Recently, a pal and I went through a natural disaster together. While we were good friends before, undergoing a challenge like that together helped us bond in an even deeper way.   In 2004, Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne came through our area. During each one, I was without power for over a week and stayed with a group of friends.  Gas lines, food shortage, we survived mostly during that time with Chinese takeout.  Ok, so it wasn’t a REAL hardship, mostly just an inconvenience for everyone for two weeks, but it bonded us all closely.  I met three of my mates while we worked together on their legal cases.  Sitting daily, talking about dashed expectations, broken promises, who’s wronged who, bonding over mutual hope and comfort, looking forward together, seeking justice, redemption. That creates a strong astral glue, a strong emotional bond. You can feel this with people you may not even like and have nothing in common with other than being brought together by disaster. Continue reading →

Your friends and family are not always meant to see what you see. While you see several ways, they may only see one way. No one chooses the hard way on purpose. It’s just that they can’t see any other way from where they stand. Don’t try to push someone up the mountain with you if they can’t appreciate the view.  I lived in a valley once and loved it.  I lived on a mountain once and loved it. There is benefit everywhere. There is no higher or lower, just different plateaus of comfort we accustom ourselves to until we’re ready to move on.

I admit it: I’ve been told I’m not always fun in bed. I snore, I mumble, I hog the bed. Since I also sleepwalk, I have chimes and knockers on the doorknobs so the doors can’t be moved without sounding. That’s fine for keeping me from walking down the street at 3:00 a.m. but a little loud for anyone in the household trying to sleep.  I typically sleep for 3-4 hours at a stretch, then I’m up for a few more hours, then back to bed a few more. I have 6 foot tall wind chimes in the meditation area of the living room, and also outside in the courtyard. It’s especially fun when I accidentally hit one of them while the household is asleep. Never a dull moment.

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We decided to make smoothies the other day. Our friend Vicki Murfin always has delicious vegan treats on hand and one fave is her frozen fruit smoothie snacks. She keeps them in little glass jars in the freezer, so we were going to make a batch. We go to the store, we buy orange juice, organic fruit and a dozen 4 oz jars with lids. I decide it’s too big a job for the Magic Bullet, which is my mini blender, so I pull out the regular Osterizer blender. I check make sure I got all the parts, I put everything together, put in my fruit, the juice, I plug it in and push the button… and orange juice splatters everywhere. Somehow the base has swirled itself loose from the glass jar part of it. My hero saves the day, we transfer the fruit and juice into a large pitcher while I clean the  kitchen. I know anything with one drop of orange juice on it can attract an ant, so I wiped down every surface. Ten minutes later, we pull out the Magic Bullet as we were going to do in the first place and begin again.  Now we’ve got a freezer full!  Basic recipe for a dozen 4 oz snacks, we used 3 bananas (because he ATE the 4th one!) a cup of frozen blueberries, a quart/4 cups orange juice.  Fill jars 2/3 full, screw top on lightly and put in freezer. A healthy frozen snack!

As an employer and someone who knows how energy works, I would never make it a rule do not have sex with a coworker, because that’s going to happen regardless of rules. I can however make it a rule to have your emotional body under control during all your interactions with coworkers so there is never a conflict that takes away from the work. If you do, then you need to learn how the emotional body works and how to keep control over it.  If you can’t keep it in your pants, keep it in your heart and keep it courteous and respectful or keep it out of my business.  Given time, almost everyone is going to have sex with almost everyone else, so don’t waste anyone’s time legislating that. But if you can’t keep your emotions under control and maintain mindful focus enough to handle yourself professionally in a business environment, I love ya but you’re fired.

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Armand Della Volpe

I have more love and deep respect for my bride than ever. Recently we had a conversation with a friend. During this deep sharing, the friend expressed pain over something they claimed Angelina did. Angelina and I both knew it was not factual. When I asked Angelina why she didn’t call them on it and stand up for herself, she said this. “That’s not what they needed from me right then. It didn’t matter what inspired the pain, the pain was valid and they needed compassion, not accuracy. It really isn’t important for me to be right, it’s important for me to remain loving.” OMG, I bow to the Goddess.  <feeling humbled, again!> Armand Della Volpe
Here is Armand and Angelina on Facebook

I’m going through another layer of realization and personal growth.  I said that 20 years ago through a veil of challenge. Yay for being on the other side of that. I know it’s a result of having learned to work on my stuff as it comes up, so that I don’t have to repeat the same lessons.  As I dropped baggage at every new realization, it became easier to move forward without struggle until today is nearly a cake walk. I’ll share my lesson below, but first for you astrology buffs, my awakening is reflected in my astrology transits as well. The astrology is below in blue, skip it if it’s of no interest to you and this is a much quicker read.   Continue reading →

I’m missing my friend Wally Smith this week. He passed almost a year ago. Wally was my best friend and confidante since I was 7. He was always there. He knew my entire history.  I’m not sentimental.  I’m someone who enjoys walking through life on my own and unpartnered, but I feel his absence. Yes, I have a boyfriend now and couldn’t ask for a better one, but there’s a special bond with someone I’ve shared my entire life’s history with.  Ah, it will pass. I observe the emotion when it moves through me, and I stay quiet until it passes.  And it passes.  “The cycle of grief has its own time table. Until that cycle is honored and completed we are moving along life’s path with an anchor down.” ~Ann Linnea, Deep Water Passage.
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Respect is our language. If it isn’t said with respect, we can’t hear it. This is why nagging is ineffective and self defeating. This is why statements made in sarcastic tones, or with rolling eyes, will never be received well. We have a filter in our brains, and a statement made in disrespect will be filtered out like the poison it is. Matt Walsh

Armand Della Volpe

The driver who cut you off in traffic?  The neighbor who lets his dog into your yard? The friends and family who won’t pull their weight or just seem out to get you? Things are not always what they seem.  We see something and get an idea in our head what it all means. Sometimes what we think it is is not what it really is at all. What you just experienced may not be what I just experienced. If we don’t speak about it and hear each other out, we don’t know that.  Spiritual brother Armand related a story that is a great example. He wrote: “We recently allowed a friend to stay in our home for 2 months while we were away. She offered to take care of our home, mail, kitty and even give us some money to cover the utilities. She was told that if she ever needed help, our regular house and kitty sitter could come and help her and she would have to pay her. This was all agreed to.” Continue reading →