Sai Baba, Post-bin Laden America, sufferings, miracle mushrooms, The Miserere

Centered

This has been a week, lmty. Sai Baba ("Love all, serve all.") died last Sunday on Easter, and although he was a controversial world saint, surrounded by magic, manipulation, scandal, and abuse, he was still a devoted guru to millions (6 million reported in 1999) all around the world, and it is sad, so sad, that someone so loved is now gone. He died on Easter, which is strange, considering he is believed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ’s consciousness.

Nevertheless, Sai Baba established free schools and colleges, free hospitals, and other charitable institutions in India and abroad, endeavors all worthy of sainthood.

Osama bin Laden died last night (or was it in 2001?), and with him the American public's dignity, once again. Our reactions are so predictable, so childish. (We are a young country, after all), the ancient ritual of singing and celebrating and thanking god when the archenemy finally dies. “We win.” For some, all they win is a good night’s sleep, finally after ten long years...

But the news media says this will not necessarily harm the money flow going into the al-Qaeda franchise. This may even spawn more support, who knows. revenge can be extremely exciting, as the US so shamelessly shows.

The tornado storms in the South are heartbreaking...listening to all those beautiful southern drawls crying over the radio, destroyed. “I’ve never seen anything more devastating in my life” says Obama. Over 300 dead. And the horrible flooding in southern Missouri destroyed a friend’s house; so much muddy water, so many storms.

Japan is still recovering. Everything is getting better, and worse, and is staying the same, all at once. My good childhood friend is getting married in a month (!) and suffered a seizure the other day connected to a previous domestic abuse-related head injury. We are all so worried.

And my niece and nephew, twin stars, turned two this weekend! The party was amazing, I loved watching my parents, now grandparents, and the gendering, the sainthood, the apotheosis....Everyone played.

Afterward I attended a morel eating party! Yeah! Another childhood friend who is getting married (so much "more perfect union" going on!), his uncle is a mushroom nut and hunter, specifically compelled by the illusory and highly valuable morel aka “miracle” mushrooms, who migrate all around the country and are extremely difficult to catch. The other day, down by the river, to his heavenly delight he found “the mother load.” Despite their monetary value he threw a party, free of cost, and we all ate morels the size of bananas in soup, grilled, stuffed, on pizzas...omg so delicious, and meaty...surrounded by beautiful people.

I left the party and quickly returned to KU to help set up for the big open house we had on Sunday. In my studio I put out wasabi peas and peanut m&ms and played the Miserere, all a hit...I served green tea to anyone wanting it. Three Tibetan monks came, an honor, my god, and my parents came and made me so happy. Love. The show ended at four, but to my heavenly delight one of the most brilliant and celebrated professors here (and extraordinarily psychic shaman, in my book) stayed until 6:30 with her partner, talking to me about art-making and traveling. The two are very similar, no? I watched Jackass 3-D and some NFC downstairs with the beautiful “trolls of witch mountain”, found out about bin Laden, then listened to hearts of space on the floor futon cuddling with my friends...what a week.

This morning between 6:30 and 6:33 I dreamt I was in exploring a maze whose walls were made of gorgeous ceramic fire, “great wall sculptures” I thought. reds, oranges, yellows, “raku?”, and I found within the artful maze a bathhouse. I got naked and bathed with my beautiful friend (one sleeping next to me), only to find out that we were in the middle of a great futuristic campground, with hipsters filling crystalline tents and exclusive clubs. We put on our clothes and explored, finding many adventures.