Yes, it’s that time of year again: the Springtime at Ananda Tulip Festival is officially underway!
Visit the Crystal Hermitage Gardens website for information, then come and immerse yourself in beauty.
Tulips and more tulips
Drained and out of steam
All I’ve got in me is to share a few photos from a short walk we took before meeting Ramesha’s niece and her new boyfriend for coffee this afternoon.
In the first photo below we’re in Cassarate looking at the view of the mountains across the lake, but all the rest are of the Grand Hotel Villa Castagnola and its beautiful grounds.
When we left Ananda Village the tulips at Crystal Hermitage hadn’t yet put in an appearance. The ones we found today were lovely, but nothing like Springtime at Ananda will be by now!
Feeling the love of Divine Mother
Today a friend shared this photo, taken during Springtime at Ananda in Crystal Hermitage Gardens.
I found it so completely precious that I had to share it here.
But really, the picture says it all. I have nothing to add.
Springtime concert in the chapel
Today was our Joy Singers concert at Crystal Hermitage Gardens (part of the Expanding Light’s “Springtime at Ananda” retreat). It was scheduled for exactly a week and a day after the Oratorio, which seemed fairly doable.
The problem, of course, is that week and a day went by really fast! I was just barely recovered from the Oratorio by the time we met for our only rehearsal on Thursday night.
Going into the rehearsal, I hadn’t yet found the time or bandwidth to review all the songs and was dismayed to discover just how many of them were either newer or harder than I remembered. Suffice it to say that by the end of the evening I was not feeling particularly ready, much less confident.
So today (concert day!) was about pulling it all together — alto parts, lyrics, researching Shakespeare songs, organizing the binder, finalizing the location, etc. — which finally got the energy really moving.
Of course, once the energy was moving the grace started to flow, and I’m very happy to report that the concert went very well and was enjoyed by all.
Tulip magic
We finally made it over to Crystal Hermitage to experience “Springtime at Ananda” in the gardens and…yes, it’s beyond incredible. Positively astral!
There have been so many photos shared on Facebook that I had resolved not to take any. But…one simply can’t resist trying to capture the beauty.
So, here you go…
Cherry blossoms and April showers
We’ve been so busy with medical appointments and getting ready for the Oratorio that we haven’t made it over to Crystal Hermitage Gardens for Springtime at Ananda yet.
But we’ll get there, for sure.
The recent cold weather means the tulips will probably last a good few weeks longer. However, the cherry blossoms have already peaked and, as you can see in the video, the recent storm blew most of the petals off and onto the ground, creating a beautiful pink carpet.
You can get a better sense of both the upper and lower gardens in two segments of coverage by Good Day Sacramento.
Exciting news
I’m happy to give a shout out to The Expanding Light Retreat and Springtime at Ananda (in Crystal Hermitage Gardens), which are both reopening after being closed the past two years due to the pandemic.
There are two upcoming programs I want to mention in particular, because — surprise, surprise — there’s some wonderful music on offer!
First is an Easter weekend retreat, which will include our first performance of Swami Kriyananda’s Oratorio in the Temple of Light at Ananda Village. Although the choir will be small in numbers, it will still be a powerful experience!
The following weekend is a special Springtime at Ananda retreat, featuring the Joy Singers in a pre-dinner concert in the gardens.
If you’re looking for an uplifting, nurturing, spiritual weekend, I’d love to see you at one of these events!