more kitty pics for Caleb

Zola & Brie. Sleeping during the day. Brie managed to fall out of a window last night at 5am, but she seems fine, except for some of her little claws on one paw--I can't get the image out of my head of her hanging on by a paw...but again, she seems fine.

Caleb, 3 year old photographer extraordinaire

what happens when a 3 year old takes your picture while you're dancing (aka the funny faces we make for little kids vs. the funny faces white people make when they dance?)

Realities

Once when my sister Ali was 4 and I was 9, she woke up remembering a really intense dream, which she began to tell to our mother & myself.
Ali: "And then I was kidnapped by racoons, and they took me down into a hole in the ground..."
Lisa: "...what happened next?"
Ali (with a roll of her 4 year old eyes): "You know! You were there."

(some of the ages in this story have been approximated).

wow

wow! ok--I didn't get a million dollars, but I did get a windfall! As they say, the universe is conspiring to help you succeed...

teeny tiny serendipities

Flying back from New England, I was thinking about summer and cooking and I was remembering that I had a lot of corn masa from making empanadas last September, and I was wondering what else you could do with corn masa, and 2 minutes later I was reading a magazine that had a recipe for corn masa cakes with grilled poblano chilies.

So then I started thinking about a million dollars...and I'll keep you posted!

High School Musical

So, I saw Duran Duran this past Saturday at the Santa Barbara Bowl. I last saw them in 1984, 4th row seats at the Worcester Centrum Centrum Centrum! They were great--they looked great and they played great, although I am no longer attracted to their hottie bassist John Taylor! Listening to their music, especially "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Girls on Film", "Planet Earth", and "Save a Prayer", brought back not just a whole bunch of memories (thanks Mom, Noelle & Heather for going with me, sorry about the hearing loss Mom!), but also a whole bunch of feelings, feelings that had echoes of the age of 16--feelings of longing, and of wondering what's ahead in life. Fractal patterns that go round and round; it was almost like orbiting around my old 16 year old self...or maybe it was my old 16 year old self orbiting around present day me?

In other news along the high school musical theme, Tania has been continuing her theater career, and a review of the play that she is currently in can be found here: http://http//www.independent.com/news/2008/may/08/emomnium-gatherumem-presented-santa-barbara-city-c/

It's a great play and she does an amazing job--tickets have been sold out for weeks and by the time this all wraps up she will have performed it for packed theaters over 16 times!

The Four Agreements

The book "The Four Agreements" by Don Luis Miguel, is something I picked up a couple of years ago. I also got a deck of agreement cards too. For the past week, in an effort to seek greater wisdom in the paths of my life, I've been picking a card in the morning, and one at night. My first one from last week: Don't Take Anything Personally: Relinquish Self Importance. Personal importance, or taking things personally, is the maximum expression of selfishness because we make the assumption that everything is about "me".

The Four Agreements are:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally

Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions

Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best

Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.