(not necessarily in that order)
We had hoped to finish up the Christmas album today, but — as is often the case when recording — it all took longer than anticipated.
So, we’ve got one more session scheduled for later this week, and that really should do it.
Of course, we always manage to have quite a bit of fun in the process. Prashad might look innocent, but he’s the one who had everyone cracking up!
In twenty-odd years I haven’t had to sit out very many Swamiji’s Birthday celebrations, but that’s what happened today.
It’s not just that my voice would not have been ready to sing yet, it’s that this morning I finally tested positive for COVID. Sigh.
Ramesha tested negative and has not had any symptoms at all, which we’re hoping stays that way.
So, I’ve been at home, thinking about Swamiji and how to better serve the area of his work that is ours to do — the music.
I’ve also been enjoying reading the many beautiful tributes to Swamiji on social media. My favorite is a series of video clips of him laughing — he had such a wonderful laugh! Unfortunately, it’s a Facebook video, so I can’t share it here on my blog.
But here are some photos of Swami laughing to help you feel his joy.
Not a great or a posed photo. But the three siblings were laughing and enjoying each other’s company so much that I simply had to try and capture the moment.
It’s times like these that make the time and energy expended on the journey feel totally worth it.
Yesterday was about connecting.
We had lunch with all the members of Ramesha’s family who currently live in Switzerland (father, brother, sister and brother-in-law, niece and boyfriend) at a pizzeria in Lugano Centro.
We very much enjoyed our first “official” pizza of this year’s trip…and boy was it good!
Then in the evening we had dinner with the Lo Menzo family — Dudo, Karin, Samuele, and Lia. They’re some of my favorite people on the planet; unfortunately, we laugh so much when we’re together that I almost always forget to take any pictures. 😂
Blessings galore for a new year filled to overflowing with love, light, laughter, abundance, health, friendship, and JOY!
This evening we had dinner with friends in their beautiful new home. There was laughter and sharing; there was delicious food and a incredible array of desserts.
To cap it all off, one of our hosts suggested watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” — and it was just exactly what I was needing in the midst of this busy week — to relax and chuckle and resonate with the heart-opening message of this enduring holiday classic.
Tonight we made time for dinner with some dear friends.
We were three couples, who ate, shared, told stories, and ate some more.
But most of all, we laughed. There was so much joy in simply being together.
I feel extremely fortunate in my friends.
I’ve been greatly enjoying all the hugs and laughter of connecting with friends (old and new) here at Ananda Assisi.
On the other hand, I’m also feeling deeply exhausted.
It seemed rather surprising until I took a moment to list all the people I’ve connected with in the past two days: it comes to over fifty!
No wonder I’m feeling burnt out.
Today — from start to finish — was about catching up with friends from Ananda Assisi we hadn’t seen in years.
I feel like we did about a month’s worth of connecting in one long day.
We enjoyed Sunday service, laughed a lot, exchanged many hugs, shared news, and also sang. An altogether lovely day.
Today’s photo is of Ramesha and his brother, Fulvio, whose birthday was today.
For the first time in seventeen years we’re actually in Switzerland and able to celebrate Fulvio’s birthday in person. We all went out to dinner as a family, eating great food and having a whole lot of fun.
In fact, I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.