The Reading of the Day, August 30, 2010

"Words, no matter whether they are vocalized and made into sounds or remain unspoken as thoughts, can cast an almost hypnotic spell on you. You easily loose yourself in them, become hypnotized into implicitly believing that when you have attached a word to something, you know what it is. The fact is : You don't know what it is. You have only covered up the mystery with a label. Everything, a bird, a tree, even a simple stone and certainly a human being, is ultimately unknowable. This is because it has unfathomable depth. All we can perceive, experience, think about, is the surface layer of reality, less than the tip of an iceberg."

Excerpt from A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Throwin' Up and Thrown Over

What a day at the lake! First and foremost, K.C. and Owen came over to help line the kitchen cabinets and go for a swim. When we all went down to the dock (boot in tow),  I could not believe what horrible condition the dock was in. It looked like an accident ready to happen..... and it did.
K.C. and O-O eventually negotiated the dock and took the plunge into the clean and cool water. As the guys were swimming and having all sorts of fun, Owen commenced to just about cough up a lung...and then, he topped it off by throwing up in the lake. And that's only the the half of it.....
As K.C. and Owen left, my dear sister/ friend Cathy Chitwood arrived with a $79.00 floating chair, noodles, flippers and body boards. This is a women who would rather float on water than do anything else in the world....hmmmm.
Being water incapacitated due to my taped foot, I accompanied Cathy down to the dock and stood on the loose boards so she could safely navigate the ladder into the water. But, lo and behold, the ladder and two boards and Cathy broke loose from the dock and were all thrown into the Mystic! Woe....I've known this woman for over twenty five years and I have never seen her in a compromising situation.....until today. She gulped and coughed and stammered until I feared she'd also toss her cookies into the lake. But, fear not, Cathy soon recovered and began her beloved float. As Cathy was delving into a deep meditative state, a "really big fish...maybe a wide mouthed bass" spotted her mother's diamond ring on her finger and attempted to bite it off. I AM NOT KIDDING. For the second time in ten minutes, Cathy again lost her cool and started screaming at the top of her lungs....."Oh, God, a fish...I am so scared (?) of fish."
The bottom line is ...what in the hell do my neighbors think?  Really- vomit, ladders, dock and giant killer fish...all falling into the clean and cool water around my decrepit dock. Geez! I'm certain that Mystic Bay is a buzz tonight about the lovely new neighbor in a cast who is entertaining a cast ....of characters!
Welcome to Mystic Bay!

Owen (O-O), my 4 year old grandson, was facinated with my boo boo. This is one of about 15 pictures he took of my left foot. He also took alot of pictures of his daddy, but they were only of his feet, too. Hmmmm.

Dawn this AM@ 6:30. the rising sun was mirrored in front of my decrepit dock.

My sister/friend, Cathy Chitwood, performed her magic on the porch. Her interior design talent told her that everyone sitting on the porch must have a water view.   

The Reading for the Day, August 28-29, 2010

If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become srtaight,
let yurself be crooked.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.

Reading #22 from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

"I'm Not Complaining, I'm Just Reporting"

For all of the years that Tarkington Tweed/Trend was in business (21), we had a older customer named Elizabeth, who was an elegant woman. Elizabeth and I shared the same sorority at Butler and alas, a common bond, although she was a co-ed when "Hector was a pup". Anyway, as Elizabeth aged, and I would inquire how she was doing, before she would give me the low down on her health she always prefaced her answer with "Now, Kelli, I'm not complaining, I'm just reporting".
With that in mind, I am reporting that I royally screwed up my left ankle during the move. My wonderful friend and super star podiatrist, Mike Helms, wrapped and "booted" my throbbing appendage. It looks like an x-ray and MRI will be in the plans this week.
So, no worries(?) , my trip to France is two weeks away. Yikes, I've got to get hopping (literally) on getting better!

This boot will be my buddy for at least a few weeks. Oh, poor me, more time to look out on the water!

My view from my wicker rocker at 5:30PM. Many swimmers today.

My porch with the beautiful view of the lake...the only place to sit, but what a place to sit.

The Reading for the Day, August 26-27, 2010

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older,
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly flow the days,
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers,
Blossoming even as they gaze...

Sunrise sunset, sunrise, sunset!
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears..
One season following another,
Laden with happiness and tears

Lyrics from Sunrise, Sunset , Fiddler on the Roof

Sunrise and Sunset

The sun came up over the misty water in Mystic Bay this morning. With boxes everywhere and no sheets or bedding in sight, I felt completely at home welcoming the sunrise over the water.
I found myself staring out over the ever changing water today. I have dreamed my entire life of living on water and now that time in my life has come to be.
This evening John Domont hosted a dinner party at his home and studio overlooking the Indianapolis skyline. We manged on a delicious feast and laughed the night away. The sunset was picture perfect and was enjoyed and appreciated by all.
"Swiftly flow the years......
Laden with happiness and tears"

The morning mist on Mystic Bay-my first morning in my new home, August 27, 2010.

A view from John Domont's rooftop terrace.

John Domont getting ready for the party.

Wonderful friends and a fabulous dinner ....overlooking the Indianapolis skyline.

A beautiful night at Domont's with a glorious sunset to boot!

The Reading for the Day, August 25, 2010

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi


Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

A Day "Packed" With Emotions

The day was filled with the sound of tape ripping, bubble wrap popping and paper wrapping the rest of my belongings. As I was packing up my kitchen desk, I found a small manila envelope filled with some letters from my mother. I held them close to my heart and shed some tears of longing....longing for my blessed mom-Lady. Seeing her beautiful handwriting was so powerful and intimate, it was if she were right there encouraging me to get on with all that still needs to be done.
Lady always told her truth and I dearly miss her "take" on my world....her heart felt advice on my children, grandchildren, work, relationships, hopes and fears was priceless to me. Does anyone ever take the place of your mother? Not for me.
I could have used her sage advice today. Packing up and moving on, both literally and emotionally, is a complex dynamic for me. As I shed the skin of my former life, I feel both open and vulnerable at the same time. What is it that she would say to me in this moment, I wonder?
Well, I need to go now, as I will soon close my eyes and share all of this with Lady, as I drift off to sleep for he last night in my former life.

Will I ever find my precious pig?

The delightful and good natured packers, Deb and Wendy

Disaster piles everywhere

The Reading for the Day, August 24, 2010

I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.



I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.



I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.


Sea Fever John Masefield

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 2 had been very busy, needless to say. The mover stopped by to take another peek before Thursday and informed me that he is going need two moving trucks, not one. I asked him why and he said "you godda lodda STUFF"! For my dear, dear friends who have helped me pack, this may not be a big surprise.
Hungry a a bear, I set out for dinner at 3:30 PM. My car took me to MCL where my eyes quickly feasted on all of the fresh fare....and then look a sharp right down the cafeteria line, nose diving into Thanksgiving Dinner! That's right......mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey and gallons of gravy. It tasted so good. As I looked at my disappearing cafeteria food, I decided I need to give thanks (after all, it was Thanksgiving Dinner). Here was my devout offering-

Dear God,
Thank you so much for:
1. Inventing mashed potatoes and turkey gravy
2. Having me be of Irish decent, having my ancestors survive the potato famine, and having some potatoes survive, as well
3. Wonderful friends who have lightened my packing days and helped me so much
4. My loving brood..K.C., Amy, Alyssa, Rob and the kids
5. My new home on Mystic Bay
6. Making any day and everyday, Thanksgiving Day
Amen.
Burp!

Beautiful art pieces waiting their turn to be packed away.

Controlled chaos! Day 2.

The Reading for the Day, August 23, 2010

"We do not find our own center; it finds us. Our own mind will not be able to figure it out. We collapse back into the Truth, only when we are naked and free- which is probably not very often. We do not think ourselves into new ways of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking."

An excerpt from Everything Belongs by Richard Rohr

Movin' and Groovin'

Today was the kickoff to "Moving Day" on Thursday. Boxes, paper, tape, trash, memories and a few tears are all part of movin' on. Many thanks to my dear friends for helping me to pack the endless china, pottery, crystal and glasses. Where did I get all of these things and why, I now wonder?
I'm pooped!  Moving is indescribable, wouldn't you say? It's like one continuous flashback as you pull a picture from a drawer or open a recipe book to a family favorite or wrap your favorite mug.
But, tomorrow will be knocking at my door way to soon and I must excuse myself to pull a hot bubble bath, to relax into the notion of what tomorrow's packing might unearth.

Breaking down my home on Monday, August 23, 2010.

Packing up and moving on. This Thursday is the big day.

The Reading for the Day, August 22, 2010

Back home again in Indiana
And it seems that I can see
A gleaming candlelight
Still shining bright
Through the sycamores, for me
The new-mown hay
Seeds all its fragrance
From the fields I used to roam
When I dream about the moonlight
On the Wabash
Then I long for my Indiana home

The lyrics to Back Home in Indiana by James Hanley and Ballard MacDonald

For A Reason, For A Season...Or For Life

Last week, a wise friend of mine reminded me that people we love come into our lives "for a reason, a season or for life." What a wonderful way to look at our myriad of loving and often times, complex relationships.
The same tenants can hold true for our life experiences. As I sit at the San Francisco airport at 5:00 AM preparing to board, I am struck how in three short weeks, I feel as if I am seeing life through a clearer and brighter lens.
So, my beloved Sonoma.....the reason for you, I believe, was to learn to open my heart wider and with more wonder for this glorious life. The season, perhaps, was to experience the essence of long ago summers, that is, lazy slow days with no set schedule, no responsibilities of any consequence- just passing the time. And lastly, Sonoma, I pray, came into my life, for life, as a symbol of the true spirit and pure grace of life itself.
Oh, life!

The Reading for the Day, August 21, 2010

Without a Net
Living Life with Trust

Living life without a net can be just what we need to step outside of ourselves and make the choices we need most.
As we create the life of our dreams, we often reach a crossroads where the choices seem to involve the risk of facing the unknown versus the safety and comfort of all that we have come to trust. We may feel like a tightrope walker, carefully teetering along the narrow path to our goals, sometimes feeling that we are doing so without a net. Knowing we have some backup may help us work up the courage to take those first steps, until we are secure in knowing that we have the skills to work without one. But when we live our lives from a place of balance and trust in the universe, we may not see our source of support, but we can know that it is there.
If we refuse to act only if we can see the safety net, we may be allowing the net to become a trap as it creates a barrier between us and the freedom to pursue our goals. Change is inherent in life, so even what we have learned to trust can surprise us at any moment. Remove fear from the equation and then, without even wondering what is going on below, we can devote our full attention to the dream that awaits us.
We attract support into our lives when we are willing to make those first tentative steps, trusting that the universe will provide exactly what we need. In that process we can decide that whatever comes from our actions is only for our highest and best experience of growth. It may come in the form of a soft landing, an unexpected rescue or an eye-opening experience gleaned only from the process of falling. So rather than allowing our lives to be dictated by fear of the unknown, or trying to avoid falling, we can appreciate that sometimes we experience life fully when we are willing to trust and fall. And in doing so, we may just find that we have the wings to fly.
When we believe that there is a reason for everything, we are stepping out with the safety net of the universe, and we know we will make the best from whatever comes our way.

The Daily Om, August 20,2010

The Reading for Today, August 20, 2010

"Of course, one cannot live like this forever. Real life and wars and traumas and mortaliity will intervene eventually."

An exerpt from Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Annie, attemting to cancel husband Tim's massage, as we walk the San Francisco waterfront. Marty provides strong pastoral support! 

Believe it or not, the Golden Gate bridge is in the background....a very foggy and cold summer, 2010 in San Francisco.

I begin and end my Califonia journey with Annie Hipskin and beautiful baby Felix. May God coninue to bless this wonderful family.

The Reading for the Day, August 19, 2010

"Oh, how can I say this: People need wild places. Whether or not we think we do, we do. We need to be able to taste grace and know once again that we desire it. We need to experience a landscape that is timeless, whose agenda moves at the pace of speciation and glaciers. To be surrounded by a singing, mating, howling commotion of other species, all of which love their lives as much as we do ours, and none of which could care less about our economic status or our calendar. Wildness puts us in our place. It reminds us that our plans are small and somewhat absurd. It reminds us why, in those cases which our plans might influence future generations, we ought to chose carefully. Looking out on a clean plank of planet earth, we can get shaken right down to he bone by the bronze-eyed possibility of lives that are not our own."

From Small Wonder, a collection of essays by Barbara Kingsolver

A Sonoma Sendoff!

Today was my last full day in my beloved Sonoma. I cannot think of a more enjoyable way to spend this last day than being with my dear friend Marty and exploring this beautiful wine country together! We tasted some of the most delicious wines in this valley, had a unforgettable lunch at Cafe Citti, and breathed in all of the majesty this Valley.---God's country.
I have enjoyed every second of every day here. Thank you God for this time, this place and this space. Amen.

Our day in the valley began at Chateau St. Jean.

This beautiful bronze captures the feelings of freedom and joy that I have felt during my visit to lovely Sonoma.

Sonoma Valley- meditation #3.

An avid wine enthusiast at the end of the day in Sonoma. 

The Reading for the Day, August 18 2010

Beauty

Beauty is startling. She wears a gold shawl in the summer and sells seven kinds of honey at the flee market. She is young and old at once, my daughter and my grandmother. In school she excelled in mathematics and poetry. Beauty doesn't anger easily, but she was annoyed with a journalist who kept asking her about her favorites-as if she could have one favorite color or one favorite flower. She does not mind questions though, and she is fond of riddles. Beauty will dance with anyone who is brave enough to ask her.

A poem from The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler

May All of Your Pain Be Champagne!

It is a hard life, but someone has to live it! Marty and I explored Napa today. With reserved tastings, it was both a delicious and a privileged day. We tasted some of the best wines in Napa...pure delight!
Tonight we made a scrumptious dinner and shared a very fine Cab from a magnificent small family winemaker in Napa. The sparkly was the best!

Marty and I start the day in Napa...... No wine yet, just breathing in all of the beauty.

The future wine harvest only weeks away.

The unspeakable beauty that is ever present.

A delicious dinner on the terrace.  Wine and garlic marinated leg of lamb, grilled to perfection by Father Marty. A yummy  fresh beet and goat cheese salad with champaign vinigrette and pole beans sauteed in butter and S and P..... the best! Marty bought a beautiful cab today that we relished with our meal. 

My "Spiritual Advisor" arrives

My dear friend and "spiritual advisor", Father Marty Peter, arrived in San Francisco early this evening. I am an absolutely dreadful driver, as many of you can testify, and I was not looking forward the drive to the city during rush hour. All was humming along until I got on the Golden Gate bridge my eyes were feasting on Sausalito on one side and that magnificent "city by the bay" on the other side. I was just mesmerized by all of the beauty in front of  and on each side of me. I really needed someone else to drive so I could lap up all there was to see. A few irate drivers honked and shook their pinkies at me. I have no idea why all the fury...it's very difficult to stay in your lane when there is so much to take in. After I paid the toll, I was looking for the 280 merge, but was also looking at a stunning view of the bay. The bay view won out and I missed my merge and ended up at Fisherman's Wharf.
 Three lovely San Franciscans, at different times and in different places graciously guided me to the airport. I will skip most of the gory details, except to tell you that San Franciscan #1 spoke very little English, but carefully crafted the directions to the airport for me. I am certain that they were stellar directions, but I could not read his handwriting very well. He was so proud of his good deed that did not have it in me to ask him to rewrite the directions legibly. With a big "mucho gratious", off I went, to stalk my next direction's victim. San Franciscan #2 was in her seventies, being pulled along the street by a four month old Golden Retriever pup. You might be thinking, how do I know all these things about this lady? Well, my curiosity does not go dormant just because I am asking directions from a total stranger. As she was giving me directions, after our five minute discussion on the pros and cons of training a new puppy, I was on my way....at least I hoped so. As I got tangled in the rush hour traffic, I lost my confidence that I was going the right way. So, I rolled down my window and voila, San Franciscan #3. I pleaded to this gorgeous, movie star handsome young man in his twenties "Can you help me get to the airport" and he said with a big smile, just like in the movies, " Follow me, I'll take you there." And off we went. When I eventually saw the airport ahead, I gave him a big honk and a wave. I even blew him a kiss for good measure and got a good shot of his escort Audi below.
Marty safely arrived and headed back to Sonoma for some good wine, some meaningful conversations and perhaps, a little direction!
Off  Sonoma wine country tomorrow!

My personal escort to the San Francisco airport....nice!

Marty gets a great shot of the glorious Golden Gate Bridge, as we cross the bay and head to Sonoma.

The Reading for the Day, August 17, 2010

Rethinking Reverence

R a radical loving of self; our faults, our foibles and our flat out "joie de vivre"

E ever exploring- inquisitive, excited and open to life's great mysteries and adventures

V valuing love, kindness, generosity, compassion and a good hard laugh

E effortless tenderness sprinkling the lives that we touch

R a revolutionary heart for helping the least of our brothers and sisters

E elevating emotional growth and physical wellness to high esteem

N necessitating nuance..looking at what lies beyond and beneath our words, our thoughts and our feelings

C contemplating contentment-giving attention to being comfortable in the here and now, at peace with the bumps behind and the the unknowable ahead

E enlightening and awakening to the spirit of God's unconditional love

Kelli Curran Norwalk

The Reading for the Day, August 16, 2010

To Come Home To Yourself

May all that is forgiven in you
Be released.

May your fears yeild
Their deepest tranquillities.

May all that is unlived in you
Blossom into a future
Graced with love.

A poem from To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue

Moving on, moving out, moving in and comin' home!

The idea of moving has occupied a great deal of my thoughts today and I decided to bring what is moving in my life on to the page.
 I dropped off my rented bike this AM. That bike has been a fun and trusty pal for the last two weeks and it has moved me throughout Sonoma safely and effortlessly. But, it was nice to take a long leisurely walk from the bike shop back to the cottage. As my feet were happily moving me home I was awe struck by all of the movement that is currently in my life.
I look the big leap in June, quit my job and began to plan my sabbatical. I was movin' on.!
A few days before I left for Sonoma ,I found out unexpectedly, that my condo had sold and that I would be returning ten days earlier from California in order to pack up, move out and move into my new home. I am movin' on.
There are six more precious months before this sacred sabbatical ends, and if the type of "inner" movement that I have experienced here continues for the rest of my renewal, it will be pure glory. I will be movin' on .........and coming home..... to myself. I will have come full circle to this long awaited new beginning, this new life that God has so kindly and lovingly chosen for me.
Namaste

This yard caught my eye.... Wait 'til you see the statue in it's full glory... see next pic!

Woe! This is  quite the hunka - munka in the front yard of this home in my neighborhood.

A stunning front yard,viewed from my walk today

The Reading for the Day, August 15, 2010

Wisdom

Wisdom wears an indigo jacket. She takes long walks in the purple hills at twilight, pausing to meditate in an old temple near the crossroads. She was sick as a young child and learned to be alone with herself at an early age.
Wisdom has a quiet mind. She likes to think about the edges where things spill into each other and become their opposites. She knows how to look at things inside and out. Sometimes her eyes go out to the thing that she is looking at and sometimes the thing she is looking at enters through her eyes. Questions of time, depth and balance interest her. She is not looking for answers.

The Book of Qualities by J. Ruth Gendler

My Day of Wine (almost) and Roses

 I decided to pack a picnic and my paints and to go where ever the day took me. I got on my bike and headed to the Plaza. It was alive with lovers, old folks, tourists, moms and dads, babies, teenagers, rich, poor... and kids, all kinds of kids on bikes, trikes, skateboards,scooters-you name it. There were nappers, readers, picnickers, meditaters, writers, painters-you name it! Everyone goes to the Plaza. It is, in the truest sense of the word, the heart of this beautiful and serene town. As I munched on my picnic lunch, it occurred to me that every town should have a plaza, much like this one. A place that houses a playground, multitudes of benches and picnic tables, green shady spaces, water pools, fountains, flower gardens.-you name it. A sacred and serene social hub where all feel welcome and  safe.
I smelled every variety of rose that there was to smell in the rose garden. I was not alone. Many Plaza goers were breathing in the delicious and different fragrances and ohhhing and ahhhing with delight. Lots of "Oh, you've got to smell this one" and "Don't miss those tangerine colored ones". No one could contain their pleasure in this beautiful rose garden.
I decided to head out to Bartholomew Park Winery. The ride was just as gorgeous as the day (80 and sunny, remember, every day!). As I huffed and puffed to get up to this lovely spot on the top of the hill, I thought ,what in the hell am I doing? I can't taste wine and maneuver this mountain bike. So, I entered the tasting room and bellied up to the wine bar. The kind winery worker asked me "What would you like to taste today?" Panting, and with my sweat dripping on the wine bar, I said in a most grateful tone that I could conjure, "Water, pleeeeaaasssseee!" And he said "Geez, you must have just ridden up that killer hill". Case closed!

A most stunning trifecta in the rose garden on Sonoma Plaza. 

The most fragrant of them all. Gorgeous!

  Stopping to smell the flowers.

Passing an olive grove while riding my bike through Sonoma.

Where oh where shall I go? Hmmm...Bartholomew Park Winery it is!

Gasping for breath after climbing up to the winery, I had finally arrived!

The majestic vista of field and hills at Bartholomew Park Winery.

Lavender fields....with the fragrance of heaven,   at beautiful Bartholomew Park Winery.

O

The Reading for the Day, August 14, 2010

Beyond Counting Blessings
Being Truly Thankful

In a deep state of gratitude we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself.
Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.
It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.
We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.


Reading from the DAILY OM, August 13, 2010




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The Reading for the Day, August 13, 2010

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,


And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.



Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.



And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.



I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

The grapes on my lovely terrace will be ready to harvest next week. I too, will be bringing home the abundant harvest that I have garnered from my blessed stay in Sonoma, a week from tomorrow. We have come to fruition at the exact same time.  

The Reading for Today, August 12, 2010

Making your way in the world today takes everything
you got.
Taking a break from all of your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go
where everybody knows your name.

And they're always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see
our troubles are all the same.

You wanna be where everybody knows your name.

You wanna go where people know
that people are all the same.

You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.


Cheers Theme Lyrics, "Everybody Knows Your Name" by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo

Cheers! I feel as if "everyone knows my name".

I must really be on a lyrics kick! But, certainly, you remember the great theme song from Cheers? Well, that's how I am starting to feel after less than two weeks in my lovely Sonoma.
At the farmers market on Tuesday evening, as I was salivating over the spectacular array of fruits and vegetables, I heard a "Hi Kelli". Knowing that the hello could not possibly be for me, I continued to salivate and did not even look up. When yet another HELLO request followed I happily acknowledged the owner of Yoga Community. I don't know if she really recognized me or she recognized my tie dyed T-shirt.....remember, I overslept the morning of my departure to California and when the cabbie arrived to pick me up for the airport, my suitcase was unpacked. So, only 2 T-shirts made it out here and the tie dye (without equivocation, my favorite) is worn every other day. My yoga instructor, Mark, asked me today, as I was rolling up my mats, blanket, block and bolster (my MB3), "What are you doing out here?" He, of course, has seen the tie dye T-shirt every single class, and  beyond question, is wondering about my mental and emotional status. At any rate, I gave him the Readers Digest condensed version of my sabbatical and he said, "Hey, I really like your T-shirt!" He said nothing about my sabbatical.
OK ...more about my name calling- today, the owner of my bookstore, Book Ends, greeted me with a 'Hi Kelli" as did Rick at Radio Shack and Mark and fellow practitioners at yoga.
I went to a dinner party last evening and met four wonderful and wise women from far and wide. New friends. So, the next time I hear my named called in Sonoma, I can guarantee you, I will look up and say hello!
Cheers!!!

My most friendly and welcoming Yoga Community.

The beautiful and serene practice room at Community Yoga.

The cozy living room setting at my yoga center in Sonoma.

A volcanic ash bath coupled with an hour accupressure massage in Calistoga made this day one to remember.

The serene and sacred entrance to Lavendar Hills Spa.

The darling cottage where I had my bath.

The Reading for Today, August 11, 2010

"I'm gonna soak up the sun
Gonna tell everyone to lighten up(I'm gonna tell'em that)
I've got no one to blame
Every time I feel lame
I'm lookin' up. I'm gonna soak up the sun"

exerpt from the lyrics "Soak Up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow

My Day In Beautiful and Funky Calistoga, August 11, 2010

I knew it was going to be a special day! On my way to Calistoga,I was jammin' In my beat up Chevy Cobalt to Sheryl Crow's "Soak Up the Sun" blaring on my radio. I felt like a young thing, again, hair blowing, windows down and taking those razor edge curves on Calistoga Rd. like a real pro!
The spa was such a treat and was enjoyable and renewing beyond words. So, my advice? If you can't make it to Calistoga, just get in your car and sing along with Ms. Crow at the top of your lungs.
P.S. Don't forget to roll down the windows.

I was in the "couples cottage". Hey, all you love birds, you better make Calistoga a destination ASAP!