Summer is FINALLY Here!!

Summer is FINALLY here!!! It has been so hot this weekend. Saturday was the perfect day!

What a better way to start the 4 day long weekend (yup, we took Monday off!!) than a trip to the Farmer's Market with the girls on Saturday morning. We went early (8A.M) in order to get the fresh scones from the Scone Lady but she wasn't there this weekend. BAH! So, we had fresh chocolate zucchini coconut muffins instead...mmmmmm!

Then we wandered around and bought fresh organic, local, pesticide free vegetables. Love it!!

Sarah and Tara



Lori and Rana



Oh and we all got perennials for a $1.00 - how awesome is that!!!!



Yvan hurt his back on Friday but after a trip to physio Saturday morning and little manipulation he was back up walking around...albeit slowly...but still better than not at all.

The physio told to walk lots this weeekend so we picked up my lovely Grandma up at her apartment and walked down along the river to the Jazz Fest. They set up a free stage in the park every year and it is quite nice to sit in the park and listen to the local musicians play. We had ice cream and popcorn...watched the people stream by and listened to great Cajun inspired music.

We decided to take an arms length photo - which are usually great shots but some reason today wasn't so hot...

Our first attempt



O.K. Yvan you try!!!

Nope this one didn't work either....I won't bore you with the 5 other shots we took that didn't work...instead we finally decided to ask someone to take a photo for us.

Don't you just love my Grandma in her shades!! She rocks!!!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend :)

Happy Canada Day to all!!!

Weird Emails

Sometimes I get these really weird emails. Ya, ya I know they are spam emails but they are still weird!!!

I read these weird emails I think to myself:

1. Does the sender of the these emails really think someone is going to respond?
2. If someone does respond, then they most certainly are weirder than the sender...aren't they?
3. Is this a message from outer space? -It really is the only logical reason someone would send such a weird email
4. Is there some hidden message in the email?
5. Is there some sort of code to the break the hidden message?
6. If there is a code - does anyone out there no how to break it? If so, please tell me ;)
7. Is this a government email and they are sending it to see who responds to it and then they really know who the crackpots in the world are?
8. Why do I care? Don't I have better things I could be doing other than analyzing these weird emails?

Yes, I do but I am honestly bored and tired of working right now so this is a good distraction...lol!!

Here is said weird email:

"God dag,

And why again had he to sink beneath the surface me up forthe night, i jumped up and got on my policy, and militaryexigencies. He knew it was o mightyarmed vrikodara, vowed,saying,i shall bhima, the suta's son of great valour, witheyes more or less valuable in the hope of winning more them.from her are born four other kine, o matali, platesculpture,supposed roman, in the church."

See weird!

And now for something completely different!

COME ON CAFAC!!! BRING ON THE REFERRALS !!!!

This is my shout out to CAFAC for those ladies who have been waiting way to long to find out who their children are!

O.k. back to work and then off to Cirque Du Soleil - YA!

A Couple of Inspirations

So, I mentioned in my last post that I had gotten lazy the last week of my 40 Days and didn't post the daily inspirations. Some of them were very yoga targeted - however there were two that touched me...so for your reading pleasure and continued inspiration here you go:

The divine life can be summed up in six words

"Serve
love
give
purify
meditate
and realize"

-Swami Sivananda

ME I AM

I am the only ME I AM
who qualifies as me;
no ME I AM has been before,
and none will ever be.

No other ME I AM can feel
the feelings I've within;
no other ME I AM can fit
precisely in my skin.

There is no other ME I AM
who thinks the thoughts I do;
the world contains one ME I AM,
there is no room for two.

I am the only ME I AM
this earth shall ever see;
that ME I AM I always am
is no one els but ME!

-Jack Prelutsky

DAY 40

Hooray!!!! Day 40 in the "40 Days of Change" has arrived.

I know this last week I didn't post any inspirational quotes. It was getting difficult towards the end to get them on here but I was still receiving them everyday from my yoga instructor.

I must admit that I was a little skeptical going into the 40 days - Would I be able to do it? Would i feel any different at the end of it?

If you have been following along with me you know that we were asked to set intentions for our journey on the "40 Days". The intentions were to be simple and do able.

Mine was to walk my dog everyday and enjoy living in the moment!!!

I did walk my almost everyday and if I didn't walk him then my husband did. The biggest part of that intention for me was the living in the moment. Over the last few months I had been struggling with this...and when I started the 40 days I thought "wow, that is a long time to focus on the now" but you know what - the 40 days went by so quickly and I enjoyed every single day!!!!

I lived, breathed, loved, and enjoyed each moment that I experienced - even if it was a sad time or stressful situation I still tried to embrace that exact moment.

I do feel a "change" occured during this time and it feels really good. The daily inspiration's I received helped in this process and it was awesome to receive a little bit of positivity each day - I will miss it.

Now the challenge is to keep this everyday for the rest of my life :)

Thank you to all of you who participated or followed along with me - I hope you enjoyed the the "40 Days of Change" as much as I did.

Here is the inspiration for the 40th day

Sunday's Inspiration - 40th Day!!!

"There is nothing to practice.
To know yourself, be yourself.
To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that.
Just be. Let your true nature emerge. Don't disturb your mind with seeking.
When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom.
When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two.

-Nisargdatta Maharaj

You are enough.
BE your brilliance!"

Wow - I love this final quote!

Peace and Love

Rana

Rachel, Me and Duran Duran

*Warning this post is not adoption related but might be good for a laugh ;)

When I hit my tween years back in the oh-so-early '80's I discovered the best boy band ever created - Duran Duran!!! (I know the Beatles were the first but I wasn't born yet)

My love affair with Duran Duran has lasted thru the years - it did wain a bit when U2 came into my life but Duran Duran will always have a special place in heart.

I used to have bunk beds and I slept in the bottom bunk (I had a bad habit of sleeping walking when I was younger and I always managed to nose dive off the top bunk while I was sleeping) and I would plaster photos of the boys - Simon, Nick, Andy, John and Roger around the inside of my bunk. This way they would be the last thing I saw before I went to bed and the first thing I saw when I woke up. Seriously, I did this!

I had Duran Duran rock t-shirts - you know the 2 tone shirts with the 3/4 length sleeves.

I had a Duran Duran hat that I wore everywhere - I have photos of myself wearing the hat and the t-shirt at the same time. Oh I was a style master let me tell you!!!

I bought every issue of Tiger Beat, Teen Beet, Seventeen, you name it if there was anything remotely related to Duran Duran on the cover I bought it.

I would watch Friday Night Videos and MTV for hours in the hopes that I would see one of their videos...and some times I would cry - yes, I was one of THOSE girls...I cried if I saw them doing an interview, or a story about them came on and one of them spoke...I had it bad....teen fever at its best. My mother was a very tolerant woman to be sure.

Here are few photos of some of my Duran Duran memorabilia that I have kept over the years...sadly I have lost the hat - oh how I loved that hat....

and yes...you may laugh at me now...

This is a photo of all the stuff I have saved...someone gave me the concert book in the upper right - I have not yet seen them in concert myself!

Song lyrics that I hand wrote out!

The denim jacket back patch! Sadly - I never got to put this on the back of a denim jacket - I soooooo wanted to!

This collection is paltry compared to what I used to have - but as I have grown older and moved place to place it has dwindled...this is the stuff that I will keep to my last day.

Jump to now - and my fantastic, awesome, beautiful, charming, funny, girl friend Rachel who I have known for what seems like forever. She lives in Vancouver and so I don't get to see her much but when I do it is like we had only seen each other yesterday. I love her and miss her!

Rachel recently had the pleasure of seeing Duran Duran in concert about 2 months ago (her 2nd or 3rd time) but this time she won herself fifth row tickets and backstage passes from answering a question on a local radio station. The question was "How tall is the lead singer Simon LeBon of Duran Duran?"

She called me at work and told me this right away - I almost fell of my chair!!!

Then.....she sent me this yesterday!!!!

OMG!!!!!! It is Simon, Nick, Roger and John in the flesh!!!!!! Rachel is the hottie in red and her friend is in the black skirt. (Sadly Andy is no longer touring with the Band)

I AM GREEN WITH ENVY!!!!

This is my childhood dream...to meet Duran Duran. My friend Rachel got to live out her childhood dream too and they signed her memento book she brought with her...Simon even commented on her...ah hem...rack...he liked the view...how cheeky of him :)

Rachel you are ONE LUCKY GIRL!!!! I live vicariously thru you!!!

My Poor Leroy

My poor Leroy is sick...not the really bad news kind of sick but still sick nonetheless.

Yesterday we noticed that he was having a hard time going to the bathroom...he is usually quite regular...and was spending a lot of time licking his little bum. When I picked him up to look I noticed that we was really swollen and red on one side. So, we called the vet right away and they got him in.

The uber vet we have took one look at his little bum and said he needed to have his glands drained. Which he did - oh this is so not pretty - and it seemed to be better. However, as the night progressed we noticed that his licking was intensifying again and when we looked we could see that the area had swollen to about 3 times what it should be and he had a weird little bruisey-looking thing appearing.

I spent all night trying to stop him from licking and first thing this morning I called the vet to get him back in. The vet told us to come in immediately!!! He said that he had an infection in this area and it was very close to abscessing. He was going to have to open the area and leave a hole so the infection could drain.

This all happened so quickly and I usually have to prepare myself for weeks before we take our pets in for any kind of surgery so I was very upset!! Leroy looked shell shocked when the vet tech took him from me too.

We picked him up at 2 today and he is not very happy. His wound is quite big (I won't gross you out with photos) and it is oozing goo! We have to keep in a kennel for a few days so the other furry kids don't try to lick his wound for him.

I hate when my animals are sick - it literally makes me sick with fear that they will die - I can't even begin to imagine how I will be with kids.

He is resting now and we need to watch his wound to make sure it doesn't get infected...poor little Leroy! He is so tiny and we hate to see him in pain :(

Professional Photo Shoot

Yesterday we went for our first "professional photo shoot" as a family. We have never gone as a couple, let alone a family for professional photos done in a studio with all the lighting gear, props, etc.....so we were very excited.

We were even more excited because we got to bring our fur babies along! We had the immense pleasure of working with Lisa Landrie of Shutterbug Photo. We had seen the photos she had done for our friend and his dogs and were blown away. I called her right away to book a session - almost 2 months ago! We had been eagerly anticipating this day for a long, long time.

We were not disappointed - our expectations were definitely surpassed! Lisa was so much fun - it was like we had always known her! She was fantastic with the dogs and cats - Grissom loved her! Her eye for a beautiful shot was apparent....of the animals of course :)

Her studio is beautiful and has so much natural light with a beautiful green backdrop just outside the windows - we made the right choice of photographer for our first professional photos!!!

Lisa told us she would send a few "teasers" so we checked our email all night last night - and she didn't let us down.

Here are the ones she has sent us so far - (she took something like 174 photos - the beauty of digital cameras)



Our little Leroy ought to be a model dog - he is really, really, really, really, good looking!!! Seriously, I can't stand how good he looks.

There are some amazing shots of the cats and I can't wait to see them all - Grissom has so much puppy energy that it was hard to get him to sit still...you can tell he was more interested in what I was doing then looking at the camera.

Thanks Lisa!, we can't wait to see the rest of the photos!!!!!

*Edit - forgot to post today's Inspiration from my yoga instructor

Sunday's Inspiration - Day 33

"Meditate
Live purely.
Be quiet
Do your work
with mastery.
Like the moon,
come out from behind the clouds!
Shine"

- Buddha

Saturday's Inspiration a day a late

Saturday's Inspiration - Day 32

The days have merged as the moments stand still...expanding, then tumbling into the infinite abyss of space...
blue blue sky.
Each moment holds a gift - I'm sure you've heard this before :)...
'tis why its called the present.

How to develop present moment awareness.

Breathe deeply:
Focus your attention on your breath.

Focus on your body:
Use simple daily tasks like brushing your teeth or taking a shower
to bring attention to your body and focus your awareness on what you
are doing in the moment.

Meditate for brief periods of time each day:
Start out with 5 minutes of silence and stillness and build from there.

You might even practise the pleasure of stillness 2 or 3 times a day.

Enjoy, this is not hard work, it is joyful .

Laughter IS the Best Medicine

This morning I did my usual perusal of message boards and blogs.

I hit Dianne's blog close to lunch time (I do have to work in-between my blog reading ya know). She is quirky, cute and sweet and I always enjoy reading her thoughts. Today she had a link to a blog about cakes - being the ever inquisitive person that I am...I clicked on the link....

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...BREATHE IN...HA HA HA HA...TEARS ROLLING DOWN MY CHEEKS....HA HA HA HA...SNORT....HA HA HA HA HA HA!

This is one funny blog - you must go to Cake Wrecks - GO NOW! I called Yvan into my office because I knew that he would love this too. I had already read all the posts and had been laughing my pootutie off - but let me tell you it was even funnier the second time around - Yvan was in tears too as he read - aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh Laughter truly is the best medicine.

Be sure to read all the way done the page and you need, need, need to read the blog author's comments...he or she is hysterical!

Dianne - thanks so much for sharing this...every time I need a really good laugh I will go back to this blog time and time again.

On another note: I subscribe to Vanity Fair magazine. I find the writing to be intelligent, informative and witty. I always enjoy Graydon Carter's editorial (he is originally from Canada). I know they are left-of-center in their thinking at V.F. but I am too.

On the front cover of this month's issue (way down in the corner in small print) was a quote from Virginia Woolf...it is the quote I am using for today's inspiration - I think it complements Wednesday's inspiration and Ubuntu quite nicely.

Friday's Inspiration - Day 31

"As a woman I have no country. As a woman my country is the whole world."

-Virginia Woolf

Rainy Day

Rainy Days are days that I would like to stay home, snuggle up on the couch with my cats and dogs, and watch a movie! We need the rain as it has been so dry and dusty around here but that could be the cold winds we have had this spring too.

I wonder when summer will come....it feels like it might not...so today is a blah day!!!

We are taking the fur babies and getting a family portrait done this weekend! Yvan and I have never had "professional studio photos" taken and we thought it would be fun to include the furry ones. I think all of the animals will be superstars!!!

We found a fantastically creative photographer thru a friend of ours who had photos done with her and they were absolutely incredible...I booked a session with her as soon as I saw the photos. Her company is called Shutterbug and you should see her work!

She has a blog too and I found this cute little video that made my rainy day better so I thought I would share it.



Thursday's Inspiration - Day 30

" Let us be grateful to people who make us happy,
they are charming gardeners who make our souls blossom"

- Marcel Proust

Ubuntu

We drink a lot of Starbucks coffee and tea in our office. I mean alot...like everyday...I know we should stop this bad money spending habit and invest in a coffee maker and tea pot and brew our vices at the office. I am thinking the money we spend on coffee and tea could go to many, many, many better places!! This is something we are truly working on curbing!

This morning I received my daily inspiration from my yoga instructor for the "40 days of Change". We are on day 29 (whooHoo!).

Today's inspiration was inspiring but after I read it I happened to look over at my Starbucks tea cup to read the "The Way I See It" they had printed on it. I always read them! They are usually very good. If you have never seen them, the next time you have a take out cup from Starbucks look at the back of the cup.

The quote on the back of the cup was a new one for me - I usually get the one about the doctor who was born in America and his cousin was born in Nepal and how because of where they were born they were presented with very different ways to live life.

This new quote was so inspiring and quite astute!

As always these things tend to drop in my lap when they are needed the most.

Wednesday's Inspiration - Day 29 -brought to you by Starbucks

"We will end poverty and stop HIV/AIDS within our generation when guided by African principles such as "Ubuntu" that underscore our interconnectedness. With greater compassion for others, we would no longer accept hunger and disease as facts of life."

-Cedza Dlamini, Youth Emissary

I decided to look up the word "Ubuntu" and here is what I found:

Wikipedia says - "Ubuntu, pronounced [ùbúntú], is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of Southern Africa. Ubuntu is seen as a traditional African concept"

Nelson Mandela explains Ubuntu in this You Tube video.

There were many other sites that talk about Ubuntu so if you have a curiosity to learn more about Ubuntu...search the world wide web!

I have always believed that what we do in our country affects someone on the other side of the globe and vice versa. I think the workings of life are like a teeter totter - if something on one side has too much, then the other side is out of balance...only when each side has equality does the teeter totter balance. I wish we could get the world to be a balanced teeter totter......

Much love

Day 28

I did not get an inspiration on Sunday from my yoga teacher so is here another of one of my personal favourites.

Sunday's Inspiration - Day 27

"It ain't what you know that gets you into trouble.

"It's what you know for sure that just ain't so!"

-Mark Twain

However, we are now back to our regularily scheduled inspiration's courtesy of my yoga teacher :)

Monday's Inspiration - Day 28

"We've all heard this before....but reminders like this never hurt. A Tibetan Buddhist teacher of mine says that we need to hear something 7,000 times [all lifetimes count :)] before we Know it completely.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

-Marianne Williamson

The Middle Path

So, the inspiration from my yoga teacher yesterday is geared towards yoga! As a sporadic yogi I truly believe this inspiration is also really pertinent to everyday life. In fact, I went to a meditation workshop Thursday night and the teacher spoke about "staying on point" which can mean staying the moment, keeping your eye on the prize, having a goal and working towards it.

I think I will strive to stay on the point or the middle path whatever you want to call it!

Saturday's Inspiration - Day 26

"The Middle Path

“Yoga is not for the person who eats too much, or who starves him or herself. Yoga is not for the person who sleeps too much, or who doesn't sleep at all. The middle path is Yoga. The Yogi knows how much to eat, to sleep, to speak. That is the middle path. It is the Buddhas teaching also, the golden medium. You should go neither to that extreme, nor to this extreme. So, don't abruptly cut off your senses. Allow the senses to enjoy the world, but don't get carried away with them. If we know there is a limitation in everything, then life will be good to us. Everything will be golden."

Open to Possibilities

Friday's Inspiration - Day 25

"Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities -- always see them, for they're always there."

-- Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

"One of the saddest lines in the world is, 'Oh come now - be realistic.' The best parts of this world were not fashioned by those who were realistic. They were fashioned by those who dared to look hard at their wishes and gave them horses to ride."

-- Richard Nelson Bolles

"The world would have you agree with its dismal dream of limitation. But the light would have you soar like the eagle of your sacred visions."

-- Alan Cohen"It's kind of fun to

Two posts in one day

Wow, two posts in one day! I am such a keener.

I got today's inspiration and thought I had better post it right away as it is about enjoying life! Sometimes things come to you just as you need them...and I am definitely in need!

Thursday's Inspiration - Day 24

"How to Enjoy Life"

"If everything is peaceful in life, there's no fun in it. There should be some problems also, some challenges.

You cannot watch a movie that is always loving, joyful, happy, happy, happy. No. Some conflict should be there also, a villain should be there. People like to see that kind of drama.

This world is also a drama. The saints tell us, 'The whole world is a stage,' and in a play, every kind of action is there.

So how can we enjoy this drama? By not getting involved in it. Just be a witness. We have to rise above all these things and know that ultimately it is all God's will.

When you accept God's will, you can retain your peace. Then only can you play your part in life, and play it well.

"God bless you. Om Shanthi, Shanthi, Shanthi."

Mopey Martha

Yesterday I was one "Mopey Martha". I am pretty sure I brought everyone in the office down...I am not sure why this last update threw me for a loop so much! But it did! Anyways, I moped around all day.

Oh and I discovered 3 new planets yesterday - yup! Little ol' me discovered new planets...too bad they were on my face...I never get pimples...I am not trying to brag...I just am inherently lucky in that department and got my mother's good skin....I think the stress brought all the toxins directly to the surface of my face...blech!

Thankfully, I had a hair appointment booked for 5:00p.m. - I know it is super shallow but I tell ya - there is nothing to make a gal feel a wee bit better than getting your hair done. It was two hours of cut, color and hilights. I love my hairstylist - she is new to me - but she is fantastic!!! She is funny, kind and best of all really great at what she does....anyways when I sat down in her chair I was a puddle of mope and she really brightened me up...literally with hilights...she made me laugh, feel good and look good :) Can I just point out how good it feels to get your hair shampooed..it does...soooo good....I should just go for a shampoo when I am feeling low. I left feeling much better.

I think I will take Hazel and Julie's advice and look at the 8 month side of the wait time instead of the 15 month side! Thanks everyone who left me such a nice post the other day :) You gals rock!

Yesterday's Inspiration didn't arrive into my email box until late last night so I am posting it today.

I have to say that I really like this inspiration a lot!

Wednesday's Inspiration - Day 23

"If there is to be Peace in the world,
There must be Peace in the nations.

If there is to be Peace in the nations,
There must be Peace in the cities.

If there is to be Peace in the cities,
There must be Peace between neighbors.

If there is to be Peace between neighbors,
There must be Peace in the home.

If there is to be Peace in the home,
There must be Peace in the Heart.

—Lao Tzu

Today...I wish you great Peace."

Update from Agency

Yesterday we got an update from our agency on our file which told us the following:

1. Signed up with agency May 31, 2007
2. Dossier went to Ethiopia November 2007
3. Requesting infant under 12 months either gender

So, as you can see they didn't really tell us anything that we didn't already know.

Well, that is not exactly true...they did tell us that wait times have increased since the last update in January (umm...well...ok. March) which had times for infants under 24 months at 9-12 months...they are now saying the wait time for this age range is 8-15 months....aaaarrrrggggh! Just when we had reached what we thought was the half-way mark....

I know that the agency isn't to blame for this....the program in Ethiopia has grown substantially in the last year...there are now almost 60 adoption agencies operating in Ethiopia. This is in part because people are turning away from the China program because the wait times have almost tripled there and switching over to Ethiopia. They are now saying something like referrals for China will come in 2016 for those signing up now. CRAAAAAZZZZZY!

So, last night I was one unhappy camper and ranted and raved about this fact with some friends of ours who dropped over for a visit - I mean no one wants to hear that wait times have increased...but as I tell everyone else - "a couple more months waiting is better than never!" Time I take my own advice!!!

We also learned that the agency has found a new home for the kidlets to live in and this one has a nice big back yard...the house seemed quite large too and looked very new which is fantastic!

I guess I better "hitch up my boot straps" or whatever the expression is and hunker down for a longer wait than anticipated and keep myself busy.

What better way to keep oneself busy than to sign for a Half Marathon training clinic!!! Yup! I am one crazy chickadee but now I can leave all my frustration, anger and sadness out on the running paths! Watch out Queen City Marathon - This will be one ferocious "Momma-in-waiting" come September - I am going to remember to pee before the race and will rip up the course - ha ha ha!

I didn't get an inspiration yesterday so I am going to leave you with one of my favourite motto's:

Monday's Inspiration - Day 21 (courtesy of Moi)

Life's regrets are not the things we did but the things we didn't do!

Tuesday's Inspiration - Day 22

I arise today...
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of Sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

-Saint Patrick, 5th century patron saint of Ireland

Much love from the crazy running gal!

Weekend Inspiration

Today, Sunday June 1, marks the 20th day in the "40 Days of Change". I have to say that the intentions I have set and then "let go" are definitely working...I feel a change, which in turn makes me feel pretty at ease with myself, my life and my world.

Sunday's Inspiration - Day 20

"You're off to great places.
You're off and away!
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest....

Except when you don't,
because, sometimes, you won't...

I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you."

- Dr. Suess

We all know by now that life is full of ups and downs, wins and losses, darkness and light. But if you're like me, my mind still prefers the ups to the downs, the light to the dark. Its a practice to leave preferences behind and find contentment in each moment - santosha. I love that word. I also love the following story, for it comes to mind whenever I notice my mind taking me down some "not so good street" about whatever happens to be presenting itself in my life....a situation hovering in mid-air before me... curiously waiting for my response.

I reach for this story and grab the words "ah so" and practice.....

"There was a monk who lived in the monastery up on the hill. The local girl down in the village got pregnant by the fisherman. She didn't want to cause problems for him in the village, so she said, "It was the monk up in the monastery. They knocked on the gate, and the monk opened the door; they said to the monk, "This is your baby - you raise it." And the monk said, "Ah, so." And he took the baby, and he closed the gate. I mean, the guy's whole life changed just like that, in that moment, and his only reaction is, "Ah, so."

Nine years later the girl was dying. She didn't want to die without admitting what had happened, so she said to the people, "Look, I lied. It really wasn't the monk, it was the fisherman."

The villagers were horrified! They went up to the monastery and they knocked on the door. The monk opened the gate, and there standing next to him was this nine-year-old child. The villagers said, "We've made a terrible mistake. This isn't your child after all. We'll take him back down to the village to raise him, and you're free to go back to your monastic life." And the monk said, "Ah, so." He was so much right here that whatever new change arose, "Ah, so." [as told by Ram Dass]

Saturday's Inspriation - Day 19

"Our whole business therefore in this life," wrote Saint Augustine, rather Yogically, "is to restore to health...the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen."

Hope everyone is having a great weekend :)