Busy Bee

No idle hands for The Pinky - she brings home stacks of her work every day from school. This shows her projects from yesterday and today.



This picture from today was a fun one. She gave it to me and said, "This is you if you were a bunny."

These are the Questions I get

Going to and from the store today, here is a partial list of the questions I got from the curious Pinky:

When will I see my friends?
When am I going to die?
Do we have any cash?
What is that?
What?
What horses?
What colors were the horses?
Were the horses married?
What do sea lions eat?
Why does God arrange things?
What eats Stingrays?
Who knows the answer?
Why is there Google?
Did the world need Google?
How did guys make Google Maps?
Why can babies not swim?
When do babies get used to the planet?
Why are sea lions cute?
Do some people not think they are cute?
What are you writing?
Why are you writing my questions?
Why do you think it is amusing?

More with Grandpa

We made a zoo trip with Grandpa

We got to pet and feed the stingrays - they are really smooth!

Satvinder reached in a few times to get a feel. She wasn't so into feeding them. When they suck a fish head out of your hand, you feel their mouth slurp against you. Stingrays are funny!

I love to watch the mother Orangutan with her baby. She holds and cares for her baby with such tenderness.

At Papago Park - more mother/baby Primates

Grandpa seems to inspire running

Back at home, reading the timeless classic, "Everyone Poops"

More with Jessi

We went to Udupi, one of our favorite restaurants. This is us with our giant bhatura, the huge puffy, fried bread that Mangala Sadhu Sangeet's eyes are fixed on.

Satvinder really likes to smell people. If you cuddle, you are bound to get smelled.

It is Done

The Finishers

Update on The Runners

As I type, they are pounding the pavement. It started bright and early...
Sunrise and the silouete of Phoenix through my dirty windshield

Here they are right when I dropped them off near(ish) the start line.

I caught a picture of Bj running but was too slow with the camera to catch Jessi. They were both AWESOME!!


We cheered them on at a spot near mile 3. Just a little over 10 more miles to go!

The Runners are In Town

My dad (from Texas) and niece, Jessi, (from California) are in town to run the half marathon tomorrow. This has become an annual event for my dad and we have our yearly process.
We go downtown to the Convention Center to pick up the race number and goodie bag.

Here are the runners, looking happy the day before the big run.

Every year we stop by these statues and take pictures of Satvinder mimicking them.

This year, Jessi and I joined in too.

Thankful for Life

In Kundalini Yoga, we have a tradition of sharing cookies with those around us on our birthday. We give thanks for what they have shared with us in life.

Today is my birthday and I offer my gratitude to everyone who has entered into my life. Thank you for all that you are and all that you have taught me. (You had to have come to my yoga class tonight to get the actual cookies.)

And, of course, biggest birthday thanks of all to...my mom, who gave birth to me on this day, 31 years ago!

Announcing YogaAndBirth.com !

Thanks to the generous help of my husband, I now have a website for my doula services and prenatal yoga! (He gets major points for helping me with yet another website.)

I give thanks also to the lovely people whose pictures and kind words grace the pages.

• Leita (Maria & Greta's mom) is on the home page - I really love that picture.


• The Soard-Lenz family on the doula page


• Baby Satvinder on the contact page


• Kim Blake for the two photos she took


• and everyone who shared testimonials

Check it out at www.YogaAndBirth.com

Hooray for yoga and hooray for birth!

Happy Anniversary, Yoga Yoga

Today I have been scanning pictures from the years that I was with Yoga Yoga to send for possible use in the 10 year Anniversary party that will be held next weekend (and some pics that are just for my own enjoyment.) I had just turned 21 years old when we started Yoga Yoga and I went though through some very transformational years while I was there. The friendships, the personal growth, the challenges...going through my 20's in spiritual community and partnership. It is a big part of who I am.

When I moved to Phoenix, I left my partnership with Yoga Yoga but still hold it, and my dear friends there, in my heart. I made a slideshow with the pictures I scanned today - spanning the last 10 years. It just scratches the surface of showing the people who made Yoga Yoga what it is - so many are not shown in these - but it is a fun sampling of parties, events, solstices, and such.

Some could probably use some explanations but instead...I'll just let you wonder.

This is Touching My Heart

Based on a line from Hafiz, the Sufi poet, these words have evolved into song (by Gina Sala and various Kirtan artists) and have come into my life recently:

Because the One I love lives inside of you
I lean as close to you as I can

It is a beautiful reminder that the One I love lives inside of all and why turn away? Move in closer.

Winter Break

I had high hopes about all the fun things I would do with Satvinder over Winter Break. However, aside from our Flagstaff jaunt, this is too often what Satvinder has seen of me:
Satvinder took this picture herself - me working at my laptop...not so much fun for a 4 year old.

So I decided that today must include some kid friendly fun. I took Satvinder and Maria to the zoo.

It was Full On Silliness. I think this picture effectively captures them in silly mode.

This one does a pretty good job too.

They also got to hold and love Greta, Maria's new baby sister. This was quite thrilling for Satvinder, who asks me daily to give her a baby sibling. (It is my prayer that someday I will.)

I Heart Scooba

Oh, the Joy of watching the little scooba robot cleaning my floors! Yay for cleaning robots!

And Happy New Year, everyone!