the river

Often as I walk along the Rio Tomebamba going into El Centro, I reach for my phone to take a picture. You see, the river is ever-changing, and because there’s been a lot of rain every single day during the month of March, the river looks mighty powerful. 

People flock to the river for different reasons . . . there are young lovers head-to-head enjoying each other’s company; a few people sitting on benches facing the river are deep in conversation; some folks are reclining on the grass with a book in their hands; teenagers are happily practicing walking on a rope tied to two trees; there are people simply watching the river while slowly licking an ice cream cone; sometimes people are washing their clothes and placing them neatly out to dry in the sun; children are playing and laughing in the water; bicyclists are pedaling by; always there are people meandering with their dogs; police are strolling along the sidewalk; and across the narrow road from the river are people sitting on their terraces, grateful to have a river view. I pay attention to the activity, noticing that down by the Rio Tomebamba, no one ever seems to be in a hurry. 

  This is a photo of Rio Tomebamba in a more isolated area during a quieter time in February. Do you see a woman relaxing on the edge of the water?

The Rio Tomebamba is an important part of life in Cuenca. As I walk along the river, I sometimes wonder about the people who lived here centuries ago, and what their relationship to this well-loved river was.

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“Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it, always work with it, not against it.” – Eckhart Tolle

puro café

There is a place in Cuenca where a delicious cup of coffee and home-made baked goods can be enjoyed in a relaxing outdoor setting with an expansive view. It’s at Puro Café located in back of Todos Santos on Calle Larga. And it’s obvious that Sandra, the owner (she comes from Belgium and her pastries are mighty tasty) loves what she does. 

Last week I asked Sandra how she came upon the space, thinking it must have taken a while to find. “No,” she said, “it was the second place I looked at.”  And I thought, “Good for her; it all flows.”

  

Most people I know order a cup of coffee having milk or cream, cinnamon and chocolate, etc. with a lovely chocolate and cinnamon design added on the top. Lactose intolerant me, orders plain ole Café Americano. Thankfully, Sandra put a stop to that – she prepares Café Americano with chocolate melted in. She said the chocolate won’t melt if it’s more than 55%. And so, the quality of the coffee, the way it’s prepared, along with Ecuador’s well-known chocolate, has nicely elevated Café Americano. 

The next time you’re in Cuenca, Ecuador have a look and a taste.

 The view from Puro Café.


paul selig

I watched an interview – Bob Olson of www.afterlifetv.com interviewed Paul Selig, teacher, playwriter, and writer of three books that were channeled.

Watching and listening was immensely interesting and informative, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this one.

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@JamesVanPraagh: There is no need for judgment. Judgment comes from the lower physical self, or the ego. Open yourself to the light of tolerance & love.

One of Cuenca’s finest

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bumps on the road of life

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Cuenca’s Rio Tomebamba. It’s well-loved and a perfect setting for strolling.

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There are times in our lives when we need to find a way to bring us out of a bump on the road of life. Otherwise, staying too long with that bump can damage our entire day.

Those securely anchored bumps can play havoc with our thoughts, and when that happens, returning to a calm mind can be a full-time job. Uh-Oh!

When a bump on the road of life is strangled in its path without too much delay, we quickly regain our equanimity. A passage in a book, a chance conversation with a stranger, a wise teacher, even tapping into our own wise selves, can snap us out of a bumpy situation.

Ram Dass has written about one such bumpy issue. In lieu of another way, his way makes great sense, and can be used time and again. Because, let’s face it, in today’s world, bumps on the road of life happen, and a quick resolution so that we can get on with creating wonderful lives, is indeed an awesome thing to know.

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www.ramdass.org

“If somebody is a problem for you, it’s not that they should change, it’s that you need to change. If they’re a problem for themselves that’s their karma, if they’re causing you trouble that’s your problem on yourself. So, in other words when Christ is crucified, he says “forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing”, they’re not a problem for him, he’s trying to get them out of being a problem for themselves, because he’s clear. Your job is to clear yourself. In ideal situations you would clear yourself within the situation, but very often it’s too thick and you can’t do that. Now, what you do then is you pull back and you do the stuff you do in the morning or at night before you go to work, you do the stuff on weekends, you do the stuff that quiets you down and then each time you go into the situation to where you have to work, you lose it again. And then you go home and you see how you lost it, and you examine it, and then you go the next day and you lose it again, and you go home and you keep a little diary “how did I lose it today”, and you saw that, and then you go and you do it again, and after a while as you’re starting to lose it you don’t buy in so much. You start to watch the mechanics of what it is that makes you lose it all the time.
If I’m not appreciated, that’s your problem that you don’t appreciate me. Unless I need your love, then it’s my problem. So my needs are what are giving you the power over me. Those people’s power over you to take you out of your equanimity and love and consciousness has to do with your own attachments and clingings of mind. That’s your work on yourself, that’s where you need to meditate more, it’s where you need to reflect more, it’s where you need a deeper philosophical framework, it’s where you need to cultivate the witness more, it’s where you need to work on practicing opening your heart more in circumstances that aren’t optimum. This is your work. You were given a heavy curriculum, that’s it. There’s no blame, it’s not even wrong, it’s just what you’re given. You hear what I’m saying? It’s interesting. Can you all hear that one?”
-Ram Dass, Summer 1989
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Let’s make it a grand day in however way we can.

bob olson and james van praagh

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When I clicked on to www.afterlifetv.com a little while ago, there was an impressive list of videos, and when I saw the name, James Van Praagh, the medium and writer of many books, I smiled. I once saw him at a workshop, and had a feeling the interviews would be highly informative and entertaining because he has a relaxed way, is quick to laugh, and has years of experience as a medium.

Bob Olson’s easy style, and his passion about the after life comes through on every interview. He’s also delightfully expressive which makes watching fun. It’s obvious that he wants to get very clear on the subject before the interview ends, and so he always seems to leave no stone unturned. Because of this, watching and listening to him is very satisfying.

If you want to learn more about the after life, and get comfortable with it, click on and listen to the two videos with Bob Olson and James Van Praagh. I’m betting you’ll enjoy and be glad you clicked.

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From a tweet: “You are creative and powerful. Let go of your fixed ideas, change ur inner pictures, & give yourself control over your own life.” – James Van Praagh

Can you say your weekend was wonderful? And say thank you whether it was or wasn’t? Thank you either way . . . because if it wasn’t . . . “Your soul is given many opportunities to develop and expand by living through adversity.” – James Van Praagh

 

lorna byrne

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She inspires! And the messages she gets from Angels go around the world with her as she communicates what they tell her. Seeing Angels and receiving their messages, and asking them questions, I can’t image how that must be for her.

On one of her recordings she said that she was in a hotel in the Times Square area of New York and saw the Angel of Hope moving among the skyscrapers and sending hope to the people below.

That is a wonderful message for all Americans to keep in their hearts on this Fourth of July 2013. She said that the Angels tell her that America hasn’t reached its potential yet, but it will.
“@LornaByrne: Happy 4th July! America is a beacon of hope for the world http://bit.ly/1b9GOFH”

She gets and gives lots of hugs, and wants us to open our hearts and send out compassion and love to all the people we’re connected to — and that’s everyone.

Thank you Lorna Byrne for being a messenger of hope around the world.
www.lornabyrne.com

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

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A tweet: “@LornaByrne: Angels are asking me to ask you all to smile a litttle more.”

rick archer and steve m. taylor

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I watched an interview with Rick Archer interviewing Steve Taylor who wrote Back To Sanity: Healing the Madness of Our Minds. Have you read it? I would describe it by using two words taken from Emmet Fox’s writings. Back To Sanity was for me “thrillingly interesting.”

Some questions seem to not have satisfactory answers, and that certainly includes the ones about spirituality. Well, if you’re ready to hear a meaningful dialogue about the state of our world, awakening, the ego, and some other rather important and interesting subjects having to do with the human race, you’ve nothing to lose and much to gain by sitting quietly and watching and listening attentively to the Buddha at the Gas Pump interview. www.batgap.com

A short meditation at the end by Steve Taylor, and a reading by him of two of his poems guides the listener, along with the rest of the interview, to a new kind of knowing. About what? you ask. I have a feeling that if you’re reading this, you already know. www.stevenmtaylor.co.uk

The interview is long (shorter than a movie though) but if I didn’t think it well-worth our attention, mum would have been the word.

On Rick Archer’s website are many other interviews, and if they’re as good as the one I just heard, we’re in for some exceptional listening.

I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine was. Tomorrow is Monday. Let’s say Hooray! to that.

Sweet dreams.

bdgs at gramercy park and eataly at the flatiron district

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This past Sunday found Emi and Jessie having six carefully chosen and funny comics for their show Bad Date Great Story at Gramercy Theatre. www.baddategreatstory.com Are you thinking: Of course they’re “funny”? Well then, I’m asking: Have you ever watched an unfunny comic? I have, and it’s a rather agonizing experience because you feel for the struggling unfunny comic. Happily, that wasn’t the case this past Sunday. Which is the reason I want to say thank you! for the laughs, and fun, to: Joe DeVito, Katina Corraro, MadDog, Charla, Christie Walsh, and Matt Mercier.
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My cousins, Pauline and Diane, came from New Hampshire to watch and enjoy the BDGS show. They decided to drive to the outskirts of NYC on Saturday, find a hotel there, and come into the city Sunday morning. I met them then, and we meandered around waiting for the theatre doors to open at 1:00pm. Though while waiting for me to come in from Philly, they saw a street festival on Broadway between 23rd and 14th Streets, and thoroughly loved eating their way to 14th Street – and back. If you met them you’d wish they were your relatives, too.

And as we were meandering around the neighborhoods, I said to my cousins: “The show is a little on the risqué side; are you all right with that? Their uproarious laughter was followed by Pauline’s tongue-in-cheek humor: “No, we’re not; we’re two virginal sisters, and you’ll have to explain everything to us.” – the laughter continued. And I know in my bones that that question of mine will haunt me, and bring lots of laughter to our family. Whatever was I thinking? I’m prepared; it’s okay, laughter is good for mind body spirit.

It’s not possible to be in the Flatiron District and not go to Eataly, at 200 Fifth Avenue. www.eataly.com it’s an impressive “50,000 sq. ft. Italian marketplace.” And to say it’s impressive is an understatement. For this we have to thank Mario Batali, and his business partner Joe Bastianich, along with their partners, Lidia Bastianich and Oscar Farinetti.

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I made a mental note that, sometime during the day of the next Bad Date Great Story show in June, I’ll meander over to Eataly to take in a little more of the eating and shopping experience. That sounds like a wonderful plan to me.

I’m wishing everyone a lovely full-of-laughter and fun kind of day.

“proof of heaven: a neurosurgeon’s journey into the afterlife with dr. eben alexander, III”

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When Bob Olson interviewed Dr. Eben Alexander, lll on www.afterlifetv.com my eyes and ears were glued to my little iPad listening to him eloquently tell of a most unusual NDE – the way it all happened – and what occurred after. I don’t want to spoil it for you by telling too much of the story. Besides the story is far better told by the person who had the life-changing event. And it just so happens that Dr. alexander makes listening easy on the ears, and this is important because there’s a great deal to assimilate. During the interview with Bob Olson, Dr. Alexander talks about, among other things: the brain, higher soul, prayer, infinite love, the voice in our head, earth life, the Creator, butterflies (a beautiful story), evil and free will, belief, Om, divine plan, true reason for being here.

He was a different person before his NDE. This seems to be the case with just about everyone who experiences a NDE. If you visit afterlifetv and give your attention to Dr. Alexander’s words, you might feel like a different person, too.

Of course, there will always be the naysayers; they make life interesting. They say, still there is no real proof. Well, there are those things in this world that are based solely on belief. It’s a personal journey we all have to take, and, as with most things, it’s our choice to believe or not. We have only to listen deep within ourselves to know. And when we train ourselves to listen to the other parts of ourselves, we’ll know.

“For a deeper understanding” you might want to visit the following websites: www.eternea.org and www.lifebeyonddeath.net
And take a peek, or read, The New York Times bestseller: Proof of Heaven

Are you having an extraordinary day?  🌷

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“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
– Shakespeare

where would you go?

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Because I read Kathleen Peddicord’s newsletters, and International Living, too, read travel books, watch travel documentaries, and tend to meet people who travel the world . . . I was thinking about where would I choose to live . . . so many beautiful places . . . where would I go . . . if I decided it was time to go? – it’s a wonderful question. I’ve actually narrowed it down to: France, somewhere in Ecuador, Uruguay perhaps, maybe Thailand, or Italy. And, yes, there’s also sacred and ancient India and its magnificent rich history. Though as far as India is concerned, I hear a little voice in the back of my head saying: however will you make that happen? And then there are the pictures I’ve seen of people profusely sweating and mopping their faces and necks with handkerchiefs, and documentaries of foreigners doing the same and looking as hot as hot can be. I’m not sure I could take that amount of humidity and remain sane. The other side of the coin is, when people talk of India they don’t complain of the humidity. And I’m beginning to think that it has to do with learning acceptance and simply loving and appreciating what India has to offer. The movie The Story of India by Michael Wood is a powerful, exciting, and marvelous documentary that can easily have a viewer thinking, I want to be there, too.

Now I have a question for you: Are there places in this beautiful and fascinating world you would happily move to in a heartbeat? And if you say yes, where and why?

Finding a place where there are like-minded people of all ages, a place that inspires and offers plenty of beauty, a place where nature has remained intact for the most part, a place having quality of life, and organic farms would be just about ideal.

Some people see the whole world as their home, and are comfortable anywhere with anybody, and I’m inching toward that mindset. The longer I live the more I understand that we humans are capable of changing . . . we’re always changing – we just don’t realize it. When we want the BIG changes to come and focus to the extent that most everything else becomes secondary . . . no doubts, anxiety, negative thoughts, no fear thoughts, allowed . . . a “single mindedness” until we’re where we want to be . . . that includes in any area of life . . . when that happens . . . we can expect change – the kind we want.

The way I prepare is to hobnob with the Mystic Power Emmet Fox so beautifully understood and wrote about. Mystic Power has many names, and we need to find the name that resonates with us. It’s a total belief that Mystic Power is our perfect senior partner.

Now I have a question for you: Are there places in this beautiful and fascinating world you would happily move to in a heartbeat? If yes, where would you go? And why?

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The evening is lovely. Autumn is signaling that it’s right around the corner. For me saying goodbye to a very, very hot and humid summer will be easy. Although I know of people who feel sad about summer’s ending. If you’re one of those people, cheer up, it’ll be back.

I hope you had a wonderful day.

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It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare;
It is because we do not dare that they are difficult. – Seneca