Recently, this adorable fairy house appeared on my morning route. I saw it tucked away in a tree overlooking the bay. It was clearly constructed with great imagination, care, and love. I especially appreciate the popsicle stick grate thoughtfully placed on the carved out window on the up cycled kleenex box. It boasts a charming full bedroom suite complete with bedding and a leaf chair.

So grateful for the being that created this and lovingly placed it here so the fairies could be super comfy and enjoy the view.

Janis Martin, one of the brightest lights on the planet, will be leaving soon to continue her soul’s journey. Last week she posted an invitation to "My Celebration of Life" to feel the love. Janis has been a mentor, teacher, coach, counselor, and all around loving advocate for so many throughout her lifetime. So grateful to be a part of her tribe and surround her in love and for the chance to feel her sparkle one more time.

I was lucky enough to work with Janis as my mentor and coach at a critical point in my life, as I was certain it was impossible to live, survive, and thrive without a big corporate job and all the trappings that come with it.

Janis was and is the voice of loving clarity and possibility, and she is a tremendous teacher in creating a life you love, starting from wherever you are . I am incredibly grateful for the realization that I am living the ideal life now as I defined it in my Janis homework from 8 years ago, which of course I found today.

I am so delighted and honored to have shared the planet with you and feel incredibly lucky to have you in my life. You have touched so many in ways you cannot imagine, and your energy and spirit are so appreciated and will be deeply missed.

I love you Janis, and know you are surrounded in peace, luscious light, and love, with huge smiles, as you continue on to the next phase of this crazy life journey.

Living in a small, funky coastal town, you never know who you might meet. We have forged some great friendships with complete strangers who have had incredible life journeys. One of our favorites is Dorothy Rooney, a high-energy, super-sparkly soul who has lived 96 years of full-on joy and unimaginable adventures.

Today we were lucky enough to be seated next to her and her amazing partner Liz at breakfast at the local hangout. Lucky for us, Dorothy was decked out in full regalia with her WASP wings and her Congressional Medal of Honor ID badge. They had intended to go to the Memorial Day service at the local cemetery, , unfortunately the dates got mixed up so she didn't get to mingle as she had planned . Dorothy, with her usual enthusiastic smile and twinkle, declared that she was looking for adoration today and had hoped that somebody would notice the hard earned WASP wings pinned to her shirt. Of course, we already had and were thrilled to run into her under such auspicious circumstances. As always, she was beyond inspiring, sharing her life experiences as a pioneering female pilot at the age of 25.

So grateful to have Dorothy and Liz in our universe and to be reminded of all the amazing women that have paved the way with such grace, gusto and relentless courage. Most importantly Dorothy, please know and remember you will always be not only adored for your service but for who you are.

Dorothy, you are a truly inspiring hero and pioneer, and we wish you much adoration and appreciation today and every day.

boxofbunnies

These are the caring hands and one of the snuggly "grand bunnies" of the amazing Anna Deis . I was lucky enough to stop by the farm on a few occasions, just a few days after they were born. Anna was beyond adorable in her excitement and had clearly put a lot of love and preparation into her role as "grand bunny mother.” Her enthusiasm was delightful and infectious.

I will always remember her this way, which even makes me smile as we grieve for Anna, who was recently taken to heaven. She left tragically and unexpectedly while she was cycling. There is some comfort knowing she was doing something she loved, with someone she really loved, her fiancee Jason.

Today is Anna's wedding day, and she was certain to be a breathtaking bride while marrying the love of her life on a beautiful sunny day on the coast. It is incredibly heartbreaking that this will not come true; the grief felt by her family and a very large tribe is palpable. We miss her glow and her pure delight in living each moment.

The sweetest synchronicity I have found is this very inspiring Facebook post that Anna did a month ago—a lovingly written and perfect message for today. Grateful to you, Anna, for the amazing person you continue to be. for the sweet reminder of the joy found in a box of bunnies and, most importantly, for taking nothing for granted.

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.

fathersdaypost

Father’s Day is here again, and as I sit down to write this, I realize I may know my dad better right now than I have ever known him before. We have always had a strong connection, and our time together as main caregivers for mom’s final journey forever bonded us as a tight team.

This is a recent photo of dad and his friend "Bear” at a celebration we just had for mom in California.

Dad and Bear have been friends since 1957, seem to perfectly intersect at critical points in their lives, and have a crazy shared passion for Nebraska football.

It was pretty sweet watching them together and realizing the history and life events they have been through together, both professionally and personally. I am starting to really appreciate and understand the whole “circle of life” thing. I've spent a lot more quality time with him and know many of his friends now, as well as much more about him as a human. It’s been touching and inspiring to see dad graciously receive love and support from the large circle of good friends he has made throughout his lifetime. He is focused on random acts of kindness these days and helping whoever crosses his path in meaningful ways. I am delighted to witness the scope of his generosity, thoughtfulness, and kindness.

Happy fathers day and thank you for being the model of grace, strength with the perfect scoop of vulnerability, its delightful to know who you are as a person outside of "my dad"• you are a gift to the world and I am grateful to have the opportunity to cheer you on as the next step in your beautiful story unfolds.

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 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.

Fred, my first true love and one of my oldest friends, is a human magnet for animals in need of love and better homes. It seems they just "find him" on his daily runs and random adventures in the city.

Over our 30 years of friendship, I have witnessed many loving rescues, and this is one of the sweetest. Tiny kitten, Huckleberry, 2 months old(ish) was living in a truck yard by the LA river. Thanks to Fred's special nurturing, ongoing feeding, a sweet ad for "durable" kitty, a random act of kindness, and the amazing power of Facebook, Huckleberry is now safe, happy, and healthy and hanging out in the grass in a cat foster home while waiting for new parents. Maybe it’s you?

I just returned from an amazing trip to India, where I was exposed to a way of life and way of being I could previously only imagine. We wandered and discovered all kinds of people, places, and things, and the joy, harmony, and peace that we found in utter chaos at every turn continues to inspire and amaze me.

Everywhere we went, the perfect guide appeared and enthusiastically led us through areas we would not have had access to or felt comfortable with. This particular day we were wandering happily, although somewhat lost,  looking for the tannery in the slums of Dharavi when a perfectly dressed, handsome young man adopted us. Abdul Jawwad was thrilled to show off his great English and showed us around while giving us the real deal on the culture as he took us to the tannery. There, he was eager to talk and asked great questions about our lives. He was compelled to get out his brand new laptop (which his family had saved up for six months) because he wanted to share his dreams with me.

I was blown away by his clarity, drive and enthusiasm to share so happily and openly what to most would be considered unachievable dreams given the conditions we were standing in. He had a profound impact on me, and I have no doubt that he will achieve everything on that list... and much much more.

by Dr John Talevich

At the beginning of May, I found myself in Seattle participating in Antioch University's 35th Gala. My daughter-in-law, Jessica, is an intern in their art therapy program and had asked me to design a mandala for the faculty to construct at the event; she also asked if I might have a few pieces of art to submit to the art show. Having said yes to both requests, here I was, surrounded by some 400 folks and having a good time celebrating the university's success. The Susan Wallis-designed art form which was used in the faculty event became a stunning piece of work, now belonging to the school's permanent collection and on display at the university.

As the evening wore on, and the crowds began to dwindle, I was face to face with a young lady of a certain age (I don't want to insult her) who may well still be playing with dolls. She asked me with clear eyes and a clearer intent: "Is that yours?" pointing to a piece called Piggyback Frog, I said, "Yes, that's one of mine," She continued, "It's my favorite," while her eyes widened. "Well," I replied, "if it doesn't sell by the end of the show in a month, you can have it. How about that?" Her mother soon came up and asked me if, in fact, I said what she'd been told. "Yeah, that's what I told her." I gave them my card and told them to call me when the show was over. I did not think further about getting a call.

Well into the first weeks of June, I had heard nothing. Then - a call on my office machine: "Hi John, this is Ruby - do you remember at the … (mother’s voice in the background: “Antioch art show”) … yeah, when we were talking about (Mother again: “your art piece”) … and you said if it didn’t sell that you would (Mother: “talk about it”) …yeah and our number is …. bye”. Wait!! Don’t hang up! I can’t make out that number!!

A looong pause later, Ruby's mother got on the line and added, "Hi Dr. John, this is Ruby's mom, Amy, and we met you at the Gala art show. We were wondering if the piece had sold. We hope for your sake that it has, but if not, well, Ruby has thought about it every day since the show, she just loves that piece! Would you give us a call? Our number AGAIN is ----. Bye!"

A few days later, I was able to contact Amy and shortly thereafter, the piece was picked up. It now resides where, I suspect, it was always intended to be~ deep within little Ruby's heart.

fathers day

I have always loved this photo and seems appropriate to share it on fathers day

This is a photo of my dad and I sitting side by side last year, and it captures the essence of our relationship and what he has given me. I got his long, lean legs, and I am eternally grateful for that! Although not so much in my earlier years while he cheered me on and supported me through the gangly "daddy long legs" stage, pants were never long enough and too tall for the cute boys’ often angst-ridden tween and teen years.

That support, of course, continued into my adult years, as he walked me down the aisle to my husband of five years in my favorite running shoes to meet the Elvis impersonator as we renewed our vows for my parents in Las Vegas the night before a marathon we were doing together. I am almost certain that was not his dream for me, but I never would have known it as he laughed, got into it, and cheered those legs on the next day and many races after.

I witnessed fitness as a priority from an early age and was always encouraged to explore that realm as he celebrated my first jump off the high dive and countless other milestones and received clear course correction only when needed:)

He supported me with a word, a shoulder, or even a check (or ten) as I progressed through the corporate world, always with sound advice and loving support. I continue to embrace and use all the leadership and good human qualities he demonstrated through thoughtful action throughout his career.

Thank you, Dad, for all you have given me, the strong legs to stand on and the grace to move forward in my life. You are an amazing human, and I love and appreciate you very much!