BY THE SEA

Friday, February 16, 2018

BY THE SEA

By the beautiful sea……O.K., the Pacific Ocean.

I always forget how awesome this is!

I took Nikka with me to the Ritz Carlton at Laguna-Niguel for a special event.

Need I say how much we both needed even this brief vacation?

Here’s the view from our room.

Kita was in the Caribbean Suite at Dog Resort Hotel & Spa where we could watch her on our iPhones.

Word has it she fell in love with a handsome German Shepherd.

Breakfast anyone? Wonder if there was anything else we could have ordered….

This fellow was our breakfast companion! He loved everything!

Time to hit the beach.

Or not...

Looking back at the hotel….

Oh joy…Sweet Jane, Tanya and Nikka….happy, happy…

Did I say happy? Ecstatic!

I think it’s time to take a couple of moments and just chill...

The meeting will be called to order….

Ahhhhhhh………Are you relaxed yet?

We watched the stunning sunset and then it was time to get ready for the event.

These strawberries were sent to the room and Nikka keeps insisting they

were from a secret admirer we met earlier…..

Next day my snowbirds from Chicago drove down from Newport Beach (or is it up?)

Finally, Nikka & I went whale watching but they were shy and we just got to chase the

dolphins but we saw a rainbow and that made up for the missing whales...

And this cutie...

Not quite sure why I received such largess but I suspect it was from Lynne Tucker at Pro- Travel.

I decided to have a movie marathon so we watched 'Murder on the Orient Express' with breakfast and 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' along with 'The Shape of Water' that evening.

(We saw two other movies after we checked out.)

“Unable to perceive the shape of you

I find you all around me

Your presence fills my eyes with your love...

It humbles me

For you are everywhere"

Last scene in ‘The Shape of Water'

This view from the room was absolutely stunning!

I guess you can figure out what this was about….

This much ‘stuff’ after only four days is embarrassing but getting everything was quite fun!

Enough of that….back to the real world.

I decided not to fight the traffic back as even with a late check out it would be horrible

so….of course….a movie!

This was my first time at a Cinépolis and I have to say that Orange County is in no way the real world.

First, the most comfortable ‘chairs’ ever that you can adjust…go ahead, put your feet up!

We ordered gobs of food and a handsome server brought everything to us. Eeeee gads!

Sooooo fun! We saw this and then ‘The Post’.

Sending Valentine love to all. Remember to live joyfully!

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Introduction

There is no avoiding the pull of the internet, the blogs, the YouTube imaginings. It's as if we're all 'On the Road' with Jack Kerouac each in our own world of meanderings. When we tell someone to 'get a life' it might be a bit difficult when you're dragged into other people's 24/7.

I've come to realize two foundational principals, there are no accidents and everyone has a purpose. More and more I'm desiring everyone to come into a full realization of their purpose as we all find our way on this little jewel of a planet.

For me, as a professional 'Western style artist', I stumbled into Chinese Brush Painting after a trip in 1980 to Monet's home/garden. Seeing all of his collection of Japanese woodblock prints was an ahh haa moment for me and when I returned to the States I started painting in the Chinese manner and never looked back. The first year was extremely painful for me as I felt that I should be able to master the technique since I was a 'trained' artist. Not a chance ... that just gets in your way.

Now, after teaching close to 3,000 students and having my book 'The Ch'i of the Brush' published by Watson Guptill, I can say that every one of my students does better their first day than I did my first year! Why? Because I insist that they leave their critical parent outside and just enjoy the journey, respecting the work that they do. I never let anyone throw anything away because that just ingrains frustration and defeat.

We really only begin to learn when we stop and figure out how to 'save' a painting. It works every time.I am so proud of my students, their receptivity and eagerness to express themselves is a continuing blessing for me.So, back to finding your purpose. Perhaps it starts with realizing 'it's not about me'. It so easy to want our needs met and to filter everything thru this attitude. When we realize that we're here to be of benefit to every life that we touch the universe really provides the ways and means.

The best part is that it's really exciting to not have yourself on your mind all the time!I'm re-reading a wonderful book about authenticity and in my next meandering I'll tell you about it. In the meantime I'd love to hear about your journey and am here to answer any and all questions about Chinese Brush Painting.