorrow, We would not look back. Nope. We would not look back. I know..most of you are gasping at this point..but please don't....because one of these days in the near future you just may stumble back upon my blog and read that we have moved ourselves..dogs and Oliver to India for good!

Remember what they say..

Be careful what you wish for...because it just may come true!

(i hope, i hope, i hope) It WILL!

Namaste~~~

Got Origami??? We DO! For the kids of Karunya Mane!!!!

and then today 450 Sheets of Origami Paper arrived in my mailbox...

purchased on behalf of the Generous Donor from India! (you know who you are :0)

and I just know that the kids are going to have an absolute Blast with this!!!! Beautiful paper, for the Beautiful kids of Karunya Mane~~~~~~

the stock of supplies is building quite nicely! But the Best is yet to come!

Shanti~~~

each day gets Better and Better! This just in from Yogamum!

Hi Tracy,
Just an update -- I received final approval from our head of school to
send out the flyer asking for art supply donations for Karunya Mane
and we will be collecting supplies from Oct. 13 - 24. Our school is a
wonderful IB World School with emphasis on teaching the students about
the global community and so I have high hopes for this project and
can't wait to see what our students and parents come up with! The art
teacher is helping out and will have the students send artwork and
notes as well!
Kristi

34 Boxes of Colored Chalk! (thank you again marie!!)

I know that one of the things that was on the "wish list" for the kids of Karunya Mane was colored chalk so with that in mind and my Executive Costco Membership card in hand...I bought 34 boxes of colored chalk with the money that Marie sent me for art supplies! Thank You again Marie!! The kids will each get their very own box of colored chalk thanks to you~ (i bought a few extras as well just in case!!) and YES, I will be posting pictures of the kids when I get to India and my husband and I give them all of the things we are bringing for them!!

Shanti~