It's Not Me....It's You

My roommate is crazy.  We've had a couple other blow outs since the last post, and yesterday's involved her calling the cops on my other roommate who was then falsely charged with a misdemeanor and now has to go to court over it.  Fortunately, my sane roommate Leslie and I got right on it and filed a protective order against the crazy one Krystal so she can't come back to the house.

I went to bed with a raging head ache last night from all of the day's drama.  Prior to that, though, I attended a nice relaxing yoga class with Britta and found myself crying on the mat; releasing emotion and stress and appreciating the safe, nurturing space of the studio.  Afterwards, she and I grabbed a drink and some soup, and she listened and supported me the way a good girlfriend does.  She is so fabulous that way.  It's so therapeutic for a woman to talk and feel understood and supported.  Thank God for girlfriends!

Of course, I am asking myself through all of this....what am I to learn?  Why is this drama in my life right now?  How is this a mirror of something going on inside of me?  I may be too enmeshed in it right now to be able to see clearly, but for the sake of trying to gain clarity, I'll start writing and see what comes out....

What I Am To Learn From My Crazy Psycho Drama Queen Roommate:

Lesson #1.  The power of creation!  She is about to be police escorted out of our house; will have to go to court; has no place to live and no money; and she is absolutely the creator of it all.  It soooo did not have to be this way!  How do I create my own reality?  How do I let my fears manifest themselves so that I create exactly what I am scared of?  What am I scared of right now?

I want to say nothing, but clearly, that's not true.

I'm scared of this new relationship that I'm in, although I have been much calmer about it since I've become more aware of this exact principle and have been trying to focus on staying in the present.  It really seems to help.  I'm sure there are still some underlying fears.  Maybe that's what I'm supposed to be looking at here.

How do you release fear?  Stare at it in the face.  Accept it.

What's the worst that can happen with this relationship?  I'll fall in-love and get my heart broken.

Hmmm...well, that's happened before, and I've managed to recover.  And if it doesn't work out with us down the road, would I give up any of these wonderful experiences that I am having with him?  No.  I feel like there are important things I am learning from him right now; and vice versa.  I have things to teach him, too.  I know that.

Why do we think we have to hold on to 1 particular relationship forever, in the same form and with the same intensity?  People grow and change and if they are both following their hearts, they don't always end up going down the same path.  That is so okay.  And if I do get my heart broken, I know I can recover, and there will be things to learn from that, too.

And if I never have children or end up with my own family, I will still have lots of love in my life.  With each relationship that I have, I'm learning how to connect and love, and of course, I will continue to have better and better relationships down the road.  My current love is wonderful, but if we end up going our separate ways eventually, I know my next one will be just as good and maybe even a better match for me.  I know that because I can't go backwards.  I've had too much bliss to ever settle for anything less again.  There are good, quality, loving and enlightened men in the world.  I've now dated a couple of them.

So, what is there to be afraid of?

Lesson #2 - Compassion.  I feel Krystal's pain, and I get that she is lashing out because she hasn't developed the skills to act like a mature, aware human being.   She is hurting right now.  Her mom passed away last year; her brain injury challenges her, she has been searching for a job for months now and is still unemployed; and her girlfriend has been trying to break up with her since before she moved in here.  She is stressed to the max.  I can feel that, and it makes me hurt for her.

I want to help her, but I also know that she is responsible for the majority of the pain she is in.  It's not her fault that her mom died or that she got a brain injury, but what she does with that, most definitely shapes her reality.  Perhaps she has not learned to take responsibility for her actions; maybe she hasn't been exposed to the Law of Attraction or been aware of how it works.  It's not always the easiest concept to get, that's for sure. I wish I could sit down with her and show her what she is doing to her life.  I wish she would listen and consider it.  However, based on the attempts I have made to talk to her about difficult subjects, I am well aware of how futile that would be!

I hope that these lessons will someday manifest themselves to her in a way that she will be able to see with her spiritual eyes and shift her perspective.  I hope she will learn to stop hurting other people and especially to stop hurting herself.

Lesson #3 - This is the practical lesson.  Be more cautious of the people you allow in to your house!  Spend more time getting to know someone.  Don't be so anxious for a rent check that you overlook any red flags or fail to check references.  Go through the proper channels.  Make them fill out an application and get approved.  Make sure they have a solid job.  Drill them about their history with animals and don't be afraid to pass someone up if they don't feel like the perfect fit.

OK.  I guess I'm learning a few things.  Now, it's time to remove this drama from my life.  I don't need it anymore, but thanks for the lessons.  Adios.

Mirror Mirror

It's been a long time since I've gotten right in somebody's face and yelled at them.  It's not like me to do that very often, but there are certain people who can bring that out in me.  My current roommate is one of them because she is so illogical, passive aggressive, victimy, and unreasonable at times.  We have a situation with the dogs where I can't seem to make her happy.  Her requests are contradictory and she doesn't want to do the simple things that are required to remedy the problems without feeling like she's being picked on, so she resents me for it, and seems to pick the most inopportune times to insist on trying to talk about it.

The dogs, by the way, are a hot button for me.  I am under no false pretenses that they are easy to live with or that just anybody is capable of sharing a house with them.  I've tried to be very clear with these new roommates about what they are getting in to because I have driven off many a roommate in the last few years and annoyed the hell out of people because of my inability to control every naughty behavior of my dogs.  I really do try, but sometimes dogs bark, sometimes they have accidents in the house, and sometimes if you leave your laundry on the floor, they will go through it and lick your underwear.  Disgusting little critters they are, but nonetheless, God made them that way, so why don't we just blame Him?

The three of us sat down today and had a good, productive discussion about it.  Well, after my roommate got all of her yelling and screaming and irrational arguments out of her system anyway.  Thank God my other roommate was around who could be the mediator between us, and between the two of us, we could finally calm her down and talk some sense in to her.  It's the irrationality that drives me nuts. How do you resolve issues with people when they are talking nonsense?  Hopefully, we got through to her, and we won't have to deal with this anymore.  It makes me crazy, and there's only so much I am willing to do before kicking her the hell out of the house.

Now, for the lessons learned.  I have a dear friend who is in super conscious aware mode right now and who reminded me today that everyone comes in to our life for a reason and that they are often mirrors of ourselves.  Of course, I don't want to believe that someone who talks like a crazy woman is a reflection of myself, so I asked him to tell me what he saw as a possible way she is a mirror for me.  Interesting answer....

As she was getting upset at us today, I had to stop her a couple of times and point out that she is projecting issues from her past on the current situation, and that I was not judging her or holding her in the space that she was accusing me of doing.  She was clearly letting past circumstances dictate the way she was showing up presently, and from my perspective, it was obvious.  She even admitted it.

My friend reminded me that I have been living in the past as well; afraid that no one is going to be able to handle living with me and my dogs due to all of the problems I've had with past roommates.  Possibly I am also projecting and my own fear is coming up causing me to be overly sensitive to the situation, just like her.

Oh, it's kind of hard to swallow, but it's true.  Even more profoundly, I've been letting past dating relationships affect my current ones, to the point that I have been almost frozen with fear and on the verge of running away, because I was sure it was going to turn out exactly as it had in the past.  This friend is someone I've been dating, so he has had first hand experience with my fears and hence, has some very good insights on how they are effecting me...and him.  Interesting how it's so easy to see in someone else, but not as much in yourself, unless you are really willing to look hard.  It's nice to have it pointed out by someone who really cares and is willing to be honest with me, though.

I had a related insight tonight while eating dinner.  I kept wondering how else my roommate mirrored me, and I realized I was so frustrated with her for her victim mentality, but that is exactly what I am doing when I hold on to the past and insist that the present won't be any different because I have been so mistreated, unlucky, taken for granted in the past.  Ugh!  I am so grateful to have that insight, because that is not what I want to create for myself, but I am more likely to not recreate to if I am aware of what I am doing.

So, tonight I am going to be grateful for my roommate and the things she has shown me about myself.  That sure makes me feel more loving towards her.  And, I am grateful for my friend for reminding me to look in the mirror.  I'm grateful that I trust him enough to listen to him and that he is brave enough to tell me what he sees.

Saying Good Bye To D'Ogee

I knew the day would come eventually.  I've been dreading it for the last few years of his life.  My little, sweet D'Ogee who gave me a good scare 3 summers ago when I almost lost him, but ended up putting $4500 on a credit card to get him a liver surgery that extended his life a few more years instead.  I don't regret it for a second, and anyone who thought I was crazy for doing it, doesn't understand what it is to love a dog so much that it hurts to consider living without him.

D'Ogee changed my life...truly.  I went from not even wanting to pet or touch a dog to being a passionate and somewhat crazy dog lady who can't live without them.  That silly little furry creature who barked at every noise, irritated my roommates, took a crap on my computer (on purpose), snubbed anyone who wasn't...me, and in his later years of life woke me up 3, 4 or sometimes 5 times in a night to pee, drink water, eat, or just simply bitch and whine about old age.

The day that I had to hold him in my arms for the last time while he took his last few breaths was one of the most painful in my life.  I'll never forget the last night I spent with him, snuggling him next to me, almost anxious for the moment when he could be released from his emaciating body.  He was starving to death, refusing to eat, and not curable.  I wanted him to be free from that life; from his blindness and his aching old bones that were barely strong enough to keep him standing.  It would be good for him to be out of this body, but it would be horribly painful for me.

I thought I had it together that morning when the vet and his wife came to do the deed.  My little boy and I had spent a good amount of time together saying good-bye, and this was for his best, right?  But, when they asked me to sign the papers authorizing euthenasia, the reality slugged me in the gut good and hard, and I burst into sobs and tears.  It was the kind of sadness that literally leaves you feeling like you've been run over by a truck and there is nothing left to do but to succumb to the pain and trauma that are left behind.  It's incredibly humbling to know you are powerless to death's will.  And holding a precious life in your arms while the spirit makes it way out of the confines of the body is a surreal experience.  One minute I'm stroking his soft little head between the ears and feeling the breath on my hand from his wet nose.  The next minute he is limp and lifeless like a rag doll, and I will never, ever hear that raspy piercing bark or that irritable growl when he doesn't get what he wants, or stroke that silky fur, snuggle up to him in bed, or laugh at his odd quirks.

I still have moments when I cry for him.  I'll always miss the little guy, and I'm so grateful for the many gifts he has given me.  Thank you, D'Ogee.  I love you.

Family, Life, and Death

Okay, I'm not writing much on this blog nowadays, with my raw food blog and website to write for, and spending all day on the computer for work.  I may not be here very much, but I guess tonight I'm feeling a bit melancholy and am needing an avenue to express thoughts, so here goes.....

The topics on my mind are death....and life...and family.  I'm grateful that I've been able to spend the last month with my family in Idaho...an entire month.  That never would have happened if I had been able to get a job in Salt Lake or if my real estate business was still going well.

Maybe all of those months of feeling down and out were just what I needed to be motivated enough to take a job with my brother-in-law and come to Idaho so I could learn his business.  I couldn't imagine living here that long otherwise. 

But now, I can't imagine having it any other way.  I've felt so blessed to be able to spend so much time with family.  I've lived with Joanna and Tello the majority of the time I've been here, sleeping on their couch in the front room, waking to the sounds of kids rushing off to school and coming home at night to a house of teenagers, cats, dogs and a 3 year old that I've come to adore. 

Working with Tello has been a great experience, not just for the job itself, but for the chance to talk with him and get to know him and to come to appreciate who he is as a person.  The same with Joanna.  We've sat up many nights talking and laughing, which is something we haven't really done before.  It's meant a lot to me to have this time with them. 

There's something strangely....relaxing?...liberating?....about not having a social life and just spending time with family every night.  Some nights I'd go in and watch a movie with Jerry and Chris, and some nights I'd go out to Marlo's house to visit her family.  I've also been able to visit with Granny and Annette a few times.  I haven't even really missed having a social life, although I know I would eventually.  Being social is a lot work...emotionally and physically.  You have to pump yourself up to go out to a party or gathering, try to look cute enough, try to sound smart and interesting,  put a big smile on your face, be friendly and fun, flirt if there are boys around, worry about feeling rejected or not fitting in, and often face disappointment because the evening was pretty anti-climatic. 

With family, there's none of that.  I can lay on the couch and be boring if I want, and no one will wonder what's wrong with that anti-social girl who doesn't have anything to say.

No one talks about dating in my family either, what with everyone being married with kids and all.  It's kind of nice to not have that topic being constantly beaten to death in every conversation.  I start to forget about it after a while. 

This week I'm out in Challis with mom and dad enjoying the beautiful view of the mountains, hiking in the canyon, sitting on the river bed, smiling at the deer in the field, the kittens in the shed, the horses that eat apples from my hand, the bunny that sneaks apples from under the tree, the bluebirds, woodpeckers, grazing cows, etc., etc.  This place is full of wild life and nature.  It is peaceful and heavenly to me.  I eat dinner with mom and dad at night and watch movies with them before bed.  I like this peaceful, comforting feeling of home. 

Over the summer, I got to stay at Jonathan and Jamie's in Salt Lake.  In spite of feeling like a mooch sometimes because I didn't have a job most of the time, I got to know them in a way I never have before either.  Really, I have a great family, and it's been a blessing to have to lean on them over the last little while. 

My great uncle died last week.  He's my grandma's brother and I think there were 12 kids in that family.  I've been thinking about how weird it would be to be grandma and to be watching all of these people slowly passing on....her husband, her siblings, her parents, friends, etc.  One day that age will catch up with me and I'll be saying good-bye to those I love, too.  I wonder if you just get used to it after a while and it doesn't hurt so much. 

I think one of my friend's died yesterday.  Ryan sent me a text that said, "Jake found Will dead in his room yesterday."  That was it.  I've tried calling him, but he's not answering. I'm not sure what to feel yet, because I don't what is happening.  Maybe Ryan's full of it.  Maybe he's talking about a different Will.  I know him as Bill, anyway.  I wish he'd call so I'd know what to feel.

Death is a strange thing.  If Bill is dead, I wonder what he's doing right now.  What is he seeing and feeling and experiencing?  I hope he's happy where he is and feels loved.  Life was hard for him.  Honestly, part of me is jealous of people who die...as long as it's not a painful death.  It would be nice to be out of this life.  It's hard.  I hope I will see him again, though, or at least meet his spirit again...maybe in another life or something.  I wonder if I would recognize him.  I wonder what really happens to us after we die. 

I'll miss you, Bill.  I hope you're not really dead.

Hot Dog!

Let it be known that I am NOT the one who purchased these costumes for D'Ogee...just in case anyone misinterprets me to be a crazy dog woman who's obsessed with dressing her pet up in ridiculous clothing all the time. I take no responsibility for these! It is entirely the fault of D'Ogee's nutty Aunt Joanna who felt compelled to purchase not one, but five silly costumes for him for Christmas. Okay...just because I made him try them all on for the family over Thanksgiving and am forcing him to show them off for friends as well, I'm still not to blame! It's the crazy aunt...I swear! :)
I think he liked this cowboy outfit better than the other one I got him....it does have a little cowboy on the back, after all. It seems to make him feel more authentic.

This royal costume seemed to be his favorite...or at least, the least humiliating.


I'm not so sure he was as thrilled about the pirate costume, although it is more manly than the bumble bee.....sometimes he's a little hard to read.

And other times, he makes a pretty clear statement. I'm guessing by the way he's holding his head down in shame, that he would rather watch the bumble bee costume burn than ever put it on again.



Okay...this is the best one of all....the Hot Dog. I've tried to convince him that he's just wearing a big heavy coat, but I'm not sure he's buying it. He won't move when I put it on him. He becomes as stiff as a board.
It's as if he knows there's a fake condiment on his back that makes him look edible to big dogs and humans. I think it confuses him. Would you know what to do if you were strapped between two puffy cotton buns? Sometimes, you just get caught off guard, ya know?

Hasta La Vista Party

These are some of my favorite faces. Whenever I feel lonely in Costa Rica, I'll be looking back on these pics with a smile. Good, good, friends, I have. Thanks for coming out on a cold night to say adios. See you in three months!

Tanya Ellis....eccentric, stylish and so soft spoken you'd never guess she carries the fiery red-headed character which I like to refer to as power and strength....although some people call it stubbornness....Ha! It's just because they're weaker than we are!

Debrah Howell and her almost fiance, Jonathan. She's my lovely hostess, and dear, sweet, thoughtful, funny, say the most outrageous things without any shame, friend. Thanks, Debs!
Emily Potter appropriately dressed in red...vibrant, sassy, deep, and rich...all the things I love about her. She takes my mind to new places and teaches me something every time I'm with her.

Jen Mosher and Britta Nelson. These are two fascinating women who have some crazy stories to tell! They are writers and achievers and motivators. They inspire me with their strength to overcome.
Gavin...being Gavin. If I want to forget about my worries and just laugh for a while, this is the man. His effects linger for days and keep a smile on my face.
Olivia Daubin...yoga teacher, visiting teaching partner, fellow beach lover and one who radiates calm, peaceful, feminine energy.
Me...crazy girl going to Costa Rica for three months with no money and no income.
Aline, my exotic Brazilian beauty and fearless leader who's heart is as good as gold, and Keva...the best roommate ever and preserver of my house while I'm gone! I'll miss her, and her silly cat, too.
And the lovely Heather Roberts who appreciates this whole raw food/cleansing/health stuff as much as I do. If I could only get her over there with me....

If you are interested friends, in being updated on the Costa Rica adventures, I've created a new blog just for this section of my life: http://lucyincostarica.blogspot.com/
Will begin posting soon!

Deep, deep thoughts....

If you pour coke over raw meat and let it sit, will maggots begin to emerge from the pork? Just how dirty is America's dirtiest meat? The world is dying to know. Watch these videos and learn the cold hard truth!

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For Posterity's Sake....

You know those time capsule thingies? Ya...those are cool.

In the spirit of capturing a moment in time for posterity, I was thinking it would be interesting to document a few of the circumstances, big or small, that make up our society in the year 2008. Feel free to add to the list if you like...

1. The first black president of the United States of America was elected this year.
2. We saw the price of gas shoot up to an unbelievable $4.50 a gallon, and then drop to under $2.00 all in the same year.
3. One of the biggest issues in domestic politics is gay marriage. Do we legalize it or not?
4. The U.S. has been fighting the war in Iraq for 7...8? years now.
5. The most modern cell phone available is also an I-pod, computer with internet access, GPS system, and camera/video recorder....or was that yesterday? (I don't have one....too complicated)
6. Next year, something is happening to television that will make my "bunny ears" obsolete. What's that called?
7. Obesity is on the rise in American children. People are still eating fake food from McDonalds and Burger King and wondering why they're hineys keep getting larger and why cancer and heart diseases are spreading like wild fire.
8. A head of organic romaine lettuce costs $2.99 at Whole Foods.
9. A head of pesticide treated, cancer causing iceburg lettuce costs $1.29 at Smith's.
10. Real estate values have dropped 15 - 30% in the Salt Lake and Utah valleys over the last year.
11. The sub-prime market is dead.
12. Almost half of the homes listed for sale are foreclosures.
13. The average price for a starter home in the Salt Lake area is in the low $200,000's.
14. A law was passed this year in Utah making animal abuse a felony.
15. Osama bin Ladin is one of the world's most dangerous terrorists.
16. Oil is the dominant source of fuel, but new sources such as natural gas, electricity, and hydrogen are increasing in demand.
17. Interest rates for mortgages average around 6%.

This post isn't finished yet.....If someone would like to update the "pop-culture" faves of the last year or so...I'd be much obliged. Clearly, it's not my area of expertise.

I Think I'll Just Stay In

I have no pictures of Halloween because I didn't go out this year. Strange, because I always dress up and make myself seen on Halloween. It's one of my two favorite holidays...that and Cinco de Mayo. They don't mean anything, so they can't be over rated...just an excuse for a party, that's all.

For some reason, I'm feeling extremely anti-social lately. Maybe it's the cold weather settling in; could be depression...SAD. Maybe it's 'cause I'm leaving soon...Costa Rica for the winter...and am already disconnecting myself; or perhaps my social butterfly is broken and needs some rest.

I ran into one of the guys that I dated this year. He's grown a beard. He says he's been taking a hiatus from dating for a while, so why not be all shaggy? His roommate confirmed that he's been flying solo pretty much since we broke up, which made me feel a little bit better, I admit. On the other hand, he was pretty gung ho about dating when we first met. Was I that bad? :(

Sometimes life feels really blah.

On the upside, I'm getting noticeably better at rock climbing, my dog no longer has bloody diarrhea, my house is clean, bookwork is done, and I get to start Stephanie Meyer's third book in the Twilight series tonight. Good thing I have no place to go. Best be getting started......

Indian Retreat in Spanish Fork

The Hare Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah is like transporting oneself half-way across the globe to India! Instead of spending over $1000 on airfare, however, I spent a whopping $125 for three days of Indian culture in a beautiful authentic temple which felt like being in a land far, far away. My dear friend Emily and I shared this inspiring weekend together, and made some spiritual connections with new faces along the way.

Saturday morning after our yoga session, we took a hike up in the hills near the temple. What is that rope attached to which I am holding in my hand, you ask?


It's a Llama, of course! There are dozens of them roaming around out here. Apparently, they make great pack animals and are frequently rented out to hunters. This is our yoga teacher Alan with his favorite little furry creature.


Cute...kind of, but man, do they stink! I've never smelled anything like it...really. Riding in the van with these two, even though it was only for a few minutes, was torturous! It's kind of a smell between butt and really bad body odor, combined with rotting hay. It makes my dog smell like roses, even on a bad day.


I really bonded with this McCaw, though. At first he wasn't so sure, but by the second day, he was begging to hold onto my fingers. He even let me scratch his head. Scratching a bird feels weird. He's just a prickly stump under all those feathers!



Emily and Alan jamming on the guitar. :)


This is Vie. She and her husband Charu run the temple. She's also an amazing painter in her spare time. She is super devoted to Krishna, which is just the Sanskrit name for God. We got to sit and talk with these devotees about their beliefs, and participate in some of their rituals and practices. It was very educational, and although the stories and traditions are different than Christianity, the principles and concepts are the same. Being open to what they had to offer was very rewarding and faith-building.

I Don't Believe in Pet Psychics

Back in January I blogged about a pet psychic who came to my house and did a reading on D'Ogee. If you recall, she said that he wanted a cowboy outfit. Well, since she was accurate about a few other things, I figured that my dog did indeed enjoy being dressed up and had a secret desire to be clothed in cowboy attire. I've always kind of kept my eyes peeled, just in case I happen to run across one. The other day as I was rummaging through the Halloween store, and I found it! I was so excited to go home and try it on him, hoping that it really would put a smile on his already happy face.
He humored me for a few minutes, but disappointingly, he was not thrilled by his little cowboy hat. This is him pulling on the hat and trying to chew the elastic off that went under his chin.

What a bummer! I guess I wasted 60 bucks on the pet psychic....either that or D'Ogee thought he would like a cowboy outfit, but realized upon getting one that it wasn't everything he had hoped it would be. It happens.

"Stud on the Range"

Read This! It Kinda Freaks Me Out

Will everyone read this post from my friend's blog, please? I've been hearing several things relating to the issue of emergency preparedness, and I've always thought, someday I'll do something about it. However, since my friend shared this dream on her blog, I've been inspired to take action...now! Well, tomorrow, really...she's going to come over and help me put together a 72 hour kit. :) I hope others will consider doing the same.

http://soulofthemoon.blogspot.com/

Just for the record, when I was in 6th grade and my house burned down, I'd had 3 or 4 dreams the month before that my house was on fire. Yep, I was pretty freaked out when I realized my dreams had been premonitions. I'm not saying that something bad is really gonna happen, but it couldn't hurt to get prepared just in case. Just wanted ya'll to know.

Raw Spirit

Cali, Shelley and I attended a Raw Food festival in Sedona, Arizona a couple of weekends ago. I've been a slacker and haven't posted anything for a while, but this was way too interesting to not share. In an earlier post, I remarked how I love festivals because they draw such odd crowds. I know to a lot of people, this crowd would have appeared even stranger than it did to me. As it happened, I seemed to fit in fairly well with this crowd. I have to admit, I loved being a hippy for a few days.

This is one of my favorite hippies from the festival. Look how happy he is...and so purple! Those are bunny ears on the top of his head. He wore this outfit all three days of the festival. Pew-ee! Everyone reeked by the end, though....most of us camped at the volunteer campground nearby. We were all a bunch of dirty hippies, even me.

This is another of my favorite hippies, Natan. You can't see his spiked blue hair and painted toenails, but he was pretty flashy. And he gave me a wonderful relaxation massage which I really needed after spending all morning volunteering at the "Conscious Speed Dating" event. If you've never done speed dating, don't bother! What a headache.

This is Kane. He chops open coconuts and lifts heavy things, and looks cute while doing it. :)



Check out this contraption! This hippy spent the whole festival giving people rides in this funny device. It moved like something from out of a dream. Old and young seemed to enjoy it. What it was, I really don't know.

Yoga was a daily activity. Surprisingly, I never made it to a single class.

More of my dancing hippy friends.

The whole three days consisted of free food, classes, workshops, music dancing and lots of interesting people all concerned about health and the environment. It was beautiful and inspiring. I'm looking forward to the next one in California in June. If anyone else is interested, check out the website at www.rawspirit.com. Would love to have you join me!

Lake Powell with the Fam

I wasn't really sure how I felt about taking a vacation with the (almost) entire family since it's something we haven't done since.....well, I think I was around 20 when the family last tried the vacation thing. We took a spontaneous trip to Disneyland in a rented RV. There was only 18 of us then if I remember correctly, but try cramming 18 people into a stuffy RV for 40+ hours and see if you ever choose to attend a family vacation again! I just remember spending most of the vacation arguing about what to do, and yelling at my dad in the parking lot of a casino on the drive home because I wanted to go sleep in a bed, and no one would make the decision as to whether to stay at the casino for the night and get a good night's rest or to keep driving so we could be done and over with this hellish experience by morning. It must have traumatized all of us enough, because I don't think anyone has even brought up the idea of a family vacation since then.

My brother Jerry initiated this trip, being the brave and generous soul that he is. I think I mostly came because he extended a personal invitation with several follow up calls. He was kind enough to pay for everything, too, so I knew he must have really wanted us all there. He was so sweet. I went with a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart that this trip wouldn't turn into "Family Vacation Nightmare Part II".

This time there were somewhere around 30 in attendance, but for some reason, that many people crammed into a houseboat worked much better than into an RV. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by how well everyone got along and how much fun it was to be together. I can honestly say I was bummed that I only got to stay for a day since I had prior commitments that same weekend. Granted, the scenery was stunning, the water was warm and inviting, the beach had soft red sand, and with two speedboats, water slides, and nightly entertainment, there was plenty to keep one from getting bored. However, the thing that made it the most memorable was definitely the people. My family's awesome, and knowing that we are capable of having a successful family vacation together makes me all the happier to call them my own. :)