OMG – I cried my eyes out when my daughter forwarded me pictures of Paris!  The briny wet drops just began streaming down my face after welling up and filling my eyes.  I did not expect that.  I did not anticipate her showing me pictures she took that were clearly a retrospection of our stay, ten years ago.

She returned to our luxury, three story apartment we rented in the 4th arrondissemnet right across the street from the Louvre. She artfully captured our residence from the outside, at the Palais Royale and its gardens and square.  She re-visited Notre Dame and the grounds at the Louvre and some other familiar sights.  The gloomy, overcast weather remained intact on her unedited photographs, as if it were the past haunting me, luring me, transporting me, back to Paris – and time.

She was able to enjoy a crepe by a magazine stand, taking a selfie of her delicate morsel in front of touristy periodicals, and my heart broke from times gone by.  I remembered how incredible it seemed to be able to enjoy a street side, sweet filled crepe with my children.  How strange how time flies right by, and here she was, sending me mementos now, of her adventure and visit, re-tracing the places we took her to, but recreating it years later without holding on to my hand, not needing her parents to cross the boulevard.

My first and only trip to Paris, my childhood and lifelong dream, was back in April of 2004, thanks to my husband arranging it for us as a family.  Her second stop in the City of Lights was just a few days ago.  I was 44, my first time in Europe, ever.  She was ten.  Just so bittersweet to receive a reminder of how fortunate we all are, but the minutes, the hours, the days and months and years keep ticking forward, and she is a woman now, living far away, across the span of the country.

There is just something melancholy about the grey Paris skies, the distance of time and space, how life moves on, tender memories are resurrected and the now, seems so faint and gone.

The Palais Royale balconies in the background. 

Well, now that I have that out of my system – what a relief.

In the words of Willie Nelson, “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”

While walking with Cindi and J today, Cindi started scampering and jumping for joy.  She is just so full of life and love and gratitude.  She is happy and content.  Acceptance, understanding and compassion comes from gratitude.

Today, I was thankful about everything.

“He enjoys much who is thankful for little; A grateful mind is both a great and a happy mind.” – Thomas Secker

I show my gratitude by being in love with life; in my garden, in my nest, in my everyday day activities.   By creating it, I can be it.

You still have until August 10 to make it to the fabulous and ever incredible, tongue in cheek, OC Fair at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, off of the 55S Fwy.

 As they say in England, whilst last there, I partook of (for the first time but it won’t be the last time) fried desserts (bad, bad, bad me).  I was encouraged by my cousin’s insistence she would never have the opportunity to try this indulgent treat again and my ‘pledge’ to never, ever have another.

We sank our teeth into battered up, fried up Oreo cookies (at least they were vegan, but the batter alas is not, I am sure) and after what seemed forever, a freshly, fried Almond Joy that pretty much took me and her to coconut/chocolate (can you say at least 1000 calories?) heaven and when we returned, we were still talking about it to anyone who would listen.

The deep fried Almond Joy can only be found at one trailer joint in all of the fair – right across from the chuck wagon wheel dining area.  It is listed as the manager’s special and I cannot even guarantee when you arrive it will still be available, but if it is, do not hesitate to order one and share if you must because you have never, ever tasted anything sooooo good.

Also, as always there is respite in the air conditioned buildings with displays of all kinds and music and booths and food and gardens and domesticated animals and rides.

Concerts are held every night and we enjoyed the Happy Together Tour again with M’s mom.  This is our third summer to see who The Turtles (who manage the Tour) bring onto the stage.  We heard some old tunes, every one of them identifiable.  I probably listened to most of them on a battery charged transistor radio on the beach in the heat of summer growing up or on the school bus on the way to elementary school field trips.   The headliner was Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits fame. They sang Henry the Eighth as well as the moving There’s a Kind of Hush (all over the world, tonight – remember?)

We purchased the requisite cement garden animals, (you too will find your favorite must haves).  I ate some corn in a cup one day, a baked potato the other night.  Some people love the funnel cakes, the chocolate covered fruit and pretzel plates or the curly fries.  Some fair goers go for the hair raising rides, the farm animals or the displays.

Everyone has their fair extravaganza spree and you do not want to miss finding out what that could possibly be!

Meyer lemons, chives and chive flowers (totally edible), celery, parsley, tomatoes and STILL swiss chard from last year’s plants.

Thank you to my children for making me a mom and for being the best kids ever!  

Thank you to my husband for being the dad that he is, my cohort and for sharing in this adventure of ours as we raised and reared and fed and guided.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, whether they nurture pets, children, gardens, students or patients.

In honor of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, let us celebrate May 1 with a festival of flowers, a ringed wreath of roses round our heads and spring cheer!Annual dependable hybrid variegated leaf pink calla lily planted in garden some years ago.

As I garden today and spend time watching, weeding, planting, cleaning up leaves and twigs left behind by the winds and watering  – I recall years and all the delights of digging, pruning, blessing new transplants, shrieking with every earthworm encounter and tamping down living, lush and dirty soil.

Sacred moments and quality time in my garden, that is true bliss.

The roses are in full bloom and will be all summer long.  The Mexican Sage is trimmed and the Daisies are flowering.  The Honeysuckle is starting to blossom and spread.   The spring bulbs are spent, renewing their strength for next year.The garden has been weeded, planted, allowed to reseed and thriving.  Lemon trees are still stocked.  Nasturtiums ready for salads.  Poles mark tomato plants.  Butterfly bush is dormant and guava tree is done giving fruit. Green beans ( Blue Lake Stringless) sprouting from seeds I sowed about two months ago.“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Cicero

First, Happy Birthday to J, the red-headed, ravishing trainer.

Second, I feel it’s a good day to just be.  When I look out at the beauty, the majesty and the uniqueness of nature – I am in awe. Look at this picture my husband took coming up the hill. It is breathtaking in its scope and grandness.

Third, after seeing the movie Noah and reading anything by Colleen Goudreau as well as many vegetarians and vegans, I concur on the message of not harming animals.  I have respect and appreciate vegans.

For me, this is what I have always wanted to be – compassionate and contributing to the world by taking care of my health and not killing or ingesting any animals. Needless to say I have strayed like a lost soul yet as my spiritual journey has broadened my horizons, my road to authenticity has narrowed.  But like the prodigal daughter that I am  – I no longer linger, hesitate or tip toe on the fringe of my personal beliefs, needing anyone’s approval.  I proudly own them full heartedly.

Having mercy and enlightening others on the plight of animals is just an extension and forward movement towards having mercy, showing grace and enlightening others on the plight of humans.

Why have we come to believe animals are less than us?  We naturally and inherently are curious, innocent children adoring, identifying with and eager to be gentle with animals.  As we became domesticated by eons of societal credo, we make ourselves rulers of all living and non-living and even the unknown on this planet and beyond like arrogant, egomaniacs – distancing our pure hearts from the reality of eating meat.  We shut our eyes and are in complete denial about the cruelty and the needless consumption of flesh. The jaded become complacent.  The masses march to fear driven theories and we walk like zombies.

It is not enough to say we must not wage war.  It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. – Martin Luther King Jr.

Instead of conforming, the inner child speaks to us and rebels.  That’s how you know avoiding killing and eating animals is the most basic of human kindnesses and the least harmful to each other, our planet and us.

It is because fish eat kelp and seaweed that they are full of omega 3’s.  That is where they get it.  You can get it too.  Eat kelp, nori, etc.   Walnuts and flax seed also supply this essential nutrient.

The calcium in cow’s milk comes from the fact they are nourished by greens we could eat directly ourselves.  What other animal drinks another animal’s milk?  And not even calves drink their mother’s milk after they are fully-grown for goodness sake.  The “got milk?” campaign and the relentless consumption of dairy products are driven by billions of industry dollars.  We could go directly to the source and eat more kale, chard, broccoli, cooked mustard and beet greens.  But that’s not big business.

We can get all of our needs in peace, without harming a fly, without chemicals, without mills of hormone induced livestock, without antibiotics because of the monstrous ‘living’ conditions, without genetically modified two headed fish that disrupt the entire water eco systems, without polluting our air, water and soil, if we just let biology and nature take its course and live in the Garden of Eden.  What other animal on this planet destroys its own habitat?

“There are only two ways to live your life. 
One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” 
― Albert Einstein

When we assure ourselves and believe we ARE the miracle, we will see the miracle clearly. – Cecilia

And hopefully act accordingly!