Loose Leaf Notes

The day started with the ringing of a Tibetan Bowl and ended with a birthday dinner with my eldest son, Josh, at Mickey G’s Bistro.  I learned that a Fat Tire is a lot better than a Flat Tire, especially if cold and Belgium inspired. I would have taken a ride in Josh’s red miata convertible after my sea bass pasta dinner if the sun had still been shining and I didn’t have to drive my Honda home.

Back home, he checked the Red Sox scores and posted on his miata  Facebook page while I sorted through lots of Facebook, blog and email birthday wishes.  I also got a Billy Collins recommended daily allowance of poetry link from my friend Rob and a birthday call from my youngest son Dylan.

But the birthday morning started even before the Tibetan bowl rang.  I was still in bed, having slept in late after a full day of babysitting my grandsons the day before, when Joe handed me the phone.  I put it to my ear and heard a full minute of silence before a small voice shyly peeped, “hi, nana.”  My newly four-year-old grandson (our birthdays are three days apart) wished me a happy birthday.  I asked him if he thought I should have a Spiderman party like he did and told him to thank his big sister Kaylee for the birthday pie she baked for me that tasted like strawberry shortcake.

I barely had time to dress before the first gift arrived; our friend Maury Cooke from Portsmouth rang the bowl and shared a new sitting practice (pranayam yoga bandhas) that began with some exhaling, inhaling and chanting.  Just as we were dropping down into meditation, a fat bumblebee arrived, buzzing like a monk blowing a long horn. By the end of the meditation we were all buzzing.

On the kitchen table next to a bluebird of a happiness card from Joe, there was a strong scented rose that Maury had brought from his garden. Later that day a meeting I attended began with a bouquet of flowers picked for me by my friend Jayn and a kiss from my friend Luke, who shares this birth date with me.  At the end of the meeting I was invited to a yearly May birthday dinner Friday night at Zephyr Farm.

Only so much can happen in one day. The promise of famous chef-baked carrot cake, a day ritual at Primland Resort (from Joe in trade his Qigong and meditation teaching there and which will include being covered with blue cornmeal and honey for an exfoliating massage) and a private tutorial on using my new Canon Powershot S100 are still to come.  I must get some sleep now to be ready.  It’s been a long, fun-filled day.  May 17, 2012