Happy Birthday Pukar ~ 2/22 ~ 3 years old

 A day with his best friend Rhone.  First, the play gym, then picking out a toy, lunch at Red Robin with a birthday song and balloon, and finally...The Car Wash!!!  We ended the evening together with a birthday wish and ice cream.  I couldn't find my birthday candles and used a tea light instead.  He loved it.  "More Fire?" 

Inspiration

   "And I had to make a decision of shifting my weight, from one foot anchored to the building to the foot anchored on the wire. "

~Philippe Petit

 At the age of seventeen, Philippe was overcome with the idea, the dream, of walking between the Twin Towers on a wire, though they had not yet even been built.

 After years and years of waiting, planning, and flying to America from France to figure out the precise logistics, his dream came true.





Philippe Petit spent 45 minutes on a wire between the Twin Towers, on August 17, 1974. 

 "It was magical...it was just...profound." ~Friend

 "I saw his face changing.  He was very tense and all of a sudden there was something like a relief in him.  And from that time I thought, that's it, he's secure, that's good. And wow, that's, that's ... one laugh, then sobs."  ~Philippe's lifelong friend

To me it's really,... it's so simple.  That life should be lived on, on the edge of life.  You have to exercise rebellion.  To refuse to taper yourself to rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge and then you are going to live your life on a tight rope... Philippe Petit

When I watched this documentary the other day, I was overcome with emotion.  I sat spellbound, tears streaming down my cheeks. What an extraordinary feat, beyond possibility.  And at the same time I felt a kinship with Philippe.  Though perhaps my time in Nepal was not nearly as life threatening, it was a dream I had carried with me for very long time.  Crazy, magical, surreal, beautiful.  So difficult, stressful, intense.  But I stepped out on that wire, and there was no going back.  And my life, my incredible life, is so much richer, fuller, amazing.  Never will I look back with regret.  For I have lived this life, rebelliously perhaps, refusing the rules, definitely, and miraculously, it blooms.


And here's my little guy, who just continues to embrace life full on, without so much a whimper, and never a complaint.   "Mommy, Pukar happy!"  Though I failed to get him coming down the hill on his first downhill skiing adventure, I did get him walking in his boots, which is equally as brave and cute.   So if you're looking for inspiration, this post is full of it! 

 

He's a natural!!!

Preparing for his big day in the living room with is buddy Rhone

And sledding with his cousin, Tristen... taking wipe-outs with a smile..."More, please!"

Oh, and watch the film:  Man on Wire.  It's awesome.

Square Peg in a Round Hole

My first full week back and work and it was WONDERFUL.  It really was.  It felt so natural, and fluid and it was great to see my clients and solve the puzzles of Chinese Medicine.  All those beautiful designs on the body, balancing and harmonizing meridians.  Very cool.

Not so wonderful was watching my little boy become more and more emotional, clingy and sullen as the week went on... it was only 4 days away from me, but by Friday, he was hanging on for dear life.  "Mommy coming back?" over and over and over.  Joy set a timer for him at one point, so he would know exactly when I was coming home.  Pretty cute.  He does love his school, all his new friends and aunties, and is really quite excited about it, but still, the absence of mommy took a toll.  Sigh.  What to do?  I have the most skeleton schedule I can have and still survive... but we'll eventually figure it out.

I do, however, feel like a square peg trying to fit back into the round hole of my life.  It's an awkward and slightly uncomfortable sensation that I'm sure I will work out over time.  But right now, it's strange.

And OK weather... enough!  I loved the few days of sunshine but PLEASE, let's snow or shine already.  This middle ground of gray and rain?  This is NOT why I live in Eastern Washington!!!  

What's the he bravest, boldest, wildest most beautiful thing you've ever done?

My friend in Kathmandu, let's call her T, went home and left her daughter behind, and a week later turned around and flew back, working ALL night as well as caring for her daughter in order to keep her out of the orphanage.  She encountered enumerable hurdles, that included moving at least 3 times in order to get an internet connection that would support her job requirements, spent ridiculous amounts of money setting herself up with equipment, and still had to get an investigation done and turned in as well as be a mom in Kathmandu, which comes complete with too many challenges to list.

This friend just turned in her RFE response to Delhi... and will hopefully be coming home in about 3 weeks time.  You did it T!!!  Unbelievable. 

Brave, bold, wild and beautiful.  Wow.  I mean WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Condo is For Sale!!!

It's a sweet little place!

Though the support I received in Nepal was TREMENDOUS,  and I will be eternally grateful and amazed, it still fell short of the bills that piled up, and the debt that accrued.  I was hit with the final lawyer bill this week, and though it is worth it 1000 times over, it requires the sale of my condo in order to get myself out of this hole. 

I am nothing short of grateful for my lawyers, and I feel extremely lucky despite it all.

So if you know of anyone in the market for a condo in the beautiful Bavarian Village of Leavenworth... let me know!

On another note, Pukar was a rockstar at his pre-school and his teachers said he did incredibly well for his first day.  He seems to just roll with the flow, is social and outgoing, and interested in life and living.  He has started a new thing called, "Pukar self".  Meaning he wants to try to do everything on his own.  It's kind of fun honestly.  He's starting to swim with an inner-tube (in the hot tub), despite falling in face first and nose diving to the bottom, he is sledding on his own, walking in his snow boots without being carried, and putting on shoes, socks, clothes as well as taking them off all by his SELF.

Mommy had a stressful week starting work again, and although actually BEING at work was wonderful, the whole dropping off my child for the first day, and leaving him there, hit me hard.  But because he is fine, I'll be fine, and we'll do this thing called "America" and we'll make it shine! 

Namaste, Shanti, Peace, Om, and Thank you again for all the love coming our way.

Look Who's Skiing!!!

First day actually on skis and he was a champ.  Fell down, got up no problem.  Never complained and loved it, every minute of it, bless his heart.  He is such a sweet child... I learn from him every day.  "Pukar skiing!!!" he says enthusiastically as we fly down the hill, him between my legs, empty sled in tow. 

Then we went for our usual hot tub, only now we use a little inner tube so he can float.  He kicks around the hot tub and says "Pukar swimming".  Always happy, always smiling, going with the flow.  What kind of kid is this???  I just love him so much.