The relationship between cattle and cattle egrets seems graceful to me. The photo below portrays a common scene in India. This year, I learned that cattle trust the egrets so much that they will even allow the birds to remove flies and other insects that are located near their eyes.
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When I think of the word graceful, I think of flowers I have seen in India and in the U.S. I also thing of Brahminy kites, birds which are in the same class, order and family as eagles. Every year, I watch them soar above Amma’s ashram in Amritapuri, India.
When I saw that the Weekly Photo Challenge for this week was “Names”, I knew exactly what my contribution would be.
I laugh whenever I think of the name of this bakery in Vallikavu, India– and I thoroughly enjoy eating their ice cream sundaes. I, of course, had to buy one when I went to town to take this photo today. The sundae was called Chocolate Fantasy. Yummmm!
To see all of the posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
a) Banana palms are not trees. There is no wood in a banana palm.
b) The stem is made up of gigantic leaves so the banana palm is classified as an herb.
c) Three years ago, I read that the banana palm are classified as a grass, but I am unable to validate that information.
d) Banana palms only produce fruit once. The palms die away and new shoots spring up. Those shoots can be replanted in other places.
e) Banana palms grow quickly in the tropics. The first photo below was taken on the day the shoot was replanted. The second photo was of a shoot that had been replanted three days prior, and the third photo was of a shoot five days after replanting.
f) Banana circles are a permaculture technique that is most often used in tropical and subtropical regions. They help create humus and water retention where soils are either sandy or heavy clay. This photo shows a banana palm circle with a compost pile in the middle.
g) Banana palms produce very unusual flower buds. One day, I saw a squirrel like this trying to get into one of the buds but I couldn’t take a photo quick enough to catch it in action. I haven’t seen an open flower yet this year but here is a photo I found on Wikimedia.
h) The banana palm leaf has an intricate series of veins running through it.
i) The path to Amritapuri’s Saraswati Garden is lined with banana palms. I can imagine what that path will look like next year!
j) I think banana palms are so beautiful.
For more information or to see beautiful photos go to: A Banana Plant Is an Herb (Or, Little Known Banana Facts)
My favorite joke, and the only one I ever remember, is: Q: Do you know how to make God laugh? A: Tell him your plans for your life.
I think that is so true. There have been many turns in my life that I would have never predicted. If someone had told me those changes were coming, I would have said they were crazy. The most notable example is my relationship with Amma
At the time I met her, I had described myself as being somewhere between an agnostic and an atheist for 20 years. In those days, even hearing the word God made me feel sick to my stomach. I was a very logical, head based person and had no interest in spirituality or spiritually minded people.
In 1989, a new friend told me there was a woman saint coming to Seattle soon and invited me to attend her programs. My mind said NO but what came out of my mouth was OK.
My whole life changed the night I met Amma. Six weeks later, I was at her New Hampshire retreat and six months later I was in India. I have gone to India 26 times since that first visit. I have had other life plans change in unexpected ways since then, but none were as remarkable as that one.
On May 31 of 2017, I “plan” to retire. That is the time of year that Amma begins her annual North American tour so I have “planned” to attend some of those programs and then go to Amritapuri from mid-August until mid-January. I don’t remember when I developed this “plan”, but I think it has been firmly ingrained in my mind since I was in India this time last year.
One day in August of this year, though, I woke up thinking that I wasn’t going to watch another tree in the lot behind my house die. Al, my former husband, and I had bought that property in 1973. I sold it in the mid-80’s and it changed hands again about ten years later. When Seattle formed the Cheasty Greenbelt, that owner sold it to the city.
The property was originally beautiful but none of the subsequent owners did anything with it, so blackberries, ivy, morning glories and bamboo took over. Smothered by the invasive plants, many trees died.
After I had that early morning thought, I grabbed my shears and started to work. I enlisted my friend, Ramana, to help clear some of the land. While Ramana worked on the major clearing, I focused on freeing specific trees.
I found so many beautiful and fascinating things on the land and know that there are many more buried under the remaining blackberries.
One day, it occurred to me that we could make this project a GreenFriends project. (GreenFriends is the environmental arm of Embracing the World, Amma’s network of humanitarian projects.) I called the people in our satsang who have coordinated our tree planting and habitat restoration work in the past. They were very interested in being involved. In October and November, they spent some time working on the lot with me.
We also talked with the Green Seattle Partnership about becoming one of their volunteer groups. In March, we will take the Green Seattle Partnership Forest Steward orientation. Once we do that, we will be able to host larger work parties.
Our project will be supervised by the Seattle Parks Department and the city will provide the saplings and other greenery that we will eventually plant there. The Park Department will do any work that requires power tools. If there is enough interest in the project, we may decide to clear all four lots that are in that strip of Greenbelt!
I feel a great deal of passion about this work and it has been on my mind since I’ve been in Amritapuri. Even before I left Seattle, it occurred to me that August and September would be prime time for working on that land and if I was in Amritapuri, I wouldn’t be available to organize the work.
I have an ever growing sense that I won’t be going to Amritapuri in August and that my path is taking a turn that gives working with nature more priority than spending extra time in India.
Starting last week, I found another thought creeping into my mind. I have kept close track of world events via CNN throughout this trip. I’m beginning to wonder if I will even make it to India next year. It seems like there is so much potential for war.
My years with Amma have taught me a lot about staying in the moment and not holding on to plans. They have also taught me that Amma will hold me close to her no matter what comes my way. I trust that my life will unfold as it is supposed to and acknowledge that I have no idea what that will look like. What I do expect is that I will be participating in at least part of the Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu chant for world peace that will be held in the Amritapuri temple from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on January 1.
Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
May all beings in the world be happy.
Peace, Peace, Peace
Weekly Photo Challenge: Path
To see all of the posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
I have been anticipating going to Kuzhitura Farms since I came to Amritapuri on November 26th. I decided today was the day for that adventure.
I was so excited to see the wonders of nature I found there. I was particularly fascinated by this plant.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Anticipation
Daily Prompt: Fortune
To see all of the posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
I have spent several days at Saraswati Gardens helping in the dye area. One day last week, Padma noticed how much color was still left in the pulp after she made marigold dye. We decided to dry it out and see if something could be done with it.
The next day, the pulp still wasn’t dry so I separated into smaller pieces and placed it on cotton and silk fabrics. I thought it would dry better that way plus it gave us a chance to see what effect it would have on the cloth.
As I was distributing the pulp, I kept looking at the newspaper I had originally spread the pulp on. The color that was left on that paper was a vibrant yellow.
By the next day, the idea of using the pulp to dye more cloth was discarded as it was obvious that the color it produced was too light.
Two days ago, the dye project staff finished the first prayer flag made using dye only from Saraswati garden flowers. I think it is so beautiful.
The first flag below was colored with marigold dye, the second was from a rose dye, and the third was dye made from madder root. The dye for the yellow strip that goes along the top was made from turmeric root.
The dye used on the first flag below was made from turmeric root; the second is indigo and the third is rose.
The first flag below is another one dyed with madder root, the second and third are both from marigold dye with one being a lighter version than the other.
Since I’m learning a bit about making dye from plants this year, I have wondered whether or not I will start making dyes when I return to Seattle. Growing the flowers sounds right; being creative with them sounds right; but at the moment I don’t feel called to dye cloth.
Last night, I thought about the bright yellow marigold dye I saw on the newspaper when I was working with the pulp. Then another memory came to me. Many years ago, I was intrigued by handmade paper. At the time, I wanted to learn how to make it, but never did.
Maybe in my retirement, I will make paper and find ways to dye it using flower petals or roots, or maybe even leaves. Or perhaps the flowers and leaves will be used in other ways, such as in this photo of papermaking in Burma.
Is papermaking on my horizon? It very well could be.
Weekly Photo Challenge: New Horizon
To look at previous posts in this Amritapuri series, click here.
One of the reasons I go to Amritapuri at this time of year is because I love to be involved in the Christmas musical that is performed on Christmas Eve. During the first three weeks in December, the final touches are made to the script; actors are chosen and learn their lines; musicians and singers learn their songs; costumes, back drops and props are made; sound and lighting are planned for, etc. The list could go on and on. Simultaneously, there are rehearsals occurring all over the ashram.
Here are some photos, taken by various photographers, from last year’s Christmas play. I think they will give you a sense of why I love being part of the process so much. (Click on the gallery to enlarge the photos.)
Weekly Photo Challenge: It’s Not This Time of Year Without….
Even though they may be out of our awareness, I believe we experience magical moments every day. I had two such experiences in the last week.
These are the sights I usually see when I look into my worm bin.
But a few days ago, when I took off the lid, this is what I saw. In the four years I’ve had worm bins this has never happened before. It was such a surprise!
My second magical experience was completely different. After a lifetime of disinterest in football, I became an avid Seahawks fan four years ago. I often watch the games with Al, my ex-husband. It is especially fun to watch them in his apartment because the apartment is not far from the stadium where the games are being held.
Seattle fans are known for being very loud and we can hear them in his apartment. Because there is a 5 to 10 second delay between the time something happens and the time we see it on television, the screaming crowd gives us advance notice of important events. When the Seahawks score, we hear the sound of a cannon prior to seeing the touchdown, field goal or other type of scoring on the television.
When we were watching the game this past Sunday, there was one point when the crowd was screaming extraordinarily loud. I was confused because it was not a reasonable time for a touchdown. Besides, the cannon didn’t go off. What came out of my mouth was “They just got an interception.” I don’t know who was more surprised, Al or me! Me, a person who knew nothing about football four years ago, could sense what had happened from the sound of a crowd a mile away. As far as I’m concerned it was a magical experience.
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