I always get in a philosophical mood at lunch time.   Today, I've been feeling a lot of nostalgia for three experiences in the past few years that have given me a lot of happiness. 

* "Bachelorette party" with Sunshine and Mrs. Francon at Starbucks right before getting married.  We laughed very hard, but missed our friend Nanami, who was out-of-state.  I will very much cherish very this evening for the rest of my life.  The only other time I remember laughing so hard was the Jackie Chan incident where Mrs. Francon provided her own audio dubbing (we didn't have any speakers to watch the movie).  I can only imagine the words she would have had to come up with if we had watched Harold and Kumar. 

* Tea, candles, kind words, and hiking on a cool winter's morning is an incredible combination, that I am very much looking forward to doing lots of this winter.  A few winters ago, on Martin Luther King Jr. day, a very sweet friend of ours wanted to do a tribute bright and early at 7am, in the mountains.  My husband and I thought we were going to meet at the top, and had gotten there a little earlier, so we hiked to the top.  The world was so still and tranquil at that time.  While we were waiting, a group of deer walked right past - they were so close we could have almost touched them.  We were captivated by their beauty and scared too. 

* Sweat lodge:  this is a communal spiritual practice, that takes place in a tent.  One heats rocks over a fire (outside of the tent) and then places the hot rocks in a pit in the center of the tent and pours water over them, causing the entire tent to steam up.  Sometimes, a few fragrances and herbs (like sage) are burned to enhance the experience.  The people participating sing hymns and play drums and other music instruments during the ceremony.   Usually, one fasts before the ceremony.  This was one of the funnest experiences of my life.  The fasting, hot steam, and scents were very relaxing to the mind and cleansing for the skin.  The music helped distract from the intense heat.