Chintu got me a dog for my birthday

Yes you read it right...Chintu got me a dog, among several other things, for my birthday. I couldn't believe it. And not only is it an adorable critter, but talented, as well. He can SING. Yes, SING. Here is his picture....

Oh...for now, his name is Dewg. (that is prounounced like dew...the moisture on the grass...with a hard g on the end...I cannot think of anything it rhymes with right now)... Dewg is a really soft, adorable hand puppet, if you haven't guessed yet...

I chatted with Chaithu, Chintu's sister, for a bit this morning. We were talking about their Muttachan (mooth-a-chen)...(grandfather). They were both very close to him...and I feel like I know him and have an inexplicably deep connection to him in spite of never having met him. He passed on November 12, 2004. Chaithu was gracious enough to share this picture of Muttachan with me... Today, I honor Muttachan, Professor Krishnakumar Pannanchukunnath, as I celebrate my incarnation.

As you read, may you feel the depth of peace that I feel this day...

Hump day, hump day

Its a chilly, windy Wednesday morning, and rather than go to work, I'd love to stay here, go back to bed, cuddle with Chintu, sleep, watch movies, whatever...but, on a positive note, it IS Wednesday, what most people refer to as hump day...yay! For me, this week, it is Friday. I took tomorrow off from work for my birthday holiday...an ironic choice, since tomorrow IS my birthday. Most days I don't feel my age. Many mornings, yeah, I do. Oh well. Feces occurreth!

If, by chance, you are from the Marietta or Athens, Ohio, areas, and don't already know, check out the Evergreen Arts and Humanities Series' webpage in my links section, because tomorrow night we present "Ragamala" an Asian Indian dance troup. It is going to be awesome!

I decded to include this picture of an adorable Corgi pup because he reminded me of something that happened to me several years back. I was entering a store and saw a pretty good looking guy coming out through the store's foyer...was kind of scoping him out....when I realized that it was actually my own reflection. Now, had it not been a rite of passage of sorts for me, I would never have told anyone. But, since it was significant for me, a guy who has always struggled with his own self-image and seen himself as, at the very least, mediocre looking, it was an eye opener....maybe I'm "not" so hard on the eyes....

May all who read not only have peace and love in your life, but may you also have your own self image raised...perhaps even through such a humorous event!

Where has the week gone?

This week has F L O W N by. But, TGIT (Thank God It's THURSDAY, cuz it's MY Friday!) It is good to be home for the weekend...hopefully. I'm on call at work tomorrow evening from 3-11 and am hoping I'm not needed. This weather is C R A Z Y, too! Tonight, I participated as EVE's representative in the Telesis Expo at the Washington County Career Center and thought about driving home on 550, but, thankfully, changed my mind after listening to Chintu's voicemail telling me there were 3 or 4 new inches of snow here at home...and he was surely right. It was MUCH worse over here than in Marietta this evening...strange, huh? It's been a busy week at work...we hired 5 new people this week...and I was involved in getting 3 of them settled in, especially the girl who took my place in the Children's Program and her officemate, our new Prevention Specialist. I have to admit I was a little aprehensive about moving to a new office and sharing it with someone new, someone I didn't know. But I have to say that so far I think she's gonna be great. However, she is a little more cold-natured than I...but I think we'll do fine.



Well, since I don't have a new picture to post with my ramblings tonight, I found this Maxine I hadn't seen, and, since she is holding a martini glass and I'm sipping a glass of chardonnay, I thought it appropriate...enjoy!


Stay warm and let peace and love cover you!

MLK Day and Another Must-Check-Daily Site

Before I get into the new site, I want to remind you to stop and think about civil rights. Meditate on what tremendous strides have been made in the last hundred or so years and even more on what is yet to be realized. Think about how you can make a difference and contribute to needed change. Last night I was watching comedian Lewis Black. He has a bit (among many) that some might find offensive. He talks about how, with no energy policy in the US, our president thinks it is vital to "stop the queers from marrying." You can find an excerpt from this bit on his website, in the video clip section, titled "Red, white, and Screwed." (http://www.lewisblack.net/) Surely, according to Black, some day soon, when our leader has made sure the queers cannot marry, the Shiites and the Sunnis will look at one another in amazement and say, "he stopped the queers from marrying, and I love you!" If you don't get it, you should hear the whole bit...

First, thanks to Sammie, I became addicted to "I Can Has a Cheezburger". Now, thanks to Chintu, I have a new addiction. The "must-check-daily-site" to which the title of this rambling refers is titled "I Has a Hotdog." I've added it to my links section, and here, for your convenience, is that link...http://ihasahotdog.com/.

And here is the picture that started this one...

Peace, love, and insight to all who read...

Still dreaming of spring...sigh...

Well, it's a lazy weekend... Can't seem to get too motivated to do anything. It's after 4 pm on Saturday and I still haven't showered...but need to. Then it's off to the grocery store. Chintu is having some ankle pain for some unknown reason, so he's gonna hang here at home while I do. That will feel strange...we're strange, you know...we like shopping together! Here's a Tanya taken pic or two or Chintu, myself and Dr. Tom, taken at our house last weekend....









Peace to all who visit this blogspace....

Thinking of warmer weather

I was looking at some pictures today, and, coupled with the colder temps we're feeling, started dreaming of warmer weather. I'm ready for spring. Of course, I've been ready for spring since September or so. Oh well, as the poet said, "this, too, shall pass!" Here is a pic of Chintu at Stroud's Run Park at Dow Lake back in the fall....and a scenic one we took there, too....then there I come out of the garden with the last of the tomatoes....

Dreaming of spring and summer...

Peace and love to you as you read!

I Can Has Cheezburger?

Well, in thinking about adding something to this space, I thought about something to which Sammie, Tanya's son, got me addicted. It is an addiction, yes. I MUST check it multiple times each day. I am compelled from within to do so. It brightens my day, makes me laugh, makes me happy. It sometimes makes me almost as happy as cobalt wine bottles on my front porch. (Some of you will understand that...) This bit of happy cheerfulness is a website called "I Can Has Cheezburger?" You have to check it out. I hope that you, too, get addicted! (I'm thinking Tanya needs to submit the picture of Molly with her head stuck in the porch railing...????)

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Peace, love, and addiction to "I Can Has Cheezburger" to all who read here...

Bombay

When was the last time that your emotions were stirred like vegetables in a blender? I love movies that do that to me. I just told Chintu that I love movies which grab my emotions AND make me think. Bombay, made in 1995, does just that. Read what Netflix says to describe it:

"Tackling the controversial subject of a cross-cultural love affair, writer-director Mani Ratnam's film personifies Hindu-Muslim racial tensions. A south Indian Hindu man marries a Muslim woman, and the couple soon bears twin boys and moves to Bombay. The family is separated during the early 1990s -- a turbulent time when racial tensions were high in the area -- and the parents must search hospitals, morgues and shelters for their children."

If you have never seen this movie, it is, in my opinion, a MUST SEE. It is 130 minutes long, and rivals some American made musicals with respect to having a song for everything, but, oh....SO worth watching.

How is it that most of humanity's conflicts, wars, and loss of life stems from disagreements about religion? Yes, this might have taken place off in a distant land, (for some of us, anyway, and "home" for others...Chintu), and it might be Hindus and Muslims in conflict, but, you know what, I can see the potential for the same thing happening here in America between various "Christian" denominations if the conditions became right. No, you say? It has gone on in Ireland between Protestant and Catholic "brothers" for years. I've heard people right here in the good ole U S of A demonstrate hate toward those of another denomination, perhaps enough, given the right fuel and conditions, to kill. Well, I've rambled on my soapbox long enough. If you have not seen "Bombay", I encourage you to do so as soon as you can get it in your DVD player.

Peace, real peace, and love, true love to all who read my ponderings here!

House seems kinda bland now...

Why is it that when you take down all your Christmas decorations that your home, that seemed so full and wonderful before the Christmas stuff went up, seems so....bland...empty? Oh well, we'll readjust, right? Chintu and I got all the Christmas decorations down and packed away today, even making a run for a couple more plastic storage totes to protect and preserve the "ormanents and declarations" (anyone venture a guess where that phrase came from?) Although the energy level isn't as high as we'd like with winter blahs trying to take over, love still abounds here at "la casa de amore"...
Here is a picture from when our friend Kathy stopped to visit before Christmas...

Love, peace, and contentment to all who read!

After the holidays, weird takes over

Christmas is over, the new year begun...we had good holidays, and loads of fun. Back to the norm, whatever that means...today I made chilli, with three kinds of beans... Talk about pitiful ramblings, right? Oh well, sometimes weird just takes over.

Last night we had dinner at the farm. Tanya fixed a marvelous dinner, including one of her world-class salads.

(master chef at the range)

Then we finally got to have our Christmas gift exhange with Tanya and Doctor Tom. I couldn't believe that they got Chintu and I a whole box of my mom's china pattern. I had only a few pieces left, and they found all kinds of things for us.

Chintu got a great Ganesh statue. It's awesome!

Dr. Tom built a great fire in the wood stove...Eliza, Sammy, and his girlfriend Megan were all there and we had a great, relaxing evening.

Chintu cuddles up to T in front of the fire...

The three T's all look really comfortable, too...

Sammy, Megan, and uh...one of the kitty brothers...

Eliza had an encounter with a couple of large olives.....

Today Chintu got the storm windows in at home - we found out we're missing a couple, and are assuming previous tentants broke them. That will get corrected next week. I got some work done on organizing the laundry room...put up a couple of cool bars on which to hang pans, etc. Tomorrow the Christmas stuff comes down. Now, if we can just connect with Patricia and Craig for a late Christmas celebration....

Peace and love to all who read here!

New Year's Eve @ The Farm

Chintu and I headed off to The Farm later than we wanted, but had an extraordinary evening. Because of other parties going on around town, the crowd was perhaps a bit thinner than normal, but, as Tanya, Chintu, and I observed just before he and I left for home, "those who were supposed to be there were there." The Farm family was pretty much home...Dana (James couldn't join her), Brett, Joe, Lori, Sammy, Eliza, and loads of the kids' young friends were there, celebrating the New Year and one another. With my being on call for work, my consumption of libations was somewhat limited, but Chintu made up at least some of the difference! The New Year's fire was exquisite and a welcome respite from the cold wind.

Molly dog seems to be taking it alllll in, doesn't she?

Chintu and Kathy, one zoned and one wide-eyed, with Brett apparently sneaking up on them?
There Brett goes again...photo hound...behind Tanya and Kathy...two of Chintu and Tom's most wonderful friends...







Not sure what Chintu was thinking here....hmm, maybe about making a move on the photographer?