Token Of Appreciation

Every year my company gives us a little something to show their gratitude for our hard work and service. The first year it was a nice deck chair, then a sport bag, then an insulated 'back pack' food bag, and this year an umbrella. I always like everything they give us and am thankful; the items are always of good quality. Yet I never forget the underlying benefit they get: advertising. When I go to the soccer game with my deck chair, bag of cold drinks, sport back full of supplies and sit under the umbrella, I am a walking advertisement. I wonder what we'll get next year?

Chappu models my new umbrella.

Nap Buddies

I came home from work one day to this cute sight:

Frosty and Saeed taking a nap together, almost spooning. There's nothing better than sleeping with cats; it's one of my favorite things.

Rainy Day

It's been a long time since I've taken photographs and I really miss it. So here's one picture. It rained today and you know how I love droplets. :-)

Visiting Sasha 2010 and 2014

I have wanted to post about our August 2010 visit to Sasha and Tari's place for a very long time. I took so many pictures there that the thought of sorting through them and deciding which ones to include seemed daunting. When I review pictures I always want to include all of them. Each snapshot was something worth taking, right?

Sasha and Saeed met years ago through their professions as psychologists. I'm not sure Sasha wants his private life scattered into the blogosphere so I'll simply say he is very interesting, has been many places, and lives life to the fullest. He and his wife, Tari, met through their shared love of the arts and when you see their house and their pottery studio you'll see a life full of art. Tari also loves animals and you'll see lots of those as well. (I left most of the cat and dog pictures out of this post if you can believe it.)

To get to their house you have to go down a long drive past the horse pasture. Since it was August it was lush with vegetation and their home looks like Sleeping Beauty's castle.

 

Their front porch is covered in pretty plants, wind chimes, and wrought iron furniture. This picture doesn't do it justice. I just wanted to sit out there and commune with nature.

We had a potluck lunch and Tari is fixing an amazing black bean salad with mango, cilantro, etc. Sasha had already been out in the pottery studio and is speckled with clay and paint as only an artist should be. What you can't see in this pic of the kitchen are the very high windows with ledges that are used by their cats. I was fascinated to watch them far above my head, sitting and looking out the windows into the highest branches of trees in the back yard. What a great life for a cat.

When you come through the door you come into this room. It's full of books...

...and artwork. The theme is Western and Native American art. Tari used to live in the Southwest. All of the pieces we saw were either made by Tari or Sasha or obtained through trading at art shows or received as gifts from other artists. There are paintings, sketches, fabrics, pottery, animals skulls, and so on.

One of their many cats. Tari is an animal person and rescues all kinds of cats, dogs, birds, cows, horses, and other types of animals I'm sure.

This is their dining room from one angle...

... and from another angle. Every inch of their house has something amazing to look at with a story behind it. You really ought to click on these to enlarge them.

One of their bathrooms has a whirlpool bath and lots of natural light...

... so of course plants.

Both Sasha and Tari own and ride horses.

This is the cow Tari saved and took care of till she (the cow) died.

The pottery studio.

Sasha wanted Saeed to do some Persian calligraphy on his vases to see what it would look like. Saeed is very artistic but never does this, so he had to practice a bit on paper.

Some of Sasha's pieces are cat platters. :-)

Another cat platter.

Saeed now tries to actually paint on the vase.

The next five pics are of Sasha dipping the pieces in the paint.

The paint looks reddish orange but comes out a rich dark blue.

One side with Saeed's calligrahpy...

... and the other side.

He let me paint a couple of coffee cups.

Recently, September 2014, we went back for another visit. Tari was away but after a lunch of Persian breakfast Saeed and Sasha picked up where they'd left off... in the pottery studio! They have plans to do more pottery with Persian calligraphy; we all thought their pieces from 2010 looked quite pretty.

I love this picture.

This time Saeed painted on the inside rim of the bowl.

It's poetry that he made up at that moment. I'll have to ask him what it says.

Almost done.

Painting while listening to Persian music must have helped.

The finished products:

Saeed's poem roughly translated:

I am in love. 

I have gone mad like Majnun in the wilderness. 

When you are not with me joy cannot be with me.

For those who don't know, Majnun is the Romeo in the Persian's own Romeo and Juliette story. Persians use the names "Leili" and "Majnun" to convey the intensity of love in their speech and poetry.

 Leili and Majnun

                       

Look What I Found!

A really cute pic of my sister with the boys, September 2013:

From the same weekend:

Hope to get some new pics of everyone in March!

A Magical Encounter

A graceful child steps into my vision in the darkness of early morning. I stop, lights shining on the magical creature. Why are you standing in the middle of the street looking straight into my eyes? Please go back into the velvety shadows, into the trees that have kept you safe. The seconds tick as we study each other, she still and elegant, me awed and shamed. My kind cut down her trees. My kind put this concrete on her land. My kind built a brick box where she used to sleep. My kind kill her kind with guns and larger bullets named Ford and Toyota. Tears prickle my eyes. Does she sense my emotions flowing over the land like a vapor of compassion? Does she understand that my heart aches with the knowledge of our selfish crimes? Perhaps so, because as I hold my breath I then see an even smaller child step out of the shadows and carefully follow her into the darkness on the other side. Stay safe dear ones. You have nothing to fear from me.

First Visit To The Newlyweds

We went to Charleston this weekend to spend some time with the newlyweds. We had a GREAT time.

They're a little bit happy.

The weather was really nice and it would've been a shame to stay inside so they took us on a tour of the College of Charleston, where Tita and Daniel's dad works. You get a real sense of history when looking at the buildings, I guess this is why:

Our tour guides and tour dog. (click on pictures to enlarge)

This beautiful building is where some of Tita's meetings are.

Legend has it, that some of the doors were made intentionally narrow to keep out the women. Back in the day, women's wide hooped skirts would never have allowed them to pass through.

Tita's office. She needs to hang some pictures on the wall!

This Jewish Studies Center is Daniel's dad's labor of love. When he retires this will be his legacy. Behind this building will be the vegetarian/vegan cafeteria, super convenient for the Jewish students trying to stay kosher. Also super convenient for the vegans and vegetarians on campus. :-)

This is the plaque they're reading in the pic above.

And across the street? An Episcopal church. Let freedom (of religion) ring.

This is a typical C of Charleston courtyard. It's a very attractive campus.

Then Daniel asked, "Do you want to see a tree?" Sure! I had no idea what was up.

WOW. The Angel Oak Tree was truly unbelievable. 

(don't forget to click on the picture to see it enlarged)

I felt like I was in Rivendell.

Tita touches the old tree, said to be 400 to 500 years old. 

Happy tourists. I want to go back here again.

The weekend was full of good food, good times, and a really nice visit with Daniel's family on Sunday for brunch with the bunch!

Best Pillow Ever

 Only Chappu can get away with this.