Sandalwood Don't Leave Me

Okay well. I had to change my logo to the April (Easter) themed logo a little early. I've been having trouble with blogger (AGAIN!). It was not letting me access anything. I wanted to edit those old blogs I no longer follow and add new ones, etc; and it would not load that page. So I had to go to the NEW editor. Which then told me I had to switch to Google Chrome. GAH!

Once I managed to download and install and  picky pick pick each little thing I had to check off in the boxes, I then FINALLY found where I could use the Old Editor to access my blog. So here I am. Yes, it's the size of a postage stamp on the screen for me, but I'm sure it will be NORMAL SIZE for you gentle readers.

 Over the weekend I went to the local co-op which I adore, and tried to buy something that was sandalwood scented. I didn't care much what. I just wanted to smell some sandalwood in my world.

Why? Because it reminds me of the possibility of dreams.  I equate the smell of sandalwood with those youthful days when incense and incense burners
themselves were made of sandalwood and I just KNEW that visiting India and finding my GURU was just a moment away.

Anything and everything INDIA has always given me that happy feeling of 'far away' and 'exotic'. And growing up a round peg in a square hole in Indiana, 'far away' and 'exotic' were where I longed to be.

If you just say the words 'Spice Road' near me I flash on elephants and camels and the feel of sandalwood beads, carved and uncarved, slipping through my fingers smelling richly of sandalwood oil.

Actually I think the Spice Road went to China, right? But that's just a FACT. I'm not interested in the FACTS, ma'am.

Lately, what with the India Henna smelling up the apartment with its scent of fresh compost and horse piss, I've started to long for that heavenly scent of sandalwood oil.

I remember my friend Kedar wore sandalwood hair dressing and Mackie would climb all over him and bury his nose in his hair and sniff and sniff and then purr like crazy.

Oh wait maybe that was me. Well anyway I had asked for sandalwood paste, hair oil, soap, ANYTHING sandalwood each time I'd been to one of the cool Indian markets in the area and no one ever had any. Curious.

It wasn't until I went to the Co-Op that I found out why there is no sandalwood! It's on the endangered species list! I couldn't believe it! I was awash in sandalwood sadness!

I think it's a sad loss if we see the last spotted owl or all the wolves disappear (although why don't ALLIGATORS and CROCODILES ever become endangered? Do they breed like Duggars or something?) but I will be overwhelmed with unimaginable sorrow if Sandalwood goes so far away.

So I just wanted to post about it. Apparently someone in Australia is raising sandalwood and harvesting and marketing it responsibly, so it won't disappear from the planet entirely. Just from India.