Frances, Author at Life, Thoughts & Coffee

May 15, 2012May 5, 2013

narcissus quagliata and michel domit

Lilou Mace has given us another exceptional interview with famous glass artist Narcissus Quagliata, and the creator of El Santuario at Valle de Bravo (two miles outside of Mexico City), Michel Domit.

www.juicylivingtour.com
www.elsantuario.com

These two creators, with Lilou Mace, treat us to a remarkable interview which, if we carefully and deeply listen, will change us. I want to entice you to watch it on juicy living tour by writing about a few things that were discussed, and, when you’re ready, to search for the video titled “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico.” I’ll try to piece a little of it together for you to whet your appetite, although it won’t sing to your heart in the way watching and listening will. Something begins to stir in the listener when hearing about the creation of the beautiful light from the dome reflecting everywhere, and the amazing before and after story of El Santuario and the dome, hearing the words: heart, love, consciousness, creating, quieting the mind, the holy quartz mountain that has a spirit, quieting the mind, atoms, stars, the Tibetan monks, revelation, transformation, quieting the mind. . . .

Dialogue taken from the juicy living tour video:

We have two imaginations – one the perceptive, the other the creative – though no one talks about it, Silva Mind Control founded by Jose Silva does, and Michel Domit taught it for twenty years.
www.silvamindcontrol.com

Narcissus Quagliata created a beautiful dome for El Santuario. Before doing this, though, he took absolute quiet on the mountain for three months. He said that people have to learn how to quiet the mind and create a vacuum. And if you stop internal dialogue you become enlightened. He said that he created the dome by pushing away everything that was unnecessary. He said the most frequent question asked is: How did you invent the imagery? How did you invent it? The answer is simple, he said. I invented it by pushing away everything that is unnecessary. I create an empty space and then the images find me. I don’t go find them – absolute quiet and then I just stood still and within days my place was crowded with images. By quieting the mind you become a vacuum. That’s how Siddhartha became the Buddha.

Michel Domit said that his teacher Carlos Castenada insisted so much on stopping the internal dialogue – it is not us. The mind we are using is wonderful, but if we don’t know where the turnoff button is, it’s terrible. It can actually drive you crazy.
www.castaneda.com

He devoted eight hours every day for five months to meditation before beginning his El Santuario project. And he said that the spirit of the mountain guided him in the creation of El Santuario . . . listen to the video to find out how the spirit of the mountain communicates.

And so, the above is just a skeleton of a most interesting and enlightening interview; it’s much more exciting to watch and listen to it because time and again what’s stressed is that there’s so much more to life, and to us, than what we now believe. And the possibility of things being a lot different for us were we to deeply listen to the dialogue between Narcissus Quagliata, Michel Domit, and Lilou Mace on the video “The Importance of Stopping the Mind! Mexico” is very real.

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“In the universe there is an unmeasurable force which shamans call intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting link.”
– Carlos Castaneda

May 7, 2012October 23, 2014

Elanaspantry.com and goop.com

If I prepared the scrumptious looking Paleo Coconut Macaroons recipe from www.elanaspantry.com for myself, they’d be gone in a flash. I’ll wait till I’m ready to bake for a few people. Then we can enjoy the macaroons together. Until then, I’ll look at the picture every so often.

If you’re looking for different breakfast ideas and haven’t seen the offerings of MAKE – A Better Breakfast April 19 by Dr. Frank Lipman at www.goop.com click on and be delighted. The menu is a feast for the eyes – healthy, nutritious, and from the pictures, I would say delicious. Included in the recipes is a Chia Seed Pudding. Last week Sumi and I wanted to make it; we were so eager to taste it. But, alas, we were busy – nicely busy. Perhaps on the next trip.

May 6, 2012October 23, 2014

lilou mace, tony samara, sonia choquette

Are there nights when you can’t sleep? And you don’t want to be bleary-eyed in the morning so you refuse to take over-the-counter pills. The first thought that comes to mind to insure a good night’s sleep is to eliminate watching, reading, or thinking about anything that smacks of violence, or anything that causes stress in the body. We want to ease into sleep and shed unwanted thoughts. I have an idea, let’s get a cup of camomile tea or any herbal tea, and type www.juicylivingtour.com on a computer and click on Videos, and then click on Tony Samara. Next to his name it says: He was born in the UK, raised in Egypt and Norway, made decisions in the course of his life to abandon one way of living for another, “studied at Mount Baldy Zen Center in California where he learned the spiritual teachings of Kyozan Joshua Sasaki, and lived with and learned from shamanic communities around the globe including a period of time spent with some highly influential shamans in the Amazon and the Andes Mountains.” Listening to him is a treat, or maybe the word is gift. Thank you, Lilou Mace for bringing this interview to us.

I’m sitting comfortably, are you? All right! We have our tea, and are ready to carefully listen to Lilou Mace interview Tony Samara. His serene voice will explain that there’s another way to be in the world. You’re liking it? I knew you would. Shall we watch and listen again so that every word can permeate every fiber of our being? Our conscious mind has been put to rest, now another part of who we are can take over and put to use the words we’ve been listening to – the words that have the ability to change our old worn-out beliefs.
www.tonysamara.org

No need to worry about time. When the body is relaxed and stressless, it can handle a little loss of sleep. With that thought, shall we watch one last video tonight? What about Sonia Choquette? It’s wonderful listening. She’ll simply and lovingly explain about intuition, that we all have access to it, that somewhere along the way many of us chose to not use it, that it’s dormant at the moment – still there though should we make a decision to have it as our constant guide. That would be a powerful decision. She’ll show us how, and the rest is up to us. It’s just a matter of using it.
www.soniachoquette.com

I’ve mentioned Lilou Mace before, – do you know her story? It’s an amazing one in that she lost her job, and opted for “. . . The beauty and magic of following her heart and true nature.” She’s never done what she’s now doing. As she travels the world interviewing spiritual teachers – those who have something to say and have the ability to transform others, she relies completely on donations. There have been interviews that have caught her off-guard and her honesty was so refreshing when asked very personal questions. It seems that what comes up most often when she talks about herself is having complete trust in the Universe and that Love is the guiding force, a knowing that we are all connected and that we all have a right to live on our own terms as long as we aren’t harming anyone, including ourselves, and that we are all worth so much more than we realize and have gifts waiting to be tapped by us. She continues to figure it out as she goes along on her quest, and learning every step of the way and always striving to bring what she does to the next level. Good for you Lilou Mace
www.liloumace.com

I’ve read that it’s not good to use a computer or cell phone just before going to bed. We all know how they react on the brain. But every so often and when using a computer for the above-mentioned reasons, I would think that it sure beats a restless night.

Are you feeling relaxed and sleepy? I certainly hope so. Good night and sweet dreams.

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“Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.)” – Walt Whitman

May 5, 2012October 17, 2014

greeting cards feelexpressconnect at soulebrate.com and at soulcialize.com

How are you today?

As I drank a smoothie this morning which consisted of blending frozen organic wild blueberries, raspberries, and peaches, along with 1tablespoon chia seeds, 1teaspoon turmeric, 1teaspoon Spirulina, 1tablespoon Navitas cocoa powder, a sprinkling of black caraway seeds, a pinch of Stevia, and because I haven’t gotten around to preparing coconut or almond milk, in went 1cup of filtered water, I marveled at the fact that since completing the 21-day CLEAN PROGRAM by Dr. Alejandro Junger, the taste for coffee is non-existent. This from a person who truly enjoyed drinking, and savoring, a wonderfully delicious cup of coffee, either at home, or at a cafe. I’m still asking myself, “What the heck happened?” I’ll just say that life is ever changing and ever fascinating.

And the smoothie? Well, it was tasty, and so feeling energized, I checked out the greeting cards on Tara-jenelle Walsch’s website www.soulebrate.com These greeting cards are “inspired by Byron Katie and Neale Donald Walsch,” and tend to move the spirit. The beauty of the cards help set the pace for a lovely day. The words and the design have it all.

After feasting my eyes on the cards, I decided to check out her video at www.soulcialize.com Now should you decide to watch and listen also, be prepared for words that will possibly hit home, words like, “. . . half of the world was using food, gambling, sex, alcohol, trying to numb out. . . .” and “. . . somewhere along the line we were using our heads more and our hearts less.” and “. . . there’s nothing we have to learn how to do, we need to just be . . . free, open, accessible, available, alive, intentional, connect with our heart, with life, with others, with ourselves.”

Yes, listen to her story and cry with her, and listen to where she is now and be happy for her, and for all of us, and let’s allow ourselves this gift of being truly alive during the time we’re here on Planet Earth.

I hope you enjoy Tara-jenelle Walsch’s words on her video, and then I hope you’ll enjoy a spectacular Saturday.

May 5, 2012April 15, 2013

afterlifetv.com

Sometimes we happen upon a website that simply grabs our attention and doesn’t let go. For the past month for me that website is www.afterlifetv.com with Bob Olson. He has been researching the spirit world for twelve years, and in a video on his website, “From Private Investigator to Afterlife Investigator – The True Story” he talks about how he, a skeptic who has a degree in criminal justice and wanted to work for the FBI, or an organization of that ilk, became a private investigator instead, and “fell into” becoming a psychic medium investigator after the death of his father. It’s been written many times that there are no accidents, and it’s obvious that his years as a PI prepared him for his years as an afterlife investigator. It greatly helps to know his background, he said that he stopped counting after interviewing 300 mediums before agreeing that the spirit world, and all it implies, is a very real world. After one reading with a medium, “concrete convincing evidence came through,” and, he said, “that’s when I realized that there’s more to life and death than I ever realized.” Of course, it’s not mandatory to listen to the video in which he discusses his background, though it’s engrossing; however, your belief will be strengthened, and you’ll feel confident and comfortable in taking in his words because you’ll understand that he knows what he’s talking about.

There is a video on afterlifetv titled, What Happens In The Afterlife To People Who Commit Suicide.” it’s an exceptional video, and it can help anyone who is grieving for a loved one who has passed on in this way reach a new understanding.

Also are “two resources for locating legitimate psychic mediums,” and they are: www.bestpsychicmediums.com and www.BestPsychicDirectory.com

When I was young there was an old cemetery not far from where I lived, and I would take a book and go there. Reading the book took second place; reading the names and dates on tombstones took priority. It’s okay; you can call me odd. Though I’m betting that there are a lot of people who feel the same as I do. I feel comfortable in cemeteries and feel that life and death are nicely connected. All we need do is look at the beauty of the world – not necessarily man’s creation, but God’s.

May your dreams be sweet tonight.

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“. . . Many years later, Dr. Alexis Carrel – then a famed surgeon awarded the Nobel Prize for his medical research and discoveries, wrote, ‘We must liberate man from the cosmos created by the genius of physicists and astronomers, that cosmos in which, since the Renaissance, he has been imprisoned. We now know that we . . . extend outside the physical continuum. . . . In time, as in space, the individual stretches out beyond the frontiers of his body. . . . He also belongs to another world.'”
– Divine Interventions by Dan Millman and Doug Childers

May 3, 2012May 5, 2012

park slope, baddategreatstory, soba-ya, st. mark’s place

I just returned from Park Slope, Brooklyn where talent, passion and creativity are delightfully displayed in the many excellent small speciality shops lining every block. And recently it was daughter Emi’s birthday and family and friends gathered to celebrate with her. Happy, Happy Birthday, dear Emi! Before we did though there was a show on Friday evening in the East Village related to co-creators Emi’s and Jessie’s website www.baddategreatstory.com that daughter Sumi and I finally got a chance to see. It wasn’t the usual way I spend my time; but the extracting of laughs from bad date angst can be wildly entertaining. Sorry to say this if you’re newly bruised from a bad date, but you just might have a great story to tell, and let’s face it, it’s probably a funny story that will put things right – if you let it.

Before stepping in to watch the show, Sumi and I had dinner at Soba-ya at 229 East 9th Street. This could be the place for you if you are an appreciator of quality. Sumi had been there before, so in we went, and not for a second did we regret ordering from the day’s specials. www.sobaya-nyc.com

Your imagination will fill you in on how the following six comedians: James Alexander, Will Garre, Rachael Parenta, Jessie Male, Alix Mansbach, and Jason Salmon got a lot of mileage in the telling of their own bad date great story experiences, and, one after the other, kept us all laughing.

Emi and Jessie, you both put together a very entertaining show.

After the performances Sumi and I walked along 8th Street and pointed to all the places where once upon a time stood shops we really liked and now are gone. That’s Manhattan, people and places are always coming and going.

It was now time to duck into the subway station and head back to Park Slope. The evening, well, it was a very lovely one.

And now it’s time to blend an avocado, apple, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped ginger, chia seeds, stevia, Navitas Cacao Powder, and 1 cup of water (because there’s no almond milk, rice milk, or coconut water in this apartment at the moment) for a nutritious and delicious smoothie.

I hope you enjoyed the day and that the evening is all you want it to be.

April 23, 2012

Foster Gamble and Lilou Mace

Lilou mace certainly knows the right questions to ask when she interviews, and she manages to interview people from around the world who have a lot of interesting things to say. For instance, she asked all the right questions of Foster Gamble, and he spoke honestly about his life (his thoughts on being an heir to the Proctor & Gamble fortune – not what you think – though very refreshing), and he said that the things he’s involved in “move my spirit and thrill my heart” such as he and his wife’s movie, THRIVE WHAT ON EARTH WILL IT TAKE which was eight years in the making, and can be viewed in ten languages. Of course, there’ll always be people who disagree, as with the movie, which tends to make for interesting discussions. For a preview of the film, check out: www.thrivemovement.com If we wish to join in the movement, we can click the “solution section” on the website.

Lately I find that the movers and shakers say things that take my breath away. They are the ones who are focused on finding ways to save us and the planet, and have a burning desire to change certain systems so that they work for everyone and not for just a few. Do you agree that we’re living in a fascinating world?

As for the interview with Foster Gamble, click on Lilou Mace’s website: www.juicylivingtour.com . I don’t think you’ll be bored, and there’s always a chance of coming away a bit wiser and smarter from having watched and listened.

Good night. Make sure your dreams are sweet.

April 22, 2012August 23, 2012

La Grotta in Richmond, Virginia, The clean program, the joe cross film fat, sick, & nearly dead, tinkyada pasta

Over two weeks of scrumptious food was savored during a visit to Alicia’s and Michael’s happy and lovely home in Richmond, Virginia, None of us had the wherewithal to lasso in the others when it came to choosing where and what to eat during the times we ate out at Richmond’s many excellent restaurants. One evening we ate at La Grotta, and were immersed in old world charm. I would definitely return; being there was a pleasure. For dessert I recommend the coconut cake. You might have to make sure that those with you have something tasty in front of them, otherwise it becomes all about sharing, and you know what that means. www.lagrottaristorante.com

After that kind of eating we agreed that once again the Clean Program from the book CLEAN by Dr. Alejandro Junger would be a delight. We were ready for the lightness and clarity that comes with the program – the juicing, the smoothies, the meals from the menu section of the book, and the suggestions for detoxing.

Also, watching the Joe Cross Film, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD (and crying for the people when listening to their stories) is an incredible incentive when wanting to change eating habits. Viewing this movie can change the way we look at food when seeing the suffering faces of people who are sick and overweight, but don’t have a clue as to how to help themselves. The film makes us understand that it’s within all of us to be able to make powerful changes, and shows what can happen when we’re open to change, and ready to take action. It’s beautiful! www.fatsickandnearlydead.com

And when it comes to enjoying pasta, what a joy it is to know about “WHEAT FREE GLUTEN-FREE GOOD CONSISTENT TEXTURE NOT MUSHY AL DENTE” Tinkyada Pasta. Alicia prepared a meal this way – more or less: She sautéed chopped onions in olive oil, and added lots of garlic. Other ingredients added to the big cast iron pot were mushrooms, kale, spinach, and fresh peas. Also, stirred into that pot were two handfuls of pine nuts, a sprinkling of good quality sesame seeds, shakes of Celtic salt, and twists of tasty pepper. Then the cooked Tinkyada spaghetti was mixed into those ingredients. If you like avocados, slice one and serve with nori along with the pasta meal. Absolutely delicious! Now here comes the hard part, we Americans have to try very hard to remember two words, and the two words are: PORTION CONTROL. www.tinkyada.com

Let’s enjoy this fine misty rain of an evening.

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“Your progress depends on your ability to eject old ideas and set opinions. You are fortunate if you have no set opinions.” – Venice Bloodworth

April 15, 2012April 15, 2012

Yes! Magazine

I read last month’s issue of YES! With relish and It helped me to understand what’s going on in the world. I don’t know why I didn’t come across this powerful and practical magazine before last month. YES! writers are well-versed; they tackle the nitty-gritty of today’s very important topics, those that affect all of us, and inform us about issues that are not necessarily aired in quite the same way in the media. YES! readers are given a no nonsense account of how the important issues work, or don’t, on behalf of we the people, and the many ways in which those things that pertain to us are changing due to the creative endeavors of citizens the world over. Knowing what’s actually happening, as opposed to thinking we know, lends power to daily living. www.yesmagazine.org

Check it out, there’s nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. If you’ve been reading YES! all along, good for you, and next time you discover something of interest, tell us about it;-)

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend.

April 5, 2012October 23, 2014

Dying To Be Me

taken from: www.nderf.org

Here it is- one more post about the book DYING TO BE ME. Are you saying, why, oh why? Here’s why: In it are words that soothe the human spirit, and the words come alive because Anita Moorjani experienced something utterly magnificent when she had a Near Death Experience unlike any other, and returned to her body with the understanding that it would soon be healed of lymphoma cancer. To not read her book is to not give ourselves the benefit of viewing life in a completely different way. Fear seems to permeate too many areas of life on planet Earth. It doesn’t have to be this way; it shouldn’t be this way. But it is because at every turn, much of what we hear, watch, and read puts fear into us. And although freedom should be ours on planet Earth, it’s really, really not, unless with eyes wide open we make it happen.

We’re also in fear when we sweep sickness and death “under the rug,” facing them (or not) only when a loved one is sick or dying, or when we are. Over and over it’s been said through the ages that opening ourselves to life, to love, allows us to shed the fear and live a fearless life. This is what the message in DYING TO BE ME is about. The words in the book bring us to an understanding very different from what we’ve learned about life on planet Earth. It’s not good enough to just read what others say about DYING TO BE ME. Anita Moorjani’s words as she felt during her experience – her words describing this experience, leave a definite impact on the reader.
www.anitamoorjani.com
During the time of her near death experience family members and doctors were nearby, or down the corridor. In her NDE her consciousness became expansive – able to zero in on conversations and feelings in the “other realm” and on planet Earth. When she returned to her body, and slowly put the pieces together, family and doctors were shocked at what she was telling them, and confused.

DYING TO BE ME, well, it’s quite a book.

Shall we begin right now to experience life lived without fear?

Enjoy the day and let’s all of us dive right into Life.