This is the REAL Pope, my friends. I woke at 4:30 in the morning thinking of how ironic it is that the world is welcoming a new Pope, while my small circle of friends are saying goodbye to theirs. So, here is my Pope story [one of many...]: If you grew up in Lansing, MI, you've probably been to the rooftop of El Azteco East in the summer time. Well, Pope and I didn't have cars nor money, but we both had the day off, and the rooftop was beckoning us, on this particularly hot summer day.

We had a brilliant idea. We would walk five miles to El Azteco, and on our way, we would donate plasma so we would have money for a Topopo salad. All was going skippingly well. What's a day's travel by foot with a character like this... nothing but fun. We stopped at a park and rode the merry-go-round, played the whole way there. Yes, I can still remember sitting next to Pope in the chair with tubes coming out of our arms, gayly joking and laughing with the staff.

When we arrived at El Az, there was a line going all the way up the stairs. Must have been an hour wait... in the full sun. Not sure Pope and I were bright enough to have brought any water on our journey with us that day, you know how kids are! We finally made it to the top of the stairs, and I started to feel a little light headed. In fact, I was seeing stars, and birdies just like in the cartoons. I didn't know what was happening, but I think Pope got the faint impression I was about to pass out, so he urged the help to get me some lemonade. I slurped it down, but it wasn't helping. In my last full swoon, I managed to utter the request: "A donut, a bagel, a tortilla... I'm outta here" as I hit the floor.

Those became famous last words. So Pope, in honor of you: "A donut, a bagel, a tortilla... you're outta here!" Love you! Thanks for all the laughs and unprecedented good times!!!

California with Ganesh

Last summer, after traveling thousands of miles with two kids, a dog and Swede, I couldn't help but meditate on a little selfish thought: I need to return to California again, but this time with a girlfriend.

Not two days after arriving home did Lora call me and ask if I could go to California in the morning. She had tickets to see Esther Hicks, and her friend wouldn't be able to make it.

I didn't know anything about this Esther Hicks, but knowing Lora, it was going to be good!

Before Lora arrived, I had time to sit and meditate in the morning sun, as I so often do in my favorite outdoor spot facing the East, with Roxi at my feet. To my bewilderment, I saw Ganesh. I am a Yoga teacher, but I must admit, I get all those deities mixed up, and I'm not much into worshiping deities anyways. But, I know how my mind works, and if I was seeing a vision of Ganesh, there was a reason for it.

Lora was on my time, and she arrived about an hour late- perfect timing! One of the first things we did was stop in the middle of the desert so that Lora could offer some sprinkles of sage on an altar of Mary's. I couldn't help but think, "Gosh, that was nice. It's been a long time since I was in the presence of someone who gave thanks and offerings, something I should do more often." I knew it would be a special journey.


Our first task was to drive to Monterey Bay and see her son, Gary. An incredible host, he served us a gourmet grilled vegetarian kabob dinner when we arrived at 11pm, with Monk's Ale, made at a local monastery.


The next morning, Gary and Lora introduced me to the Pilgrim's Way Bookstore, the one I posted about in my last entry. Inside the Secret Garden, I ran across this statue of Ganesh and asked Gary what he represents. The removal of all hindrances and obstacles! I'm telling you, this is the deity you want on your road trips!


After that magical adventure, we hit the beach....


Yes, my favorite... do you know it by name?


Carmel.


It's impossible not to experience the bliss.



We had reservations at Tarpy's Roadhouse , a 5-star restaurant located in the historic Ryan Ranch Homestead, and also the place where Gary works. He treated us to whatever our hearts desired, and believe me, we were loved!

One of my favorite memories is sitting in the backseat, while Lora and Gary gave me my first taste of Blackalicious. Can you imagine a mom and son singing rap lyrics together at the top of their lungs?

We vibrate at higher frequencies
Welcome to our world
Fall into a space
Where there is no thoughts
Just moments captured
Here we go

It was a heartfelt goodbye, but Lora and I had an appointment to keep with Esther Hicks in San Diego the next morning at 7am!

She and I drove through the night on Highway 101 without a hiccup, as we shared our life's experiences and listened to Krishna Das. I remember when my Yoga teacher, Jim, started going through a Krishna Das phase in our class, and I was all, "Where's the Moby?" Oh, now I get it!

We parked in my favorite hotel in San Diego at about 4 am, the parking lot of the Marina on El Carmel Drive... coincidence? We cuddled up in our sleeping bags and grabbed a couple hours of shut-eye before the big day.

Running on higher vibrations, energy is abundant, and we were right on time for the main event, Esther and Abraham Hicks. Their message was perfect for me, and I was brought to tears as I heard the truth so eloquently articulated in a way I never had before.



For example, Abraham says: "You cannot judge the value of a life by its quantity. It is by the joy that you are feeling. The more joyful you are, the longer you live. Let yourself relax and breathe and be free and be joyous, and romp."

So after the reading by a group of non-physical entities called Abraham, that's exactly what we allowed ourselves to do!

We drove up the coast and made a bonfire on the edge of a cliff. With the waves crashing below and the stars shining above, we captured the moments one by one.

The next morning, on our way through Encinitas, we tripped over the Self-Realization Center, built by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1937. It was here that he lived and wrote Autobiography of a Yogi, a book I threw away years ago. I was so amazed at what I was reading, and I started to tell Swede about it. He said, "That's not a real autobiography... all of those stories are made-up." I felt so taken, because I had believed it to be true, so I threw the book in the garbage.

And then, I ended up in Yogananda's meditation garden.



























Maybe it was a real autobiography...



Swede and I are moving to California on Monday, January 14th, 2008.

I had a vision of Vishnu the other night... can anyone tell me what it means?

Response 1: Mercy & Goodness

Choose One (Or More)

This last year was so amazing! I had one of the most serendipitous summers ever, as I visited the coast of California not once, not twice, but three times! The first time, I planned it. The second time, Lora invited me on a whim, and I'll have more about that story on a later date. The third time, well, after hearing about the second time, Swede had to go again, and we dragged Ingrid along, too!

Carmel Beach.

PEACEFUL.

INSPIRING.

We stayed with Lora's son, Gary, one of the most
gracious hosts you could ever HOPE to know.

Huh? That's not me! TRUST me, I'm a lady.

Yes, ALL the signs had been converted to read NO WAR ANY TIME.

Stopping by Pilgrim's Way Books is worth a 2000 mile road trip in itself.

Here, pilgrims find what they have been searching for...

May you find what you are looking for this year.

Cheers!