I know that I haven't posted anything in quite a long time, so I will back date a few entries so that we will be up to date!
I suppose that returning to monsoon season in India was not the best timing. When you are experiencing 90 degree weather at 88% humidity (or higher) it's to say the least not the most pleasant experience from a purely physical point of view.
I spent 6 weeks visiting my family, and it was very nice. I had not seen my parents and maternal grandmother (my only surviving grandparent) for over 2 years. Although my family really loves my husband, my mother was quite happy to get me "all to herself"! She and I also took a trip to Arizona for one week so that I could see their "winter" home that they built around 2 years ago in Anthem, just outside of Phoenix. It was a great opportunity to meet some of their new friends, and visit Sedona as well as the Grand Canyon with my brother Ryan.
The last time I was home, over 2 years ago, Rafael and I arrived to home to find out that my mother's cancer had returned, and that she was bald from chemo. I was trying to stress to them that it was a bit unfair on their part to not let us know ahead of time. They think that they are saving me stress by not letting me worry, but I think it is a bit silly to not let the people closest to you pray for you. This time I returned to find out that she had recently had radiation therapy on a part of her neck where the cancer "popped through" to her skin. Although I have been studying eastern philosophy for over 15 years now, and understand the difference between the soul and the body, having your mother explain to you what she wants her funeral to be like is a bit sobering to say the least.
I finished the trip by having a dinner party with my parent's friends at their place in Toledo Ohio. I cooked up a big Indian feast and everyone really enjoyed the prasad.
All in all it was a beautiful visit, but of course I was really happy to return to Vrindaban....and my husband. While I was in Toledo, Radhacharan went to Poland to visit his family for one month, and then spent 2 weeks in China and Bangkok....so it had been 6 weeks since we met. He flew in to Delhi about 1 1/2 hour prior to me and met me at the baggage claim.
We haven't even been going out much here lately because the weather is so intense right now...but we are both happy to be back. Yes, of course we are still visiting the cows in the evening!
I want to write about my visit to the Sandipani Muni school (Food for Life) to give a donation from my parents...but I think that deserves another entry all together.
