THANK YOU, FRIENDS!

Dear Readers,

Yes, we've posted this photo before but if you have a moment of joy you've got to make the most of it, what say you?

Today is mom's birthday. She is having an intensely difficult time and so we want to begin this Birthday Post from her favorite

place, Artist Point at Mount Baker and, with the spirit of mom loving it there, want to thank you from this Heavenly Mountain

of Reflection and Peace

for every single gesture of love, encouragement, caring, tenderness, home-made meal, home-made birthday gift, phone message, email, ecard, thought, prayer, and heartfelt support you are sending our way Today.

Many of you began before today, somehow feeling you couldn't begin soon enough, which is true. This spring Birthday month and Birth Day, which mom shares with John Muir, has been ragged around the edges and jagged on the inside. But, as our Beloved Sant Rajinder Singh Ji is fond of saying, "LOVE BEAUTIFIES EVERYTHING." And your love beautifies mom's birthday today more than the most breath-taking moments she has ever enjoyed in the mountains! Yeah, you know who you are!

This year, mom's Climb is Within: And, elegantly, each of you appear, stationed faithfully at every outpost at which she stumbles. It has been an extraordinarily intense month of pain and redemption, grief and -we have faith - Renewal! Renewal...redemption...rebirth, each of you a midwife holding us through the painful contractions that precede Good Stuff Emerging. I'm YumYum. This writing stuff  is new to me, remember?

So, from me and the Mahals on behalf of mom, we celebrate her birthday beautified by your love and offer gracious thanks to each and every one!

AND WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR BIRTHDAY? THIS HERE:
To take the best photos from our blog, create a book, cards, a calendar, and as many different forms of
media as possible celebrating the lives and loves of guinea pigs to raise funds and donations to create a special "Small Animal Sanctuary" at the new Whatcom Humane Society future building. We little ones are not forgotten, but the small touches that make our lives so much lovelier rarely can be afforded by animal shelters overwhelmed with larger animals. We can fall through the cracks, through no fault of the shelter or volunteers, simply through lack of funding. Animal rescue is service and we honor all who offer theirs.

In loving memory of PandaPig and Bear, and when grief allows us to revisit our favorite moments together
in their lives, we're all going to pitch in, using PandaPig's blog and to help raise funds for what we hope can become an extension of PandaPigSanctuary at the Whatcom Human Society. That's OUR Birthday Wish!

THANK YOU ALL. MOM MAY NOT HAVE THE ENERGY TO SAY IT NOW, SO PLEASE KNOW HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU, DEAR READERS, PRECIOUS FRIENDS.

YumYum out.