Mom

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Ojai

I spent a specular three days in Ojai, visiting JB and celebrating her new life.  We spent hours upon hours catching up and marveling at the mysteries of life.  Hiking, eating, and lounging by the pool at the oasis she now calls home.  For breakfast we met RS, a semi-local, and her angel with a devilish smile.  I love sharing friends, and building community among the people I adore.  We went to an afternoon party at an estate in the mountains where wine was poured and yoga is often practiced.  I drove home along the coast towards the setting sun, and returned to LA refreshed and relaxed eager to embark on my journey.

This Moment

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.  If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and share.

Feast

Under a crescent slice of the moon we dined on local food perfectly prepared and seasoned.  The kitchen bustled under chef David's guidance and every once and awhile we even broke out in dance.  A collaborative effort created a delicious memorable meal: aioli toast with fava beans and shiitake mushrooms, broccoli rabe with lemon and shaved young garlic, nutty wild rice with roasted carrots and olives,  fresh lettuce tossed in the simplest of dressings. We raised glasses and celebrated our hosts joyful new union.

Love

I experienced an amazing expression of love tonight as a group of friends rallied around another in need.  Not always easy to cross a line, to put feelings into words, to reach out and say I see you, I love you, I want to help.   It's common to build stoic walls around vulnerabilities and fears.  It's easy to think they serve a purpose, a moat of protection from the enemy, but the belief is often inaccurate.  Love can break down the barriers if one is open to receiving.  Tonight I'm grateful this gift was accepted with grace, gratitude and more than a few tears.

Channel

I stumbled upon a blog today, Channeling Erik, about a mother who lost her twenty year old son to suicide.  Too dark for a beautiful Monday morning, I thought, but soon one entry lead to another and I was hooked.  The woman's overwhelming grief and despair quickly transformed into something so much more.  Erik's desire to communicate lead to vivid dreams, waking hour visitations and ultimately channeling.  With the help of a medium, Erik and his mother regularly converse about their specific situation, the human experience and lessons of the soul.  The information Erik imparts is very similar to the knowledge I've gained from such books as SETH SPEAKS, so I wasn't shocked or dismissive of this philosophy.  In fact, I was greatly comforted and uplifted by their story and the wisdom imparted in this blog.  I truly believe there are no accidents, even when surfing the internet.

Good and Evil

The weekend started with a historic televised event and ended with another: the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in London, and the death of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan.  On Friday I watched a dashing prince marry his ravishing princess under a vaulted cathedral.  Although I hope the couple's union is about love, history suggests there is no guarantee for happily ever after even if the marriage starts our as a fairy tale.  Tonight President Obama  interrupted regularly scheduled programming to announce justice was served, the country's most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden was dead in Pakistan.  Some of the most horrific atrocities against the US were carried out under his leadership.  No doubt we're better off without him, but it's foolish to think his death will eradicate the world of terrorists.  These global events, mere days apart, will forever link good in the form of a blushing bride in a virginal white gown, with evil, embodied by a bearded gunslinger capable of mass destruction.  Marriage and murder.