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9/11

I want to write something specifically pertaining to 9/11 but I can’t, there’s too much to say about that day and all the days after. To choose one part of it is not possible for me. When I see pictures, read and listen to stories told about that day and all the days after about the victims, of children waiting for a parent, of spouses, family members, friends of victims not knowing what to do with the news they just heard, stories of the people who survived, stories of all the heroes who assisted, and then the hostility, and the healings, my thinking comes to an abrupt stop and tears well up. We all have our own way of handling what happened on that horrifying day. It’s as if the world lived through a war that was speeded up to take place in just one day, a war watched by many throughout the world with minds and eyes and ears and hearts not quite able to comprehend any of it because it was an act that went far, far beyond anything any of us could have ever imagined.

Today we can pray for the people who died on that day, and for the people whose body, or mind, or spirit wants to heal. And we can always pray for peace.

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A Philosophers Notes – A great new site for spiritual expansion

I happened to come across a new site that I think is really worth taking a look at www.philosophersnotes.com

The “Chief Philosopher” of the site, the very well-spoken and positive professional, Brian Johnson, has put together a website with pdf synopsis’/mp3 audio clips and a plethora of other sections geared to providing information gleaned from 100 personal growth books. Johnson picked the 100 books mentioned, which date from history to present day, that he had found to be most influential. Many of the titles such as “The Four Agreements” and “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” are very recognizable, and Johnson’s clean breakdowns act as effective guides in highlighting key points. The nice thing about the breakdowns, is that they don’t act as replacements for the books, in fact, Johnson usually begins by saying something similar to “You must read this book,” or “Only read this book if you want to change your life.”
Think of it as sort of a book club/school for personal growth.

In addition to the book sections, Johnson provides individual segments on energy, courage, and more. The goal being to create a strong personal core for success in all parts of your life. There are also “Blissations,” subliminal messages you can have personally made for you. When it’s bedtime, check out the meditating sleep noise, such as ocean sounds (I am a fan). I’m glad to have come across this website. I think it’s a great boost during the day and a good way to see a glimpse at a number of powerful books, we may not have discovered on our own.

Have you used the site? We’d be interested in hearing your feedback, too!

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New camera, new look at scenery

I am overjoyed to have just gotten a new camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC- GH1. It is amazing!
I took it out for a little walk and here are a few stills I took in Morningside Park, uptown NY. Being a filmmaker, I also can’t wait to take some great video of the city… Emi



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A lovely site that promotes beauty inside, outside, and around you – Poreless.com

Poreless.com is an exciting site that guides people to innovative news and new products for revitalizing skin and body. This week they go behind the beauty scene with the director, and the writer, of the short film “The Retreat” www.theretreatfilm.com. This past weekend “The Retreat” received Boston International Film Festival’s award for “Indie Soul Special Recognition.” The film also had a screening at The Big Apple Film Festival 2010, and the NYC Downtown Short Film Festival 2011. Soon it will have another screening at the Staten Island Film Festival 2011.

I hope you enjoy the article. Those at Poreless.com are interested in knowing what you think about their article, along with the questions and answers, and the way they have of handling a busy lifestyle in the entertainment industry. They are open to your comments.
http://poreless.com/?p=711

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ruka

When Christmas shopping has come to an end, I walk into a favorite shop and buy something for myself. A little special something, not a splurge, something only I would call exciting. That something has to be small enough to fit nicely into a suitcase. I never know beforehand where I’ll end up, or when. As in today when I passed Ruka at 114 South 19th Street in Philadelphia, and it hit me – here is the place; now is the time.

It’s always a pleasure to browse and shop at Ruka. There were desert bells hanging on the wall. I took them down. And there were a wonderful array of mala beads. I chose the simplest. Then a little hand bell looking old, and sounding wonderful called to me. I placed these three on the counter. A customer picked up a round metal container, and asked what it was for. It holds spices, someone called out. I’d seen that box in the home of a friend. It holds her fragrant spices, – those she uses most often, and can’t cook if she doesn’t have them. A spice box will one day be mine, too. Not just yet; I’m very good at knowing when it’s time to go. “Ruka offers a treasure trove of items to delight and entice the spirit.” www.ruka.com

Now at my place the mala beads are waiting to be fingered, the desert bells are on a hook and sound as sweet as they did in the shop, and the small hand bell has its own perfect place.

Enjoy the season.

May peace be ours the world over.

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siddhartha, a book a movie

Until last year I hadn’t read the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. Not because I was too busy, too busy is never the case when it comes to good books. The truth is that until last year I hadn’t even heard of the book. People I mentioned it to said, “Oh, that book. Yes, I read it a long time ago.” Two things surprised me, the number of people who’ve read it, and their response to the book.

So, because I was late jumping onto the bandwagon, I intensified the feeling by watching a movie about Siddhartha written, produced, and directed by Conrad Rooks and shot in Northern India. To watch the movie is to bask in beauty. Really! And to listen to Conrad Rooks speak about the making of the movie, and also about his life in Greenwich Village in the 70’s, is as wonderful as a pistacchio ice cream cone on a sweltering summer afternoon.

When body, or mind, or spirit is feeling frazzled, and you just want to bathe in tranquility, pick up a copy of the 122-page book Siddhartha, or watch the movie, or do both. If you’ve read it, you can read it again. There’s always a passage or two or three that will sing to your heart.

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david carradine

Thank you David Carradine for all the terrific entertainment you provided in the Kung Fu movies which I very much enjoyed watching,

Now, at this time of your passing, hopefully, people the world over will keep in mind that only your family and friends need know how you died. As for the rest of us, it’s none of our business. All indications suggest that you were well-loved and that you loved well.

Go in peace.

www.david-carradine.com

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nine gates mystery school

From time to time, I hear about the Nine Gates Mystery School in Loomis, Ca. Gay Luce is the founder, and I am not clear about Jean Houston’s role, only that she is connected with the school. Through the years every indication suggests that these two women-both personally and professionally-know what they are doing.

So, I sent for a brochure. The brochure doesn’t beat around the bush; it says a great deal, is easy to understand, and after reading it all questions are answered. After that I received an email from a graduate, and an email came asking whether I’d like a DVD sent to me. I said yes, that would be helpful. Information which truly informs is a good thing. The program is not inexpensive. However, I’d bet my last dollar that it’s worth the price.

I could tell you more; it wouldn’t come from experience though, and I’m at a loss as to exactly which parts of the brochure would best describe the Nine Gates Mystery School. Suffice it to say that it’s a “spiritual adventure,” and it touches every area of the graduate’s life. The program is in two parts; Part 1 in the Fall, Part 2 in the Spring, both for nine days. The DVD states that there is a deep committment to the student from the beginning, and from the beginning the students naturally form a close community. There are no books, no doctrines, no rules to learn. The learning is internal prompted by nine master teachers.

A youth program is offered. If I had a teenager in my life who needed help in dealing with the challenges of the teenage years, I would not hesitate to register her/him as I’ve read that parents say their children return to them transformed. www.ninegates.org

Oh, yes.

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the holidays, they are coming

The few weeks before Christmas is an interesting time of year – planning, shopping, buying, partying, praying, cooking, helping, wondering, hoping, singing, decorating, traveling, eating, drinking, – with urgings to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in a big way. Our cities, towns, villages are alive with brightly colored advertisements, merry music, santa, shoppers carrying bags of gifts. It’s a tricky time of year in that getting caught up in spending can happen in a flash. It’s hard to ignore the joy of it all.

However, not being over our heads in credit card bills from holiday spending is a beautiful way to live, and a great way to begin a new year. That means we have to be creative in how we celebrate the holidays. They’ll be a lot more joy in our hearts if bills are not weighing us down. We just need an open heart, a smile, a little imagination, and a readiness to do things differently.

Also, there’s this wonderful word called gratitude; it’s written about a lot lately. I’m sure there have always been people who daily express gratitude in the silence of their hearts. Though now it’s become a way of life for many. Maybe it’s because we see so many who lose so much so suddenly, or maybe it’s because we see so many who have so much wanting so much more. It can get complicated, if we let it. Gratitude, simplicity, balance, staying in tune with our hearts, can give us the true meaning of the holidays. Otherwise, you know, it can get crazy, if we let it.
So, can we say this about the holidays, if you’ve got it, this is a great time to flaunt it; if you don’t, why would you.

Riches are not from abundance of wordly goods, but from a contented mind. – Mohammed

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank You,” that would suffice.
– Meister Eckhart

The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden
because of their simplicity and familiarity. – Ludwig Wittgenstein

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death

I think death is a part of life. That’s obvious you want to say. But what I want to say is that it’s actually a good part of life. I want to slide into this conversation easily – without raising an eyebrow. Somewhere along the line our ability to sense what it is and what it means got mangled – badly. When we take the time to be alone and think clearly about this, we’re slowly able to put back that lost sense. We’re supposed to die; it’s natural just as eating is natural, Only death has a greater impact on us, or so it seems. To me something that’s natural is nothing to get anxious about. If you’ve had the opportunity to be at someone’s side when they died, perhaps you had a chance to notice how easy and peaceful death can be. Not always, of course, some people struggle with it to the end. But it seems useless to fight something that’s a natural part of us. It’s just like everything else in life, when we take the time to understand exactly what it means, the feelings we have are replaced with an understanding, and eventually a knowing. And when it’s our time for that experience, we accept it, and with acceptance, there’s something else that comes – a trust and a belief in Life. Every day people die with a smile on their lips. How neat is that.

Grieving is hard. It’s natural, too. We lose someone we love and will never see again in that same form. It’s painful. I’ve read often that when we refuse to accept the death of someone we love, it’s possible we’re keeping the one who died in a state of confusion, bound to the earth plane. There’s a need to go on, and we have to let it happen. It’s been said that time is a great healer. And probably we all know this to be true. When we look back at the things we thought we’d never get through and here we are, smiling again. Time is a great healer, and we have to let it work its magic on us so that we can once again see clearly.