I think spring might finally be here to stay (let’s hope)!
Blossoming plum trees
Burning the midnight oil
Working late, but finally off to bed… after midnight!
And with a big day tomorrow. 🤦♀️
Coming into the homestretch
There’s still so much to do before Oratorio, Easter, and then departure for Europe!
It’s all starting to blur together…sort of like in this photo!
Wisdom from a friend
I was catching up with a friend I hadn’t seen in some time, comparing notes on life and its lessons.
We got pretty philosophical, agreeing on the importance of not being overly focused on oneself. But then she shared something that I found extremely helpful.
Basically, she related how she had made the decision that: “If I’m going to think about myself, let it be something good.”
When she said that I immediately found myself reflecting on how the tendency is to spend tons of time focused on me, but almost all of it is negative self talk. It’s the worst of both worlds!
So, I’m going to adopt this as my own and practice telling myself good things about me.
What I love about Ananda #57
Okay, I confess: I picked the number at random.
But the point is that today I encountered something new to add to my already very long list of things I love about Ananda.
We were at a birthday party for two dear friends, with probably twenty or thirty people in attendance.
The organizer got us all seated in preparation for some sharing of stories about the birthday people, but one of them had a niece who wanted to read a story to us. So just like that — no questions asked — we all sat quietly and listened to her read her book to us. She was also very careful to show us the illustrations on every page.
I found it both wondrous and utterly charming. First of all, that she felt safe and comfortable enough to share in that way (especially considering that many of us weren’t close acquaintances of her family).
And secondly, that all the adults in the room gave her our focused, respectful attention, with absolutely no impatience or condescension.
A lovely, magical moment in time.
My Cousin Vinny
I heard about this movie for years and years before I actually got around to seeing it. I don’t remember what kept me from it; very likely there was no specific reason.
At any rate, I still had only seen it a couple of times when we decided to watch it for our Friday date night. And I must say, I had forgotten just how funny it is!
It ended up being the perfect movie choice, because we were soooo ready for belly laughs after a super busy and intense week.
P.S. I feel like I’m arriving late to the party, but I am now an official Marisa Tomei fan!
Out of juice
It was a long day, full of non-stop activity, and capped off with a very productive but intense run-through rehearsal for next week’s Oratorio.
Time to relax and unwind a bit before trying to sleep.
The Ananda Music App is launched again!
The previous launch was mostly for Ananda devotees in India, which meant it happened at the rather inconvenient hour of 6:30am Pacific time.
But this launch was for the US audience, and what’s fun is that an entirely different group of music people* shared stories about Swami Kriyananda, the inspiration behind the music, and how it has impacted our lives.
We all had a great time. And now, if you’d like to learn more about the app, click HERE.
* Including Dharmadas, Nirmala, Dambara, Ramesha, and yours truly
Enough already!
The photo above shows what it looked like when I left the office early this afternoon.
I felt like I could definitely relate to that poor blossoming tree. I mean, it’s supposed to be spring — right?!?
Right…but this is what our front yard looked like just a few hours later.
I think about people in Tahoe/Truckee (and elsewhere in the Sierra) and know I shouldn’t complain. But enough’s enough!
Great opportunity or impossible situation?
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” — Charles Swindoll
I’m relating to this quote today. Especially as I watch some seemingly impossible situations gradually be revealed as great opportunities!