The Move

I spent the greater part of yesterday lugging bags and boxes down stairs to eventually take them to my new home in Dartmouth. And I spent the great part of today lugging those boxes back upstairs to my new apartment.

I am already in love with my new space. First off I have a desk! I haven’t had a desk since college and at that point in my life a desk meant another place to throw stuff. Secondly I am living in a space that is surrounded with nature. I am no longer in the city breathing car fumes as I ride my bike to work. I now live and breath in a space free of the sounds of the city. Thirdly I have built a strong enough bond with Natahan to share all this beauty with. We are here together making a life for one another and helping each other reach a greater potential.

I feel so comfortable here. I feel like I’ve been here forever. I start my first day of planting tomorrow and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty.

I am still sad to be out of “Little Rhodie” despite the cars and the noise, because I miss all the people and places I’ve grown to call home, especially Bonnie. I wish life only brought people closer together instead of apart. I wish the paths in life could be connected more easily, but it seems that the steps we take lead us astray to someday find each other once again.

Peace and Love

p.s. I am currently working on an arrangement for the Verdandi Male Chorus. It’s everything I could imagine my first paid arrangement to be. I’ll post it as soon as it’s done.

Conversations With God

If you have the opportunity I highly recommend reading this book (At least reading the first chapter because that’s all I’ve read so far and can vouch for). This text has summed up most of the spiritual teachings I’ve experience in life in only 59 pages.

You can not speed read these 59 pages. Every word is important. You must read it slowly and carefully with complete presence. If you do not think you can devote yourself to the text without a wandering mind, put the book down. It’s not going to make sense otherwise.

Everything talked about in the first chapter is stated so precisely that after you finish you will understand all of human emotion, our sole purpose, and the creation of the universe. I’m not exaggerating. It dives deep into the big questions right away and leaves you with peace and tranquiliy as well as the duty to make choices that reflect who you really are.

I personally think God is Love. The very act of loving unconditionally is God. It is our only salvation into a life full of whatever we desire. If we could only love our world would be reborn. I don’t think God is anything but the very emotion we all feel when we are at peace with the world around us. God is the purifying source of energy that is in everyone and everything. I also believe that all we need to feel God is to be present.

Peace and Love

Zeitgeist

I am brought to a place of fear after watching this video. It is a cry for help. It has been created to shake people worldwide out of their dream to reveal a truth. But before you run off I have a warning…

If you choose to delve into this two hour conspiracy theory of world domination and control, I would like to remind you that ignorance is bliss and once you go down the rabbit hole you can never turn off the ideas from pervading your points of view. I also would like to say that we have the power to change our world. We have the power to make our lives meaningful and worthwhile. If you watch this movie please make waves to change this world for the better. Manifest love not fear. Manifest change not encumbrance. Hold true to this if you decide to watch it.

If you do watch the movie and care what I thought of it, I believe it to be only a speculation. There are truths thrown around to make you believe a single point of view. This is why I detest the media. I can’t believe any source of information that comes from a single source. Let it be TV, newspapers, or books, they are not the truth. Life is truth and that is all we have. I am reminded of my favorite quote: “There is no truth. Everything tends to evolve.” - Dr. Waldo Vieira.

I would love this page to be filled with discussion. I hope to prove this video false in many ways because I can not believe in such a bleak view of our future as humans. I believe in the virtue of goodness and love. I believe in the beauty of human creativity. I believe that we are on our way to an age of peace. I want to believe that you and I are one. We are a part of each other and reflect each other. We are creating all the circumstances for the freedom of all people.

Even after all the information presented in the film pointing towards total control and the loss of all freedom as we know it, I believe it can never prevail if we stay strong. They can not force us into slavery because they can never take away our freedom to choose. We will always have the choice to believe what we want. If we lose everything we still have our lives and can still love… the only thing that matters.

peace and love

Nana’s Favorite Poem

“Life is like a journey on a train…
With a fellow passenger at every window pane.
I may sit beside you all life through…
Or I might sit elsewhere, never knowing you.

But, if life should have me sit by your side
Let’s be friendly travelers;
It’s so short a ride.”

Moving Out

The past few days have been pivital for my life in RI…

For one, I have finished my days at Pastiche. When I first moved to RI after college, I was working at the mall still; a horrible experience that sucked the life right out of me. It was by some divine revelation that I decided to take the plunge and search for a better job that suits me better. Not only did I find the best job I’ve ever had in my entire life, but I found a place that I can call home. If it were not for Pastiche I surely would have never been able to make my life as wonderful as it is. I spent over two years at Pastiche and now those days are over. Farewell my friend…

Secondly as some of you already know, I have been planning on moving to MA to work on an organic farm. This means I will be leaving RI after 7 long years. I’ve lived in 7 different apartments over the years and said good bye to them as well. Although, it has been difficult saying goodbye to this one. I’ve really found a home that I feel comfortable in. It’s not easy finding a 3 bedroom, 2 floor apartment, with a best friend one floor down. This place was everything I needed when I needed it and I will always remember it and it’s slanted walls…

But saying goodbye and letting go of all the things that have sustained you so long is easy in comparison to leaving behind all the people you’ve come to know and love… especially Bonnie. I really wish I could stay so close to her. The little two person community we set up is wonderful. She’s always there when I need her and I’m always there for her. We’ve really been best friends in every sense of the word. She is the one that I can depend on. She is the one I can talk to. She is the one that I know is always there for me. Losing everything would be easy if I still had her to eat dinner with, think with, and be with in any way that I could find to help. Breaking that part of my life and putting her farther from my home will be hard to do. She was the only reason I ever doubted my leaving…

I really am going to miss little rhodie because I don’t know if I will ever find a state as nice as this one. I am also really thankful for the amazing life opportunities it has given me. Even though I am only a 40 minute drive from it’s border I don’t know if I will ever come back. There is just so much world for me to discover.

Peace and Love

The Fast: Day Two

The fast lasted 43 hours. I didn’t quite make it to the 48 hour mark… (mostly because I didn’t want to be up late with a full stomach). I really enjoyed the fast. During the second day I felt very good. I mean I couldn’t run or ump around, but under normal circumstances I was great. I tried going out into the sun for another cleanup walk, but after 20 minutes or so I became exhausted and dizzy. It was a good experience that I will have to try again some day.

Less than an hour after I ate my first meal I felt rejuvenated. I felt all the energy flowing through me. The only thing I didn’t like was how my mind came back to take my attention away from me. While I was fasting I had very good concentration and was able to accomplish a lot more.

If anyone has any personal accounts they would like to share about their fast please do in the comment section.

Peace and Love

The Fast: Day One

Yesterday, while enjoying the company of my amazing friend Bonnie, she and I decided to fast for 48 hours. It was Bonnie’s idea. I must admit I have never really sought out fasting for the hell of it. I always thought someday I would participate in a fast and this seemed like a good opportunity to get a feel of the beneficial effects.

I have read recently about the benefits of fasting and was surprised by my findings. Although the facts can be disputed I have read fasting helps immune function, detoxification, and also extends life expectancy.

The fast started last night at 10PM and will continue until tomorrow at 10PM for a total of 48 hours. My experience so far has been pleasant. I feel great. Currently I have been without food for about 12 hours and haven’t been thinking about it much at all. I have been drinking a lot of water and some fresh ginger tea which occupies my stomach. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

Peace and Love

The Dali Lama on Compassion

I have profound respect and humility for the Dalai Lama and his teachings. I feel them inside and out. They are a part of my being and truest understandings, so tonight I thought I would point you all towards His Holiness’ views on compassion.

His answer to one of life’s most asked questions, “What is the purpose of Life?”, is as simple as they come; To be Happy. I do not doubt for a minute the truth of this statement. I also do not doubt the idea that all people, no matter where you come from, seek happiness. Think about it for a minute… how would it be to be happy all the time?

A large majority of people I meet tend to think this to be impossible. They mutter something about how in reality this is just ridiculous or that humans are by nature greedy and hateful. I’ve been forced many times into this dismal view only to rise once again to the truth of love. There is nothing greater we know of. I’ve been through it before time and time again and the only time I feel alive is when compassion is in the forefront… when people work together… when someone smiles with their heart.

It may sound like too much or overwhelming, but it is in our very nature (whether you like it or not). We are the light of love and one person can make a difference… one person can change one person who changes another person… etc…

I love this man. He is you, he is me, and we are all each other. If you want to know more about His Holiness’ teachings go to his website and look up his teachings on compassion.

Peace and Love

Fairwell My Friends

I want to say thank you to both Gaby and Dallas for giving me the opportunity to host them for three days during their trip across america. You two are a blessing to the world.

I spent the last three days getting to know two amazing people. I was only told about their arrival a few days before they came. I was a little nervous hosting people in my home that I have never met before, but it was an experience I will never forget. I am blessed every day with so much beauty and I love giving it back by helping others with whatever they need.

AK Press

My ever-surprising boyfriend Nathan has done it again. He has opened my eyes to yet another resource for those of us who want to know more about benefiting the world and humankind. You can find anything from renewable energy to queer thought and animal rights.

AK Press

Here is their statement:

“AK Press is a worker-run collective that publishes and distributes radical books, visual and audio media, and other mind-altering material. We’re small: a dozen people who work long hours for short money, because we believe in what we do. We’re anarchists, which is reflected both in the books we provide and in the way we organize our business. Decisions at AK Press are made collectively, from what we publish, to what we distribute and how we structure our labor. All the work, from sweeping floors to answering phones, is shared. When the telemarketers call and ask, “who’s in charge?” the answer is: everyone. Our goal isn’t profit (although we do have to pay the rent). Our goal is supplying radical words and images to as many people as possible. The books and other media we distribute are published by independent presses, not the corporate giants. We make them widely available to help you make positive (or, hell, revolutionary) changes in the world. As you probably know, the stuff we carry is less and less available from the corporate publishers and their chain stores.”