Wishing Everyone a Joyful New Year!

Poetry by Nancy Sullivan

Image found on the Ringing Cedars Revolution

By Nancy Sullivan, age 14

When you can love yourself, you are truly yourself.
The rest of the time, your a stranger in your own body.


I once hated myself.
It wasn't like how I looked, it wasn't like that.
I hated me.
The way I felt. I was always angry. hurting others, to make me ok.
I hated the world, thinking it hated me.
Then one day, I got reality shoved at me, from a friend.
I lost the anger I always felt. I lost hating the world. And myself.
I grew to love myself. I grew to love and enjoy the world.
We choose how we feel. We can change how we think.
We are the ones in charge of our life.
We just have to learn that. We are as powerful and as strong as we make our selfs.


One day you maybe as high as the clouds.
As free as a bird.
The next day you could be a bird in a cage.
Only getting to see the clouds through its bars. 

Calling All Cherry Trees!

Spring 2005, Seoul

I just read ''Billa's into the Wild''  and this post really hit it home for me.  Reading The Ringing Cedars Series is life changing as it is already but seeing images of someone actually living a life as close as possible to how Anastasia is living, stunned me.

The closest thing to a forest glade that I can see myself living in is here, located in the north, hidden away.  It is the only place I have experienced pure timeless joy. 

 So to all the cherry trees in the world, I send endless love and gratitude for all the breath taking blossoms you grace us with year after year!  And for all the petal kisses as you shower down upon us before returning to Mother Earth.  I have one request, and that is for you to lead me to where I can create my own space of love!

By the way, if the above place is where you are leading me to, I happily accept!

A Little Story by Billa

I had a friend who was entrenched in society, keeping up with social mores.. appearances etc.. quite disconnected from nature. Exhausted from trying to be a good mum and keep up with it all..

She had lived in Australia for 10 years at the beach but had never swam in the ocean.. oh I dont swim she told me.. within weeks of hanging out with me I had her skinny dipping in the rock pools and climbing the cliffs. I watched my friend become filled with life again and be lighter in her BEING as her attention shifted away from keeping up with the Joneses as we say here in Australia, and move towards a connection with nature..

One night after a moon circle on the beach, we were leaving the beach after the sun had set and I had specifically requested no torches or shoes be used through the bush track on the way back from the beach.. My friend had had a big emotional release during our circle and when we had to climb over the pebbles to get off the beach with no light, no shoes and uneven ground - she freaked out and couldn't go on! She just couldn't move.. she was shaking and stuttering!

I grabbed her and held her in my arms tight and whispered in her ear "I've got you, FEEL YOUR FEET TOUCHING THE GROUND. FEEL THEM - they ARE YOUR FEET touching the EARTH - she did that and calmed down slowly ..

Then I said "now breath through your feet and feel the power of the mother who loves you most of all. Just Breath it up through your feet and know that you are connected and you are loved and you are safe.. " She did! and her whole state changed and she burst into tears!!! I said "WELCOME BACK TO MOTHER NATURE - you have been missed...." and in that moment I knew that that was the most important gift I could ever share with anyone on this planet...

And so on we went through the bush in pitch black holding hands while I reminded everyone that NATURE is the last thing we need to be afraid of..

To read more please visit The Barefoot Revolution.


Thank you Billa!

Living in Your Own Authentic Vibration

Are you living in your own authentic vibration or latching onto someone else's vibration?

Mother Earth

Image: The Telegraph.co.uk

The Power of Thoughts and Emotions Made Visible

Dr. Masaru Emoto, a visionary researcher from Japan received certification from the Open International University as a Doctor of Alternative Medicine. Subsequently he was introduced to the concept of micro cluster water in the US and Magnetic Resonance Analysis technology. The quest thus began to discover the mystery of water.

Continuing in this stream of awareness, Dr Emoto began to study the impact of altering water by various factors of vibration and consciousness. He studied water that had been altered by music - healing music, classical music, heavy metal music - and so forth.  The crystalline pictures reveal how water responds to these influences ... into complex arrangements of crystalline beauty. This begins to reveal that water is alive - it is conscious and responds to applied force by a rearrangement of its inner crystalline properties.

Inspired by these revelations, he decided to study the impact of human consciousness on water and its crystalline order.  Through repeatable experiments Dr. Emoto demonstrated that human thoughts and emotions can alter the molecular structure of water. Now, for the first time, there is physical evidence that the power of our thoughts can change the world within and around us. 

He found that water that had been consciously altered by the simple imprinting of a word of intent upon the water would change. Water that was imprinted by love, gratitude, and appreciation, responded by the development of complex beauty, and water that was mistreated by negative intentions became disordered and lost its magnificent patterning. In fact, it often took on grotesque forms of resonance. 

Knowing this, it only makes sense to bless our food as well as each other and be vigilant and determined in maintaining the quality of our thoughts and emotions

You can read more about Dr. Emoto here and there is a very revealing interview by Reiko Myamoko Dewey here.

Where is Your Space of Love?

Design by Anahata Katkin

Last week I went to the Space of Love book launch in Braga and met the lovely Joanne Gribler who is the publisher for the Portuguese version of The Ringing Cedars.  She was a single mom who worked as a clown (still does inbetween teaching laughter yoga and running a publishing house!) and after reading the first book in English, she was inspired, determined to find the resources to travel to Egypt and meet the author Vladmir Megré in his first international conference, which she did.  She then got the license to be the official publisher in Portugal and exhaustively searched for a translator.  She believes, without a doubt, that these books were the answer that humanity was waiting for. That in these books held the key to the cage of unconsciousness and the release of brainwashing that we were subjected to for thousands of years.

When I asked her about how she created her own space of love, she said that she was a single mother without a penny and just walked into a bank and said:

''Listen, my child needs home, do you give clowns a loan?''

They all laughed their heads off and gave her the loan. She pays very little every month and she built a geodesic dome in the garden where they sleep. And soon enough, she inspired other single mothers to do the same! And as soon as they had their land set up, along came a suitable husband for each one of them! She said that maybe the plants helped. She literally planted a cherry tree, kissed it and asked it to find her a husband!  Now she has a 1 year old son and her daughter turned 11.

She says that we're much more than we think and that in fact we are approaching more to what we define today as super heroes.  She also says that in our ignorance, we block our children's full potential by teaching them to evolve the same as we were brought up, only to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
When Megré asked Anastasia what kept us from being like her & her people, she says, ''Parents.''  So it is now our job to find a way to raise our children without cutting their wings.


Where is your space of love? How can we live a life in abundance and quality? As we lose the earth beneath our feet and stand in a box of bricks belonging to the bank?

Eternity Lies Ahead for You and Me

image found on the internet

''My dearest!  Eternity lies ahead for you and me.  Life will always claim its own, you see.  The littlest ray of sunlight glistens in the spring, and the soul enrobes itself in its new things.  But the decaying body does not embrace the ground in vain.  Come spring, from our bodies will sprout new flowers and grass again.  You shall forever hear the birds sing, and drink in the drops of rain.  In the blue sky above, the clouds - again and again - will entrance you with their dance.

''And if you, my dearest, should find yourself scattered across the unfathomable Universe as little specks of dust, still refusing to believe, then from these specks of dust wandering through eternity I shall begin to gather you up.  And the tree you plant will help me do this: in the early spring, to the place where your soul lies in unfeeling peace, it will stretch out its branch above.  And those you have been kind to upon the Earth will remember you with love.  And if the sum total of earthly love is not enough to materialise you once again, then there is one - one whom you know, and on every plane of being she will be flaming with a single breath of desire, namely: materialise yourself, my love! - there is one who will give herself over, for a moment, unto death.''   


Excerpt: Book 5: Who Are We? - The Ringing Cedars Series

My Wish For My Boys

I want my boys to grow up to be kind and patient, with honor and dignity, to be a Man capable of giving light and warmth to other people, full of passion about something, anything as long as they are passionate and give their all.  I want them to play sports, the piano and have their own space of Love.  I want them to love unconditionally and be loved the same.


How do I ensure that I am going to raise my kids correctly? Intuitively?  I can guide, influence and reprimand them, but what prevents society from taking hold? I think that living in close contact with nature and home schooling is truly the key. I can't think of anything better than that right now.


I want them to be the best that they can be, and in order to be the best mother I can be, I am going to do everything I can to build a strong foundation for their future.  And I ask that all the angels in heaven and earth help me and all the mothers in the world, raise our children with their Spirits intact.

Another Beautiful Day in November

Now that fall is here and the tourists are gone, I totally love coming here everyday and communing with nature.  My kids feed the ducks & the peacocks that roam freely before we chase the occasional cat and chickens that scurry about near the café.


Sometimes we blow bubbles for half an hour and always bump into friends old and new.  It feeds my soul to be here and sometimes I ''hear'' the trees talking too, but I never told anyone because they would laugh at me but some of you know what I am talking about.

The Atlantic Ocean

I get such a high looking at the fresh blue green waves crashing against the rocks.  I used to think that the Pacific Ocean was my favorite but now I know that it is definitely the Atlantic Ocean at the western most point in Europe.

In the Moment of Now

By Anders Sufi Blomdahl from Stockholm.  He is an intuitive photographer that knows how to pull you into the present moment with the most simple images from nature. 

He says, ''I Am ... and a Voyager in and promoter of .. real Knowledge .. Life .. Light .. Love .. and Peace .. in Our Beautiful World ...

I have many interests .. as eg. .. Real communication .. Being in the serenity and power of Nature .. walking in forests and mountains .. kayaking .. science .. Reiki .. music .. literature .. intuitive and creative photography ...

To be able to Be .. and really appreciate Our Beautiful World .. I believe we need to let go of the unconscious Fear we have within .. and begin Loving ourselves . Our fear originates out of Not having been Really Accepted and Loved in childhood .. but having had to conform to parents .. society .. and culture .. in order to get some kind of acceptance and love . This Fear .. then shows itself unconsciously .. through depression .. anger .. hatred .. vengeance .. and war . The great obstacle for Love and Peace .. in Ourselves and in the World .. is then the lack of .. Real Love and Understanding in childhood . However .. we have the possibility to heal Ourselves .. by "going back" to our childhood .. to explore and re-experience emotionally by Heart .. the real Truth about our own childhood .. the childhood we unconsciously have suppressed .. and hereby get a Real Understanding and Knowledge of .. what have made us into the persons we think we are . Through this process .. we will find our True Self .. and discover .. Who .. we Really Are ...''

~~Sufi

Who is the Artist?

Sufi sent me this with a welcome note on The Ringing Cedars Revolution and I am in love with this image.

Does anyone know who the artist is?

Life is Only a Dream

The very act of observation changes things

The only realities we know are the ones our brain manufactures... our brain receives millions of signals every minute and we organize them into holograms which we project outside ourselves and call reality.

"Real" is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.

Our brains take information in and sometimes give it form. It's not that the picture is out there. It's that we're getting data that we're turning into a picture according to our own belief systems.

Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves.

Anastasia on Raising Children

FROM BOOK ONE (from the new version that came out in April 2007)

Children sense the artificiality of a false union. This will make them skeptical about everything their parents tell them. Children can subconsciously sense the lie even during their conception.

What individual would want to come into the world as a result of carnal pleasures alone? We would all like to be created by a great impulse of love and intention.

People who have come into this world into a ‘false union’ will look for true satisfaction in secret, apart from each other. They will have lover after lover, relationship after relationship, realizing intuitively that they are drifting farther and farther away from the happiness of a true union. (pp 64)

When we are born we take in a huge flood of information from the universe through the still soft upper part of our heads. All children born are already the wisest creatures on Earth. They are God-like.

The technocratic world makes it very difficult for parents to do the right thing. When a baby is born and first looks around, what does he see? He sees an artificial environment in his crib, with its bars, walls and pieces of fabric. These are all attributes of the artificial world that has been created by a technocratic society. (pp 93)

Then the parents offer him toys and things that rattle and squeak. Why? He will try and try to make sense of these things and their noise. He will try to understand them through his God-like mind but won’t. His parents will then wrap him up in restrictive blankets and diapers of which he tries to free himself. The only thing he can do at this moment is to cry and cry. He cries for help from parents who don’t know how to help him. From that moment on this angel and king becomes a slave to his parents.

For the next few years this child is given object after object, toy after toy in hopes of making him happy. He is rewarded with these things. He comes to know these things as being the dominant objects in the world where he exists. Even though he is an angel and a king, in his infancy he is treated as imperfect and is pandered to by his parents and everyone around him. Even in schools and other respected institutions that are considered ‘educational’ he is always reminded and exposed to the makings of an artificial world.

According to Anastasia, not until the age of nine does he hear a passing mention of the existence of the world of nature. Most people never become aware of the truth, even on their deathbeds. The meaning of life escapes them.

“The meaning of life is found in truth, joy and love.” (pp 94)

Anastasia gives an example of how a family could raise their child. She talks about parents who bring their three-year old to their dacha plot and bring along his favorite ‘artificial’ toys. “Oh, if only they had not done that”’ she says. The child could have been entertained by nature instead of some plastic manufactured object.

Anastasia says to ask the child to help you do something. Ask him in all seriousness, without any pandering, because the child will be able to offer you assistance. When working in the garden ask the child to help by holding the seeds in preparation for planting. Or have him help rake out the seedbeds or put a seed into the hole you have already dug. Talk to him about what you are doing. Really explain things to him.

Explain things so he can understand. Tell him that you are putting the little seed into the ground and covering it with earth. Then the sun will shine and when it is warm enough the seed with start growing. You will see the seed poke its head out of the ground where it hopes to catch a glimpse of the sun and feel the suns energy. Then the seed will grow bigger and bigger until it becomes a flower, tree, vegetable or fruit that we can eat. The seed will prepare everything for you.

Whenever you visit the garden plot and when he awakes in the morning, have him take a look at the garden to see if any new seeds have sprouted. If he notices a new sprout coming up then show your delight. If you are putting young plants into the ground and not seeds it is important to show and explain to your child the difference. If he breaks a plant or branch when planting then take the broken plant in your hands and tell him that you don’t think that the plant will grow because it is broken, but that you will plant it anyways next to the healthy one and see if it grows or not.

When you visit the garden a few days later point out the broken plant and how it is (probably) not growing. Remind him that it was broken during the planting and this is the reason why it is not growing. Do not use any kind of preachy or derogative tone towards your child. Talk to him as an equal. Remember that he is superior to you in some respects – in purity of thought for example.

Whenever you sleep under the stars you can bring your child with you. Let him lie down and sleep next to you. Look at the stars together. Under no circumstances tell him the names of the planets or what you think their functions are. Let him decide for himself. Just ask him what stars he likes the best and let his subconscious mind take over.


You need to know the best way to ask your child questions. For example you should give your child his own garden plot in the second year of his learning about plants and gardening. Let him do whatever he wants with it and plant whatever he wants. Do not force him to do or plant anything. Simply ask him what he likes. You can offer help but only after asking his permission to help him. When you are planting your cereal crops in the garden let him throw a few seeds on it.

Once the child starts to think for himself and analyze, his cells will awaken up in his brain and will make him smarter and more talented than those children whose corresponding cells are still dormant.

His purity of thought will make him an exceptionally happy person. The contact he makes with the planets and all living things will allow him to take in – and exchange – more and more information. The messages coming into his sub-conscious will be transmitted to his consciousness in the form of thoughts and discoveries. His appearance may be that of others, but this is the kind of Man that will be a genius. (pp 95-98)

In Anastasia’s culture older generations treat an infant or young child like a deity or God. They use the child’s responses to their interaction with him as a check on their own purity. (pp 99)

What do plants growing in a garden have to do with raising children? According to Anastasia, as a child is getting to know the plant world and is starting to understand how they are a part of the universe, the child is also having contact with his planets. With the help of his planets and his parents he can quickly know the truth. He will develop skills in the fields of psychology, philosophy and the natural sciences.

Once artificial man made objects are introduced and used as examples of something, the child will become lost. Nature and the Universe cannot help him if this happens. (pp 107)

Anastasia tells Vladimir that he can’t be there when his son’s eyes first take in a conscious awareness of the world. She says that his son doesn’t need any kind of senseless toy or plastic object and that he will take in and make sense of kinds of information that will make “your” kind of education seem ludicrous. She tells him the only way that they can be brought together is through purity of thought. (pp 139-140)

Thanks to the Resource Library in Anastasiasgarden.com

Children & Television

Photo: Beatrice Peltre

The effects of television on the human organism have been documented since the late 1950’s, yet very little has been done about it. Television as an art/ information etc. medium is completely unrelated to the world in which children live, offering dead images that require no involvement or interaction, creating a lulling of their awareness while allowing half conscious images to penetrate deep into the child’s unconscious soul life. These unconscious images can resurface much later and manifest as behavioural and learning difficulties, poor attentiveness, nervousness, lack of discipline and a lack of motivation.

The technical process involved to bring television into the lounge room quite literally tears us (inwardly) apart. Television emits 25 separate images per second that bombard children with information their senses are unable to digest. These images from the outer world create frustration for the child’s inner world, resulting in uneasiness, nervousness and at times aggressive, antisocial behaviour. These images on our screen are made up of concentrated light spots that shatter the child’s soul as they attempt to process the information their senses have received. While watching television we are also condemned to keep still; this in its self is not a natural state for children. This stillness affects the whole being, even our eyes. When our eyes function normally they search for harmony and a sense of completion that is then offered to our whole organism. We then unite with what we are seeing and respond to it accordingly. Our eyes are constantly adjusting to changes in light, colour, movement and focal distance,. However with television, we view from a fixed distance and with the constantly changing images, our eyes become paralysed into a frozen stare and our soul has no connection with the images presented.

The vegetative state adapted while watching television also interferes with the child’s sense of movement. Our sense of movement determines how we go through life and helps direct our decision making process. We become aware of our movement not from the outside but from an inner experience that gives the possibility for a healthy soul and later in life, moral freedom. When a child runs, jumps or plays with a ball, their sense of movement is fully involved (this hidden from their consciousness). What we do see is their sense of movement shining outward and creating a sense of freedom in the child. Later in life, what we perceive as a healthy, free soul comes from our sense of movement radiating the muscles natural movements of expansion and contraction into our soul (this is one of the reasons why eurythmy is such an important part of our curriculum). Television works against this by destroying the child’s ability to experience and work with the outer world, creating a barrier between the child and the world in which they live. During this vegetative state children become addicted to pictures that deny them an inner experience, thus television introduces children to the same effect as that provided by narcotics.

The child’s natural development can be severely harmed through exposure to television. Their senses of touch, life, movement and balance (this relates to the concept of twelve senses, not five) are the child’s foundations for future development. If early sense development is harmed through watching television, other senses will also suffer. Children today are losing their natural sense of warmth, becoming old before their time and developing an attitude of coldness to the world in which they live. Once this happens, the child’s undeveloped ego cannot grow, their originality and creativity will atrophy, leaving them vulnerable to negative impulses. The developing child needs to feel supported as they grow, to be able to develop healthy sense perceptions and nurture a sense of sympathy for the outer world through which the young ego can develop, thus preparing a strong foundation for life. Television, although fun and entertaining, creates a lower realm of fantasy for the child that they take deep into their soul and reproduce/imitate in their play. This imitation is an outer sign of what is resonating deep in the child’s developing organs.

~~Paul Kuronya

The Ringing Cedars Revolution

A global network for Ringing Cedars Readers, Co-Creators and Revolutionaries...

Just the music playing on the site soothes and brings you back to focus, reminding you of your destiny..

Dome was Built in a Day

 Futuristic Japanese Design

"The newest building block in contemporary homes is Styrofoam, 'the fourth-generation building material' after wood, iron, and concrete," according to prefab home maker International Dome House Inc. This company, based in Japan, has developed a modern house design that's accompanied by a long list of benefits. International Dome House Inc. claims that the expanded polystyrene material includes active oxygen that leads to the prevention of aging and better health of the home and its residents. The seven-inch-think expanded polystyrene walls also boast ultra-thermal insulating properties that reduce unwanted heat loss/gain and energy consumption. This Japanese Dome House also offers versatility by way of its modular design. The basic dome measures 25 ft. wide by 13 ft. high, with a 475-sq.-ft. floor space. From there, larger and longer domes are built through the addition of more modules. Add to this the structure’s durability, weather resistance, earthquake resilience and easy assembly, and you’ve got a winning design. House kits start at less than $30,000. International Dome House Inc.

Vibrational Beings

Whatever you are giving your attention to is already vibrating. And when you give your attention to it, if you maintain your focus for as little as 17 seconds, you begin to include its vibration, whatever it is, in your vibration. 

When you see something you want, and you give it your attention, and you say yes to it, you are including whatever its vibration is in your vibration. When you see something you do not want, and you shout no at it, you are including whatever its vibration is in your vibration. 

In this vibrational world, which is everything, you are far more vibrational beings than you are verbal beings. You are communicating with everyone far more on a vibrational basis, than you are on a verbal basis.

--- Abraham

Excerpted from the workshop in Portland, OR on Sunday, July 11th, 1999

Sony & Holly's Obessive Tendencies

Today, I googled Adam to see what he was up to.  He had a new single automatically playing on his site and  within 15 seconds I had to quickly shut down the page!  It was a blend of Britney Gaga peppered with techno pop spewing filth into my living space.  I couldn't stand it!  It's as if he bottled up his raw essence since signing up with Sony and it's sitting somewhere in the corporate office in L.A. on the third floor, 8th door to the right.   


Let's face it. He has been commercialized for the masses and whoever is managing him at Sony just doesn't get it.  Only if that person would realize that Adam will only keep his world wide popularity by singing rock and roll and going on a raw diet.  The world has had enough of Madonna Britney - Gaga and that's all I see when I see his new photos.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe Sony does expect the world to end like in their new movie and is trying to cash out on Adam a.s.a.p...

On a brighter note, below is an eloquent article I found in June on Adam Lambert by Holly Interlandi. She has adeptly captured the essence of Adam, hot wired into the world and articulately reveal how this singer ignited the masses during his journey on American Idol earlier this year.

I laughed when I read this, wishing that I could ''let go of my mental control and embrace the unbridled spasticity of thought,'' which has been few and far in between motherhood.  I have rediscovered what it is to be excited and interested in everything again dear Holly.  Never stop writing!!!

Enjoy!

"Writers end up writing about their obsessions." -Natalie Goldberg

I've had a hard time of it, creatively, for about three months. When I was younger, I went through various passionate stages I referred to as 'obsessions'. I've been attempting to rein in my early 'obsessive' years for the fear that they put people off, or alienate them, or even make them feel belittled. I've been trying to 'grow up', so to speak - leave my crazy teens behind and start being responsible, whatever that means. After all, responsible adults don't get obsessive. They have too much work to do.

I am also a writer. And I recently became a writer with nothing to write about.

I started panicking. I tried to rediscover my love for words, but it seemed to have disappeared into the drawer alongside my band-aids and heartburn medicine. In all my eagerness to be acceptably nonchalant, the spark of inspiration had dulled.

Thus toned down, I went to bed on time and tried scheduling three jobs in the same day. I created a shiny new budget plan and allowed myself recreation accordingly. Instead of writing in notebooks, I degenerated into doing only crosswords before bed. I hemmed and hawed for subject matter, convinced something had permanently changed and I was turning into a dry, boring old fart.

And then...

... along came Adam Lambert.




"There he is, the perfect spiritual descendent of Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Queen, Hedwig, and all things gender-fluid and fabulous. He's the gorgeousness of glam rock rising, like an iridescent glittery phoenix emerging from America's cultural ashes. Eyeliner, black nail polish, incredible costumes, sexual ambiguity, a beautiful heart, and more originality and musical mastery in one finger than all the other Idols combined from any season." -Tosha Silver

Due to the constant brouhaha over this guy, I decided to see what the fuss was about, and I YouTubed him.

I found myself in awe of a pink-tinged rock'n'roll pixie with a gargantuan voice and an ever bigger personality. He can sing keystones from cathedrals, pulsates sexuality like a Velvet Goldmine character, and has the magnetism of a cathartic, melodious black hole. He's brought excitement to mainstream American music - something akin to a frenzy, which I normally look at with disdain, but this time find myself caught in. I am not a whining American Idol fan who thinks the vote was rigged. I could care less about American Idol, or even Kris Allen, whom I have nothing against but I find about as musically exciting as a wart. Adam has it. Regardless of what 'it' is, he has that spiritual spark from which stories are born. And I'm sure I still would have seen that had I discovered him playing to two people in a gay club in Hollywood five years ago. "Adam's popularity proves that perceptions of sexual orientation do not determine what makes a man irresistible. My friend John doesn't understand -- he thinks the possibility that Adam plays for the other team disqualifies him as the object of a woman's crush. A voice rooted in my loins responds, "So what?" His performances display a smooth-edged virility that transcends sexual preference." -Erika Cann Adam Lambert makes me grin. He makes me feel goofy. And oh lord, I have officially regressed back to adolescent obsession. But is obsession really regression? As I write this, tonight, it is nearly five AM, and the words are pouring out. I feel in touch with language once more. I feel a passion for it. And it's all that little glittery glam boy's fault. Perhaps I have been trying, in effect, to supress my personality, and in my misguided effort to do so, to attempt to curb any excitement in the way that adults try to color inside the lines. It's more measured, more precise, but much less fascinating than, say, the scribbles and blottings of a five year old. So I've decided to run with my obsession. Because I am an obsessive person. And I'm feeling more creative than ever. How awesome would the world become if we all just took our obsessions and ran with them? Decided that going gaga was the best thing humanity had to offer? Had grandmothers throwing underwear onstage and crotchety old men cheering for cheerleaders? Just accepted it all as lovely idiosyncrasy? Because this is exactly what Adam Lambert has done. He could have been boring and contained just for the sake of society, or responsibility, or the usual bland nature of a show like American Idol. But instead of control, he gave us unabashedly ridiculous glam and theatrics, because that is what he loves. I can't believe it's taken me thirty years of attempting to contain myself to comprehend that what produces my writing is not any degree of mental control, but the unbridled spasticity of thought. "I'm allowed an eye-roll now and then. I'm kind of ridiculous; I realize that." -Adam Lambert   Adam's outrageous performances and spitfire personality give me a feeling of pride that I haven't had since I first discovered Japan's Hideto 'hide' Matsumoto back in 1999 - not because they sound anything alike, but because they represent similar ideals. People have come up with all sorts of comparisons for Adam - a new Freddie Mercury, a new David Bowie, even the reincarnation of Elvis Presley. But to me, he has always recalled 'hide' Matsumoto, that little pink-haired imp from X Japan, who not only stole the spotlight from everyone else but had a transcendent outlook on life that can only be summed up as, "I'm here, I'm me, I'm outrageous, and bite me if you hate it, because that's okay."

 "Kiss your misery... dance until you wilt, until you accept all things as they are." -hide, 'Misery'

There's really something to say for a performer who doesn't just entertain, but makes you feel comfortable in your own skin.

Like hide, Adam makes me happy to be myself, to be here, to be alive as who I am. When I go to work and face customers after hearing his smoky vocals on 'Feelin' Good', I feel sassy and impenetrable. When I get dressed to his defiantly snarky version of 'Black or White', I look in the mirror and like what I see. When I listen to his heartbreaking cover of U2's 'One', I find myself believing that an airplane could fall in love with a starfish and somehow be happy. Even the cheesy pop song 'No Boundaries' carries inspirational weight when supported by his vocal.

Of course, his amazing voice is almost beside the point. An atttitude also counts - and his is golden.

 "I want to be an entertainer... I want to help people escape and just dance and have a great time and party and love each other, and I want to be able to raise awareness on a couple of things. You know, soapbox about it. Maybe pushing peoples buttons for a little bit. Always with a little wink at the audience, with a little camp. With a little seriousness in it, but I don't want to take myself too seriously. I want to upset people, I want to make people think, I want to keep people interested." -Adam Lambert

I have now determined that there is nothing immature about passion; there is nothing childish about adoration and ridiculous hyperbole; there is nothing WRONG with an outpouring of love and excitement. Adam just brings it out in people - there's a reason that so many of his fans are repressed, middle aged women. I've read articles written by ecstatic housewives who have to sit back and wonder what hit them.

Is this regression? Hardly, unless massive sexual euphoria is considered unhealthy. Whoever coined the term 'unhealthy obsession' was likely a cowardly politician who deemed personal offense as the worst possible sin.

So here it is: I have an obsession with Adam Lambert and his flaming fabulosity, and I am going to use that obsession to fuel my heretofore extinguished creative fire. I am going to write about him, and from him, and because of him, and if that makes me less of an 'adult', then I am happy to counteract the mold of becoming subdued, overworked, and buried in shame.

~~Holly Interlandi

Window Farms

The first window farm, Brooklyn May 2009

Recently discovered Window Farms!  They make vertical, hydroponic, modular, low-energy, high-yield edible window gardens built using low-impact or recycled local materials and their goal is to start a craze in New York City and other dense urban areas, helping people grow some of their food year-round in their apartment windows.

Visit their site and you can see a working prototype which is a drip system made from recycled water bottles, holding 25 plants including beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, basil, lettuce and kale.

Conscious Parenting

This and The Ringing Cedars Series is a must read for anyone thinking of bringing a child into this world.

I had a c section with both children and remember each time, as they were being taken out of my womb, feeling the separation even though I was numb from the waist down.  It was like a splitting of my soul, or a final disconnection that resulted in sudden, uncontrollable tears streaming down my face. This feeling took me by surprise both times.

To this day, I still try to understand what had happened to me in those moments before birth.  Perhaps I am still in the process of letting go of dead connections and all the grief that I was carrying around habitually?  Perhaps at that moment of separation, I was being liberated from my grief so that my spiritual growth could be accelerated for their sake?     


In any case, it is because of them that I continue to dream with my eyes open and experience so many beautiful blessings in this life.  And despite the recent knee cap injury, it is nice to be home again, watching the children happily rediscover their belongings after a month long absence. 

Jill & Kevin's Wedding Intro.

Raw Food and Beauty

One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your skin is by incorporating raw food into your diet. Beautiful skin starts from the inside out. People who switch to eating mostly raw food often see an improvement in their skin and look younger.  

Heating food above 105 degrees Fahrenheit destroys the enzymes as well as 50% of the protein and 70-90% of the vitamins and minerals. Eating cooked food overtaxes the body’s enzyme reserves. Eating more raw food decreases the amount of digestive enzymes your body has to produce. Raw foods are foods in their natural state with the enzymes left intact.

Enzymes are needed to perform many functions in the body including digestion, assimilation and elimination of food. A drained enzyme supply can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, premature aging and low energy. Raw foods high in enzymes include sprouts, papaya and pineapple.

Free radicals damage your skin and interfere with collagen production causing premature aging.  Antioxidants counteract free radicals that age the skin. Berries, especially blueberries, are potent antioxidants that promote collagen which reduces wrinkles. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit help rid the body of free radicals keeping the skin looking young. Foods high in the antioxidant beta carotene including carrots and apricots protect the skin against sun damage.

CoenzymeQ10 is an effective antioxidant involved in the energy process and present in every cell in the body. CoQ10 levels in the body diminish with age. CoQ10 destroys free radicals and slows aging. Spinach, broccoli and peanuts are foods high in CoQ10.

Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that boosts the strength of other antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E, and assists the body’s energy production. Alpha-lipoic acid can be found in spinach, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, tomatoes and peas.

Sulfur is a mineral present in every cell in your body. It is needed in collagen production and for healthy skin, hair and nails. Organic sulfur levels in food are lost when processed, heated or dried. Sulfur is known to help improve skin conditions such as acne. High sulfur content foods include asparagus, broccoli, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, red pepper, garlic, onion, watercress and kale.

Silicon is an essential trace mineral needed for healthy skin, hair, nails and bones. Silicon levels decrease with age. Fruits and vegetables are the richest source of silicon including apples, oranges, cherries, grapes, strawberries, beets, cucumber, carrots and green leafy vegetables.

Phytochemicals are plant chemicals that help the body defend against damage and are said to have anti-aging properties. Phytochemicals can be found in berries, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, spinach, carrots, cocoa and bell pepper.

Raw nuts and seeds are high in Vitamin E which is beneficial to the skin. Selenium keeps the skin elastic and can be found in garlic, onions and shallots.

When the body rids itself of toxins, it passes through the skin which is the largest elimination organ. Raw food increases your detoxification rate. Drinking water helps the body rid itself of toxins. Seaweed is high in vitamins and minerals beneficial to the skin and also helps rid the body of toxins.

To achieve a healthy complexion, drink plenty of water and eat plenty of raw food. What goes into your body is reflective in your overall appearance.

~~Elizabeth Kiely

 

Join the Top 3 Percent

Mark McCormack in his book What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School tells of a Harvard study conducted betwen 1979 and 1989.  In 1979, the gradutaes of the MBA program at Harvard were asked, ''Have you set clear written goals for your future and plans to accomplish them?''  It turned out that only 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans.  13% had goals but they were not in writing.  Fully 84% had no specific goals at all, aside from getting out of school and enjoying the summer.

Ten years later, in 1989, the researchers interviewed the members of that class again.  They found that the 13% who had goals that were not in writing were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84% of students who had no goals at all.  But most surprisingly, they found that the 3% of the graduates who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% of graduates all together.  The only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they graduated.

Julie's Happy Denmark

They are the happiest people on the planet.  They pay 63% in taxes; their health care, children's education and the elderly are well taken care of.

What Type are You?

Will you transition from Type 0 to Type 1 in your lifetime?

Cars Within 10 years

The Art of Attention

Dr. Bartlett is both a chiropractor and a naturopath who graduated from Bastyr University of Naturopathic Medicine in 1996. Dr. Bartlett is the author of the award-winning book Matrix Energetics: The Science and Art of Personal Transformation. 


Dr. Bartlett’s Matrix Energetics is a form of “consciousness technology” that involves your right brain and the field of your heart. Your right brain is capable of processing 11 billion bits of information per second, while your conscious left brain processes about 15 bytes of information per second.

Your right brain can actually access information that is normally blocked by your conscious attention, if you allow that information to come through and pay attention to it. So, as Dr. Bartlett is fond of saying, “notice what you notice,” without any rules or preconceived notions about what it might mean.

This concept is alluded to in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know!? There’s a segment when a Native American tribe is unable to see the first ships approaching the land because it isn’t something that has ever been in their experience before.

~Dr. Mercola 

U.S. is sorely behind the Soviet countries in areas of telekinesis, where not only has it been proven by government supported physicists, but is regularly used in defense programs. Trying to keep up, the US has spent millions of dollars covertly investigating this and many eastern european countries do still use psi and psychic phenomena in their military.   You can learn more through reading Michio Kaku's books.  He is the best physicist around and explains how its possible.

Healing

I was diagnosed with degenerative spondylosis while living in L.A. and after 4 months of intensive chiropractic treatment at a sports rehab center, I left feeling broke spiritually & financially.  I lived with continuous pain for the next 4 years, still frequenting various chiropractors and massage therapists to manage the pain, all the while cursing my previous years of living in high heels and exercising at the gym 6 days a week while experimenting with various diets that were not sound or balanced; all of which I believe helped to destroy my spine.  I searched for various ways to free myself from the pain and one night, stumbled upon this site and put in a prayer request.  I asked for a complete healing on my cervical vertebrae, believing that my request would be lost in a virtual mailbox filled with a million other prayer requests. 

That night, as I was ready to fall asleep, I found myself suddenly very alert, with a warm, almost burning sensation in my throat area.  It didn't hurt but felt unusually soothing and it stirred me up quite a bit as it continued for a while and then I eventually fell asleep.   The next morning I rushed to my computer and found this email from ''Micheal'' in New Zealand.

Dear Aiko,

Greetings and it is my pleasure to be of Service to you!   Thank you for your request for Spiritual Healing and I extend my heartfelt compassion to you over the challenges you are experiencing with your health at the present time.

Briefly, the process of Spiritual Healing works through my creating a threefold energetic connection with you as the recipient, myself as a facilitator and conduit, and the Absolute Godhead, who carries out healing for the highest good according to Divine Will.   It has been indicated that you are to receive healing on a daily basis over the next 12 weeks which commenced on 11/10 continuing to 03/01/04 and I trust you will soon feel some improvement in your situation.   On completion of this cycle, let me know how you are doing.

It is good that you are taking responsibility for your own process of self-healing, for healing takes place to the degree that you are ready and willing to be healed.   Stay anchored in the truth of your Divine Being knowing that you are A PERFECT ETERNAL EXPRESSION OF THE SOURCE IN EACH NOW MOMENT.   Stay positive and embrace all fears and anxieties through the Love vibration of the Heart so they may be transmuted back to Light and Healed.

I will send you some further information, tools and affirmations to assist you with your process of self-healing and transformation.

NAMASTE and blessings of Love and Peace,

                                                       Alhedron
                                                    13 Oct. 2003 

So that was what was going on in bed last night!  I kept this email for 6 years, remembering the extraordinary event that had happened to me starting the night before the above date.  I read the email over a few more times and then sat down on the sofa facing a huge window and watched the sunlight streaming in.  I felt vibrant and whole, really at peace and everything seemed to sparkle around me.  I literally felt 20 years younger and felt joy in my entire body. I felt like I had a new skeleton! 

I also noticed something in the sunlight that I never noticed before.  There were sparkling rainbow hues flickering in the sunlight streaming near me.  I sat on the floor to get closer and the energies around me made me feel like I was at a joyous celebration.  I was literally surrounded by a pure and vibrant light.

At this time of my life I did not know what reiki was and believed anything like this was just another new age fad or movement leading people astray from the Light.  Looking back I now know that what I had received was a distant reiki healing from a very powerful healer who was doing some charity work through the website.

This renewed feeling stayed with me for about 9 months.  I was physically active again and pain free but I did not grasp the meaning of  ''Stay anchored in the truth of your Divine Being knowing that you are A PERFECT ETERNAL EXPRESSION OF THE SOURCE IN EACH NOW MOMENT''  until today.  My mind couldn't digest it at all even after years of reading various books on enlightenment or the notes and exercises he emailed me the following day.  I let myself get distracted with the surge of this new found energy and the demands of adapting to a new country that was radically different from where I came from. 

Today, after recovering from the two pregnancies, I feel my skeleton has readjusted back to where it was suppose to be  and I feel whole and vibrant again.

Casa das Flores

After the morning snack at Petipan Café we walked to Casa das Flores to pick up some organic goods.  Usually this flower shop is filled with various bouquets but in the fall and winter it is mostly stocked with home grown fruits and vegetables. 

 

The prices were incredibly low compared to what I was used to paying in the south which was almost €3 for 4 organic apples.  Today I bought this whole basket for only €1.70!  

2 Little Sparrows, Then and Now

Today we went to a Petipan Cáfe that just opened across from Santa Barbara's Garden.  The glass walls were pristine clean and my little one ran full speed ahead and banged his head against it, before falling on his back.  Then as we were leaving, my oldest did the same and I couldn't help but try to control my laughter while the waitresses were scurrying about, tending to my son with ice wrapped in a towel.  This scene brought me back 18 years to a time when I was living in Marin County.

I had a home on a little hill surrounded by nature and the living room/dining area was surrounded with glass walls.  Little birds would fly into the glass walls once in a while and fall frozen on their backs on the veranda for up to an hour before flying away.  I use to worry about how to dispose of them if they didn't wake up but that never happened.

One time I heard a loud thump in the dining area and I ran towards it to see what kind of bird had crashed into the window.  I carefully glanced through the tree branches and found a little sparrow clutching a branch, upside down!  I had never seen such a scene and smiled, knowing that the bird was going to be alright.  I sat on a dining chair and watched it to see how long it would take for it to ''wake up.''  I sat there and stared at it for almost an hour but I had to go pee and when I returned it was gone.

The Ultra Modern Drop House

This is it!  I found it!! The winner of the Algeco design contest.  I got very excited because it was the closest thing to what I was dreaming about.

''The houses are made with one central space that serves like a satellite from which the other components are extended like drawers. These “drawers” are actually small units with varying volumes that serve as other rooms, and include the kitchen, entryway, bathroom and two others. The nice thing about the drop house is that while these extensions can be added to the original assembly, the house can also be closed up into one contained unit. This makes it easy to lock it up when you’re away for extended periods of time and easy to transport it while staying within the limits of the road gauge!'' --3Darchitectes

Now I just need this design infused with the environmentally friendly Ecopod and I'm set!

Ecopods or Port-a-Bachs?

Do you want to live in a home with low environmental footprint, minimal operating cost and  high quality of living at an affordable price?  Then this shipping container is for you.
 

Ecopods is currently building their fourth generation incorporating the best use of recycled and new environmentally friendly materials available today.  They operate with an 80 watt solar panel and with minimal electrical needs so there is no need to run power lines or trench power cables to the unit.  It’s ready to use minutes after setup!  All you have to do is buy some land where ever you desire, and order!

''Maintenance on the unit requires very little effort. The original steel walls and frame are made from a product called corten steel. Corten steel has a rust inhibitor that stops rust at the surface. The interior and exterior floor surfaces are covered with a product that looks and feels very similar to cork flooring but is made from recycled car tires. This product has excellent interior and exterior performance qualities and is impervious to water and easy to keep clean. The entire wall and ceiling cavities have been spray foamed insulated with the latest environmental friendly soya insulation available on the market today. It is a ridged closed cell insulation, closed cell meaning there is no moisture transfer.  The front sliding glass doors and front glass side panels are double glazed thermal pane units that allow you to enjoy four season weather conditions.''

Their pre-delivery square foot building costs between $100 / $150 Canadian dollars and if this superior green building competes with conventional building costs here, then this is going on my TO BUY list. 


Then I found Atelier in New Zealand that makes Port a Bachs.

''Appointed with large internal storage cupboards and shelves / stainless steel kitchen and fittings /bathroom with open shower, sink, composting toilet. Interior fabric screen system gives the versatility of creating rooms within the large open living space : includes bunk beds, double bed room, dressing room, kitchen and bathroom.  Exterior canvas screen system allows to shelter the deck area for comfortable indoor/outdoor flow and living. 6 concrete footings form a stable, non-invasive 'foundation', allowing you to situate the unit on a wide range of ground conditions.''

 

Decisions decisions..which one would you choose?  I think I would go with Ecopod and have a local builder build me huge bathrooms & kitchens for it.