Mandir in Atlanta

The word “Mandir” is a general term for a Hindu place of worship and prayer – it is made up of the two words “Man” and “Dir” which respectively means Mind and Still…..So a Mandir is a sanctuary place where one can go and relax and pray under calming lights in front of statues of different Gods and Founders.   Often times the worship will be done in the traditional kneeled pose, but it is also possible to lie prostrate and face down then repeatedly stand in gestures of contrition.     Mandirs can also serve as school type or refuge buildings for the Hindu community in times of need. 

I do not know much about this religion, but my experience visiting the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, Georgia recently was a very calming one.   Most all of the employees I came across sported open smiling faces and the Tilak or Tilaka dot on their forehead.  I love the idea of this as it symbolizes the third eye or mind’s eye of meditation or spiritual enlightenment.    This Mandir was breathtaking!   It took over one million volunteer hours over a year and a half to build this place!     The Mandir is made of Turkish Limestone, Italien Marble and Indian Pink Sandstone pieces and each piece was hand carved in India and shipped here then assembled.  

I was unable to photograph the interior but as I walked (have to take your shoes off at the door ) around there was a very soothing feeling about the place, the lighting was a soft lavender glow that seemed to emanate from the stone and the statues were so vibrant and life-like I felt I was staring into an otherworldly face that seemed alive from within, the expressions were androgynous and very, very kind.

It is wonderfully amazing that in the middle of an unassuming corner of this huge city, sits this refuge just waiting for a visit from you!

Eat, Drink and watch Dark Shadows!

Movie Studio Grill!

This is a theater with loungy seats AND tables or a bar that you can sit at, find your reserved spot, and order your food from a menu that includes everything from burgers and pizzas to quasadillas.  The place has a full bar too so don't forget the cocktails!   Every table has a red button and when you turn it on, you get service, even throughout the showing of the movie, so keep those drinks coming and enjoy the show!  How cool is that!

hello "Mr. Normal"

Bye Bye Nicolas

A socialist, the first since Mitterand was re-elected in 1988, takes over France.  He has vowed to fight against German-led austerity measures and to tax the rich…..time will tell if he can bring France back from a brink shared by its other European neighbors.

Though it is a democracy, and so since 1789, France is on its Fifth Republic.  Through the years these republics have essentially stretched, reformed and morphed their constitutions!!!!

The President and the Prime Minister in the French political system, the first- and second-highest authorities respectively, are not always of the same party and must learn to work together.

The current Prime Minister is François Fillon, he is appointed by the President after being nominated by the majority party in the National Assembly for an indefinite term.   My understanding is that the Prime Minister manages the daily affairs of government but has no real power….that is how it seems to me anyway.

I am sorry to see Sarkozy go, he was the first in a long time, if not ever, French president that was truly Pro-American.  I think he made a valiant effort to take France out of its sometimes Dark Ages tendencies…

Right before the weekend he was asked to comment on if he lost, his answer: "There will be a handover of power. The nation follows its course. The nation is stronger than the destiny of the men who serve it"

A Must See

 

 I watched a strange and fascinating movie the other day.   "Séraphine" is a French movie that came out in 2009, based on a true story.   If you look it up and read about it, it is often described as a tragic story.  Perhaps, for us looking in, but not so much for her, I wouldn't think.   Her being Séraphine Louis aka Séraphine de Senlis.  Séraphine was a naive, self-taught painter, who, as a poor housemaid, often used things such as animal blood from the kitchens or clay she collected on river banks, as her materials to paint with....

She was born in Arsy (Oise) in 1864 and did domestic work all her life, starting in a convent where it is rumored she first had the visions and inspiration to paint.  Her works are repetitive images, that are often described as fluid and moving, of vivid color and inspired by the outdoors and the nature she seemed to love.  Often times she would paint in a trance like frenzy and it is said that examinations of her signature, often cut into canvas with a knife, revealed several layers of paint.  

In 1932 Séraphine was put into a lunatic asylum for the very "chronic pychosis" that probably fueled her talent and from this imprisonment was no longer able to paint.  She died in 1942 there, alone.   

Of course there was a life lived in between these dates I've put down.  I hesitate to say it was a lonely life because she created a beauty that was so intense, whether it was one she observed outwardly or one that lived inside her, she could hardly have been lonely or even poor or even "crazy" as the creator of such scenes that continue to inspire today....having kept her company as she painted them and still dancing on canvas for us today.

La Bête Humaine

This is Happiness:  Feeling energized and free.  Confident and Calm among friends and strangers alike.   Maintaining Grace and Poise through the mundane, the pain and the exciting!  Looking, feeling and thinking on the most positive level that can possibly be attained every single day.   And sharing the experience....

BEAUTY:    The funnest is to discover cool potions and lotions!  Colored bangles or fashion finds on the cheap!  Check out Beauty Bar  to find what I find!

BODY:   Obscure boutiques, amazing foods, fantastic moves - anything to uplift with a taste, an exercise, a jolt to the senses.  These things are Cassis et Cacao .

BRAIN:   Words that make you feel life.   Places or people that inspire.  What it takes to chill and feel the joy.   That is House of Nani   Impress Yourself!

STAYED TUNED!!!!    Vintage Boutique is coming soon! Petite Maison Chic at   chicvintagehouse.blogspot.com

Lowcountry Bride

The other night I went to a friend's house who was hosting C. Hope Clark the recent author of Lowcountry Bride.    Clark left a pretty good job in the federal government, agricultural division, to begin to write in her 50s!   What I really liked about her is that, although she herself wants to write and make her living this way, she does everything she possibly can to help others to that end as well.   She began "Funds for Writers" and two blogs for this purpose and she spends her time enriching them and answering every single email she gets, we are talking thousands.....I found her to be unassuming, over-flowing with positive energy and generous.  She took the time, during this evening with friends, to detail the process of this whole complicated publishing idea.   It is one thing to find the inner fortitude to truly pursue your dreams at any age, but it is another entirely to desire to share experiences, knowledge and time so that others' may benefit and perhaps succeed with you.  When you think about that, it is pretty fantastic!  Check out the Funds for Writers website - http://www.fundsforwriters.com/