Sponsoring a Child through CFCA

Terry dear, this one's for you! Here is your young man, reading your letter with me...he actually liked to spell each word and then I would read it. So sweet.

Note to readers/viewers: I had the privilege of visiting a young man outside of Warangal, AP, India, who is sponsored through CFCA by a dear friend in the US. Have you considered sponsorship? Spend just $30 a month and change lives...yours, and your sponsored child's!

This video was made at the beginning of our visit...I was invited to join the native dancers in the joyous celebration!

Welcome Malcolm Greeley Kaiman

Look who Ali brought into the world on Christmas Night. At nine minutes to nine (and, being in India, I know the power of the Auspicious Number Nine.) Mr. Malcolm Greeley Kaiman showed his beautiful face!

We are all over the moon! The best Christmas present ever.

Here he is in his parents' arms...can you imagine how great it feels to be looked upon by such a loving Mama and Papa?

This Grandma will snuggle with him in less than a month. Woo hoo!

Verifying My Humanity

Have you run across this phrase:

Verify Your Humanity ?

I enrolled in a neat new website (seems like it is also a blog) called http://www.librarything.com/.

On it, I found wonderful recommendations on books to read, complete with reviews. A fun way to meet others who are reading the books I am reading, discover similar, satisfying works.

When signing up, I had to punch in some letters, to assure the domain that I wasn't a robot or spamming robojoiner...hence the webmaster's requesting phrase, VERIFY YOUR HUMANITY.

The request made me think: How Do I Verify My Humanity....beyond just correctly typing a letter jumble?

MY LIST, TO DATE

All stars in the same galaxy, there are no team uniforms

The last televised images I glimpsed in the US, before boarding a plane for India earlier this month, were of the World Series, final game 5.
San Francisco Giants and their fans were predictably over the moon…if they could have jumped that high, they surely would have. Unabashed joy, absolute bliss….their happiness was physical, emotional, spiritual…all consuming.

But, wait. In the same stadium, photographed by the same cameras at the same game, there were some incredibly sorrowful faces…downright despondent, dejected, disheartened, depressed…grieving the fact that the Texas Rangers had lost.

These two extremes of Up an Down were so dramatic; it was almost like a cartoon, a mocumentary explaining the two very different emotions of Joy and Sadness.

Observing the whole chaotic event live, I experienced a wave of sadness….for the Rangers and their fans. BUT NOT BECAUSE THEY LOST. I was sad BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T FEEL ANY JOY FOR THE WINNERS.

Chittister: One of a kind at Call to Action gathering | National Catholic Reporter

Chittister: One of a kind at Call to Action gathering National Catholic Reporter

Turning to the Left or the Right?

We've been hearing about the cyclone on the East coast of India. Our rains in Bangalore the past week have been blamed on this cyclone. I began to wonder: what is a cyclone? Isn't it what we call a hurricane in Florida?

It turns out, cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons are all essentially the same thing, they simply receive different names depending on where they occur....and strangely, WHAT DIRECTION THEY TURN. Would you have ever guessed that? I didn't! Here is what I found on Answers.com.

-- Hurricane: a violent wind which has a circular movement, especially found in the West Atlantic Ocean. A hurricane is actually a violent storm formed with water which causes heavy rains and fierce winds and they can cause flooding of streets and homes.

-- Cyclone: a violent tropical storm or wind in which the air moves very fast in a circular direction. They can be formed over tropical waters, bar the Southeast Pacific and the South Atlantic Oceans. Technically, all hurricanes are cyclones but not all cyclones are hurricanes: if their wind speed is over 74 miles per hour, they're hurricanes, if not, they're just cyclones or tropical storms.

-- Typhoon: a violent wind which has a circular movement, found in the West Pacific Ocean.

Pressure systems that develop over tropical waters, with tropical-related characteristics are tropical cyclones, which include tropical storms, hurricanes, typhoons (western Pacific), are called tropical cyclones.

Systems that tend to develop in the multitudes with a jet stream, cold core, etc. are referred to as extra-tropical cyclones. These systems usually produce severe weather in the spring and fall, and severe winter weather in the winter.

Here's what I think is the cutest part:
Hurricane - turns right (clockwise) and Cyclone - turns left (counter clockwise)!

Entire Society is Everyone's Concern

I just read a wonderful speech given by the Dalai Lama, exiled leader of Tibet and head of the world Buddhist community. Without his permission, I've written a paragraph after each of his, offering challenges to my friends and colleagues at the Union House Nursing Home, in Glover, Vermont. I welcome you to apply these words and questions to whatever community you associate with...be it home, work place, family. The Dalai Lama's words are first, in red, followed by mine.

“Everyone in our world is interrelated and interdependent. My own personal peace and happiness are my concern. I’m responsible for that. But the happiness and peace of the entire society is everyone’s concern. Each of us has the individual responsibility to do what we’re capable of to improve our world.”

Choosing to live or work at Union House Nursing Home, we automatically enter an unspoken agreement with each other. We join a close community under one roof. We share space, breath and time. How we conduct ourselves, from complaining to complimenting…and every behavior in between…effects everyone else. What an awesome responsibility…we actually can create joy or sadness or happiness or hopelessness.

"In our century, compassion is a necessity, not a luxury. Humans are social animals and we must live together, whether we like it or not. If we lack kind hearts and compassion for each other, our very existence is threatened. Even if we’re going to be selfish, we should be wisely selfish and understand that our personal survival and happiness depends on others. Therefore, kindness and compassion towards them are essential."

One simple act, such as thanking someone for help or for listening, can shine as the mightiest moment in the day. Taking a moment to look into someone’s eyes and share their story can bring a sense of well being no drug can deliver. Do any of us realize the power of our own voices, our own lives?

"Bees and ants have no religion, no education or philosophy, yet they instinctively cooperate with each other. In doing so, they insure the survival of their society and the happiness of each individual in it. Surely, we humans, who are more intelligent and sophisticated, can do the same!"

Imagining UHNH is a big bee hive or ant hill, how are you contributing to our little society’s success? Are you carrying your load? Are you focused on your task, respecting boundaries and limitations? Are you keeping secrets or breaking trusts?

"Thus, we each have the individual responsibility to help others in whatever way we can. However, we shouldn’t expect to change the world instantly. As long as we’re not enlightened, our actions to benefit others will be limited. Without inner peace it is impossible to have world peace. Therefore, we must improve ourselves and at the same time do what we can to help others."

Quality of life is created by common agreement and effort. At UHNH, if we decide that high standards of cleanliness, nutrition, attentiveness, accuracy and kindness are worth upholding…we create a bit of heaven on earth. Think of how you use your energy: are you wasting precious breath on meaningless chatter and gossip? Do you make things harder for yourself and others, by always taking the easy path, just to get by? Are you making peace or war? Why cheat yourself from being GREAT?

Resting Assured

A day in India isn't complete without spending some time in the garden. For several winters, I've wished for a comfortable chaise for reading outside. Sprawling on a yoga mat doesn't work, the ants number in the thousands. This morning, Sujata suddenly recalled that neighbor Geetha had a cane chair she wasn't using. Hooray! Voila! Thank you!

Rest assured, I am resting assured, at least one hour a day under the chikoo or sapodilla fruit tree. And to add security to my comfort, my four legged buddy, Simba, stands guard wherever I go. As I write, he is curled at my feet...the head of security, resting here at Taralaya in Whitefield, outside of Bangalore.

Election Results...time to make peace

P.S. While there are many disappointments the morning after our mid-term elections, I have great hope and belief in the arts of compromise and cooperation. What the world (including the US Congress) needs now, is peace, sweet peace.

And if I can help any individuals or groups find common ground, I offer my services. Oh, I forget to mention....Glover town clerk Donna Sweeney sent me an email this morning: I was reelected as a Justice of the Peace! (This picture of JPs is based on a painting by Salzedo, published in L'Illustration in 1890.)

May peace prevail on earth,

and let it begin in your life, today.

Back in Beloved Mother India!

My journey from Vermont (by car) to Florida, Florida to NY (by plane), NY to Connecticut (by bus and train) and back again....then jet from NY to India....successfully ended this morning.

I'm writing from my bed in Bangalore. All is well, even my luggage arrived.

Sujata had a flat tire driving to get me at the airport, so we took a cab back home.

A few pictures from Heathrow Airport in London...the Brits don't mess around with tiny printed warnings on their cigarette packages! Looks like they cost about the same as in the US, a carton for $50+.

And look who couldn't get the vending machine to work...no kidding, James Bond, 007, himself, Pierce Brosnan. I'm not kidding. You'll have to trust me with this poor photo...but I didn't feel like bugging the guy.

India is lush and green...I'll post some photos after a good nap. I am grateful!

Love, In Spite of Good Bye

Well, it is 10:18 a.m., and at 11 a.m. I will board my flight to NYC, out of Tampa International Airport. I was surprised to learn the airport isn't all that old:

On April 15, 1971, Tampa International Airport's new Terminal Complex officially opened. The Landside/Airside Terminal Complex was the first of its kind, designed like a spoked wheel. More than 50,000 people came to see the new Airport Terminal during its two-day open house. National Airlines Flight 36 from Los Angeles was the first plane to arrive at the new Terminal, landing at 5:26 a.m.







Thurmond drove me here, it was an easy ride on the toll road, 77 degrees outside, a typical, lovely Florida day. We laughed and talked about all the work that had gotten us to this moment...planning, saving, packing, preparing....as we prepared for the hardest part of travel: SAYING GOOD BYE.

No matter how much I enjoy my trips...in this case, going to our first grandbaby's BABY SHOWER, then off to India for three months....the Good Byes are always hard.

This morning, hugging my Ole Bear in the UNLOADING zone, I felt the great wave of love, followed by sadness, engulf me. People ask, "Won't you miss each other?" Yes, of course. I miss everyone I love who I am not with at this moment, the living and the dead. But somehow, the security of these relationships has allowed me great freedom to explore and live.

On this day, I thank all those who love or who have ever loved me. Thank you for loving me, in spite of all the GOOD BYES.

P.S. There might be a weather delay, some talk of it here....but that is also just part of life, especially a traveler's life!

Winter in Bloom

The past 5 weeks have been a blur of endings and beginnings. Closing up life in Vermont and packing up for winter in Florida and India.

Cindygirl and I went for an early morning walk last week in West Glover....it was around 35 degrees that day. The leaves had dropped and the geese had flown. Our cue to head South to Candyland.

We arrived last night...to our pink tree (still trying to figure out what it is) and salmon hibiscus in full bloom.

We are soooo grateful for our Florida life. Coffee with neighbors just made the new day all the more special.

Taking a Tiny Place in History

When Vermonters voted in the August 24 primary election, no one thought we would wake up on the 25th still not knowing who the Democrats had nominated for a Gubernatorial candidate.

But that's just what happened....with less than 200 votes between the two top candidates, the second in line asked for recount.

Enter, members of the local Boards of Civil Authority, including me. Today, fellow Gloverite Joan Alexander and I brought the town's Primary ballots to the Orleans County Superior Court in Newport. Wednesday morning, groups will gather in courthouses throughout the state to conduct the recount. Results will be ferried to Montpelier, to Washington County Superior Court. Then....Vermont will learn who is running for Governor as a Democrat.

In the meantime, Republican nominee Brian Dubie is busy campaigning for the Governor's seat. Our current Lt. Governor, Brian is a fine man and he has my vote.

As Joan and I (pictured here) drove to Newport this morning, I mentioned it was kinda fun to play a small part in this historic moment. Stay tuned!

Loving and Leaving

Forty five of us gathered for the Grand Occasion in Gloucester, Massachusetts this weekend...the 80th birthday of my Aunt Ann Macdonald. Ann is my mother's younger sister, by some 21 months. Here they are at Ann's First Communion (1937?). I asked Ann why she was looking askance at her big sister Kay in this photo.

"I think I was mad she was given money by the relatives, and it wasn't her day!"

We all shared plenty of memories over the 40 some hours, marked by laughter and tears. We toasted Ann, and then, Ali (Elliot's lovely wife)who is five months pregnant, and just beginning her journey of family-making. Throughout the joyous festivities, lurking in the distance, was our collective awareness that the time to say good bye was approaching.

Of course, that is the tailside of the Love Coin...the farewell. I've spent plenty of time with it this summer. Meeting up with my parents and then leaving. Basking in the sunny reunion of Girl Scout troop 249 and then leaving. My dear Bangalore friend Sujata with us for a few days, then leaving.

Selfishly, I only want to flip heads on the Love Coin...I want to stay with those I love, no good byes. But life has taken us on our own journeys, in different directions. When I read this short Rilke poem, it helped take the sting out of my most recent good byes.

This is guilt, if anything is guilt:
not to multiply a loved one's freedom
by all the freedom we can find in ourselves.
We have , in loving, only this one task:
to let each other go. For holding on
is easy for us, nothing we need learn.

Rainer Maria Rilke

My Aunt Hannah Died Yesterday

Hannah G. Kaiser, teacher and diplomat's wife, dies at 97

By Adam Bernstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 14, 2010

Hannah G. Kaiser, 97, a diplomat's wife who taught adults and schoolchildren during her husband's assignments in Europe and Africa and as a young woman escaped a pass made by celebrated portraitist Augustus John, died Aug. 13 at her home in Washington. She had complications from lung ailments.

Mrs. Kaiser's pedigree was New England Protestant; she was a direct descendant of William Bradford, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony in what became Massachusetts.

In 1939, she married Philip M. Kaiser, a classmate at the University of Wisconsin who had been born in New York to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants who had fled from imperial Russia. They met in a class on capitalism and socialism.

Mrs. Kaiser graduated from Wisconsin in 1935 and two years later was accepted into the first class of a Radcliffe College program intended to train women as personnel managers for government and commercial jobs.

In 1938, she traveled to England and worked for the Labor Party's youth organization raising money and clothes for victims of Spain's fascist government.

In addition to asking ministers of Parliament for their financial support, she was asked to solicit money from London's artistic community. She said this resulted in a brief and uncomfortable meeting in the studio of Augustus John, who complained about the rich but "homely" matrons he was used to painting.

"I'd much rather paint you," he said, before directing her to remove her clothing. "I got a little bit worried by that, and I got out of there with my virginity intact," she later recalled, "but I wasn't sure for a few minutes."

After her marriage, Mrs. Kaiser was a social worker in Washington, received a teaching certificate from American University and was president of the Bannockburn Cooperative Nursery School in Bethesda before settling into a career as a Foreign Service spouse.

In the early 1960s, she taught English in Senegal, where her husband was ambassador. A few years later, when her husband was deputy chief of mission in the U.S. Embassy in London, Mrs. Kaiser led an effort involving the city's diplomatic corps that raised money for charities including Save the Children. When they stayed in London in the 1970s as private citizens, she taught English to elementary age children from deprived backgrounds.

Under President Jimmy Carter, Philip Kaiser was tapped as ambassador to Hungary and then Austria, and Mrs. Kaiser worked with the embassy's staff to welcome guests. After returning to Washington in 1981, Mrs. Kaiser taught part-time at the Lab School, a private school for learning-disabled children.

She cited as one of her favorite achievements the successful match she made between the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which owned a set of rare Stradivarius instruments, and the world-renowned Tak?cs String Quartet of Budapest. She helped foster an arrangement for the quartet to use the instruments on loan.

Hannah Elizabeth Greeley was born Aug. 3, 1913, in Simsbury, Conn., in the home of her great-uncle George P. McLean, a Republican governor of and U.S. senator from Connecticut. She was raised in Madison, Wis., where her father was a medical doctor. Her husband died in 2007. Survivors include their three sons, Robert G. Kaiser, an associate editor of The Washington Post, of the District, David Kaiser, a Naval War College professor, of Jamestown, R.I., and journalist and author Charles Kaiser of New York; a brother; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson.

In a 1987 interview with the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, Mrs. Kaiser spoke of her time overseas as a joyous experience, especially when it came to the latitude she was given in redecorating the ambassadorial residences. She was also candid about her disappointment that President Ronald Reagan replaced her husband in Vienna with "a chain store grocery owner from California."

"That type of appointment is really resented by the embassy staff," she said. "They know that that person may be rich and maybe generous at entertaining, but the substantive part of the job will not be done well."

To Be A Moral Force in the World

MY UNSWERVING SUPPORT OF SISTER JOAN CHITTISTER AND HER WORK IS A PRECIOUS PART OF MY LIFE. I am reprinting her essay here today, as it serves as a beautiful reminder for all of us; let us not be persuaded by our weaknesses, but empowered by our strengths. Love to all on this beautiful day, Bethany

To Be A Moral Force in the World
There are three obstacles to our personal development that would make us a moral force in the world.

First, fear of loss of status has done more to chill character than history will ever know. We do not curry favor with kings by pointing out that the emperor has no clothes. We do not gain promotions by countering the beloved viewpoints of the chair of the board or the bishop of the diocese. We do not figure in the neighborhood barbecues if we embarrass the Pentagon employees in the gathering by a public commitment to demilitarization. It is hard time, this choice of destiny between public conscience and social acceptability. Then we tell ourselves that nothing is to be gained by upsetting people. And sure enough, nothing is.

Second, personal comfort is a factor, too, in the decision to let other people bear responsibility for the tenor of our times. It takes a great deal of effort to turn my attention beyond the confines of where I work and where I live and what my children do. It lies in registering interest in something beyond my small, small world and perhaps taking part in group discussions or lectures. It requires turning my mind to substance beyond sitcoms and the sports channel and the local weekly. It means not allowing myself to go brain-dead before the age of forty. But these things that cost comfort are exactly the things that will, ultimately, make life better for my work and my children.

Third, fear of criticism is no small part, surely, of this unwillingness to be born into the world for which I have been born. To differ from the mainstream of humanity, to take a position that is not popular tests the tenor of the best debaters, the strongest thinkers, the most skilled of speakers. To do that at the family table or in the office takes the utmost in courage, the ultimate in love, the keenest communication skills. And who of us have them?

The process of human discourse is a risky one. Other people speak more clearly or convincingly than we do. Other people have better academic backgrounds than we do. Other people have authority and robes and buttons and titles that we do not now and ever will have, and to confront those things takes nerve of a special gauge. I may lose. I may make a perfect fool out of myself. But everybody has to be perfect about something. What else can be more worth it than giving the gift of the perfect question in a world uncomfortable with the answers but too frightened or too complacent or too ambitious to raise these doubts again?

Unions and Reunions

We reunited with dear Sujata in Connecticut on Saturday. She had flown from Bangalore, India, to Seattle, where she spent time with her son and daughter in law, who are expecting a babe in September. Then, onto Hartford to see friends...including me, where I joined up with her at my son and his wife's home. I'm giving a pat on the head (or feet?) of their first babe, our expected Christmas delivery.

What a blissful time for us all....connected by one reason, and celebrating that reason...LOVE.

This is my summer of reunions. Girl Scouts, High School, Sujata. And later this month, the international reunion of Sivananda Yoga Teachers in Quebec (http://www.sivananda.org/) and then, a big family festival in Massachusetts, celebrating my Auntie's 80th birthday. Again, a summer fueled by the power of LOVE.

Troop 249...1962, 2010

I can't adequately explain or communicate what happened Saturday morning in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Brownie troop 249 held a meeting in my parents' living room. Our last meeting was sometime in 1967 or so. As one Girl Scout after another walked through the front door, all I could think was, "We are all playing dress up!" We looked like grown women, nearing 60. Yet, we are still girls! We laughed and cried, sometimes at the same time. The memories and the tears flowed.

Let the pictures tell the story. You will note that all of the Scouts on the left side of the 1962 picture attended our Saturday morning tea. What does that mean? We plan on a gathering next summer, and would love to bring even more of the Troop together.

Stay tuned, I am putting together a short essay.

Mondial des Cultures, Drummondville, Quebec

Goddaughter Michaela Mae "Sunny" Powers and I adventured across the Canadian border Saturday, to see our Finnish friend, Outi Luukkainen-Markkula, dance. Part of the official dance troupe representing Finland at the World Culture Dance Festival outside of Montreal, Outi danced and jumped and flew and twirled across the giant stage with skill and grace. We can see a career in dance is well within her grasp.

Prior to the festival, we dined at Maria's, Outi's first Mexican restaurant. She and Michaela split spicy chicken and rice, baked in chocolate sauce. Lunch was followed by Indian Mango Smoothies.

With food and dancers from all over the world, we enjoyed experiencing a day of international friendship and celebration. Wouldn't it be nice if such cooperation and joy appeared around the planet? Shall we all dance, and practice peace?

My Dreamy Creamy Greeny Shawl

Have you ever felt the yarn made of Alpaca wool and silk? Today, I did, and ooooh, is it soft and cozy.
My friend Sylvia, an amazing knitter, offered to make me a meditation shawl, as payment for an oboe I had given her. Sylvia is both an oboist and an oboe teacher.
My oboe was sitting in our coat closet for years, and I decided it needed to be played. More than 20 years ago, I flirted with the idea of learning the oboe. I soon learned it was one of the hardest wind instruments to master.
Today, Sylvia dropped over and draped me. I am such a nut for Prima Vera...Spring Green. Without knowing it, Sylvia picked the color, based on having this special yarn available. What a fun surprise. I plan on wrapping up tonight and meditating...with the support of Alpacas, silk worms, Sylvia the knitter, oboes and oboists!

And Baby Makes....Me a Grandma!

Yes, all prayers are answered!
Since the September wedding in Iceland last year, we've been eager to have a grandbaby enter our lives. After all, Elliot found the most fantastic woman on the planet, so we know they are gonna make beautiful children and be incredible parents.

Though the Fourth of July holiday, we didn't need manmade fireworks in the sky. We were seeing sparkles and colors and glitter and glitz and stardust all around us. Ali has a baby bump! Yup, and Elliot asked us, "What are you doing for Christmas? Wanna be grandparents?"

So, we're expecting a Christmas baby in our lives...how cool is that??

All I want for Christmas is....that lil baby. Yippee!

An Extraordinary Evening!

Last night, our goddaughter, Michaela Mae "Sunny" Powers graduated from Westford Elementary. She is heading next fall to Essex High School.

We joined her family and attended the graduation ceremony for her class of around 30, and what an extraordinary night it was!

While we didn't know any other student, the program was so beautiful put together that we happily sat for more than one hour, listening to teachers read tributes to each child. To our surprise and delight, Michaela took the microphone after the faculty toasted her and spoke from the heart for several minutes. Reflecting on her rugged year as an eighth grader, marked by a struggle with her health, Michaela thanked all of her teachers for how they kept lifting her up and encouraging her to finish her work and pass. We were all inspired by the talk, which principal David Wells called, "poised."

Thurmond and I felt great joy when it was announced that Michaela won the Judith DeNova Personal Conviction Award, "Given to the student who has learned to dig deep to find the necessary courage and self-determination to persevere when things get tough." Yes, indeed, that is the Divine Miss M. She can and will do anything she puts her mind to! Hooray for you, MMP, can't wait to hear what you do in high school.

Sweet Voices of Love

Rainy day in the Green Mountains.....a wonderful time to sit quietly with a cuppa coffee and muse.

Last night, I returned to my northern home in the woods after a long day of travel. Boarded a train in Cleveland at 5:30 a.m. and miles later, drove into the Glover dooryard at 9 p.m.

The past month has been heavily scheduled. Returning from Florida to Vermont and full time work, I've had lots of demanding tasks, people to see and projects to complete. While such efforts feel good and give me satisfaction, stopping today and looking back is essential to Meaning Making.

Working in America's most heavily regulated field...long term care...(we are always told there is more government oversight of our operations than over Nuclear Power Plants!) it is dangerously easy to get fully engulfed in regulations and protocols. When I am swallowed in "compliance issues," I can miss the very joys and beauty that called me tenderly, to the work.

One of the residents of our old age home recently brought me back to the basics. A lovely gentleman, he is sweet and earnest, with no no no ability to remember the present. He can recall his past, but anything that happened recently is unretrievable. So, after I was away for a few days and returned to walk in the hallways, he saw me, smiled and said, "I can't remember who you are, but I know you love me."

Such is the preciousness of life, huh? I can mistakenly think regulatory paperwork and reimbursement policy define my day, but thank God, a sweet voice of love tells me otherwise.

P.S. Another way I stay conscious and in the present is through yoga. As both a teacher and a student, I find yoga quickly grounds me in the goodness of the moment, tuning my ear to the sweet voices of love. Here, Jack and Doe, two students, enjoy their gorgeous garden just before we begin an outdoor class.

Nearly 21 Months, and I'm Licensed!

What do I have in common with a baby elephant?

We each needed close to 22 months to appear...in my case, to become officially licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator!

Yup, at about 1:45 p.m. today, I learned I had successfully passed the state portion of the administrator's licensing examination. I had driven an hour south to Montpelier, and in the Office of Professional Regulation, lovely Elizabeth Hansen welcomed me for the test.

In India, Ganesh, the elephant God, is always summoned for a blessing when a new enterprise begins. How fitting!

So, Ganesh, thanks for your blessings. And thanks to everyone else who has been there for me through my gestation...Pat, Thurmond, Kay, Elliot, Ali, Riitta, Fran, Sujata, Yvonne, Nancy and all my family, friends, and coworkers who've been cheering and praying and encouraging me! Now, it is my honor to continue serving those who live and work in nursing homes. I am blessed.

Rejoicing and Running, Apple and Azalea Blossoms

We are rejoicing in the gorgeous days of May, tumbling in one after another. Celebrating the return of the plants and flowers is not confined to Vermont...as these happy pictures from Finland reveal! Thanks to friend and photographer Riikka Luukkainen-Markkula for these reminders of the miracle of the seasons. Here is her shot of a newly sprouted rhubarb leaf.
I believe my appreciation of spring has not only been heightened by the warmer than usual temperatures, but because I HAVE STARTED RUNNING. I can hardly believe I just wrote that, but yes, it is true, and I am having a great time. You ask WHY?

The entire month of January, Thurmond and I worked to recover from the awful swine flu, known as H1N1 around the world. Our energy was robbed, our bodies were weak and weary. I kept asking him, "What is the lesson of this flu?" Of course, only I could answer the question for myself.

When I finally did, I saw that I had allowed myself to get run down and susceptible to illness. I vowed, "When I get over this awful bug, I will commit myself to fitness." And I have!

What I didn't expect was that besides getting stronger, running would make me happier. I have this clean feeling, like I am open and ready to hold onto much more each day. Not only am I experiencing myself as more patient, but everything seems manageable. I suddenly see there is enough time in the day to live it well.

Saturday, I was able to smell the fragrant blossoms of the wild apple on Shadow Lake Road at least 30 before I reached the tree. (The flowering apple photograph above is actually from Finland, taken by RLM's trusty Olympus!) I left home that morning, determined to run the nearly 6 miles into town. One foot after another, I got to town. My face was so red, friends at the nursing home thought I had been burned! Just my happy heart, circulating blood and oxygen.

Thurmond drove down and met me at The Busy Bee Diner, where Tiana made me an enormous blueberry pancake. Yum.

Tomorrow, I am running again, with another woman named Bethany, who is also excited about reclaiming her fitness this spring. We both credit the other for the inspiration to keep running and pressing on...and we figure that Bethany times two is especially mighty. Nothing like the power of an encouraging friend. (I urge you to treat yourself to one.)

I've ordered myself a pair of New Balance WR1224 shoes, supposed to be great for stability and correcting my pronated right foot. I learned about these shoes reading Dr. Ben Kim's fact-filled blog. He writes, "From what I've read and heard, the latest models by New Balance provide an excellent combination of stability and support. One longtime client threw away her custom-made orthotics after going with the New Balance WR1224 shoes. Though these shoes are designed to support serious runners, in my mind, they're excellent for long walks and just going about your everyday activities."

Oh, you're wondering about the color of my new 1224s? AZALEA!

Flowers, Delivered From Vermont

Beautiful flowering fruit trees are decorating the Vermont landscape these days. I found this gorgeous crab apple up in Newport, near the Clyde River. Hard to want for a darn thing when you come upon something this beautiful.

One more gift to you today, sent to me by a dear friend:

Now is the Time

Now is the time to know
That all that you do is sacred.

Now, why not consider
A lasting truce with yourself and God.

Now is the time to understand
That all your ideas of right and wrong
Were just a child's training wheels
To be laid aside
When you finally live
With veracity
And love.

Hafiz is a divine envoy
Whom the Beloved
Has written a holy message upon.

My dear, please tell me,
Why do you still
Throw sticks at your heart
And God?

What is it in that sweet voice inside
That incites you to fear?

Now is the time for the world to know
That every thought and action is sacred.

This is the time for you to compute the impossibility
That there is anything
But Grace.

Now is the season to know
That everything you do
Is sacred.


'The Gift - Poems by Hafiz the Great Sufi Master'
translations by Daniel Ladinsky

Snowy Mother's Day

Happy Snowy Mother's Day!
Thought you would get a kick out of seeing my beautiful bouquet (from loving son and his loving wife...so sweet) with the white backdrop I woke to. HELP!
In Vermont, we call this "sugar snow," as it usually comes during the season maple sap is tapped from the trees...the first step in making maple syrup and maple sugar candy.

My poor daffodils hung down their heads and cried....

The good news is that, like maple candy, sugar snow doesn't last long. I hope to put my boots back in the closet tomorrow. Happy Mother's Day to all men and women who create; creation can come in the form of children, books, art, houses, music, roadways...whatever you produce. I salute you!

Greetings from "Getting Green" Vermont

By the Grace of God, we are back in Vermont...

Dear husband Thurmond drove more than 1600 miles in ....while I did a considerable amount of sleeping and (he tells me) with my mouth OPEN. Yikes....

Our country home awaited us patiently. A burst pipe was the only challenge, and a dear neighbor discovered it before we arrived and already fixed it. How great is Glover life with such wonderful friends? We are busy unpacking, washing, putting away. Had a toast with some of our delicious cold and pure well water. The dogs are loving the smells of the Green Mountain fields and forests. While it is just May 2, incredibly, the temperature is over 70 degrees. That is warm for spring in Vermont, and I ain't complaining.

Look what greeted us as we came up the driveway! Yes, we are blessed.

Tomorrow, back to Union House Nursing Home, and I can't wait. Thank you all for your prayers...we had a 100 percent safe trip. Sending love to you.

Two Good Tools for Self Care

As I promised my yoga students in Florida, I am posting this little blog to provide a refresher on the Tibetan Rites...and the recipe for my Sunflower Cookies.
Incorporate the rites into your daily routine. Thurmond and I do them daily; they take about 12 minutes for all five. Who doesn't have that much time to devote to their longevity?

Then, to balance out our day, a few homemade cookies do the trip. We especially love a sunflower cookie, from I've Got a Cook in Kalamazoo, a cookbook put out as a fundraiser in Kalamazoo, Michigan in the late 1990s. Enjoy!

Sunflower Cookies
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup applesauce)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsps. vanilla or whiskey
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups uncooked oats
3/4 sunflower seeds, raw
1/2 cup wheat germ

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and soda; add to creamed mixture. Fold in oats, sunflowers seeds and wheat germ.
Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Words to Live Into

Have you been introduced to the life and work of Sister Joan Chittister, a Benedictine from Erie, PA? I can't adequately express how much I love her work. She has written, what, 40 or 50 books? What follows is an excerpt from her latest, Uncommon Gratitude. I had to share it, as it is lays out such an awesome destination for our pursuit. (I've had the opportunity to hear her speak twice; she is even more mighty in person than on the page!)

Peace Be With You
A commitment to peace, to being peaceful, to peacefulness draws from a very deep well. It is a source beyond the corruptions of either ambition or pride. It transcends addiction to either power or personality cults.

Once peace comes to a person, the need for power simply disappears and goes to dust inside ourselves. We are enough for us. There is no reason to suppress the other, no need to make sure that no head in the room is higher than our own.

All the need for wars, either public or personal, evaporates. There is nothing valuable enough to gain from them to risk either the loss of the peace or the death of the other.

So we say an alleluia for the coming of peace, for the death of ambition, for the passing of pride that enables us to be happy with who we are and what we have.

And how does peace come? Simple. By accepting who we are and what we have as enough for us. By recognizing and respecting who the other is and what they have as theirs. By finding within ourselves “the pearl of great price,” the richest thing there is in life, the sense of the presence of the God who loves and companions us through all the pressures of life. “In moderating, not in satisfying, desires,” Reginald Heber wrote, “lies peace.”

Then we find that we have changed. We have become peaceful. We have come to realize now that we have all we need. We begin to see that our own role in life is only to spread the peace we have.

Then we begin to dedicate ourselves to that highest possible level of humanity that not only does good but, most of all, does no harm. We come to understand that simply doing good can be such a political ploy. Election periods abound in promises to do good that are no more than some kind of social bribe. To do no harm, on the other hand, requires real care, genuine compassion, true realization that the glow of the other diminishes no glow of my own. Then my own life begins to shine even more.

–from Uncommon Gratitude: Alleluia for All That Is by Joan Chittister and Rowan Williams (Liturgical Press)

Being Present

In his Academy Award winning portrayal of alcoholic country western singer/song writer Bad Blake in the movie Crazy Heart, actor Jeff Bridges confesses he was not a good father. Blake left his son when the boy was 4 years old, and never communicated with or saw him again.
Asked how he parented his son before he abandoned him, Blake (Bridges) replies, "Even when I was there, I wasn't there."

We saw Crazy Heart today, and I have been dwelling on this honest yet painful confession.

Have you ever felt someone you are with is actually missing? Have you experienced a person sharing the same physical space with you, though they are not present? Not connecting? Not getting it?

Living in the present is perhaps Buddha's most famous teaching. In his book, What the Buddha Taught, (Grove Press, NY, NY, ISBN 9-780802-130310) Walpola Rahula reviews humanity's need to learn this lesson:
"People do not generally live in their actions, in the present moment. They live in the past or the future. Though they seem to be doing something now, here, they live somewhere else in their thoughts, in their imaginary problems and worries, usually in the memories of the past or in desires and speculations about the future. Therefore they do not live in, nor do they enjoy, what they do at the moment. So they are unhappy and discontented with the present moment, with the work at hand, and naturally they cannot give themselves fully to what they appear to be doing. "

Last week, my Mother related a beautiful vignette from her day, evidence she was absolutely positively living in the moment. Kay was outside, brushing out her dog Sur's undercoat. "I furminated Sur this A. M.. So much fur came off!" she wrote. "While I was sitting there on the front deck, a chickadee came and took some of the fur and flew off with it. I was so thrilled, just think Sur's fur is warming, or will be, some babies in the nest." (photo courtesy of Outside My Window bird blog.)

Interviewed about Crazy Heart before he won his Oscar, leading man Jeff Bridges was asked, "What do you want audiences to take away from the film?"

BRIDGES: "The words 'waking up' kind of comes to mind—that we can wake up from the bad dreams we put ourselves in."

Feeling alone is often the result of forgetting to live in the present. Is it time to wake up to this isolating practice, and manifest more joy in the present? Why not wake up and watch the chickadee make her nest? Now!

Beauty and Mystery

For several months, we've been waiting to put a hibiscus plant in the ground.

Part of Florida's allure is the fun of having a garden full of exotic, flowering plants, shrubs and trees. During a February warm spell, we bought a hibiscus; then the weather got colder and we just weren't sure it would survive 24 hours a day outdoors. Many nights we hauled her onto the screen porch, when the weatherman cautioned us about possible freezing temperatures.

Finally, on Saturday, Thurmond prepared the ground for her arrival. He used fertilizer and mulch and tucked her roots in deep...he even bought some fancy bricks to encircle her.

Then, as if she had been waiting to finally settle down, almost overnight, Miss Hibis adorned herself in giant blossoms. Saucer-sized, reddish orange blooms burst forth from every side. The blooms reminded me of TV dish antennas...wide and beaming upwards.

But, the truth about hibiscus is that their beauty is fleeting. Blooms last but one day. At sunset, they begin to close up, and by the next sunrise, they have fallen to the ground. Watching this display, I am struck by the beauty and the mystery.

Accepting the seasons of life, in all their manifestations, is not always easy. We may want something to last longer, for a friend not to move, for a visit to be extended. But everything has a beginning and an end. The secret, it seems, is to fully enjoy the time in between. And keep our eyes open, watching for the next buds.

I PASSED MY EXAM!

YES, YES, YES!

I PASSED THE NURSING HOME ADMINISTRATOR'S EXAM TODAY!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

I AM SO GLAD, RELIEVED, EXCITED.

More news to follow; right now, I just wanna enjoy the after glow....my three hour exam bore fruit!

I PASSED.

YIPPEE!

Doing Good While Shopping for Dog Treats?

Do you buy dog treats, little chews or tasty snacks for your puppies? Besides making sure they are nutritious and affordable, have you ever wondered if your simple purchase does good beyond your dog's belly? (Oh, I don't mean at the end of the large intestines...don't go there!)

For more than 12 years, every time someone buys Milk-Bone® dog snacks, a donation is sent to Canine Assistants®.
Canine Assistants is a non-profit organization, founded in 1991, that trains and provides service dogs for children and adults with special needs, for FREE!

Canine Assistants dogs open doors, pick up items, pull wheelchairs, go for help, turn on lights and perform over 90 other commands. How awesome is that?

The program starts with an adorable puppy... click here to read the story of NOBLE, a noble pup who entered public service via the Canine Assistants.

So, with my dogs, Haskell and Cindygirl, and all the other dogs in my extended family, from the top:

BANDIT, FIERCE AMBASSADOR OF LOVE AT UNION HOUSE NURSING HOME
SIMBA, IN INDIA

(L TO R) THE LATE GIRL, HASKELL AND THE LATE BOY, GUARDING THURMOND'S VIOLIN SHOP
SUR(PRISE) MY PARENTS' DOGGIE

BOY WITH HASKELL AS A PUPPY (See puppy Girl in the mailbox?)

PLAYFUL SEB AND ZANNA, ELLIOT AND ALI'S KIDS

HASKELL AND CINDY GIRL, LOUNGING ON OUR VERMONT PORCH

I invite you to join us and buy Milk-bones treats. Nothing like finding easy ways to do good...AND multiple our power to help, huh?