Yurt where we had our "Sound In the Round" Healing Journeys

Still working on those obstacles! I spent three days in Summertown, TN at the The Farm, one of the first and, at one time, the largest commune in the country. It was an interesting few days- basically at this point a gated intentional community for hippies. Thirty-five to forty years ago it was a lifestyle that interested me- today, so not! However I met some very lovely people, did two sound journeys and gave several private sessions and that was all good.

Also I have gotten to be around quite a few tiny people these last few weeks and that has been so wonderful- my new friends Ryan and Arielle's 6 year-old son Aidan, a beautiful little boy named Nick who was 3 who visited my friends Mahesh and Mukta with his mother when I was staying there, and Zarina- Katrina and Forest's 11 month-old daughter in Summertown. So I have had several doses of unadulterated preciousness on the trip so far.


Aidan trying out a singing bowl!

So- back to the obstacles... Ganesha, Ganesha, Ganesha... Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, Om Gam Ganapataye Namah, Om Gam Ganapataye Namah... (Repeat endlessly...) I left Summertown around noon yesterday, for the first time since I've been gone thinking quite excitedly about the prospect of getting back to my sweet log refuge in Rhode Island today. It has been such a wonderful trip that up to this point I have been thoroughly enjoying riding the wave further than I ever anticipated. Well, apparently it's not quite time for me to get home. Within about an hour of being on the road the rear end of my car started shuddering like crazy. I pulled off and thought about what to do and figured I would try to make it a bit further and see if I could find a repair shop to look at it. When I got back on the highway it stopped doing the weird shudder dance for a while and I thońght maybe it was just a bumpy stretch of road... And then it did it again.

I ended up making it to Knoxville where I pulled into a gas station just off the interstate. Fortuitously (as has been the way with this amazing trip) a cop pulled in right next to me. I asked him where he would recommend I get my car checked out. Next exit, Pep Boys- so off I went. I made it there safely. They checked it out and found that the bushings were totally worn out and needed to be replaced. Since it's a 2001 Subaru they didn't have the parts and had to wait until today to get them from the dealership down the road. So, I am in a room at the Hilton (I decided at least I would treat myself to a nice room!) while my car is being fixed.

Today's lesson... "I do not know what anything is for." Lesson 25, A Course in Miracles Workbook.

My old massage teacher, Dale McNitt, would say "It's always to teach us to love more." That works for me.