The open road.

I think anyone reading knows how much I love to drive. The open road holds so many possibilities. Today I am on my way home to Oklahoma. Yesterday, after a tearful goodbye in Vancouver, I headed south to see Mahesh again in Portland. The sadness of leaving my sisters was tempered by knowing I will be seeing my son soon. I arrived in Portland around 9 p.m., the border crossing is always harder on the way back into the United States, for some reason they never have enough lanes open. I invariably pick the slowest moving lane, I really don't know how I manage to do that!

The drive on I-5 south is ludicrous, I was amazed yet again to come across the most incompetent drivers in the Union. Last year I remember writing that Washington state had the worst drivers and true to form they are still ill mannered. They really don't understand the concept of the left lane is for overtaking only! It was the long border wait and the incompetency of the Washington drivers that delayed my arrival by two very long hours. But, it was wonderful to see Mahesh and Sara again. Dinner was awaiting me and a warm, comfortable bed.

Mahesh and I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning catching up on my visit to Vancouver. It seems as though it's never enough time when we start exchanging ideas. The good news is that he will be coming home to Oklahoma to visit in about two weeks. The lure is two brand new Cocker Spaniel puppies his sister has adopted! I too am looking forward to seeing the brand new addition to the family.

I started out this morning around eleven and ended my day in Boise Idaho. The imagery on the way was spectacular. Oregon has many faces, most often people think it's lush and green with towering cedars, but eastern Oregon has a totally different topography. I had the top down for most of the day and enjoyed the wind through my hair, listening to Robert Plamer and others on the cd my son in law had prepared for me. I love driving in this great country I call home!

Goodbye Vancouver..

Even though I am anxious to return home, it's never easy to leave Vancouver. I always miss the beauty of this incredibly vibrant city and of course my family. I went to my sister Shushma's radio station RJ1200 in this morning to sit in on a staff meeting and to say goodbye to all the staff members along with my sister and nephew. I was on my way out of the city when I realised I had left a favorite pair of sandals at my sister's home. I was close enough so I turned around and headed back home. I am never happy to leave Vancouver, so it was great that I was able to go back, have lunch with my younger sister Sadhna. That is the comfort of driving, I can change my itinerary at a whim, I love being able to do that!

As it turned out my sandals were tucked away in the boot (trunk) of my car, I guess my heart wanted an excuse to go back one more time. I am glad I had lunch with Sadhna, it was easier to leave again for the second time.  Now onto the border and customs not my favorite thing to do!

The warmth of family.

It's been good to be in Vancouver for the past few days. It was tough to leave Portland last Saturday. After packing my last few belongings I headed north towards the Canadian border, it was easier to leave Oregon knowing I will see my son on my way home in about two weeks. 

The wondrous thing about being in Vancouver is spending time with family and getting to eat Indian food I didn't have to prepare! Last night we were at my brother's home, gathered around the dinner table enjoying favorite dishes prepared by my sister-in-law; teasing my young niece and nephew endlessly-- good times!

We all wished my son and daughter could have joined us here in Vancouver this summer; they were both present in our hearts and stories being told about them. Many trips down memory lane accompanied by laughter as well as wistful sighs, missing the members of our families no longer with us.

I have been busy with Feng Shui consultations for family friends, going to familiar haunts and discovering new places to see. Today my sister and I were in downtown Vancouver, how this city has changed in the last few years. I remember how easy it was to go to downtown; it was such an accessible city. Of course now with the city growing it feels as though it's bursting at the seams.

Sometime next week I will be my sister's radio guest. She owns her own radio station called RJ1200. I will be doing a show on numerology. I am anxious to get home to Oklahoma, see my daughter and two brand new Cocker Spaniel puppies!

Au-revoir Portland...

Well, my last night here in Portland is here.  Mahesh, Sara and I went out for dinner at a local Italian restaurant called Jopa. It's less than a block away from my apartment. I make this entry with a heavy heart, I am never ready to say so long to my son. Now that I have spent the last seven weeks with him, it's going to be twice as hard not seeing him almost daily. I am looking forward to going to Vancouver and getting to spend time with my Canada family. Though, I am also anxious to get home to Oklahoma. Being away from the familiar does begin to wear on a person.

My time here at Glencullen has been very relaxing, I have been able to paint and also spend time discovering the myriad of fabulous eye absorbing locations. Portland is an easy city to navigate, the downtown area is not as frustrating as San-Francisco or Vancouver. Parking is usually readily available and there is no end of charming, eclectic shops to frequent.

I will miss my son the most, my heart aches every time I think of leaving him. 

"Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!"

Those were the last words heard from David. A. Johnston an American volcanologist. He was killed by the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980.  In 1980 when Mahesh, my son was only five his little sister three, I took them to see the devastation caused by the volcano's eruption. Today thirty years later Mahesh and I went back to Mt. St. Helens, this time we were up close and personal. We were at the observatory named after Johnston, it has been erected where Johnston was stationed those thirty years ago. The volcano was majestic before it "blew" it's top and now there is something painful about the volcano, there is a part of it missing forever, though the magma keeps building up and a dome is trying to push up, the majesty of pre-eruption will not be regained. The reminders of the awesome fury of the eruption were visible everywhere. Huge tree trunks left snapped in half dotted the adjoining mountain terrain. I was so tempted to bring a small piece of the felled trees with me but my son would not allow me to fall off the "wagon".. I am after all a recovering rockoholic! Too many pieces of rocks or pieces of wood have found their way back home in earlier travels, but no more.  I made a promise a long time ago to leave those treasures in their homeland and not transport them to Oklahoma. I kept my promise, though today it was the hardest thing I have ever done!

Today I was able to walk a lot without pain, I am so grateful for the prolotherapy. I hope more people will educate themselves about this least invasive procedure.

I had such a wonderful day with Mahesh, we ate the soggy tomato and cheese sandwiches with Coke and potato chips and enjoyed deep philosophical discussions.  It was a memorable day!

Mt. St. Helens!

I am waiting for Mahesh, my son, we are going to go to Mt St. Helens today for the entire day. He was only five years old when the volcano erupted back in May 1980. I took them to Toutle River to see the devastation caused by the eruptions. He has been fascinated by volcanos since then! He has wanted to go back and see Mt. St Helens since then; I am glad we will be able to spend the entire day together. I have already prepared sandwiches and Coke is cooling in the cooler. I always made tomato and cheese sandwiches on our road trips, by the time it was time to eat them they were soggy-- both my children have grown to love their mother's soggy tomato and cheese!

I will write more about our adventure together at the end of the day.

The past couple of weeks have been eventful, I went to the Beaverton farmer's market last Saturday with a friend. I was amazed at the size of this farmer's market, it stretched for blocks and the fruit was all too tempting. I had to keep reminding myself that there is only one of me and there is only so much fruit a human being can consume-- nevertheless, I still bought more than needed; though I didn't waste any.

I have also found a charming tearoom in Beaverton, the proprietress is French, so the tea service and food has a very continental flair. The name of this eclectic antique store/tearoom is Tea Thyme and Lavender if you happen to be in this neck of the woods.

While my son and his wife were gone to the coast last weekend for their anniversary, I prepared an entire meal as an anniversary present for their return. It was enjoyable to cook and get to taste some of my own cooking. I don't usually make the time anymore to prepare elaborate meals.

I have also been following up with prolotherapy on a weekly basis and I am happy to report that my knees continue to improve.  I am so glad my son found Dr. David, he practices in St. John here in Oregon.

I will write more at the end of my day. Until then. 

July in Portland.

Sunny warm days are finally here in Portland.  Though, I have enjoyed the cooler weather, I was ready for hot summer days.  Judi and Mike my hosts have a pool and today I was able to swim and laze while looking up at towering cedars. The sky definitely looks a cooler hue of blue here in the northwest. 

My daughter Reina came to visit us over July 4th weekend. It was a whirlwind weekend, we went to the Oregon coast to scatter Murphy's ashes (Reina's beloved cat). A few years ago we had done the same type of ceremony for Snuffy our cocker spaniel. It was fitting that Snuffy and Murphy be together on the west coast, since they both grew up together. while Reina was here it rained and was mostly overcast. I think she was happy with that since in Oklahoma it had been hot. It was great fun to have Reina here, though her visit was all too short.

Tomorrow, I go in for another prolotherapy session. The pain in both my knees has returned, my research shows that it will take time before healing can take place. I am happy that I don't need to take any pain medication; at the same time I am a bit disappointed that my recovery is slow.

After Reina left, I returned to my painting and was able to finish two more paintings. One is a sunset and another one is of raindrops--wonder why that is on my mind so much! 

As I was laying by the pool this evening, I was looking up at the trees swaying in the gentle breeze, it felt as though the trees were sharing a good laugh with the wind. The leaves were glistening in the sunlight, moving gracefully back and forth and I came to the conclusion that all was well in my world!

Hoyt Arboretum.

Today, I spent the afternoon at Hoyt Arboretum.  I have loved arboretums since my childhood in Nairobi, Kenya. One of my most vivid memories of Nairobi is going to the arboretum with my family. I think my intense love of trees comes from going to the arboretum. I remember looking at the different varieties of trees and visualizing one day seeing the trees in their natural habitat.  I am happy to say, this is something I have been able to do in all of my travels.  When Mahesh and Reina were little tykes, I taught them to hug trees while on a hike. I would tell them trees had special magical powers and would replenish their energy with a simple hug!

Needless to say, their friends thought both of them to be a bit strange watching both my children hugging trees on nature hikes. Soon, though, they had their friends hugging trees too. Trees are the lungs of this planet; I will never be able to chop a tree down.

My afternoon was indeed idyllic, I am happiest when I am amongst my trees. I took many photographs, and looked at a multitude of trees, plants and flowering bushes. The arboretum is about a fifteen minute drive from my apartment, so I plan to go there often.

The day today was perfect, highs were in the eighties and a soft breeze was present. After my trek to the arboretum, I headed home and still had enough time to paint.  I had been waiting for one of my oils to start to dry out so I could add details. The paint had dried enough to allow me to do just that. Painting is a natural endorphin for me; right now all is well in my world! 

Painting heaven!

Today, I spent my entire day painting.  I used to do that on a regular basis, but it's been years since I have painted one painting after another.  My first composition was calla lilies, I did that in oils.  I prefer to paint outdoors in oils, I find that I can paint quickly in oils.  Couple of hours later my painting was done and I was on my way to the next painting.

My second project was in acrylics, a painting in the genre of Goddesses.  I grew up in a culture of being surrounded by beautiful Goddesses. In Hinduism, we have a Goddess for knowledge, prosperity, a warrior Goddess, a love Goddess and the list continues. My hosts here at Glencullen have a beautiful wooden sculpture of a Goddess from Bali adorning my front door; she became my inspiration!  I am going to take my time painting her.  Most likely I will paint the Goddess in between painting the outdoor oils.

On another note, my knee continues to be pain free.  I am anxious to have an injection in my left knee.  It's been strange to be pain free in one knee and still have pain in my left knee.

Painting does the mind good!

Prolotherapy in Portland!

Today, I did go and see Dr. David to have a session of Prolotherapy.  This is not some new-age treatment, it's a treatment that has been practiced by MDs Homeopaths and Naturopaths for the past fifty years.  The only problem is that mainstream western doctors don't know about these remedies because they are taught to look at the human body through surgical or drug induced solutions only.  Prolotherapy is where the doctor injects dextrose into the knee joint to stimulate the healing process.  Since dextrose is an irritant it stimulates the body's response to start healing the irritated area, thus causing for the ligaments to become stronger.  This is in laymen's terms.  If, you need more information on this process Google prolotherapy and read more.

All those years of running and walking countless miles on hard pavement didn't do my knee joints any favours, so finally now I am getting some relief without cutting out part of my knee as my surgeon suggested!

With the one injection I received today, my right knee is already feeling better than my left knee.  I am looking forward to be able to walk, hike and dance pain-free!

My wonderful son Mahesh, spent the day with me.  Held my hand while I was being injected; I am a very grateful mother. 

One pastel done, at least 29 more to go!

Yesterday, the clouds parted allowing us to see the sun.  So, I ran out to my idyllic park-like backyard; pastels in hand and started expressing myself creatively. It has been years since I have worked in pastels, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them.  To begin with my hands felt a little unsure, but as I let go of expectations and began to enjoy the process; the leaves of the rhododendron plant started to take form, pretty soon I didn't notice the passing of time and found myself totally immersed in my composition.

I am happy to say, I was very pleased with the final outcome of my very first art project here in the Northwest-- the summer of at least thirty paintings.  That is my ultimate goal!

After having completed the pastel rendition, I even had time to make dinner for Mahesh and Sara.  We enjoyed a home cooked meal and conversation.  My first week here has been perfect. I am not used to the rain and overcast days, but everyone keeps telling me sunny days are ahead.  I have put in my order for clear blue skies.  

My hosts do have a pool that I will be able to use; I plan to swim a lot!

Today was another overcast day, the atmosphere thick with moisture, as the rain drizzled.  I invited myself to Mahesh's house with a bribe to make his favorite 'masala chai'; it's a prized family recipe of spice tea.  It was a perfect afternoon for that.

Tomorrow I am going to see a doctor about my knees; I am going to start Prolotherapy.  It's a way for knees to begin healing without drastic measures.  I am hoping I will be a good candidate for this procedure. I will write more tomorrow about my adventures!

Visualizing my paintings.

Today the day was spent in writing and visualizing the paintings I plan to create.  The writing was done for my e-newsletter I send out monthly. The visualizing is a process I go through before I put brush and paint to the canvas. I walked around yesterday, taking in the atmosphere of the Northwest.  It's so different than living in Oklahoma. I came from 90 degree weather to a high of 57 degrees today; quite a chilly difference!

I think my paintings are going to have a very organic feeling to them here.  In the past I have painted Goddesses, or Oklahoma landscapes.  Here I feel they will have a softer look to them.  It will be interesting to see what I produce.  Except for the three paintings I painted for my sister's office last summer, I have not painted at all in the last four years.  Time was when I could not go a day without painting or creating something.  I am truly looking forward to painting this weekend.

A day of leisure.

It was an overcast day, no rain though, so it was pleasant to walk around in the wooded area surrounding my wonderful rented home. I have already scouted out three locations for paintings. The weather looks like it will cooperate this weekend, I may be able to paint outdoors. I am looking forward to that.

After my early afternoon walk, the day was spent getting familiar with my new surroundings. I kept getting lost yesterday while driving around, so the first order of business was go to the AAA office and get a local map of Beaverton/Portland. I love maps, they are a security blanket; I can always find my way home!

I found a local Indian grocery store, there is nothing like the aroma of an Indian grocery store, so familiar and inviting.  I want to be able to prepare my son's favorite dish from his childhood, for that I needed Basmati rice (the best rice on the planet!) and I needed chick pea flour. With my new map in hand I ventured out feeling very capable of finding the store and more importantly getting to my son's home and back again without getting LOST!

I was able to find the store and get to Mahesh's home without any problems. The evening spent with him and Sara was very pleasant.  Sara had made an enchilada dinner, which was sumptuous. Conversation over dinner about Mahesh being an extra in an upcoming television show was exciting. My son the actor! 

Glencullen, Oregon.

I arrived in Portland yesterday evening after a long eleven hour drive-- too grueling! The drive through the Columbia River Gorge is spectacular, though after a while I was tired of the winding road and the amount of effort it took to stay focused on driving and not being awestruck by the sheer beauty of this region.  I was able to drive the entire day with the top down, the weather was perfect; cool with a clear blue sky with a few fluffy white clouds dotting the sky every so often.

At the end of the day, I was glad to be at my destination and anxious to see Glencullen my home for the next few weeks. I was not disappointed, Glencullen is an oasis hidden in the heart of a busy city. I am surrounded by acres of perfectly manicured landscaping, with a babbling brook, gazebo and a charming wooden bridge across the brook. Meandering paths leading to a host of contemplative locations; along with towering trees, and foliage picked by my hosts Judi and Mike to enhance the already stunning location.

By the time I arrived yesterday it was too late to visit my son and daughter in law. That was the first order of business today. I woke up eagerly to find the easiest way to get to my son's home and I was off. Getting to spend the day with Mahesh and Sara was the high point of my day. We spent the entire day catching up with each other, there will be many more days such as these, I am happy to say. We have already made plans for dinner tomorrow night as well as for Saturday night.  How wonderful it is to be able to see my son everyday.  I am very fortunate indeed!

Ogden, Utah!

The drive today was long and tiring. I was on the road by 9:30 a.m.  I drove through Kansas, then Colorado, north towards Cheyenne and then west towards Salt Lake City Utah.  It rained for the entire day. To begin with the rain was a drizzle and I hoped soon it would be over and I could drive with the top down, but the rain Gods had other ideas, they made sure it rained all day and at times hard blinding rain! When it wasn't raining, there was plenty of fog to slow things down; it reminded me of my time in Scotland, the terrain even looked like the Scottish highlands. The fog hung low over the landscape giving it an eerie other world feeling. It felt as if I was driving into another dimension.

Wyoming is an interesting state, I don't think they have a large population, the land is sparsely populated and it seemed people were just driving through to get from one point to another. Towns were too few and far in between with service stations dotted here and there. It was too tempting to speed but I kept my lead foot in check since the road conditions were not optimal.

Tomorrow looks like another long day, but I hope to be in Portland by nightfall.

Goodland KS.

So, the first day of the epic summer of painting has begun.  I left OKC at 2p.m. no use in trying to leave any earlier, it's just not in my genes! The car is packed so full, I don't think there is room for one more item. It was great to be behind the wheel of my awesome car, cruising at 100 mph; weaving in and out of lanes listening to some of my favorite songs on a CD prepared for me by my daughter and son in law. 

Driving north through Kansas is not the most exciting route; the landscape is flat and the road stretches out in front for endless miles.  The fields had been plowed, I am assuming ready for the next crop.  I am always amused by the roadside billboards.  Some of the ones I encountered today were; "Christ is THE Lord", another was "Abortion is killing what God created", another was "If you died today where will you spend eternity?" My family and friends who don't live in the Bible belt don't understand billboards like these. Religion is a personal matter, not a subject for a billboard and certainly not a place that admonishes people. My answer for the last question would be "I will be spending eternity with all the souls being reincarnated over and over again."

It's much cooler here in Goodland, I hear thunder outside, I am glad to be off the road and in a comfortable hotel room for the evening.  Tomorrow will be a long day, I hope to get an early start (for me early is being on the road by 10a.m.!) This trip north is going to have to be a quick journey.  I am anxious to get to Portland, see my son and daughter in law and begin my painting sojourn!  I will write more tomorrow from where ever I end up.

Art, tea and architecture...

Yesterday, we went to Fresno, to see Tiffany's one woman show in ceramics. Tiffany Schmierer is a former art student of mine, who moved to San Francisco about ten years ago and received her MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. Reina drove the long drive from San Fran to Fresno, we stopped half way in Los Banos a small town to eat at a Mexican restaurant for lunch. We had artichoke enchiladas, all three of us are vegetarians. The enchiladas were delicious and they had spicy green chilli sauce for corn chips along with guacamole. After our leisurely lunch we were back on the road again towards Fresno. The long three hour drive allowed us all to get caught up on each other's lives. It had been three years since I had see Tiffany, and since then, she and her husband had bought a house and she is now a full time art teacher at a local community college.

We finally made it to Fresno and Tiffany's art show didn't disappoint us. Her work is thought provoking and whimsical at the same time. I was very happy to see how well Tiffany has blossomed from that young sixteen year old artist I met sixteen years ago!

We drove back to San Francisco, I took a nap in the back seat, and let the two young women catch up. It's very heartening to see how well Reina and Tiff get along with each other.

We ate dinner at an Indian restaurant called Clay Oven, the food was prepared in a similar manner to the way we cook at home. After dinner we took Tiffany home and enjoyed seeing her eclectically designed house.

This morning we woke up late, yesterdays driving was exhausting. We decided to eat at a local Vietnamese restaurant. Eating light was a good plan, since we had reservations at Lovejoy's a local restaurant serving authentic high tea, with scones, cucumber and cheese finger sandwiches. After tea, Reina and I went to an antique store to find a tea cozy for my teapot. I came across the most perfect tea cozy; it's a handmade with lace and dupioni silk. My wonderful daughter insisted on getting the tea cozy for me. It will be a delightful reminder of my visit to San Francisco!

San Francisco, the city by the Bay!

So, here we are my daughter, Reina and I in San Francisco! We got here yesterday and today spent the day going to old haunts Reina used to frequent while she lived here.  We had a great lunch at Chesters in Berkeley. I think, I would enjoy living in Berkeley, very bohemian! After our potato pancakes we headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge, I wanted to be at the base of the bridge looking up at this impressive structure. Lately, I have been interested in digital photography. I enjoy taking pictures from unusual angles. My daughter indulged me and found a way to get us to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. I was not disappointed, the view was magnificent, and yes, I did get some spectacular shots of the bridge. We also visited a museum by the foundation of the bridge, it is called Fort Point, it's a historic site. We saw numerous cannons and wished my son, Mahesh, who enjoys historical sites and all things related to warfare could have been with us too, to see this quaint museum with it's own bookstore. But, we did the next best thing, bought a great present for him so that he would know he is always with us in our hearts, even when he is physically away from us.

After, our sojourn to the Golden Gate Bridge, we went to an area near the Marina and stopped off to have an afternoon cup of tea with a pastry. Dinner was at Pad Thai-- an incredible Thai restaurant, another one of Reina's favorite places.

As I finish this entry, I am looking out of the window of our hotel, our room is on the 18th floor with a view of this bustling, energetic city. Tomorrow, we will go to Fresno to see the one woman art show of Tiffany Schmierer.

Birthday month!

January is my birthday month, I celebrate my birthday all month long. I was born on my mother and grandmother's birthday, January 12.  My mother and I were both born on a full moon. While my mother was alive it was a very special day for me.  We would call each other and see who could wish the other happy birthday first-- now that she is no longer here on this planet, my birthday does have a bitter sweet flavour to it. I miss my mother, moreover, I miss calling her on our special day. I received many strengths of character from my mother and I also discovered artistic talents she and I shared. I look back on the time we had together and am wistful of conversations we didn't have, conversations we take for granted until we can no longer have them. I realized after she died, that I never asked her about the simple things she did? I didn't ask her what her typical day was like when she was raising me and my five siblings in Nairobi, Kenya? I wanted to know the mundane-- what time did she get up?  What did she prepare for breakfast, who took all the children to school?  When did she start to prepare dinner? What was it like to be one of the few Indian women in Nairobi who drove a car? She was a pioneer, a strong woman, a visionary... I am thankful, I did have that conversation with her, I told her she has always been my hero.

The New Year!

So, here we are in 2010!  This year I hope to raft the widest river in the world... the Amazon River.  But, before I do that a trip to San Francisco is coming up in February.  My daughter Reina and I are going to see the art exhibit of Tiffany my other 'daughter'.  Tiffany is a gifted sculptor and has a show in Fresno until the end of February.  I taught Tiff art when she was in high school and I have enjoyed watching her mature into such a gifted artist.  

Other trips planned for this year besides the Amazon are driving to Portland to visit my son Mahesh and his wife Sara and a quick trip north to Vancouver BC to visit family and then who knows?