Have You Seen These Signs?

Sometimes the universe screams at me. It waves me down with "hands" flailing saying "STOP!!!! LOOK! Pay attention to the signs! I need your attention so I can show you why you're here." How many times have you been aimlessly floating around wondering just that ... "Why am I here? What is my purpose? My destiny." There is every chance the universe, God, whatever you believe in is trying to show you why, but you're just too busy, too closed, too unconscious to be still and listen.

An ex-boyfriend of mine was the first person to tell me about these signs. It was my senior year of college. He was a freshmen and I thought, really? What can this kid know about the universe. He knew a lot. Anyway, from time to time, usually when I'm feeling for spiritual and extra karmalized ... I begin to see the signs that guide me to places I'd otherwise never go and I end up experiencing new things and helping people along the way. Lately, the universe is screaming again, (well talking loudly at least), telling me to get out of my head and help the world any way I can.

This song "Say Hey," by Michael Franti and Spearhead came on the radio the other day and I LOVED IT! You know when a song just hits a chord in your heart and it's like you've heard it hundreds of times already? He says it's not a love song for the world, but I beg to differ.



Another sign I need to get off my tush and help others? One of my favorite blogs, the soaring impulse, lead me to find Young Heroes. This is an amazing organization that helps orphans in Swaziland. I did tons of research to make sure it was legit and it definitely checks out. I read this guys blog whenever I'm feeling down or grumpy for some LAME reason and it puts a smile on my face, tears in my eyes, and opens my heart. Try it ... you'll like it. It might change your life. Who knows.

With Gratitude for Signs from Above,
~L~

Quit Staring

I'm a watcher ... I love to look at people and think about the details of their lives. Sometimes they'll catch me staring and I want to say ... "sorry, I was just wondering what your life is like." But that would probably make them feel weird, so instead, I quickly look away. If I had one "anything" wish, I'd like to be able to embody other people, animals, & living things for a few days. It's funny, because I've always thought of myself as kind of self absorbed, and yet I continually find myself being more interested in other peoples activities, than in my own. (Maybe I just need to get a more interesting life? lol) I'm always amazed when I see people in a restaurant who have not looked around once the entire meal. They are so engaged in their conversation that nothing else matters. Is that a gift? Are people who are mainly engrossed in their own lives living more in the moment?

A great listener, I am normally not. If you happen to be dining with me at a loud, busy place, getting my complete attention is difficult ... and I have no clue as to why. Why am I so concerned with what others are up to? Strangers, who I'll most likely never know. So often, I just want to ask the ticket taker at the mall, the waiter, the sales clerk, the dentist, "What would you really like to do with your life? Are you happy? What would you have done differently?" Part of me wants these questions, at that moment, to spark something inside them and change the course of their life. Another part just wants to learn from their experience. (Oh and one part is just nosy.)

So I stare, wondering, then I feel awkward when I'm caught :) Oh well. So ... what's my point here in this little post? I would just like to be able to be more honest with everyone ... shun the social graces and ask ... what's your deal? Are you living the life you imagined for yourself when you were 8 years old? If you are ... can you show me how? Sometimes, not all the time mind you, but sometimes when I ask a random stranger, "How are you?" I wish they'd really tell me.

So Simple, So Grand, So Easy, So SMILE!!!!!

I woke up this morning to a nasty e-mail to which I responded with a somewhat nasty e-mail (wrong I know) which left me feeling well, nasty and less than karmalized. This video from a blog I love, Goodness Graciousness, changed all that and put things back in perspective.

How to Find or Keep Your Soul Mate

WARNING: THIS POST IS NOT A SNUGGLY KARMALIZED POST BUT A PERSONAL RANT AFTER A 14 HOUR DRIVE, ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF MY RELATIONSHIP.


I'm sitting at my parent's house eating Crunchy Salty Trader Joe's peanut butter (my fav) and bananas. I drove about 1,100 miles with my mama over the past 2 days to get back to the land I love ... California. My blogs have been sparse lately ... due to 2 things: A, I've not been feeling very karmalized lately (embarrassing to admit after my last post) and B, in the last month, Derrek and I have made some major changes to our somewhat certain life plan and as a Libra ... I have a HARD time with massive changes that happened pretty much overnight ... tips my scales out of whack ya know? He's a Libra too ... but these changes were his idea making them easier to handle. Some I thought brilliant, others not so much.


I'm also a controlist ... meaning I like to BE-IN-CONTROL and when Derrek began making all these decisions to move, not build, buy a house, sell the land, close his business, I started to feel like a tiny bug who had been swept off my flower by a mini tornado with no clue as to where I'd be set down again. (Not a great analogy, but all I can come up with due to car brains.) I felt the same way when he wanted to move from LA to Colorado a year ago ... I went to be with him, but it wasn't really a joint decision. When I feel out of control, it's like I have permanent PMS and sadly, it's usually Derrek who feels the wrath. We've had a rough 2 weeks ... tons of fighting caused by me mainly ... being overly emotional and bitchy. Not using "my words" to communicate that "I feel like Derrek forgot there are 2 PEOPLE in a relationship," but instead, screaming through a deluge of angry tears. So, what to do? How to patch this cut in our love?


I'm a Tony Robbins fan and some of his best advice I believe was this: When you are looking for a partner, soul mate, etc. ask yourself, "Who do I have to become to attract that person? Who will that person be looking for?" Derrek is very much the type of person I've been looking for in this life ... but recently, I have become someone my ideal partner wouldn't want to be with. So I have to ask again ... to remind myself ... who must I be, not to attract, but to keep my soul mate? Of course, I need to be myself, but what qualities made him fall in love with me? Have I let those disappear during my own, internal struggle with control?


Here's my new list which is a little different from the list I made when I was still searching for my soul mate ... this list has to be custom made for Derrek.

"Who I Need to be to Keep Soul Mate"

(a.k.a. who did he fall in love with and where did she go?)

By Lindsay Lorraine Jones

I must treat him with loving kindness

I must respect him, his ideas, thoughts and quirks

Be nice

Support him

Be flexible

I must compromise

Trust him and believe in his abilities to do anything really wants

LISTEN!!!

I must not be his mother

I must be calm

Be honest and communicate my feelings without yelling

I must take time for myself and understand he will want to do the same

Accept that he is messy and likes to stay up late sometimes

I must appreciate his efforts to change things that really bother me

I must take the rocking chair test more often

I must not let myself be so comfortable that we become friends but not lovers

Be successful in my own right

I must put him first when something really matters to him and often for no reason at all

I must let him be who he is, fully and completely ... if I can't, we're not a match

I must RELAX

Cheer him on

I must be the water, clear, open and capable of flowing over any rocks in the river

Be a thoughtful woman, willing to go the extra mile

I must remember I am far from perfect and have quirks he could live without

Be intelligent

I must be confident

Always treat our love as a precious gift from the universe

I must cherish him, protect him and care for him

Be more selfless

I must live with him side by side, not 3 steps ahead

I must be flirtatious, fit and fashionable

Be affectionate, but not smother him

I must treat him, as wonderfully as he treats me

I must star in my own movie and let him star in his ... so we can co-star in our movie together with a happily ever after ending.

With Gratitude for a place to Rant,

~L~

You Can't Make Lemonade without Lemons

I'll be cliche and begin this blog with a cliche ... "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Great! Easy enough ... but has anyone ever asked "What if there are no lemons?" Try making lemonade without the key ingredient. Not following me? My point is in life, sometimes we need to deal with "lemons" before we can enjoy any sweet "lemonade." Right now, many feel life is handing out lemons like free samples at Costco ... I personally know many people who are having a really rough time because of the current economic state and it is SCARY AS HELL! SUPER SOUR if you will. But, it's during hard times, not blissfully flourishing times, that people revert back to living a more simple life, which does wonders for the soul.

My mom sent me this article that made me realize how hard times force people to examine what really matters in life ... food, shelter, water and family. That's about it. And so those of us who still have those 4 basic necessities ... should be feeling REALLY darn lucky right now. And, those of us who have any more than that, should feel the deepest sense of gratitude, for many have lost at least 1 of those 4 basic necessities. If you have a job right now, you're probably pretty pumped about it, even if you hated that same job 2 years ago.

Notice how when you are feeling grateful, it's hard to feel negative at the same time. So cultivate an attitude of gratefulness for all the small things in your life you normally take for granted when everything is lemonade. Try to be grateful for something in each activity you do today. It will change your state, lift your heart and allow you to help others remember that you can't make lemonade, without the lemons. This is my favorite excerpt from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet ... it pretty much says the same thing ... just a bit more eloquently. Enjoy! :)

With Gratitude for Lemons
~L~

Following a Whim and a Wish

My New Home!!!! Well, close to it ;)

When life magically changes course without any prior notice whatsoever ... it's invigorating, spastic, unsettling, and fabulous! 2 days ago Derrek called me to ask a "hypothetical" question. "What if we moved back to LA while the dome is being built (our new home) in Colorado?" Hypothetical turned into very real when we booked a flight to Los Angeles yesterday to view a house we saw on Craigs List today. We rented it on the spot!!!!!!!!!!! I'm moving back to the city I love and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
fantastically thrilled!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let life take you away sometimes in directions you never thought you would go! It feels really good, trust me.

With Gratitude for Unlikely Wishes Granted

~L~

January ... turned and burned?

Well, January 2009 is now a memory ... already one month turned and burned or lived and cherished, depending on who you are. I've done a little bit of both, with more turning and burning perhaps. Derrek and I just got back from a weekend in Denver, trying to escape the snow and cold in Aspen, but Denver was just as wintry. We managed though, to buy most of the furniture for the luxury dog boutique we're opening here called "D.O.G. by D. Haft." The store will highlight his custom collars and leashes, but we'll carry other fine pooch products as well.

It's about this time of year that I tend to reflect and revisit the "resolutions" I made one month ago with such gusto ... you can read mine for 2009 here. I try to read them a second time to assess how I've been living up to them so far. (It's very helpful to re-read them every month actually.) This year I chose to work on 4 areas of my life and this is how I am doing 1 month into '09 on a scale of 1-10.

1-My relationship with Derrek - treating him as kind as he treats me, nagging less - 4
2-Health/fitness - make the healthiest choices 90% of the time - 6
3-Financial Situation - spend money more consciously - 2
4-Career Goals - use my time more effectively - 5.5

Sooooooooooo ... I'm glad I decided to re-read these ... any time I take another look at my goals, plans, etc. I become "re-motivated." So take 10 minutes RIGHT NOW and think back on January ... have you let your resolution get eaten up by the busy buzzing world we live in? If you didn't make a resolution, how satisfied are you with how you lived your life in January 2009?

One last thing ... Derrek and I are trying out vegetarianism for the next week, beginning today. Wish us luck!

With Gratitude for February (the month D and I met)
~D&L~

I AM NOT GRATEFUL !$#*($&!@?

I went grocery shopping today after 3 weeks of avoiding the store. The local food shops in Aspen are SUPER $$ and the produce lacks serious luster, especially during the winter season ... yet the mushy cucumbers and frozen, yes frozen, avocados are still $3-$4 bucks each. However, there comes a point when cereal and soup are no longer cutting it so off to the store I must go. Wandering through the isles I felt annoyed ... annoyed by all the people crowding the tiny lanes, grossed out by all the "American" processed foods, over-packaged and under the category of "barely real food." (I'm reading The Omnivore's Dilemma along with Ishmael and both are really making me think about what we eat and consider to be food in our Western diet and how much more food we take-in than we really need to live.) Anywhooooo ... all if a sudden I stopped and thought of something I'd read earlier this morning in a little Gratitude book Derrek gave me. "Think of something you are not grateful for and be grateful for it all day." Sounds strange but it really changes your perception of things.

So ... as I gazed around at all the shelves brimming with food, processed or not, I thought I'm grateful for this plentiful, if not over indulgent display of edible products. I'm happy I have enough money to come into this overpriced store and buy any food at all. I am grateful I have never spent one day hungry in my 27 years here on earth. And I became grateful for all those shoppers surrounding me who also, are not suffering from hunger. I still bought food items with as few ingredients as possible, and tried for the organic stuff ... but my state changed in an instant from annoyance and frustration, to appreciation for what I was being given right then.

With Gratitude for Being Grateful in Ungrateful Circumstances
~L~

Blow Up Your Life TODAY!!

This isn't really the time of year for spring cleaning ... but it is a great time to take inventory of your life, your day to day routine, the clutter in your head. Sit down somewhere quiet, or somewhere bustling, somewhere you can think for 30 minutes. Go through a typical day ... what do you do in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Focus on specific, if mundane tasks and think about how you feel, REALLY FEEL, throughout your days. Opening your eyes in the morning, seeing first light ... how is your energy level? HOW DO YOU FEEL on a regular basis? Forget about an afterlife for now and be present. If this is not a dress rehearsal ... if this is it, then are you starring in the play of your dreams? Or are you just an extra in a dull production someone else wrote? Take stock my friend ... do you need to make some leaps, or just some minor changes?

What do you need to be doing, daily, to be living a life you love to live? I'm 27, still trying to figure out how to love life more everyday.

A New Kind of Resolution

I'm sure you can relate ... every year at this time, making one big, all important resolution for the coming year that gets lost as quickly as the ball drops on New Year's Eve. So this year, I'm trying something different. Instead of making 1 high pressure resolution, I'm giving my life a bit of a make-over, that will hopefully leave me feeling more fulfilled when 2010 rolls into town.

I sat near a fountain this morning, meditating on what I would have changed about my 2008 on all different levels. Health, love, finances, etc. Then I imagined what I would like to see change for the better in all those areas of my life. I focused on these 4 things:

1-My relationship with Derrek
2-Health/fitness
3-Financial Situation
4-Career Goals

For each area, I made up a small goal to work towards ... i.e. be as kind to Derrek as he is to me.
Then I came up with a question to ask myself often, to help me achieve my goals.

1-relationship - Am acting with loving kindness towards Derrek right now? Is this worth getting mad about?

2-health- What is the healthiest choice I can make right now, in this moment? What will I gain by choosing the healthy choice versus the unhealthy choice?

3- money - Is this the most financially sound decision I can make at this time? How many hours of work is this purchase costing me?

4- career- What action can I take today that will have a direct effect on moving my business forward?

I plan to ask myself these simple questions when I am faced with various situations and by doing this, I am hoping to consciously make better decisions, exist in the moment and be living a more loving, healthier, happier life by 2010. In my re-vamped life I will:

ENJOY MORE ... STRESS LESS

LIVE MORE ... WORRY LESS

LOVE MORE ... JUDGE LESS

THINK MORE ... REACT LESS

GIVE MORE ... TAKE LESS

Does Death Ever Knock on the Wrong Door?

LAUREN AND CHASE

Last week I got a call from my best childhood friend, Tiffany. It was late, around midnight, so I instantly thought "what's wrong?" She told me some tragic news about our good friend Lauren. Her brother was in a boating accident and had been missing for over 48 hours. Your whole body freezes when you hear news like that. Chase and some friends had just taken a ride on a lake in Texas to celebrate being done with finals. His friends set up a Facebook site urging people to pray for the missing Chase, only 23 years old, which quickly grew to over 5000 members. Almost a week later, his body was found in the lake.

When death comes like this, so suddenly, stealing the life of a young guy just out having fun, it's very hard to believe it was this soul's "time to go." It becomes harder, at least for me, to believe that "everything happens for a reason," and that God, or the universe, or whoever you believe in, has a master plan. But, as Derrek told me, if this death was just a pure accident, a truly random event, then that would mean there is no order to our universe at all ... something even harder to swallow. When I look at the way nature functions, I can only believe there is order and a grand scheme being played out each day. The human body, an amazing machine that functions without effort ... that too makes me believe in a higher power and that there is a reason for everything.

But then a death like this catapults a huge boulder into the smoothly moving gears of my mind and I question all I believe and wonder ... is every event just a random happening on this big ball flying through space? No. It can't be, right?

Please pray for my friend Lauren and the Bergfeld family and everyone who knew and still loves Chase. Meditate, send out energy, do what works for you and help this family unit heal and understand this time in their lives.

Friends have set up a memorial fund for the family. Donations can be made at any Bank of America location.

Chase Bergfeld Memorial Fund
Bank of America
2900 West Davis St.
Conroe, Tx. 77304
(936) 539-0299

You can also donate at:
http://chasebergfeld.blogspot.com/

With Gratitude for Living Each Day
~L~

DOG SAVES DOG!!!

This is the most amazing, touching video about 2 dogs, who clearly mean a lot to each other. We often forget how emotional animals truly are ... I think they're more emotional than humans a lot of the time. Only 52 seconds of your time and you'll think of doggies in a whole new way!

4 Peculiar Suns Appear

This video is really interesting ... do you think 4 small suns really appeared? I don't know what to make of it ... but I like it ;) So I'm sharing - now go eat a cupcake and think on this unique clip!

Farms Moving Into Sky Scrapers?? Maybe!

Derrek and I begin building our monolithic dome home in April on some land we bought 30 miles from Aspen. We've been looking for innovative, nifty, neato ways to create a green house where we can grow all of our own fruits and veggies year round before 2012 hits ... (just kidding kind of). This is difficult to do in Colorado where it snows all winter ... but this may be our solution! Pretty amazing ... I'm shocked this guys not super-uber famous by now.

OMEGA GARDEN

3 Great Weeks - 3 Great Men - TOTAL INSPIRATION!

No, no ... I did not meet someone else ... Derrek is still my one and only (we're actually more in love than ever) but I did meet 3 amazing men in the past 3 weeks while hosting Plum TV ( my new J.O.B) and I feel each one of their stories deserves some "face time" on my little karmic blog. Aspen Co. and the roaring fork valley seems to lure in good people ... real people, sincere people, people with a PASSION for living life. I've been privileged to meet many awesome souls since I arrived in gorgeous June. This months meetings just iced the already wonderfully karmalized cake I've been enjoying here in Colorado.

My first Plum TV interview was with Chris Klug, an Aspen local who started The Chris Klug Foundation after he received a liver transplant which he waited 9 years to get. Derrek and I hiked the mountain you see on our "somewhat daily pic" at night with about 300 other people to support Chris's cause called Summit for Life. Oh, and after he got the liver transplant, he became an Olympic medalist in Snowboarding! Hmmm ... after chatting with this kid, I was feeling PRETTY lame for ever letting a small obstacle in my life stand in the way of a dream.

The following week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shad Ireland, first dialysis patient to complete an Ironman Triathlon! That's a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run!!! WHOAAAAAA MAMA or DADA! His body rejected 2 kidney transplants, so he lives by dialysis everyday week and guess what? He lives his dreams despite his hardships! Makes you take a long hard look at the teensy tiny things we all complain about and let hold us back doesn't it?

I never actually got to meet my third man, but his story still resonated within the walls of my heart. Brad Ludden, world champion kayaker, serious philanthropist, entrepreneur, and oh yeah, Cosmos Most Eligible Bachelor of 2008. This magnificent dude never made it to the Plum TV set ... due to traffic I was told (much to Derrek's relief ... he he.) Nonetheless Brad rocks. He began a free camp, First Descents, for young adults with cancer when he was just 18 years old. He had a killer career going on and yet, he looked outside that huge ego box called "ME" and thought, how can I use my passion to help others? The people attend camps around North America and learn to kayak and do other extreme outdoor sports. Brad's goal is to help them heal on an emotional level and give them confidence as well as the passion to live life fully no matter what! Pretty neat isn't it? Check out Brad's Video.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO LIVE YOUR DREAM AND HELP OTHERS DO THE SAME?

Want to be Happy Everyday? Do this dance!

GET GRATEFUL. NOT A LITTLE GRATEFUL. A LOT GRATEFUL. GET THERE.
DO IT NOW. DO THIS DANCE :)

The Best Habit to Have ...

I've always loved the holidays because people are nicer to each other. You notice it, especially in big cities like LA. Here in Aspen, people are pretty nice all year long, but this cheery season still makes people think more about others. While browsing some other "karmalized" blogs, I saw one woman's explanation of why this time of year is so special. People everywhere are in a heightened state of awareness ... their consciousness is raised up toward their higher self and people are more kind, loving, selfless,and giving. This is the kind of awareness we must embody 365 days each year.

No matter what your current situation is with money, relationships, your career, etc. remember there is always SOMETHING you can do to make someones day a little easier, a bit brighter, and sometimes all it takes is a smile. Give more when you think you cannot give and more will come to you. Search you soul for what you can do to help another soul today, tonight, this holiday season, and this coming year. Thoughtful kindness feels so good ... it becomes a habit and that kind of habit can save our world. Just try it out for a few days ... goodness always feels better than the alternative!

One World, One Family

Last night Derrek and I went to grab dinner in the bar at our favorite hotel In Aspen, The St. Regis. As we sat there by a warm fire eating a delicious ham a gruyere cheese sandwich, we noticed 2 other parties in the bar and grinned ... each was super multi-ethnic. Black, Asian, White, Indian ... I have to say rather unusual for Aspen but wonderful to see! Our world is melding, melting into one family like chocolate melts into cream and makes a decadent ganache! It warmed our souls to see old barriers disappearing on this cold winters night.

With Gratitude for Human Kind
~L&D~

2 "GOOD" THINGS THAT ARE VERY BAD 4 U!

This video is one of the BEST Derrek has sent me because the information is very important but not widely known. It's not fun stuff to hear, but there is a reason many countries in Europe have banned fluoridation in their water! Also, think twice before getting a flu shot this year ... the flu is better than pumping your body with mercury which is in thimerosal, the preservative used for most flu shots! Yikes! You can find thimerosal free flu shots, but it's hard.

49,275 Things We Are Thankful For!!!!!

Derrek and I are thankful for so many things it's hard to count! But there are 4 basic things we are most thankful for ... simple things, crucial things, though we often take them for granted! We are very lucky, very fortunate because every day since we were born we've been blessed with enough food, clean water, shelter, health, and love. It's easy to forget that many people don't have all 5 of these necessary luxuries everyday. We have been blessed with them 365 days a year for 27 and 31 years respectively ... giving us around 49, 275 things to be thankful for!!!!!!

With Gratitude for Great Food and Friends
L&D

Don't judge ... just listen.

This is pretty interesting considering the information is coming from a member in the catholic church. No judgment here ... just take it all in ;)

A TOUR THROUGH OUR REALITY

Derrek sent me this video ... another amazing clip he found at stumbleupon.com. Take a few minutes to watch and walk away with a new view on what IS and what is not REALITY!

Derrek's Creation Story

TIBETAN REINDEER

Recently, my man has taken his hobby of crafting leather and copper to a new level. He is a creative to the core and has a passion for animals, especially D.O.G.'s ! This summer he opened D. Haft, a boutique company that makes custom dog collars. He's worked SO hard and I could not be more proud of my insanely talented man ... so yes, I'm shamelessly promoting him here on our blog.

DOME

However, besides wanting him to succeed, there is another reason for this post. Derrek is happier than he's been in a long time and we both feel it's because he is constantly creating and working on something he's passionate about. When you are painting or writing or even building a website, when your mind is fully engaged, you live in the present moment and it is in the moment that we find bliss.

If you have a special dog in your family this is the perfect Christmas gift for any extraordinary pooch. You can see more of D's work by click here. Feel free to call him if you want to create a unique dog collar of your own!

NOEL

With Gratitude for Creative Spirits

~L~

Post Office Angel ~ Best Story of the Year!

I got this in an e-mail forward from a special friend of mine who I met while doing yoga in Aspen. Someone sent it to her and I am thankful she shared it with me. Pass this story on to anyone you know ... we can all appreciate this type of gift! The letter brought a smile to my face and even Derrek got a little teary eyed as I read it to him. Let's ALL try and be as kind and thoughtful to fellow human beings as a person was to this little girl!

With the deepest gratitude for earthly miracles

~L&D~

THE E-MAIL READ:

"This is one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,
Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love, Meredith.

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith, and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' ....in an unfamiliar hand writing. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies'. Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank yo ur mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

The White Envelope

Tonight I was in Carl's Pharmacy ... an iconic store in Aspen where you go to buy everything from organic eye cream and cheese whiz to art supplies. I was at the check out counter purchasing 3 of my favorite Alba lip balm (BEST LIP STUFF) when I remembered I needed an envelope. I asked the clerk where I could find them, but they were located upstairs and honestly, I was just feeling too lazy to make the climb and told him so. He turned around, shuffled through some papers and handed me a white envelope. "Do you just need one?" he asked. "Yup, just one. Thanks." Right then, I remembered the Karmalized cash, still in my wallet. I thought about giving him the dollar as thanks for the good karma but then I saw a little plastic bucket for a kids charity. "Perfect! What a great way to begin circulating this karmalized dollar," I thought and dropped it in.

WiTh GrAtItUdE for small acts of kindness
~L~

What We REALLY Are ... No Offense

This little video is definitely worth the 4 minutes it takes to watch it! You'll laugh, you'll be slightly offended, you'll question your purpose as a human here on earth, and you'll think ... how interesting and silly, but true this is! At least that's what I thought. What do you think? Enjoy the show.

Karmalized Cash

I came up with this idea last week after a perfect stranger paid my $10.00 parking fee since I held the elevator door for him. I took the $10 and wrote around the perimeter, "This is $10 is an act of good karma. Pass it on to someone in need or use it for a special good deed." I wrote the same thing on a $5 and $1 bill. I believe the "rate of return" on this small investment will be priceless. 1 bill passes through thousands of hands and is seen by thousands of eyes before it gets put out of circulation. If only 1/3 of the people who get this "Karmalized Cash" actually pass it on for a selfless reason, many lives will be touched and karmalized!

I haven't given my Karmalized Cash away yet ... but there are tons of ways to use it ... give your coffee bar person a $10 tip, leave the bill in a random place and let someone else discover it, or just hand a few Karmalized $1 bills to people on the street and say ... pass it on. The money will help those who need to spend it and hopefully be used for good deeds by those of us who can afford to give it away. An amazing teacher once told me "Give like you have it, and one day you will. Then give even more." Make some Karmalized Cash today and you'll know when it's time to give it away :)

With Gratitude for Selfless Acts

~L&D~

Corporate Karma from LA to India

I'm back in Aspen and the snow on the ground seems grand at the moment, but I wanted to report one more inspiring story of good karma from my trip to LA. Century City is a corporate mecca; Skyscrapers over 25 floors high dominate the small but powerful city and suits decorate the streets in mass. True, I'm judging, but it's just not somewhere I'd expect to have a conversation about karma, unless I was at Equinox, taking yoga. What I'm discovering while writing this blog however, is karma really CAN and DOES turn up everywhere. All you have to do, (as cornball as it may sound) is be open to receiving karmic energy.

On my elevator ride down from the 15th floor of one of the massive buildings (after my dental cleaning,) a gentleman in a suit got on. He got out in the lobby and I heard him say he was on the wrong floor so I held the door so he could travel on to his final destination. He smiled, and said "thanks, where would I be without you?" "On the wrong floor," I replied with a grin. He told me it was good karma, holding the door, so I gave him a karmalizedlife card and told him to check out this blog.

When we got to the parking garage, he paid for my parking, to repay the karma I guess. Ten bucks from a total stranger! I saved that $10 bill and plan to pass it along to another person when the time seems right. That's how this works ... you have to pass goodness on! More touching than paying my parking fee however, was the story he told me:

"I'm travel all over the world for business," he began. "One time, my car broke down in a small village in India. It seemed like the whole town came out to help me get the thing fixed. When they finally did, I wanted to offer them compensation, but all they wanted was my BIC ball point pen. I gave them that with a business card. Many months later, I received a thick letter in the mail. Each child in the village had written me something using the pen I gave them, until the ink ran out on the last page." I could see this big-time business man had been truly touched by their gesture. I thank him for sharing that story. It made me smile all week!

Do something kind for a stranger today and ask them to pass it on!
With Gratitude for random karmic kindness
~L~

A Karmic Dental Experience

I don't LOVE going to the dentist ... who does ... but I am neurotic about keeping my teeth cavity free. A few days ago I went to Dr. Dorfman (great place if you need an LA dentist) for my 6 month cleaning. It's a large office so unless you specify, you'll get a different hygienist each time. This time I got Suzie. I am a complete baby when it comes to any sort of discomfort or pain, so I decided to close my eyes and try to meditate through this cleaning session. About halfway through plaque removal (so fun), Suzie and I discovered we were both foodies. Hooray! I quit attempting to meditating and enjoyed the rest of my time there as she told be about her large home garden right here in LA! (See Derrek, we did not need to move to Colorado after all!) She grows fresh lettuce, in season veggies and fruit. I think that it's so karmalized that she found a way to get close to the "land" and all mother earth can provide while living in a large city. I for one left the dentist feeling very inspired and that's never happened before :) I'll try to get Suzie to e-mail some pics of her harvest and post them here!

With Gratitude for Fresh Produce

~L~

Inspired in LA

I feel like I'm swimming in Karmic Heaven! Last time I returned to LA after being in Aspen, Co. for a few months, I experienced something similar and was shocked at how karmalized Angelinos really are. I've only been back 2 days, but I already have 3 stellar good karma moments to share! Here's #1

GOOD KARMA ON WILSHIRE BLVD:

My favorite place to get a cheap but very good mani-pedi in LA is Wendy Nails. It's a tiny little shop tucked away on Wilshire Blvd. just east of Robertson. I went yesterday and stumbled upon an interesting boutique just 2 doors down from the nail place called MADE TO INSPIRE. The writing in the window drew me inside ... it said something like, live life with love, laugh, inspire ... all gushy feel good things. I had a nice chat with the sales woman and picked up a little black t-shirt by courierfontwear that says "GIVE MORE THAN YOUR SHARE." I like the shirt, but what I loved more was the tag. It's a plastic card that reads:

"Personal Mission Statement

From this moment forward I resolve to live my life

with integrity and purpose, operating from principle,

not ego, in order that I may inspire love and trust

by being an example to all; I understand that life is sacred

and, therefore, will not judge nor deny another my

unconditional love; I will seek only to be of service

and understand that as long as I align myself with

the Power and Wisdom of the Universe,

I have nothing to fear."

- tag on t by courierfontwear

With Gratitude for Creative Businesses

~L~

The Ideal Way to go GREEN!

I found this site in Woman's Health Magazine. It's one of those "great ideas" that makes you wonder ... "why didn't i think of that?" Anyway, I've been off blog duty for a while since I was "stranded" in Lake Tahoe ( my home town) with no internet to be found. (YAY! for about 3 days, annoying after that.) It's 10pm and I'm tired but I wanted to get back to the blogsphere so here's a quick post for you to nibble on :) Check out Ideal Bite and get your green on, in a very user friendly way of course.

With Gratitude for Easy Green Living & Great Ideas!
~L&D~

Hope or Hate?

How can we be so evolved in many meaningless ways, yet so completely primal in areas of evolution that truly matter? For example, our capacity to love, accept, and respect every member of the human race. It is in this area that many seem to be permanently stuck in the stone age.

Overall, I have little interest in the puppet show called politics ... but I have to say, there seems to be something bigger happening this election year. This is not just another race to be won. Thousands of people, who, like myself, would normally take little to no interest in the election, are now some of the most active, interested Americans! Why? Why are there hundreds of creative videos being made on youtube in support of Obama? Why are everyday civilians taking time out of their busy lives to create inspiring messages for him? It's hard to find even 1 youtube video a McCain supporter has made out of their genuine interest in his campaign.

Can Obama really change everything or anything in Washington? Who knows ... who knows who really wields the golden reigns up on that hill. But guess what? Obama, win or lose, has already made a HUGE CHANGE! He has inspired the "un-inspirable." He has impressed the generation that cannot be impressed, and he has initiated a movement in a country that has stood still for many, many years. For the first time in a LONG TIME, people who don't follow politics care and that alone is change enough for me.

A very special person sent me this video, and it brought me to tears. As a 26 year old girl from California, I have seen very little of this type of HATE, but it does still exist and at the moment, it's rearing its UGLY, SICKLY, IGNORANT head in many parts of "the land of the free."

Please watch and ponder this scenario: A loved one is terribly ill, at risk of dying, and the only Dr. who can operate on them happens to be someone who, on paper, you dislike or even hate. This doctor practices eastern medicine, you're unfamiliar and uncomfortable with that. He doesn't talk like a typical doctor.This doctor is a democrat, you're a devout republican. This doctor is a black man. You happen to be racist. This doc's name alone makes you cringe and think "terrorism," because that's what you've been told to think by the powers that be. This doctor is young, you're, well, old. He's different from any doctor you've ever known. You don't like him, but you LOVE the person he is going to TRY and save. He is the ONLY DOCTOR who can try to bring your loved one back to you. Do you let him treat your daughter, husband, wife, son, mother, brother, best friend, mom, dad? Do you set aside your stubborn differences to give your loved one a fighting chance?

Our GREAT NATION, our loved one, is extremely sick.
Obama is the only doctor who has any chance of saving us at all.
We need some different medicine, even if it is experimental, and for some of us, uncomfortable.

The Time Has Come: INTERCONNECT

Obama, no matter what his platforms, is one step closer to "Oneness" and a thousand steps away from separateness.

In Thear - E

Once upon a time there was a land ... the beings that inhabited the land believed their home to be ancient, but in truth, it was very young. Thear began as a vision, conceptualized by the great mystic Nus. Male nor female, Nus had the ability to materialize anything it saw clearly though the third eye. At one point in time, Nus drifted into a state of conscience awareness while sleeping, and Thear was born. A large globe, covered with water and a few barren spots of land, that was all. Nothing should have come of the planet. Nus had created millions of planets before, never with this much water, but nothing had ever come of them. They spun off into the universe, ne'er to be seen again.
Time passed and this planet remained in the same spot, there to see, every time Nus passed through the Yaw Ykilm galaxy. Curious Nus was, though not bothered. Time flowed on as it does. Thear did not move, but settled into a swirling, cosmic current that kept it from disappearing into space. Marinating in the same spot for centuries, The Life Process began. Nus noticed this, the lands turning green, small organisms growing under the great waters, but didn't think it would ever disturb the overall well being of the universe. For once in eternity, Nus was wrong.
TBC ... one day

With Gratitude for Space in My Mind
~L~

Misplaced Space

Center of a Crop Circle: Avebury, England

Derrek's in Kauai for 2 weeks with Rob (his bff, yes guys have those too). For the first time, I'm alone in Aspen, in the apartment, with his dogs, my thoughts and feelings. And I'm feeling like I'm only living here for him and now that he's gone I'm thinking "Why the hell am I here?" That's known as "putting all your organic happiness eggs in one basket," which EVERYONE knows is not smart. I was/am planning on using this time to find a life in Aspen outside of Sir. Haft, but I feel quite uninspired to do so. Mentally, I am unwilling to begin growing roots here and I must ask myself why? So ... I wrote this:

MISPLACED SPACE

Breathe in, breathe out
Slow down enough to notice
Where are you now ... now that he's gone?

Slow breath, in deep
Eyes closed, can't sleep
Where, tell me where are you now?

Where did the you go?
The one you said you'd always know ...
The only one you can't let slip away.

Silence speak louder
Than any conversation
And it's screaming you have lost your way.

So now sitting, slowly breathing
How can I climb back inside myself?
Live life for me, my life only, stop living life for someone else.

If You Haven't Seen This ... WATCH!

If you haven't seen Zeitgeist and your wondering what the %&#*#@& is going on with our world today, watch it before October 2rd, when part 4 debuts at the LA Artivist's Film Fest and online.
Part 3 is all about the Federal Banking system and extra interesting in times like these.

Here's a sneak peek!

Shelter from the Storm

How sheltered is too sheltered? Living in Aspen is a lot like living in a bubble that's virtually impossible to pop. Every morning I read about turmoil in the rest of the world ... the crisis on Wall Street, the dark cavernous valley our economy finds itself in today, the war on "terrorism." But around here you would never know the zeitgeist of the times is dismal. What makes Aspen so impervious to the woes of the world? The easy answer is the affluent residents that support the town, no matter what's happening on Wall Street ... but surely some of the wealthiest lost out over the past few weeks, no? There must be something bigger that keeps Aspen "safe."
I was hiking to American Lake at 7am, the morning after everything when bust. All of a sudden, I stopped dead in my tracks, not because I saw a bear, but because of the gargantuan mountain looming in front of me. The silent stillness of early morning in the wilderness surrounded me like a cocoon. Tiny white butterflies flew around, riding gentle zephyrs. On the ground, a jet black beetle made it's way to wherever ... with no plans, no sense of urgency, and no idea what was "really" going on in the world that day ... rather strange given that animals have an innate way of knowing before something catastrophic happens. They head for higher ground days before tsunamis hit and sense earthquakes far before we predict them. So, why were all the animals completely calm before, during and after the recent economic crash? Clearly, on a cosmic and universal level, it just wasn't that threatening or important. We can learn so much from nature and the way it responds to things.
The trees were still growing, the sun was still shining, the Aspen leaves were still turning their annual palate of sunset shades. Nothing on Wall Street was affecting the awe inspiring nature that surrounds this little tucked-away town. Standing on the top of a mountain at 11, 000 ft and staring up at another mountain that's who knows how high, I felt small and insignificant but calm and strong at the same time. You realize, if only for one moment, how trivial the society we've constructed is compared to Mother Earth. She has been here long before public companies, big business brokerage firms, and the Fed. Not one market in the world could crash hard enough to bring a mountain range crumbling down. We don't control everything like we think we do. In fact we control very little that matters.

So, do I feel guilty living in this beautiful bubble? Is it making me "soft?" Maybe, but the last thing we need is more humans, hardened by the society-created chaos that currently ensues.

With Gratitude for Bubbles and Aspen in the Autumn
~L~

Enjoy Uncertainty

Until I met Derrek, my life was full of certainties ... little rules I set up for myself and often expected those around me to live by. Plans and daily routines made everything just right, so nothing would go wrong of course. Well, Derrek, I believe, is my soul mate, but the D man knows nothing of rules, plans, or routines. Lately this has caused a bit of, shall we say, confusion in our relationship. He cannot understand why on earth I think we must make our bed everyday complete with decorative pillows and I cannot for the life of me fathom how he can sleep in until 12 noon each day and let the floor be his closet. Hmmmm ... who's right? Neither one of us you see ... we're just different. We must compromise and learn from each other.
So ladies and gentlemen, I am trying to do just that. I am attempting to be more spontaneous, less regimented, and embrace the freedom that uncertainty gives you. At the moment I don't have a set schedule because, well, I'm somewhat jobless. This may sound like a walk in the park/day at the beach but truth be told, it's irritating the hell out of me. I almost took a very un-Lindsay-like corporate job at Louis Vuitton today just to have certainty and routine back in my life. Why? Why would I do that? What is SO bad about uncertainty? Our society has trained us to live in this little box ... we live in boxes, drive to work in a box to sit in a cubicle box, then go home to watch TV on a box and sometimes we mix it up and eat dinner on a circular plate, but many of us, eat dinner out of a ... you guessed it: box. (Zeitgeist) I WANT TO GET OUTSIDE THE BOX!
So, I am throwing away the box life I've been told to lead and moving to an abstract shape full of uncertainty. I am planning on writing a cookbook despite all the things I've read about how HARD it is to get published if you're not famous or on TV at the very least. So ... 1 st step, get on TV. I'm screen testing for Plum TV in Aspen next Monday. Yay! Wish me luck and I hope to see you outside the box! EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY NOW. Derrek is living proof that it's more fun.

With Gratitude for Uncertainty
~L~

Karma in the City

So ...... clearly, I am not great at blogging and traveling at the same time. I'm just back from a month in sunny, palm tree laden California, my state I miss so much. It's great to go between 2 homes but easy to feel lost in translation. (Cliche yes, but I don't care.) On August 13th I boarded a plane headed for the Golden State planning to spend 2 weeks, but 14 days somehow turned into 32 days ... oops! Derrek drove to La La Land and we went to San Fran for a few nights. I ENJOY that City so much it's kinda perverse, but more on that later.

After being in Aspen since June, the first few days back in LA felt weird. It was like returning to your old house and noticing, for the first time, its peculiar smell ... you never notice stuff like that until you leave and come back. There is a harsh energy in the city that's quick to wrap itself around anyone feeling the slightest bit vulnerable and out of place. By day 4 though, all that crazy energy was fueling my soul and I felt energized & peaceful. Maybe it was the Zen calm of Aspen radiating from within, or perhaps people everywhere are just becoming cooler and more genuine, but I, we, met an unusual amount of karmalized, spiritual humans in the most random places while in LA & San Fran.

First karmalized stranger: I was waiting in line at Loehmann's, one of my favorite bargain shopping joints, when the girl behind me asked if I was spending over $100, which I'll admit I was, but I bought A LOT for around $225! D-E-A-L. Anyway, she gave me a coupon she had for %30 off since it expired the next day and she was spending less than the required $100. SO very karmalized of her ... thank you wherever you are :)

Next karma stop: San Fran TAXI DRIVERS! Yes sir, the guys who scared my parents and I years ago, whizzing up the stupidly steep SF hills and screeching to nauseating stops, seem to have been replaced by mellow, kind, and yes even spiritual cab drivers. By the end of our trip, we were wondering if their was some kind of peaceful taxi driver movement taking place.

The first guy flipped a u-turn just to pick us up from Ghirardelli Square. As thanks, we gave him a Duet Chocolate Bar. "This is a little good karma coming your way," I said. "Pass it on." You guys believe in Karma?" he asked. "Very much we do!" "More people need to believe in such things" he grinned. Next we had Dikesh Maskey from Nepal who couldn't have been sweeter and told us to visit his country in our lifetime since it is a very friendly, spiritual place. His business card read, "Reliable transportation with good conversation." Call him next time your in San Fransisco (650-793-0157). Another guy asked Derrek to take his hand out of the window so it didn't get hit by a bus or crazy driver. Silence ensued until we got out ... then the driver said, "You are both very kind. Stay that way." I felt like I was in a movie called Sacred Messages from Yellow Cab. On the way back from Haight Ashbury, our cab driver was a lady, and while she didn't say much, we could tell she'd been smoking something peaceful :).

Our final cab ride in SF was almost our final cab ride period. As we took off from a red light, an oncoming car veered into our lane nearly hitting us head on. If the driver hadn't swerved so quickly, well ... who knows. He was really shaken up and talked to us for the rest of the drive. He said he saw his whole life flash before his eyes and never before had he been in an accident. He was a safe driver, he said, not one of those crazy guys. He told us how lucky we must all feel for everyday above ground. Each driver was different ... young, old, Korean, Middle-Eastern, Nepalese ... but all delivered one soulful message of kindness, good karma, and love.

With Gratitude for Karmalized Cabbies & Coupons

~L&D~

A Question for You ... Yes You!

Are you happy and fulfilled or just busy?

It's easy to confuse the two. Remember, permanent happiness can only come from within. Everything on the outside that makes you "happy" is temporary, fleeting.

With Gratitude for Happiness,

~L~

Shoe Box Time Machine

MY 1ST DAY ON EARTH

I just traveled back in time via shoe box. Well, via the contents of a shoe box actually, and no, I don't mean a stellar pair of vintage Chanel shoes. This old shoe box held heaps of photographs from my childhood. Most of the pics I hadn't seen since the year they were taken and BOY can a picture bring back memories with a large side dish of untainted emotions. From seeing myself as a baby, little fat hands clinging desperately to my Dad's big arm to photos of my first high school prom ... a trip into my past was exactly what I need tonight.

NEW BORN BABY or just consciousness in disguise?
I'm almost done reading A NEw EartH and THe Way of the PeaceFul WarRior. Sometimes it's easy to get completely immersed in the various "spiritual" ways of thinking and forget how simple and wonderful our human experience is. I mean, I get it, we're all the same, all one, because at our roots, we are all consciousness. True (I think). I understand my purest essence is not REALLY Lindsay L. Jones, 26 year old female, self-professed creative, albeit confused, culinary fanatic. That is simply how I have been taught to perceive myself. However, looking through all those pictures tonight, reliving precious single moments, family vacations, ice skating competitions ... I felt strongly connected to my human "avatar" Miss Lindsay L. Jones. Those photos, those events, have been the thread that has woven my life together up to the present day. So why is it so important that we re-connect with our spirit bodies while in our human bodies? Can't we just enjoy this ride for what it is? Maybe that's the answer. Feel free to enjoy the human experience, this earthen roller coaster ride, as long as you realize that's exactly what it is ... one more experience, another event, in the endless vibrational, in the eternal. Whatever the case, at the moment ... I'm feeling very content with my life, past, present, and future.

The Necessary Bucket of Ice Water

Why aren't more people talking about 2012? If disaster is going to strike our world, putting the earth "out of business," changing our planet's geography and climate completely, why then are so many people in the dark on this subject? Derrek has done quite a bit of research about this highly prophesied year, this 2012, and we're both still confused. Recently though, I came across this piece of writing by Michael Brown ... author of The Presence Process, who we just saw speak in Aspen. The light he shed on this gray area subject seemed to me, the best information I've found thus far ... so I felt I had to share it with all my loyal karmalizedlife readers! ha ha, all 3 or 4 of you :)

Please click on this link to read "Here Comes the Sun" by Michael Brown.

Also, cruise around his website when you feel the urge ... great stuff. He's published by the same people who publish Eckhart Tolle ... just FYI.

With Gratitude for Today and What's to Come,

~L~

Don't Forget to Groove

I'm sitting in the bar at The St. Regis, my new favorite place to blog late night, while sipping sparkling wine (poor man's champagne :) Usually it's a very quiet spot, but tonight a deep, velvety sound is pulsing throughout the packed room as a live band "BooCoo" plays soulful beats. Today, everything seemed to be reminding me to "groove." In other words, don't take life too seriously ... in fact, it's probably wiser not to take life seriously at all. Lately I've been so worried and confused about what I'm going to do for work up here in Aspen. Today, I killed that worry.

After my 9am yoga class, I had another nice chat with my friend/mentor who helped guide me in a very intuitive way last week. Her words reassured me that worrying was not necessary ... work, a career, a job would come to me when the time was right. Later, reading A New Earth over coffee at Zele's, the chapters came across as if he was speaking to my situation directly. My entire life I have been pretty serious, especially as a child. I've always been driven and hard on myself, taking life so seriously. In LA, it's hard to take yourself seriously, so i got away from it, but since moving here, worry seems to have returned. After reading these excerpts, I felt a great sense of release and lightness towards life.

"Nonresistance, nonjudgment, and nonattachment are the three aspects of true freedom an enlightened living."

"When you are no longer totally identified with forms, consciousness - who you are - becomes freed from its imprisonment in form. The freedom is the arising of inner space. It comes as a stillness, a subtle peace deep within you, even in the face of something seemingly bad ... Suddenly there is space around the event ... Now you can enjoy and honor the things of this world (material, formed based things) without giving them an importance and significance they don't have." (i.e. a promotion, new purse, or new job.)

"Whenever you are upset about an event, a person, or a situation, the real cause is not the event, person or situation, but a loss of true perspective that only space can provide." - Eckhart Tolle

After reading all this in my Tolle book, I decided to let go and stop taking this job hunting process SUPER SERIOUSLY ... and guess what? I landed a writing gig a few hours later for The Aspen Sojourner magazine. So remember, we are living our lives on a large playground called "Earth." Everything we experience here is fleeting and temporary, so enjoy it while it lasts, but don't get too attached for your own sanity, and don't forget to groove ... daily :)

Are You Awake?

tAKE 15 MINUTES for you ToDAY AND watch this video clip ... then ask yourself, are you awake? If not, the blog I post next will wake you up like a blue bucket of ice water! Sounds fun, huh? My mom used to pull my toes to make me wake up when I was little and late for school ... because sometimes, you just HAVE TO WAKE UP!

Innerspace and all that... (Sufism)