Angels Surround

Saturday: NYC area

Easter Sunday: Buffalo

Monday: Jersey Shore for a show

Joe Gray and me at Monday's show

at Monday's show

Tuesday: Buffalo area for a show

at Tuesday's show: L to R: David Hardy(vocals), Wade Hawkins (keys), audience member, Flute (drums), Tanya Diona (vocals), Jerry Livingston (bass), Pete (percussion), Kenny Hawkins (guitar)

Wednesday: Amish country - to get back to the simple life

Thursday: Catch-up day

Friday: I was reading a book about Angels.  

The subject of Angels has come up a lot in the last six months, far too many times for me to recall or to list completely here.  But just off the top of my head…  I've been rehearsing Sarah McLachlan's song "Angel' and we recorded our own song with an Angel theme.  I've spoken with many friends about the subject lately, watched the movie "City of Angels" and started referring to many people I know as Angels.  I've even referred to some of the bands I work with as little "families of Angels."  I've attended funerals where the deceased was referred to as "an Angel watching over."  I was given a "Worry Angel" for Christmas and passed it on to a friend of mine who carries it everywhere.  A "Guardian Angel" clip is attached to the visor in my car.  Just Thursday, I turned on the television to find QVC selling an Angel wing pendant.  It seems Angels are everywhere.  

I bought this book in October, after hearing the author speak, and finally finished the last chapter this week.  In it, I read several accounts of Angel encounters.

Shortly after I finished it, a friend called wondering how late I would be up.  I said that if they wanted to call me, they were more than welcome to do so anytime.  I said, “The Angels are in charge of me tonight.  If my phone is not meant to ring, They won't allow it to.  So call anytime.  If I’m not meant to wake, I just won't hear it or something.”  (I don't know.  It seemed to make sense at the time.)

That night, I debated how to set my phone.  I settled on “do not disturb” which allows for calls to ring under certain conditions, but wouldn’t make noise for texts or emails.  Just before falling asleep, I prayed for the Angels to speak to me in a clear way that I would understand and remember upon waking.

I slept well during the night.  The dogs didn’t even jump up on the bed until I was already awake.  In the morning, I checked my phone right away.  I had one text message, but it had not woken me up.  No calls came in during the night.

Later, as I was making breakfast, I got a call.  I could see the call coming in but no sound came from the phone.  I didn't think much of it and just answered.  A while later I received another call and again there was no sound.  I checked the ringer.  The volume was up.  I checked that the phone was not set to “do not disturb” anymore.  It was not.  Then I realized that the whole phone was on mute. 

Here’s the thing…

I never put the phone on mute.  I’m certain of it.

Thank You Angels, for making sure the phone didn’t wake me in the night.  And for being there, unmistakably, in just the way I prayed for (in a way I clearly understood and remembered upon waking).

Namaste

T

Song Speak

This is how conversations can go at our house...

One day last week I noticed that there was a bag of groceries on the counter that contained some Passover food items, some of which were chocolates (I could see the all-too-familiar rectangular box poking out).

Having been doing very well with my workouts and diet lately, I asked Russ to please hide the chocolates from me so that I would not be tempted to eat them.

After some time passed, I found myself back in the kitchen and noticed the bag with the box of chocolates still there.  I didn't want to look any closer and asked Russ again to please do something else with the chocolates.

Some time later, I was again in the kitchen and saw the same picture.  In general, by the third time I say the same thing it comes out more… let's say… emphatic than the first two times...



Tan:
RUSS!  WHY IS THE BOX OF CHOCOLATES STILL ON THE COUNTER!!???

Russ:
I moved the chocolates!

Tan:
(As she moves in closer to the bag in question)  Then what's this!?

Russ:
(As he enters the kitchen) Nothing you would like anyway.

Tan:
(Pulls the rectangular box out of the bag)

Tan:
(Gasps and exclaims, horrified)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!???  NOTHING I WOULD LIKE!!!???
(She begins to sing…)

"If you don't know me by now…."

click here for "If You Don't Know Me By Now"

Russ:

(Response is immediate as he also begins to sing.  He sings James Brown's "Soul Power" but changes the words to "Will Power")

"HA! Know we need it, (Will power) We got to have it, (Will power)…"

click here for "Soul Power"

And so goes the "song speak."

:)

Hope you all had a WONDERFUL EASTER!

Namaste
T

Redirected...

The most amazing thing just happened...

In searching for a blog topic this morning, I was recounting the activities of the last week and had CNN on in the background.  While opening up Word and typing some keywords to search, I heard today's news stories including the latest on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and the shootings in Kansas.  President Obama was on the air saying, "No one should ever fear for their safety when they go to pray."

I Googled the following words, having no idea whatsoever what to write this week's blog about:

bal-ance: 
- the state of having your weight spread equally so that you do not fall
- the ability to move or to remain in a position without losing control or falling
- a state in which different things occur in equal or proper amounts or have an equal or proper amount of importance

(from Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

un-der-stand-ing:
- the knowledge and ability to judge a particular situation or subject
- an informal agreement
- a willingness to understand people's behavior and forgive them
(from Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

I soon remembered something that happened recently that I thought significant at the time.  On one day, I started the morning by reading small sections from these two books:

Soon after reading the sections from each, I found myself at an Indian restaurant ordering Masala Tea. While I was waiting for the tea, the manager of the establishment began to tell me about the Indian name "Ashok," which is the name of someone I know and I was trying to remember and pronounce the name correctly.  He began slowly, almost cautiously in my opinion, telling me about a famous King bearing the name, and when I welcomed the story, in part by my sharing with him that I had just read words from the Dalai Lama that morning, the floodgates seemed to open up and he told me all about the story of "Ashoka the Great."

In short, Ashoka was a great king and conquerer around the time of 300 BC.  After one particularly deadly battle, he found himself scanning the bloody battlefield and seeing all of the dead bodies and had the realization from within that his own ego had caused all of the death and destruction that lay before him.  This caused him to change and he soon become a great force for Kindness and Good.  He was credited much with the spread of Buddhism throughout the region and the world.

"Legend says that one day after the war was over, Ashoka ventured out to roam the city and all he could see were burnt houses and scattered corpses. This sight made him sick and he cried the famous monologue:

What have I done? If this is a victory, what's a defeat then? Is this a victory or a defeat? Is this justice or injustice? Is it gallantry or a rout? Is it valor to kill innocent children and women? Did I do it to widen the empire and for prosperity or to destroy the other's kingdom and splendor? One has lost her husband, someone else a father, someone a child, someone an unborn infant.... What's this debris of the corpses? Are these marks of victory or defeat? Are these vultures, crows, eagles the messengers of death or evil?

The lethal war with Kalinga transformed the vengeful Emperor Ashoka to a stable and peaceful emperor and he embraced Buddhism. This led to the expansion of Buddhism in the Mauryan empire and other kingdoms during his rule, and worldwide from about 250 BCE."

(from Wikipedia.com)

Click here for Ashoka (the Indian emperor, on Wikipedia.com)

Today, as I recalled the incident of hearing that story, it occurred to me that it would make a good blog topic.  So I Googled "Ashoka the Great."  THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED...

I had typed the words and hit "enter" so fast that the computer had only registered the last four letters, "reat" when it searched and I sat in wonderment at how my search for "Ashoka the Great" had turned into a search for "reat" and had brought up the story that had just played on CNN about the Kansas shootings ("Reat" was the name of the 14 year old shooting victim at the Jewish Community Center who was there for a vocal audition with his grandfather, also killed).  The following link appeared on my screen, on this the eve of Passover:

Click here for CNN's video: 'I know they're in heaven together,' says woman who lost son, dad

At once I realized the significance of the "accident" of my computer's search and sat in stunned amazement.

Earlier, I had randomly opened to this page from "The Dalai Lama" book pictured above:

As so many of us prepare to celebrate Easter and Passover, I personally feel exceptionally Blessed, as someone who was raised Catholic, to be in attendance at a Jewish Seder this evening and to be included in that celebration of Passover.  I am encouraged to learn about other traditions as well.  I remember feeling a sense of significance and belonging when a simple stop for tea turned into an education about a historic king that I had previously known nothing about.  Why not learn a little something about a culture I am less familiar with and take a moment to "understand" how similar we all are... for collective "balance."

Namaste
T

P.S.
In another related "coincidence," Russell participated as a cast member in a historic musical performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center last week, written by David and Iola Brubeck, that has much to do with the topic of understanding and race relations....

"They say I look like God, 

Could God be black? My God!
If all are made in the image of Thee, 

Could Thou perchance a zebra be? 

He's watching all the earth, 

He's watched us from our birth, 

And if He cared if you're black or white, 

He'd mix one color, one just right..."

- lyrics from "They Say I Look Like God" from the musical "The Real Ambassadors"

Click here for The Real Ambassadors - The Musical

Witness to a Miracle!

It's

a

MIRACLE!!!

On Wednesday, April 2nd (several days after posting my last blog about the dead bird), Sadie began to growl quite seriously at something toward the back of the house.  I got up and moved slowly toward the kitchen.  She was on high alert and I respect her sense of alarm.  Something was not right.  I cautiously opened the door to the back hall and immediately saw what was wrong...

THE BIRD!!!  IT WAS ALIVE!!!

- and it was trying to fly back out.

After snapping this photo I started toward the back door to open it, but soon realized that my head would have to be a foot or two away from the creature in order to do that.  I threw a coat over my head for protection.  After seeing the bird flap around at the door and noticing its pointy sharp beak, I rethought the plan.  I might have gone around outside to open the door from the other side, but it was locked and my keys were in my coat pocket hanging just below the bird.  (ARGH!)  I said out loud, "I may not be afraid of a dead bird, but I AM a little afraid of a live one!"  I was going to have to just face the fear.

I put on my heavy winter parka and my thick hat with the ear flaps THEN put the other thin coat back over my head.  After some initial hesitation and one big deep breath, I swiftly took the plunge and dove toward the back door and opened it, while pulling the other door shut behind me (so he couldn't fly back into the kitchen), and I flung open the screen door as I soared through it to end up standing there on the other side, holding it open for the bird to fly out.  (Whew!)

I stood there until I got tired of holding the door and so I propped it open.  I still had my hat and both coats on and stayed there with my eyes fixed on the door, waiting.  I continued to stand there until I got tired of standing and finally squatted down on my knees.  I couldn't leave.  I had to make sure he flew out and that no other wandering creature went in.  The sun was going down.  I hoped the neighbors weren't watching.  I looked ridiculous standing there staring at the door with garments piled on my head squatting down as if I were peeing on the ground.  I laughed out loud at the thought of how strange I must've looked.

I wondered if I should try to capture the thing with a pillowcase or something.  Swipe at it with a broom?  How long should I sit there?  The dogs in the kitchen were starting to whine.  I opened the back door wider.  Nothing.  I said a prayer for the bird to fly out.  Still nothing happened.  Then I wondered what thought I was supposed to have that would allow me to learn whatever lesson this was about so it could finally be over with.  I changed my prayer to ask for that.  

As the sun was disappearing, it was growing darker and colder.  Finally, I said (out loud) "I'm not going to wait forever."  With that, I heard the flapping of wings and watched the beauty of the moment as the bird who was trapped, whom I had assumed dead, flew off gloriously toward the sunset and I lost sight of him in the tree tops.

I stood in stunned amazement for a moment.  Then I literally filled with joy and began to laugh.  What a perfect ending!  I took the coat off my head, shut the screen door and let the dogs out.  I was BEAMING!  The bird was alive!  The bird was free!  How amazing was that?  What a miracle!

As I told the story to various people, it was interesting to hear different ideas on what it all symbolized.  One person said it means "never give up."  Another said it means "freedom can be ours."  Maybe it means we shouldn't "wait forever" or that we don't have to.  It could be about facing fear or changing what we pray for.  It could be about the Resurrection (I thought the bird was dead for three days and Easter is right around the corner).  It could be about nothing at all!  Maybe it means we should all go out and get a hat with ear flaps - LOL.  It could be about anything you think it's about, and THAT'S amazing too.  :)  Everyone can say something different, but it seems everyone says, "Wow!"

Namaste

T