Thursday night late – Happy Birthday sweet Diane !

Folks,
   Happy birthday sweet Diane.. I know that you had a good one.

April 1st, .. an April fools baby (like my grandmother Madalyn. )

I’m writing form Copper mountain.. where Gabe is competing in  his first USA Snowboard Association finals . It was aan eventful ride down here.. nothing much.. but by the time we got here around 11 we were all pretty tired of travel
   One tret thoguh is that Diane called . I; ve been thinking about her all day. As you’ll see in her note below, she’s had a wonderful set of birthday celibrations down in Costa Rica.. I’m so glad that she got to do somethign so meaningful for herself.
   I just want to say to the world, that I’m so grateful to have found such a wonderful person with whom to share my life. I could not have found a more strong, calm, loving, sweet centered or fun mate.. 

Here’s the note that I just got from Diane that tells about her day (not ethe scorpians !)

Hi Everyone!

It’s my birthday!  I had a great day…and it would have been complete with my family.  John, Gabe & Max we will celebrate together soon.

Thank you for all of those great birthday notes.  Max…glad to meet Jacqueline (sp ?) through email and you said such meaningful words to me.  Thanks.  Gabe…you should be at Copper Mountain now.  Glad to have talked to you today and thanks for the email.  Mom & Dad..I tried to call you at around 7:00 tonight.  Sorry I did not through to you.  I love you!  Thanks to all who have sent their love.  Kathy..you will be happy to know I did tell people it was  my birthday and it was good.

John…you are the sweetest love.  The chocolate cake was amazing and the scarf was so special.  I will always wear it and think of how you reached out to me from so far away.  Everyone here has been so kind.  It started with a birthday song this morning…then ice cream after 2:00 session…then tonight I was honored by being picked up on cushions and lifted up and down…then a great cake also up at Don & Amba’s house.  Devarshi’s (Don’s very good friend from the ashram of the past)  birthday is Monday and he too had a cake.  It was a special day and evening.  I will celebrate with all of you soon.

The training is coming to a close.  We have all presented our classes and the sessions have been profound….fun and intense.  This has been a special time for an inner quest.  Much to integrate. 

One last note…two nights ago I was blessed with the largest size yet scorpion in my room.  Gary was kind enough to get up and remove it.  Makes you want to shake your sheets a bit more.  We shake all clothes and sheets!

Well…must go now.  Love you all!   love..diane

OK.. that’s it for now.. it’s very late here.. time to sleep. nite all
nite sam
-me

Wednesday night – Packing

OMG.. !  Gabe and I are leaving tomorrow for Colorado and the house is a WRECK !.. I am going to be up all night cleaning so Diane doesn’t come home to a messy house.

Gabe and I are currently trying to stuff all of our clothes into two bags and it just isn’t happening.   I may need to call in friends to help us zip up our suitcases… !

Gosh.. I’m so discombobulated from thinking about packign that I don’t really have anythign to talk about tonight…    I do want to remind folks that tomorrow is Diane’s Birthday !  She’ll be celebrating it down in the steamy jungles of Costa Rica.. she just called me and told me that it was 93 inside her house (eeeek !)

Well.. gotta finish packing.. More tomorrow !

nite all, nite Sam
-me

Tuesday night – transen-dental

Everyday I look fo soemthing interesting, unusual or thought provoking to report.. Today I knew my topic as soon as I woke up. Today I was getting my new tooth !.
You may remember that a few weeks ago I broke one of my bicuspids on a mutant crouton.   Well… I had to get a crown. they fitted me with a temp while they sent away for the real tooths manufacture. . I asked them if they could put all three boys initials on the tooth.. They checked.. and it turns out it’s pretty easy to do..

I’v ebeen trying to figure out how to do this for a couple of years.. I had been  thinking about getting a tribute tattoo for Sam.. but.. my religion has a thing against tattoos.. and even though I’m about as religious as a fence post.. I still couldn’t bring myself to cross that line.. (maybe it’s actually a fear of buzzing needles) .    When this tooth thing came up, i got the idea to tattoo the tooth..

Today I went into the dentist office, they muscled the temp tooth out and ground me down to fit my new tooth.    Here it is without me..

Max, Sam, Gabe… on me forever..

You sort of need tools to get in there and see it.. but.. I know its there.. and that’s what counts….

I love my kids !

Late this afternoon I took Gabe to the Rushfords to get his back adjusted.. I hadn’ t been ther in years.. There on the wall were pictures of all of their current and former patients.. I found all 5 of us..

It took me a while to find Sam.. but there he was.. smiling as always. Beautiful boy.. . I needed to see him.. no one was around.. so I just stood there and cried for a couple of minutes.. I’d been lookign for thta for several days..

a Thai feast that Jen had dropped by.. Our firends are takign good care of us while Diane’s gone..

Gabe and I spent the eveing packign for out trip.. We’r ehaving a really good time together.. I really love hanging out with him..

Oh.. I heard  from Diane.. sounds like it’s really, really hot down there..

Hi!

Hotter than hell here.  Breaking record temperatures.  Before we began in our yoga space it was about 95 degrees.  Not sure what was the end.

My group went at 11:00.  It was fun.  We made a class with each of us taking 30 minutes each.  I did “noon salutations” and created a beach yoga yet not on the sand.  I made it very kid like.  Then Lisa did a group partner experience.  Then Melissa did and awesome ending meditation.

Must go.  Much love to all.   …diane 

OK.. that’s it for now.. Gnite all, Gnite Sam
-me

Monday night – חג שמח (Hag Sameach)

I am seeing signs of spring !  Dianes dafodils are startign to peek throguht e ground !

Today is Pesach, the passover.. the day that jews gather round the table and say.. ‘do i really have to eat that ?!? “. Pesach  celebrates the Jews. exodus from Egypt nearly 3000 years ago. It’s a curious holiday. the story is filled with cruelty and bad faith on all sides.. yet.. it’s a hopeful day.. from bondage to freedom. We’re taught to have empathy for those who do us wrong.. we spill blood (wine) ceremonially for the pain that the 10 plagues brought on the eqyptians.. That’s a liberal for you.. always seeing the other guys point of view.

I hadn’t planned to celebrate Pesach this year.. but Gabe and Kristin said they were interested..   so we did a quick impromptu sedar tonight…
Kristin and Gabe made matzo balls


Gabe and I dressed in the traditional outfits..   ( we figured we could get away with this since Kristin had never seen a sedar)

I made a plate of my famous matchos… (matzo nachos)

Then the three of us sat down to a real quick sedar.. we had a soy dog as a lamb bone, and lettuce for spring greens.. but we made charoset, moror, mazo, salt water and gefilte fish.. the whole deal .

Our main breach with trading was our spaghetti and matzo balls.

I did a qucik runthrough of the service.. hit the main prayers, let in Elijah then dug in to dinner. It was good fun..

As soon as we finished our last bight, the three of us piled in the car and we drove to Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier.

i was the main act tonight of their Geek Week

series.. When I got there , there were only about 3 people.. I felt

pretty sad to be playing to an empty house.. but 10 minutes later, the

place was pretty full.. about 30 folks.. all adults were there to see

science. I don’t usually have an audience thathas beers int her hand.. but tonight .. it really worked.. !


ere’s Ben the innkeep showing his high voltage best..

It was a great show.. and a fun event…

OK.. now I’m home and very sleepy.. Time for bed.. Oh .. I tlaked to Diane today and got this note form her. She sounds Great ! 

Hi Everyone….

I have returned from morning yoga, 6-8 am.  The teachers we have give some fabulous classes.  We all are enjoying them.  Right now I am just doing some house stuff…soaking some smelly clothes to was.  Sister & I just picked some star fruit from our yard.  We have mango, lime, star fruit, and guava tree.  Plus many flowers and plants that we grow at home in our houses.

Today will begin another dimension of the training.  Last week was honing our skills in listening and giving us practice with others as we untangle some emotional stuff.  One gentleman left, Sydney.  He has been here for many months after the passing last summer of his wife.  He was talked out and needed to return to the real world to integrate again.  It is a pleasure being with so many who are all on their own and very different paths.  That is the basis for the training…allowing each of us to find our own yoga within.  That was what Sydney did.  Last week was about our yoga off the mat which is where the true practice comes.

This week will be harder brain work in creating an experience for ourselves and our students in creating a process to get into a pose…or relaxation.  That is the short answer.

The other night, on the way to the evening session, we turned the corner and found 3 kittens who were dumped there.  We all stood there trying to decide what to do.  We already had an abandoned cat at home.  We just stood there.  Then I said what  would it be like to walk by and then we all knew what to do.  We  then all knew what to do.  We grabbed the kittens and took them.  They were put into a bathroom so they would not disturb anyone.  A woman named Danielle took them with her.  Her 3 year old was excited to play with little kittens.  They are all in the process of finding a place to go.  It is sad seeing the dogs and cats just left here.

Yesterday Sister and  I took an adventure to the recently open Blue Spirit yoga resort opened by Omega.  Everyone said that it was gated and we would not be able to enter.  Well…Sister was with me.  We did find the trail and went up.  The place is beautiful.  We approached the front desk and Sister mentioned how we were interested in bringing a party to Blue Spirit.  Well that opened us up to touring all around.  It is huge…lovely touches…a little isolated though.  The best adventure came when we left and found that the tide  had come in so much it was dicey getting back.  We were wet up to our waists.  It was much fun!  Sister Cecelia had a blast getting her “habit” wet. 

We sent out to the Harmony Hotel last night for dinner.  I shared fish and a yucca cake.  The yucca was like a mashed potato pancake however the yucca was sweeter and such a great  consistency.  That was the biggest meal I had in a whole week.  I was stuffed.  We walked home along the beach under the “just about” full moon.

I think that is about all  the news for now.  I am acclimated and enjoying the heat.  We/I seem to sweat all the time.  It is okay though.  Sleep is much better.   

Much love to all.  I miss all of you.  love…diane

 

OK.. that’s all from me.. More tomorrow. Happy Pesach everyone
Hag Sameach !

Nite folks. nite Sam
-me

ps My freind Glens Aunt in law just survived an amazing shark attack in Australia. She was hurt very badly.. but managed to survive by fighting off the shark.. Read about it here.