Robert and I have been doing lots of research on ways to handle and heal eczema for someone in our circle.  If anyone reading this has any verifiable, eczema-specific advice or knowledge, I'd appreciate hearing from you--you can write to me at carol22@sonic.net.  I'm open to synchronicity on this!

I had a very grounding week--paid my taxes, had my electrical panel repaired, bought two new planting boxes, four little hopeful pepper plants, and some daisies and succulents. 

Robert and I cooked dinner yesterday for Gunther and Eliza and Anders and Auggie.  We had fried oysters, chicken, rice, bread, salad, and mangoes and blueberries for dessert.  We played the Nature show we had recorded on cephlapods, particularly the Humboldt squid.  We had saved it for Anders who loves things squid.  (Gunther and Eliza went out to dinner with an old friend on Thursday and he had squid stuffed with sausage.)

Lots of walking all weekend.  I seem to be using the car less and less.

After watching every species of animal eating one another in all these hours of nature shows (Planet Eart is spectacular) it seems the purpose of life is eating.  What else is one to think (I know-- procreation--which leads to more eating.)  They show the eating more than the procreating. 

I arrived home on Friday--and very happy to be back.  Gunther and Eliza prepared a wonderful Middle Eastern lamb and chicken feast yesterday for Easter.  Eliza's mom, Carmen, is here for the week from San Diego, and we also had Steven and Marian and their two kids over for an Easter egg hunt and dinner.  The weather cleared up just in time!  

I had an interesting talk with Steven (while he was helping Luke, his 2-year old with his log-like building block set.)  He's returning to India (the whole family went last year) to do more research on Bhopal, and the organizations there which have been taking environmental action since the 1960's.  "People think it's a new idea to be challenging the multi-national companies," he said, "but they've been doing it in India for a long time." 

Eliza has decided to only buy food that is locally grown. "A lot of pollution goes into the air because of transporting food," she told me.   

Still pondering so many things about Japan--relationships, communication styles, projects.  Jet-lag kept me up and I started reading the book Fumiko had given me last year, Polite Lies, On being a woman caught between cultures, by Kyoko Mori.  It's quite interesting and makes me wonder about how my friends see me there!  It seems to me to be so easy to be rude without knowing it although I keep trying to understand the most obvious customs.  

Before that I finished the book that Banana Yoshimoto gave me when I met her in Tokyo--Argentine Hag.  It's very good.  It's also illustrated in a most interesting way that complements the story.

I don't feel like working today, but I have many things to catch up on.

This morning there were five patches of rainbows, like little rocket ships, on my bedroom ceiling. 

I'm leaving for the airport in 30 minutes.

I just wanted to record two images I wasn't able to photograph in Tokyo.

A rainy morning earlier this week, coming out of the subway at Ochanomizu.  We were waiting for the light to change, so we could cross the bridge over the river.  Ahead I saw the bridge crusted over with hundreds of pink, blue, green, black, white umbrellas, hurrying forward.

Last Tuesday coming out of the museum, a corridor with a line of fifty people waiting for a meeting.  Young men and women all dressed alike, in crisp black suits and white starched shirts and blouses.  April is the month for new hirings.  Hopeful starts.  Black suits.

I have had such a good trip this time.  In two days we finished an interview book between Yamakawa-san and myself.  She has translated many spiritual books in Japan and, though quiet and humble, something of a celebrity.  We are the same age.  Little girls in Japan and America during World War II.  Now together, talking about life purpose, overcoming challenges, marriage, and visiting power places.

I'm sorry the book will be published only in Japanese, so I won't be able to read it.

I'll have four other books coming out this year, all in Japanese.  Hmmm.

What a wonderful day.

I finished my last consultation today (a handsome drummer in a Japanese band) and took the afternoon off.  I walked from the apartment to Sunshine City (a huge shopping and entertainment center,) because I wanted to go to the aquarium there (Robert had found it was close to me from searching on the Internet).  It's quite an accomplishment for me to walk around Tokyo by myself!

I had been wanting to go to an art museum.  Amazingly, there is a museum on the 7th floor (the aquarium was okay, but the museum turned out to be the reason I went.  It had three of the most beautiful sculptures I have ever seen.  The show is called Archaic Smile, and it's a collection of Mediterranean figures....

The bust of Buddha from Gandhara, Pakistan 2nd-4th centuries is gray stone dusted with pink.  The miracle was standing close to it, and seeing--almost feeling--the crisp carving of the lips, the nose, the eyes, the rivers of hairs.  I was overwhelmed and it brought tears to my eyes.

The other stunning pieces stood in the same case.  A stone female figurine from China 25-220 AD.  Pale gray, smooth, compact rounded body with arms held in her sleeves, a patch of rusty red like a stain on her pedestal.  Tranquil, waiting as the years pass and pass...

Next to her a ceramic female figure, China 618-907 AD.  Her indigo, gold, and terra cotta gown is glazed, and her face and hair are bisque-colored.  Her hair is in side knots, and her eyes appear closed, and soft smile gives an impression of inner revelation.  I love her!

The guard stopped me from taking pictures, so I bought the exhibition catalogue.  I'm so glad I did!  The catalogue is wonderful, but I'll never forget seeing these pieces in person--their 3 dimensional elegance, presence, and soul.  Who were these inspired artists!  Quiet people going about their business of capturing the human spirit and the spirit of spirit.

Tonight, I had dinner with 7 women.  All powerful and fun!  We decided that for our next meeting we should rent one of the "love hotels" in this neighborhood.   They are meant for private rendezvous, but we could lounge around and order take out and beer!  Maybe use the jacuzzi and sing a little karaoke (I hear the rooms are well-equipped.)

A little more work and then time for a hot soak in the Japanese tub.

Two days ago I had a meeting with Banana Yoshimoto, a very well-known author (remember I mentioned that I  read her books, Kitchen, and Hard Luck and Hardboiled).  Her books are very popular in many countries.  I wish I spoke Japanese!  I had such a warm feeling about her, and I would love to be able to talk freely about life with her!  She's smart, witty, and down-to-earth. Well, in my next lifetime I want to speak at least five languages and have the opportunity to meet the most interesting people in the world.

Don't you think it's a good idea to put in requests (or make affirmations) for the next lifetime?  Why not? 

I've been in Tokyo for one week, and I am finally able to get online!

Fumiko and I are staying in a place in the Ikebukuro area.  It's not so crazy and busy as in some of the other metropolitan areas, so it's nice to walk around on breaks from working.

Yesterday I was walking bya small shop.  Outside was a table filled with packages of stockings.  An older woman was standing there pondering her selection. Unaccountably, her hair was colored bright neon yellow.  Not just yellow, but neon yellow. 

I crossed the street, and took another peek at her.  The sun happened to be shining on her head, and I was desperate to get out my camera and take a clandestine shot of her.  It took me about 30 long seconds to locate my camera at the bottom of my bag, and when I turned back, she was gone.

It was like a movie scene--a vanishing figure.  Since I missed the shot, I am blogging the moment instead!

I must always remember to keep my camera in my pocket.

Happy Birthday, James Redfield (author of the Celestine Prophecy!)

I've been getting packed over the weekend, and trying to take care of last minute postings before leaving for Tokyo tomorrow.  I have a lot of writing to do, but I'm making time to spend with Anders and Auggie since I won't see them for two and a half weeks.  And Robert and I spent the afternoon yesterday in San Francisco--there was an exhibition of photographs I wanted to see.  We drove all the way out to Vicente and 43rd Street to have a late lunch at the Old Mandarin Islamic restaurant that had gotten a good review.

We had fun being in SF, even though I'm so glad I don't live there anymore.  Windy and cold.  No parking.  I drove Robert by my old house I lived in at 21st and Quintara.  The house looks shabby and run-down. 

We read an article about how the cells in the body replace themselves every three months--unless you are not very active.  The cells respond to exercise that tells them that "you are still alive and foraging for food" so they keep on keeping you alive and young (cellularly).  If you become sedentary, the message is, this person is decaying.  Don't bother to replace cells.. Ugh, that will keep me walking.

I'll try to blog when I'm gone, but not sure if I'll have time.

Yesterday was super-focused.  I started as a volunteer for the writing coaching over at Albany Middle school.  8th graders--great papers, it was fun!  It was weird to be out of the house before 8 am.  

I seemed to be talking all day longyesterday!  I did three interviews, and dinner with Zenobia--we talked till 11:30 pm.  We share a lot of memories, and read some of my old journal entries of our lives together in Northern California.  We could see our dysfunctions, manias, and foibles so clearly for each other.

The first interview I did yesterday was on the topic of Sharing the Path as Mothers and Daughters, discussing these issues that Sigrid and I will be teaching on Mother's Day weekend at Esalen Institute (www.esalen.org). My host was Cheryl McLaughlin, a coach and sports trainer with a focus on women.  The interview is posted at

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fromhercourt

Secondly, I interviewd Dr. Laura Honos-Webb on her book, Listening to Depression. Her interview will appear as my monthly column in April.

Third, Lara interviewed ME about life purpose and how depression might be a signal that we need to re-align. we had a lot of fun. Her interview will be posted on the Internet, but I don't have the link yet. Her work can be see on her website at www.visionarysoul.com

The whole day was stimulating, and it was all about women, our Athena Proficiencies, and how to listen to intuition when logic and "reality" might seem to be telling you something else.

I'm busy getting ready to clear away my projects before I leave for Japan on Monday. 

I have recently been introduced to the novels of a Japanese author, Banana Yoshimoto. I was able to get a book from amazon.com, Hardboiled & Hard Luck. I love her clear style of writing and thought-provoking insights.  She's won lots of awards and her books have been made into films.  

There's something tantalizing in her directness, and the tone makes you feel you are about to discover something important.

The book starts out, "I was traveling alone, no destination in mind. One afternoon, I found myself walking on a mountain road."

I mentioned her books to my daughter-in-law, Eliza, and she already knew of her. Eliza is a great and fast reader. I checked out Ms. Yoshimoto's web site--and I love her brief journal entries.

http://www.yoshimotobanana.com/en/index.html

Sigrid and Jim drove up from Studio City with Trevor and Chloe.  What a whirlwind four days.

I was hoping for warm weather, but it was patchy.  Actually, it was more restful in some ways to have the clouds and rain.

I made craft projects with all four kids for hours and hours.  My dining table was piled hight with construction paper, string, plastic cups that became blasters and ray guns and towers of unbelievable height.  We powered through three scotch tape holders and couldn't do anymore work!

Sigrid and I had some precious time together, shopping for a couple of hours and taking 2 yoga classes at the Albany Y.  And, we all got to watch the Academy Awards last night together at Gunther and Eliza's.  Gunther had the house to himself all day and cooked great finger food for the party.  Eliza's mom, Carmen, is also here from San Diego, so it was a 2 grandmother week-end.!

It's quiet and rainy now, and I'm happy to be back at work.  

At night I'm reading the most interesting book, Yet Being Someone Other, by Laurens Van der Post, one of the most amazing men I've ever come across.  What I'm loving is that he visited  Japan in 1926, and I am so interested in his impressions since I am very interested in Japanese people and the culture. His deep, spiritually attuned nature reports on the most amazing points of interest for me.  I wish I could have visited Japan in those days. Van der Post (who was born in the interior of Africa) just has the most synchronistic life of meeting the top intellectuals, artists from many countries, as well as knowing intimately the Bushman of the Kalahari.  His description in this book of being on a whaling boat for 3 seasons when he was nineteen was brilliant.  My goal is read everything he ever wrote.

When celebrities do something out of the ordinary, or die young, I am always curious to look at their numerology chart.  Of course, I am reading in events tha I already know about, but I feel I can always learn something about how the numbers express themselves through people.

In the case of Anna Nicole Smith, known as a TV personality and Internet celebrity, I took a look at her birth chart with her original name Vicky Lynn Hogan, born Nov. 28, 1967.

Her birthdate adds up to an 8--the number that usually seeks material success and goes for power.  To give even more strength to the material drive, her name Vicky Lynn Hogan gave her a 9 destiny--to seek wealth and reach a world-wide audience if possible.  Her 9 also was a chance to do humanitarian work.  Her original name also had another feature called "The Line of Fame" something that she did actualize in this lifetime.

 Her heart's desire # was a 3--to communicate, express her ideas, be social, fun and spontaneous--not too serious.  Her original habit challenge (a kind of daily lesson in staying balanced) was the 14/5--a karmic number that often deals with addictions, rebellion, and physical stress--and a need to be different. 

Her numerological influences since November 2005 have been the same # 5--a rather unstable time creating lots of unexpected change.  She also died in February which is a 5 Personal Month, so it is curious that so many 5's created such change in her life during the last two years, from the birth of her daughter, the death of her son, and her own passing.  

 When Vicky Lynn took the name Anna Nicole Smith, her Destiny changed from the 9 (although I believe that our original destiny is always at work) to the Karmic number 13/4  which is traditionally described at the Death, Rebirth, and Transformation number. 

More to ponder.