I had a very enjoyable lunch with Dad and two of my siblings on Saturday.
I’m not the greatest selfie-taker, but (for once!) I actually like how this turned out.
A fun family lunch
Delightful lunch satsang
What a joy it was having lunch with Chika, who serves on the staff of Ananda New Delhi and just completed the month-long Living Discipleship program at the Meditation Retreat.
Originally from Japan, Chika is one of our key music people in India. I’m so glad we had a chance to get to know her better and exchange thoughts and ideas about the music, before she returns to the other side of the world on Saturday!
Getting back to normal
What a joy to be back in the Temple of Light and attending Sunday service for the first time since April 14 (and what a relief to make it the whole time without a coughing fit)!
It was also a joy to eat lunch in the company of dear friends afterwards.
Our beautiful temple, filled with fellow devotees. Uplifting music; deep silence during the meditation; and an inspiring talk by Ananta.
I felt nourished and replenished by all of it.
First we hurry, then we wait
It was a rush moving out of the apartment this morning, but now we’ve been enjoying our final hours in Canobbio.
A delicious lunch with the whole family, a nice walk in the neighborhood, lots of time to chat, and now it’s almost time for dinner.
I can’t help but wonder what kind of shape we’ll be in by the time we get to the airport!
Lunch and laundry
Finally a day with just a simple lunch of gnocchi with pesto at Silvio’s (Ramesha’s father). We would have only been there maybe an hour and a half total, except that today we had to do…
Yep, you guessed it…laundry. Which kept us there all afternoon
It was actually a good thing because had a chance to plan the program we’re doing for the Ananda group in Bellinzona this Sunday afternoon, on “The Power of Sound and Music on Consciousness.”
It’s kind of amazing how full this first two weeks in Lugano has been.
Another day, another lunch
Today’s lunch was in Camorino (about half an hour from Lugano), at the apartment of Ramesha’s niece, Nicole, and her boyfriend, Antonio.
It was another delicious lunch, in another beautiful location, followed by yet more walking through lovely surroundings. The only real difference is that the sun came out and stayed out, so it was quite warm.
We were there for almost four hours altogether and, while we thoroughly enjoyed our time with Nicole and Antonio, I have to admit that by the time we get home it’s hard to focus on accomplishing anything else.
Time to eat
Lunch today. Pizza tonight. Brunch tomorrow. Most likely lunch on Monday, followed by another lunch on Tuesday.
This is some serious eating! Which takes time, because we’re in Europe and meals are more or less three hours long.
The important thing is to pace oneself. And focus on enjoying quality time with people we love.
Coping with the unexpected
Today I had a noon time medical appointment in Grass Valley, followed by a mid-afternoon appointment in Auburn. This was perfect, as it allowed me to set up a lunch date with my Dad and two of my siblings.
Unfortunately, my body took exception to something I ate yesterday, throwing my system off and making last night and this morning more than a little uncomfortable.
My energy was pretty zapped but I still got it together to drive to my appointments. So far, so good…except that it decided to rain and then snow throughout the whole drive. Thank goodness it didn’t accumulate much, so the roads remained clear!
Needless to say, I was pretty much wiped out by the time I got home.
Driving and more driving
I drove a total of approximately three hours today — to Yuba City, then Auburn, back to Grass Valley, and finally home to Nevada City — leaving the house at 9:00 this morning and returning around 6:00.
The stops along the way included a consultation about hernia surgery; lunch with my Dad and my sister; a follow-up exam for my dental implant; getting the car washed (it really needed it); and grocery shopping.
Needless to say, I am done in and rather desperately hoping to get to bed early.
Falling behind
It’s been quite a full week, with photos piling up from Thursday lunch at Graziella’s; Friday’s visit to the cemetery and church in Canobbio; Saturday dinner at Dudo and Karin’s; and finally, a super fun lunch/sing-along with extended family, during which we were treated to the traditional popular music of Ticino, performed by the duo Tacalà.
I’ll be sharing all about that, plus lots of photos, in the near future.
But the top priority right now is being ready to leave early in the morning for the next phase of our trip: Cinque Terre!