We celebrated Auggie's 3rd birthday this week.  What a little blessing he is!  So perky.  His favorite color is pink, so I picked out three pink candles from the box to put on the chocolate cake decorated with raspberries that Gunther made.

We went for dinner to a neighborhood Italian restaurant.  Anders was wearing his new brown army surplus military beret (who is the soldier that would have a head as small as a 5-year-old?)  and an orange shirt.  Auggie, sitting next to him on the banquette had on the blue flowered Hawaiian shirt that I gave him last year (now fits) and Gunther, Daddy, next to Auggie.  All lined up in front of a brilliant, orange and yellow graphic Italian Poster behind them!  A perfect picture.  And I forgot my camera!

A weekend spent writing 39 celebrity descriptions for my new Japanese numerology book.  Robert and I went out for awhile on a lovely sunny Sunday.  I bought 4 new green pots for the Dahlia cuttings I took from Ellie's garden.  My new front porch is all done and freshly painted, with green pots of succulents on the dark red steps.

Once again, I have cleaned out the garage and created order and tranquillity...

I'm still re-reading Paul Brunton's book, Hermit in the Himalayas (1937).  As I read in bed, I try to imagine myself in the cool, high calm, meditating on his deodar tree with him--sitting on a soft, clean cushion of forest leaves and needles.  To get away for awhile to soak in solitude, Brunton took up residence in a state-owned cottage occasionally used by travellers in the area. (I imagine it as a rock cottage with three pairs of French Doors, and I'm assuming it MUST have a fireplace.) 

He mentions having one servant with him.  I wish he would talk about how he interacts with a servant--just the two of them--sequestered in the Himalayan forest for months.  Do they talk socially? He mentions that the servant seems restless to get away as the sojourn wears on.

I really wish Brunton would mention what kind of food he eats every day.  Does he eat with the servant?  Alone?  It must be all "tinned food."  What is it!  Anyway, sad to realize that both these people, humble servant and author, have passed away by now.  Brunton writes from his deep and personal knowledge of Eastern mystics and mystical traditions and he has a very New Thought point of view.  It's interesting to hear him relate the type of letters he receives as an author--mail is delivered once in a while by a courier on foot to this lone destination.

We celebrated Robert's birthday yesterday by going to see the movied, Knocked Up.  It's very funny and we really enjoyed it.  The dialogue was so pitch-perfect.

We had dinner with my old friend, Penney Peirce, who always has such interesting stories!  Robert's choice for the restaurant was the Coriya Hot Pot restaurant not far from my house.  They have a full buffet of raw meats and seafood, noodles, vegetables, and condiments for making your own sauces, and cooking your food at the table yourself.  It was really fun.

This afternoon, Kathryn Leighton is coming over to celebrate with Robert, and I've also invited Gunther, Eliza, Auggie, and Anders for a barbeque.  Robert and I pre-cooked some pork spareribs yesterday. Yum!

We watched a documentary on oil last night, Crude Awakening.   It's a sobering look at the inevitable, when we will no longer have the luxury of cheap oil as reserves are depleted.  It's imperative that we get some leadership to start thinking ahead for what we are going to do to replace the single, most crucial material element in our modern life.  An even more crucial element is the combination of human ingenuity coupled with commitment and cooperation.

My brain is so buzzing with ideas on these two numerology books I am wrting for the Japanese publishers, I had to get up at 5 am this morning.

I can't believe how quickly June is moving along.  Robert and I cancelled our vacation to Mexico for next week.  He's not really well enough to travel to such an incredibly hot temperature!  What were we thinking?  Actually, though I was disappointed not to have some time off, I think I need to be here writing anyway.

Our neighborhood had a little "block party" yesterday on the next street over.  I made a plate of Greek lamb dolmas--one of my favorite recipes I learned years ago from my friend,author and chef, Joyce Goldstein.  They are so garlicky, lemony, and delicious.

Back to writing.

I feel a change in the air. 

I spent the weekend in Studio  City with Sigrid, Jim, Trevor and Chloe. Trevor turned six on the 13th.  I arrived in time to drive over to Chloe's nursery school graduation ceremony. Parents and cameras, cookies, and a blue dress.

Then we drove to Trevor's kindergarten class for a picnic on the grass in front of the school.  Green cupcakes, hula hoops, ring-toss, and face-painting.

Saturday we took the Los Angeles subway--the Metro--downtown to have lunch and browse at Olvera Street.  It was very fun.  I didn't realize the new Metro system runs on the honor system!

Afterwards we went swimming at Grandma Gina's house, and then home for dinner outside in the cool evening air.

Sunday, we took the kids to the Natural History Museum, and then I flew home.  A busy, happy weekend. The kids showed me all their school art work, and I watched them do various yoga postures.

MONOPOLY 

I had a very fun time showing them how to play a simple version of Monopoly.  The game gave me an opportunity to teach them about denominations of money, how to add and recognize numbers and letters.  When to buy and sell! 

Charles Darrow is the official developer of the game--but it had been around before he played it.  The game instructions said that he lost his job after the Stock Market Crash in 1929.  Tired of feeling poor all the time, he started playing this game and then he and his family made some sets of their own.  He looked to sell his sets, but was turned down by Parker Brothers. However, after he started selling some sets through department stores, they bought his patent.  He was the first millionaire game developer. 

This story struck me in that Darrow was having a hard time financially, but used an actual game to visualize wealth, and wound up manifesting his own millions!

His numerology is interesting, too (Charles Brace Darrow August 10, 1889)

Birthpath of 8 --the Executive, persevering, authority, problem solver, financially astute

Day of Birth 1 --a leader, inventive, original

Destiny       3 --Creative, playful, communicative, things to do with games,

Realization  11/2--the Inspirer--showing people possibilities

Hearts Desire 19/1--desire to put forth one's ideas and dare to be different (a karmic element of realizing his potential after perhaps failing in past life times)

When Darrow lost his job, he was under the influence of number 4 (restrictions, building) and then went into a 1 (encouraging him to be original, inventive, independent.)  

When he hit it big, he was under the expansive number 9 for many years. Numerologically, he would be considered an Old Soul, and came here to make a spiritual contribution to many people through using playfulness, creativity, and imagination. 

The things I gained from playing Monopoly with Trevor and Chloe!

Yesterday was a beautiful day.

Perfect weather for the barbeque--sausage, chicken skewers, grilled marinated vegetables, salad, bruschetta,  bread cheese, radishes, and homemade berry cobbler and cheesecake, California wines and beers.

We had 22 adults and 6 children.  A mix of Japanese-English speakers, so it worked out very well.  The weather was warm enough to stay outside until about 6:30, so we had a good chance to talk and mingle.  Today, all my friends from Japan will go to Mt. Shasta, while I stay here and work and write!

But first, this morning, a walk. 

Sunny morning!

Forty-six years ago I was preparing to get married tomorrow.

This morning--Yoga class--invigorating twists and stretches

Farmer's market--big strawberries, basil, green onions, lettuce, blueberries

Weeding--the succulent patch, trimming the Mexican sage, clearing ivy in the Lilies of the Nile

Preparing for the big barbeque tomorrow with my Japanese friends, and welcoming

author Banana Yoshimoto and her family,

Rainey is making me a fresh summer berry cobbler and her famous cheesecake.

Still sunny in the afternoon 

Gunther brought over his big bargeque--a glass of wine on the pation to discuss the party, his earlier picnic in Tilden Park, various neighborhood goings-on

Anders and Auggie came over to ice and decorate the cupcakes I made

Robert and I cutting up the squid while the kids watched--thrilled, but not daring to touch the guts and slime

Dinner, and a video,  Lorenzo's Oil.  A true story set in 1984 of two parents with a boy who suffered from a then-incurable degenerative genetic disease, ALD, that hits only young boys.   On their own, they researched the biochemistry of fatty acids and found what scientists couldn't--an oil combination that can cure the disease in little boys if taken early enough.  I am humbled by people's love and tenacity.  Robert knew about a lot of it by his own study of fatty acids.

A day to treasure 

Yesterday was Sunday--overcast and very un-California, but very El Cerrito weather!  I had a barbeque with Gunther and Eliza and the boys and Marion and Stephen and Claire and Luc.  We had to stay inside and I turned on the gas fireplace!  The grilled chicken and corn and bruschetta came out well, so we had fun.

I showed them the intriquing newspaper article and photo about an 11-year old boy, Jamison Stone, who killed a 1,050 lb wild boar in Alabama with a handgun.  Wow, I had so many questions about this story.  The boar, nine feet long, was the size of a rhinoceros.  Are these normal in the South?  Was the boy with his father?  Did he shoot the boar head on in the eye or forehead?  How did they weigh such a large dead animal?  What did the boy's mother think?  Did she know he was hunting?  When did he learn to shoot?

We talked about different kinds of fatty acids that Robert is researching.  we are both taking hemp oil for the omega 3's and 6's.  He's also taking macadamia nut oil.  Marion talked about her migraines.  She's part of a study at UCSF, and trying certain new drugs.

I told them about Tony Horwitz's book, Blue Latitudes.  He researched the 3 voyages of discovery of Captain James Cook.  It's a fascinating look at the horrible conditions sailors had to live with on ships--before the discovery of vitamin C--hygiene, extreme cold, threatening natives, a broken hull with no hope of rescue.  Facing death. It's a good read, and Marion wants to borrow it.

We had a good time.  

Today, Monday, the sun is out.  Time for a walk. 

Forty-three years ago I was having labor pains this evening.  Sigrid was on the way!  She was born on the 22nd.

Saturday Robert and I drove up to a party at the house of Jerry Horowitz and his partner Thierry Cook.  Their house  sits on a hill surrounded by 11 acres of redwood trees.  Always an interesting bunch of people--artists, astrologers, landscapers, psychiatrists.

Sunday I potted succulents.  I find it so relaxing--especially when I pot on a table, and don't do it bending over!  I bought a pretty little while elephant with a succulent bouquet on his back.

The plant characteristics and names sound like theatre or poetry:

Crassula "Moonglow"

Hybrid between Crassula deceptor and Crassula falcata.  Forms an ornate "pagoda" with gray triangular leaves covered in "fuzz." Clusters of tiny apricot flowers.

Pachyphytum bracteosum

Bluish-gray leaves shaped somewhat like facedted "jellybeans." Native to Mexico.  Reddish flowers.

Blue Seaweed--Senecio citriformis

Small South African shrubby plant with blue-green, very succulent, tear-shaped leaves. Member of Compositae (Aster Family.) 

THE WORKSHOP 

The Esalen workshop for mothers and daughters was very rewarding for Sigrid and myself and I hope for the participants. 

Esalen faces the Pacific Ocean, and at all times the heartbeat of the waves is present.Exuberant and brilliant golden California poppies shower the garden walk to the Lodge for meals.

There were 33 women in the class (almost all were mother daughter couples (one women had two daughters in the class.) One of the mothers who attended with her daugther has 10 other children--a wonderful family from Mexico.  It was a treat for all the mothers and daughters to share time together for the special Mother's Day weekend--in such a beautiful environment as Esalen. 

The work of this seminar is about learning to share our lives as women, loving, respecting, and accepting each other as separate people. 

Sigrid led us through daily meditations and yoga postures and mudras (hand-gestures) for opening and clearing the heart and mind. 

MOTHER'S DAY PRESENT

Sigrid's Mother's Day present to me was a beautiful necklace and a box of notecards featuring my grandson Trevor's (5) painting (the school printed boxes of notecards from the kindergarten class paintings) A wonderful present. 

EMBARASSING MOMENT 

On Friday night Sigrid and I had stopped in after our massages for the Friday night teacher's reception at the home of Nancy Lunney and Gordon Wheeler, the program directors of Esalen.  A few workshop leaders were there, including author Wes Nisker (his workshop was on Buddhist meditation) and another interesting man who had apparently just finished a lecture.  I thought Nancy introduced him as Bob Ash. (I actually think my hearing is starting to go.)  

We were all chatting and then five of us just happened to leave at the same time to head over to the Lodge for dinner.  "Bob" as I was calling him, chatted graciously to me as I inquired innocently about his work, what he wrote about, where he spoke, and so on.  In the lodge he invited us to sit at his table. My friend Lynn Fielder and her mother were there for the seminar, so they joined the table as well.  Lynn whispered to me,"Isn't that Robert Reich?"

Bob turned out to be Robert Reich, economist, professor of public policy at the University of California, author, and the former secretary of Labor under the Clinton Adminstration.  I am so embarrassed to say that I did not know who he was, and had been asking him about his work in such a simple-minded way.  I have to say, for such a highly accomplished person, he is one of the most disarming, modest, gracious, and down-to-earth men I have ever met

Below is his short bio.  Now I know.

Have you ever had such an embarrassing moment?

Robert B. Reich
    Robert B. Reich is Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. He has served in three national administrations, most recently as secretary of labor under President Bill Clinton. He has written ten books, including The Work of Nations, which has been translated into 22 languages; the best-sellers The Future of Success and Locked in the Cabinet, and his most recent book, Reason. His articles have appeared in the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. Mr. Reich is co-founding editor of The American Prospect magazine. His weekly commentaries on public radio’s "Marketplace" are heard by nearly five million people.