pixie with a purpose!

love Audrey! back to the onslaught of finals...

ooooooooooooooooo

It's been quite a while since my last blog post.

hahehehehehhehe

but today I am festively playing with my faeries.

Do you have any? I'm sure you do, you're just not aware of them. Some people are so critical and ignorant of the depths of our realm, but it's important to be open! that way,you will find your faeries!

Today I was sitting outside starting a watercolor painting, and all of a sudden the faeries appeared and took over my body in the most delightful way.They make you ever so light and happy,giggly and wiggling in a golden newborn blissful state!

The faeries said, we sleep in pods, so I painted two little ones sleeping in their pods, protected by their mama. Do you like it? I do.Well, what's more important than liking it is that it is a truthful and direct message from the faeries,and that they approve of it!

Oh wonderful faeries, thank you for being here!

Anti Gobble Day

That Time of Year Again

It’s that time of year again, when people go into a frenzy over dead birds. I have never cooked fowl or meat, and no fish for three years, so here’s my take on Anti Gobble Day.

I’ll make cornbread, sauteed kale something to do with yams,and a quinoa salad with tofu. I am not sorry, I REFUSE to have anything to do with meat,bird or fish in the kitchen and I REFUSE to clean it up.That’s what men are for, we women cook provide nourish and clean, stretch our hearts out very far and our arms even wider.

Hmm I always seem to get off track.

Never having coffee glazed anything again,especially macadamia nuts. Oh processed food, oh corn syrup,oh sugar,you are mine enemies!

Good Stuff

The positive energy created by myself and others

Is the seed of happiness of all the world.

Lama in whom I always rejoice,

Turn the wheels of sutra and tantra

In accordance with the predisposition of beings."

"In the tip of the vajra between the eyebrows,

The light of the sun, moon and stars swirls in the drop.

By bringing mind and energy to that point,

The white bodhimind is forever increased."

Gyalwa Kalzang Gyatso, Seventh Dalai Lama

Wind is Here!

Just when I want or need it to

the wind comes back

right now she is gentle

but all the same

the stirring and movement helps me

in these moments,which have become hours,

of pain.

Please stay,wind and clouds.

Stay and ground me.

Streamline

Streamline

How do you streamline your life, whittling it down the to the basics, the absolute necessities? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.Not only about the material things you have (all those books!!!!) which seem to clog your room, but also about the processes you deal with, the way you go through things emotionally (or without emotion). Refreshment and renewal of the way you are handling your life, the direction you want to go and the perusal of your visions and fulfilling aspects should never be underestimated.

What brings me to this concept is a very beautiful book I am reading.Well,not only that.But back to the book! It’s called Blindness, by Jose Saramago. In this book, one person after another is instantaneously afflicted by blindness. The reactions of the people, as well as their domestic partners, the doctors they go to, is really quite amazing. It shows the depth and perception of human beings of all levels, and how their emotions really make an effect on their lives.

By nature and genetics I am a very emotional person. Sometimes I put too much emotion in things, other times I react in a visceral and dry way. It is a very difficult thing to plan your reaction to life events, which should never be attempted ! Yet at the same time, sacrificing too much of your energy and emotion into something really does drain you. It’s fine, normal and perfectly healthy to put your emotions and energies into the necessary things and people, but at the same time, an awareness of that and re evaluation of the way you emotionally live and exist is a very wise thing.

Another topic I’d like to touch upon is self evaluation. We live in a day and age, a society, where it is normal to sacrifice yourself for your career, your family, to attain a certain standard of life, appearance, and many other aspects. You are seemingly expected to be happy with these standards, to not question them, to be grateful for them in fact.

The wisest thing is to evaluate yourself not from the standards that society is pressuring you on, if you can. A gradual attainment of a healthy self image is imperative.It is not only based upon your physical appearance, but also your mental, emotional, essential parts of yourself. These parts are all significant components of your whole self, and it is SO very important not to neglect them.

At times, the hardest things for you may be the easiest things for others. Do not compare yourself with others, because not only do you devalue yourself, but it’s not really about others in the long term.It is totally about yourself, in a healthy and satisfying way. Not only can you learn to make yourself happy, generate self love and fulfillment, but when you exist on a level of true happiness, all the various aspects of your life will come together in the most beautiful harmony and manifestation.

So don’t ever give up…you may be frustrated at times, which is normal, but it is essential in the long term to devote yourself to the most important and relevant goal out there…

your true happiness.

I've Got Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

This year I started realizing how much happiness can affect yourself,your life, everything you do! and also patience with yourself and self love.Those are very vital. Well I'm just reminded of a song from the movie Father of the Bride..

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My girl

I've got so much honey, the bees envy me
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees
Well, I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My girl
Ooh

Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Yeah

I don't need no money, fortune or fame
I got all the riches baby, one man can claim
Well, I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?

My girl, my girl, my girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl
My girl

I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
With my girl
I've even got the month of may
With my girl

Talkin' 'bout, talkin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl
That's all I can talk about
Is my girl"

and now I feel the epitome of those words,except I'm not a girl and not anyone's but myself.And it is just wonderful.

Sunshine Shivers

Somehow I am cold and chilled even though it's sunny outside.So here I am with a tie dyed silk shawl over my shoulders.brrrrrrrrrrrrr. I still have pain sometimes, and I've been missing classes.I don't know when the pain will start, so I've been hiding out a lot.I missed a dear friend's birthday celebration and I really regret it. Due to pain. So I've been trying my best to eliminate any feelings or misconceptions which elicit the pain, or make it stronger.

Ah, a nice breeze.

Just thinking...about my time in NL,to be precise. The first day there, and walking and talking with a very sweet and creative woman. I miss that.My friends are scattered all over, and we are all so busy that we rarely can catch up for as long as we all want.

But hey,at least I've got cats to talk to.painting and editing and writing and creating,not to mention studying, to do.

Ok honestly someone has been getting stoned a few houses away for a long time and the smell is driving me crazy now.I think it's my neighbors' son.....wherever I go,there the smell is.

There were HUGE mosquitoes outside when I doing yoga today. I had to kill one,it gave me numerous bites.Of course I apologized and hoped it would be reincarnated mercifully.

I was feeling so icky yesterday, I actually went and bought a book at a...brace yourselves..Barnes & Noble.UGH.I am still in SHOCK.The only reason I went there was because it was on the way back home, and I didn't feel well enough to trot around to all the cheap used book places.I got a book called:

"Lost History, The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Scientists, Thinkers and Artists."

I was hoping to find something like that a while ago,except by an actual Muslim.Me and my silly ethnicity ideas.I think it's imperative to read about perspectives and experiences from the viewpoint of the person of the actual race/identity.

Well you can't be TOO selective I guess.

the sunshine is calling me...c'mon spf 70. Oh what a beautiful blue sky. Thank you thank you for this life.

Wistful Autumn Thinking

I wish to live in a place where autumn actually occurs someday. Crisp air, cooling temperatures, delicious leaves falling to the ground into large piles which I and children play in. The opportunity to wear sweaters and warm socks, drink tea and cider in front of a fire-oh, autumn sure is romantic to me!

Well I did live on Cape Cod, and in Seattle, but haven't lived in those places for a LONG time. So when I was in WA just over a month and half ago (has it really been only then!?!?!) it was truly exciting to pull on my lovely Norwegian sweater, rusty wool tights, hiking boots, and hat to watch the sunset on the edge of the east side. A mug of roobios tea accompanied me, and the colors on the horizon muted, blended and dimmed in a most unforgettable way.

There's always something I love about rainy,stormy weather as well. A sense of excitement envelopes me, and I rummage for a fleece or sweater to pull on right away. Then out comes a good book, and the cat arrives in no time flat, meowing plaintively as her fur is wet. I rub her off with a towel and tuck her in; you must be extra caring with 19 year old felines.

Anyway, up in WA it was so rainy and cool one day, so of course I went off for one of my three hours tromps. That's the word: tromps. It's a combination of wandering and hiking for me, punctuated with sniffing the air and keeping an eye out for my deer friends. Something about being outdoors when it's rainy, moist and cool, is so exhilarating as well as comforting to me. Everything takes on a seemingly new state, which is really hard to explain. There's stillness, but also there is the moisture that is falling, which gives a softness and a transience to nature.

The times I've gone running in a rainstorm are countless actually. Rarely anyone else ventures out, but I adore running in the rain. It kind of represents something for me, emerging and dissolving into another form. The rain keeps falling but you keep going, your cheeks get red, and pretty soon you are just a very drippy person, with very squeaky shoes! But I've rarely felt so free and so happy as when I've ran in the rain.

You should try it sometime.

Openheartedness

Openheartedness

I find this term very important in life. Functioning with an open heart really does change your whole existence and sphere in which you live. The benefits are endless:

-self loving (only when you love yourself can you truly begin to love others)

-honesty in all areas

-acceptance of the transient conditions of our existence (therefore enjoying and appreciating this life to the fullest)

-truthfulness to your self

-leaping beyond limits toward yourself, because once you set a limit, it can be totally crippling

-healthy goals to attain, which you find yourself accomplishing even without noticing at times

-a wide smile and friendly attitude towards those you interact with

-the feeling of true happiness all the time, no matter where or what you are doing

-total self fulfillment.

So go ahead and try to open your heart…once you do, you’ll never look back!

Rambling

It's nice once in a while to ramble. However I seem to ramble quite often. In my dreams,when I talk, interactions, you never know.I tend to think of random things a lot right,right now it's hiking,journeying.

And pumpkins.Hence the orange text.I love pumpkin pie.My favorite desert. Reminds me of the beauty and mystery of autumn.Autumn is beautiful and mysterious to me because I don't really have one where I live.

Imaging the crisp air, smell of leaves burning, beautiful leaves tumbling down from trees, candles and laughter in the evening.

Now I'm thinking of my hiking boots, sitting and waiting in the corner.They haven't been taken on a trip in so long.Part of the reason behind that is that they are so big! Taking up so much room.But they are soft and reliable. Someday, I promise you boots,we'll go fulfill ourselves.

and be rewarded with pumpkin pie.

I Want A Wander

Wandering. That is something I would love to do.Wander and journey all over the world. Of course I would plan where I went first, and safety is always important. However if you are safe in your self, true and strong and motivated, then you will be safe as well.

Kashmir

Nepal

Bhutan

and so many other places.

We are drawn in to " tune in" via computer,iphone,blackberry; who knows what will follow!

I find it essential to tune in to YOU and your yearnings. If you yearn for space and fresh air, don't push it aside as if it is something unnecessary and unattainable, and unimportant. When you do that, you not only limit yourself so much, but you are also breaking yourself down. And that's how you waste your life.

So it's important to listen to your urges,your cravings, what your heart and head and soul are saying.

Once you do, you'll never look back!

A Place For Me

“I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk roses, and with eglantine.
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.”

—	A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Sheakespeare.

Industries of Artifice

While you tune in,hunch over,rush in lines to see the clothes,the models,the celebrities,the trends,the designers, all the things of artifice, think of those who hunch over sewing machines for hours to create garments and accessories.They are paid about as much as your newspaper costs.

Industry of artifice?

no,thanks.

Industry of inhumanity?

We can say “No,thanks”, but so many have that as their last resort, the only way to get a little money to survive in this crazy day and age.

Thank yourself and at least be aware of the conditions in which your garments and accessories are made. Then perhaps you will act with candor and not support the industry.

Either way, ignorance isn’t bliss…it’s simply pathetic in this day and age !

from the Unpublished Journals of John Muir

” Here calm is so deep, grasses cease to waving…Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings out love.”

"These beautiful days must enrich all my life. They do not exist as mere pictures-maps hung upon the walls of memory to brighten at times when touched by association or will, only to sink again like a landscape in the dark; but they saturate themselves into every part of the body and live always."

"Civilization makes desolation in the purest, most open newborn fields with their harvests of terrestrial beauty."

"We live in 'creation's dawn'. The morning stars still sing together, and the world, though made, is still being made and becoming more beautiful every day."

Is it? I see malls, suburbanization and urbanization taking over this beautiful planet, raping Nature.

Books

Books books books books,books I do adore!

With the good intention of cleaning up yet again,I found more books I hadn't read:

"John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals 0f John Muir" 1938

and a bunch more...and I did this watercolor painting.

Tried to call MA GRASS but no luck.Sigh.Will I ever hear her little drowsy voice again?

GRASSSSS!

Salt

NO-I am not talking about that new stupid Angelina Jolie movie where she is a sexy female international spy yet again. (I have not and refuse to view Tomb Raider)

mmm right now I am crunching on some delaycous rice sea salt organic chips. Ya got dat right.I only does organic.dern tootin!

It's been super hot today.I have been mildly productive.I finished a long paper for my Art Historical Methodology class. tons of blah blah blahing! It was tricky-I'm not sure the average person could pull of that kind of a paper with equal amounts of inventiveness,sanity and elegance as I do.

haha

You had to chose one piece from a museum,only one museum,only the small one on campus...and write about it.No research. Make assumptions about the piece, its history, style, cultural significance,etc, ETC, E T C. So it was a long day for me.

Plus I had to wait till I got better from the stomach virus to go look at it.Which took about four days.I staggered in, sweating like crazy, jotted some notes, took some pictures,and staggered out.

BLAH BLAH

The other accomplishments for the day:

-yoga

-making a mess,then cleaning it up

-watching the cat come in all covered in dust and leaves

-watching the dust and leaves slowly fall off the cat's back while sat down

-buying a nice new bag (Fossil)

-not eating lunch

-buying a lot of organic food

-finally finding an organic exfoliating brush

-being cranky

-being grateful.

Virus

Your lucky blogger has had a stomach virus for the past four days.

It hasn't been pretty-more like sweat,exhaustion,delusion and pain filled.But at least it isn't cancer. Seems to be going away,as well. I miss my friends,interacting, being outdoors,yoga class.I've been cooped up trying to rest and figure out why my stomach is boiling like a cauldron. But I have to just wait it out...to cheer you and me up,some LOL cats...

So I best be on my way

So I was just at Grassy's blog listening to a Peter Paul and Mary song, these lyrics stood out a lot in my head:

"So I best be on my way"

That's really how I feel, on my way to something fantastic, excited to see what it manifests into. Living in Croatia, doing writing and art, editing, maybe contributing to a travel magazine? I have so much hope and excitement for what can happen.

It's fantastically hot this afternoon.Very windy this morning, less so now. Sat in the pavilion on campus studying and met a very sweet woman from Indonesia who is her getting her Master's here; she teaches Indonesian. She was pleasantly surprised that I familiar with the geography of her area: I do know where Java is, and Kalimantan, and Sumatra. Thanks to my Art of South East Island Asia course! and I know the various mudras too, if you want to talk one day.

Nothing but good things. Smelling of a Persian Garden. Peanut butter on banana bread.

and now off to re read large amounts of Art Historical Methodology.

Namaste!

yes,I DID sleep about 10 hours.

Bloo Bloo Blaa Blaa

Today is Saturday.Caturday.Saturday.

The day when I can take more than 45 minutes for yoga.I got in 55. I tried to do headstand but did not. I tried to do handstand but did not.I need a wall and an instructor for that.ya see, I do yoga outside on a covered lanai (patio) so I get some breeze and grass and stuff going early to start my day.The cat comes by and alternately falls asleep on a stack of things, tries to break into the huge box holding the bicycle, or watches me do yoga, meowing anxiously for yet more pets.

well I should be starting a paper, which is due in a week and half,but I no want to. NO WANT TO. sticks tongue out at computer.

nanny nanny boo boo!

Art History.oh boy.I do not want that for my career. It's hard me to analyze and criticize in a way other than sarcasm.I have trouble doing educated criticism. blah blah blah BLAH. I don't want to PROFESS. Professors think they know everything, and nobody knows everything, their egos exceed their daily caloric intake and they annoy me.

I already mopped and cleaned and washed the door and that's it. BLAH.

Using blah and BLAH is different to me; I don't use in that BORING context.My friend Arthur has a farm,where he has 25 sheep, and sheep do not "BAAAA!" they go "BLAAA! BLAAAAAAA BLAAAAAAAAAA!" I SWEAR. I was indentured there for three weeks this summer.And two last year.

SO I KNOW WHAT I BLAAA BLAAA ABOUT!

I want to loll in the grass with the sun on my face AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY SKIN CANCER. damn tropics!

I want to hug trees and hike for hours and stuff myself with blackberries and collect driftwood on the beach IN WONDERFUL WASHINGTON.

But I think I'll go read The Potent Self by Moshe Feldenkrais

http://www.amazon.com/Potent-Self-Study-Spontaneity-Compulsion/dp/1583940685

YA BETTER GO READ IT TOO, cuz we ain't got 5690 years to rot and worry in this form!

BLAAAAAA BLAAAAAAAAA

come on sheep, break from the pasture!

What Say You,Chair? and feet?

I say,what say you chair and feet?

Been hopping in and out of chairs and on and off my feet nonstop these past two days.Start of the new semester. Not all books bought. Already been really sick,gotten better, met a friend, another friend never showed up, yoga this morning, crazy gross body odor when I was sick, nice to be able to be the only person to identify a Northern Renaissance art Madonna and Child painting from the 15th century in Art Historical Methodology, plus the Shanameh. Ahem ahem. C'mon, all of you in Art History, where are your image identifying skills? Pictorial memory is very important, style memorization, picking up on written languages as well.I may not be fluent in Farsi, but I sure can identify it.

Yet of course feeling lonely. I am a happy person, but not happy to live here,however it's the cheapest and most economical to just stick it out and THEN go to my green city of happiness. And how much I will enjoy it!

I got a Kurt Vonnegut at the bookstore,MAN is he funny! He got me through a very long hour of lost syllabi, sore throat, fever and the general overwhelming feeling I encounter the first day of every semester. So many people on the campus all of a sudden, it always throws me, and I don't really like people staring at me.EVER. Perhaps you ought to find your classroom,unplug your stupid ipod iphone,CONNECT with reality instead.

ok enough of tired,sweaty rant. Eyeing large pile of readings for English Studies and Shakespeare that I must finish tonight.Have to watch a 54 minute Obama speech at Cairo University from last year.Do I have an extra 54 minutes?

we shall see...

I Miss Croatia

Oh Me Oh My

Well it seems I was stupid and ungrateful enough to post about missing traveling, but not summing up my whole amazing summer!

Croatia was like a dream.I learn more and more of the language when I am there.My cousins are just the most wonderful,sweetest,beautiful in all ways.My older cousin had her baby on the first of this month,so I am SO EXCITED to see little Nika next year!!!! Visiting my ancestral village,Velo Grablje,is always so emotional for me.I can literally feel my ancestors’ energy and beings there, even though it was just a short visit.It was really wonderful to see Katica,my cousin who just turned 80.(In Eastern Europe,you never know how many cousins you have,or how old they are!)

My cousin Ivo,who is 85, had restored the ancestral house,so we could finally go in it after years and years. His wife,Emily,is his childhood sweetheart,and they are such a touching couple, finally together after many years of not hearing from one another.

I made some really wonderful and fun friends, swam in that delicious water up to 4 times a day, hiked around, thought, dipped into Kata’s lavender bushes for a whiff of relaxation whenever I got a chance. One time I dropped by, everyone was there but Kata,and she force fed me a huge plate of cherry strudel she had made.With cherry drink! Mmm. She is from the north of the country,near the border of Hungary, and due to the harsh winters, she is a talented cook.

She doesn’t speak much English but we understand one another very well.She is so sweet and kind and curious, but has a lot of stress with her job. Her therapy is her huge garden, which is continuously blooming; the lavender was just starting to flourish when I was there.

I stayed in a beautiful room with wild jasmine growing outside. It permeated the room at night or when it rained. I didn’t even mind the rain, except you must take caution on limestone=very slippery! Numerous swallows always fly around in the wind, and I always think of them when I think of Hvar.

I can barely describe the swimming…..unearthly! The water is so thick, so clean,so clear, almost a purple shade at times, cobalt at others. The salinity really purifies your skin and I would totally lose track of any coherent thoughts or the time when I swam.Last summer my cousin Ivana came with me swimming often, but this summer she opted to sing to and kiss her sister’s pregnant belly.

Ivana and I are exactly alike, I find it really amazing, we never met one another until we were teenagers, but our personalities, interests,so many things are in alignment. She adores her three parakeets and two cats; one time I visited her, and the birds were out,she was playing with and singing to them. She is so full of light and positivity, and is such a special and beautiful person.

Needless to say, I did patronize the jewelry shop where she works again, like last year! In 2009 I bought a beautiful bracelet made out of balls of snakeskin turquoise, a stone that is blue and brown and grey, very unique.This time I bought a pendant of the stone with traditional Croatian elements, kind of hard to describe.I know it’s just jewelry, but to me it means a lot,as it’s made in Croatia, and with a lot of thought and love.

I did not make it to the capital,Zagreb,to see my city friends.They practically disowned me,they were very disappointed! I am not really a city person, I need space (mental as well as physical,space for yoga), quiet, the pace of cities and the combative energy is always difficult for me. Plus, staying with a Croatian, they go ALL OUT to be a host, and it can be awkward because you know they have their lives. The expect you and plan all these things,big dinners,inviting people to meet you, excursions.It’s a bit much to get into ….

I also went to a new island,Mljet, most of which is a national park.It is incredibly beautiful, dramatic, and intense, like all of Croatia’s south. The ocean meets with a large saltwater lake, a monastery in the lake, dramatic cliffs, mountains, views to the ocean. I’ll never forget looking out to the ocean, just the blue blue water, no tourists, boats, noise. Stillness is satisfaction to me.

Anxious to return. Anxious to return and not have to leave in two weeks.

Ja volim Hrvatska.

I love Croatia.

Travel WIthdrawal

As is often the case with frequent travelers, I am going through Travel Withdrawal. I miss the woods, clean air,space, friendly and intelligent people,blackberries, endless hiking, the whole wonderful sum of San Juan Island. I miss my cousins, the entire culture, language, amazing produce,fantastic swimming,running up and down limestone alleys and stairs all day in the small town, and even the chaos that is Croatia.

Yes,I do even miss the way people blatantly stare at you in Croatia!

above,view of my ancestral village, Velo Grablje, island of Hvar, Croatia.

Rain Down On Me

I LOVE rainy days. I always have.Perhaps this is due to living in the tropics for so long,where rainy days,although not rare, are always treasured by me.I can layer clothes, sweat comes less freely, cook in the coolness, and take moist walks.

Well today it’s been raining all day long.The deck was slippery and cold so I did yoga in my room.The wood stove was lit, and I put on wool tights under my normal clothes.The trip to the farmer’s market was conducted in a heavy Norwegian wool sweater, and I scampered quickly from tent to tent. I had to bag my library books in plastic bags, or else damage would ensue!

Upon returning, I heated up black bean soup, steamed broccoli and kale, and ate them with vegan pesto.Afterwards, I made cornbread and had some warm with Earth Balance vegan buttery spread and more pesto.Then the fun began..

I layered on old long johns,yoga top,fleece parka, ski pants,thick wool socks, and Wellington boots,then headed put for my daily walk/hike. Little rivulets were flowing everywhere,and I could see my breath, very exciting indeed! I picked blackberries along the way, and for once I didn’t have to rinse the dust off them!

Little birds in their dry, tree caches twittered and chirped happily.

And I am happy,too.

Northwest Odyssey

Northwest Odyssey

Yesterday:a day walking around Seattle, ducking into the Seattle Art Museum, down to Pike’s Place Market, Cost Plus (gorgeous global discount store), a peek into antique stores, a glance up at REI’s rock climbing wall.Disgust at Elliott Bay Books moving out of their three story establishment downtown in favor of Capitol Hill. Delicious carpets in an Iranian carpet shop, and leafing through a huge book on the beautiful nation of Iran.

Next morning, breakfast at Silence Heart Nest in Fremont (http://www.silenceheartnest.com/?pg=home)

Drive up to Anacortes, as usual stopped at the old house used book store.Had only 15 minutes, but deftly scoured the shelves to find a book on Tibetan aesthetics and one on the white settles from the Yupi’k (“Eskimo”) perspective. Napped on the hour and 15 minutes ferry.My, cities are draining! Actually,travel is.

But I am glad to be back to the quiet island.An eagle was just swooping in front of the house.A long walk uphill, and consequently down dusty gravely heights,this morning.All punctuated by scouring blackberry bushes for ripe berries. Off to the yarn shop to pick skeins for a mossy green scarf for my mother. Funnily enough,one of the oldest houses around here is called Mossy Haven.

It’s a windy day,so dust flies all over the place when a car comes jolting down the road.I hide behind my red fleece vest, which must look funny.

A watercolor painting of the house from behind the trees is also going to be in the works soon…

The Supper After the Last by Galway Kinnell

The Supper After the Last by Galway Kinnell

1

The desert moves out on half the horizon

Rimming the illusory water which,among islands,

Bears up the sky.The sea scumbles in

From its own inviolate border under the sky.

A dragon-fly floating on six legs on the sand

Lifts its green-yellow tail,declines its windgs

A little,flutters them a little, and lays

On dazzled sand the shadow of its wings.Near shore

A bather wades through his shadow in the water.

He tramples and kicks it;it recomposes.

Obsessive Packer Goes Northwest

Yours truly is headed out to the airport again on Tuesday, this time to Seattle..well,actually to San Juan Island for ten restful, yoga, hiking and blackberry picking filled days! Which means, packing yet again. Over the course of my life, I’ve been in literally hundreds of airplanes, so I have packing down to an art form.

For my trip to Washington, this means lots of exercise clothes, warm layers for cold evenings, and a change of nice clothes for celebratory birthday dinners. Lightweight wool socks, thermal long underwear, corduroy pants, and a brand new Barney purple fleece jacket are the main focus items of my Pacific Northwest wardrobe.In my closet on San Juan, a woven purple and burnt sienna scarf, red fleece vest, and threadbare sweat pants await. The sweatpants are perfect for blackberry picking, which requires all skin to be covered else you get scratched beyond recognition.

Today I just finished packing, and my little Samsonite carry on is stuffed with neatly rolled Athleta pants, running shorts, running socks, cotton shirts,yoga mat (if you fold it in an alternating vertical and horizontal pattern,it will fit!), a nice purple cheongsam top for dinners out. Not to forget various watercolor painting brushes,eraser,charcoal pencils, pad and travel watercolor set! Alas, I forgot the painting supplies in Europe, so I will make up for it in WA!

Only two pairs of shoes are necessary: running shoes and Simple vegan flats.However, I am packing some black Chinese style embroidered flats for the dinners.I also have the hilarious rubber gardening clogs at the house, so I am sure those will make an appearance, as well as rubber Wellingtons (“wellies” in Scotland and UK).

And last but not least, my one piece for swimming in Egg Lake…if it warms up enough!

"Untouchable"

Just a few minutes ago, I finished reading a very empowering article in the NYTimes, “From Untouchable To Businesswoman.” This article featured Kakuben Lalabhai Parmar, an Indian artisan from the state of Gujarat. If the Indian caste system still applied, Ms.Parmar would be classified as an “untouchable”, the absolute lowest rung.

That is what angered me, the fact that a human being could (and can) be labeled, limited and totally subsumed by a stupid title! This caste limited Kakuben to the boundaries of her home; she could not go anywhere, interact, or touch anything to do with anyone of a different caste.

Of course there are vice versa cases, such as the Queen of England, but that is quite a one sided ordeal. People who meet Elizabeth have to use a certain title, manner of speech, and curtsy or slightly bow from the waist. Well, why shouldn’t anyone who meets Kakuben curtsy?!

I feel like we humans should treat everyone the same in this world. I have met people who work as dishwashers, maids, cleaners in Red Carpet Clubs who are much more honest, humble,intelligent and open minded than the people who employ them. But I don’t go judging those who I do not know. I feel that everyone should be approached with a smile, an open mind AND an open heart.

Anyone can do anything in this world; you can go from being forced to live in a hut to being a successful, world traveling artisan. And just think, how much further could we endeavor with genuine smiles on our faces?

Happy Weather!

I feel like I have finally conquered my twelve hour jet lag ! Last night I fell asleep on the futon for an hour,from 8 to 9, then I went to sleep at 9 and woke up around 5:40.Those are my normal going to sleep and awakening hours so..BREAKTHROUGH!

Now, if I wasn't going to Seattle on Tuesday, I would be racing around the isle doing all sorts of things.Instead I am organizing to meet a friend,organizing a meeting,writing lots of letters,cleaning,packing yet again...and enjoying the weather!

You see, in Hawai'i it is disgustingly humid 8 months out of the year.However it has been mildly rainy, breezy and even downright cool at night.Perfect for jet lagged strolls after dinner ! Just need to watch out,since I'm not in the isolated Dutch countryside where there no cars,plenty of forests,gnomes and fields of crops.Meaning there are cars here! eek!

well off to do yoga in moist,post rain morning air!

Back to Humidity

Back to Humidity

Yesterday was a very long day for me. The previous day, I took three trains to Amsterdam…usually it takes three and a half, four hours, but this time it was a full SIX hours before I got to my B&B in Diemen ! c’mon! it was hot, in the 90s, and long and I was just glad to get it all over with.

I flew from Amsterdam to Chicago at 11 am, had to be there around 9:30. I hate planes, but hey to go anywhere you really want to these days,you must make sacrifices, as long as you offset it ! The only bad experience I had through the entire trip was my earplug expanded too much, and I couldn’t get it out with my hand! I had to resort to using one of the plastic knives, which the caused the man sitting next to me to laugh so much I thought he was really going crazy.

Needless to say, I didn’t use earplugs for my next two flights that day. Chicago to San Francisco was a three hour nap for me, and as I sat waiting for my flight in San Francisco, who should show up but…

EVNO! my sweet friend from university, who was getting a philosophical counselor certification in New York. It was great to see a friend in an airport for once,and to catch up. We watched one another’s loads (both of us had a backpack and a separate cloth bag stuffed with organic treats for the long haul) and caught up on our various sojourns.

But it ended up that we were four rows apart, so now and then I would catch a glimpse of typical Evno: the only entirely blanketed head for the entire flight. What we to do to stay asleep and calm, oh boy.

Well, I didn’t get a chance to go into Amsterdam at all.I predicted that, but anway I much prefer cities in autumn and winter. Heat,crowds, the energy in the summer really irritates and overwhelms me. When I was in Amsterdam in December, it even snowed lightly, making the air stiller and more magical as you awoke. I can recall the Henri Cartier-Bresson exhibit I saw at FOAM precisely, and walking up the Prisengracht, around Vondel Park and the Rijksmuseum.

I think the best way to see a city is walking anyway. On a bicycle, aside from dealing with what turns to take, you go by so fast that you don’t notice specific architectural details, cool places that locals frequent, and great photo opportunities.

And the perfect places to walk are Croatian towns and cities, mainly because you cannot ride bicycles in them! The limestone streets are often long and narrow, with no bike racks, and thousands of steep steps lead up houses, hills, shops, museums and libraries. My cousin in Hvar showed me the library there, and I spent a happy few minutes looking at all the books.

Now I missing Hrvatska (Croatia) intensely: the drama of everything, the landscape,my wonderful family, ancestral villages, the purest ocean, produce, how friendly,genuine and warm people are. Hrvatska runs in and through my veins and heart, and I cannot wait to fulfill my dream to live there someday.

Viva Hrvatska!

Stormy Weather

Two days ago we had a big storm hit.Tonight around ten we will have a HUGE storm hit. It has been traveling through France, Belgium and now the Netherlands for a whole ten hours. The storm two days ago was only fifteen minutes, but thrashing rain and wind and tunder and lightning made it very memorable.
All of us were sittingoutside after lunch, all of us includes:
Claudio and Rosanna, Benedetta's parents visiting from Urbino,Italia
Benedetta and Arthur
Kasia, from Melbourne,Australia
Jeremy,from Rochester,NY
me from Hawai'i.
Needless to say, we all whipped out our cameras and took videos and pictures. Arthur raced off to turn on his expensive lightning protector. This shuts off the electricity but provides power for the electricity.And since Arthur had an actual ball of lightning in his house once, he ain't taking any chances.
Kasia is gone now, and Arthur's parents arrived today. I plan on being asleep when IT HITS. I feel bad for the cats, they don't really have any shelter except for the open garage. The 16 year old Perisan,Chocolate, was wet for hours after the last storm, and I found her happily sleeping on the washing machine when it did a hot wash. However the cats cannot come in, so they will have to rough it outside.
Today I've been picking lupine seed pods and sunflowers. When a sunflower starts losing it's yellow over the seeds, it's ready to be beheaded ! Then you take all the yellow off,and put it in a tray to dry. With the lupine, you take off the black seed pods, pop them open and remove the seeds.
In the coming days,I will be harvesting lavender, oregano, thyme,mint,zucchini,broccoli,green beans,peas, and collect marigold seeds. There are bunches of lavender hanging to dry,and even some large pink roses, which Benedetta uses to make facial cream out of. I planted twenty four young basil plants yesterday, after taking out all the whole broad bean plants, which entailed dragging them to the compost heap in many trips.
Off to enjoy the calm,sunny weather before the storm!

Sweltering Days in Netherlands

It’s close to 100

and we eat fried zucchini flowers, broad bean and snap bean spaghetti and salad

The zucchini flowers must be picked in the morning, as they close up when it gets hot.

They are lightly fried in flour, water, egg (from the hens only a matter of feet away)

Also there is homemade foccacia pizza with peppers and champignons (mushrooms).

Yesterday we had my favorite Italian dish, pesto linguine, it was so delicious, the pesto without cheese for me as only goat milk cheese does not cause a headache.

Last night terrific thunder, lightning, and rain storms pounded the rest of the country, especially in the north near Appeldoorn. We only got some rain.

Throughout the past six years, this area has gotten hotter and hotter due to global warming. Months go by without rain, and Arthur has to spend thousands of Euros watering his meadows in order to keep his sheep alive. This year eleven were born, sky rocketing the little herd up to 25. Unfortunately, this weather is determined to become permanent at some point, and this whole area will end up a desert.

However that doomsday has not come, and we enjoy the company of Benedetta’s parents visiting from Italia. I give the six cats their two annual weeks of petting, and enjoy my walks. Nearby there are two nice small forests, however the poplar one will be cut down for flax in the autumn. This saddens me for various reasons; four days ago I went there, napped and meditated, and experienced Die Kabouter (the Gnomes). It was simply amazing, and I staggered back to the house full of positive, glowing energy.

However Die Kabouter have been playing with me ever since ! I was boxing broad beans and one plastic container disappeared right before my eyes. And yesterday one of my earplugs vanished, right in front of my eyes again. My search ended in vain. Most people are scared or ignorant or in denial of such realities, but the more you expand your beliefs, the more you expand yourself.

Everyone else collapses of heat exhaustion, fleeing to cool corners and cold showers. I try to follow the Ayurvedic method, by drinking warm tea and adjusting to the temperature. The trip to the organic shop was highly anticipated yesterday, and I readied my greedy eyes, fingers and stomach.

I scurried first to the impressive tea section, which I can recall from memory. Into my basket went Yogi Licorice, Pukka Refresh, and Yogi Detox teas. I hemmed and hawed over the loose tea section, but they take up too much room in a suitcase. Then I picked out three packages of suiker vree (sugar free) biscuits, one in particular, Aquarius Sesame, is delicious with pindakass (peanut butter).

Eyeing the juice section but decided to get mini containers of chocolate soy milk instead. Then a small jar of pindakass for when I am on my own for four days. Crunchy spicey muesli, Weleda Iris face milk, and a few things I cannot even recall now ended up going back with me. I wisely resisted the huge jars of Acacia Honing (honey), my suitcase cannot fit it, and I have lavender honey from Croatia already.

Well,time for daily I Ching reading in the shade.

Tot ziens!