Joined Senator Jim Beall’s Annual Los Gatos Creek Cleanup Event

“Not all of us can do great things. But each of us can collectively do small things to make a big difference.” 

The invitation was straight-forward enough: “Be part of the solution to pollution! A creek runs through our neighborhoods, please help us take care of this precious resource. Join your neighbors, get some exercise, and give back to the environment.”

It sounded compelling enough. It would mean giving up my early morning yoga class, but performing an act of selfless service and giving back to the community seemed worth it. 

I met up with Senator Beall (D) and a group of other volunteers at a registration booth at Campbell Park. I checked in, signed a waiver of form, and was issued a yellow volunteer vest, green trash bag, gloves and a litter pickup device with an extended arm by volunteer staff members. Coffee, water, snacks and sunscreen/lip balm was provided by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.

We took a group photo and I had the opportunity for a photo op with Senator Beall who represents the 15th Senate district that includes the South Bay and Silicon Valley. He introduced us to some local political aides, his press secretary, Rodney Foo, and the Campbell Chief of Police, David Carmichael. He told us he believed in the internship programs. He began his political career as an intern and youth commissioner for Norm Mineta, who was mayor of San Jose at the time, and later went on to become the US Secretary of Transportation under George W. Bush.

I didn’t know volunteering to pick up trash from the creek trails could be so much fun. I got the chance to meet like-minded people. I walked along side the rustic, scenic trails from Campbell Park to Los Gatos. A few of the runners and walkers on the trail stopped to thank me for helping to clean up the environment and wanted to know how they could get involved. It gave me a real sense of community. In fact, everyone walked away from the experience feeling good about how they spent their morning. It was especially nice to see parents take their young children to participate. About an hour and half hours and seven miles later, I returned back to Campbell Park, adding my filled trash bag to the pile. I then thanked Senator Beall for the chance to serve and for his leadership in organizing this Annual Creek Cleanup event. After saying goodbye, he had his staff give us a signed Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate for our service.

Poscript: Thanks to my civic minded friend Elizabeth Sharkey, a teacher at Fisher Elementary & Middle School who asked me to sign a petition for SB 492 sponsored by Senator Beall that: Enables the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to acquire 6,500 acres in the Upper Guadalupe, Los Gatos Creek, and Saratoga Watersheds to protect ecological sensitive lands, safeguard 1,000 acres for redwood forest from logging, and link several trail systems to allow the public access to spectacular scenery from Santa Clara County to the sea.

Dim Sum Luncheon at Dynasty Seafood that Draws upon a 2500 year old Ancient Tradition

According to Wikipedia, The Cantonese phrase Dim Sum literally means “Touch the Heart,” or “Order to Your Heart’s Content,” and that we did.🙂

We were invited to join the Chiens for Dim Sum at the Dynasty Seafood restaurant in Cupertino, CA. Our daughter Michelle and husband Kyle met us there. When we first entered the restaurant I was amazed by the size of the main dining room. I felt like we were on a luxury cruise ship. It had a vaulted a ceiling with bright lights, and there was excitement in the air. Everybody seemed to be having fun. We were escorted to a smaller, quieter room off the main dining area.

I was first introduced to Dim Sum many years ago by Yusan, a friend from yoga who used to host a talk show in Hong Kong. It is a style of Cantonese food that that has grown very popular among Westerners over the years. It is best eaten with a group which allows the opportunity to sample a lot more food. More importantly it doesn’t hurt to have people with you who know a thing or two about ordering. Personally, I found myself intimidated by the many choices of dumplings, meats, noodles, rice, tofu, veggies, chicken, pork, seafood and other exotic dishes to choose from. But, between Al, his mom Dana, and his dad Jack, we had it covered. Instead of ordering from a traditional menu—which is available, our hosts chose an assortment of flavorful, sweet and savory dishes from push carts rolled to the table by our food servers. They were then placed on a large "Lazy Susan," at the center of a the white table-colthed table. One of our favorites recommended by Kyle’s mom, Kim were the authentic Sesame seed balls that were stuffed with sweet red bean filling. Very tasty.

The origin of Dim Sum began over 2500 years ago as charming little teahouses to accommodate weary travelers along the Silk Road, an ancient shipping route that Cecile and I had the opportunity to tour during our three week trip to China some years back. As it became known that tea was a digestive aid that also cleanses the palette, tea house owners began adding small snacks. This was the birth of dim sum. 

Though dim sum has changed over thousands of years from a roadside tea stop to a full-on culinary culinary event, the spirit remains the same: Enjoying food surrounded by the people you love and care about.

Jason & I Bonding with a Burmese Python: Now Being Bounty-Hunted in the Florida Everglades

“Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the poor snake and the snake didn’t have a leg to stand On.”

Here is a photo of Jason and I bonding with a 200 pound tame reticulated Burmese Python in Caron, Thailand that accompanied a feature story in the Saratoga News in April 2004 entitled A Quest for Life: "Father and Son Find Adventures and Enlightenment.” The thrill of interacting with such a beautiful bigger-than-life reptile is hard to describe. It’s constricting body felt like a living garland around our necks and shoulders that was tighter than the tuxedo I wore at my daughter Michelle’s and Kyle’s wedding. We were told it had recently ended it’s three week fast, and we prayed he wasn’t hungry.🙂 Who knew that 20 years later the Florida authorities would be placing a bounty on the corpses of these exotic reptiles.

It’s not uncommon for Burmese pythons to attain lengths up to 23 feet and exceeding 175 pounds and to live up to 40 years. They inhabit the jungles and lush grassy marshes of Southeast Asia. They have sharp teeth and strong constricting muscles they use to kill their prey. They have become popular pets over the years due to their painted skin and generally docile disposition. They can be obtained at pet shops or breeder expos. Unfortunately, they often wind up in the hands of negligent and incompetent owners. Due to the abhorent illicit trafficking trade, they have established themselves in warm states like Florida, far from their native land.

Though giant pythons have been involved in less than 10 fatal deaths in the past decade, (rate is higher for human deaths involving horses and dogs), these deaths are preventable. When handling or feeding a python, it must be contained in a safe enclosure. Some years back, a 19 year old man from the Bronx was found dead in his apartment. Apparently, his 11-foot Burmese python entwined around his body. The police believed that the pet python mistook the pet owner for food when he was getting ready to feed his python a chicken. Once a python gets around the upper body, a person can become unconcious in minutes, as the carotid artery gets cut off if a person panics.

Through no fault of there own, these pythons have been smuggled into the South Florida by traffickers over the years and in the process have created a reptilian nightmare for the ecosystem. Pythons have taken up residence in the Everglades National Park. Their prey: rabbits, foxes, deer, bobcats, opossums and raccoons, which are close to being wiped out. Pythons are great swimmers and can stay submerged under water for 30 minutes before coming up for air.

Trafficking of exotic Burmese pythons has been going on since the 1970s. Naive pet owners, no longer able to deal with these creatures as they grew to full size, began dumping them in the Everglades. The National Park Service estimates that over 100,000 pythons are in the swamps of South Florida due to their breeding and multiplying. It has become a public menace. According to Michale E. Dorcas, a herpetologist at Davidson College in North Carolina, “there hasn’t been a snake big enough to eat a raccoon in Florida for about 18 million years."

It’s become such a problem that Florida authorities have resorted to hiring bounty hunters in a program called “Python Challenge," but it has barely made a dent in decreasing the python population. According to Wikipedia, the problem is so serious that Florida has placed restrictions on keeping them as pets. Violators face imprisonment for more than 7 years or fined $500,000.

*Quote Source: Michael E. Dorcas, a herpetologist at Davidson College in North Carolina, said in a 2012 interview with Yale Environment 360, an online publication of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies

*Photo Credit: of bounty hunters, Nicholas Banos/Facebook

Saratoga Farmer's Market and the Rive Gauche Trio: Undeniably a Feast for the Senses

Saratoga Farmer's Market and the Rive Gauche Trio: Undeniably a Feast for the Senses

“Let Food Be Thy Medicine.”
Hippocrates

Cecile and I love to weave through the Saratoga Farmers Market every Saturday morning, rubbing shoulders with members of our community, soaking in the great atmosphere of food gatherers, witnessing nature’s color palette on display, and being seduced by the aroma from the plethora of cooked food being prepared by vendors from diverse cultures and ethnicities. 

The offerings are many: Rotisserie Chicken, Indian, Thai, Vegetable Crepes and Quiche pies, Mexican, and Afghani food to eat there or take home. We ordered Bon Mi Vietnamese Salad and Bon MI Sandwich to go from the Flambe’ Asian American Grill. We also picked up Vegetable Crepes from our Ukranian friend who happens to practice yoga at one of the local yoga studios we attend.

The bounty of fruits and vegetables is fresh, abundant, and unmatched from what you get from our local supermarkets.
We love supporting the local growers and producers.
There is so much variety. Take tomatoes: They go beyond the usual red and green. it is not unusual to see orange, yellow, pink, purple and even striped. We love knowing the fruits and vegetables are fresh. Maybe not fresh off the vine, stalk, bush, tree or ground that very morning—but certainly a few days fresh.
The Farmer’s market may not always be certified organic, but small scale growers do employ organic practices. Unfortunately, the expense and time it takes to get USDA certification makes it difficult to compete with the big boys. 

The band that performed this past Saturday was Left Bank Rive/Gauche Band. The "Left Bank," is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris.
Their specialty is French cafe-style music of the 1920s-1940s, Spanish and Gypsy songs and other period piece favorites from America and Latin countries. The instruments the trio played were violin, bass, guitar and accordion.

“RIve Gauche” or “Left Bank,” generally refers to the Paris of an earlier era: The Paris of artists, writers, and philosophers like ike Henry Miller, Anais Sin, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Henri Matisse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and James Baldwin. The phrase “Rive Gauche,” implies a sense of bohemianism, counterculture and creativity.

If I had to write a poem about my experience at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market, it would go like this:

“The friendly hum of conversation and music fill the air.
Colorful fruits and veggies compete to draw my eye,
The sensuous feel of gem-like cherry tomatoes,
The Aromatic smells of fresh-cut flowers, 
Toot-picked samples of sweet melons and sugar plums
caused me to become completely undone.”

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Invited to see the Epic Movie Dunkirk at the Hackworth IMAX Dome at The Tech Museum

“In order for war to be just, four things are necessary: authority of the sovereign, a just cause, a rightful intention and a last resort.”
—St. Augustine

Our host, Mark Brodsky, an engineer, owner-operator of Laser Marks, former mayor of Monte Sereno and self-described “war history buff,” invited four friends to join him to see this amazing period piece that is receiving “Oscar Buzz.” They were Larry, Brett, TJ and myself, shown here having drinks and critquing the movie at Scott’s Seafood in downtown San Jose. 

Film Director, Christopher Nolan took great pangs to depict the agony and the ecstasy of a major iconic WWII battle that for all practical purposes saved the Western World. The opening scene: 300,000 British troops from the shores of Europe trapped in the north of France. They must cross the channel before the Nazi’s obliterated them. As the troops scurried about, paper propaganda flyers are dropping from the sky letting them know they are “screwed.” Left out of the film were the 120,000 French soldiers that were also evacuated from Dunkirk, and 30,000 French troops that held back Nazi divisions near the city of Lille to protect the allies.

For most avid moviegoers, there is only one way to see this 106-minute feature film: on the biggest screen possible. The film was projected on IMAX 70mm high resolution format of celluloid film, twice the size of the usual 35mm film used in the ordinary cinemas. What is the end result? Higher quality, clearer picture and stronger colors and black and whites. But for many this new technology comes at a cost. See Spoiler Alert at the end of this post for details.

Most of the communication between the actors is done through eye contact as Nolan uses minimal diaglogue to tackle complicated issues.
Perhaps Nolan aimed to educate the modern audience on the Battle of Dunkirk, but he also demonstrated the perserverance, courage, patriotism, pain, sacrifice and heroism that it took to survive the near apocalypse. The real heroes in my book were ordinary men and women that helped rescue the troops during a harrowing week in May 1940. In Operation Dynamo, soldiers were ferried to waiting ships by the estimated 800 smaller civilian craft that had sailed over the channel from England to help in the war effort.

Nolan further distinguishes himself as the visionary filmmaker, master storyteller and artist who manages to place the moviegoer in the middle of this experience. I felt like I was wearing a Virtual Reality helmet, especially when witnessing the British Spitfire plans patrol the English Channel.

I am basically a very peaceful guy, so I asked myself why I like a good war movie. I realized I like the drama of it, the human instinct for survival. Then there's unexpected heroism, the kindness and compassion of lay people who play their part in the war effort, knowing that at any turn they can become a casualty of war. More than any other genre of film, the human life is depicted here. I want to know how I would cope. Would I react bravely or cowardly, be a leader or a team player.

In Dunkirk, like all war movies, one witnesses the honor of battle but the futility and fruitlessness of it as well. I was reminded of the song “War.” In 1968, Edwin Starr, a Motown artist who recorded his version of WAR in 1970 that resonated with the antiwar movement during the Vietnam War: “War, what is it good for…absolutely nothing, say it again…War means tears to thousands of mothers eyes when their sons go to fight and lose their lives.” 

On the other hand, sometimes there are so called “Just Wars." My namesake, St. Augustine, laid out the basis for a “Just War" which included: “Just Authority; Just Cause, RIght Intension and Last Resort.” Certainly this would apply here as Hitler was on a rampage to exterminate Jews, gays, gypsies, Christians, the intellectual elite and was intent on invading all of Europe.

Spoiler Alert: While seeing this movie on an IMAX Dome screen was awesome, technology does have it’s limititations. Walking down the aisle in the upper rows to get to our seat felt like I was at the edge of a cliff. Also, the film image is extended to the ceiling, and you are forced to crane your neck upwards. Think staring up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling painting by Michelangelo at the Vatican for over and hour and a half. Most of us had to move to the upper rows. Yet we still experienced stiff necks during the movie, and for some of us, headaches the next day. If you are one of the 65 million people in this country who have neck pain and suffer motion sickness (i.e. vertigo), stay away from IMAX Dome theaters. See the movie in plain digital format or the regular, smaller IMAX screens at your local cinema.

Photo credit of troops and planes: Warner Bros
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Dinner at Oren's Hummus Shop & Amazing Bluegrass Music by The Talented Goodbye Girls

"I find ecstasy in living—the mere sense of living is joy enough." —Emily Dickinson

Cecile and I joined our friends Susan and Nelson Bye for dinner at Oren’s Hummus Shop in Mountain View followed by a houseconcert at Casa Amaranta in Palo Alto. 

We were familiar with the Oren’s brand from the Farmers Market in Saratoga where we buy their hummus and eggplant products. Oren Dobronsky, is a high tech maven originally from Tel Aviv who missed the creamy Hummus from his homeland. Together with his wife Nancy, an experienced restauranteur, they opened Oren’s Hummus, an authentic Israeli restaurant. 

For starters we shared the yummy Quick Fried Cauliflower florets with pesto labane; Romanian Eggplant, Greek-Style Eggplant, and fresh Pita bread. For our entrees, we enjoyed a satisfying Rice Bowl: Basmati rice simmered with garlic, mint, parsley topped with chicken kabob and tahini. Nelson and I had an Allagash Triple Ale that was the perfect complement. The food is not only authentic, it is fresh, healthy and extremely tasty in an exotic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean sort of way.

After dinner we headed to Casa Amaranta, for what was billed as a neighborhood music gathering organized by Ray Sliter, a marine geologist who is one of the owners of Travieso Winery in Campbell. He enjoys sharing fine wines with friends, promoting local music groups in a home owned by his mother whose artwork is displayed in a room that by my count held over 120 people. 

The evening event featured The Goodbye Girls, a new quartet out of Boston comprised of four musicians from the US, Canada, and Sweden: Their common love for old-time, bluegrass and Swedish traditional music is what brought them together. They are known to be some of the best acoustic musicians around, playing the fiddle, base, banjo and guitar. They have appeared at the Newport Folk Festival and Stockhom Folk Festival and have recently completed an International tour.

Lead guitarist and vocalist, Molly Tuttle has two million views on YouTube, is an award winning songwriter and has appeared on the iconic “A Prairie Home Companion,” on public radio. These ladies were awesome and very entertaining, especially the quirky, blonde Swedish fiddler, vocalist and storyteller Lena Jonsson who was a real hoot. The other two fine musician-vocalists were Allison de Groot—Banjo, and bass player, Brittany Karlson. I love to support up and coming musicians and purchased their CD: Snowy Side of the Mountain.

Hugs and bows to Nelson and Susan for coming up with this great plan for a fun evening.

https://www.thegoodbyegirlsmusic.com

http://traviesowinery.com/bios.html

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Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends, Good Times at Dio Deka Greek-Inspired Restaurant

Cecile and I had a relaxing Dinner with friends Mohssen (Mo) and Simin at Dio Deka Restaurant at the Los Gatos Hotel, on Main Street. The origin of the name Dio Deka comes from the address which in Greek is 210. Coincidentally, 210 also happens to be the area code for Athens.
Dio Deka is known for its warm and relaxing setting with old-world hospitality and great Greek inspired Mediteranean food. The Michelin-rated eatery has a casual yet elegant ambiance with a San Francisco charm and presentation. There is plenty a space between the tables with a Kitchen view from wherever you’re seated.

We began our meal with a Greek Sampler Dip comprise of dollops of: tzaziki, taramas, htipiiti and tirokafteri served with
fresh warm Pita wedges that were rubbed with oil, rosemary, salt. We also enjoyed baked lamb meatballs with ouzo-tomato sauce and fresh melted myzithra cheese,
carmelzed mushrooms with herbs, and Greek salads with a variety of fresh vegetables and feta cheese.

For our entree’s we had Branzino, a European sea bass, with green vegetables and reoated potatoes

I took as much pleasure eating watching Mo eat his mesquite grilled Dorad as eating my Branzino. Dorad is definitely for the patient and adept eater. It is served whole with lemon and herb stuffing. The bones keep you from rushing through your entree. It reminded me of eating with my Sicilian grandfather who was a fisherman and skilled at deboning his fish.

Did Deka has a 58 page wine list with over 1,200 choices that will make you dizzy. Think expensive at three times retail. Don’t even think about bringing your own wine unless you are willing to part with a $35 corkage Fee. I chose a moderately priced Pinot Gris.
For dessert, we shared traditional Greek Beignets, tossed with Thyme-Honey Syrup with Cinnamon and nuts.

Dio Deka offers intimate outdoor seating and complentary valet, though some street parking available.

Postscript: Mo and Simin, who are both hard working real esate agents for Coldwell Banker will always hold a special place in our hearts. They helped us downsize two years ago from our estate home in Saratoga to wonderful, easily maintained townhome in our gated-community at Rinconada Hills. We share the same family values and enjoy a good night out. They gifted us two bottles of their private label wine, Mosimona Cabernet, the grapes of which are harvested from their estate vineyard.

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"Make Me One with Everything!" Nirvana and One of My Guilty Pleasures as a kid—Hot Dogs

Question: What did the Dalai Lama say to the hot dog vendor? Answer: “Make me One with Everything!” This is a cheeky play on the idea some Buddhists have about life being a journey whose end game is becoming “One with the Universe." It also is the name of a book by Surya Das (who was born Jeffrey Miller in NY). He is a lama, author, poet and meditation teacher whom I've had the opportunity to hear speak at various venues. And finally, it’s a story about my childhood obsession with a certain brand of hot dogs.

Sabrette Hot Dog push carts were very popular growing up in Hoboken in the 50s and 60s. You could find one on street corners scattered about the city. There was always one across from Our Lady of Grace Elementary and Secondary School, which I attended. At lunch time I would always tell the hot dog vendor, “Make Me One with Everything, which I explained above had a different connotation then, than it does now. On the other hand, eating one was a form of Nirvana. I would always order one—and sometimes–two with a Yoohoo chocolate drink. 

Cal Furino, son of Italian immigrants used to sell hot dogs on the corner of Newark and Harrison streets. According to grandson GIaco Furino, a Brooklyn-based writer who penned an article in the New Jersey monthly last January, Cal sold his hot dogs in those days for .15 to .20 cents. It was such a deal. Hoboken born and bred singer, Jimmy Roselli, a contemporary of Frank Sinatra, was a customer, as was boxer Chuck Wepner. But, Cal’s most notorious customer, was “Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer better known as Iceman,” who was very “polite” and dressed like a “lawyer." He was “eventually convicted of five murders,” added his grandson, Giaco.

Outside of Italian Deli Food and my late mother’s cooking, Sabrette Hot Dogs were the best comfort food I ever tasted when I was a kid. When you took a bite, it was like I died and went to heaven. It continues to be a guilty pleasure I indulge in when I am back in my home town. Eating one was a form of time travel that brings me back to the old days. As they say you can take the man out of the Hoboken, but you can never take the Hoboken out of the man.

These days I spend more time cultivating “moment-to-moment awareness” and that all "inclusive connection with all things,” than eating hot dogs. But, old habits die hard.

Postscript: Many are surprised to learn that even the Dalai Lama continues to eat meat for “health reasons.” However, he also points out that the discipline code for monastics (vinaya) has no prohibition against eating meat, so monks in Thailand, Burma and Sri Lanka take vegetarian or non vegetarian food, respecting what is offered to them. So does the Dalai Lama eat hot dogs as the joke seems to imply? Maybe it's his best kept secret.🙂

Photo Credit of Sabrette hot dog in hand facing NYC: Hobokenhappyhours.com in a story written by Brittany Temple, SiriusXM producer of "Make it Plain," with Mark Thompson

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Enjoying the Baylands Nature Preserve, Shoreline Lake, and the Grand Pelicans

“Life is like the eye of a Camera, focus on what you love and you’ll capture it's essence perfectly.”
—Dennis Augustine

Cecile and I never seem to tire of having lunch on the patio of the Lakeside Cafe, an American bistro at Shoreline, and walk the trails around this breathtaking 50 acre lake right in the heart of Silicon Valley.

I discovered this refuge of peace and serenity when I did plein air watercolor painting with the Saratoga Community of Painters.

This is a place where kids, adults, family and friends, natural habitat and wildlife come together. There is something for everybody. On any given day local high tech company workers and their bosses, come to relax from the hustle bustle of a work day. Yesterday Cisco Systems had a buffet-style lunch out on the South lawn overlooking the lake. Google provides a fleet of primary colored bicyles to their employees to take wherever they please. Some choose Shoreline as their destination for a picnic lunch or riding along the bay.

There is a rich offering of paddle boats, kayaks, laser single sail boats, rafting and windsurfing. There is also ten miles of hiking trails in nature, birdwatching, and wildlife sanctuaries for adults and youngsters on summer break who attend Camp Shoreline Kids Camp.

With temperatures, at 89° in the vallley, you can usually count on Shoreline being 5 to ten degrees cooler and breezy. The strong winds make Shoreline Park a perfect place for kite flying just past the entrance to the park.

We love to see the tidal marshes an salt ponds and visit the grand American white pelicans and other shore birds tucked away on little islets in the Baylands Nature Preserve on the South Bay just beyond the lake. These powerful flyers have a wingspan averaging nine feet. They dive into the waters with great force and exuberance. They catch fish by scooping water into their pouches, then strain out the water and swalllow the fish. They sometimes form a semi-circle, slap their wings against the water, and drive a school of fish close to shore, where they can feast on them. The takeaway one gets from close encounters with pelicans is that they teach us how to ride the headwinds in our own lives, and how to move fearlessly across the water of life. The pelican also trusts in the abundance of the sea.

The Visionary Proponent of Gratefulness Practice to Appear on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday Show

“Joy is the happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens.”—Br. David Stendl-Rast

David Steindl-Rast, whom I consider to be one of my teachers is 91 years old today. He is co-founder of “A Network of Grateful Living,” which has had a worldwide transformational influence on individuals and society. He will appear on Oprah’s Emmy Award winning Super Soul Sunday show this fall.

I first met Brother David at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, a retreat center that focuses on the exploration of human consciousness and the mind-body connection. We attended a retreat in the 90s in honor of the late scholar and mythologist, Joseph Campbell, known for his PBS series: The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers. It had a profound effect on the trajectory of my life. I had just published my book: “Invisible Means of Support, A Transformational Journey,” with “A Tribute to Campbell.” His wife Jean Erdman, who was also present made a career as an American dancer and choreographer of modern dance, and had written a testimonial for my book. David was a personal friend of Campbell's and collaborated with him on a number of projects. 

"Grateful living is an engaged form of mindfulness practice, grounded in wisdom and science. It allows one to see the wonder and opportunity in every moment. What gratitude does for you, is as important as what it does for others. It calms your fears, strenghtens your courage, opens your heart for adventure—gratefulness heals."

It’s no surprise that Oprah would interview Br. David for her show. Over 21 years ago, she began keeping a gratitude journal. Each and every day, she writes down five things she is grateful for—from fresh flowers to kindness to a stranger. This single act of journaling made her feel more receptive to the goodness in her life. She credits keeping this journal "as the single most important thing in her life.

Brother David is no ordinary monk. He has a background in art, anthropology, and psychology, receiving his MA from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and a Phd from the Univerity of Vienna. He emigrated to the US with his family in 1952. A year later he joined the Benedictine order in upstate NY. After 12 years of monastic training and studies in philosophy and theology, he was sent by his abbot to engage in Buddhist-Christian Diaglogue after receiving approval from the Vatican in 1967. He studied with Zen Masters including Shunryu Suzuki Roshi. He co-founded the Center of Spiritual Studies in 1968 he received the 1975 Martin Buber Award for building bridges between religious traditions. He worked alongside the late Trappist monk, theologian and mystic, Thomas Merton who studied Eastern spirituality as well.

David’s book, “Gratefulness, The Heart of Prayer and A Listening Heart" has been reprinted for more than two decades. He co-authored “Belonging to the Universe” (a winner of the 1992 American Book Award) with physicist and "Tao of Physics" author, Fritjof Capra.
Currently, Brother David serves a worldwide Network of Grateful Living through Gratefulness.org, an online sanctuary and interactive website with several thousand participants from more than 240 countries and territories.

Happy Birthday, David and thanks for all the wisdom teachings, insights and inspiration you have offered seekers on The Path throughout your life!

An Encounter with Pete the Duck at the Flower Shop on the Way to the Apple Store:

An Encounter with Pete the Duck at the Flower Shop on the Way to the Apple Store:

A funny thing happened on the way to the Apple Store in downtown Los Gatos to pick up my new IPhone 7 Plus.
The plan was for Cecile and I to take a shortcut from the parking lot through the back door of ‘Bunches Flower Shop” and out the front door which faces the Apple store across the street. I was apprehensive of the process. It seems whenever we upgrade any electronic device Murphy’s Law seems to come into play.

When I turned to my left while in the flower shop, I noticed a Duck wading in a stainless steel basin. It was a 106° that day, so the Duck was definitely in the right place.

In fact, I felt a little jealous, and thought if I was his size, I would have loved to trade places with him. 
How did I know it was a “he?” Well, I found out that “he” was called Pete, the store mascot. I had bought Cecile flowers at Bunches on many occasions but never noticed him.

I found out many mothers go there for a bouquet of flowers because the owners are always nice to their kids. But, the real star attraction is Pete, their vegetarian duck who eats cherry tomatoes and cabbage and whom they been caregivers of—for about ten years. Raised as a chick he never had the urge to split as he grew older.
What a marketing coup for the owners. Buy some flowers and have your kids get to see and visit a duck. But, truth be told adults look forward to seeing Pete too. I for one was charmed by the whole experience.

Ducks are amazing creatures. Their feathers are waterproof and have a waxy coating that keeps their downy underlayer dry no matter how long they stay in the water.
Contrary to popular belief, most male ducks are silent. Very few actually “quack.” The sounds they produce are more like squeaks, grunts, groans, chirps and growls. Ducks have been domesticated pets and popular farm animals for over 500 years.

Ducks love slow, moving water, drifting along meandering ponds and lakes. They can travel by water, land and air, giving them flexibility to travel from one adventure to another.

They symbolize enjoying your life, going with the flow, yet being ready to navigate pitfalls and hazards along the way.
Ducks don’t hold a grudge. If they get into a scuffle with another duck, they shake off the stressful encounter from their feathers and get on with their day.

This turned out to be a good lesson for me. When we went to buy my new IPhone. It was crowded and busy. Due to new security concern policies AT&T made it difficult transferring data from my old Samsung Android to the IPhone. We didn’t recall our billing account password. It took over several phone calls by the young tech person assisting us. It seemed like we were there forever and we were running out of mental bandwidth. Fatigue was setting in. I thought of Pete the duck at Bunches and how ducks intuitively know how to go with the flow—be at peace. So, we shook off the stressful encounter and got on with our day, focusing on the great photos I will be able to take for my next blog.

Fire Hydrants Unplugged: How We Took Refuge from Heat Waves When I was a Kid

It is a 100 degrees today in sunny California, and this is as close as I can get to an open fire hydrant these days, a squirting fountain in the downtown square of Los Gatos.
When I was a kid growing up in Hoboken, NJ, my young friends and I loved when the daring rowdy street teens opened up the fire hydrants during the sweltering heat and transformed our neighborhood into a water park. There was a limited time to enjoy this relief from the heat as the police department or local fire department of our mile square city was called and they shut it off. 
The very first “flip lid” fire hydrant was popped up across the Hudson in NYC in 1808. But, the lack of dramatic street spray was hardly worth the effort.
But the debut of the “fat” high-pressure hydrants I remember from my youth (or Ute) as Joe Pesci says in, "My Cousin Vinny, "Turned our neighborhood into a bursting large scale fountain of joy. Most of these nostalgic ‘fat’ hydrants that could be found in NYC were shut down by the 1980s.
It was the opening of the Croton Aqueduct system in 1842 that brought cool water down from the Catskill Mountains for kids to bask in when the heat was intolerable.
One person who helped bring attention and relief to the effort to escape this unbearable heat was newspaper man and popular songwriter George Pope Morris who begged the city to open the long awaited aqueduct. Here are the poetic lyrics he employed:
"Unseal the city fountains,
And let the waters flow
In coolness from the mountains
Unto the plains below.
I’m weeping like the willow
That droops in leaf and bough—
Let Croton’s sparkling billow
Flow through the city now."
Thee Images of the kids basking "in the flow" if you will, were taken in the summer of 1953 by Peter Stackpole for Life Magazine.
Stay Cool Folks! 🙂

Thermometer Image via Shutterstock
For more stories check out my blog: enjoyyourlifenow.net

Novitiate Heavenly Wines Devilishly Good

Reads the framed portrait of Brother Norbert “Biz” Korte, SJ., that hangs prominently on the wall leading to the tasting room at Testarossa Winery. 
The Jesuit brother worked in the winery for 33 years in a many capacities including tour guide, tasting room host, sales and public relations.

My good friend James “Jimi” Hunter and I rode our electric bikes up the narrow, winding hillside road to the Novitiate Historic Winery in the Santa Cruz mountains overlooking Los Gatos, CA.

In 2005, by aggreement with the provincial Jesuit order, Testarossa Vineyards reopened the winery with the original Novitiate label. They donated a portion of the sale to
Jesuits retirement facility. For almost a hundred years, the Jesuit novices at the Sacred Heart Novitiate lived, prayed and mindfully worked the vineyards from 1888 until 1986. 

Our governor, Jerry Brown attended Sacred Heart Novitiate in 1958, spending four years of silence, prayer, manual labor and study of the classics. Due to his Jesuit training he believed that the spirit of God can be found everywhere: in chaos and order, intelligence and ignorance, fame and obscurity. 

Built by the Jesuits of Santa Clara College (aka Santa Clara University), the novices harvested enough grapes each fall to produce 150,000 gallons of wine used mostly for altar wine for sacramental purposes. It continued unabated during Prohibition (1919-1933). The winery closed in 1986 due to declining sales competitive pressures in the marketplace, and the novitiate moved to Culver City.

Visiting the Tasting Room at Testarossa Winery housed in the caves and cellars of the Historic Novitiate Winery put me in a reflective mood. I was raised in a Roman Catholic household. Like Jerry Brown, my dad entered the seminary as a young man. He was in the Maryknoll order (see photo of dad in his black cassock on the left) and also decided to leave it to lead a lay secular life. I couldn’t help think that had he not, I wouldn’t be writing this post as priests weren't allowed to marry. He did become an urban wine maker for personal and family consumption, using his tool shed in our back yard as his crush and fermentation room. We always had plenty of stock for my birthday parties. This made me very popular with my friends who thought it was pretty cool. To use the Novitiate slogan, It was “devilishly good.”🙂 Cheers!

Postscript:
In 1724, in his Treatise "The Juice of the Grape: Or, Wine Preferable to Water," Peter Shaw, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, asserted that wine can return patients to their natural state of good health with minimal help from their physician. The cheerful remedy was prescribed to those who displayed symptoms of hypochondria and melancholy.

Check out my blog: enjoyyourlifenow.net

Enjoying Wine Tasting and Country Music at Savannah-Chanelle Winery

“The best wines are the ones we drink with friends.”
                                                  —Anonymous

Last evening we were invited to join our fun-loving friends Bernie and Sophie Weinzimmer for an evening of wine tasting and music by “One Country,” acoustic country band at the award winning Savannah Chanelle Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. 

The irony that the name Weinzimmer, in German means, “wine cellar,” wasn’t lost on me. Equally ironic is my name, Dennis originates from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, the god of ecstatic states, particularly produced by wine. 

Speaking of names, the winery is named after owner’s, Mike and Kellie Ballard’s daughters—Savannah and Chanelle. Besides the Shangra La setting, the staff is helpful and friendly, the wine is delightful— prices of which are moderately priced. There are chairs and tables to enjoy wine and snacks. Collectively, we brought smoked trout, vegetarian rice rolls, fresh avocado dip, chips, and fresh cut melon.

The wine tasting room is located inside a very charming 100-year old barn. My favorite was the Cabernet Franc. The other two parts of the winery are the upper area with large white chairs with bright red umbrellas that overlook the valley, green mountains and grape vineyards, and the lower forest and trail area. The entrance to the vineyards is through a cylindrical wooden structure reminicent of original medieval castle gates in Europe.

As Sophie pointed out, “I love living in an area where you can find yourself in the Redwoods within a ten minute drive from home.”

The back story of the winery, involves a French imigrant who was looking to create a new life for himself in America: Pierre Pourroy booked passage to the new world aboard the Steamship La Gascogne in January 1887 in pursuit of a dream to own his own land. Arriving at the port of New York, he then continued his arduous journey by train to California. Practically penniless, he made ends meet as a sheepherder, miner, and laborer. He was encouraged to approach fellow Frenchman Narcisse Aubry who had purchased vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains after being forced to flee France following the 1852 coup d’etat. 

After joining Aubry’s winery, Pierre fell in love with one of Aubry's daughters, Marie Louise, and they married in 1891. Pierre’s brother joined the couple and, he too married. Together, the couples saved enough money to buy 80 acres to clear and plant their first vineyard in. After Jean Aubry died in 1899, Pierre and Marie were able to purchase the 200 acre estate. The Prohibition era all but killed their dream. Pierre reapplied and was granted a wine license in 1936, a few years after the repeal of prohibition. The war broke out in Europe and it would be decades before the wine industry would flourish again. In the 1970s, new owners with new dreams emerged but they would eventually leave to establish a winery in Santa Barbara while high technology in Silicon Valley was at its infancy.

In 1996 Kellie and Mike Ballard visited the property and felt an “immediate emotional connection” to the historic estate. They decided to buy the property and through hard work and perseverance, dedicated themselves to preserving the legacy of the historic estate first begun by Frenchmen, Aubry and Pourroy.

How Poetry Can Support us in Good Times and Bad

"Poems are Wise and Timeless Tools That Can Help Us at Every State of our Life's Journey"—Dale Biron

Cecile and I attended an amazing poetry event at the Acqua Hotel at the edge of SF Bay in Mill Valley called, “A Fierce and Enduring Gratitude with Dale Biron.” The venue was the Acqua Hotel at the edge of SF Bay in Mill Valley, a setting that was equally poetic.
Dale is an exceptional poet, a leadership coach, adjunct professor at Dominican University. The program was sponsored by the Network for Grateful Living. The emphasis was on “How Poetry Supports the Happiness and Joy of Grateful Living in Good Times and Bad." The presentation was in honor of Biron’s longtime mentor and friend, Br David Steindl-Rast and his lifetime of work bringing grateful living to the world. Years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Br David, a Benedictine monk at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, who received permission from his abbot early in his life to study with some of the great Zen masters. He was kind, compassionate and very approachable.

Biron says, “Poems are wise and timeless tools that can help us at every state of our life’s journey, especially times of difficulty and loss, on our path back to gratitude, happiness and yes, even joy.” Biron has shared his poetry-inspired presentations at TEDx, The Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, as well as non-profit and business conferences nationwide.

After the event, we had a chance to speak about the poetic imagination. He autographed a copy of his book, "Do It With Poetry, Why We Do Our Daily Practices." One of Biron’s favorite poets is William Stafford, who once said: Everyone is born a poet, a person discovering how words sound…I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is: Why did other people stop?”

Back in the day, when I had transitioned out of medicine I found myself journaling, reading and writing mystical poetry and even took haiku poetry instruction at Hakone Gardens for a couple of years under the direction of Michael Dylan Welch, author of Becoming a Haiku Poet. He taught me how to appreciate the immediacy of the experiences, an aha!!!—Zen moments if you will. In the Spring of 1997, Hakone Views printed one of my poems. I humbly offer it here:

pink-lipped cherry blossoms
quiver in the morning breeze
my heart flutters

And in the late 90s one of my haiku poems was published in the deluxe 50th edition of the Basho* Festival Anthology,” that took place in Japan.Here is the English version as follows:

the bear fishes
flicking its paw
sprinkling the moonlight

*Basho was a 17th century haiku master born near Kyoto, Japan. Many of his revered poems are reproduced on monuments and traditional sites.

http://gratefulness.org

Celebrating Jason's Birthday at Steamer's Grillhouse

As parents, when we wish our sons (and daughters) a Happy Birthday, we realize the words mean so much more than have a happy day. It means we love you, we celebrate your birth. It means we are happy that you’re here, and wish you much more happiness this and every day—this and every year. 
Jason’s choice of Steamers’s Grillhouse to celebrate his 36th birthday—couldn’t have been better. Over the years we had frequented this 4 1/2 star restaurant in the heart of downtown Los Gatos, CA, and were never disappointed.

His dear friends Julie and Alex arrived and were escorted to join us at our table near the front window in the more spacious and quieter corner of the restaurant.  
I had to agree with one patron visiting from the UK who said Steamer’s Grillhouse, “Had the look and feel of a Parisian Brasserie.”

And, author and food writer, Christina Waters, who I was acquainted with back in the day, describes the restaurant this way: “From it’s floors and polished hardwood tables to its lofty terracotta ceilings, the all-new, all-huge Steamer’s is a babe…Glowing coral rooms radiate out from a central serpentine bar, whose polished curved wood is repeated by a curved ceiling…the restaurant offers seating islands decorated with impeccable tropical plants.”

We ordered cocktails. I had my usual Moscow Mule in a signature copper cup. We clinked the rim of our glasses in celebration of being together in honor of Jason’s birthday.
For starters, we shared a platter of Crispy Calamari and Ahi Tuna Tartare.

For our entree Cecile grilled Organic Salmon, I had the grillled Fresh Alaskan Halibut with veggies and roasted potatoes. Julie had seared scallops with risotto, Alex had swordfish, and the birthday boy had linquini and blue wild prawns. The food didn’t disappoint. 

Our waitress uncorked a bottle of Michael David Winery Freakshow Cabernet Sauvignon that Alex brought to share. The provocative and whimsical label portraying a big circus tent and the "strongest man," in yellow tights lifting owners and brothers Michael and David Phillips up in the air, with hot air balloons in the backdrop was equally matched by the rich and riotous full body taste of the wine itself. 

All and all, the food presentation was spectacular, the ambiance was elegant, yet casual, the waiters and staff provided outstanding service, and in my humble opinion the company was was exceptional.🙂

Now it was time for something sweet. All the desserts were freshly made on the premises. Cecile and I shared the decadent Tirimisu cake. The waitress brought Jason’s molten chocolate lava cake with a lit candle. He flashed that million dollar smile of his, before silently making his birthday wish.

Happy Birthday son, and enjoy your travels in Spain tomorrow!

The Mozzarella Man, “Old Blue Eyes,” and a Flashback to My Italian Roots

"He ate beautiful food, the old man:
green tomatoes in olive oil, fresh bread,
a big white ball of mozzarella, and he drank
down a glass of purple Chianti wine.
He wore old clothes, he lived alone in the piazza,
where all the summer couples paraded, and young boys kicked a ball agains the wall of the church.”
                                                      —Brad Shumantine

This could have been a poem describing my late grandfather Concetto, a fisherman in Roccalumera, Messina where I spent many a summer. But, let me fast forward:

It was a hot early evening in late May at the Black Stallion Winery in Napa, where the wedding rehearsal dinner party was taking place in honor of our daughter Michelle and Kyle. The food was catered by Tre Posti Foods from Saint Helena. Tre Posti or “Three Places,” as it’s called in Italian, refers to the separate restaurant, patio and garden area. The hosts were Kyle’s mom Kim step-dad Al Chien, and his dad, Ed Lewis. The wine was flowing. The food was authentic Italian and “buonisssimo,” as my uncle Lillo would say.

As I walked around schmoozing with family and friends, and sampling appetizers, I saw this mustached man in white chef clothing standing under a red umbrella with the vineyard in the backdrop. He was heating something in two large copper skillets. The sign to his left read: Tre Posti Live Mozzarella Demonstration, hand pulled fresh mozzarella “al minuto” crostini and Napa olive oil. The server was a man called Chris Johnson. He served me one. It melted in my mouth. I was in heaven. I had another one with a sip of wine, then another. I found myself hogging the station. To an Italian this mozzarella station was like an “Italian Shrine.” 

Fresh mozzarella or “Mutz,” as we call it in New Jersey, is a sliceable curd cheese made from cow’s milk, originating in Italy, home of my ancestors. It is best when served within hours of making it and can be eaten cold as in a tomato caprese salad or warm on crostini bread as depicted here or baked in certain type of pasta dishes, or atop a pizza. The curds are heated in water until they become elastic in texture, then stretched like taffy, kneaded until smooth, then made into round balls to make fresh mozzarella cheese.

Growing up in Hoboken, NJ, my mom always bought a braided version of fresh mozzarella, called treccia at Fiore’s Deli on 4th and Adam Street that was established in 1913. Now owned by the Amato family, the sign reads: “Famous for our Mozzarella.” I used to eat it either plain or with ham on a crusty piece of Italian bread. It was so good that the late Frank Sinatra used to have it shipped from Fiore's to his home in Palm Springs, CA. When I went away to college my mother would periodically send me a care package that included mozzarella, ham, Italian bread and peperoni. I guess she thought if it was good enough for Frankie boy, it was good enough for her son. 

I also ate it fresh from the cows when I stayed at my mother’s friend Rose’s parents Franco and Maria's villa and farm in St. Agatha de due golfi (of the two gulfs) overlooking the Amalfi Coast. Finally, I ate it while visiting my late grandmother Peppina, in Sicily where my mama Maria was born in 1947. Mom used to call mozzarella and tomatoes with olive oil on a wheat baguette “peasant food,” and said she could eat it every day if she had to. Today, it is has become an accepted healthy mainstay of the “Meditaranean Diet.” Buon Appetito!

Father’s Day Barbecue at Kim and AL Chien’s lovely Abode

“The Heart of Hospitality is about creating space for someone to feel seen and heard and loved. It’s about declaring your table a safe zone, a place of warmth and nourishment.”                                                                                            —Shauna Niequist

It was called 5:30 PM on one of the hottest days of the year. AL’s wonderful parent’s Dana and Jack were already present. Our daughter Michelle had just arrived from Park City, Utah where she attended a Bridal Shower party for childhood friend, Elisa Sabes. 
Cecile, our son Jason and I arrived next. Jason’s friend Julie Poutre stopped by for drinks and appetizers. Michelle's husband Kyle arrived after having lunch with his dad, Ed Lewis and long time girlfriend, Gerry, followed by wine tasting at J. Lohr and Testarossa Winery. And, of course there were the dogs, Hunter and Baily, and Michelle and Kyle’s dog, Decker who were hoping against hope for some scraps of food when no one was looking.

We sat inside in the air-conditioned family room for the first hour because there weren’t enough oxygen masks available to sit outside.🙂It was like a sauna out there. An hour later though, things cooled off enough (except for AL) to relocate on the Chien’s beautiful entertainment patio in the back yard.
AL played 18 holes of golf earlier in the day and if it weren’t for the gatorade would have suffered heat stroke.🙂Then, he barbecued for all of us. Thanks AL. you’re a mensch. We owe you one. As AL pointed out in a earlier post, he and Kim decided on a red, white and blue Father’s Day theme since they are always in Tahoe for the 4th of July. 

I’d say that Michelle is very lucky to have married into such a thoughtful, fun-loving, and hospitable, family but the truth is Cecile, Jason and I feel very much the same. I know Michelle would agree that we don’t think of the Chien’s and Kyle’s dad and girlfriend Gerry as Kyle’s family but part of “our” family as well.

After appetizers, and before dinner, we all sat down on the patio to watch a slideshow of Michelle and Kyle’s Wedding of May 20th, that had just arrived from the photographer. Once again, we got to experience the beauty and wonder and love that we felt when Michelle and Kyle tied the knot in the magical redwood Grove at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa. Through the skillful photograher’s eye, we got to see poignant and candid shots we weren’t aware took place amongst the 170 family and friends that were in attendance. Every one’s eyes were misty. I sensed Michelle and Kyle were probably thinking, “pinch me,” did this really happen? Yes, it did, and our lives have all been made the better for it.

Honoring My Century Year-Old Dad On Father's Day

“Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was our fathers…rather than all major credit cards.” – Robert Orben

During a recent shopping trip to NYC, Michelle and Cecile took a bus to Hoboken, NJ to pay my dad, Frank, a visit. 
They brought him some of his favorite pastries from Panera’s. My sister Josie, who lives nearby was present. Dad was holding court in his office, surrounded by plaques, awards, commendations, proclamations and photos of him
with the local mayor, Dawn Zimmmer, Councilwoman, Jennifer Giattino, state senator, Brian Stack and NJ Freeholder, Anthony Romano for his life of service. I will always be grateful to these fine leaders for honoring him.

Michelle thought it would be a great idea to have her grandpa talk to me on FaceTime. 
He really perked up when he heard his grandson Jason was home with me. “Dad, it's grandpa on Facetime,” he said. 

Thanks to great genes and a peaceful, easy going Buddha-like disposition, my dad is 100 and 5 months old now. 
HIs ever curious mind is still intact. 

Advancing age has slowed him down to be sure.
He uses a walker to get around.
He is blind in one eye due to macular degeneration.
He has limited vision in the remaining eye.
He needs help getting dressed.
He has a live-in caregiver, named Marcelle to help groom and fix his meals. God bless her soul!

But, what I love about him is he doesn’t indulge in self-pity.
In fact, he is fond of saying, “There is always someone else worst off than me." He’s been telling me this since I was a young man.

Every evening I call to check up on him.
“How are you feeling pop?” I ask.
“Pretty good, so far,” he answered matter of factly.
“Good!" I respond.
“Good for nothing,” He says jokingly about his inability to do things he used to do.
He rarely takes himself too seriously, and jokes about his age by saying: “I’m no Spring chicken anymore.”

Over the last several years I have become more patient with him. Since my mom died 4 years ago I began taking an oral history of his life, which generated many newspaper stories.
When I talk to him, whether by phone or during my visits from California, I know I’m in for an evening of reruns, but they are reruns of a great movie, the movie of his life. 

When I’m in his presence, I love to gently kiss the top of his fuzzy balding head—grateful for each precious day he is with us. He has taught me a great deal about aging gracefully. He has an incredible lightness of being about him, and makes it a point to preserve his inner peace no matter what circumstances he finds himself in. He even wears a wrist band that says, “Don’t Worry!”

I once read a quote from G.K. Chesterton that reads: “Angels can fly because they take themselves…lightly.”
That’s my dad!
Happy Father’s Day Pop!❤️

Postscript: The angel on his shoulder is one of a half dozen I gifted him. They gently emit a pulsating light at the heart level. He keeps them on the back of his desk and on his office window sill, happy to have them watch over him.

It's Never Too Late to Live Happily Ever After

It’s Never Too Late to Live Happily Ever After,” read the colorful oversized Coffee cup flower pot at our table at LeQuy, our favorite restaurant for Pho, Vietnamese noodle soup (click photo for expanded view).

The uplifiting wisdom saying coincided with my having read about a recent study conducted by Harvard psychologists Matthew K. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert. Working with a sampling of 15,000 people from a broad socio-economic background, across 80 countries, they concluded that a “Wandering Mind” is an Unhappy Mind. The happiest people seem to be those who are consistently more mindful of the present moment and become least happy when they allow their minds to wander.

It confirmed everything I had learned from many years of Mindfulness training, my yoga practice and reading classic books on the subject like, “Be Here Now,” written by former Harvard professor and American spiritual teacher Ram Das (born Richard Alpert). Still, I slip now and again. But like all worthwhile endeavors it requires practice, and worth the effort.

We spend almost 50% of our waking hours thinking about something other than the task at hand. A great deal of time is employed ruminating about the past, contemplating the future, and fantasizing to avoid being bored. In fact, “The Mind,” produces about 60,000 thought a day, 80% of which are negative.

The researchers noted, “That people were happiest when making love, exercising, or engaging in conversation,” and; “least happy when resting, working, or using a home computer.” I would add that people are also happiest when they are passionate about their favorite pastimes like gardening, art, music, dance, bicycling, etc.

I was once asked by an acquaintance, “How can you have a blog entitled: enjoyyourlifenow.net, nobody can be happy all the time?
I explained that a happy life does not mean the absence of difficulities but facing them head on, knowing that “this too shall pass.” 

One of my mentors, Joseph Campbell to whom I paid tribute to, in my book: Invisible Means of Support, A Transformational Journey wrote: “You learn to recognize the positive values in what appear to be the negative moments and aspects of your life.” When I have what appears to be a bad day, I invariably can recall an event or two that gladdened my heart. Years ago, I even wrote a poem in my journal about it called “Not a Bad Day for a Sad Day,” that touched on this subject.

Happiness, it turns out is a skill, a power we possess within ourselves. We only need to know how to harness it. Cultivating joy or contentment in the midst of life's challenges and difficulties is pivotal. Joy is not some self-improvement prop we tell ourselves but an inclination of the heart that softens and eases around a difficulty that can taken hold of us at any given time.

Following dinner at our friend Marianne's home, who is an artist, poet and children's book writer, she sent us a handwritten card—unusual in this day and age—that read: “Through the spiraling of time and changes, we are grateful for your friendship. We have endured great loss in the past year, and have wonderful joys to savor every day…Ah, such is the heartbreak and beauty of this precious life.”

The front of the card had the following quote by Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet, 1694-1778), a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher that read: "I have decided to be happy, because it is good for my health.” In spite of a tumultuous career at a time of great change, he knew as does singer, songwriter and producer Pharrell Williams, that happiness is a choice.