Shattering the Death of Osama Bin Laden and the many Reactions. . .

This week we saw an epic event occur. President Barack Obama was able to FINALLY kill the man responsible for the terror that was 9/11. The terror and loss still haunts every American today and will linger as an open wound with us for a very, very long time.  I was working at an event at the W Hollywood on Sunday night when the news started to break. A very friendly guest had requested to take a picture with my beautiful friend Mapuana and I and we were in the process of doing just that when he got a phone call from a friend with the news of Bin Laden's death. I thought, "Wow, that is definitely the last piece of news I thought I would be receiving in this already odd scenario." 


The rest of the event unfolded easily and rapidly, we were near the end of it anyway, but I kept wondering what it was that was so unsettling with the outbursts of cheering that kept erupting over the party as everyone spread the news. I know this is good news. I know that it provides a lot of healing and closure for many families affected by the losses we incurred on 9/11. As I checked Facebook I only got more and more unsettled by the cheering and the huzzahing at the death of a life. From an evolution stand point and a humanity stand point, there is just something that sits wrong at the cheering of anyone's death. It feels like it rips us back to the days when entertainment was provided by watching a human being torn to pieces by a lion in a huge stadium. Evolving backward is not the direction we need to be going. 


As I write this, I know that there are people who are going to respond strongly to this blog. They are going to be angry at me for showing even a small amount of compassion for such a horrible human being. I still couldn't shake the overwhelming discomfort that I felt.  The more and more I thought about it, the more I decided to see it as a lifting of darkness. To see that the removal of Bin Laden's dark energy from this planet will allow Bright Light and positive energy to vibrate at a higher level, shine even brighter. 


Finally, that night, on Face Book one of my cousins posted what I was too afraid to say, "Happy about the news, yet somehow uncomfortable with the cheering of a death." As the night went on I saw more and more people come forward reminding others that perhaps celebrating was not the best way to allow peace to return to our world. 


Mariannne Willamson posted,

"I hope Bin Laden's death brings a sense of justice to those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and I'm grateful to those in our military etc. who worked so hard to find him. I hope whatever destructive influence he still had is now ended. That being said, however, the celebrations outside the White House seem naive to me. Tonight is a night for sober and mature reflection, not glee."

 I saw multiple friends post: 

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." Martin Luther King, Jr.

and 

"The conduct of war is that of a funeral;
when people are killed, it is a time of mourning.
This is why even victorious battle
should be observed without rejoicing." - Lao Tzu

 I think for me, the most bothersome thing is that hate begets hate and the energy behind the celebrations was one of hate. There are people in this world who have been victims of heinous crimes who have looked their attackers in the face and granted them forgiveness. These people know that forgiveness is not for the forgiven but for the person doing the forgiving. 

I only hope that everyone can allow the light to permeate their heart and release the darkness that was Osama Bin Laden. He's taken enough of our light away for now, do not allow him to hold us in darkness. The world is a better place for having his darkness removed. 

The best thing we can do is follow our leader, Obama, who so eloquently said, "So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity." Reminding us all that this is a step towards peace and a reminder to honor human dignity.

There is an odd coincidence or perhaps not, with the date that Osama was killed. Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945 almost exactly 66 years to the day that Osama was killed. I believe in signs and repeating numbers are a huge part of that. When I saw the significance of 66 years, I immediately looked up what the number 6 means. For me, the number 6 is a reminder of Harmony, Balance, Sincerity, love and truth, reminding us to --- administer compassion and consciously choose forgiveness.

Pretty incredible. Please also check out Dee Wallace's blog post about this. . . she seems to communicate what I hope I was also able to share. 

http://iamdeewallace.blogspot.com/2011/05/enigma-of-osama-bin-laden-and-us.html

Blast from the Past --- I Used to Be a Stalker!

I found this old blog on another blog I used to have and wanted to share it with you all! So funny! Here it is, in its entirety from 2008. . . . I even mention MY SPACE, so you KNOW it's old ;)
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I was thinking the other day about college and high school and my early to mid twenties and I realized something slightly alarming. I used to be a stalker. Well, not a full blown, stalker-stalker, but a mild stalker.

What made me realize this?? Well, I found this guy, Seth, that I had a thing for in college and sent him a message on My Space and he has yet to respond. . . so, I got to thinking. . .WHY wouldn't he want to write me? We always had a good time . . .I prob liked him a little too much, but that is what I did. . .I saw a GLIMMER of hope and I fell hard. Attractive right?! Boys love that stuff right?! Wrong.

Here is the issue. I used to be a lot heavier than I am now. Fatter. Fatter would be the appropriate word. Not HUGE, but about 40 lbs over-weight. I was the really funny, (I"m still funny), cute girl that had a couple hot friends who always scored the boys. Occasionally I would attract one with my charming and sweet personality, but would ruin it with incessant phone calls and FAR too much drama for just a couple dates! : ) 

I was reading a journal from college the other day and it was full of things about boys! Boys! Boys! Boys! I was boy crazy. I was once so proud of myself for calling this boy Luke that I saw in a play! I didn't know him, but looked him up in the school directory and called him. We hung out for a bit til my stalker-ish desperate behavior pushed him away. You know what? I am still kind of proud of myself for calling him, that was something outside of my box and I am glad I did it.

There was one boy I just couldn't get enough of. And he was NOT the most stable person. He lived in a neighboring college town and I remember the first time I saw him. My girlfriends and I were dancing on this sunken dance floor at Washington's in Fort Collins and he and his friends walked by. We locked eyes and I was gone. Gorgeous, just out of the military, funny and charming too. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself, he came onto the dance floor, but I couldn't tell which one of the 4 of us he was after, so I made my move. I stepped out of the circle and just "jumped" him. In a classy, freakin', dancin' kind of way. There was something about the way that boy moved against my body.  It just made me instantly think about the other kind of moving we could do together! (slow dancing! Get your minds out of the gutter.)  We danced for  a bit and I do think he actually liked me. For me. And for my sexy dance moves. At the end of the night, when the blaring fluorescent lights came on like they do at 1:30 a.m. He and I were the last to leave the dance floor and he blurted out his phone #. I went, "What?" He repeated it and I went OK. Shockingly, I remembered it, NO! NOT SHOCKINGLY I am a stalker remember!  We proceeded to have many a phone call and the remainder of our relationship was pretty much that. He always had another girlfriend, but we just had this connection. I don't know that he felt it to, but I don't think it was one-sided. The night before I moved to California we ran into each other in this bar. He asked when I was leaving and when I said, "Tomorrow!" He said " What?! No! That sucks!  Listen, I am so wasted right now, I am going to try and call you when I get home, but if I pass out, which I probably will, PLEASE call me  tomorrow." OK. The phone never rang that night, shocker, but I did call him the next day. He took me to lunch and he morphed into this gentleman that I did not know existed. He opened doors for me, he bought me lunch. He was so polite. I knew he had it in him. I visited a couple years after that last meeting and things had just deteriorated from where I last saw him, he was doing some hard core drugs and didn't want to hear any advice to the contrary. I think about him a lot and just hope that he is doing well. I occasionally look him up on Google, but have yet to hire a private eye to find him. My Stalking days are over.

So, to all those boys who were victims of a scared, lonely, self-conscious girl just looking for a little love, trying to figure herself out, I want to say Sorry. Sorry I was creepy and needy and a little weird. To be fair, you did your fair share of leading on, I didn't bark up the totally wrong trees.If you are one of those boys and you want to write a comment and let me know you forgive me, or tell your side. . . . feel free. I do also want to say Thank you. You helped shape me into the person I am today and I really love myself! (You sort of missed out!)

So, Trevor, Seth, Travis, Luke, Josh, Matt, Brian, Steve, Tyler, Doug, Jade, Stephen,  and any other boys I may have called too much, emailed too much, left notes for, cried over, laughed with, ('m not sorry for the laughing)  I am sorry. Also, I am much more confident, sexy and strong now and if you're single, leave me a message and I'll give you a call.

Kidding. Kidding, I am in a very happy relationship right now and don't need you anymore. Just for the memories.


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Though I fancy myself a much more secure, grown up (single) woman now, I do still appreciate the lessons I learned from all of these experiences. . . Ohhh and featured boy update, he now lives in the mid west, is married and has a daughter, which makes me SOOOOOOO happy that I don't have to worry about him anymore~

Shattering WHY I Keep Attracting Unavailable Men . . .

I've been back on the "dating market" for almost two years now. Well, if you count the year it took for my ex and I to wiggle out of one another's grasps, its been about a year. I wouldn't say that I've been actively pursuing another relationship for that entire time, but I've been open to it. I have played around on some online dating websites, never opting to pay for a site like Match.com, but poking around on Plenty of Fish and OKCupid, which are both free sites, and well, let's just say that you get what you pay for.

Lately I have met a string of very interesting, attractive and successful men. They have all seemed interested in me, tell me how wonderful they think I am. Enjoy talking to me, text me occasionally and for all intents and purposes are "showing up" for me, in a way men hadn't been doing for the last year or so. The only thing was, they were all unavailable.  I would normally chalk it up to bad luck, or divine protection, but this last string of unavailable men happened all within one month. I'm conscious enough to know that when something like this happens over and over again in my life, its something I need to look at. A friend and I were talking about this new development in my love life and contemplated what all of these unavailable men coming into my life could mean.  Knowing that things are brought into your consciousness almost like a mirror being held up to you, so you can realize what beliefs you're holding about yourself, she asked me, "In what way are you being unavailable to yourself?" After we talked about it I realized that they weren't unavailable, they were all "committed to other women.' Though they were all showing up for me and telling me how amazing they think I am, funny, talented, pretty, charming, etc, they were all choosing to commit to other women. This started on a smaller scale almost a year ago.

One of the first guys I met on Plenty of Fish and actually hung out with a few times was a pretty cool guy. We got along really well, seemed to have similar interests and backgrounds, plus, he was a good kisser. I'm a sucker for a good kisser. Shortly after the dates he and I went on he decided to start dating another girl. Therefore ending our casual dating relationship. Though it hasn't ended there. Not really. We decided to stay friends, so we did. Yet, there's still the underlying flirtation in every text and every conversation. Which, admittedly so, I egg on and kind of like. In my own twisted way, I liked the validation and the attention. Yes, its sad, and yes I've grown out of that phase. Okay, maybe not completely. Needing validation from others and loving myself for the unique, bright light that I am is something I've been working on for a few years now and I am very happy to report that I consistently love myself more on a daily basis. I realize that my light is uniquely my own and if people don't see it or want to bask in the glow of it, there's not much for me to be gained there anyway. Instead of trying to make them want to experience and love my light, I simply realize, maybe they aren't my people and there's nothing wrong with that. Why waste energy on someone like that?

Anyway, I went on a little tangent there for a minute. Back on subject, online guy and I text back and forth occasionally, we toy around with the idea of getting together, and when his girlfriend was out of town recently, tried to make plans with me for "a little trouble". This fascinates me. What is it that makes a man want to cheat on his girlfriend. This is probably another reason that I've stayed in touch with this guy. I can't figure it out to save my life. If you have chosen to be with someone, in a committed relationship and even live with them, why would you actively seek out other women. For me, that seems like a red flag that something is wrong in your relationship. Could  it be that he is simply seeking some of the validation that I seek myself? I know it's not really my job to analyze his part in this, or hers, its only my job to understand what my part was and to learn and grow from it.

My book club read an incredible book, "The Madonnas of Echo Park" by Brando Skyhorse, in it he has a passage about men and cheating. It resonated with me so much that I underlined the passage, and I never do that.

"When a man cheats on someone he's made a vow to love, honor and obey for the rest of his life, that list protects him, gives him courage, helps him reach the one lie that makes all deceit possible. I deserve this. In bed with that new woman, you feel your head, and sensation dangling between your legs, swell. This lasts until morning, when your sensation is the size of a flea and your only possessions are the lies you told them to get into bed. You guard those lies with your life, because to admit the truth is to admit how weak you are." ---The Madonnas of Echo Park pg 11 -- Brando Skyhorse

More recently. . .

I met a fabulous guy in Boston who lives in New York, because I also have an uncanny ability to attract men who live in NY, and after a lovely conversation, he told me he had a girlfriend back home. We continued our conversation as the grown adults that we were and quickly discovered that we had a lot in common and both enjoyed each others company. It was a definite case of "Another place, another time". Different circumstances and perhaps things would have been different. The amazing thing about my Gamer boy ( he works in video games) was how incredibly loyal he was and is to his girlfriend, even though they were having problems and possibly heading towards ending their relationship, he never once made an inappropriate move or did anything to disrespect his girlfriend or me. I know that this shouldn't seem like such an amazing feat, but its been awhile since I have come across a gentlemen like Gamer. Again, he was showing up for me, saying wonderful, lovely things like, "You're so funny, smart and charming, why don't you have a boyfriend?" Yet, as far as I know has remained committed to another woman, since we haven't had any contact since we met, I wouldn't know if they broke up or not.

A few weeks after that, I waited on a guy at my job who also seemed like a stand up guy. He is successful, spiritual, involved in charity and interested in helping me out with my career. There's nothing wrong with him, except for the fact that he's happily married and loves being a father to his two kids. I don't know that he necessarily fits into my pattern of men choosing to commit to other women, but he was a definite reminder that there are solid men out there, who want families and wives, the whole nine yards.

A few weeks after that, I sat next to a very interesting, Sexy Italian Man on a plane. Again, successful, ambitious, working with an organization to help save children from internet predators. I thought the universe had a great sense of humor with this one, because if I did end up with this Sexy Italian Man, I would find it very ironic, seeing as how he makes his living playing with very large guns and training counter-terrorism units and SWAT teams around the world. All of these things he does for great reasons, and for the right reasons, which is very attractive, but man, I dislike guns and their ability to rip a life away from someone before you even have a second to think about the consequences of your actions. I'm definitely a lover, not a fighter. We had a great conversation on the plane, exchanged info and have stayed in touch. He also recently informed me that he was newly dating a girl in London. This one chose to commit to a girl he has to fly across the world to see, instead of driving ten miles through the city of Los Angeles, which may actually take as long as flying to London, on certain days. ;) 

A week later, I had coffee with an actor guy I met through mutual friends in December. We had hung out a few times in January, had some successful dates I thought, though he then disappeared off the face of the planet. When we met for coffee, we had a fabulous conversation where we were both able to say what we thought had happened back in February, and promised to be honest with one another. We both expressed interest in spending more time together and I left the conversation thinking, wow, that was great, how grown up was that?! Neither of us mentioned whether we wanted to date or just be friends. . . danced around it I suppose. One can only handle SO much honest conversation and confrontation in one night ; ) After a few glasses of wine that night, we were texting back and forth and I mentioned something about kissing each other again, to which he replied, "Ohhh I should tell you I've been dating someone for a couple weeks now." AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Forget the fact that he had looked me in the eyes and told me he just wanted to be honest with me, a few hours earlier, yet neglected to mention this newfound "dating".

So, needless to say, a pattern emerged in my life and I was forced to look at it. Why are all of these seemingly wonderful men who are all in line with the type of man I want to bring into my life, choosing to commit to other women? In what way was I not committing to myself in my own life? As soon as I said it out loud using THOSE words, I had a MAJOR AHA moment. I had created some wonderful opportunities in my life lately, I have two writing gigs that I'm actually getting paid for, I'm teaching at a Montessori school, I work at 2 restaurants, baby sit occasionally, and have been very, very busy lately. SO busy focusing on writing for other people that I have no time to put into my own creative ideas. I have ideas for scripts, blogs, TV shows, etc, flying at me from every direction these days, yet was not committing to my own creativity, so the universe found a way to show that to me.

Amazing. Now that I realize WHY all of these men were being brought into my life, I'm incredibly grateful for the lesson, but MAN, that was a tough one to work out. Since then I have dialed back my obligations to other people and am spending more time working on my own creativity with things like writing this blog!

I fully expect now to meet the man of my dreams that encompasses all of the amazing qualities I got glimpses of in all of these other men . . . right universe?! Universe?!

Happy Shattering!

If you are looking for a great read, please take the time to check out my acting coach, healer and friend Dee Wallace's amazing new book, Bright Light: Spiritual Lessons from A Life in Acting! Available TOMORROW!!!
http://iamdeewallace.com/home/bright_light.html

White Irish Drinkers

White Irish Drinkers is a film that is slowly finding its following. This little film that could, can and will, is worth tracking down in a nearby town and taking the time to enjoy. This film that was written and directed by John Gray, the creator of the television show, "Ghost Whisperer" was a labor of love and obviously very close to Mr Gray's heart. The importance of this project to Mr Gray and everyone involved in the production is evident in every frame of the movie.

The movie takes place in early autumn of 1975 in Brooklyn where two brothers Bryan Leary (Nick Thurston) and his older brother Danny (Geoff Wigdor) spend their days killing time and pulling off small time crimes. It is obvious from the beginning of the movie that Bryan wants nothing to do with the criminal side of life, even though its a fate the Leary brothers seem to be destined for. Trapped within the walls of Brooklyn and the home of an abusive, alcoholic father Paddy (Stephen Lang) and their tired, weary mother  (Karen Allen), the brothers can't imagine that there's a life outside of the one they're stuck in. Bryan knows that he isn't interested in the normal 9 to 5 Civil Service jobs that his group of friends are all dying to get. His friends have some hilarious exchanges about dying to get "benes" (benefits) and vacation time, retirement and a steady gig serving their community. The only thing Bryan can seem to find solace in is art. He is a secretly, talented painter. He spends his nights in the basement storage room of the deli below their apartment with his headphones on to drown out the beating his abusive father is giving his dutiful mother right upstairs as he draws.

Bryan doesn't share his artistic talents with anyone. His mother doesn't even know that he has them. Danny does, but he looks at it as a pansy way to pass the time. One night, while out at the bar, Bryan runs into Shauna Friel (Leslie Murphy) an old high school crush. In order to one up his college buddy, Todd (Zachary Booth) who swoops in to put the moves on Shauna, he comes up with a creative way to get Shauna's attention. Which I won't ruin for you, because its a lovely scene and sets in motion a wonderful little dance of romance between Bryan and Shauna. I will say that I was impressed with the way that Bryan left the scene, as it was quite unexpected, but definitely peaked all of the ladies in the theatres interest as well as Shauna's. You'll understand what I mean when you see it.

It's Bryan's relationship with Shauna that ignites his dreams and inspires him to think beyond the walls of Brooklyn. But it will be his relationship with his brother that tests his loyalty to his family and how far he is willing to go to rescue Danny. The brothers have spent their whole lives taking care of one another and looking out for each other, even if it does explode into fist fights every now and then. They are still brothers and there's nothing they won't do for one another.  I won't tell you anymore of the plot, wanting you to be able to go on the ride that I and every person in the theatre seemed to go on!

It's the kind of story that you feel and know will touch a lot of people. It's a movie reminiscent of "The Town" and while Boston has become the typical back drop for these movies, Brooklyn steps forward as its equally interesting cousin. The city is the perfect setting to tell this story. The cinematography of Seamus Tierney is stunning and so perfectly executed. The script is clever and witty at times, full of hope and love at other times and full of emotion and heartbreaking circumstance at others. The story is a familiar one, but still managed to surprise me and catch me off guard!

The acting is impeccable, a tour de force of artists, that as a fellow actor, I will one day be honored if I can come even remotely close to the commitment and layered performances that every single one of them turned in. Russell Boast, the casting director clearly took his time to find not only talented, real, actors, but ones who would gel together and could realistically be friends, family and lovers in real life.  Stephen Lang's performance of the father is terrifying and heartbreaking as you realize that this is a man who desperately loves his family, but who is just trapped within alcoholism and repeating the patterns of his upbringing. Karen Allen turns in one of the best performances of her life. As the mother, Margaret she fully inhabits this woman with every breath and movement, struggling to keep her sons safe, yet remaining unflinchingly devoted to her husband.

Nick Thurston as Bryan Leary is flawless, a newcomer to Hollywood, he will have a long career if he continues to turn in simple, connected, yet vulnerable performances like this one. His scenes with Leslie Murphy, who is flawless as well as love interest Shauna, are some of the best of the movie. The two share a chemistry on screen that in my personal opinion rivals that of Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, which I regard as some of the best on screen chemistry that I've ever seen. You desperately want Shauna and Bryan to save one another, fall in love and escape this dreary dark life. Turning in a layered performance, Leslie, lets Bryan and the audience into her heart and she wins him and the entire theatre over by her second or third scene in the movie. Her character easily could have been a "pollyanna" of sorts, but John Gray shines again, having written a script that has multi-layered characters throughout the whole thing, not just within the main characters, but down to the smaller roles. My favorite example of this is the revelation that Shauna shares about herself with Bryan at the end of the movie, where you finally understand her.  Miss Murphy can look forward to a shining career in the acting world!

Geoff Wigdor as older brother Danny turns in an equally solid performance full of emotion, strength and vulnerability. He kept reminding me of a young Ben Affleck, even looking and sounding like him at times, though he turns in a full, well rounded performance that we didn't see out of Mr Affleck until he matured into his career a bit. Geoff brought life to Danny and you understood every decision he made even as your heart was screaming for him to make a different choice.

Zachary Booth, Robbie Collier Sublett and Michael Drayer round out the casting as Bryan's group of friends. They are all incredibly enjoyable and I especially enjoyed the rhythm they all found as friends and the rapid fire dialogues they shared that only true friends would be able to exchange.

The direction was wonderful and again, the script was well rounded, fun, raw, tough, emotional, and even contained a few fun "sign of the times" jokes like, "What kind of career are you going to have in computers?" Ha.

Producers Paul Bernard and James Scura, your investment in this movie is also evident in every part of it, and after meeting you Paul, I know that had you not been involved that this would be an entirely different movie. I can only imagine that your producing partner would be cut from the same cloth.

Please, do yourself and everyone involved with this project a favor and go see, "WHITE IRISH DRINKERS" when it comes to a theatre near you. Help this little movie that could, can and probably will reach the highest level of success that it can. I would even go so far as to say that this film and the actors involved could easily win some awards in this coming awards season! I desperately hope it hangs on for that long and that word of mouth makes this movie a blockbuster success!

Movies like this are the reason I became an actor. They are the reason that I want to make films. When the lights came up after the movie and we all wiped away our tears, I left the theatre thinking "This is the kind of movie I want to make."

This is a project of heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears . . . but you can tell it was worth every moment.

www.whiteirishdrinkersthemovie.com

* An Inspirational Letter from Sendai, Japan *

* An Inspirational Letter from Sendai, Japan *

Over the last couple of weeks we have watched the events unfold in Japan as they were rocked by an 8.9 earthquake, followed by a massive tsunami that caused massive destruction and took many lives. Horrified, we all have watched helplessly as the images of massive amounts of water decimated entire towns in a matter of minutes. The news is fraught with fear and panic, replaying the horrific images over and over again. There is nothing we can do but helplessly watch as the powers of Mother Nature cause death and destruction so many miles away. That is why when I was forwarded this letter from a person actually living in Sendai, experiencing this, I was so incredibly moved and touched by how they were experiencing what we can perceive as only a horrific event. I knew that it needed to be shared with as many people that we can get it to. Their words are full of love, hope, encouragement and a higher connection to a knowingness that everything that is happening is part of a greater plan. I hope you take the time to read this letter and that it provides you with as much inspiration, love and gratitude that it did for me.

IN LOVE and LIGHT, 
Elizabeth

Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,

First I want to thank you so very much for your concern for me. I am 

very touched. I also wish to apologize for a generic message to you all. 

But it seems the best way at the moment to get my message to you.

Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am very blessed to

have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since my shack is even

more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's home. We share

supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We sleep lined up in 

one room, eat by candlelight, share stories. It is warm, friendly, and 

beautiful.

During the day we help each other clean up the mess in our homes. People 

sit in their cars, looking at news on their navigation screens, or line 

up to get drinking water when a source is open. If someone has water 

running in their home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up 

their jugs and buckets.

Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting, no pushing in

lines. People leave their front door open, as it is safer when an

earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how it used to be 

in the old days when everyone helped one another."

Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every 15 minutes. Sirens

are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.

We got water for a few hours in our homes last night, and now it is for

half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has not yet come on.

But all of this is by area. Some people have these things, others do not.

No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but there are so much

more important concerns than that for us now. I love this peeling away of

non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct, of intuition, of 

caring, of what is needed for survival, not just of me, but of the 

entire group.

There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a mess in some

places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out drying in the sun.

People lining up for water and food, and yet a few people out walking

their dogs. All happening at the same time.

Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the silence at night. No

cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at night are scattered

with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the whole sky is filled.

The mountains of Sendai are solid and with the crisp air we can see them

silhouetted against the sky magnificently.

And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come back to my shack to

check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the electricity is on,

and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have no idea from

whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from door to door checking

to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete strangers asking if they

need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but fear or panic,

no.

They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other major quakes, for 

another month or more. And we are getting constant tremors, rolls, 

shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in that I live in a part of Sendai that is

a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So, so far this area is

better off than others. Last night my friend's husband came in from the

country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed

an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world

right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now

in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I

felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as

part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of

birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Thank you again for your care and Love of me,

With Love in return, to you all.

Shattering "Signs" that Pop up in Your World.

Pay attention to the world around you. If you listen carefully, you can hear the universe talking to you. I started paying hyper attention to my world about a year ago. I met a new friend who seemed to open up a magical effect in my life. The kind of magical effect where everything seemed to be falling into place. Sometimes I think that may be why I met this person. Why I was drawn to strike up a conversation with them, and why we seemed to instantly know one another. As a result of that first encounter I now have "signs" that pop up in my life that literally let me know I'm on the right path. Doing what I'm supposed to be doing, living how I'm supposed to live.

As we've entered into 2011, I've been hyper aware of the signs, as well as the simple fact that this world as we know it is changing. If you follow anyone in the "energetic" or "metaphysical" world, you too have probably heard that the world as we know it is changing. That we're emerging in a higher consciousness. Energy is shifting and changing at lightening speed. For me, lately, the signs have come from some unusual or unexpected sources. Screaming at me from billboards all around town are things like "BELIEVE: Trust your Instincts" and "Stay Extraordinary".

The fun things about billboards and messages the universe likes to share, that I've noticed, is that there's always an irony or a moment where I stop and say, Really? That's an ad for that?!

Take the Believe: Trust your Instincts campaign. Which is actually an advertisement for . . .

yup. Vodka. Belvedere Vodka.

The magic comes from being able to absorb the signs, understand the message and roll with it, without going into judgment about the vehicle the universe is using. Its definitely much more fun!

Diet Coke.

I'm not saying that its unusual that ad campaigns are playing on my emotions, or shocking me with witty slogans, but I have just noticed lately that a lot of what is floating around in the collective conscious is making it into our world through many different vehicles.

I'm still learning how to read and interpret the signs in my world. It's been so much fun. How can I begrudge a message as simple as Stay Extraordinary. First of all, thank you, Diet Coke for acknowledging how awesome I am, and 2nd for providing a smile in my day!

Don't worry, signs aren't limited to advertisements. You can get them in songs that play over and over again in a single day. If you hear a song multiple times in one day I highly recommend checking out the lyrics or connecting what it is you're supposed to learn that day from THAT song.

The streets of Los Angeles are dotted with billboards for the movie, The Adjustment Bureau, lately and I can't wait to see it. I also noticed the other day that one of their ads resonated with me in a huge way. It's practically the only ad I see for the movie now, and for me, it seems to be a simple recipe for manifesting and creating my world.

Desire. Obtain. Cherish.

Fate or Free Will?

Listening to the universe is not a science that anyone can trace, or anyone can prove. The simple act of believing is all that is takes. . .Like my good friends at Belvedere Vodka like to remind me from time to time.

Believe. Trust Your Instincts.

Your gut will never let you down. If you think you're right. You're right.

Get out there. Listen to those signs and have fun fighting for your fate.

~The Universe's Sense of Humor Shatters My World~

The title of this blog sounds very dramatic! I would like to let you know off the bat that its really not that bad. So, don't click away just yet, thinking, "Ohh great. That Elizabeth girl is going to ruin my day with her World Shattering Story." The fact of the matter is, yes, this year has begun with a bang! If you read my last blog, you know that my family lost a very loved family member on day 1 of 2011. We started on that low note, then while at the funeral I got a callback for a commercial and whisked back to Los Angeles, where I was quickly put on AVAIL (in the commercial world this means you've pretty much booked the job) BUT, then I didn't. . .In the days after that I moved into a new house in a fabulous neighborhood (which you will second guess the fact that its nice in two seconds) and then a week later my car was stolen.

Yup. You heard me right. Stolen. Right out in front of my new house, in the awesome neighborhood I live in now!  (second guessing already?) It was broad daylight, between the hours of 1 and 3, and I was home, my roommate was home, we were just in our rooms, busy, doing stuff. Wait, wait, wait, the funny part is coming.

I was getting a few things out of the trunk of my car that day, closed the trunk and oops, left the keys in the trunk of the car. Not actually IN the trunk of the car,  but in the trunk lock, just hanging there. Some lucky person walked by and thought, "HEY! A CAR!!! Wow. Thanks Universe!" Took the key out and drove away.

The most interesting part of this whole ordeal for me, has been my reaction to it. I have remained very calm during this whole situation and I'm a little bummed by all the ensuing paperwork, but not really that upset. Most of the people I have spoken to about it are pretty shocked. They expect me to be angry and really upset about it. It IS a violation, for sure. It FEELS a little bit weird. On the other hand, It IS just a car. I do have full coverage, and it is 8 years old.

If you manifest your life by the thoughts that you think, did I manage to manifest this? I was thinking that the car was a little bit old, starting to get a little dinged up, and could use a good wax. Was that simple passing of a thought enough to get my car stolen?

There are a few strange, odd, or interesting things that I have recalled since my car was stolen that lead me to believe that there is a higher power at work here, with their divine grand theft auto intervention.

1. I have been carrying around every dance shoe I own, tap, clog, ballet, jazz, in a bag in the trunk of my car for about 4 years. 3 weeks ago, I took that bag out of the trunk and my dance shoes are safe in my closet.

2. There are a set of keys that I keep in the car. On this key ring are my friend's house keys and my mailbox key. The day my car got stolen I took those keys into the house with me.

3. I cleaned the car out like a crazy person about a month ago. I even vacuumed it like I thought someone would be living in it, (OHHH hey, maybe someone is!)

4. I remember looking at my car in the month of December and thinking, I should memorize my license plate, that's an important piece of information to know. I memorized it. 5COD572 (I've had the car for 8 YEARS!) and JUST memorized it.

5. The last time I got out of the car, I remember looking at the passenger seat and thinking, I should take that coat inside with me.

I did not take the coat inside with me and that is one of the things that was in the car that I really wish I could get back. It was this really lovely blue, vintage coat that I got up in northern California on a random stop into an antique shop. It wasn't very expensive, but it was super cute. R.I.P. There's probably a really fabulously dressed car thief out there somewhere.

All in all, it could have been worse. My wallet was not in the car, my phone was not in the car, my ipod was not in the car. Essentially nothing of value, besides the ACTUAL car was left in it. Ohh wait, I speak too soon. . . A VHS copy of Romeo and Juliet was in the car. Yes! The Leonardo Di Caprio/ Claire Danes version. So sad.

I guess the universe was helping me out?! Who knows, perhaps it was a strange coincidence? A silly mistake? All I know is that I think 2011 is going to continue to be one heck of a ride. Strap your seatbelts on and double check that you have your keys after getting anything out of the trunk!

Ohhh, and car thief, whomever you are, here's a little bummer for YOU. I never took my car in for that Safety recall  involving the ignition. Ohhh, AND my restraint system light has been on for a LONG time. I think it needs a new seat belt tensioner. Good Luck to you sirs.

For now I will just putt around in my trusty ole' rental car, A Chevy Malibu, which gets HORRIBLE gas mileage by the by, and wait for those lovely Progressive people to get back to me on what happens next. I must say, Flo and her team are nothing but lovely, supportive and they all seem to be devastated by my loss!


Laughing with the Universe,
Elizabeth