Yoga : Enter tired, leave inspired.

~Aadil B. Palkhivala



Shiva Rea

The breath things in life are free!

Family photos

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You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.

~Indira Gandhi

My family just returned from an invigorating roadtrip and camping vacation to Big Sky Country, where we enjoyed spending time with our eldest son. The scenery in Montana, Idaho, and Washington brought a sense of deep gratitude and calm. The quiet times hiking and hanging out with my family gave me a new perspective, in much the same way that a yoga inversion pose can.



My respite also engendered a blogging catharsis. Though I have enjoyed some parts of this hobby, such as making lovely new acquaintances and friends, many aspects make this little mama's mind a muddle. Postcards and handwritten letters are lovely ways of communicating. Tea and chats with friends lift the spirits. I'm a little sad to leave you, but blogging for Babette has come to an end.


Avalanche Gorge at Glacier National Park

Call your mother! Write her a letter and seal it with a kiss! Gros bisous!

Finis.

Mamma Mia!

A sunbeam to warm you,
A moonbeam to charm you,
A sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.
~Irish Blessing


Guardian Angel by Heilige Schutzengel

When one's child grows up and leaves home there is a hole in the heart and continual prayers for that dear young adult. Our eldest is a heroine to our family, always lifting our spirits and giving us hope with her cheery countenance and positive, hard-working attitude. It turns out that she suffered a huge scare yesterday and ended up saving a coworker's life. I only wish I could get in touch and offer hugs, tea and sympathy. I must wait patiently until we can connect. A daughter knows her mother always has her in her thoughts, n'est-pas?



I have a lovely memory of attending Mamma Mia with my dear daughter while visiting her in the first big city where she worked. I was, and am, so proud of her successes, abilities, and spunk! I was not quite able to hold back tears during Slipping Through My Fingers:

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning,
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile.
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while.
The feeling that I'm losing her forever,
And without really entering her world,
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter-
That funny little girl.

Slipping through my fingers all the time,
I try to capture every minute,
The feeling in it...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.
Do I really see what's in her mind?
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.

Sleep in our eyes, she and I at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by.
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny.
What happened to the wonderful adventures,
The places I had planned for us to go?
Slipping through my fingers all the time...
Well, some of that we did, but most we didn't,
And why I just don't know.

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time.
Slipping through my fingers...
Slipping through my fingers all the time.
~ABBA

Call your mamma whenever you are able. There is no "frozen zone" in my heart!


Night with her Train of Stars by Edward Robert Hughes

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.

~Johann Sebastian Bach


Cellist by Joseph R. DeCamp (American, 1858-1923)

On my music stand:

Bach Suite II in D Minor
Prelude
Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Minuet I
Minuet II
Gigue


The Cellist by French photographer Robert Doisneau (1912-1944)

The Seattle Symphony has a new 23 year old principal cellist, a rock star on the cello, if you will. He practices yoga and has a blog!

Bach takes you to a very quiet place within yourself, to the inner core, a place where you are calm and at peace.~Yo-Yo Ma

How I relish a quiet afternoon and the chance to dig into some solo Bach. As my children grow older, it becomes easier to steal away to practice. A certain 18 year old son, who plays the bass guitar in a most beautiful and mellow fashion, just called from work to arrange a date for tonight. He is teaching me how to improvise. Aren't double entendres grand? Call yo mama!

Chill out, tickle your funny bone, and read aloud!

Recipe for a Pacific NW heat wave:

1. Iced tea with honey, lemon, and spearmint
2. MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS read aloud in the shade
3. An enthusiastic and pig-tailed penguin aficionado armed with non-fiction books for cross-checking the tall tale facts

Penguins mate for life, you know. Maybe Mama Popper knew something when she refused to ever scold Papa Popper, but respectfully asked questions such as, "Papa, what shall we do about [this or that]?"

Richard Atwater was a newspaper columnist and Classics professor at University of Chicago. When he became seriously ill while writing MR.POPPER'S PENGUINS, his wife stepped up to finish one of the most beloved children's books of all time. It's a favorite here, and not just because those adorable Adélie penguins, Captain Cook and Greta, have 12 babies.

Read to your dearies and call Mama!

Shoot the stars off in your own backyard!

What if the Prince on the horse in your fairytale
Is right here in disguise?
And, what if the stars you've been reaching so high for
Are shining in his eyes?


Knight with Child
Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale (English Pre-Raphaelite painter)

Don't look at yourself in the same old way;
Take another picture.
Shoot the stars off in your own backyard!
Don't look any further
And you will see,
It's the stuff that dreams are made of...
~Carly Simon


Read to your dearies!


British firework label art

Gather with loved ones to celebrate the 4th of July, read the Declaration of Independence, thank God from Whom all blessings flow, and call your mother!

Be still, and know that I am God.~Psalm 46:10

Yoga is the practice of quieting the mind.~Patanjali


Turn that frown upside-down!~Mother


Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.~Krishnamacharya

Find calm in the midst of chaos. Trust in God's care. Call your mother. Namaste.

A pretty girl is like a melody...

~Irving Berlin



One of my life's greatest blessings is being the mother of a certain sweet, teenage girl. Presently, her burning interests include accounting, Jane Eyre, creating brain teasers for Braingle.com, Greek and Roman history, Meriwether Lewis, Tintin comic books, and yoga. Because of her great organizational skills, winsome ways with our little ones, and efficient methods of cooking and keeping house, I have been able to work toward finishing my 200 hour yoga teacher certification this month.

Sorry to have kept y'all in One Legged Bridge Pose for so long. Let's visualize listening to a little Texas Western fiddle music before taking a well-deserved Savasana.

Praise God for modest, young women with keen intellects and plenty of pluck! Call your mother!

Get a leg up on your summer!

Eka Pada Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (One-Legged Bridge Pose)

What other form of exercise can stretch the neck, chest, and spine while calming the brain and alleviating stress? Mild depression? Take the yoga cure! Stimulate the abdominal organs and thyroid as you increase your lung capacity. Improve your digestion as you rejuvenate fatigued legs. Level out the hormones. Tired? Anxiety? Headache? Backache? Insomnia? Take the yoga cure! Osteoporosis? High blood pressure? Sinusitis? Asthma? Hold One-Legged Bridge Pose!

Summer brings time to slow down and be still. The world tells us that many questions can be answered with the words faster, bigger, better, and more. Yoga subtly provides us with different answers: slower, quieter, simpler, and less.

Challenge yourself. Open and soften your heart. Call your mother!

Remembrance Day

"Have you news of my boy Jack?"
Not this tide.
"When d'you think that he'll come back?"
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
"Has any one else had word of him?"
Not this tide.
For what is sunk will hardly swim,
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.

"Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?"
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind -
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.

Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide.
~Rudyard Kipling


In Flanders Fields by Robert Vonnoh
American Impressionist Painter (1858-1933)

Gather some flowers, remember the fallen soldiers, and take your children to decorate a grave. Call a soldier's mother and keep her in your prayers!

i carry your heart with me

~E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

This is a poem on love that I love. It reminds me of God's personal love for me through his son, Jesus Christ. It also speaks of the profound love of husband and wife. And, today it reminds me of the deep need of love from my 11 wonderful children, who each long to feel as if they were my only child.


Salamba Sarvangasana

Yoga brings open-heartedness. Shoulder Stand is the MOTHER OF ALL YOGA POSES! For, just as a mother desires to keep her family happy and in harmony, this pose works to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit. Contraction of the stomach rejuvenates the abdominal organs. Forward bending of the spine relieves back ache and tight shoulders. Interlocking of the fingers relieves cramping of the hands. Fresh oxygenated blood nourishes the brain. This pose calms and restores the heart! Soften your heart toward others with Sarvangasana!

May I take this opportunity to wish some of my favorite blogmothers a happy Mother's Day? Have a wonderful day, Vicki, Margaret, Mary, Roxanne, Melanie, Spartan Sis, Raehan, Gail, Jane, Wende, April, Chris, Michelle, Judy, Beverly, Marie, and Stace!

I'm off to attend an impromptu tea party in our tree house featuring cucumber sandwiches and scones. A certain young son prefers the idiom "Let's feed two birds with one scone."

Call Mum!

So when the time comes and they reach grandmotherhood...

...they do extra little duties to show their appreciation.
~Henry Old Coyote, Educator and member of the Crow Tribe


Madonna with Green Cushion by Andrea Solario c.1460-1524
(Italian High Renaissance Painter and follower of Leonardo da Vinci)

A certain grandma came bearing gifts: a lambskin and almond massage oil for Baby and a Boppy for the beautiful, new mother. She cooked healthy meals and gave her daughter back rubs on the sunny porch. She encouraged and made Mother Tea. She took walks with her daughter and grandson and enjoyed the instinctive, graceful manner in which her daughter wore her baby in a sling. She delighted in watching her son-in-law protect and support her daughter as he fathered their new delight. This grandmother will have a hole in her heart until they meet again.



Praise God for children who respect and care for new life with tender devotion! Call your mother!

You gotta have a dream...

If you don't have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true?
~Oscar Hammerstein II



Pursue your wildest dreams and call your mother!

A house needs a grandma in it.

~Louisa May Alcott


The Boating Party by Mary Cassatt

IT'S A BOY!!!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow and call your mother!

The best of all medicines is resting and fasting.

~Benjamin Franklin (15th of 17 children)

Spring break brings a slower pace, extra yoga classes, long family hikes, and picnics at the park with the kiddos. Yesterday I seized the chance to catch a matinee movie - alone! It was a wonderful film based on W. Somerset Maugham's novel, The Painted Veil, which was inspired by Shelley's sonnet, Lift Not the Painted Veil. The movie was beautifully filmed with glorious scenery of China. Lang Lang performed on the piano for the soundtrack. Like the movie of my blog's namesake, it was full of sublime religious symbolism. 'Twas most romantic, in a deeply profound way.



Lift not the painted veil which those who live
Call Life: though unreal shapes be pictured there,
And it but mimic all we would believe
With colours idly spread,--behind, lurk Fear
And Hope, twin Destinies; who ever weave
Their shadows, o'er the chasm, sightless and drear.
I knew one who had lifted it--he sought,
For his lost heart was tender, things to love,
But found them not, alas! nor was there aught
The world contains, the which he could approve.
Through the unheeding many he did move,
A splendour among shadows, a bright blot
Upon this gloomy scene, a Spirit that strove
For truth, and like the Preacher found it not.
~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Catch a good flick and call your mother!

He is risen! Alleluia!

Carmel of the Holy Trinity Cloister in Spokane, Washington
by Sherry Yost

Blessed Easter!

It is finished.~John 19:30

Section of The Crucifixion triptych (Isenheim Altarpiece)
Matthias Grünewald, c.1475-1528

The cross reveals the power of God, which not only saves man, but also makes him holy. The Seven Last Words from the Cross:

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34
Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Luke 23:43
Behold thy son. Behold thy mother. John 19:26-27
My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Matthew 27:46
I thirst. John 19:28
It is finished. John 19:30
He commended His Spirit into the Hands of the Father. Luke 23:46

Deep in my heart, O Lord,
Your Name and cross alone
Lights up all time and space
Assures me of my home.
Reveal to me the cross
As comfort in all need,
That you, Lord Christ, so kind,
Have bled and died for me.

Blessed Good Friday.

Blessed Maundy Thursday!

Arena Chapel at Padua

Giotto is the father of the Renaissance (and 6 children) and the founder of all modern art. He brought emotion, dimension, and humanity to his tender fresco paintings of Bible stories. Frescoes are painted quickly on wet plaster, thus becoming the walls of the chapel or home. The gold of the halos in this fresco has flaked off and turned black due to oxidation. Giotto's brilliant blue was painted using Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan but, also, didn't hold up well with the fresco treatment. Everything else is just as amazingly beautiful as when created c.1305. It can be seen at The Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, near Padua. Be sure to make reservations a year in advance for your 15 minute stay in this jewel box of early Renaissance art history.


Washing of Feet, Giotto di Bondone

Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in Him.
~John 13:31

Ponder the perfect love of God through our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and call your mother!

Hope springs eternal...

...in the human breast: Man never is, but always To be Blest.
~An Essay on Man, Epistle I by Alexander Pope


King Felix Hernandez points hopefully to the M's 2007 season.

The rain cover was rolled back and the Seattle Mariners beat all odds by winning the Opening Day Game against the Oakland A's!

Spring hosts a fair number of rainy days in the Pacific NW, so my gentlemen scholars are diligently memorizing Casey at the Bat:

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
~Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Love has its sonnets galore. War has its epics in heroic verse. Tragedy, its sombre story in measured lines. Baseball has Casey at the Bat.~Albert Spalding


Seattle's Safeco Field

Play ball and call your mother!

I have other fish to fry.

~Cervantes Don Quixote


Ohara Shoson 1926 woodblock print

We have no television. Instead, on a cupboard where the family telly ought to be, we have Bruce, our goldfish, in an aquarium. Occasionally, one of the kiddos' friends will inquire as to where we keep our set. Last night we lingered for an extra hour around the dinner table thinking up names of television shows that could be replaced with something, er, fishy. We came up with dozens. Yes, we are very competitive. Yes, we voted. 3rd place was Fish Steves' Europe. 2nd place was Fish Eye for the Straight Guy. 1st place went to the young man below for Desperate Fishwives.


Intellectually curious

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail!
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance:
They are waiting on the shingle - will you come and join the dance?"
~Lewis Carroll (pseudonym of Charles L. Dodgson)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland


Fiercely competitive

What's your favorite telefishion show?

Go fishing. Delight in your family. Call your mother.

Now I know what love is...

Happy 1st full day of Spring, Bach's birthday, and the 31st anniversary of my marriage!

Enjoy your spouse and call your mother!

Baking a pie for Einstein's birthday...

Why a pie? Today is Einstein's birthday, and Pi Day, as well!

On our menu: Shepherd's Pie, Spring Greens Salad, Sour Cream Apple Pie



How many digits of pi have you memorized?

Celebrate whenever you can with your dear ones and call your mother!

The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.

~W. H. Auden

The youngest of our 11 children recently turned 8 years old. She innocently informed me that I'm the oldest mother among her friends and that the pretty, silver threads in my hair will be just right for our soon to arrive, first grandchild to see. She appreciates that I keep my hair long and likes to put in up in fancy styles with special barrettes while I read fairy tales at night. Our favorites are from The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, illustrated by Adrienne Ségur. My mother introduced these to me, thus instilling a love of beautiful art and literature. Much of life's deep meaning can be found in these tales and what happiness is found in sharing them!


Little Old Woman


Sleeping Beauty and The Rose of Christmas


Rapunzel

If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.
~Albert Einstein

What is your favorite fairy tale and why is it meaningful to you?

Call your mother and God's Peace!

Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.

Carl Larsson's Getting Ready for a Game (1901)

Afternoon tea is a pleasant ritual following a day at our homeschool center. And, camomile tea after dinner is most soothing and civilized, according to my almost 16 year old son, who has lettered in high school wrestling and football. Lately our family has enjoyed playing Cranium after dinner and before bedtime stories. I found this lovely lullaby on the Sleepytime tea box:

"Every bear knows that honeyed tea can sweeten your dreams. So fill your mug, dearest one, and when it's time to glide beneath the silver, blissful waves of night, take a moment to reflect on the wisdom and insights you've gained this precious day. Rejoice in every melody you heard, the smiles you shared with strangers, the blissfully simple laugh of a child, the spun sugar clouds waltzing through a patch of topaz sky. Now snuggle into your favorite pillow and be filled with warmth and perfect peace." ~Debra Boker

What rituals keep you close to your dearies? Join me in a cup of tea?

Call your mother and God's Peace!