Quick note about vegetarianism blog

I got some pretty intense responses "offline" to the blog post I wrote about how vegetarianism negatively affected my life. One of my faves was from a friend of a friend who emailed me about her own struggles, some similar (hair falling out) and some different (she got too skinny while I gained weight.) She had attended a vegetarian cooking school and said the dirty little secret of the student body was that they were sneaking off from class to eat things like ribs!  I don't want to publicly out her but just want to say THANK YOU for her letter.

Some of you may know Travis Barker, former drummer for Blink 182, was burned badly in a plane crash. Here's what I read in a recent article on his healing:

After over 25 years as a vegetarian, you had to start eating meat again. Why?
"I need protein from food rather than just protein supplements. I changed my diet. I would do anything I possibly could if they said like, 'There's a possibility you might heal faster if you do eat meat or just change your eating habits.' So I did. I don't regret it at all, I feel so much better."

http://omg.yahoo.com/news/travis-barker-i-m-just-thankful-to-be-alive/13958?nc

Here's also an excerpt from a great article on "The Evidence Against Soy", publishes by Dr. Mercola's website:

Dow Chemical and DuPont, the same corporations that brought misery and death to millions around the world through Agent Orange, are now the driving forces behind the promotion of soy as a food for humans. They are financing anti-meat and anti-milk campaigns aimed largely at those concerned about animal welfare and the environment, trying to convince them that imitations such as "soymilk" are not only healthier than the real thing, but better for the earth too.

There is no evidence that consuming soy products can improve health, reduce environmental degradation or slow global warming. In fact, the evidence suggests quite the opposite.

The studies below regarding the effects of soy on health are eye-opening, particularly the review by the American Heart Association -- which no longer supports the health claims about soy endorsed by the U.S. government.

7:59 PM - 2 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment

Making Peace with the Veggies and Beating the Brown Rice Bitch

A few weeks ago when my best bud U was in town, we went to Trader Joe's. This was the first mega-hot weekend of summer and our friend B had graciously agreed to make the 100 miles drive up from S. Jersey to help install some window A/C units, providing me with a full season of relief.  Yes!  Last summer I felt so defeated with being a homeowner that I never bothered to ask for help….I couldn't see any forthcoming. I had pretty much given up creating any positive change in the house whatsoever. The A/Cs stayed in the basement and I suffered through it with countless bottles of spring water and a crabby attitude.

So when Relief comes (yes, with a capitol R), you welcome it, you thank it, and then you feed it.  But I needed some supplies….because B is a vegetarian. 

Many of you know the struggles I endured during my vegetarian years…the compromised immune system, the weight gain, the depression, and skin problems. Instead of listening to my body, I listened to "authorities" who told me becoming a vegetarian would be the path to health I had been searching for.  The only problem was they were so very wrong and all my health struggles got significantly worse. I thought I was detoxing. I thought because the meat I had been eating was loaded with antibiotics, my immune system was temporarily malfunctioning until it learned to do its job on its own. All interesting theories as my hair began to fall out and I caught every cold, virus, and bug that came down the pike. My doctor tested me for HIV and was surprised when the test came back negative.  My friend A must have said to me 10 times, "Do you really think this vegetarian thing is working for you?"  I was offended. I was saving animals' lives and eating clean and becoming healthy and this made me special!  I brought my own food with me to gatherings and learned to cook tofu 25 different ways. I gave up dairy and then everything got much, much worse. But this was going to be my salvation! 

Except it was destroying me. My refusal to listen to what my body was clearly screaming was affecting every area of my life. Even though I was in my early 20's, my energy plummeted.  I cried daily for no reason. I bought bigger clothes. My then husband suggested fish. See, he was Hindu, from India and grew up with a vegetarian mother. Meanwhile, he and the rest of the family ate meat. He said vegetarianism made people crazy…that he saw it all the time. (I think just his mother was crazy. LOL) Yes, fish had faces but some "health" resources said eating fish is good for you. I cooked a pound of cat fish and one bite lead to me devouring the entire amount. I couldn't stop eating. My body was yelling, "Yes!!!" and I listened. Within a week, I was eating rare steak. And slowly, some health issues improved while others would lead me to alternative doctors to fix the damage my stubbornness and rigidity had done. 

And all this left me quite bitter about vegetarianism, in general, and vegetarians who tell other people what they should eat, in particular.  One thing I never did was tell others what they should or should not put into their bodies. (Mostly because I didn't want to be annoying.) I felt really betrayed by authors and organizations that basically lied to me. And of course I was most angry at myself for choosing a politically-correct belief system over what I knew intuitively.  But whatever my prejudices, I run in spiritual and creative circles. This means I will always have at least a few veg friends.  I always respect their choices and have veggie options at dinners and gatherings. 

And do I believe vegetarianism is wrong for everyone? I have no idea. I just know it was 100% wrong for me. Why was it wrong for me? Is it because I have type-O blood or Italian ancestry built on cured meats, pasture-raised lamb and lots of cheese?  Is it because my energetic system was working in reverse?  Is it because my digestive system couldn't break down all the carbs? Is it because while I would like to think my mind it evolved, my body is pure cave woman?  Did the phytoestrogens (hello, plant estrogen) in soy fatten me up just like the factory-farmed animals fed it?  I don't know. I may never know and I don't care. I've made peace with being a meat eater knowing it's the right path for me.

But I also needed to make peace with the veggies. I know holding grievances hurts a person's  health way more than what they eat. So I decided to feed B a true veg meal: heavy on the carbs with fake meat thrown in…cappellini and meat-free meatballs (I call them wheatballs.)  So while at Trader Joe's getting the goods, I picked up some white rice. I can't eat a whole lot of rice but when I do, I cook brown. I actually prefer it. But in clearing some allergies using acupuncture, I have to follow certain dietary restrictions following treatments. White rice is one of the few things I can eat. 

While on line, this scrawny old lady who looked like the Crypt Keeper's mother, grabbed by arm and said, "Ya know, brown rice is healthier!" and within .2 seconds I wanted to kick her to the ground and run over her with my cart. An extreme reaction, you say?  Yeh, a bit.  LOL  But I knew that she was only saying this because of my size. If a skinny woman would have been standing there w/a bag of white rice, I know she wouldn't have said a word. So that's what infuriated me, especially because I normally eat brown rice, and in small portions!  When you are overweight, people make a lot of assumptions…like you sit around eat bon-bons all day. You eat fast food and never exercise and have emotional problems and are incredibly lazy. I've known a lot of fat people in my life…this stereotype rings true about 15% of the time. Sometimes I can let the judgments fall behind me and other times they land on me with a thud.    

When we got outside, U said, "Ya know what else is good for your health? Minding your own fucking business!"  I laughed so hard and it dissipated the anger I had been feeling.

The lessons learned here:

• Make peace with the groups you think are a problem. 
• Never tell someone else what diet they should follow. You don't know what's best for them, only their own body does.
• When confronted with other's misguided judgments, even when they may be coming from a place of good intentions, laugh it off rather than explain yourself. You don't owe anyone an explanation for your choices.   

9:13 AM - 7 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Vinegar + Baking Soda = SHEER MAGIC

Big thanks to friend BS for this tip:

So you find yourself with a clogged drain. For us longer hair types, this can happen quite frequently.  Ditch the Draino. Forget roto rooter. 

Put baking soda in the drain, add vinegar and plunge.

It's cheap, natural and super effective. 

UZ did it in her tub and it brought up a razor head and cap from the upstairs apartment! 

10:22 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Kris versus "The Head"

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

-Philo

..TR>

When I worked in the welfare office 11 years ago, I took this quote and printed it onto a large poster using calligraphy markers to hung in my cubicle.  I did it because I had started to judge my clients. I was making $20,000 per year, barely above the poverty level myself and yet somehow, some of my clients were able to afford fake nails, nice clothes and new purses. I started getting bitter and I started to see this bitterness in many of my hardened colleagues. But I quickly realized my judgments were hurting myself and preventing me from serving my clients the way I truly wanted to serve them. So I used the quote to remind myself and them, everyday, hey, we're all equal, we're all on the same page.

It's only now that I am getting the quote's significance on a deeper level.

In this week's battle of Kris VS "the head", the ego was in full dominating force, knocking me out after 3 minutes with several punches to the solar plexus and groin.  It was like mentally being taken over some railroad tracks going 120 mph for 4 days straight…bumpy, chaotic and yes, painful as all get out.

What precipitated all this?  Well, I think the 'ole ego just got tired of me ignoring it and so it took matters into its own claw-like hands. I've been working on staying in the present moment and being in full acceptance of what "is". (How can you argue with what is? It is what it is! Truer words have never been spoken!) But see the ego doesn't like to accept sheeeeeet.  The ego wants what it wants when it wants it and it wants it, not now, but yesterday.  And so I clearly saw the break between where my life is and where I want it to be.  And I didn't like it one damn bit.

The funny thing is is that lately I've been naturally happier than I've probably ever been. A happiness based on what's going on inside me, not based on outside circumstances that can change quite rapidly.  The only thing you can never lose is your own soul and when you're in touch with it, the outside rat race seems, well, ratty. I was feeling quite peaceful, quite content. And just as I got content, new opportunities seemed to be cropping up everywhere and it was like I had finally climbed out of the rut I found myself in after taking on the new label of "home owner".

But if its one thing I've learned about the ego, when it feels threatened, it gets very vocal. It makes everyone around you seem wrong. It gets addicted to condemnation.  It feels very very sorry for itself.  It thinks it's everyone else's fault.  It gives a long list of ways in which I am much more horrible or much better than the rest of the world. It attracts people to it that won't be present in your dark hour even when you would really, really like them to be. It tells you burning bridges is a perfect idea. It tells you how very very alone you are. And yet it's all so dead wrong.

The trick is, even in the darkness, even in the sadness, even when it all seems so true, is to recognize the ego's MO and allow it to burn itself out. You gotta put down the fists and take a pummeling and know it won't kill you. You will get out on the other side when its strength has been greatly diminished.  You have to be present with what it is saying, but know its complete nonsense at the same time. 

So back to the quote, I had this revelation this week. Spiritual teachers are always saying that all people are equal. No one is better or worse than anyone else. Of course, this is hard to accept. Who doesn't think the Dali Lama is better than George Bush?  But now I got it….if we're human, we have an ego, and if we have an ego, we're all equal.  The ego is our only source of struggle so no matter what our looks or degree of privilege, the source of our own unhappiness goes with us wherever we go. And that, my friends, is the hard battle we must become present to. 

12:06 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Q: When do you know it’s time to return to writing?

A: When you've been talking your friends' ears off!

I seem to have a lot going on in my head these days.  On one hand, I seem to be having a lot of highly inspired ideas…about myself and where I can see my life now going. It's actually SO many ideas that it leaves me uncertain where to begin. I can see my life going in some directions I haven't thought of before and it feels, well, good and exciting and a little scary. But generally I am more hopeful and even though my friend J thinks this is a bad thing, I am glad for it. On the other hand, I am more than ever aware of my own ego…it's insidious nature.  I see the pain it causes me with its never being satisfied and its countless petty criticisms and complaints it tries to convince me are completely legitimate and yes, very, very important. So I figured I should take these jumbled thoughts back to the blog and let my buds off the hook with my verbose insights and over-dramatic struggles. I'm afraid I may have exhausted them!

7:40 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Now onto Obama and Clinton...

Now that I'm back in regular gal mode (and really, when has that EVER been true) I'll say this on our competing candidates.  Hillary can not win. She can't. It will never, ever happen.  If she wins the Presidency, I will dance naked in Times Square.  In November. In the rain.  But this will never happen because she is too hated, both personally and due to her gender.  I also don't think she's the best candidate. She voted for the war and she takes Big Pharma money.  This is a giant oversimplification, but I won't waste my time going into greater detail because I know you're just not that into her either. 

Now I, like so many others, first fell for Barack when he spoke at the last Democratic convention. I even saved a video of that speech. But some things have changed between then and now and the bloom is off the rose. But I do believe he's sincere and I think his lack of experience is a huge plus. Sometimes, it takes new blood to forge new paths. 

As for Hillary's idea about the 2 running together, I think if their egos can stand it, it would be a good idea, especially for her. She needs him. If he gets the nomination, I think he should choose Edwards as his running mate. I love that guy!

12:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

My (Not so Triumphant) Return to the Blog

It's not that I haven't had things to say. If I just tuned more into my genetic righteous indignation, I could blog with no end in sight.  From Oprah pandering to "Christians" (sorry, most "Christians" don't seem to follow what Jesus taught so from now on they will be encased in sarcastic quotation marks, which ironically is so very unchristian of me) to the Obama/Clinton weirdness, I am finding myself with more opinions these days than I'd like. (I'm going for Obama, btw.) And don't even get me started on Bush…I swear that man has been placed in power by the Universe so I could get in touch my internal rage on a daily basis. Sadly, there's a lot there! I could expound on how "Lost" is suddenly getting really good and that I am utterly infatuated with Snow Patrol and where on the earth do they come up with that music…it's nothing short of brilliant and they make me wanna be a better music fan. I could go on for days…and further contribute to the volumes of meaningless bullshit already on the net.  (And will again in the future I am sure!)

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But I woke up and now everything seems meaningless.  You could say, well, yes, Kris, I think TV shows and music could be construed as meaningless drivel but the next Democratic contender for President?  Surely, you jest. 

But I'm not jesting. Keep in mind, I am not some super self-involved Nialist who says, oh, just go ahead and do whatever, nothing will ever change anyway, as we are ultimately powerless to the political machine and can only perish so use however many plastic bag you feel like and fuck voting.  And I am also not some airy fairy spiritual hippie love bug who misuses the law of attraction as an excuse to be ignorant… "I'll just encase myself in affirmations and everything will be OK."  Make no mistake about it, folks, I fully believe that what we are witnessing in our political strife and weather patterns and economic collapse is nothing short of the end of the world…as we know it. 

But somehow, with whatever spiritual work I've been doing over the past couple months, I've just stopped being upset about it.  It's like I'm not attached to the world continuing as is, or even at all. 

And it's not that Life feels meaningless. It's the exact opposite….tiny little instances that I normally railroad over suddenly feel filled to the brim with sweetness. Falling snow and a cup of tea…a thank you card for a shower gift…very simple things feel really, really good. It's like somehow everything has become so poignant. 

Have u ever gone through a rough patch…a broken heart or a health crisis or a car accident and found yourself savoring every little life preserver thrown to you from the boat of stability?  A hug from a friend feels like the best thing you've ever been given. Your brother buying you lunch at a nice restaurant tastes like the most delicious meal of your life.  Your neighbor picking you up from the police station makes you fall in love with her. You look for and see the meaning in what used to be overlooked because if you don't, you may not make it through.  Anything that produces a little relief brings up profound love and gratitude.

That's what I feel like now, except I'm not in crisis. It's the world itself that's in crisis. And author Eckhart Tolle is right, we will either evolve our consciousness or die. Whatever is able to die…the human body, the plants, technology, will cease to exist. Yet, consciousness, our souls, will always exist.

My former do-gooding self gets it.  Do what you can from within yourself, for yourself and stop wishing everyone else will "get it" and change. They may not. Or they may. But either way, I no longer carry frustration about it and it is so freeing! I may sound cavalier and I'm sure if I had children, I would feel differently.

I'll continue to follow current events and sign petitions and carry my reusable bags. But I've stopped caring if you do and that should make us all happy.  LOL

So how's that for a return?  My friend Joe will be sad he asked!  LOL

10:53 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Pete Townshend on Joe Strummer

From a recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine:

"On Joe Strummer

When Joe spoke, you listened. I remember him talking about the Cosa Nostra thing with the Sandinistas long before they did the album. Reagan trading cocaine for cash through Miami-I thought, 'Joe, this has to be all made up. The president of the United States trading drugs?' But it turned out to be true. He'd gone to South America on some sort of fact-finding mission with his guitar, into the jungle. He was talking about it ten years before anyone knew it had happened."

3:55 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

“Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten” Review

I've been waiting to see this flick since it debuted at Sundance in January. It's been a long wait, but a worthy one. Although I have some complaints (trust me, I will get to them) I still have to give it passionate thumbs up for the enormous love it opened up in me. I saw it 24 hours ago and I still can't shake the feeling. Scenes from the film have come up again and again and I awoke this morning with one thought, "Gotta do what Joe did and make my life my art."

Anyone who knows me can assume rightly that this review will be written through a fan's eyes.  For full disclosure, I will say I first heard The Clash's album London Calling at the age of 10 (1980) when my older brothers brought it home. We had one record player, in the living room, so what they listened to, I listened to.  I wasn't entitled to much of a vote. It ended up being a good thing because I received a full fledged musical education in reggae, ska, rhythm and Jersey rock, punk & new wave.  I remember hearing, "And I believe this and it's been tested by research/ that he who fucks nuns will later join the church" from "Death or Glory" and being shocked beyond belief.  When you're raised a Catholic, you don't blasphemy nuns and priests (although I now know they have coulda used it), but somehow this broke through my religious programming. I hated hypocrites too. I poured over every lyric, every line on the inner sleeves, feeling the raw truth of it shaking my very core, even when I could barely understand most of it. I've been a fan ever since. I have scrapbooks of magazine clippings and they are the only music I listen to from my youth that still shoots electivcal volts up my spine. I even got to meet Mick Jones once, in 1989 and later Paul Simonon in 1991.  But my real love was Joe, with his complex lyrics and defiant leftie political heart. My friend J called me when he died and said, "Are you okay?" but I hadn't yet heard the news.  She had gotten us tickets 8 months earlier to see him and the Mescaleros play in Brooklyn and it was possibly one of the best shows of my life.  He was up there pouring love out and everyone present was loving him back. You could literally taste the love in the air…bite it, bathe yourself in it. It was such a consolation because I got that he "got it". He figured out what life and living were truly about. 

The film uses rarities like super 8 footage of him and his brother as children, and later, a long-haired Joe loading a van when he was in the 101ers.  It starts with news reports of his death and then goes to the beginning, his parents, and his youth spent around the world as a diplomat's son.  The narration is done by Joe himself although I would have liked the filmmaker or someone else to have filled in some of the blanks.  This is a very fluid documentary, that runs at a very fast pace and nothing is spelled out literally for you. I'm not sure if someone unfamiliar with him could enjoy it or even understand it. 

What I loved: 

Joe's own drawings were turned into animated illustrations.

Lots of old concert footage I have never seen.

Interviews with people like the Clash's NYC cab driver & a man Joe met in a Granada bar that you would not likely have seen anywhere else. These folks give as great insights as people who knew him very well.

Fire-side chats: the interviews took place around campfires. One was in NYC and another looked like it was in DC.  This was to reference Joe's campfire raves he did before he died. 

Talk of Joe's spirituality.  This is something I have never seen in any form of media.

The showing of honest hurt feelings he caused from people who loved him (Mick, Topper).  I didn't want to see him on a pedestal…I wanted to see the real deal, flaws and all. 

It showed me what is missing so clearly in today's music…
integrity, honesty, passionate beliefs. Some people may think The Clash sold out with "Combat Rock" (Joe included) but I'll say this…you never would have seen them on the red carpet, fucking Ashlee Simpson, and mugging for the camera in car ads.  It's funny how a few years can give you a different perspective. (By the way, "Combat Rock" was a freakin great album…if that's their big sell out then they did OK.)

Seeing one person can make a huge difference, again. I can always use reminders. 

My complaints:

No names or tags under the people interviewed.  Example: "Joe Blow, 101ers Drummer".  Because I know a lot about him, I probably was able to identify more people than most.  Some are obvious…Steve Buscemi, Johnny Depp, Anthony and Flea from the RHCP, Bono, & Courtney Love. But I doubt anyone would be able to pick out Joe's teenaged girlfriend.  I've seen this in other documentaries and I always hate it.  To documentary filmmakers everywhere: Don't expect the viewer to have the same inside knowledge as you. One reviewer said it was probably done to equalize everyone….that the opinions of his teenage girlfriend are just as important as Flea's. If that's the case then put everyone's names up there, including celebs. 

Joe's still a mystery. Even using tonz of documentation and his own story in his own words, I still feel like I didn't come out knowing much more about him than when I went in. I suppose he's an enigma and not easily explained. 

No answers to some long held questions of mine like:

How did Joe come to co-write songs on B.A.D.'s 2^nd album? When did they first speak after Mick was booted from the band? How did Joe come to perform Clash songs at Mescaleros gigs?

Too short: Even at a little over 2 hours and moving at breakneck speed, it wasn't long enough.  Maybe when it comes out on DVD there will be a 4 hour version or lots of outtakes.

7:00 AM - 6 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Wrestling with the Chicago Blues

I just got back from a work related trip to Chicago.  It had all the parameters for a perfect conference experience:

1. I get to explore an exciting new city I've often wanted to visit.

2. LOTS of down time for said exploring

3. 4 glorious days not sitting at my desk

4. A super-chic hotel room with an ultra cozy bed and fantastic view of the city

5. Museums, every freakin' where

6. And most importantly, I get to eat on the company dime, in a town renown for its cuisine.  

When you're a foodie living on a tight budget, sometimes the biggest luxury in the world is to being able to order exactly what I want, regardless of price.  That means if I want an extra order of shu mai at the Japanese place, so be it. A side order of broccoli rabe sautéed in garlic and olive oil when dining Italiano? No problem! Take a chance on an unusual salmon special?  Of course, it's not my money! A $12 dessert?  Hell yes, wrap it up, as I will be savoring it later in the nude while lounging on high thread count sheets and catching up on Weeds. (God, I really need to start writing poetry again!)

I have been ridiculously busy the past 2 months working 6 day weeks and promoting the Marianne Williamson event that came to fruition November 4. The next day I went to work high on successes both personal and collective, but by 1pm could barely keep my head upright. I sleep-walked until Wed. morning when I found myself on a plane heading West. This trip was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. You can't clean the house when your 800 miles away. You can't be dumbfounded by paper piles that have taken over your desk when sitting at a pleasantly sterile hotel one.  You can't silently berate the incompetence of coworkers when surrounded by enormous beauty instead. 

Or can you?  See, the catch with a location prescription is that you take yourself with you wherever you go.  So even under the best circumstances, even when surrounded by luxurious furniture, friendly people, and a Ghirardelli ice cream store, your monkey mind can still get the best of you.

I fought the good fight though. I can do that now that I've developed enough self awareness to recognize that what is happening is my ego has taken over and is running the show with its old stories of "Why me?" There were times I felt like it would take over me completely and there would be nothing left but a bitter shell.  I had these odd impulses of self-sabotage. What would happen if I jumped in front of this trolley?  What if I went to the airport, charged a ticket to Bali and left my entire life and who I was,  behind?  You hear these stories of people faking their own deaths or simply disappearing and I never wonder why anyone would do that. Some people need a more radical fresh starts than others. I was confronted at every step with my frustration at what's not working in my life, despite my best efforts.  I went to the Shedd Aquarium only to find a giant line of parents and their precocious children.  That is except for the teenage girls behind me who talked about the children they would have in the future. I remembered the countless times I've discussed that with my girlfriends over the years, only to gradually stop when it began to feel downright embarrassing. I mean I have one disastrous marriage behind me and will be 38 in a couple months. Don't the stats say I have a better chance of getting hit by lightening at this point?  (Not that I listen to statistics.) People say, but why do you care? I care because I would have been a really incredible mom and I hate when things are wasted, even intangible things like nurturing and love.  I hate standing on a line, alone, overhearing people bark in anger at their kids and treat them like appendages and wonder why something that comes so naturally to others, hasn't work out for me.  I hate that having kids at all seems to be such a giant pain in the ass, from child care to Sponge Bob, I mean who really wants to deal with all that shit? Surely, it couldn't have always been this downright draining throughout human history?  These are the kind of thoughts that can ruin even the best of days. The Chicago Blues ain't just 'bout tha music, baby. 

Then there were times of absolute sheer bliss, times I was 100% in the present moment, free from both my past and worries of a dismal future. The aquariaum had some kind of dolphin show and the throngs of families flocked to the stands. I discovered I could go underneath and watch through windows into the pool. Practically deserted, I could get completely absorbed in seeing them swim and leap through to the surface and land into a bed of a thousand cascading bubbles.  Instantly, I felt soothed and full of wonder and awe. It happened again later that day when I ventured into Chicago's cultural center and was met with the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen. With mosaics of tile and glass with famous authors' names and a domed tiffany glass ceiling, I was instantly entranced. (I am assuming it used to house the library.)  Later I sat in the café slowly sipping hot cider and was filled with gratitude for being able to witness such beauty and all was right in the world.  Sometimes it's the simplest things that can be so joyful. 

That these extreme states of consciousness could exist in one day, in one person, is not at all unique. It's the nature of our human experience and it's all good, even the parts that feel like you're "Lost in Translation".  It's all about knowing yourself better. You can learn a lot when you're listening. 

1:15 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment