Gouranga Duti Pada

Today I woke up late at 5am. Our hope was that I would get the boys up early enough to make it to the early morning service (mangala-arati) but I figured it wouldn't happen so I prepared for my home altar service. The boys got up relatively early for a weekend (and spring break at that) and they helped out a lot with the services. Since today is a Gouranga Mahaprabhu's appearance day, we planned a large festival and worship for Gouranga. I sewed a new outfit for Giriraj Lal, a turban, two dhotis and chadars for Gour-Nitai. I thought the turban would take more time and I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish it. Kanai volunteered to make garlands, he designed a garland for Giriraj that was adorable.
We took a breaks for breakfast and lunch but the entire day was full of preparations for the festival. I managed to finish the outfits before it was time to go to the temple celebrations. I changed Nitai into his new outfit and quickly showered and changed before we left to Radha Kalachandji's temple. When we got there, I immediately couldn't stand it. The place was already packed and the festival was just getting started. I wore my new yellow silk sari with this gorgeous embroidery work. I think it's my new favorite sari. After the temple's bathing ceremony, it was time for us to get home and do our home deity's bathing ceremony. We did a bathing ceremony, worship ceremony and I got to lead the Gour arati prayers. We were supposed to go back to temple for the procession around the block but the boys and I were hungry and exhausted so we decided to go back home and eat. Dinner was fantastic. I was full so I decided to lie down for a bit and check Facebook. Maria and I took some cute photos today but she's really good at taking photographs.
I wanted to shared a prayer in glorification of Lord Gouranga's two lotus feet:

The Lotus Feet of Gouranga are my life and soul.

They shelter and protect me from the onslaught of material suffering.

The Lotus Feet of Gouranga are my only refuge.

They are like an oasis in the burning, desert-like material existence

My Lord Gouranga has come with the gift of Divine Love of God

He freely distributes it to whomever asks for it

Regardless of whether one is qualified or not.

My Sweet Lord Gouranga has shown the path back to Godhead

By personally taking up the process of chanting the Holy Name.

May that Holy Name bring upon Divine Love in my heart!

May that Holy Name purify my existence!

May that Holy Name always dance upon my tongue!

The Lotus Feet of Gouranga are my treasure, my soul, my greatest solace! 

Simple Reckonings

Today was my first day of the semester, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Except for the cold weather, everything was great. I have not attended my self defense and Taekwondo class in about a month. I was planning to immerse myself deeper into my martial arts practice this winter break, but I think The Lord may have other plans for me. I want to take a semester of martial arts on campus, at least, to better discipline myself and regulate my practice. On Sunday I had the opportunity to perform a duet with Bob at church during the Prelude. I am so flattered that he is impressed with me, and I could swear Juanita almost cried during the service when she heard Be Still My Soul. If I can satiate one soul, and thereby please The Lord with my service, it will make my life fruitful.
Piano class is going to be another enjoyable challenge. Yet again, I found the mercy of Sri Guru personified in an excellent professor, Ms. Jones. She is a thoroughly witty, opinionated, and humorous lady; I think I should do well under her tutelage.
I frequently hear students complain about their incompetent professors, but I am starting to believe this is a myth. There are probably very few incompetent professors, if any. I think it is more likely the students are incompetent, and lack a sense of accountability. It is quite common to blame someone else for your own mistakes, shortcomings, and flaws. It is easier to blame someone else for your problems rather than admit fault and take rectifying measures.
Today Citravasini taught me a new recipe for non-yeast rolls; she says the recipe can be adapted with any filling, whether cinnamon, cocoa, poppy seeds, or nuts. I will try to share it here with pictures. They resemble cinnamon rolls, and are prepared much in the same way yet omit yeast leavening. They are soft and tender due to the use of cottage cheese in the dough to condition it. Additionally, I am almost finished with another set of deity outfits, though, they are probably too small for the gurukul deities. I may have to alter the outfit in order to fit Their Lordships' height. I am not sure, however, I hope a good night's sleep will bring some ideas. Tomorrow, I plan to purchase textbooks, practice my instruments, and sew Deity outfits.

Krishna help me, my mind is thoroughly active and restless. Time is my enemy.  Even a thousand arms and heads would not accommodate me. If only I could expand myself to engage fully in each of my services. Lord of  all mystics, achieve this feat for me, please. 

Summer Solstice

Govinda Govinda! Yesterday was Nirjal Ekadashi, we fasted normally, and broke our fast with blueberry pancakes with maple syrup this morning. I love blueberries! We usually have them raw or in smoothies, but I realised that Krishna Chandra hadn't had pancakes in a really long time. Today I was reading a letter from Gurudev and he mentioned that we should fast from brahma-muhurta to brahma-muhurta to get the full benefit of Ekadashi, but I only wake up around 7am these days. Does that mean my fast only counts for 95% or 90%? Anyhow... these and other ponderings cloud my mind these days. Today we planned a family outing to Trinity Audubon, but it turns out that they do not allow dogs on the property-- at all. Xóchitl was looking forward to her excursion outdoors, so we headed to our old neighborhood park. We hiked along the Trinity Forest levee dike, and trekked deep into the woods until we were met with a swarm of wasps. The forest is incredibly dense and overgrown since we last hiked, maybe a couple months! We hiked for an hour back and forth, then we settled down at Rochester park for a nice picnic near the lake at noon. We were so exhausted when we came back home, we needed a cool shower and a nap. I think Xóchitl itzcuintli was happy to get her paws into nature. We will have to do it again, perhaps next time my nephews will tag along too.

I can't believe we did the hike almost exactly on the summer solstice. It seems like we do some kind of outdoor excursion on every solstice/equinoxe/lunar months and sometimes participate in sacred rituals (coincidentally). Two weeks ago, during Amavasya, we were fortunate enough to participate in a Lakota fire ceremony during a trip to the lake. First, the boys collected sticks, twigs, tinder, and leaves for the fire and helped feed the fire. Meanwhile, the shaman explained the meanings or significance of the ceremony to us. He was intrigued by our names, as it turns out he is a linguist. Almost immediately, he knew the meanings of our Sanskrit names and appreciated themfully. Then, after thoughtful prayer and reflection, we tied symbolic colored strips on the sticks, and offered them into the sacred fire. The sticks were representative of our subconscious or current journey in life. The shaman, High Eagle, interpreted the meaning of our respective offering sticks, and he had some unnervingly insightful revelations about me. The boys got some 'stone people', gemstones, from High Eagle, and it was a great learning experience for all of us.

The other day I purchased a silky, golden fabric. I wanted to make a sexy, silky sundress with it, but I have quite a few Deity outfit projects which are still incomplete. Since I have plenty of leisure time during the summer, I want to spend it on more outfits for my personal Deities, as well as the gurukula Deities. Plus, I think I have enough skirts and sundresses to last this summer. Krishna Chandra is practicing his Bengali (writing) and is taking an interest in sewing as well. Mostly he enjoys folding new origami models. Thankfully, there are plenty of origami gurus on YouTube for him to explore. 

A Musing, Of Course

It's Trisprsa Mahadvadasi and Annada Ekadasi here in Radha Kalachandji Dham today, it is also His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami's Vyasa puja day. Our landlord, a disciple of Maharaj, wanted to do the program and feast today so early in the morning we all started pitching in our share of work to make it happen. He invited some god-brothers over to celebrate and soon the house was bustling with busy bees. Garlands, prasadam, arati, kirtan... it was all shaping up to be a nice program. Unfortunately, not everyone could make it this morning but we had a puspañjali and kirtan anyhow. There will be prasadam served again for dinner, I had so much at lunch that I can barely move. I photographed the maha-prasadam plate so you could all see how many preparations they made-- on Ekadasi, no less!

cauliflower paneer, samo seeds, palak paneer, plantain chips, watermelon, yams, fruit salad and 'regular' salad

 I wanted to post photographs of the Deities' new Janmastami outfits for you. Jagannath Baladev Subhadra and Baby Gopal got new outfits on Janmastami but I couldn't swing Gaura Nitai and Madan Gopal's in time. They should be finished by Radhastami.

Jagannath Baladev Subhadra and Ladhu Gopal in Their new ivory outfits

Plus, today I worked a few rows on the Elise shawl and took a photo to record my progress, she's at ten inches tall and fourteen inches wide. I'm excited about her.. the multiple personality scarf is.... well, a different story. I'm almost finished but I can't decide how long I really want her to be. Don't ask. 

 

Elise at fourteen inches

I've concluded that working anything finer than size three is inviting insanity or disaster or both, therefore, I will not be working anything in size ten crochet cotton ever again. Hopefully, I will remember this important vow in future incarnations, assuming that my next lifetimes will also be afflicted with crochet-addiction. I would tattoo this instruction to my arm (along with other useful information) but I know that it'd be useless. Utterly useless. 

Camera Trouble

Today I want to share some photos with you. My camera has been acting up lately so who knows how long this set of batteries will last before he throws in the towel. Yes, my camera is a male.. an obstinate and un-cooperative one.

First, I have a single photo of Gauranga Mahaprabhu. That's around the time the last set of batteries when out on me and I subsequently had a fit. Hence, the single shot...

Mahaprabhu's sringar is kinda crooked. The one day I get the camera on and His chandan is all lop-sided. Go figure. These days, the Deities' outfits are mostly purchased because I've not been doing much sewing. Plus, I got these outfits in Loi Bazaar in Vrindaban, the Deity paraphernalia capital of the world. Their stuff is expensive but much more beautiful than anything I could ever make myself. "It's the love that counts" I know.. but damn, look at that sequinned chadar and embroidery. Doesn't that look amazing? Okay.. next.

The illusive tunisian and broomstick crochet scarf I've been working on.

I took a close up so you can see the detail of both stitches. Right now it is a good sixteen inches in about two weeks labor, so in about a month it should be finished. Assuming I don't have a crochet meltdown and go psycho.

I took the camera out on the trail today, we saw a rabbit or honey-bunny as we like to call them. Krishna Chandra got a good close-up look at him before he ran away. No bunny photos, sorry, but I did get some nice tagging artwork from the trail. Here's one I really like. Does that say TOM? I don't really care, it's the dragon I love!

And here's one of the man and child. Eh. Krishna Chandra loves riding his bike and Chandanewar prabhu jogs after him. They call it a 'race' though really Chandaneswar is not much competition for him. He pedals really fast and we get winded easily. Old fogies.

First blog

This is my first blog and I don't want to waste my time blah blah blah-ing about something stupid. I wanted to start sewing my own deity outfits; I've made a few but I want to improve and learn more. I basically taught myself to sew because I can tell you I have no prior experience about anything useful at all. Sewing is a wonderful thing, you start with a flat piece of cloth and turn it into an item which has shape, line, depth and texture and I'm really enjoy it. I started a new project for Gaura-Nitai, it's a pink satin outfit, same like I made for Jagannath Baladev Subhadra and Ladhu Gopal. I wanted Them all to match, yes it sounds cheesy but I don't care, so I decided to try my hand at Gaura-Nitai's dress. Right now I have Their kurta and chadars ready, I have to finish the dhotis later. I am also stringing beaded jewelry for Them, I made some matching belts, which turned out pretty nice but I'm still not satisfied. I have yet to perfect my technique, but I think I found a few blogs that will help me advance-- my lifesavers! These past few days were hectic, Sri Giri-Govardhan came to Dallas and we've spent the day serving the Lord. HG Nitai Chand Prabhu is here until tomorrow and I hope he will come back next time for more than just three days... and bring mataji along too. He mentioned this morning during prasadam that he would like to come to Dallas during the summer and do some kind of program, and definitely stay for a while. I hope so, it's always nice to have him around, he's such an advanced devotee and always has good spiritual advice.