Artemis & Inkster

I was exploring maps of Artemis, Greece, where two of my daughters and my niece are currently visiting. Until I panned out in Google maps, I had no idea Artemis was so close to the airport in Athens. Seems Artemis is approximately 3 miles from the northeastern corner of the airport.

Inkster, where I grew up and where my parents still live, is about 5-6 miles from the northeast corner of Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Artemis & Inkster -- their people, languages, cultures, climate, landscape -- may have little in common, but take a look at these satellite photos from Google maps. Artemis & Inkster are the red "A" pointers on each map, with Artemis on the left and Inkster on the right:


Click on the photo for a larger view.

Interesting.

En Route to Greece!

No, not me. My two eldest and their cousin. Just the three of them, zooming somewhere over the Atlantic as I type. ::sigh:: Lucky girls. Happy girls. ;) They will be staying with my cousin & his family just half a mile from this...


This is Artemis on the left, and that's the Aegean Sea on the right. O. M. G.

Below is a photo showing possible (or probable) destinations. The bottom arrow points to my cousin's home in Artemis. The center arrow points to my mother's hometown of Volos, and the top arrow points to Florina, my father's hometown, which is too small to appear on this map, so I placed it there.



Click on any of the photos for a larger view.


Update, 10:37pm (Detroit time): Passing Ireland, soon to fly over France, then Italy, then a smooth Athens landing at about 2:00am (Detroit), 09:00 (Athens). Again and with a smile, I sigh.

Καλό σας ταξίδι, χρυσοί μου!

"Namaste" to These Greek Ears

First, the meaning of the Sanskrit namaste as I've heard and read:

Nama = bow
as = I
te = you

Literally, "bow me you," or, "I bow to you."

Namaste is often interpretted as: "The divine in me honors the divine in you," "the Light in me recognizes the Light in you," or, "all that is best and highest in me salutes all that is best and highest in you."

* * *
In Greek:

eimaste (είμαστε) = we are
na eimaste (να είμαστε) = may we be

The first syllable of eimaste is often dropped to make na eimaste into a contraction:

na'maste (να'μαστε) = may we be

In Greek, you wouldn't say na'maste by itself. Na'maste needs another word or phrase:

Na'maste kala = May we be well.
Na'maste mazi = May we be together.
Na'maste eutuchizmenoi  = May we be happy.

When I began to hear people speak the Sanskrit namaste to one another and to me, I had to work at not hearing the Greek word, usually to little avail. I understood what they meant, but to these Greek ears, namaste sounded incomplete, like half a sentence, a half-hearted wish, a fragment of a thought. My brain tried to translate it to "I bow to you," but my soul kept hearing "may we be."

Then I began to think about being, to meditate on the act/non-act of being, the state of being, chewing on and tasting the experience of I am / we are.

The sound of namaste soon took on a new meaning to me, a meaning that isn't incomplete at all, a meaning that isn't so different from "I bow to you" or "the light in me honors the light in you:" May we be.

To these ears, "may we be" no longer sounds like a fragment of a thought. It is not an empty wish or a fleeting hope for the future but is instead a statement that ushers in an experience or state of being that already is unfolding, an experience or state that already is.

I am. We are. Like a brilliant diamond, one and many-sided...

Na'maste.

IMI Graduation

It was a wonderful and happy day. The best. And blessed.

Click the Play button in the lower left corner of the screen below. Music is included, so adjust your volume accordingly.





I am sorry that I did not get photos with the following people: Rob Kelly, our pathology instructor; Larissa Cisaruk, teacher of several classes at IMI (Torso Techniques, for ex.); Barb Brigee, clinic manager; and Cindy and Annette, our Hands-On apprentices. My experience at IMI would have been incomplete had any of you not been a part of it; likewise, the above photo presentation is, to me, incomplete without you in it. But I did see each of you there, and for that I am glad. It was a grand day, wasn't it?

Photographers: Stephie & Kate. Lovely job, ladies. Thank you!
Song: "May It Be" by Enya
Video production:

IMI Graduation

Yours truly with Irene Gauthier, IMI's beloved founder, teacher, healer, and bestower of blessings.

I'm working on a slide presentation of my graduation photos. Check back soon.

Employed Again, Naturally

Back in action at the bookstore. All seems well there. Meanwhile, my massage resumes are out and heading out.

I visited one of the establishments to which I'd sent a resume, had a wonderful massage there. Seems it'd be a lovely place to work.

[Check back for my posting on IMI graduation! I'm still waiting for photos from my daughters, one of whom, the out-of-towner, is without internet and so has to get the photos to me on a disc.]

To Be or Not to Be ...Employed

On Friday, May 23, the bookstore let me know that Saturday the 24th was my last day on the schedule for who-knows how long. You're still employed here, they said, we just don't have any hours to give you. So, technically speaking, I still have a job, but practically speaking, I've been unemployed for a week.

I was really upset at first.

But then I spent an entire day in my garden. First time this year. Glory! What a happy, happy day. I looked around at the overgrowth, weeds, and general brokenness and, instead of (or in spite of) feeling heavy-hearted over the loss of my garden's former beauty, instead of pitying myself for the gardening hours I won't have when I go back to work, I told myself, Pick a spot. Just choose one spot, sit, and tend.

I sat in the center garden and began the tedious job of pulling the tall grasses, a few skinny blades at a time, that had sprung up amidst the thyme and periwinkle. In light of all the work that needed to be done, this grass-pulling was a drop in the bucket... the most luscious drop I'd ever tasted.

Hello, sun! Hello, dirt! Hello, opportunity to garden till sundown! It was my bestest gardening day ever. I need a job, but I am so grateful for this time off.

Meanwhile...

Yesterday, I received the job list from IMI's placement director. It's a list of 67 job opportunities in the metro Detroit area, 30 of which are in Oakland County. Of those, I highlighted four jobs that most interest me, one of which tugged at my shirt sleeve, saying, Pick me! Pick me!

I'll start sending resumes tomorrow. Today, I graduate.

Six o'clock this evening, Silver Garden Shriner's Center in Southfield.

Smiles.