Y’all, finally the week for social calendar explosion has ended.

Last night in Santa Monica proved to be a lot of fun.  Elan, a former coworker from the dot com, is in town from her current home in Cambridge with her friend Jesse.  Joining us were other dot com survivors Joyce, Terri, and Allen.  We hung out, ate, caught up and gossiped over the intermittent screams of Chicago Bears fans at Barney’s Beanery.  Much fun!  It wasn’t a late night as some had to work, some was jetlagged and some needed her rest to get better.  🙂

Now, my sick-ass can rest in peace…for all of one day.  *sigh*

Yes, sick.  The usual stress/exhaustion no energy fever with a minor couch and a dash of sinus infection thing that started up a few hours after lunch on Friday is finally going away.  Brandon has been kind enough to let me get as much sleep in as I can and kept my glass filled with tea, water, or AirBorne.

God loves that man because I sure as hell do!

This morning, I rolled him out of bed and off we went to Wat Padhammachart, the “Nature and Wilderness” Temple in La Puente.  I haven’t been to any other temple in the U.S. since Wat Thai for our wedding almost 6 years ago.  (Yes, it’ll be 6 in January!)  Aunty Tim and May were meeting us there.

Tomorrow afternoon my time marks the 50th day after my mom’s passing.  In our tradition, friends and family will go to the temple to pray and to feed the monks on that day and once more at the 100th day.  Coincidentally, my mom’s 100th day lands on her birthday, November 29.  Aunty Tim will be in Thailand then, so this trip to the temple is also a training for me to go do on my own in November.

We offered some supplies to the monks and made donation.  The monks chanted and blessed us.  We then did a mini Tak Batr (food alms) inside the building.  Brandon, being a few males in the place that morning, got volunteered to help passed the food around for the monks.  Aunty Time, May and I ended up assisted the nuns with theirs.

And my poor husband with banged up knees endured another good 20 minutes of praying, sitting on the floor.  By the time we got up to eat, one of his knee felt like water balloon.  He didn’t expect the praying to be that long, and neither did I.  The last trip to the monthly Tak Batr at the park, it was like wham! bam! done! see ya!  So I didn’t know this was going to be full traditional.  So, when we come out here in November, after assisting the monks, B is going to sneak outside to sit on a bench.

Did I mention I love this man?

One lesson from the sermon today though.  The monk said that going to the temple to “make merits” is just like going to a store.  At the store, you bring money and you get stuff to take home.  You bring your alms of food to the temple and you may not have anything physical to take back with you but you feel the same satisfaction from being generous, praying and meditation.  It doesn’t have to be just the temple and with the monks, but in your everyday life.  If you do good for somebody or show your generosity to people around you, in return, you will feel happiness.  If you come to the temple or go through life with “a bad heart”, ill will and general moodiness, it is like shopping with a torn bag or a broken bowl.  Happiness does not stay with you no matter how much you “spend”.

So, make that a lesson for you all out there today.  Make your heart light, and go “shopping”!

Exactly what my mom would have me do to remember her by.