tomorrow

We move the family into a very pretty, very small house.  We are planning on staying in the area until June, and hope to find something with more space in February.  After June we are going to travel in the summertime, and then we will see where we live.

We were hoping to rent something with more space and separate bedrooms right away for all of the kids, but this is the best we could find.

We'll see how it goes.  Two of our three kids will be sharing a room for the first time in years.

I shall be doing my daily meditation to stay sane.

Lots to do...packing...finding kitchen stuff...etc...

How's everyone doing?

thoughts on home

We've been living in someone else's home since mid July, as we are doing an exchange with them.  It has been wonderful and given us an opportunity to explore a new, really nice area of the country that we have considered moving to.  We have two cars to drive, an old Volvo and a new Lexus.  We have an acre of land to explore, a pool to swim in during heat waves (it's unheated), and lovely trees and flowers to look at.  We have a four bedroom, very pretty, spacious house in a beautiful neighborhood, and we are lucky to have found it.  It has taken good care of us for four months while there has been a lot going on.

We spent the last twelve summers doing home exchanges, so we are used to this, to making ourselves at home in someone else's house.  It's fun, setting up the rooms, getting used to the kitchen, seeing what unfolds in the spaces, as our family settles in.

For the last month we have been actively looking for a place to move into at the end of November, as our house trade ends then and we want to stay here for the rest of the school year.  

We have looked at all sorts of houses -- old homes, new homes, tiny homes, huge homes.  There are only a few to see, as we need furnished homes.

Today we saw a house that reminded a little of the house I lived in when Gary and I were first married.  It had a lot of unfinished wood, lots of light with interesting windows, pretty gardens and views from every room, and many cozy areas.

As I drove away I was thinking about how heavily I am influenced by my environment.  I guess we all feel more relaxed in a serene place.  I thought about how attached I get to homes, to interior spaces, to parks and forests, to beaches and even hotel rooms.  How every place I've been has a spirit, a life, a feeling it gives you, if you are quiet enough to sense it.  How lucky I have been to visit so many amazingly beautiful places.

How nerve racking it is to be on the verge of having nowhere to live.  I have never been in this situation with my family.  In one month we have nowhere to go.  Yet somehow I trust we will find something.

Today I thought about how a home interacts with a person and influences them, and they in turn influence it.  A home becomes a part of you.    

gratitude

Thank you to so many people who helped us in the last few months during our transition to a new place.
Thank you Annie for the first house.  Thank you Charlie and Marsha for the current house.  Thank you JP for coming.
You came and I didn't even have to ask.

Thank you Dr. Sitaraman for talking to us, thank you Mike the guitar guy for being in the right place at the right time, thank you Kelley for your flexibility, and Elaine for your crazy laugher. Thank you Mountain Camp Woodside and Panthers Camp for taking good care of Shawn.  Thank you Kai for tutoring Annabel in math for free. Thank you Veronica for your smiling, loving eyes when it was all we could count on. Thank you Ann for being spiritual and wise and patient and Sani for being gentle. Thank you Yvette for your huge heart. Thank you Dr. K and Dr. A and Dr I and Dr. Z and Dr. M and Athena and Ray and Mia.

Thank you Stanford for being there.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you University Avenue for the stimulation and the robot people who entertained us for an afternoon and made my husband smile.
Thank you Country Sun and the art supply store for the surprise day when we needed it most.

Thank you SCU for being flexible.

Thank you new neighbors for making us feel so welcome right away and bringing food and friendliness and a feeling of optimism.  Thank you Gunn and Terman staff for the little things you did to help Annabel and Shawn transition into such big schools.

Thank you for your support -- Mom, Dad, Jill, Tim, Eileen, Janel, Dawn, Terri, Jeri, Cathy, Shuba, Juliette, Annie, Rochelle, Elizabeth, Bess, Radha, Josie, Malik, Monika, Ron, Devidas, Dayamrita, Vishwan.  You are in my heart.

Thank you Ron and Amma for the ashram, now a drive away, and the day we had there that lightened our load.

Thank you God for the beautiful daytime sky and for the sunsets that warmed my heart.
Thank you for cool breezes on hot days and warm sun on cold mornings and mountains in the distance with expansive views when I got to take a walk.  Thank you God, for always taking care of us, and for constantly reminding us that we are not alone.

Thank you Shawn.
Thank you Annabel.
Thank you Gary.

Thank you Sky.

All of you I have mentioned, in your own way...
You are all rock stars.

friendship and the women in my life

my grandma at age 98

My grandmother was one of the kindest, happiest and loving people I knew.
She was a friend to all.  She was the type of person who took in a neighbor's child on weekdays to get him off to school because the child's mother had to leave for work early in the morning.  She gave to everyone, all the time, with no strings attached.

My mother learned from her and showed my sister and I, through example how to be a good friend. She talked to us about friendship.  It was from this springboard that I set my standards for friendship. Lately I have been reflecting on the value of this.

What would I do without my best friends?

I have women in my life that I can turn to when things are really rough.
I can call them and cry and get comforted.
I can see them after a year and pick up where we left off.
I can tell them anything with no judgement.
They try to help me in any way they can.

These women are my tribe.
Most of them don't know one another.
They are scattered all over the globe.

Some are relatives including my mother and sister.

Thank you ladies.  You keep me going.

You know who you are.
janeldawnieterrimomjillnankathyjuliettejerishubaannieradhabesspamkatecathysara

And thank you Grandma and Mom, for the example.  I set the bar high, and yet I still have found some gems in my life.

what i see now that we are somewhere new

Ah California.  Cafes and baseball fields, colleges with architecture both old and new, people dressed strangely, my family talking to robots and laughing and making messes daily in my new kitchen, walks with beautiful expansive views, charm and uniqueness and pastries that almost rival those found on the streets of Paris.

That's what I see.

There's all sorts of new things to behold and experience here.

19, happy birthday my sky

 Little Sky 

Sky now

Wow.  Where did the time go my dear girl???
You are such an amazing young woman.  I am honored and proud and so so love being your mama.
Thank you for coming to me.  You grace my life in so many ways.

You are doing great.  You are such a strong, brilliant, beautiful, intelligent, unique, kind person.  You light up a room when you enter it and you bring so much joy to people.  You have many gifts, and are continuing to discover just what they are.  You don't give up and know how to overcome obstacles.  I wish you love, peace, joy and abundance.  I bless you on this day and every day and I ask God to bless you too.  

Love you Skypie.
Thank you Sky.  Thank you.
xxoo

fourth of july day trip

It was a while ago, this Independence Day trip we took back home.  We went on a hike and then the kids swam in a rapid moving fresh water stream.  The water was so cold, but refreshing.