Exploring Portland

After a somehwat sleepless night in Eugene-I want to contribute to an active mind and too many wires in the living room, I took a train on a drizzly morning up to Portland.  Sprinkles and sunshine. More sunshine.  I got to connect with my high school friend Alice, who is living in an gentrified neighborhood called Boise   ? She has 3 cats, her dog Lucy and 3 old chickens. Her husband Bill took me for a tour of the neighborhood with Lucy. Passed by restuarants, food carts, and for Lucy a dog treat at the pet store. I tasted some ice cream-too sweet to indulge. When we got back to the house, Bill set me up with a bicycle to explore.  I wanted to check out a farmers market, however changed direction and  explored the new market with a Whole Foods vibe. Then explored Alberta st-Last Thursdays-vendors, street theatre, music. I was there briefly.  I rode back and we all sat on the porch and had some pear ale. Neighbors Shawn and Lea with their 2 daughters came over and we did some laughter yoga

Some bike lanes-wow its like rush hour, the bike parade

People here are amenable to Laughter Yoga.

Alice and I went out for dinner on   ? St.

I gotta head out soon, so I'll share that I went out to a farm this morning with my friend Josh who is a farmer. He's consulting on this one. It was stunning to be above the city, clouds in the sky
I biked downtown this afternoon,I can say I biked over a bridge
I'm about to unplug for 3 days-Extended Shabbat. Shabbat Shalom!!!

Rebbetzin Geltwoman's finds

I got a manicure and pedicure at the beauty school. The woman who did my nails is from Vietnam, however most of the other students are white. A woman who is a nurse and now teaches nursing came in to get a pedicure. She had a great laugh. 

They are opening a school in Maui. Hey! Hey! Hey!

I discovered two holes in my organic cotton skirt-oh no! I am very anti holes-holes in our clothes are like holes in our soul. I rode past a 2nd hand resale store that profits go to charity on my way to the beauty school. i saw it was open til 4. I squeezed in before it closed. I found a pair of capri pants for $1, as well as a pair of drawstring pants for $6. I also found a white eyelet button down shirt that makes a good jacket-Indian Summer is coming! 

Earlier I went into a store that was very much my style-silk pants for $70. One day I'd like to have the means for a beautiful pair to do Breema in. I will.  

Total for my outing $21 +$13  = 45  Enjoying NO sales tax in this state!

Encounter at Laughing Planet

I went to Laughing Planet today for lunch. I met my Breema buddy Steve, and his 10 year old daughter Sequoia.  We sat outside. When I went indoors to wash my hands, I walked past a table and there was the couple I laughed with in Friendly Park with a little boy named Skyler AND Ursula. She wouldn't give me a smile...I did get their email and her brother's contact info.

HA HA HAHA....

Sounds of nature

drizzle
crickets
before the drizzle a neighbor was playing guitar by a small campfire

I like it here
sunflowers tower above me
Dahlias
berries grow int the alleyway
footsteps on gravel, Raffi is returning to the house.

A Challenging Customer, its not personal

I'm in the business of sharing laughter. Today in Friendly Park, I met one of my toughest customers.  After taking a brief nap on the grass-I was inspired by seeing a woman lying on the grass-I got up and she was sitting giving some bodywork to a man. I went over and asked her what type of bodywork she was doing. I noticed an elderly woman in a pink shirt with a walker in proximity. My radar always goes out to elderly.
I made the first mistake of asking, "how are you?"
that always can be limited
"fine, ok"
she replied with a "fine."
She says that people are fake, why are Americans so fake, there is no culture.
I ask where she is from, if she is from a place of culture. Berlin.
It comes out that she was raised Catholic. Oh! that explains things. Guilt. Yep, she's had a tough life.
uh-oh, she's not so open to being asked if she's getting her daily dose of laughter
I ask the couple and they laugh with me. The woman tells me that her brother does Laughter Yoga in Thailand.

I ask if they want to make a laughter smoothie. We do. Ursula does not. She makes comments that it is fake, our laughter is fake. I tell her that even fake laughter has benefits. I'm not going to convince someone who's not open. Its not personal

Respecting Boundaries

Living in other people's space is a lesson for me to Mind My OWn Business and Let other people do their laundry. Learned my lesson when I stayed at my brother's and put some clothes dry clean only in the dryer.  Ooops  why were they in the wash machine in the first place.
I like to be helpful, however sometimes I feel like Amelia Bedelia.  Due to the state of the  dusty living room and rest of house, I took it upon myself to do some housecleaning after the guests left. I have an eye for detail. I swept under my friend's bed, and found a much loved Grateful Dead hat. I noticed a box that was busted, and replaced it with a bigger box today.  I notice that the laundry basket has a missing handle. I hid a cracked mug and towel that has a hole in it. Not my business to get involved. Its not my home. Rebbetzin Geltwoman wants to share the message if its got a hole, stained, or cracked, LET IT GO.  Then again, best to focus on my own letting go.

Be here now, be someplace else later

I've got a busy active mind. I'm busy making a green drink-drinking salad, made twig tea, soaked almonds and blended that up with some maca powder. Finally got out of the house after 10 and walked to Friendly Park. Yes, there's phonecalls to make and people to meet, and in this moment, I choose to be. Simply Be. That's all. Letting go of extra.
Although I feel impatient about DOING-my birthday is in a week, I can choose to be fully present now. I took off my shoes and walked barefoot on the grass

I had an interaction with an elderly woman originally from Berlin in the park. She was very negative and shared her honest opinion. stay posted for more...

Nourishment

Nourishment comes in many forms, for me I can think of  well spiced bowl of Dal I ate tonight. Sometimes we can eat healthy food, and its healthful effects can be diminished by the conversation we have or what we expose ourselves to. While eating from a wooden bowl,  we watched an episode
Princesses; a reality show about Jewish American Princesses in Great Neck. Pretty Sick if thats how women are.  One episode was enough to take my appetite away. one line was 'I'd rather wear flats or go barefoot instead of having to go out with the guy again.'

As for me, I enjoy my toe shoes or walking barefoot on the grass

Adding to that was eating a piece of leftover cake. I don't want sugar right now. thats my true confession for those who think I'm so healthy. I don't particularly crave it. I feel satisfied drinking DeTox tea. Really enjoying the flavor of the dandelion and Schizandra berries.

its really great to be in a kitchen that is well stocked with sea salt, balsamic vinegar, oil, coconut oil, seaweed, seeds, Maca powder...

We are soaking and sprouting. Soaking seeds and almonds for breakfast, I am growing fenugreek sprouts

There is an abundance of food in the fridge-leftover hummus, cream cheese, a HUGE bag of salad greens from a farm, as well as plastic boxes of Earthbound Farm lettuce-I feel that doesn't have a lot of life force. We want to eat food that is high vibe.

We went to Market Choice for me to buy buckwheat, I got frozen peas, nut and almond cracker.

We eat on Fiestaware or paper plates. I have claimed a wooden bowl to eat from.  Doing dishes is a constant thing.
May we all be nourished physically and emotionally.

breema bliss

I'm sharing Breema with Bracha. She passed away in July. May her spirit be free.

Deadheading, rather than a Deadhead

I am Mellowing out on Monday
I've spent the whole day in this well lived in house.
As much as I gravitate towards hippies, I appreciate a clean house. I brought some Domestic Godess energy into dusting the neglected corners of the living room.

Being on vacation for me is enjoying the breeze, an opportunity to garden; pruning the over grown rosebushes.

I've walked to the yard waste bin about 20 times today to contribute leaves, pieces of hair, a large tomato, a quarter of a watermelon that looked too large for the worms feasting on the food scraps.

Its good to slow down. I turned my phone off after the alarm went off at 7:15 and allowed myself to sleep in until 9.  The morning is the best part of the day. I'm sharing a bathroom with 3 boys and Ma Ducks. I went in to shower first. I'm adjusting to teenage boys walking through the living room in towels.
Being on vacation for me is about connecting to the earth, so I pruned the rosebushes, cleaning up the old growth. I am staying with a Dead head, who plays Grateful Dead on her computer and I-pod. I turn it off when I'm in the house by myself.

  My bedroom is the living room, sleeping on a new futon. Its covered with a print with elephants and today I notice a hole in the fabric. Rebbetzin Geltwoman wants to replace that.  The television is covered with a scarf that that has a yingang  print on it. The floor is hardwood and there is a rug that I give Breema treatments on.

The games on the bookshelf are covered with dust-Trivial Pursuit is ancient.  Apples to Apples and Truth or Crap are on the top shelf.  I got busy this afternoon with the vacuum, wet cloth, wiping
The dishes are Fiestaware, the colored ceramic feels homey.The kitchen floor is checkerboard. There is an abundance of food-tortillas, pita bread, rice cakes, pretzel chips, cream cheese-just tasted some excellent local smoked salmon, pears, melon, bananas....Ahava is preparing a pot of dal.   Its Raffi's favorite, however he's going to be visiting a friend. Eva came in and commented how good it smells.
There is a big bag of greens from a farm in the fridge. I prefer to drink them, blending them in the Vitamix.

I've walked to the yard waste bin about 20 times today. I find the colors of the bins counterintuitive. The yard waste is gray, and the recycling is green. 'm used to green for green waste, black for trash and blue for recycle
Its taking me awhile to adjust to this. I notice the yard waste has  round holes with vents at the bottom for aeration.

Its getting overcast, I'm appreciating the breeze. Need to find some grass to stand barefoot on. !
Its good to give myself permission about being in the moment.  My mind jumps to the future of what needs to happen.
 Called my friend who has a farm S. of Portland and want to coordinate visiting it. He bikes there.  Need to manifest a bike!

Slowing down on Sunday

I'm enjoying slowing down my pace here in Eugene. It rained this morning. I was up early and went out into the garden before it started raining.
There's been a stream of friends and family visiting since 10 this morning. I have lots of bodies to practice Breema on!
I think Bear, Tal's friend who is13 and has blonde hair to his shoulders is my biggest fan. The boys are pretty psyched to have someone to give them 'free' massages and make smoothies. There's lots of ripe bananas and cut up a mango. I made a green drink this morning with cucumber, parsley and greens. Its detox time. I reconnected with DeTox tea, and its very satisfying.

I led laughter in the living room with the relatives visiting from Maryland. Eli is next in line to have a Bar Mitzvah. He wears glasses with a distinct black frame-they are used for sports and he's wearing them for the statement. He has a talent for braiding hair. He braided Eva's hair into a braid that goes to the side. I asked him to braid mine and I have two on each side. I have yet to look in the mirror

Its interesting to connect with the teenagers. I tend to be a little aloof and prefer to be behind the scenes in the kitchen. To listen what they talk about. Eva is the oldest, she is 21. I met her in Israel, and a memory of her being 5 and looking a little sullen. She has big cheeks that you want to pinch.  She is in school for social work. Her brother Ezra is ? 18?  He's tall. Rafi is 14 and has a sweet nature as well as his brother Tal, who is like a huggy bear.

I am sleeping in the living room on a new futon. I have lizards for my roomates. They are in a terrarium with a red light on top.  

I am enjoying being in a well stocked kitchen, and made myself at home last night soaking green split peas.

Most of the guests and the kids have left. The house is quiet, the washing machine is going. I am off to explore Eugene. There is a festival going on with bands and exhibits. Go check out the local color.