This photo is from last year, but it does capture a bit of what last night’s ride was like. Though we came back in near full dark. I have flashers and a reflective safety vest to wear, so were were okay for the short bit we had to ride on the road. It was a fabulous evening! Lily moved out and rated back down with ease. We mostly trotted with a bit of rocking chair canter thrown in. The air was crisp and became chilling on the last stretch. I was grinning throughout the day at work today just thinking about it. Horse therapy is the best!

So that is one think I am thankful for. More importantly, I’ve been thinking a lot about lately the wonderful children I share my life with. I feel so very fortunate to be their parent. And I look forward to when they both return from their adventures out in the wide world.

Gurunam is in South America for her study abroad. Here is a recent blog post with photos from her visit to Iguazu Falls. Look it up. It seems like a fantastic place! Apparently, when Eleanor Roosevelt visited, she said, “Poor Niagara!”

Photo courtesy of Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa

My trip to India this fall was another experience for me to grateful for. There is much to say about that. I am still considering what I would like to write about it. On a pracitcal level, it was very nice to get to know the staff and see the school grounds. I found that India had not changed all that much since my visits back in the ’80′s. Yes, people have cell phones and there are a few more cars, but much still remians the same.

I love this time of year when the light turns to gold and the temperatures start to drop. And even the darkness that falls early. It is a time of reflection.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Visit these other blogs that often participate in Thankful Thursday:

We have been working on our house for the last few weeks. Part of that included pulling everything from the built in bookshelves in the living room. In the course of pulling them down and stacking them, I found all sorts of treasures.

Some of my favorite childhood books went off to a book conservator for repair. I want to be able to read them to children in the future, just like they were read to me. Most are by Maud & Mishka Petersham, but there are also my early editions of Alice and Through the Looking Glass with the original illustrations. I am so glad that I have carried these around through the years.

My husband picked out a small book that I must have bought at a used bookstore somewhere. It has interesting construction with each page folder over on itself like an accordion. It was published in 1926 in Boston. The illustrations are reminiscent of the Craftsman period with art deco sort of curves and flourishes. The title is The House by the Side of The Road by Sam Walter Foss. What follows is the text from the first, middle and last pages.

“There are hermit souls
that live withdrawn
In the peace of their
self-content.
There are souls like stars,
that dwell apart
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that
blaze their paths
Where highways never ran;
But let me live by the
side of the road
And be a friend to man.

I see from my house by
the side of the road
By the side of the
highway of life,
The men who press with the
ardor of hope
The men who are faint with strife
But I turn not away from
their smiles nor their tears
Both, parts of an infinite plan,
Let me live in my house
by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

Let me live in my house
by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by
They are good, they are bad,
They are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish — so am I
Then why should I sit in
the scorner’s seat
Or hurl the cynic’s ban?
Let me live in my house
by the side of the road,
And be a friend to man.

I have a feeling that this year will end quite differently than it has begun.

My son with his first home built computer

It’s eventual function will be as a media center for the household. We will be able to store all our images, video and music on the terabyte hard drive, watch TV and movies and listen to music through my amplifier, all controlled through wireless keyboard and mouse. For now, it has Linux installed, as the Windows CD came too scratched to use. We supplied the funds and he did the research, sourced all the components and constructed it. How cool is that?

When my aunt pointed me to these years ago, they resonated with me. They have been an excellent way to deal with my horses. In adopting them for that purpose, I found myself considering them with my children, my husband, my co-workers and on and on. Pick one, consider it in your life and see where you go…

From The Center for Non-Violent Communication. The italics are mine.

10 Things We Can Do to Contribute to Internal, Interpersonal, and Organizational Peace

(1) Spend some time each day quietly reflecting on how we would like to relate to ourselves and others.

(2) Remember that all human beings (all creatures, actually) have the same needs.

(3) Check our intention to see if we are as interested in others getting their needs met as our own.

(4) When asking someone to do something, check first to see if we are making a request or a demand.

(5) Instead of saying what we DON’T want someone to do, say what we DO want the person to do.

(6) Instead of saying what we want someone to BE, say what action we’d like the person to take that we hope will help the person be that way.

(7) Before agreeing or disagreeing with anyone’s opinions, try to tune in to what the person is feeling and needing.

(8) Instead of saying “No,” say what need of ours prevents us from saying “Yes.”

(9) If we are feeling upset, think about what need of ours is not being met, and what we could do to meet it, instead of thinking about what’s wrong with others or ourselves.

(10) Instead of praising someone who did something we like, express our gratitude by telling the person what need of ours that action met.

The Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) would like there to be a critical mass of people using Nonviolent Communication language so all people will get their needs met and resolve their conflicts peacefully.
2001, revised 2004 Gary Baran & CNVC. The right to freely duplicate this document is hereby granted.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

How:

Last summer in Montana with Mary and Lucas

… Hargobind Singh Atwal was born. I am grateful that such a wonderful soul joined our family those years ago. And that he has grown into a fine, young man.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

In the early morning of June 24th, between three and six, Ridgeline Montessori School had a change forced on it. My son started at Ridgeline in first grade. He has one more year left there to finish middle school and eighth grade.

Back when I was on the board several years ago, we considered moving the school to a new site. The building that we were leasing from the 4J school district was aged, needed a new roof and we were outgrowing the wing we started out in. Fast forward several years and we had taken over that entire wing, the office and part of another wing and shared the site (including cafeteria and gym) with the Village School. We did know that we would need to relocate eventually as the district had decided not to make large repairs to the classroom buildings. All seemed well for the time being.

That changed with yesterday morning’s events. A fire broke out under the overhang at the back entrance of our main wing. Seven of our nine classrooms and their contents are gone. The walls still stand, but that’s about all.

Chrystall Reed, our administrator said,

“As devastating as this (fire) is, we will find a new place. It may not be here, but it will still be Ridgeline Montessori.”

At the scene
Video after the fire
Photos

So what am I thankful for?

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Snow at TDR last weekend

If you don’t have your own blog, go ahead and write about what you are thankful for in the comments of my latest Thankful Thursday. post instead.

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It was there all along was first posted on March 11, 2009 at 11:18 pm.
©2011, Simrat Khalsa.

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]]> http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/all-along/feed/ 3 http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/trying-something-new/ http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/trying-something-new/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:11:19 +0000 Simrat http://www.akalranch.com/?p=938 [...]]]>

I’m testing out a new plugin for embedding videos in my blog. Let’s see how it works! Here is my brother playing guitar in Dublin in 2002.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-d1ct5MEc

And this one is from 2007…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2uOlxR5MNM

Ah … love it!

For more see his MySpace page.

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Trying something new was first posted on March 10, 2009 at 10:11 pm.
©2011, Simrat Khalsa.

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]]> http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/trying-something-new/feed/ 2 http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/history/ http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/history/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:30:01 +0000 Simrat http://www.akalranch.com/?p=904 [...]]]>

Smiling Shadow

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

It’s proving to be one of those ‘chew you up and spit you out’ weeks for me. Too much to do, not enough time to sleep and I feel more like hibernating and not talking to anyone than posting on my blog, but I don’t want to miss a week on this meme, so here goes…

Mr. Lorenzo Bumblebee and his person at TDR

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

If you don’t have your own blog, go ahead and write about what you are thankful for in the comments of my latest Thankful Thursday. post instead.

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A sense of history was first posted on March 5, 2009 at 12:30 am.
©2011, Simrat Khalsa.

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]]> http://www.akalranch.com/2009/03/history/feed/ 1 http://www.akalranch.com/2009/02/finally/ http://www.akalranch.com/2009/02/finally/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2009 06:24:51 +0000 Simrat http://www.akalranch.com/?p=832

… gave Vin a proper BATH.

OMG ... what have you DONE?

I don’t think that Vinnie really enjoyed it much. I did use hot water for the soapy portion. I brought out my pint sized hot pot and it worked okay, just have to have someone on hot water duty. We didn’t get any photos of him all wet, but it reminded me of my dog. He has a thick coat and looks so small when he gets wet to the skin. Vin had a similar look, with all his fuzzy, winter coat slicked down.

Look what I have to put up with here!

He ended up hanging out in his stall, all bundled up, while I helped the girls get Lily ready. They took turns riding and cleaning stalls, while I went back to checking on Vin and doing my normal organizing stuff around the barn.

Lily was a good girl.

Then I took him out to lunge him and let him graze. It wasn’t really sunny, but was tolerably warm. At least it didn’t rain, like the forecast said that it would. Since there are a few jumps out there, I thought, “What the heck. Let’s give it a try.” I’ve never asked him to jump before. He was really quite obliging.

Down the drop jump. Whoohooo!

The form can use improvement, but he's willing.

All photos are by Hargobind Atwal, my son, who I thank for his help today. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll try to get a proper stood up conformation shot. He should still be clean, since I left him in a slinky hood, sheet and tail bag. If I can keep this up half the time, he should be in shape for Expo next month.

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Finally did it… was first posted on February 21, 2009 at 11:24 pm.
©2011, Simrat Khalsa.

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]]> http://www.akalranch.com/2009/02/finally/feed/ 5 http://www.akalranch.com/2009/02/getting-over-it/ http://www.akalranch.com/2009/02/getting-over-it/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:49:52 +0000 Simrat http://www.akalranch.com/?p=588 [...]]]>

They met in the garden by Simrat Khalsa, copyright 1999, Oil on canvas with paper, 32" x 29 1/2"

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

“When are you going to get over it?”

“Dear, you just have to get over it … and move on.”

Ever hear any of these? I think that we all have at one time or another. Maybe it was regarding a lost love or a lost life. Either way, it’s something that I’ve thought about a lot. You see, I would consider myself to be a bit of an expert on grief. I’ve lived with it intimately for nearly my entire life, as I got hit hard and early. I was talking about this with my friend, Megan, a few weeks ago and decided that I wanted to write about it.

We lived on a farm in Maine when I was born. My sister and brother had both been born in New York City. By the time I came along, my parents had bought the rambling, white farmhouse with attached barn. I hear that it was on a whim. In any case, life was pretty fun for me most of the time. What I can remember at least. There were a couple of horses, a pony named Sooty, a couple of pet billy goats, chickens, a Golden Retriever named Jeb, puppies, kittens and more. In the winter, we ice skated on the creek and went sledding. In the summer, my Mother gave riding lessons to a friend and me, and we swam in the pool of the house across the road. I played in the hay loft, while my father planted pole beans and pop corn.

All that changed when I was about five and a half. The only real memory I have is of my father coming home and standing us all up in a row outside. Then he said, “Your mother is dead.” At least that’s what I think happened… I’ve found that my memory is pretty spotty on a lot of things. I think that the psyche is very good at self protection and blocks out experiences that we are unprepared to deal with. All I know is that I had never felt so alone and haven’t since. Like I was the only person on the entire planet.

So, after a while, with Dad drinking more, I ended up being moved to my great aunt’s house in upstate New York. I took one toy with me, a little cowgirl doll with jointed legs, a fringed skirt, matching vest and blond curls. She had the sort of eyes that close when you lay her down. And they were a beautiful hazel with long eyelashes. I guess everyone thought that I would be going back. I do remember talking on the phone with my father. He had sold the farm and moved into town. Said that my new room was all fixed up and waiting for me. Then one day the phone rang and he was dead too. That time I remember sitting down on my great aunt’s modern, Skandanavian style couch and crying. I was seven by then.

I ended up staying with my great aunt. My older brother and sister went to live with other relatives. I didn’t see them too much after that. My great aunt was in her sixties, had no children and had never been married. I was doted on. I was now an only child and an orphan, though that word was never used. We made a cozy family for a while. We went to the city every fall. It was great fun to get dressed up, go shopping at Macy’s and Bloomindales, have lunch at the Russian Tea Room, visit all the Museums and, best of all, go to the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. I loved watching the show jumping. It was entirely thrilling! And second best was visiting Kaufmann’s and Miller’s to draw in the intoxicating leather smell, sit on the saddles and dream.

Even though we lived on seven acres in the Catskills and had a great old two story barn with stalls in back, behind the carriage room, I wasn’t allowed to have a horse of my own. I did get weekly lessons. Even when my great aunt had to hire the local handy man to drive me there on icy winter days, I still had my lessons. That was a real gift. It made me learn to ride. And I thank her for that.

I also took ballet for years and have the toes to prove it. I was coerced into tennis lessons. In essence, I was being raised to be a well rounded young lady, hopefully to marry well I guess, in an outdated sort of way. Things went along okay, until I hit puberty.

It was not pretty. I would not have wished myself on anyone at that point. And in the midst of all my angst and fury, my great aunt died … suddenly, of a stroke. I was with her, as she slipped into a childlike state, then all of a sudden the ambulance was there and I was left standing in the middle of the room, holding the leash of my dog, Moses, alone again.

I was sixteen. After that, I lived with my grandmother for a couple of summers, while I went to college. I never finished High School. My dog and two cats were not welcome at my grandmothers and were older, so there were put to sleep. I have to say, that was a very sad day for me.

I was lucky enough to end up at Simon’s Rock Early College after tenth grade. I had applied and been accepted before my great aunt died. It was a good place for me then. I had just enough freedom, but was still a bit shielded from the greater world. It would have been pretty easy for me to self destruct at that point.

I have had a lot of lessons in not being attached. Then, as an adult, it was hard to let my self care for much of anything or anyone for a long time. Do you “get over” this sort of thing? I don’t think so.

I don’t think that you ever just get over deep loss. Instead, it needs to be honored and, eventually, incorporated into who you are, into your very being. Otherwise, you can be like the living dead; walking, breathing, talking, working; but not really alive. This has to come in it’s own time. There is no way to force it. It must be allowed to happen. That’s what integration is about. Anything else is somewhat less than true. And there is not an end to the process. It continues.

At forty-five, I have finally outlived both my parents. And I’m still here. There have been times in my life where I was thankful for having been released from the bonds that living parents create. And other times that I ached to have someone that cared about me like that. But, in the end, really, all my experiences are part of who I am now. I wouldn’t give up any of it.

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

This week, I have to say that Thursday snuck up on me! I started a class in Project Management on Tuesday and I’ve been working on how to get the last 50 or so bales of hay from my old barn. (That happens tonight!) My back doesn’t allow me to do that moving on my own anymore. So on to what I’m thankful for today….

Montana Majesty

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use every Thursday as my opportunity to see those things. I hope that this meme of Glass Half Full – Thankful Thursday will take off and spread.

This week, a special edition, inspired by my 13 year old son’s comment the other day.

My Son - last February

How:

MPA Graduation last summer - my daughter, Gurunam, and her friend Rashmeen from Bangkok

The Crew! They did a great job! I couldn't have done the move without them. Thanks!

But first, the part that I didn’t get any photos of… my morning ride on Lily. After my turn at feeding everyone, I let her eat a bit, then groomed and tacked up. We rode the mile down the road. The first half mile was done at a walk to warm up. Then a trot over a small bridge. First challenge was a farmer up in a tree in his orchard with a chain saw. It was the biggest spook Lily has done in a while, but she did settle down after we exchanged “Good Morning!” Ah, just a person with a noisy thing, not a horse eating monster set to jump down on her.

The stack at the beginning.

When we go down to the big bridge over the Willamette, Lily wasn’t too keen on crossing, so I got down and led her. Years ago, we crossed this same bridge, when it was being widened from one to two lanes. That time, she didn’t blink an eye! Despite the compressor running in the middle of the bridge and he HUGE backhoe working down below, complete with extremely sqeaky tank type treads. We will get there again! I have to remember that it’s been a long time since we have done this sort of thing together.

Vinnie made some new friends today!

And filling the trailer at the end!

On the way back to the barn, we had a nice short canter, some long trot and a good walk to cool out. It was nice to get Lily into a sweat once again! When I pulled her saddle, it was cool enough that steam rose from her back. I threw a cooler on and let her finish her breakfast, while I turned out the other horses. I think that I might baby her too much sometimes. She is tougher than I think. After I dismounted, I realized that I need to get tougher. I haven’t ridden that long in a while and my legs felt like rubber. But it was so worth it!!

Puggle distrations!

Vin getting hugs good bye, since he wasn't coming on the first run.

Definitely enjoying the attention.

I couldn't choose between this one....

... and this one!

Every bale had to be tossed or hauled up to the loft. we used ropes.

Hard work, but fun too.

Barn? Not so sure about this...

"Shadow Under the Easel" 2000 Oil on masonite 22 3/8" x 16" by Simrat Khalsa

Today I am grateful for Simple Things.

So those are mine today. What are yours??

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Gratitude creates it’s own attitude. It can give you a new perspective, a new focus. I am going to use this day as my opportunity to see those things.

Ah, well today, I will list several things…

Crater Lake from a visit this summer

Take a few minutes today to create your own Thankful Thursday.

How:

Simrat and Gurunam

After our Gurdwara service today, a friend took these photos of myself, my lovely, grown up daughter and my dear husband. We don’t often get decent pictures, especially not with me in front of the camera, so I thought that I would share them.

Simrat and Sarbjit

I’m not sure where my son had run off to. Probably already back at home battling with his friends on Super Smash Bros. Melee.

If I look tired, I was. I’ve been laid up for a few days with a strained low back. I’m on the mend with new found resolve to get fit, so it doesn’t happen again. There is way too much to do this year to allow physical issues to get in the way!

I thought that I would share with my readers a small bit of what has inspired me to follow the path that I am on. Here are a couple of excerpts from this lecture link, Healing the Handicaps, by Yogi Bhajan, my teacher.

On communication with nature and I would expand that to animals …

near Tired Dog Ranch, Westfir, Oregon

“In every church, in every synagogue, in every temple, people tell you what to say. They are the registered voice. They give you a visa between you and God. But question is, if you want to learn how to talk to God, you must learn how to talk to His creation. If you do not know how to talk to a redwood tree (it would look like insanity to you, but that’s a fact) After all, life must talk to life.

Is redwood tree not alive? Doesn’t it grow at its own rate? Doesn’t it have its own identity, own shape? Do you know how to talk to the ocean? Do you know how to talk to winds? You think all this is a lunatic, that’s what you think. No! You are lunatic because you have never learned to talk to the entire atmosphere which God created around you. If you do not know my entire house, how can you walk into my bedroom? You’ve got to meet the man outside. You’ve got to meet and sit in the waiting room. You have no relationship. And anyone who has no total relationship with the entire earth, cannot claim to be happy.”

On religion and being in the world …

“You do your prayers for mental cleanliness, spiritual advancement — nothing else. People ask me, “What is a religion?” I say, “It is a very, very most powerful selfish trip. It has nothing to do with God, I can assure you that.” No, no, no, don’t misunderstand me, it is true! What? God is bothering you? God is everywhere, you are nowhere, what is the problem? I mean to say, we have no problem. To feel spiritual is to feel your own spirit. It doesn’t matter which religion you belong to or which person you belong to. After all, you have to complete your day. And there’s no B12 injection all the time you can keep in left arm and right arm, you can make your day as it’s your day. Your day not only has to be your day, but your day has to be everybody’s best day whom you meet that day. That is called “one day.” If your day is your day, you goofed. It doesn’t make any sense because that day you made barely your day. But if that day you met fifty people and the fifty people have not made their day then you have lost fifty opportunities, fifty chances… and that is the sacredness in life that you go, you feel, you touch and somebody’s day is made.

Then what happens? One day you make one person’s day, next day you make ten people’s day and 3rd day you make 100 people’s day. In the end of the month you’ve made 10,000 people’s day. Then you have 10,000 psycho magnetic energies focusing at you. “Oh, he is a good man.” It’s a mantra. It’s a constant vibration. Now bad cannot come near you. Power is in the remembrance. “Remember God, meditate on God.” Whatever they call it, that doesn’t mean anything.

Power is in remembrance. Your child is somewhere in the university, your power is in the remembrance as a mother, as a father, as a boyfriend or girlfriend. That is the power. It is psycho magnetic communication. That’s the only power man understands or has, even without knowing what he has got.”

My lovely daughter, off to learn film photography, just like I did many years ago.

This past year has been personally challenging at times, yet filled with insights as well. In 2009 I would prefer more insights and less challenge. But I’ll take whatever comes. I guess it’s hard to have one without the other. I know that it will be filled with many new and interesting choices to be made, wonder and beauty.

I wish all of you a Happy, Joyful and Prosperous New Year!

I found this while catching up on my blog reading here. I like the idea enough to do it!

The Sixth Photo Game
–Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
–Go to the 6th Folder and then pick the 6th Picture.
–Post it on your bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture.
–Tag 5 other glorious peoples to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog telling them about it.

This was last February. My then 12 (now 13) year old son had outgrown the concept of the bunk bed. This was a last photo before we dismantled it.

I’ll add a few more from the same folder to tell the rest of the story.

Then he did most of the work of putting his new bed together.

Success!