ISRAEL - the Aaretz

Life is so great. This is the view from my patio every evening.

We arrived in Israel after a very long day of traveling. The heat - a beautiful 90 degrees with a nice wind blowing was awesome after the five hour plane ride from Paris. Back in the city where I was born, Tel Aviv.

Instead of pushing or making things happen, an apartment fell right into our lap. A friend of a friend's had a beautiful penthouse apartment in Tel Aviv - right in the heart of the city - two blocks from Shook HaKarmel and seven blocks from the ocean. A three bedroom apartment with three bathrooms. A very lit up apartment with lovely tile floors and a big balcony with a view to the sea. And our friend lent us a juicer.

We are having an amazing time here. We get up in the morning and go to the beach - float on the clear water of YAM HATICHON (the Mediterranean Sea). We head back to the apartment and stop in the Shook (the Market) and listen to the vendors hawk their tomatoes and figs and pomegranates as the fish vendors argue with the meat vendors. My Hebrew comes back to me as I listen to the accents and intonations, remember words long forgotten and learn new ones.

Here we have found all the ingredients to juice and stay on track with our raw lifestyle. Unfortunately, the breads and cheeses in this country are delicious. The smells and aromas of food baked or made with love is hard to resist. The creams and yogurts and seeds and nuts. Oh my!!!

Another blessing - there is so much walking over here. Almost impossible to find parking in this crazy city. All these one way streets. We are definitely getting a lot of exercise trying to find our way around.

Noah's father is with us - a double blessing - to have done this trip once with my Dad and now Noah's Dad - I like it!!! What a blessing to be with your parents once you have grown up. To experience each other through the lens of time and life.

We have a family reunion today - going to the Kfar to meet cousins we saw in Vienna for Tanta Berti's birthday. And the third and fourth generation of cousins (my age and their kids). It's like a wedding - time to greet people into our family.

I brought my yoga mat and I sit on the patio - stretching and breathing - on top of most of the buildings in the area - vibrating to my tunes and sending love out into the world.

So many things to do, people to see, places to be, tee hee!!! And yet, I sit here and BREATHE and take it all in for another moment. I center myself and take another breath.

Bring it on!!

English LOVE CATS

Martin, Andy & Anthony - English LOVECats

On our way back to Paris - we took the lovely high speed Thalys train - we met the most amazing LOVE Cats. Three WILD SUCCULENT MEN who happened to share the cabin with us for most of our ride.

They were the last ones to board in Amsterdam. As I saw them through the glass doors, I thought they were brothers. Two young men were helping guide another young man in a motorized wheelchair. They were in the baggage storage area of the train - between two cars - suspended between worlds. Trying to park the wheelchair so it did not block the doors and the passageway. Getting used to the moving train which had just departed. Morgan walked in our compartment asking if he could have our seats - Thalys' configuration in this car was a four seater and a two seater across the aisle. We were up and out of our seats immediately.

Morgan went back to help Andy with the bags. They worked together to figure out what to do with the wheelchair and then extricated Anthony from it. I watched as Morgan picked up Anthony - put his arms around his waist and carried him in and onto the chair. Andy came in with their bags. My heart just melted as Andy pulled out a banana and fed the other half to Anthony. Then he pulled out some water and a straw and held it for Anthony to drink.

My shyness prevented me from speaking. However, I couldn't stop watching them. Truth - the child within me stared with that penetrating focus I have. Couldn't help it. The aura from these men was so beautiful.

Anthony was so intriguing. His body was doing so many things at once. I was mesmerized. I watched Anthony's body spasm as he expressed himself - he spoke slowly and his words were distorted to me. Yet Andy understood everything and laughed at what Anthony was saying. And then Anthony smiled. It lit up our cabin. He looked my way. I got over my drama and said Hi. A few minutes later we were engaged in conversation.

Morgan and Andy and Anthony are school buddies. They travel together often. Anthony has cerebral palsy. From what I witnessed, it affects his muscles and joints and his speech. I had never met anyone with cerebral palsy before. I was very curious.

Anthony shared with me how people do not acknowledge him. They see his condition and act like he is sick or diseased. What he really want is for people to talk to him directly - regardless of how he looks or behaves. His condition does not affect how he FEELS or thinks or LOVES.

These young men encounter a lot of difficulty and resistance - yet, the gift of traveling with Anthony is seeing that ANY THING is POSSIBLE. I was so amazed at the infinite patience and LOVE these boys shared with Anthony. How gentle their touch was with him. I was also awed and humbled by Anthony - so full of life and joie de vivre. Moving forward despite the physical challenges and mental blocks of others. My heart was full of gratitude as they got off the train at Antwerp.

My blessings and LOVE follow you wherever you go.

Thank you for being LOVECATS and WSMs. Thank you for your inspiration and LOVE. Thank you for just being you and creating ripples of awareness.

I am so grateful. I am so blessed.

Life is great!!!

Weekend in Amsterdam

Sitting on my houseboat on a beautiful canal - boats going by - we're waving and smiling. This place is AWEsome. A big huge box anchored to a wall, sitting in the water. We arrived yesterday and I am still slowing down to the speed of life. Amsterdam life - tee hee!!

Down one big step into the yoga lounge - comfy pillows and lounger with a big screen projector and great sound system. Down a few more steps to a sweet kitchen with bamboo counters. One more step into the living area - a dining room table, a couch chair by a white Rippen piano and a hammock in the middle of the room. Did I mention a hammock in the LIVING room. How smart. How cool!!! I will ANIMOTO & share when I return.

The bedroom has a round bed that takes up the whole room. A big plush white comforter. With a porthole window looking at the Montelbahn tower. Nice and cozy. WSM Noah and I might have some fun in here. Tee hee!!!

This place is great. We have done so much walking and BIKING - we rented bikes with pedal brakes (you pedal backwards and the bike stops). This city is a mecca for bikers - bike paths everywhere and the little tingle of the bell rules. We drive around and follow the flow (these are some SERIOUS bikers). Need to be fully alert and keep up. And in this city of 15, 000, 000 people, each of them has a bicycle.

Today, we found WesterPark, fabulous trees and shaded trails and grassy lawns. We found a little cafe and had brown Dutch bread full of nuts and herbs topped by thin slices of Emmentaler cheese and half a slightly steamed artichoke with a little tray of yummy dipping sauces.

We felt like kids biking around. The wind in our hairs, the freedom of having no where to go and all day to get there. And the power of our bodies to get us from one point to another. Pedaling and letting go of the handles. What a thrilling day!!!

From the park, we went back into the city. So sore - will have to practice more before returning here - certain bones in my posterior area are tender to the touch. We stopped at a Chinese medicine Reflexology storefront - big plush red chairs beckoned. WSM Noah and I had our cranial and neck areas stimulated while our feet soaked in a hot bath. As people walked by and looked in, we laid back and enjoyed the tender touch of the Chinese masseuses.

Then we walked - each time exploring a new direction. And it's funny to see how WSM Noah and I interact. In a new city in a new space - new language, new rules - we sometimes respond with STRESS - a certain tone of voice or some impatience felt - not as relaxed as usual - not completely trusting this newness - this environment we're in.

The Universe sends me a sign from home. Zeko Meow brother strolls up and lays beside us. I take a deep breath.

I count my blessings. My wonderful husband - celebrating time together in Amsterdam - learning how to communicate even better - getting closer. The weather is fabulous - warm and breezy and lots of places to find shade. We sit here and people watch on the canals.

Life is great.

I am so grateful. I am so blessed.

Thank you O Great Mother Goddess Universe.

Sacred Sunday

I haven't been to Yoga class since I started to flow.

The Universe nudged. Goddess Dancing Flower in the Water called to escort me to Yoga class. I said NO. I had things on my TO DO list and Yoga class had dropped off the list. I hung up and listened to that conversation in my head.

Yoga and a ride to class - and I said NO. I immediately sat back and took a few deep breaths. Time to get out of my head and into my body. GingerMama and I went for a long hot sweaty

walk. When I returned, I checked out Yoga One's website. A workshop with Jordan Bloom - finding the sacred in the mundane - arm balances and backbends - time to strengthen my

practice and gain wisdom. Cool beans. Signed up for Sunday's class.

Sunday morning, WSM Noah drops me off and goes to the beach. He'll pick me up at 1:00 p.m. but he has to be home at 1:30 p.m. to meet someone. Off I go to sweat and learn and play. Picked up some useful techniques and got INspired by watching others practice and achieve new moves. Learned a few new moves of my own. A beautiful shavasana to end our practice and I'm the first one out the door. I don't see Noah. No worries. I slip back into the studio and check out the time. Exactly 1:30 p.m. What I know is that Noah has come and gone. I take a deep breath and put my yoga mat between my and my backpack and I start walking. Finding the sacred in the mundane.

From Dixie Highway to Johnson Street - I cross the railroad track and am heading east on Johnson. My Ipod playing lovely tunes and the sun feels good on my face. The walk feels great on my body after all those stretches. I keep on walking. I need to pee. I am feeling my body. I need to drink. The hot sun in August at 1:30 p.m. I start to feel a little hot. I wish for the good old days of my youth when I had no fears of hitchhiking - I ask for help - and immediately the horn blows. A car pulls up to offer me a ride. Not even realizing it's for me, I keep on walking. The car drives up a little bit and the horn sounds. The driver opens his window and asks me if I need a ride.

Everything about this car and its driver felt okay - safe in my gut - and yet, an old tape of don't talk to strangers, never get a ride from a stranger plays in my head. I take a deep breath and cross the street and get into the car. What is your name? And the man answers back, Raphael. Angel Raphael who helps the healers. This man drove me to the hospital around my house and dropped me off.

Home 10 minutes after yoga class.

ASK and you shall RECEIVE.

Funny how often I forget to ask.

The Mishpacha

Mispacha means family in Hebrew.

I am spending a great deal of time this year with MISHPACHA. Part of my research for BIRTH CAMP.

Noah's aunt, Tanta Berti, turned 90 this year in March. We went to Austria to celebrate our MISHPACHA's MATRIARCH. Twelve first cousins and Noah and I (as representatives of the COUSINS CLUB and Shalom ambassadors to our families). We met in Vienna. Three glorious days of breakfasts and teeyulim (adventures) and a beautiful celebration for Tanta Berti.

This is how I saw things:



We are going again at the end of this month for a FAMILY REUNION at the Kfar where it all started.

Very good, very good, YAY!!!

Wishing you,
Peace & Love, Just Because,
Gddess Diana