I recently received the infamous “box of childhood" we all eventually get when our parents clean out and downsize and decide we have reached the age where they should no longer be storing “our stuff.” The box that is chock full of photos, ribbons, and report cards—all those odd yet very tangible reminders of what your life was really like as a kid. I found this reminder of my time as a Girl Scout, which is kinda funny - I do not remember  that fondly , a free spirit from birth I never have liked to be told what to wear , what to do or how to do it . When I saw these pictures and handwritten notes from the troop leader it made me giggle that even then at the age of 10 I was doing my own thing .The  majority of the troop was in knee socks and short sleeve dresses and I am sock less , wearing clogs and a jumper with a turtleneck . I also appreciate the fact that I was getting badges and awarded a ribbon for  getting" second most votes" for the second friendliest girl at the "camporee" ...who knew!Grateful for the reminder that  my free spirit and sense of self  has been firmly intact all these years  and I survived girl scouts by earning full collection of crazy badges. 

A good friend of mine has a unique theory that has always intrigued me. His theory states that what is going on with your car reflects what is going on in your life. It has been fascinating to ponder as car problems present themselves in my life and those of those in my circle. Usually upon closer examination there are typically some clear parallels and usually an AHA or two.

As I look back on the last few weeks and absorb that theory, I am getting clearer on what losing the steering capability in my car (while driving down the road) was telling me. I am now clear that I needed to stop and revaluate the way I am "steering" my life, my priorities, and my laser focus on large, overlapping projects with little playtime and an overwhelming travel schedule. I was forced to literally stop in my tracks and reprioritize my plans, and everything that was previously important became "not so much" almost instantly. I was "steered" into a forced time of no transportation and stillness for several days. In the moment, I was very frustrated, as this was not in line with my plans and not what I needed. With hindsight, I probably wouldn't have recognized the need to stop in any other way.

I am grateful for the jolting reminder that could have been much worse and the opportunity to be reminded of the subtle and not so subtle ways the messages come.

Feeling Big gratitude for the lesson in steering and the now pretty humorous reminder to slow down.

napkinlove

Happy Father’s Day, dad! Sharing some napkin love to celebrate all the big and little ways you have shown up for me always with a sense of humor, compassion and love . I love and appreciate you!

One of my favorite people will be celebrating his 93rd birthday tomorrow, and in true style, he will be having his party in the ICU as he recovers from a "bump in the road," which is what he would probably call it.

Emil Dockter is a total bright spot and one of a kind; he radiates joy and continues to be a huge support to my parents and family.

I will always appreciate a fun dive into the conversational waters of chakra healing, Hindu deities, and other random stuff we covered one night while eating great cheese and drinking wine. Emil is a truly inspiring student of life and a believer in the power of soul connection, still writing books, teaching, and creating avenues for authentic communication. We need more people like Emil in the world.

Happy Birthday, Emil! I am so grateful to have you in my life!

lemonadestand

I have always been a softie for lemonade stands and was very happy to discover this one a few doors down while heading out for my morning run. This is Murray and his baby sister Maya, and they were the team behind this pretty amazing lemonade stand that was formed to celebrate the summer solstice last week.

The adorable, enthusiastic, and quite brilliant Murray probably thought he enticed me over with his sweet cry of “free lemonade." Of course I would never pass up a lemonade stand, but he didn't know that. As I was getting money out to leave in the donation pitcher, I was delighted when he sweetly "up-sold" me, sharing that "If you give me all the money you have, you can also have a piece of taffy.” Funny, I started to babble about my sugar intake with a 4-ish year old who promptly pressed a piece into my palm and declared, "If you don't want it now, you can save it for later," as I was happily and clearly dismissed for the next customer.

I was grateful as I walked away with a delicious cup of home-grown lemonade. A great kickoff to the summer and a deeper appreciation for the evolution of lemonade stands.

Thank you, Murray! I just found the taffy in my pocket. You made me smile all over again.

It has been a very long week since my mom left for heaven, but only one week. As I finish going through photos for her "life celebration service," I keep coming back to this one. I love this photo and believe it represents their marriage and relationship beautifully.

This photo was taken about 6 weeks into a 7 week intensive naturopathic protocol to treat her very aggressive cancer, which, unknown to us at the time, was rapidly taking over her body. As she grew weaker and needed more support than she wanted, they proved to be an even more amazing team.

I believe the sweetest thing about this photo is she is walking on her own, although weak and a little wobbly, and her dad is holding her up gently by her pants. He is letting her be on her own, yet ready to support her in any way he can, and they did that beautifully for each other for 52 and a half years.

This experience has been a gift wrapped in sandpaper, as I learned more about my parents, my family, and myself during this journey than at any other time in my life.

It was a privilege and delight to support her and them as a couple and I am incredibly grateful that I had these last two months with them.

Happy one week in heaven, mom—we miss you more than you could imagine!

I went home to visit my parents three weeks ago for a seemingly casual visit, there was nothing on the horizon to worry about. As it turned out, I was there when my mom, after not feeling great the previous weekend, went to a routine OR appointment which would prove to be not so routine, and after swift action from an efficient team of ORs and many tests and procedures, less than two days later we were given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis with tumors in the pancreas, liver, and lymph nodes.

Of course, we were all in shock, as mom is known for extreme self-care and is in great shape, and yikes, this is serious news. I extended my visit, and our newly banded and very determined tribe of 3 (my parents and I) began a thorough tour of the Ors offices with little good news about treatment options, total overstimulation of information, and the consistent reminder to move fast on treatment. My brother had also planned to be there over the next week—another crazy coincidence—and we pooled our family strengths, knowledge, and incredibly supportive medical connections to move into action with a sense of humor and grace.

As the information continued to unfold and connect us, we were able to find a great doctor and team at a holistic cancer clinic with a treatment plan and protocol that felt good and right for her. Looking back, it all lined up so quickly and powerfully that there is no doubt now that it should have been any other way.

Mom is now in her second week of an intense and complex treatment that, to greatly simplify, creates conditions in the body that cancer cannot survive and thrive in. A huge part of the success of this protocol comes from nutrition and juicing. I believe this label says it all: “Not for Sissies (Hardcore)” Mom is drinking 4 of these a day, very strong I could barely get down half a bottle. Yes, that label captures not only the taste and strength of this very potent microjuice but also the experience of being diagnosed with cancer, weighing all the options, and moving forward to take responsibility for your healing.

The photo above shows mom on day 5 with a full juice in front of her, an empty one beside it, and a sweet "bring it on" kind of smile. I bet she will not like this photo, but I believe it captures the experience perfectly. I remain inspired and impressed by her gusto, her open mind, and her spirit towards the whole experience; it has shown and taught me a lot.

I am incredibly grateful for all the loving support we have received on this journey and that I was there and able to be a part of what will no doubt prove to be a powerful healing experience for mom and our entire family.

I have always been a big fan of parades, and the more "small town creative" the better in my book. The annual Christmas parade in my new world of Los Osos, California, was themed "Christmas Under Construction" this year and made light of a current nuisance we are experiencing, our little slice of coastal heaven is undergoing some serious street surgery for sewer installation, and the construction is creating a bit of chaos everywhere. It seems we have embraced the inconvenience and are celebrating our progress towards completion soon.

I was pretty inspired by the creative use of standard everyday construction icons throughout the parade and thought these two were quite something. Who knew a horse could be turned into a unicorn by a strategically placed traffic cone and another horse decked out in full parade regalia fashioned out of construction vests and dazzling with a construction tape tail bow?

Grateful to be part of a creative community with a well placed sense of humor and a new twist on a holiday parade.

I recently left Portland and moved back to California to follow my heart and live in a small coastal town in an area I have always loved. It has been a big transition in every way, and I am now beginning to realize the magic of simplicity in a new way.

I have been making a conscious effort to be outside hiking somewhere new and amazing for sunset each night and have found many beautiful and totally isolated places along the coast and mountains.

This is now a favorite, a spot next to the Cayucos Pier with nobody around, dolphins playing in the water close to shore, and the special, sweet sound of a young boy practicing an instrument. He is out on the pier, playing his trumpet with his whole heart and soul. He brought his music stand and all; he was pretty good, and the sound of the ocean waves crashing was the perfect background. I will always think of him when I am here now and am grateful for the magic and the music of the moment.

The weekly farmers market is foodie heaven. Portland is a unique adventure, filled with amazing locally grown produce and always interesting people. Recently I had the great pleasure to meet Felicia, a delightful 7-year-old from China who is in Portland for a few months with her family.

Felicia has been busy making soaps and candles by hand and then uses fabric and other scrap materials to package them with her special flair. She declares her products "completely sustainable"” She engaged me in conversation about the proceeds and giving to World Vision while her younger brother played guitar beautifully to draw a crowd and their proud parents looked on from a safe distance.

I was blown away by her passion and spirit and asked her which of her products she would suggest for me, with no hesitation, she told me Felicia's Starry Night Soap had magical powers. I bought the soap and remain convinced it is Felicia who has the magic power, and I am certain she will continue to spread her magic message of giving back in a way only she can.

Always grateful to support free-spirited and soulful entrepreneurs of any age.

One of my favorite things about Oregon is the surprise and delight found in little doses everywhere. I have seen several varieties of bike racks covered in crocheted granny squares, artisan-upholstered bus stops, and many other cool examples of creative expression in unusual places.

This is the most inspiring and original so far: the Japanese maple in the heart "sweater" to protect it from the cold Oregon winter, with its fancy matching slipcovered planter and trashcan, and its neighbor tree decked out in rainbow stripes.

You have to have to stop and appreciate the tremendous effort, the TLC and the soul it took to do this, grateful for the anonymous knitter for the sweet surprise and perfect sense of humor ... after all every tree deserves a heart "sweater"”

One of my favorite things about Europe is the thought provoking street art found all over the continent. I particularly love this series, which I found in several spots in Amsterdam recently. It seems the artist was enticing the casual passerby to pay attention and follow the trail. Grateful for the creative and thoughtful effort and, as always, the message.

I just returned from an inspiring and pretty magical trip to Scandinavia, and a good friend asked me for the highlights of my trip. There were many, of course, and as I was sorting through photos on the long journey home, this experience really made me smile, an afternoon at Louisiana, an amazing museum of modern art in the Danish countryside outside of Copenhagen.

Everything about the place, the location on the water, the space, and the vibe is perfect. I happily stumbled upon a great art show with lots of rare Warhol and many other great pop art icons. Very inspiring indeed, but I have a passion for kids’ art and love watching them create with totally open minds. I found pure joy in the kids’ wing, especially this great space and this impressive wall of paper/scissor art.

I could not resist and had to sit in the pink chair next to my new friend and make a few just to represent my ever-present inner 5-year-old, grateful to be reminded of the power and beauty that the simple tools of scissors, colored paper, and a glue stick can create.

zachandbella

I recently attended an offsite for work, and when we were packing up to leave, we had lots of fresh fruit, yogurt, and "healthy leftovers.” I took most of it to give to a local homeless shelter I support, but I never made it that far. I found myself driving through Portland with a front seat full of food to give away and gained even more awareness of the intense homelessness crisis here. It was a bitterly cold day, and at almost every corner was a person in need; most were young and appeared broken and hopeless, and sadly for humanity, they were very grateful just to be acknowledged.

I passed out food and drove on until I met Zach and Bella. I got out of my car, and Zach and I talked for a bit, and he shared his story with me. I was so touched by his vulnerability, his honesty, and his energy that I asked for his phone number so I could check in and help as much as possible, and I went home with a gnawing tummy.

I have been watching for Zach and Bella ever since, and they were on my mind a lot today, so I texted him to check in. They seemed shocked, and I was happy to hear that all is "ok" and that they are now living in a car with his girlfriend and Bella, trying to get back on their feet after losing a job and thus their apartment. We hatched a plan to meet in the morning so I could drop off a care package and check in. So grateful to be in a position to help and to have a chance to support with compassion and a new awareness. After all, every person standing on a corner with a sign is a human, has a story, and a soul, and sometimes we need a reminder of that... Thank you Zach and Bella

Who knew? My end-of-year huge OMG and AHA moment came yesterday in an unusual and kind of inconvenient form as I used my SoCal AAA card to scrape the ice off my car window at my new home in Portland. I really hung onto the contrast of that while in a hurry to get to the ecstatic dance. I am here, not there, and, oh no, now I REALLY need an ice scraper. For some very odd reason, buying an ice scraper has felt like a huge commitment to me, and I have resisted. As I once again scraped ineffectively with my small plastic card and frozen fingers, I realized that one year ago, I would never have dreamed this would be my life on New Year’s Eve 2012.

I had an inspired and tidy life in California, living in a house I loved, with creatively demanding and inspiring projects, the freedom (and stress) of my own business, and lots of friends and support, yet I was totally craving huge change and a total new perspective. As always, the universe delivered (totally took over), and I was literally plucked up and moved to Portland in June by a very cool company. It has been a surprisingly smooth and yet challenging transition, as I now have all new beginnings and unexplored territory in every area of my life.

I am grateful that I am past the physical move and am happy to be living with like minded spirits in a magical place. The weather seems to insist you slow down and be present in a really clear way, as I realize I now must calm down and build in 10-15 minutes to get myself and my car all warmed up and ready to drive"”

I woke up this morning to bounce out the door for an early New Year dance jam and was greeted by blue skies, 28 degrees, and the glorious opportunity to use my new ice scraper. Yep, yep, it was thick ice today. Bring it on!

I am now committed to an ice scraper I bought yesterday. I laughed out loud as I began the new year by scraping the windshield clear of ice. So perfect in so many ways.

Happy new beginnings to all; it's going to be a good one...

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe for business, always a welcome and refreshing change to be out of the country, and with the impending presidential elections, this trip took on an all-new twist.

Sleepless in Germany I turned on the TV to find the second presidential debate under way on the BBC. I watched in disbelief as the "binders of women" and other crazy facts and phrases were dropped like weird little grenades the potential leaders of the country would later use against each other. Then the somewhat harsh but seemingly objective BBC commentary began. No wonder the rest of the world thinks Americans are crazy. Almost everywhere I went after that, I was coaxed into somewhat intense political conversations about my voting preference, the candidates, the election, and what was going to happen to America.

One night, a tough taxi driver wouldn't let me out of the car until I promised I would vote for Obama, as he appeared to be convinced that if Romney won, the whole world would collapse instantly. He seemed quite certain that my single vote might make or break the election. It's fascinating to experience firsthand how humans across the planet perceive American culture and lifestyle. In India last year, as I was confirmed as an American, the common response was "Yes, America—a black man living in a white house,” followed by a mocking chuckle and head bobble.

The progressive nature of Amsterdam seems to have the perfect outlook, as there were quite compelling posters plastered everywhere showing the morphing of both candidates’ faces into one and advertising the "Presidents’ Night,” which was billed as a giant party including comedy and, of course, an all American breakfast.

Although I am not at all a political heavy, I am painfully aware there is a lot at stake here, yet something about my recent international travel experiences makes this whole nonstop election mania seem a lot less serious. Just think while we are waiting for election results on Nov 6 people all over the world will be watching and potentially even celebrating in ways we cannot even imagine, And at this point a heavy dose of comedy and a big breakfast just might be the best approach.

As I was completing a project in India recently, I had a unique opportunity to witness the Monday morning arrival and energy in a corporate office in a radically different culture. I sat in the lobby early for a meeting and watched the usual rush of somewhat hesitant people swipe their badges and dash upstairs to begin their week. There's nothing different about that.

Soon a man arrived with a huge smile and a box of flowers, marigold garlands, incense, and prayer beads and began a ritual at the abstract Ganesha altar in the corner at the base of the stairs. Ganesha is one of the deities widely revered as the Remover of Obstacles and more generally as the Lord of New Beginnings and the Lord of Obstacles. I can’t think of any office that could not use that fresh perspective each day!

It was beautifully fragrant, and instantly the energy of the office and the way the new rush of people entered the building and started their week was calmer and more aware as they each stopped and took a moment with the altar.

Grateful to experience the Monday morning ritual in a different world and take note of the importance to stop and take a breath and a moment each morning.

I am in the midst of a huge life transition. ... just moved from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and everything is new and shiny. I am going from a house with huge gardens that I lovingly grew over the last 7 years to a temporary apartment with stunning views of the rooftops in downtown. Many have amazing very unique rooftop gardens that most people don't even know of - from the street.

I am particularly grateful to see the chef across the street come up and harvest the herb garden several times each day—a big slice of joy in my all new world and a rooftop perspective I would not normally have.

A patch of Love found on a rickshaw in Varanasi, India

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

— Confucius

A simple message with big meaning. Lovingly spelled out in beautifully arranged marigold petals on Mother Teresa's tomb in Kolkata, India