Peggy's Nifty - she's 60!

Yep - if we are lucky - it happens to all of us!


The Hostess (looking darned good at 60!)

The host! Drew 'The Guy'!

The Sisters!

The beatiful home

The backyard, all ready for guests

The party favors (thank you, Peggy!!!!)


I will let you figure out what duck is what duck...and there were many, many more. The Beagle Duck has moved in with me!
And last, but not least, Daniel, the Server!

Now for the guests!
First, the young man who is responsible for the framing and sharp imagery of most of the pictures following! Luckily, our Eyvette brought Taurus to the gathering and it was quite a pleasure to meet him and his photograph skills. Thank you, Taurus!

Gina, Tiffany, and the Pizza Man

A whole lot of people I don't know:

And those who are near and dear to my heart!




More people I don't know:

Gina and the Pizza Man again

And the Grand Finale - Pin the Tail on the Donkey! Yes - this was Peggy's idea. We are playing for the Grand Prize of the Rubber Ducky Nativity Scene!
Phyllis spends Vicki around and away we go!



It was a tie! So Peggy decided the tie-breaker - tossing the Rubber Ducky Nativity Scene over her shoulder and may the best woman win!

Who won? I don't know her but she was tall enough to outjump Princess!

It was wonderful to be at this gathering, celebrating the birthday of our dear friend, Peggy, and to get to spend the afternoon with terrific people!
Thanks, Peggy and Drew and Susan for all of your hard work!

Into Bhutan opening evening September 3, 2011

The last of the opening pictures! Those of you who know me should be aware that I now have a new camera and that there may be quite a variation in the quality of my pictures while I am learning. It is an Olympus XZ-1 and I purchased it with the thought that it will minimize the impact of the essential tremor on my pictures. It is not the traditional 'point and shoot' but has many features, most of which I get very confused at times. I am studying and learning but, meanwhile - hard to tell what I will be posting here! Fortunately, I met the wonderful man in Nancy's life, Dick! He does know cameras and has sent me some of his pictures and saved the day (or blog). He is my new hero - and here he is!

Thanks, Dick!

Meanwhile, back to the opening...

Arjia Rinpoche has given Cecily and Nancy kata as a token of gratitude for the exhibit they brought to the TMBCC to share with the community.
So - what is a kata and why is it so cool? Here is a bit of information that I pieced together with Marietta this morning - Marietta had the misfortune to be manning the phones at the Tibetan Center when I called this morning about the kata:
Offering a white scarf--called a kata--is an ancient Tibetan tradition. The color symbolizes purity of intention and aspiration. An ancient Tibetan adage says that giving and receiving go hand in hand, like breathing in and breathing out--it is an a universal karmic principle that the more you give, the more you receive, which should not necessarily be understood in material terms only.

There was something for almost everyone that evening - pictures from the fashion show of Tibetan and Mongolian garments. Very nicely organized in a professional manner by Lynne - you can see her at the microphone in some of the pictures. They had quite a rack of clothing in the back and were changing quickly - these are just a few of the models:

And the final walk of all the models together

Very wonderful food served in the Cultural Center kitchen - thanks go to Lisa who arranged all of it and is also the Center Marketing Director. This picture was taken during the set up. I didn't get a picture of all of the tasty dishes. Mostly because I was hungry and I was eating!

Lots to look at



Lisa with Cecily and Nancy - another good shot by Dick!

Steve hypnotizing George and Deb.....well - not really.

The monks favored us with singing/chanting, very melodius and it feels very soothing to me. I don't understand the words without the book but they way they do it is just....soothing.

Cecily, Nancy, Steve, and Mariam - all from Chicago .... and this is The End.

Opening of the Into Bhutan exhibit

Only one picture to post right now but it is an important one. I will post the rest in the next day or two. Cecily is welcoming all to the exhibit. Arjia Rinpoche will provide the opening welcome. Rinpoche is Director of the Tibetan/Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center - aka TMBCC. He is the one standing in the foreground in front of the other monks.
I 'lifted' a picture from the TMBCC website with Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama in 1999

Also lifted from the TMBCC website is the explanation of what Rinpoche means:
In the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, "Rinpoche" is a title given to a tulku--a reincarnated being of a previous holy person. When he was two years old, Arjia Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of the father of Lama Tsong Khapa, the great thirteenth-century Buddhist reformer, and, as such, became the Abbot of Kumbum Monastery located in eastern Tibet.
I have read Rinpoche's book: Surviving the Dragon - more can be seen about it at this link on the TMBCC site - http://www.tmbcc.net/info/book/book.html
It is a very powerful book and speaks to events that are outside the usual experiences of someone born and raised in the US although will be recognized in a different form as events that also can occur here. Events related by someone who has lived through them and provides guidance and explanation of the Tibetan culture. It isn't an easy book to read, I had to put it down many times and then start back up weeks later. I would definitely recommend it, though, if you are interested in learning about different cultures and experiences.
More later, including a Tibetan/Mongolian fashion show!

'Into Bhutan' almost ready to open

Shortly before the opening....all is in place! Every last object and picture. This is the quiet before the opening and the arrival of Arjia Rinpoche with 7 young monks who arrived the night before the opening.

A few people meandered around taking a look


George and Deb stopped by early --- yes *that* George! He looks different on the ground...

Cecily's husband, Steve, taking a look around



Pictures of the opening in the next post!

How mant artists does it take to change a light bulb?

More accurately....how many does it take to hang the art exhibit 'Into Bhutan' at the Tibetan Center?

The answer is: well, it depended... and then it changed from time to time, but, frankly, it was a privilege and a pleasure to be involved with Cecily and Nancy in the creation of the Into Bhutan exhibit yesterday! I am looking forward to the opening tonight!

The exhibit is in the Cultural Center library - quite wonderfully converted to an art gallery for the next two weeks!



Chumpay on the ladder hanging line for all of the pictures! When you see the final exhibit you can understand that Chumpay and George hung every single line that holds up every single picture! And it was HOT up there, the outside temperature was about 100 and with the lights shining on them.... What kind and wonderful men they are to do this task with kindness, dehydration, and no complaint!

George very very close to the lights! You might think this photo is blurry because of the tremor I have or because George got too dehydrated and is falling off the ladder, but I want to point out that his feet are really well in focus.
And *that*, my friends, is why I will never be a professional photographer...well, among other things, like this nurse gig I have going on..and no artistic talent and stuff like that. Nice ankles, George!

Assignments were given and included special newly learned 'skills'. Here Nancy has been assigned the task of 'thinking'assisted by Cecily and George (aka Rocky's therapist) and Chumpay. Yes, ''thinking' was an actual assigment, usually carried out by Cecily or Nancy - and they did a wonderful job of thinking through the creation of the exhibit.

Yeppers....back up the ladder for Chumpay!

Celia saves the day! Nancy and Celia hanging the last large picture. There was a moment of consternation when we realized that everyone who knew how to hang the large pictures had left. Fortunately, Celia returned and all was well! That was one of Celia's new skills.

And she was happy to help! And really happy to get the last picture hung!

Almost finished...Nancy started creating the space that will provide welcome to all of the visitors at the door of the library.

It was an amazing gift to be allowed to participate in the creation of this space! Thank you to Cecily and Nancy and Steve and everyone who participated. It was good to work with dear friends and make new acquaintances!
The opening is tonight from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. and all are invited. I am sure there will be more pictures posted here as the days of the exhibit continue.