Sunday, March 29, 2009

::holi::

Walking up to the temple we were greeted by a friendly llama who walked right up to the fence to take freshly picked grass from our hands. Behind our new friend were the outlines of the ornately lavish temple and plumes of heavily scented, brightly colored plumes of chalk. We eagerly walked the half mile (the closest parking we could find) and said hello to the passerbys dressed head to foot in purple, pink, yellow, and blue chalk.

The scene surrounding the temple was awe inspiring. Crowds chanting along with the live band, Hare Krishna, Hare, Hare! they sang. Explosions of color burst like fireworks above the chanters. It's like a happy war, I said. The whole scene felt dreamy and unreal. A giggle escaped at the craziness of it all.

The Hare Krishnas were celebrating Holi, the arrival of Spring, a tradition that has been celebrated in India since ancient times. The merriment was greeted gladly by throngs of people that included a bonfire, chanting and singing, and the throwing of brightly colored chalk. There could be no better way to celebrate Spring.


Sadly the chalk had run out by the time we made it, but Xavier was lucky enough to get sprayed by a handful of pink to the back of the head. He enjoyed this until the chalk made its way into his mouth and then he was spitting pink for the rest of our time there. Just like the llamas.

Walking back to the car felt like we were leaving an exotic, mystical land where the scenery is breathtaking, the language is sung in chants, and all the people are technicolor.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

list of happies


happiness is:
-a workshop on scarcity to abundance.
-moving into our new home in a week.
-celebrating spring with friends.
-realizing my potential, as well as my breakdowns.
-honest conversations.
-build-your-own frozen yogurt.
-a landmark education forum for my birthday.
-making progress and building respect at work.
-kissing my kids. repeatedly.
-being in love with a wonderful man.

Monday, March 16, 2009

because.....





words have forsaken me.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

deep breathing

(picture by our friend Travis)

i sometimes dislike hearing about how busy people are because we're all busy, right? but here i am about to say, whew things have been busy round here! so i won't, cause that would be annoying of me. i'll just tell you how much i've missed you my dear little corner of the internet.

i've had to remind myself to breathe deeply and to not be afraid of heading directly toward the wind. life has been hurling itself toward me, ever changing and gaining momentum. overall, the ride has been enjoyable but there are always the dips and the parts that just plain suck.

i found myself wondering on how exactly i can get back to that fantastic space i was in a few weeks ago. how did i loose it so quickly and how do i make sure that i never loose it again? i suppose that is just the very nature of evolution and growth, the minute you think you have it all figured out the earth starts shifting beneath your feet once more. today i told a friend that is going through a difficult time right now to try saying a mantra of what she wants for herself over and over again in order to really stay focused. i think that i should take my own advice.

my mantra du jour:
breathe deep