At our six thousand foot destination, these ridges are pulled together at their disciplined peak like a tightly drawn sari.  From our parking place at the Snake Temple below, our band traced a well-worn seam three hours into wilderness to a cave tucked a few thousand feet below the peak near a stream.  We dropped our packs, collected firewood, filled water jugs, and set about making chai. Phil diced a ginger root into boiling stream water over the fire.  As it gave up its flavor, he added tealeaves to brew.  Then milk, then sugar.  Each ingredient had time to boil into the tea.  We miss in America what much…

  gratitude #515. Saturday, March 19, 2011   our nephew, Ilan Alejandro Vargas.  Welcome to the family, little man.  We can’t wait to meet you!    

  holi. Saturday, March 19, 2011      

  the pool. Friday, March 18, 2011     (You can see glimpses of our balcony in the two above photos . . . it is at the bottom right.  The window to the right of the balcony is David’s office; to the left, the kids’ bedroom.) Can you guess what is one of our favorite features of our apartment?? I feel so blessed to live here this year.  The more I see of our crowded city, the more I realize how much space Judah and Amelie actually have, with a playground, patches of green grass, and this pool.  Funny how your perspective changes.  These last few months I felt…

  gratitude, #480 – 514. my first attempt at homemade bagels Maggie’s bagel recipe Judah helped me roll the dough the electricity only went out for a couple minutes mid-batch summertime in our city cloudless skies the wind that makes our mornings cool the pool Judah’s preschool Judah is learning to write “B’s” and “3’s” settling back into a routine quiet mornings with Amelie after-school donuts at the Donut Baker today the Donut Baker employees, who invite Judah and Amie behind the counter to explore my two big kids, sitting on the auto seat next to me waiting for the “I’m in labor” phone call from Becky talking baby names…

the dorcas center. Wednesday, March 16, 2011 This post is a little delayed because the pictures are from Maggie’s camera, but I wanted to tell you about one of my favorite parts of our trip last week: a visit to the Dorcas Center. This center was begun by Anima, the wife of a national seminary professor, and provides jobs for women from troubled backgrounds.  There is a shop, which sells hand-made quilts, bags, jewelry, clothes, etc., and also a cafe where you can taste anything from fresh crepes and bagels to samosas and momo’s.  Through coming to work here, women are taught skills, given dignity and the opportunity to create…

  a care package day. Monday, March 14, 2011     Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!  

  We take the twenty-five minute auto-rickshaw ride through Sunday-morning-quiet streets, the wind in our faces, chatting and looking at the world flying past us.  In this country there is always more to see and smell and hear than the human body can absorb. This road is in a part of our city I love; right downtown in the middle of the hustle and bustle and energy.  If we were in New York, we’d be on Fifth Avenue; if in Columbia, SC, The Vista. But this morning the shops and restaurants are closed, the fruit vendors just parking and assembling their cart-top piles of watermelons and limes and bananas.  The…

  the taj. Saturday, March 12, 2011   On our way home from visiting the northern team our family spent two nights in Delhi.  Julie and Amelie had a little stomach bug, so Judah and I made a man trip to see the Taj Mahal. Not long after Luther’s theses, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan employed thousands of laborers for more than twenty years to build this mausoleum for his third and favorite wife’s burial.  Made with imported nonporous white marble, all the close up shots of the design work and Arabic script are not paintings but inlaid precious stones.  Absolutely breathtaking. I think Judah was more impressed with the…

  he says she says. Friday, March 11, 2011   Judah: “I don’t want to take a nap!  I want to live!” ———— Judah: “Where are you from, Mommy?” me: “I’m from South Carolina.  Where are you from?” Judah: “I’m from Delhi.” ———— Amelie: “Where’s Daddy?” me: “Daddy’s climbing a mountain.” Amelie: “Ooooo!!!”