Fresh Air

Are you ready to bloom? Mindbloom.com is!

OK - I never thought that I would be as intrigued as I have become around personal transformation and the power of social networking.  But having recently re-enaged with my personal writing BECAUSE I set it as a goal in my Mindbloom tree and have kept reminding myself that it's important - I am here to tell you that it really works.  That, and I'm being extra nice and sending a kind, supportive loving text message at least once a day to my dear husband.  Would have never happened without that extra daily "nudge."

And, we are now on the verge of releasing what I think will really make a difference in terms of building and sustaining community commitment to one's goals and aspirations...direct postings to Facebook Connect. and a mobile interface that will allow me to keep track of all this meaningful activity when I'm out and about.  Which is all the time.  Rare are the moments when I can sit at my computer and engage as I do when I write - and honestly, I'd rather take the time to compose than to track what I've got going on and how successfully (or not) I'm achieving what I set out to accomplish.

It's thrilling to see weekly progress from a team that is what can only be described as physically small but incredibly pithy, smart and committed.  And we play nicely with one another and state what we feel and think in a respectful (albeit sometimes vociferous) manner.  It's like being part of the Knights of the Round Table empowered by Al Gore's mission to save the planet recast with Oprah's world view on living your best life.  That's a lot of top notch talent to compare one's self to, but it actually feels like that.

So here I stand in Hawaii, swordfern and hibiscus raised high.  My thanks to Chris Hewett and Brent Poole for founding this company - and bringing me into the fold.  Wahooooooooo!

 

 

Another day in Paradise. But sick coughy baby is making things a little tough. Who knew "Maggie and the Ferocious Beast" could be so soothing??

The Power of Poke

We're in Hawaii for our annual pre-holiday R&R and enjoying what has become a traditional suite of foods and experiences.  Sophia at 2 1/2 is now tall enough that the water in the Queen's pool barely reaches her hips.  Last year, she learned how to poodle around in the baby pool at the condo using her ring.  This year, she's dipping and diving on her own, though the "reach and pull" process continues to elude her for now.

But this post isn't about toddler swimming skills.  It's about the Power of Poke.  For the uninitiated, this is Hawaii's answer to Spain's tapas, tailored specifically to seafood.  Anything that swims or crawls in the ocean is a good candidate, though firmer-fleshed denizens get my vote as being the yummiest.

Briny, raw comestibles dressed with a variety of soy-based marinades become the stuff of eye-rolling gastrointestinal delight.  I am personally a big fan of both the salmon and tuna versions of this treasure from the deep.  Suffice it to say it is the stuff of lunch and dinner here in Puako, and that the best recipes comes from the local fisherman (and are therefore unavailable to a haolie like me).  There is a awesome fish shop just up the road in Kawaihae that has a great selection, as do the two grocery stores upcountry in Waimea.  It is one of the things I miss the most when I return stateside.

Thus ends a brief but delicious soliloquy to the Powers of Poke!

State of the Evolving State....Mindbloom, Sophia and.....Boston?

I have more to write about at this moment than I can adequately address.  I've recently returned to work and am happily ensconced at www.mindbloom.com.  The company has designed and deployed a delightful personal growth and development platform that allows people to create and share their goals, intentions, aspirations and inspirations.  And its pretty.  And the team is chockablock with smart, caring, balanced people.  Who have children and lives.  And a passion for their work.  And a balanced perspective.  Did I say that yet?

And then there is that other little personal growth project of mine....Sophia.  There she is at school this morning, 2-handedly painting away.  Very Jackson Pollack.  Big, dauby marks made with delightful abandon and all over her sweater as well as the paper.  Ah - to be 2 1/2 again. 

Arianna is still in Italy, working and growing organically from all reports.  She's had the opportunity to get to know her grandfather as an adult (Ari that is) which is of course very different than one's view from childhood's window.  She'll be returning at Christmastime - a lovely holiday gift indeed.  It's back to Lewis and Clark for the remainder of the year, but much navel gazing has occurred on the European continent, so I assume she may have other changes in the works.

Alan's skills and talents have taken him on a wide swath of opportunity - not all of which are locally grown and enjoyed.  Boston as an option looms on the horizon, and it remains to be seen what our choices result in there.  It could be a great adventure.  It could be a great disaster.  I think attitude is probably the greatest determinant of outcome, and the conversation continues.

Otherwise, we swim on Thursdays, and Farmer's Market on most Saturdays.  Family is present and accounted for almost every week, and we're getting alto better about seeing friends with greater regularity.  There is something magical in witnessing the delight of discovery through the eyes of a child, especially one whose context is near and dear to your heart.

That is the state of the ever-evolving state.  I now have a license to write, and a Mindbloom tree that reminds me daily to do so, along with taking my vitamins and doing my back exercises.  And who is to say which of those activities is most important?  It matters not - but it matters that it is actually happening.  Glad to be back, and hope to hear from you soon.