Ch Ch ChChanges...

As Kindred Spirits, is closing its Annapolis Towne Centre location. "We regret having to close this location," said Rukmini Walker owner of the 3 area stores, "we really appreciate the support of our customers and staff at ATC over the years. We made a lot of friends here." The store features art to wear, fine craft, and beautiful jewelry. It has a strong following for its stores throughout the region. Many of the Towne Centre merchants have expressed regret at our leaving. As Kindred Spirits was especially appreciated for the events they promoted and developed. It has been such a pleasure working with the community developing and being supported for our ideas.” MOMfest, Taste of the Towne Centre, Holiday Block Party and last summer's DIVA days Woman's Expo are a few of the events that this As Kindred Spirits store developed and promoted. A combination of a downturn in the economy as soon as they opened, high rents, and the transition of many to an e commerce mentality have convinced the Walkers to close the Annapolis Towne Centre location. As Kindred Spirits still operates two stores at CP in Rockville 301-984-0102 and at Reagan National Airport, Terminal B, 703-417-1508. They are also encouraging our clientele to shop on line where they are expanding and updating our website at askindredspirits.com. For more information go to www.askindredspirits.com

Christmas is over, the crowds have thinned to a gentle flow instead of a rushing river. We stand perched on the brink of a New Year. In this "pause" in between while the snow falls outside, we'd like to take a moment to say Thank you. Thank you for the support of all of our fans and customers. Your patronage allows us to continue to provide a venue for all of our wonderful artists, jobs for our wonderful 'family', and support for all the community events, schools, and other causes we support. Thank you for sharing your life events with us. Whether you come in for a wedding band, a special Mother of the Bride outfit, Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift,or the card for a friend that is hurting, the stories you share with invite us into your lives which is the true joy of our job. Thank you for the community of other merchants at all of our stores that partner with us for some truly fun times! It is with humble gratitude that we say Thank you again for another wonderful year of As Kindred Spirits

Fall is Coming, So Is Our Website!

Though the temps are still hovering in the high 90's as we speak, changes are on the way. The stores are full of wool sweaters from Curio, and all cotton ones from Willow. The days, or at least mornings are darker earlier, and the cricket songs are getting faster and with shorter pauses (a sure sign of approaching Fall). This season has been a challenge to many in the US with extreme heat the norm all over. Amazing to remember the record snows of last winter in the midst of it.

A reminder in all of this is the constant cycling our Earth, and our lives are subject to. In the midst of endings come beginnings. Our website launch will bring As Kindred Spirits a way to reach out to the greater world with our intention of sharing our ideas of truth and beauty via our many talented artists, designers, craftspeople and staff. We hope this change in venue will allow us to be of greater service to all of you.

As this season of fecundity, light and heat makes way for the cooler harvest,may you enjoy the awareness of the constant cycling our lives and seasons, and may you always enjoy where you are in the ride!

In a conversation with my 20 something stepson, I asked if when hanging out with his friends they ever discussed the events of the day. Thinking of the worries over the BP oil spill, the jobless rate, the economic issues, Haiti's destruction and rebuilding, etc., etc. He responded that they did not. I then asked if he every thought about these issues himself, to which he responded, "No not really." His dad then asked his opinion of the way things in the world were going and he said that things were just fine.

This got me thinking about the amount of time, energy, and resources we dedicate to our worries. I've often wondered whether or not the situation in the world is so much more dire, or is it just, with instant information on a global scale, that we are more aware of the difficulties in the greater world. This combined with the natural progression of young self-involvement towards the wider view of approaching elderhood.

When younger we also believed in the limitless possibilities, and as we age we become generally more conscious of limitations, of money, other resources and obligations,and of our health.

Is there a way to balance the hopeful attitude of youth tempered with awareness of obligation and the stewardship of the greater good? Some rely on the power of positive thinking in its various forms, some fall prey to despair, merely stop trying and grumble angrily at their TV's and computers.

Walking the path of balanced hope seems one of the greatest challenges as I age. By choosing to be with others of hope, surrounding, and being aware of beauty in the people, places, and things around me, choosing to be entertained and charmed by what, or who shows up in the store and in my life while simultaneously choosing to march forward on those issues that call to me I hope I can, we can hold that balance.

Father's Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. For a long time it was barely noticed. It only became a nationally recognized holiday when President Richard Nixon signed the holiday into law in 1972.

Sonora Smart Dodd was inspired to create this day to honor dads while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1908. She, and her siblings, had been raised by her widowed father, " A courageous, selfless, and loving man."

On the silver anniversary of the holiday Bonnie, the great-granddaughter of William Jackson Smart wrote;

"A father sat with bowed head in his aloneness. About him clung his weeping children. The winds outside threw great scarves of powdered snow against the window panes, when suddenly the last born tore himself from the group and rushed out into the storm calling for his mother. Yet even his baby voice could not penetrate the great silence that held this mother.

Hurriedly, the father gathered him back to his protection and for more than two decades, William Jackson Smart, alone, kept paternal vigilance over his motherless children.

This poignant experience in the life of Mrs. John Bruce Dodd of Spokane, Washington, who was then Sonora Louise Smart, was the inspiration for Fathers' Day which materialized through the devotion of this father and the father of her own son, John Bruce Jr., born in 1909. Through the observance of the love and the sacrifice of fathers about her everywhere, her idea of Fathers' Day crystallized in 1910, through a formal Fathers' Day petition asking recognition of fatherhood."

Fathering is important for each of us, whether it be from a biological or step-dad, or from an official or unofficial uncle or other male figure who takes the time to love and guide us towards the steps of our path

.G_d bless our Dads!

Rukmini Walker, owner of As Kindred Spirits galleries speaks internationally on Bhakti Yoga, Bhagavad Gita, and the traditions of kirtan. She is on the planning committee for the women’s spiritual empowerment event, Sacred Circles, held for many years at the Washington National Cathedral. She is involved in interfaith dialogue as a DC board member of the United Religions Initiative, and is a co-founder of the Vaisnava-Christian dialogue.

Her business, As Kindred Spirits, aims to connect the work of the finest craftspeople with charitable and fair trade ventures, seeing beauty and truth, “As Kindred Spirits”. As Kindred Spirits represents designer jewelry, clothing, and American craft at three locations in the Washington DC Metro area: at Reagan National Airport, at Congressional Plaza in Rockville, Maryland, and at the new Annapolis Towne Centre in Annapolis, Maryland.

Before opening As Kindred Spirits, Rukmini Walker, lived and worked in yoga ashrams in the US and India for twenty-five years. She was initiated into the Bhakti Yoga tradition as a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1968. She has one son, Gauravani, and lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband.

There is so much interest in the physical aspects of yoga these days, Rukmini’s passion is to share her knowledge of this yogic philosophy to understand some of the deeper meanings and background of the postures and yogic lifestyle. She has been studying the Bahkti Yoga traditions for over 30 years. She is deeply honored to speak on these subjects to area groups. yoga classes, and worksops.

Gauravani, of the Kirtan group As Kindred Spirits, asked his mom prior to naming his band if he could use the name of her gallery as the name of his band. “Of course!,” she said, not knowing that in the future AKS (the gallery) would have to vie for a small share of internet hits from AKS (the band). “Can’t be disturbed about these small things,” she thought. That’s the intention behind the name, As Kindred Spirits. All living beings- trees, the grass, fish, the animals, humans, the earth, even one’s own son need to be honored as our ‘kindred spirits’

Sometimes Rukmini & Gaura lead Kirtan, and yoga retreats together. Kirtan is call and response chanting from Bhakti yoga. Bahkti yoga is the yoga of love in action. It includes the aspiration to live, “In the world not of it,” or as an engaged, urban mystic. The aim to live in humility like the grass…as the grass is plural, we all live in community; each of our actions impacts us all.

If interested in a further conversations with Rukmini about your group hosting her as a speaker please contact her though our e-mail: askindredspirits3@gmail.com

Dancing in the Rain!

This was forwarded via e-mail... hopeful and fun

LIFE IS NOT HOW YOU SURVIVE THE STORM, BUT HOW YOU DANCE IN THE RAIN.... Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2.. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. 12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don't compare your life to others.. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, and then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?' 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone for everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. 35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come.... 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Holiday Thoughts

Holiday time again, shopping, wrapping, family traditions, food, company. We share songs we all know, foods we grew up with and hopes of happy times. The holidays are a combination of religious faith, pagan traditions and blends of the multi-cultural melting pot that is unique to this country.

Let's try to remember to have some fun and focus on the moments that make up this time so fraught with expectation. During these challenging times our gift is a slight shift of focus on what we can be and do for each other. The gifts we give are from the heart, maybe we made them, maybe they are created from the hand of an artist, maybe we are supporting our local businesses helping each other make it though.

Hope you all take some time to enjoy these moments and have them be more than just another chore to get through. Take the time to allow this to be a time to take stock of and appreciate who & what is in your lives.
Happy Holidays!

New Trunk Show Features Elizabeth Garvin

Elizabeth Garvin is being featured at all three of our locations starting October 31st thru November 15th. This is our last trunk show until next year.

Ms. Garvin says that she is inspired by architecture and industrial design and, " Design that has been reduced to its simplest form, where all unnecessary elements have been removed." As modern and reductionist as her designs are, her work maintains a classic line. She designs for real people, and her jewelry is designed to be worn. The engineering of movement is subtle not overt.

Ms. Gavin once stated that she created her jewelry for the discerning, professional woman, someone who wants a unique yet somewhat understated piece. She also uses materials to keep her pieces affordable. By using CZ's and 18K bi-metal,along with Sterling Silver, the cost of her work is quite approachable.

We hope you have the opportunity to come enjoy her work in person.

Guara Vani and As Kindred Spirits

Wendy Rukmini Walker has a son Gaura Vani that has been a musician since "before he could talk or walk" He uses the sacred art of Kirtan (the yoga of voice), a traditional call and response technique to express his musical aptitude. He and his band "As Kindred Spirits" (like mother like son!) have travelled extensively sharing this ecstatic music.

This weekend Guara will be participating in Omega Institute's 5th annual Kirtan Festival that brings together Kirtan performers from all over to "nourish our soul(s) with a rich tradition of musical prayer and meditation. Known in Sanskrit as kirtan, devotional chanting awakens a longing in the heart for the experience of inner silence, boundless love, and union with the divine. Emerging from Hindu traditions in India, kirtan is practiced by millions of people."http://www.eomega.org/omega/workshops/da149d9d52307a7a75542962885b0ebe/

Guara has participated in and created many events based on this sacred music. He and his band created a performance called "Chant for Change" that was to both celebrate, inspire, and support out the new president Barack Obama on the eve of his inauguration. He invited people to,"Lift our hearts and voices to empower ourselves, our new leaders, our city, our country and our world in this revolutionary gathering of sacred sound and movement." all within sight of the White House and Washington Monument.

If you have a chance to see and/or participate in any of his performances you should. This heartfelt and talented young man is a credit to his mom, and a gift to this world! Check out his website http://www.gauravani.com/ (PS some his music is available at our stores!)

This month's featured artist: Ayala Bar

In honor of our month long trunk show in September of Israeli jewelry artist Ayala Bar, I thought I'd provide a bit of background on her work.

For those who have seen her colorful and eclectic style the description, " Art Deco meets Middle East" will seem quite apt. Her limited edition collections use simple metals, glass beads, mineral stones and crystal rhinestones to translate her creative perceptions. One can view the influences of ancient mosaics as well as modern fashion design in her creations. She worked for over a decade in costume and interior design prior to starting her own company in 1990.

Ms. Bar likes to state that as a mature designer,she is cognizant of the trends in the fashion world, but always true to her own inner vision. Her inspiration: a rose-tinted flower peeking out of a crack in a pavement... a glint of sunlight on a rusty can... a pebble marking gentle waves in a rain shower's puddle... wherever Ayala Bar goes,her surroundings inspire her. For this creative artist, the universe is indeed in the details. Insights and ideas are collected from sights and sites that to the average person seem mundane.

Come enjoy the visual delights of this very talented international jewelry artist. In all three stores for the month of September.

New shipments in from designer Erica Zapp. "Form, Shape, and Beauty," are her watchwords. She's someone who has always been surrounded by art and craft, her parents owned an international craft and art from around the world. She studied metal smithing at SUNY New Palz in NY, and has been designing jewelry and selling it for quite a few years. Erica Zapp consistently integrates a very sleek contemporary look with an emphasis on acessable beauy. She uses Rhodium and gold plating over brass and copper to create a wide array of color and texture. She has integrated traditional stone and pearl elements with her contemporary forms creating appealling new versions of her look. Come in today to view some of her newest designs.

Just a little bit about our featured artist this month Jeanne Johngren. She started her artistic life in Paris sketching in the wonderful museums, the onto NY and filmaking. She was one of the first producing videos for early MTV. She's always had an attraction to both storytelling and visual art (She studied English Lit @ Yale).
"As a film producer," recounts Johngren, "I always thought 'big picture.' But now the jewelry I design fills my world with a desire to uncover the story hidden in each stone. Discovering the storyline in each combination is a wonderfully rewarding process." She draws inspiration from the ancient and modern alike. Byzantine mosaics, stained glass windows, and carved architectural details present enduring textures and proportions that are repositories of intrigue for the modern viewer. In addition, she is influenced by the work of artists of past and present, such as El Greco, Gustav Klimt, and Mark Rothko.(from her website http://www.jeannejohngren.com/catalog/bio.php )
Her pieces are delicately beautiful. Her stones are chosen specifically for excellence in cut, clarity, and color.
Another example of her integrity as an artist she 'gives back' a portion of her proceeds towards programs that help and support women. All in all this artist's work is a must see. Come visit our Regan National Airport store for a trunkshow of her work starting on or around 6/26/09

We're Back!

After a long time of 'air silence' AKS (As Kindred Spirits) has decided to create a cyber presence. We've had our website: askindredspirits.com for some time with an ability to answer queries from some of our far flung fans (especially those who frequent our Reagan National Airport store) as well as new fans who discover us on the web. Now we are trying out a couple social networking sites, Facebook: As Kindred Spirits Stores, and Twitter: AKS Stores, in addition to this blog. The attempt is to allow our customers and fans the opportunity to hear, in a more up to the minute fashion, what's happenning at our stores, what new artists and merchandise we have, as well as a quick and direct line in for trunk shows, events and specials being offered.

We hope you enjoy our commentary, and as always we hope to always be an enjoyable and inspiring part of your day!

Thanks for listening!