“Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!”
-William Arthur Ward
Posted in Quotes That Inspire
2010 has come and gone. Wow, what a year it has been. As all of you know, I love to travel and the end of 2010 found me in bliss. In September to the middle of October, my husband and I visited London, York, the Cotswold’s, Oxford, Madrid, Segovia and Toledo. From the UK to Spain it was one hell of a ride. Then back to Los Angeles for a month and off to Maui Hawaii for Christmas break. The end of 2010 rang in 2011 with a whole lot of fun.
Now that we enter 2011, I am excited to see where this year brings me, what far off destination, what exciting new adventure awaits. Today I sit back and revisit my last few months with a big smile and a light heart. I believe one can never travel too much. To me, travel is the best source for an education. If one chooses to sink into the culture and drink up every moment, move on and drink from the fountain of life again and again, one can be the richest of all people. To allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone and experience life is to fill your soul with the energy of this vast world and engage in mankind. This is how we become better, well-adjusted, tolerant, loving and giving human beings.
So now I will take a moment or two and think of all of my new friends, from the UK, to Spain from the island of Maui and my home in Los Angeles.
Happy New Year!
Posted in Inspired By Life
Soon we will be off to London and Spain once again. We will first visit London for about two weeks. This will be in part business and part pleasure. What I am most excited about is the shopping, the markets and visiting York.
We will spend our last weekend in York…the most haunted area in all of England…well that is what I am told. We will spend it with our two friends who moved to England from Los Angeles a little more than a year ago. This will be great. Haunted tours, beautiful and frightful history, and markets; oh how I love markets/
Then after two glorious weeks in London, our two American friends will travel with us to Madrid Spain. This will be our time to show Kevin and Tony around, enjoy great Spanish food and pastries and enjoy the laid back relaxed lifestyle of Spaniards.
Posted in Inspired By Life
”For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.”
– Audrey Hepburn
Posted in Quotes That Inspire
It’s hard for me to get used to these changing times. I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
– George Burns
Posted in Quotes That Inspire
” Real generosity towards the future lies in giving your all to the present. ”
~ Albert Camus
Posted in Quotes That Inspire
1.Your presence is a present to the world.
2.You are unique and one of a kind.
3.Your life can be what you want it to be.
4.Take the days just one at a time.
5.Count your blessings, not your troubles.
6.You will make it through whatever comes along.
7.Within you are so many answers.
8.Understand, have courage, be strong.
9. Do not put limits on yourself.
10.So many dreams are waiting to be realized.
11.Decisions are too important to leave to chance.
12.Reach for your peak, your goal and you prize.
13.Nothing wastes more energy than worrying.
14.The longer one carries a problem the heavier it gets.
15.Do not take things too seriously.
16.Live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.
17.Remember that a little love goes a long way.
18.Remember that a lot … goes forever.
19.Remember that friendship is a wise investment.
20.Life’s treasure are people together.
21.Realize that it is never too late.
22.Do ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
23.Have hearth and hope and happiness.
24.Take the time to wish upon a start.
AND DO NOT EVER FORGET ….
FOR EVEN A DAY
HOW VERY SPECIAL YOU ARE !
All these I KNOW…and yet, sometimes, in life we need to go through our own mistakes in order to realize who we aren’t ….
Posted in Inspired By Life
Today like every morning I started my day with a run around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It was 8am and the heat was already a scorching 95 degrees, but what can you expect when you live in the dessert. As I got out of my car, I noticed that there were many more men running half naked than usual. Now, I am not one to complain about spending time with half naked, very young, and very hot men, but common. So I looked from afar, as I adjusted my IPod to just the right tunes and started on my run. About ten minuets or so the heat started to get to me. The sun was intense and beat down upon my face, like the heat from the flames under the backside of a skillet.
Ok should I continue or will a faint from heat exhaustion? As I stood still for a moment and contemplated my dilemma, a group of about 10 or so young bronze Gods ran past me shirtless and glistening from the sweat that poured down their chest from the intense summer sun. Ok I might be slightly older, but how can they run so fucking effortlessly in this heat while I feel like I could keel over at any moment. That is when I thought how unfair, men can run around half naked, when us women have to be covered up or we will be arrested or even worse kill our backs from our breast bobbing every which way. I am telling you, if there is a God, than he mostly is a man. Tomorrow the gym, nice and air conditioned.
Posted in Inspired By Life
Today Spain won the World Cup! Since my husband is from Madrid I am automatically a fan. I am so happy for all Spaniards worldwide.
I spent the morning watching the game into the afternoon as the token American amongst 20 or so Spaniards and Argentinians. I grew up in Chicago, a big sports city, but I think this group of friends could give Chi-Town people a run for their money when it comes to being the ultimate fans.
If you would like to check out the latest news please click on the link below. Viva España
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1272830/index.html#madrid+merry+amsterdam+agony
1. Experience Chan! It’s not mysterious.
As I see it, it boils down to cause and effect.
Outside the mind there is no Dharma
So how can anybody speak of a heaven beyond?
2. Experience Chan! It’s not a field of learning.
Learning adds things that can be researched and discussed.
The feel of impressions can’t be communicated.
Enlightenment is the only medium of transmission.
3. Experience Chan! It’s not a lot of questions.
Too many questions is the Chan disease.
The best way is just to observe the noise of the world.
The answer to your questions?
Ask your own heart.
4. Experience Chan! It’s not the teachings of disciples.
Such speakers are guests from outside the gate.
The Chan which you are hankering to speak about
Only talks about turtles turning into fish.
5. Experience Chan! It can’t be described.
When you describe it you miss the point.
When you discover that your proofs are without substance
You’ll realize that words are nothing but dust.
6. Experience Chan! It’s experiencing your own nature!
Going with the flow everywhere and always.
When you don’t fake it and waste time trying to rub and polish it,
Your Original Self will always shine through brighter than bright.
7. Experience Chan! It’s like harvesting treasures.
But donate them to others.
You won’t need them.
Suddenly everything will appear before you,
Altogether complete and altogether done.
8. Experience Chan! Become a follower who when accepted
Learns how to give up his life and his death.
Grasping this carefully he comes to see clearly.
And then he laughs till he topples the Cold Mountain ascetics.
9. Experience Chan! It’ll require great skepticism;
But great skepticism blocks those detours on the road.
Jump off the lofty peaks of mystery.
Turn your heaven and earth inside out.
10. Experience Chan! Ignore that superstitious nonsense
That makes some claim that they’ve attained Chan.
Foolish beliefs are those of the not-yet-awakened.
And they’re the ones who most need the experience of Chan!
11. Experience Chan! There’s neither distance nor intimacy.
Observation is like a family treasure.
Whether with eyes, ears, body, nose, or tongue –
It’s hard to say which is the most amazing to use.
12. Experience Chan! There’s no class distinction.
The one who bows and the one who is bowed to are a Buddha unit.
The yoke and its lash are tied to each other.
Isn’t this our first principle… the one we should most observe?
-Master Xu Yun
Posted in Quotes That Inspire
life is simply delicious 