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fun & sun in aruba

And I got chills reading your blog, Michael. Because there you are at a beautiful resort in Aruba with Alicia, and friends and acquaintances, eating, drinking, most likely there’s dancing and good conversation. It’s an absolutely beautiful evening. You leave because Sebastian is ready for sleep, and you both walk slowly along a path, you find a place to sit, there’s a cool breeze, you watch your baby fall asleep in your arms, and the laughter and chatter of your fellow party goers enjoying a good time reaches your ears and you smile, the stars have filled the sky above. And there you are completely relaxed – totally aware and immersed in the present moment – and appreciating all of it. And you feel blessed. And Sebastian’s lucky to have a father who sees beauty and joy in these kind of moments.

“The moment your attention turns to the now you feel a presence, a stillness, a peace.” -Eckhardt Tolle
www.eckhardttolle.com

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please explain the obsession

Sometimes it seems that the media is trying to make the Trump family the new American royalty. We’re traveling the same road as with the Kennedy clan. On and on we go with the stream of books, magazine articles, interviews, tv, news items, and perhaps soon, movies galore. Or is it Donald Trump himself who is trying to make this happen? What’s the constant need to hear what the Trumps are up to? We don’t need royalty-like people in this country. Wasn’t one family enough for one lifetime? Why can’t they just fade out of the limelight they so greedily desire. Why are posters of Donald Trump’s face plastered on trains, sides of buildings, billboards, etcetera around NYC? Enough I say, enough. I say this smiling, I’m not actually hot in the collar over this, just amused. But do you not feel that it gets boring and tiring to have to look at that face everywhere you turn? And now hints that his children are followling the same route as their father. And why do we need this? The hair joke is worn out. That face always has that-posed-for-a-picture expression. What is the point? Don’t we need a break? Oh, it smacks of the stuff of the Kennedy obsession all over again. Can someone please explain the obsession to me?

Then again, perhaps what I’m really thinking is that we need to focus on our own lives, and not get caught up and obsessed with someone else’s life. The media plays a huge part in the way people view the world. To not buy into this has its own rewards.

“Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you; unfold your own myths.” -Rumi
www.mevlana.net

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Fun & Sun In Aruba

Yes, after a year of planning we are finally here. Partly for vacation (well mostly) and partly for our friends’ wedding.

It has been an absolute blast and just a wonderful island to visit. After getting hustled out of an extra 3 bucks by the cabbie from the airport to the hotel it has been all uphill!

Alicia, Sebastian and I have enjoyed our time at the Aruba Marriott Surf Club. The suite is spacious and having the extra room and kitchen facilities has made the trip (with our 11 month old) a bit more relaxing and enjoyable. The staff here has been top notch. I can’t think of anything bad to report at this hotel/resort.

During the day we have been alternating between the moving river pool within the resort and going to the beach which is right behind us. I must say, there is really nothing that beats a bar planted right in the middle of a pool. For me it adds new meaning to the term ‘wet bar’… I could become very lazy and chubby living here.

Well, tonight is Brian & Claire’s wedding. It should be a treat for all of us as it will be right on the beach. Friends and family have come in from all over including the UK, Raleigh North Carolina, Pittsburg Pennsylvania and possibly other areas which I am not aware of. We are really looking forward to seeing these two take their vows in what looks to be a paradise dream setting…

I must just write about an amazing experience I had last night at the reception. It was at the Tierra Del Sol Country Club on the northern tip of Aruba. This picturesue rolling greens compound was just gorgeous. Even with the villa construction going on it was something out of a movie. The cacti were incredibly developed and almost looked fake. Well, as the evening wore on so did Sebastian. He did his best to hang but at last after a fun day/week in the sun and water we were pushing his boundries as dusk approached. Alicia and I did our best to entertain him but when we got the ‘yaaaawn’ it was time for plan ‘z’… I took a stroll with him down a path behind the main country club building and we sat down to just take in the perfect cool breeze and starry skies. Well, I would like to believe he felt the same way! Anyways, after about 20 minutes Sebastian had finally given in to the sleep fairy. The lids closed and he laid limp in my lap and arms only holding on to my thumb with his left hand. As I looked around and could hear the laughter and chatter down the path I knew my fellow party goers were having a great time. Then I looked at my son, then at the clear star sprinkled sky and then back at my son and thought wow what a perfect perfect night. As I smiled and lightly chuckled to myself I got a quick flutter of chills up my back and thought ‘I’m the luckiest Dad on this island right now’….

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angela stokes at bonobo’s restaurant

Want to learn more about the raw food movement? I thought so.

On Monday, 14 May, Accent on Wellness is presenting Angela Stokes at Bonobo’s Restaurant at 18 East 23rd Street @ Madison Avenue, Manhattan, from 7-9pm. Donation $5.00.

Angela Stokes is “a British author and raw lifestyle consultant who lost over 150 lbs with raw foods.” Anyone who has lost over 150 lbs eating only raw foods is a person in the know. Her website is rawreform.com

And should you want more information about raw food event listings in the NYC area, check out Live-Food.com .

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another kind of mother’s day

There are many mothers who are feeling empty on this Mother’s Day. They are mothers who have lost a child from sickness, accident, war, killing, and for them it’s a day of sadness. Some mothers have many children and they all live to call themselves old, and other mothers have few children and one or two die before she does. In my heart of hearts I know there are reasons why these things happen. And we have to trust the reasons. I can’t comprehend what it means to lose a child, to feel that kind of sadness, and how it affects a woman. I’ve no way of knowing how a mother continues, only that many do.

The pain, the suffering, the forgiving, and finally the healing take time. A mother goes through it in her own way.  We’re all too aware that children die every day. And every day women find a way to recover from the shock, and somehow  continue to heal and live a happy life. Their belief in Life makes it possible, and the pain and suffering they experience eventually bring them to a different understanding of themselves and of Life. They don’t forget, they never forget the child who died. That memory stays intact.

And even though their child is no longer in this world; that child is most likely in a better place for having spent time on earth with them. Indeed, the relationship with that particular mother in this lifetime was a very, very important one for both of them.

Happy Mother’s Day.

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mother’s day

Will my daughter Sumi become a mother by Mother’s Day or not? Baby is due on 13 May, Mother’s Day, and she and my son-in-law Toshi are relaxed and waiting. Will the baby choose to come early, on time, or late? It’s been said that-early, on time, late-gives an inkling to the baby’s personality. When I heard this I started to think back and, with the little thinking I did on this, I’d say perhaps that’s true. I bought a card yesterday for Alicia my daughter-in-law as it’s her first Mother’s Day, Sebastian was born on 25 May last year. She, Michael and Sebastian are spending time in Aruba, attending a wedding, putting Sebastian’s feet on sand and in ocean water for the first time, and I trust having fun and laughing the whole time they’re there. Nice! And daughter Emi is busy having just finished another year at Columbia and arranging a summer of travel, work and fun.

From one Mother’s Day year to the next a mother strives for maturity, insights, developments, understanding, and all the other intangibles that enrich her relationship with her children. She knows that everything doesn’t have to be in perfect order for her to appreciate and enjoy Mother’s Day. Trying to comprehend what being a mother is extends to every fiber of a woman’s being, and it’s impossible to know what this means until you’re living that experience. One day I realized that motherhood isn’t a popularity contest that there are those times when, if you’re being the kind of mother necessary in the world of today, you won’t always be the “popular” one in the family. That’s okay, because the good part is that eventually there will come a time when all that will change. Mother’s need to trust, and that’s something they tend to learn quickly.

I’ve noticed many fathers out, sometimes alone, with baby. Keep it up guys. Ah, yes, fathers – that’s for another writing. But then again they’re so much a part of Mother’s Day that they have to be mentioned.

Happy Happy Mother’s Day! – to all the mothers in the world.

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at the dentist

Today I went to the dentist. I wasn’t looking forward to that experience, but I’ve got to say it was a good session. Everyone smiles and talks easily in that office, and even when you’re sitting in the chair scheduled for the worst of the worst, it’s somehow okay because they take excellent care from beginning to end.

Good news! Did you hear that people with a heart murmur no longer need to take an antiobiotic before a visit to the dentist? This in the April issue of Circulation from the American Heart Association effective 19 April 2007. It seems many people have a heart murmur.

Fluoride – what to do about the fluoride question. Dentists promote it; I’ve read many articles that say don’t. I used to get Dr. William Campbell Douglass’ newsletters. They were always informative, and some of the things he wrote about on health, treatments, products, foods, advice from the “experts”, etcetera, were big surprises. Right or wrong, I didn’t always agree with him. But he puts himself out there trying to get information to us so that we’re aware and thinking about what’s happening in all the ways that can affect us. And as Dr. Douglass warns, we have to stop accepting things because an “expert” in the field says it’s so. Therefore, the fluoride question has to be examined carefully before someone’s word becomes our guideline. And we need to keep in mind that a balanced viewpoint is not always found in mainstream publications.

Thank you, I feel blessed, said first thing in the morning and last thing at night works wonders to relax us so that we remember to trust the Energy of the Universe for guidance.

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international living

Do you ever entertain thoughts about living abroad? Are those thoughts ready to become a reality for you? I’ve been reading eletters from International Living for awhile, and highly recommend that anyone wanting to live abroad, or anyone who enjoys traveling on a broad scale, get a subscription to IL. Kathleen Peddicord is the publisher. Once upon a time she and her husband Lief and their two children moved from the States to live in Ireland, five years later they moved to Paris, and now there’s talk of Panama. This family travels the world and that makes Kathleen Peddicord very competent to write all the many eletters that go out to subscribers. Also, the group of people working at IL are constantly traveling to bring us their experiences in foreign lands. we readers reap the benefits from the IL staff and their explorations for they guide us every step of the way into a new lifestyle in a foreign country. Along with the wealth of information they provide to readers, the eletters are interesting, and fun to read. And not only that, there are conferences held throughout the year in different areas of the world. Attending a conference gives you a chance to gather information pertaining to your needs, and meeting and talking with people, could speed up the time it takes to arrive at a new lifestyle in a country that is calling to you. It’s happened. At the conferences, you’ll get detailed accounts of what it takes to live in a foreign country-real estate, cost of living, culture, work, etcetera-the IL staff is always ready to answer any question about the countries they explore, and write about.

So, if you’re considering living abroad or have the travel bug big time, internationalliving.com could greatly assist you along the way. Also, you might want to learn about the country Lief is writing about now.

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east west books

East West Books at 78 Fifth Avenue @ 14th Street in New York City was closed for about one year for renovations. They’ve finally opened their doors, and waiting for us are “30,000 books in over 40 sections.” On their website you’ll find a wonderful array of events listed on their calendar. www.eastwestnyc.com The following is an idea of what’s happening this week-

Wednesday, 2 May, 6-8pm legendary Brazilian Elder-Clara Shinobu Iura “. . . in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil and one of the Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers featured on Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet.” talk and book signing East West Cafe, $-0-

Thursday, 3 May, 6:30-8:30pm Sacred Medicine “We welcome you to join us for an interactive exploration of Harmonic Resonance, facilitated by Sonic Alchemist and Metaphysical Channel Maryanne Savino who will take us on a guided Sonic Journey . . . ” East West Yoga Studio, $25

Friday, 4 May, 6:30-9:30pm The Laws of Vibration Via Kundalini Yoga with Grace Kim – “Kundalini Yoga was once a secret ancient science but now it is open to all who want to manifest prosperity and have the experience of an infinite horizon on a regular basis.” Yoga Studio, $60 per drop-in, $300 for all 6 classes

Saturday, 5 May, 7-9pm Make Music Kirtan (Call and Response Chanting) “Enjoy an evening of true bliss and communion with the Divine within all of us. Swami Ramakrishananda Yoga Vedanta Mission will lead an uplifting and healing kirtan for all.” Yoga Studio, $15

Sunday, 6 May, 10-2pm, A professioanal workshop with Mark Seltzman on Your Life Is In Your Hands The Art and Science of Reading Hands Yoga Studio, $70 with pre-registration, $90 drop-in

In the future, they’re planning on having workshops on using pendulums, wands and singing bowls.

Are you smiling yet?

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the right family

Have you ever thought of what it would be like had you been born into a different family? Actually I know people who feel that the family they now have is definitely not the family they want, but somewhere out there is the right family for them. And had they had an opportunity to be in that family with a different mother, another father, a perfect sibling their life would have been wonderful. Certainly much more so than now. But is that true? We see people who are born into families that from all indications look as though they’re the right families for anybody to have been born into. They appear to have “it all.” But wait – look more closely.

Yes, look more closely at everything. Maybe we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be in this lifetime. From all indications, it seems that we’re here to work things out in our life, and the family we find ourselves with is the right family in this particular lifetime. The challenges, the pains, the sufferings are part of life here, and it’s doubtful whether we humans would accomplish anything without them. There’s no escaping them-no matter the family we’re part of-because those challenges, those pains, those sufferings are what we need for our greater growth. And ultimately will make life sweeter, richer, happier, and give us a better understanding of ourselves and our world-if we allow it.

And if we believe in a higher power, and the evolution of a soul, and the orderliness underneath the chaos, then it makes sense to believe that we’re right where we’re supposed to be. That if we would accept where we are, and use our energy to make our life a work of art, if we do that, and not focus on what we think we should have had, we’ll soon see the bigger picture. We’re the one who makes that happen for ourselves, no one else can. It would seem that human beings are on a quest. And the quest is to evolve. To appreciate and enjoy what is before us serves our quest beautifully, yearning for what wasn’t and isn’t, wastes our precious energy.

“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” -Leo Tolstoy

“You could not discover the frontiers of the soul, even if you traveled every road to do so; such is the depth of its meaning” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

“To know how to live is my trade and my art.” -Michel De Montaigne

Physicist Roger Penrose has said that the chance of an ordered univese happening at random is 10 to the 10 to the 30th against-a number so large that if you programmed a compjuter to write a million zeros per second, it would take a million times the age of the universe just to write the number down.

“Ultimately, one has to wonder how scientists who assume the profound presence of patterns in nature in order to practice their very art can also assume that those patterns developed randomly, from nothingness. Patterns imply intelligence, and an ordered creation implies an orderer.” – Andy Fletcher, Letter to the Editor, Harper’s (from The Road Within)