Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Dalai Lama in NYC
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was in NYC over this past weekend (Sept. 23-25) to give teachings. The event has been sold out for months, but I was lucky enough to buy a ticket from a sangha friend who had a last minute extra. I was ecstatic!
I have only ever had the pleasure of attending the Dalai Lama's public events over the last few years. So it was a real thrill to be in his presence over a couple of days and to receive teachings from him. El nino seemed to like it too as he was moving around quite a bit while I quietly sat and listened to His Holiness (yes, I know, quietly sitting probably had something to do with it, but I prefer to think he liked the energy of HH's presence).
And oh, what a presence the Dalai Lama has! He does not come across as an unapproachable, unreal, holier than thou person. On the contrary, he exudes humility amd sincere enthusiasm. He laughs a lot. So that is what we have been doing the last few days: laughing and enjoying life. Emaho!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
We love our dogs!
My neice was recently adopted by this cutie. Pictured here is R and her new dog, a rescued 3-month old golden retriever/chow mix (clearly mostly retriever). They look like they were made for each other with so much blond h
air between the two of them, don't you think?
I spent last week with my mother while I conducted trainings and attended meetings in the area for work. I was "pampered by Pat" who even made me one of my favorite lunches to take to work one day - PB&J and tomato soup. YUM! Aren't moms grand! It was a real pleasure to have a week hanging out with mum.
We went to see Dad on Saturday. He was in the dining/recreation room on his floor when we arrived (our dogs were in tow), and we sat in an area suffused with sunlight. There we met the resident cat. She made herself comfortable around our feet while she sniffed our lunch bag and kept her eyes on our two dogs.
Now, generally mom's dog feels quite at home while visiting his daddy. He receives lots of attention from the other residents. And I think it's fair to say he struts around like he knows what's what. Well the resident cat had other ideas and decided to tell mom's J a thing or two. Enough was enough. She hissed and swiped at him with her declawed paw. And J shot out of the room like he'd been struck by lightening. I almost couldn't catch up to him, but thankfully a nurse intervened and caught him by the leash on his way out the door. I scooped him up and carried him like a baby back to mom and dad. But he wasn't so sure that was a good idea. He kept a vigilent eye out for the cat the rest of our visit and stayed close to mom and dad. His wanderlust extinguished.
My dog enjoyed her week in the country with Grandma and mommy. She is a mischievious pup when visiting gram. When she and mom's J are left alone in the house, she manages to pull something out of the cabinets (eluding our security), or finds food in an area our security system overlooked. She enjoyed (and perhaps mom's J shared in the loot) a half box of dog treats one day and a packet of Raman (sic) noodles another day. We just can't think of all the ways my dog can elude our attempts to thwart her search for food.
Oh, and the pregnancy... well the baby is growing, my tummy is bigger, and I've begun to feel hiccups from el nino every few days. I'm still getting around pretty well and have no complaints. But my travel days are almost over. As of October, I will be sticking very close to home. I am used to visiting Mom and Dad once a month. So this will be a long spell for me. But Mom is planning a couple of trips to NJ & NYC including Thanksgiving. So we all look forward to that.
air between the two of them, don't you think?I spent last week with my mother while I conducted trainings and attended meetings in the area for work. I was "pampered by Pat" who even made me one of my favorite lunches to take to work one day - PB&J and tomato soup. YUM! Aren't moms grand! It was a real pleasure to have a week hanging out with mum.
We went to see Dad on Saturday. He was in the dining/recreation room on his floor when we arrived (our dogs were in tow), and we sat in an area suffused with sunlight. There we met the resident cat. She made herself comfortable around our feet while she sniffed our lunch bag and kept her eyes on our two dogs.
Now, generally mom's dog feels quite at home while visiting his daddy. He receives lots of attention from the other residents. And I think it's fair to say he struts around like he knows what's what. Well the resident cat had other ideas and decided to tell mom's J a thing or two. Enough was enough. She hissed and swiped at him with her declawed paw. And J shot out of the room like he'd been struck by lightening. I almost couldn't catch up to him, but thankfully a nurse intervened and caught him by the leash on his way out the door. I scooped him up and carried him like a baby back to mom and dad. But he wasn't so sure that was a good idea. He kept a vigilent eye out for the cat the rest of our visit and stayed close to mom and dad. His wanderlust extinguished.
My dog enjoyed her week in the country with Grandma and mommy. She is a mischievious pup when visiting gram. When she and mom's J are left alone in the house, she manages to pull something out of the cabinets (eluding our security), or finds food in an area our security system overlooked. She enjoyed (and perhaps mom's J shared in the loot) a half box of dog treats one day and a packet of Raman (sic) noodles another day. We just can't think of all the ways my dog can elude our attempts to thwart her search for food.
Oh, and the pregnancy... well the baby is growing, my tummy is bigger, and I've begun to feel hiccups from el nino every few days. I'm still getting around pretty well and have no complaints. But my travel days are almost over. As of October, I will be sticking very close to home. I am used to visiting Mom and Dad once a month. So this will be a long spell for me. But Mom is planning a couple of trips to NJ & NYC including Thanksgiving. So we all look forward to that.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Shower Surprise
My sister, C, and mother hosted a baby shower for us. Attendees were aunts and cousins (no uncles or male cousins for some reason). The quilt is made by Mom. Lovely, lovely. C made beautiful white chenille bumpers for the baby crib, and we received many Winnie-the-Pooh themed gifts. Our heartfelt thanks and love to all!
C & Mom baked & decorated this clever cake - carrot with cream cheese frosting and blueberries as the accent. The food was delightful as was the conversation. C passed around a parenting tip notebook for each family member to share a cherished piece of child-rearing advice. It makes a lovely keepsake and one that we will treasure.
Sunday we all (Mom, C, and our nephew) went to visit Dad at the nursing home. C took these beautiful pictures, and I wanted to share them with you. Much love to you all. And I'll keep you posted as we progress. (Next week begins our third trimester!)
