I just recently had a birthday. Woohoo! It was fun. I went with a couple friends to see a movie (the new Harry Potter, partly in memory of my dad, who loved the movies and books), and I went bowling! I thought I was going to be horrible, because I am a small, skinny person with stick arms, but there was a bowling ball even small enough for me! So we bowled, and I got very close to winning, and even got a few straits! whoop! I can't wait to go again.

More importantly, we just recently celebrated, here at my mother's house, the birthday of Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (read all about him at www.krsna.com). I made a video for Krishna, as an offering, and it was a lot of fun. Watch it here: [link]

I also made a video for the appearance day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the beloved spiritual master and founder of ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness). That video is here: [link]

Let me tell you, it such a joy to be able use my creative mind in some spiritual way in Krishna Consciousness, by making videos.

Next, I plan to make a video for Sri Radhe! Jai! Her birthday is 15 days after Krishna's, on August 27th. I will be back to school by then..(waah! senior year already?!)...but I hope to be able to catch a program at a temple in the evening.

So, how is my art going? well, it is not going much. I have all these painting supplies, and no paintings are coming. I am too busy packing for back-to-school. I might return my paints to Michaels', because I am a cheapo who doesn't want to waste money.

Writing - revising a story of mine - is going pretty good. I look forwrad to resuming group meetings with my critique writing groupies once I get back to school.

I am still listening to tapes of my dad meeting iridology clients. As an iridologist, he was able to look in people's eyes and tell, by certain veins or whatever signs in the eye, what the health of the person was and what body parts needed medicine. The medicine my dad gave was natural stuff, not chemicular stuff, because he was a natural healer. It is so nice, to be able to hear these tapes, because it means that even though my dad is gone, I still have his voice. I can still hear his laugh. That is such a treasure.

Plus, I recently bumped into again, one of my dad's old friends. This guy has so much affection for my dad. In one conversation, just one, I saw this man get choked up talking about my dad, and in another moment he was laughing loudly when telling a story about my dad. It is people like this man that I have been looking for, to talk to my dad about. It really warms my heart.

People have the misconception, when someone's loved ones passes away, that if you mention their loved one they may burst into tears and be upset. The tears part may be right, but more often than not, the person is very eager and happy to hear about their loved one. At least, that is my personal experience. People don't talk to my about my dad, and I wish they would. I want to hear about him, to remember and think of him.

Anyway, here I've gone and rambled...I should get back to packing. *sigh*