Is this statutory rape?

....or is It just a moosedemeanor?

No, No – I am not back. Time Out is still in effect!

But I couldn’t resist sharing this with you.

(Gee, it looks as if I am as desperate as this guy!)

Photos: GekoTales.com

Time Out

I’ll take a brake from blogging for a while,

because I have to fly to the moon.

No, seriously, I am ‘all over the place’ right now and nowhere close to that serene scene the picture above radiates. There is no way I can do everything I would like to at the moment. Mid March, I will travel to Europe for a month, and there is so much to do before I leave. That means I have to give up a few things and focus on those who have priority.

I still will visit your blogs, my friends, in those special moments in between when I need a treat and have to recharge my battery!

So long for a while and Love your way!

Elephants and Compassion

Monthly calendar from Africa

It’s been crowded and busy around my place since I am back from my meditation retreat, and I wasn’t able to write down my experience. In fact, I didn’t have time to blog at all. And for once, dear Ramesh over at Global-Madrasi , it doesn’t have anything to do with procrastinating.
He’s pushin’ it a bit (pestering me, really, on a daily basis). To stop him I have no other chance then to use those 5 minutes I could have slept longer (are you feeling guilty, eh?) to write something, ANYTHING! (just to get him off my back!).

I love Elephants, and they co-habit my space, in all shapes and sizes. I could elaborate, but see above, time is not on my side right now. So, I take the easy way out and borrowed the following video from Sandi over at Lucky Tirteen Plus One.

Turns out, Elephants don’t need a meditation course to show kindness and compassion in its purest form!

Enjoy!

Wherever You Go – There You Are!

"I am going to have a workout for the consciousness!"

Grant yourself a moment of peace,
And you will understand
How foolishly you have scurried about.
Learn to be silent,
And you will notice that
You have talked too much.
Be kind,
And you will realize that
Your judgment of others was too severe.

~ Ancient Chinese Proverb

My mind is in a terrible state of disorder; my attention span is – well – record braking short. I am distracted easily, and I am a procrastinator extraordinaire. I have good intentions. Oh yes. Thousands of them.

I was told that I don’t have to solve those problems on my own, just meditate, they say, and they will dissolve. The main purpose of meditation, they say, is to undo our bad “conditioning”.

So, I meditate – off and on for more than 15 years. But like I sad, I am an awful distracted person. I let anything and everybody divert my attention, and I am a terrible procrastinator. Every evening I have that glorious intention that I will meditate in the morning. Every morning my clock rings at 4:30 am, scares the hell out of me, gives me heart palpitations – especially when I just went to bed 3 hours earlier – did I mention that I am a procrast...? Oh well. I turn around, slip deeper under the covers – it’s so warm, and cozy, and comforting… just a minute or so – I doze off and I am gone, back to dreamland.

My bad conscious wakes me up an hour later. I start to meditate and can’t concentrate because I am mad at myself that I procrastinated again – my brain chatters back and forth and keeps me entertained. It takes me ages to get to that spot I could have been hours before.

Oh those trappings.

I know I am not the only procrastinator here. Ther's at least one more; it helps to know, but that doesn't solve MY problem.

According to science, meditation is good for the heart, quiets the mind, strengthens the immune system, increases vitality, and awakens creativity.

Propaganda you say?

Even if the propaganda is true, it is said that the moment those aspects enter the field of meditation, the whole practice is ruined. The moment one introduces a goal to meditation, it is gone.

I need help.

I have one more confession (the rest I will keep to myself): I do nothing at all – or everything at once. I am the queen of multitasking. And that, they say, is not very efficient.

I really need help!

Ok, now I am going to solve all those problems at once. I am taking a meditation course. Not a one-day course – pfff – I did several of them and what did they do to me? Just more of the above. And, like I said, I am not a step-by-step person.

I am going to attend a 10-day Vipassana Meditation Course. Intensive. Yes, that’s me! I will practice “Noble Silence” for the entire 10 days – no communication of any kind. There will be no talking, no physical contact – not even a blink with an eye to my neighbour. No books!

NO BOOKS??!!

I am not allowed to read, write or listen to music. No physical exercise (that’s ok), I can’t lie (thank goodness to the silence), no killing of an animal (glad it’s not mosquitoe season), complete celibacy (oh my) and I have to leave my drugs (I am talking weeds and Mike H’s Hot Toddy’s here, not Advil) at home.

Maybe you hear again from me. After January 21, 2009

If I survive.

A Potpourri of Lifestyles

I love to step inside the daily lives of people around the globe. I feel honoured when they allow me a private look at their unique way of life, be that my own culture or far away.

Does that make me a voyeur? (Heck, that would be a criminal offence in Canada).

Nothing is more exhilarating to me when I travel than take every opportunity given to me (or else I threaten everyone if they don’t let me in) to get an insight look into other lifestyles.

Consequently, my own style is somewhat… mixed up!

The other day we bloggers asked Braja a lot of very private questions and wanted to know everything about her daily life, which, of course, she answered promptly in her unique and amusing way. But then, Braja (that nosy yogini) turned around and asked me to show her my sari I was bragging about. Because of that sari I had to paint a wall in orange (go figure). When I come downstairs in the morning and the sun peeks through the windows - I could lick my walls (now, THAT makes me a loony).

Here it is, my beautiful
silk sari (saree), doing
duty as a curtain in my
entrance. I bought it
almost 20 years ago in
Delhi – and look at the
colours – still vibrant
like new!














The rod is a branch I found on one of my walks - beautifully carved art by worms!

If you must, you can see more of my ‘con-fusion’ decorating style here.

Have A Fabulous 2009

Ready to celebrate the beginning of a New Year?

Cheer, joy, and love YOUR way!

May all your wishes come true!

Did you make resolutions?

I am with Anais Nin on this one: “I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.”

Got Milk?

Life is a banquet ...