I tried something new...

I went to this....

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple to celebrate Holi, the Festival of Colors, which is a traditional Indian holiday.  Tons of college students and really people of all ages come and wear all white or black and sing "Hari Krishna", which means "God".  They listen to bands and then toss brightly colored powder in the air and all over others in the celebration of spring...what the what???  What had I agreed to do?  I was curious and I kept reminding myself that this was an experience I would share with my kids and I love hanging out with my kids.  There is a big countdown that takes place before the powder is supposed to be tossed and I was warned that I should take a big breath before the powder hits the air because I wouldn't be able to breathe...huh???  Not breathe?  For how long?  I was also told I needed to watch out for "body surfers" that would be humans tossed around by other humans but sometimes they would land on your head....what the???  Now the anxiety started setting in....we bravely headed down to "the mosh pit", the center of the chaos and although it was about 33 degrees outside, we were pretty warm.  Must've been all of the thousands of bodies creating warmth.  While waiting for the countdown, I could see and feel powder being thrown around hitting my hair, the back of my neck and going down my clothing....the bags of color are beautiful colors...deep teals, hot pinks, vibrant greens, yellows and oranges...you would see kids walking around covered in color that was amazing and artfully splattered.  The ground was completely covered in colors...I had heard that the mountaintop grows in a beautiful green and they believe it is the powders that help enhance the earth...hmmmm....it was definitely "holi" mayhem.  When the countdown began, we had our bags of powder open and ready for tossing...I had been given insturctions for what came next....but no verbal warning could have prepared me....10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....oh. my. gosh.  The air completely filled with dusty powders...the stuff is being tossed everywhere...up into the air, at your face, your body, tons of bodies mashing into each other and all vision goes...I took off my glasses so I was not only blinded by powder but then was blinded by my nearsightedness....I pulled my shirt up over my mouth so I could breathe without inhaling all that colored dust....but my shirt is soaked in dusty powder...music is playing, "Hari Krishna" is being chanted and I can't see or breathe....just a moment of panic and then the body surfers began flying by...one poor girl was passed over the heads of many and then dropped on her back...I know she's sore today...more and more body surfers began passing by and then our little group begins holding hands and heading up the hill and out of the madness...while going up the hill my jacket slips off my waist because I'm sliding in the mud...oh yes, it had snowed the night before and the ground was completely muddy...in my jacket was the car keys, my camera, all placed into baggies to protect them....my glasses are with my daughter and I can't find all of my kids....serious insanity...back down the muddy hill and found my jacket with no camera in it....seriously?  What????  This was a festival of friendship and love....who steals cameras?  Found out later that my daughter had taken some pictures and put my camera in my friend's bag....whew!  I could stop cussing and focus on getting back with my group....again....oh. my. gosh.  Once at the top of the hill you could look down and see the powder settling.....complete madness, but somehow, it was complete and crazy fun!  The fact that I survived and my children survived makes it even more of an experience, a crazy, fun experience that we will all remember!  Thanks Shanon for getting me out of my comfort zone and trying something new!  Will I go again next year???  That remains to be seen.  I may be out of town that week...yes, I think I'll be out of town.

Here is the temple...surrounded by farm country

Here is the crew, L - R, Chelsea, Amy, Kayla, Alyx, Zachary

Below, Shanon and Noah

My friend Shanon and I 

Here we all are before the powder hit the air, at the base of the temple where two large elephants are mounted on each side of the stairs that lead up to the temple...

This is the powder they sell for $2 bucks a bag...the colors are amazing....

Cute girls

The elephant up close...also our meeting place should we get separated, which we did!

My 3 oldest kids....Chelsea, Kayla and Zachary...

Doesn't Zachary look like he's having fun?  Did I mention how much I love the age of 13?

The view from the "mosh pit" looking up the hill at the temple...I seriously believe that I was the oldest person there...

This was the pavillion where the bands were playing and the organizers were hyping up the crowds...the banner on the front of the pavillion reads, "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare"....this is what everyone was chanting...

this is how we looked afterwards...if you look closer you will find amazing colors in our ears, noses, pockets, shoes, underwear and teeth....this is the warning I wish I'd been given.  "Don't lick your lips".