Today a group of friends and I elebrated the coming of 2014 at Beckman Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. Fine wines, good food, lots of laughs and great fun!
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My friend Lillian started a non-denominational prayer group a number of years ago to hold sacred space for those in need. Living an hour away, my participation has been principally non-local — on Friday's at noon I pause in my activities to hold everyone on the prayer list in my thoughts and in my heart. At the end of the year a fire ceremony is held to release all of the names on the prayer list in sacred ceremony. This year, we gathered at my friend's home on a bluff overlooking the Santa Barbara Channel with Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands in the distance. It was a beautiful ceremony with meditation to singing bowls and some sharing of movement and inspirational readings . . . even a song that drew a pod of dolphins to play in the water below us. Again and again this holiday season, I have been reminded of how sweetly I am held in the hearts of so many loving beings in both the seen and unseen worlds, and my availability to dance to the melodies of life! One of the best things about getting older is so are all the young people in your life . . . Back in the mid-80s a friend of ours asked my husband and me to be the god-parents of her two girls. Childless by choice, it took no time to say "No!" Fast forward to 2007, we asked these two girls (now in their 20s) if we could be their god-parents as they'd grown up to be smart, interesting and engaged in life. Thankfully, they said "Yes." So, tonight our oldest god-daughter Becca came for a pre-Christmas visit. After helping me re-arrange the living room furniture and spinning around the Oriental rug, we sat down with glasses of wine for a proper catch-up. Soon Peetie, who is especially besotted with Becca, was up on the couch for some cuddle time of his own . . . Merry Christmas, Peetie -- he's got a girl-friend! It was a cold morning when we headed off to Disneyland for a day of good, wholesome fun amidst the holiday decorations. My friend Cheryl's daughter, who works at Disneyland, secured free passes for us. Yahoo-ee! ! ! Competitively, like the "kids" we are, MJ and I followed the navigation system in her car while the others followed theirs in another car. We won — and with enough time to park and go up and down the parking garage elevator three times to retrieve bits and bobs of things we'd left behind. We began with Soarin' Over California in the California Adventure Park. Then off to see Ariel's Underwater Adventure. Trying to step out of my fearful of roller coaster self, Cheryl, Caiti and I took on California Screamin' where I lost my voice! Next we meandered over to Tower of Terror, where Caiti works, to check out the lobby. None of us wanted to be herded into an elevator to experience the 40' free-fall fall and re-experience breakfast. . . Instead, we opted for Monsters Inc. and a really wonderful lunch at the Carthay Circle Restaurant whose decor reflects the romance and glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age. It was at its namesake L.A. theatre, built in 1926, that Walt Disney premiered his first feature-length film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. Afterwards, we headed for the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, and my favorite . . . the Mad Tea Party. Confession time: I'd always wanted to go on this ride! Unfortunately the Indiana Jones Adventure, Splash Mountain and Space Mountain were all closed for repairs or major renovations. As the sun set, we headed to Main Street for the holiday parade . . . A fun-packed day, so much so that it was hours after returning home that I could settled enough to fall asleep around 1 AM. Once the nights got down to the 20s it was time to start putting sheets and towels over some of the succulents in our garden. Next, put on Simba and Peetie's down jacket before tucking them into my bed with a blanket covering them to keep extra warm. The boys love this arrangement so well, they've made a habit of taking over half the bed each night — snuggling down into the comforter, pillows and blankets!
Immediately following the adjournment of our Cinnabar Foundation meeting, we organized ourselves into a carpool for our two-day, guided exploration area of eastern Montana that is under threat of the Otter Creek coal mine and coal-to-China railroad, know as the Tongue River Railroad. Three staff members (Olivia Stockman, Svein Newman and Adam Haight) and a volunteer member (Beth Kaeding) of the Northern Plains Resource Council provided in-depth understanding of why this area has become a primary conservation battleground. Heading east along the Yellowstone River, we headed to Coalstrip to meet with Wally McRae to learn more about the Tongue River Railroad route and the ramifications to ranchers along the proposed route. Our next stop was Miles City — the iconic watering hole, the Montana Bar, opened just for us to "whet our whistles" before checking into our motel for the night and dinner. The next morning it is pouring buckets as we head off bright and early to continue our fact-finding adventure. Our first stop was the Fix Ranch, which is bisected by the Tongue River. Mark Fix, who we met the previous evening, led us on a tour of his property. He told us that holding up the coal-to-China railroad was the best thing to happen in eastern Montana in a long time. The Ninth Circuit Court Appeals ruled that much of the decision-making to permit the railroad was "arbitrary and capricious," which means they did a shit-job! He also shared that years before the TRR sent land men to his ranch seeking a right-of way through his property — making sure he knew they had the power of eminent domain and could "take" his land if they wanted. They offered $100/acre ($4,000) for a 40-acre strip three miles through his ranch that would separate his ranch operation from the river, which is his water source. Conservatively, it is expected that an additional 40-50 trains a day would be passing by between the proposed Otter Creek mine and the West Coast where the low-grade coal would be spaced on ships and exported to China. To learn more about this click this link. Our next stop is at the proposed site for the Otter Creek Coal Mine where we meet with Del Dinstel and his wife whose ranch is adjacent to the proposed mine to hear more about the environmental ramifications to the land, wildlife, and water resources. Heading up Poker Jim Butte to a firepower we are rewarded with unsurpassed views of this gorgeous land. Heading down the other side, we arrive at the Alderson Ranch, one of the early dude ranches, near Birney for a barbecue dinner and to award Jeanie Alderson, Mark Fix and Beth Kaeding with the 2013 Sargent Stewardship Award for all of their tireless work to protect and conserve the Tongue River Valley. After a long day, board president and dear friend Robin Tawney Nichols and I head to Sheridan, Wyoming to spend the night before heading off on our adventure into the Bakken region of South and North Dakota to witness first-hand the fracking operations underway. The Cinnabar Foundation's board meeting (Spring 2013) was held this year in Billings, Montana. Since I started going to Montana, in 1976, I'd only been there once — stopping briefly for gas. So, it was with much surprise and delight to discover what a cool area this is! Our meeting was held in conjunction with the Montana Wilderness Association annual meeting, which provided an opportunity to meet many of the "players" who are connected with environmental and conservation organizations that we have been funding. The first night was a barbecue and bluegrass event at the Bones Brewing Pub & Eatery, which was loud and fun! The next day were hikes — the one I was on included the really exquisite Pictograph Caves State Park east of town. The spiritual energy of this sacred place is palpable and those who work here seem to have been "called" in very sweet ways! That evening the MWA held a dinner at the lovely DanWalt Gardens and featured a very enthusiastic Huckleberry Pie auction and a engaging keynote talk by wildlife photographer Michael Forsberg, who has focused much of his work on the North American Great Plains that were once one of the greatest grassland ecosystems on Earth. His goal is to capture the wild spirit that survives in these wide open spaces and put a face on the often overlooked native creatures and landscapes found there. Our board meeting was held the following two-days at the office of the Northern Plains Resource Council and Western Organization of Resource Councils — which is way cool! They renovated a 1940s grocery store into the first LEED Platinum level building in Montana and the 44th in the United States. Today was the start of the feast . . . Cuban art abounds — public art, dance, mime, street performances, music, architecture, literature, and more! The quality is fabulous. The government support surprising and refreshing since our own country cuts the arts at every level. What a cultural adventure awaits! This afternoon we visited a senior center. Upon leaving, an elderly initiated Priestess invited us to experience her casa de santos next door and blew me a blessing. An animistic system of beliefs that merge West African Yorubá religion with Catholicism, Santeria house-temples are decorated to the different orichás (saints) with statuary that is an eclectic mixture of kitsch, lovely items, and Catholic reliquaries. Not unlike the Andean peoples of Peru, these people historically syncretized their Oricháa with Roman Catholic Saints. Through trance ceremonies, sacred drumming and dance as well as animal sacrifices they bring right-relationship between the spirit world and this world. This house-temple has the requisite three altars or "thrones" that represent the seats of the queens, kings, and the deified warriors that are draped with royal blue, white and red satin. They are large, elaborate shrines that are painstakingly cared for to ensure right-relationship is maintained. We are told that that night there will be traditional healing rituals taking place. Theirs is a holistic approach to well-being based on the mind, body and heart connection. In their cosmology, the world is comprised of the primal life energy called aché. They understand that when a person becomes ill it is not just a physical dysfunction, but also a malady involving suffering and bad luck — all brought on by the activity of spirits. Unfortunately, it will be impossible to return . . . this trip. |
AuthorI am an artist and writer who aims to live life consciously and creatively with no "Plan B." My musings include experiences from my travels as well as those who inspire me. Archives
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