More India Fundraising!

I'm putting together a small online auction for more India trip fundraising. We had a couple items that didn't make it into the Bollywood dance party silent auction, so I thought I'd try the online route.

Here's the link: http://www.indiawomenbuildauction.blogspot.com/

Please spread the word!

I'll be adding a few more items, including Nan's awesome handmade clay beads. Here are a couple sneak preview pics:

visa!

No typhoid for me!

typhoid mary
Originally uploaded by heathre

I'm near the end of my pre-trip vaccines. I received shots for polio, hep A (1 dose), and hep B (2 doses). The typoid vaccine is oral - for some reason. One every other day for four doses. I was being a wimp about starting it because the pharmacist said it made most people nauseous. But no side effects for me!

The trip is coming up so fast - we leave February 25th. This week, we are holding our big "Bollywood, Building and Bhangra" fundraiser at Lola's Room in the Crystal Ballroom. It should be lots of fun - bhangra and ghidda dance lessons, an awesome dj, bollywood movies/projections and a silent auction. So fingers crossed lots of people come!

I've also been doing some reading up:
Delhi Noir - a collection of mystery and moody tales set in Delhi
White Tiger - Arvind Adiga (very powerful - hilarious and heartbreaking)
Dreaming in Hindi - Katherine Russell Rich

Currently reading:
A Girl from Foreign - Sadia Shepherd
Really interesting memoir of a woman exploring her jewish roots in India.

Brown Couch 2009

Take 1

Take 2

Another fabulous brown couch. I have tons more pics to sort through - some of which didn't turn out great because I'm still getting used to my new lens!

It snowed like crazy, which was great for Death Mountain but not so great for driving. Randi, Neil and Bri were all thwarted by the nasty Michigan winter roads. And of course, we missed seeing our NYC and Hawaii people. We also added a new brown counch family - my friend Jen (from high school and the one to 'blame' for getting me addicted to flickr), her husband Blaine and daughter Wednesday.

Fun fun fun!

aggie's quilt

aggie's quilt
Originally uploaded by heathre

Whew! My first quilt (ok technically a comfortor since i didn't actually quilt it) is complete and delivered to ms. aggie.

agatha heathre

rest in peace

300. rest in peace
Originally uploaded by heathre

One of my work colleagues - Rob - committed suicide this week. It was a huge shock to all of us. He worked with one of our programs on a part-time basis while in the PhD program at PSU. He moved to Colorado last year to work as a mediator with another company, but was contracted on one of our projects. He was in Portland working on the project when it happened.

I didn't know him really well but hung out with him at several work social gathering. We worked on some contracting and grants administration together - one particularly long and painful one - and he was so appreciative. He swore he would take me out for beers as a thank you, so one evening after work we hung out, grabbed some pizza and a beer and talked. He was such a vibrant, energetic, enthusiastic and engaged person. He was training for the Kona Ironman and was constantly looking for some new athletic exploit.

We also had a great chat at the xmas gathering a couple years ago about our Australian romances - he was engaged to an Australian women but things didn't work out. And this was around the time I was realizing Dave and I would not be able to stay together.

And I can only imagine how his girlfriend, parents and friends are feeling right now. My thoughts are with them as they try to cope with this loss. We learned he had struggled with severe depression for over 20 years. I hope he has found peace.

His friends set up a wonderful facebook page in his memory.