A time for reflection

This week we moved through the first quarter moon, which I'm told provides us with a wonderful opportunity to re-evaluate the intentions that were set during the new moon on August 2nd.  This lunar phase, I'm told is a time to go deep within ourselves to make certain that the intentions we set were true to our soul and our life's purpose.

This lunar cycle did not disappoint!  As predicted, it forced me to look deep inside and to re-evaluate the intentions that I had set for myself two week ago.  It was if a veil had been lifted and it was revealed to me that I had returned to the land of illusion.  The land, where I create stories about people, places and things, that aren't true and never have been true!  The land where I give meaning to things that just aren't important.  The kingdom in which everybody has my best interest at heart even if they show otherwise.  Moreover it's the place where I ignore that inner voice that says "do not enter".  I of course ignore that voice, jump out of reality into the illusion.  An illusion that I unfortunately have visited many times before.

However, I always reawaken from the illusion, as I did this week, briefly bereft, strangely mourning things that never existed.  Mourning the loss of people, places and things that I made up in my head.  Finally, ending this cycle in gratitude, knowing that I in reality had lost nothing.  Furthermore, knowing that none of it served any purpose in my life.  These cycles remind me of the importance of meditation and self reflection.  They remind me that I am enough and that if I remain in the present moment,  then I never have to wake up again and find myself mired in illusion.  The present moment holds my and for that matter your power.  In the present moment is where I will find fulfillment and true reality. 

Sunday is my birthday!  I begin my 55th year with a clarity of vision that I've never had before in my very long life. Last year, I let go of so much, of so many people and so many limiting beliefs.  I begin this year, lighter, brighter and full of hope.  I invite you to travel with me through my 55th year.  It is my greatest wish that you learn some lessons of love along the way!

Reflecting pool...

We need a little Christmas NOW!

Wow, it can be exhausting to just be alive these days!  I have tried hard to stay on the periphery of the political circus that plays out on the television screen every night.  I have avoided focusing on the daily images of "mistaken" shootings of a Black man and turned away from the images of the carnage of lunatics around the world killing each other.    I've meditated more frequently and opened my heart regularly.  But still fear, anger and despair seem to be everywhere I look.  I could potentially get bummed out...but that's not me!  

So I'm giving a party, a block party,  to be exact, to celebrate the One Year Anniversary of Cafe Gratitude San Diego.  To counteract all the negativity of the world around me, I've decided to fill a whole city block with LOVE, positive energy and good intentions for every person in the world.  It will be an afternoon filled with my friends, your friends and friends of the planet.  The theme of the event is We Are One and just by saying that it begins to breakdown differences and starts to unite us all. 

Here's what the events about:

Café Gratitude is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its Little Italy location! San Diegans of all ages are invited to a ‘We are One’ community block party on Sunday, July 31. The FREE, family-friendly event, held in the heart of Little Italy, includes:

• The Dr. Bronner's All-One Magic Foam Experience and Magic Fire Truck— which will cover you in peppermint bubbles (safe + biodegradable)
• An appearance from 1:1 Movement with their Stacked: A Mobile Learning Farm – a 15-foot mobile learning farm which will engage kids in crafts and activities
• High-energy live musical performances, including Finian Makepeace, Billy Galewood, Briahnna, Rae Irlen, Avasa & Matty Love, and other special guests.
• Free on-site screen printing on t-shirts and totes of the commemorative ‘We Are One’ design (BYO t-shirt)
• Local vendors including Tidbit Of Love, My Intention Project,  Living Tea Kombucha, Dr. Bronners and more!
• Plant-based cake cutting ceremony

I invite you to join us in creating a day of celebration during which we are all truly one!

Go ahead and play!

I've been spending a lot of time around kids these days both professionally and personally.  I kicked off this week at Cafe Gratitude, where I helped host the third installment of the Re:Source: Unwasted Pop Up Dinner series at Cafe Gratitude San Diego, featuring the kids from Washington Elementary School's garden club, which is run by my friend Mia Vaughnes and her remarkable Good Neighbor Gardens team.  During the pre- dinner promotion,  I got to spend many hours with the Washington Elementary garden club kids at work and at play.  Their enthusiasm and hope recharged my batteries and help me focus on what is truly real and important to me in my life.

The very next day, after the Cafe Gratitude event,  I traveled to Wild Willow Farm for an event planning walk through for the Autism Tree Project Foundation Family Farm Day that I'll be hosting at Wild Willow Farm on Saturday.  Athough no kids were included in that planning session, I began to plan my event through the eyes of a child.  I began to experience the farm and the activities I planned through the eyes of my heart and truly what would be genuinely fun and healing for children of all ages.  I am hoping that the over 50 families that are signed up to attend experience that healing on their day on the farm.

I finished up this week by photographing a "Healthy Happy Camper" day for my friend Marissa Joinson of The Intuitive Kitchen.  The Intuitive Kitchen was created by Marissa to help everyone, primarily focusing on children, eat better and thus live better and healthier.  Her summer camp is a reflection of all her many talents and was fun for this adult to attend. 

But, it was not all fun and games.  Real life lessons were being learned about how to cope with the frustration of failure, impulse control and the basics of just getting along with other people.  What I witnessed was that these children still hadn't learned that life is hard and is not fun, yet.  They hadn't created limiting thoughts for themselves, yet.  And they hadn't learned to criticize themselves for their mistakes, yet.  Witnessing their joy made me start to let go of some of the limiting thoughts and beliefs that I somehow picked up and made mine along the way.

Oh what a week this has been!  Watching and playing with those kids injected new hope and joy into my life.  It also made me start to view the world through the eyes of a child, my child.  My child who I often ignore for adult responsibilities got to come out and play!  I highly recommend that you do the same-just go ahead and play!

Write Your Own Story

Today I watched the funeral of Muhammad Ali and was deeply moved by the speeches that eulogized him.  The lengthy funeral concluded with a speech by Bill Clinton.  President Clinton started by lamenting about what more could he say about Muhammad Ali that hadn’t already been said by the previous speakers.  He decided to talk about the later half of Muhammad Ali's life, which Mr. Clinton called the best half of his life.
As most people know, Muhammad Ali lived with Parkinson’s disease for the last half of his life. Parkinson’s disease is a progressively debilitating neuromuscular disease that affects both physical & neurological function During the first half of his life, he was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. During the first half of his life, Muhammad Ali “floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee.” Yet it was the second half of Ali’s life that President Clinton said was his best. 
President Clinton said that as Muhammad Ali lost his physical prowess, he found his true self. President Clinton pointed out that Muhammad Ali never let anything or anyone write his story for him.  Even as he lost the power to speak he continued to communicate his love and compassion to everyone he met! Additionally by losing control of his body Muhammad Ali seemed to develop his heart and his soul. 

I am always inspired by those who live joyfully and intentionally despite great obstacles and of course, I am inspired by Muhammad Ali! I also was struck by the idea that he wrote his own story and I wondered if I was doing the same thing?  What story was I writing? And, if I read that story would I be inspired by it! It made me consider rewriting and revising a couple chapters, eliminating the drama that drowns out the peace, joy and love always available to me, in my story. Are you writing your own story? If so, I hope you’re making it a good one!

False Idols, indeed!

This morning after being confronted by the arrogance of ego, a biblical quote surprisingly came to me and although I admittedly have never read the bible, the quote seems to sum up my feelings.  Thus,  it ended up in my blog! 

Recently, my friend, The Foodie Whisperer, kindly penned a blog about me.  The blog essentially explained how I truly am an outsider in the food industry.  I come to the food industry after years of being a Hospice nurse, during which I helped individuals and their families through the dying process.  That process peels away facades and superficiality and makes everyone get real!  Ego really has no place in that process and everyone is humbled as they make their way through the unknown journey of dying. 

Fast forward to twelve years ago when I entered the food industry via the doors of Whole Foods Market La Jolla.  And, although I have tried to fully entrench myself in the culture, I remain an alien, a stranger in a strange world!  During those twelve years with the help of the Food Network, I have witnessed, chefs become elevated into celebrity status, equal to some Hollywood stars.  We attribute their culinary talents with some super human qualities and character.  We do the same for rock stars and professional athletes, despite being shown their less than super human behavior every day on the news.   

The power and light that we shine on professional athletes, rock stars, politicians and now chefs all feed their human egos and that's where the bad behavior begins.  I know, first hand,  that it is almost impossible not to get caught up in the illusion of ego.  It is quite seductive and it makes one easily forget that the kudos and ass kissing mean nothing!  The ego is insatiable and can never be filled up.

In all fairness, I have helped create many illusions of people, places and things, since entering the food industry.  I have helped elevate them into a larger than life status.  Today, I was confronted by one of the monsters I created.  I was confronted by arrogance, childish behavior and stupidity.  After reclaiming my power from the out of control ego, that confronted me,  I resolved to myself that I would no longer worship any idols.  I would not create illusions in which one person is better or more deserving of attention or accolades than any other, including myself.  It is time that I stop propping up that which is not real.  It is time I "stop worshiping idols".  It is time I live in a world that love and Spirit guides me and my actions.   A world in which I live in the present and recognize the oneness of all of us.  A world in which we are all loved and worshiped.    I hope you find worship for yourself and let love guide you!  I am certain that we all will be greeted by blessings!

Not Your Cup Of Tea

It's Monday and Mercury remains in retrograde, resulting in more reviewing of the past.  Last week, I was visited by ghosts from my past.  Their visit prompted me to relive old, limiting behavior and beliefs. 

 Through a series of weird happenings this weekend,   the world suddenly became a lonely place and everyone in it seemed detached and loveless to me.  People unfriended me on Facebook for no apparent reason, I lost followers on Twitter, no one text and no one called me.   I slowly began to doubt everything and everyone. From this place of fear, I relived old relationships that I thought I were completely over but I found out otherwise.  I relived the doubt of last year that I was not worthy of being successful. Mainly, I stopped loving myself and believing in myself. 

I had landed back in a place that I no longer belonged in and which was inhabited with people, real or illusion, that no longer served any purpose in my life.  So, today I decided to just forgive everyone, including myself and to let them go with love.  By forgiving them and letting them go,  I could finally move forward.  I not only decided to do that today, but I have proclaimed this week to be Forgive and Let Go Week. At the end of this week, Mercury will go direct and the moon will once again be full, ready to manifest new experiences and new people.   I will be free of the people, places and things that have been weighing me down, zapping my energy and holding me back from fulfilling my purpose here on earth. 

I continue to learn from each one of these episodes of looking backward.  I learn about who I am and I learn to accept that not everyone is going to like me.  I've come to accept that I am not everyone's "cup of tea."  I accept that fact and accept myself exactly as I am, today!

I invite you to join me in my week long celebration! I urge you to forgive everyone (including yourself) and to release it all with love.  It is time for all of us to let go of everything that holds us back.  We will all then be free to move forward with love in our hearts.  And, all will be well in our world!

Living in Illusion

It's a new moon; it's Monday and five planets are in retrograde.  All good reasons to slow down, review where I'm going, redirect my course and set my intentions for a new moon cycle.

Last week, I was reminded that "reality is merely an illusion" (Albert Einstein). Most of what I thought and believed to be real was revealed to me to be illusion. Before my eyes, the path that I had envisioned for myself, disappeared.  Clear, indisputable messages appeared to me all week long, leaving me reeling and wondering.  It was if a veil was being lifted and the true nature about people, places and things were revealed to me.  They were nothing like what I had expected or what I had envisioned them to be.

So, I begin this week armed with a new consciousness.  I begin this week, knowing that most of what I see is not real!  Most of what I see I cannot believe in because it was created by ego and fear.  However, I do not begin this week blindly, I will choose to be guided by my "gut", intuitions and inner guidance.  The inner guidance that comes from being quiet and honoring what I am then told to be true.  

I also begin this week with a weird sense of calm that I will create more easily and experience life more fully because I am listening and letting go of the illusions.  More simply put,  by learning that I couldn't believe in anything I saw, my vision for my future and my purpose actually became clearer to me.  How about making some quiet time for yourself to interview your heart and soul? I bet you'll get some clarity of vision too! 

Synchronicity

As I look back at another month that has just gone speeding by, I find only one word to describe April-synchronicity! Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity to describe what he called the "acausal connecting principle" that links mind and matter. He said this underlying connectedness manifests itself through meaningful coincidences that cannot be explained by cause and effect. Such synchronicities occur, he theorized, when a strong need arises in the psyche of an individual. He described three types of synchronicity:

1. The coinciding of a thought or feeling with an outside event.
2. A dream, vision or premonition of something that then happens in the future
3. A dream or vision that coincides with an event occurring at a distance.

Whole Foods Market Hillcrest, 1012

I experienced all three types during the month of April! First, I saw one of my visions from my past become reality without me even knowing about it or being involvement.  In April, things just happened without my intervention, planning or struggle.  I watched the Farm Bus that I had raised money for four years ago, which I thought had died, come to life at the hands of a new generation, as the Stacked: The Mobile Learning Farm.

Secondly, all throughout the month of April,  I would think about person and they would magically appear!  All month long, the businesses who I spoke to last year, finally heard my message and hired me.  And, all month long, I met with friends, associates and colleagues, who magically were saying exactly what I was thinking. 

Lastly, in April, many of my intuitions and feelings magically were revealed to me to be "real", to be true.   The twinges in my gut and the nudges to my heart which I had ignored or rationalized away in March, were revealed to me to be true.

All this magic of synchronicity,  propelled me forward with hope.  I learned that all the messages, answers and guidance that I needed, I truly already possessed.   It just took the magic of synchronicity to make me believe in the unimaginable;  to believe in myself and to believe in the support of the Universe.  All is truly well in my world!  Believe and I bet you start to notice the magic too!

Marking time by Moonlight

Tonight is a full moon.  It's a "mini" Pink Full Moon to be precise.  It is the smallest Full Moon of the year, as the Earth and Moon move to their furthest points from each other.  Thus, the name "mini".  The term Pink, however,  does not refer to its color but to color of the flowers that blossom in spring.  For me, it may be mini, but the lessons that I've learned from it have been anything but small. 

As many of you know, I follow the cycles of the moon and often photograph it.  What I realized this week was that I have actually been photographing my own personal growth through those photos.  Through those moon photos, I was actually watching the ebb and flow of my life.  My life growing in sync with the waxing and waning of the moon. This week as the moon grew in size and luminescence, I also began to grow and change in profound ways, mirroring the growth of La Luna.

 Last night,  I took the last photo,  documenting the end of another cycle, culminating in a full moon.   Each new full moon, I set intentions for what I hope to manifest or make happen during the next moon cycle.  I have set countless intentions on countless full moons.  For countless full moons, I have intentionally set my course for the next moon cycle.  That process has allowed me to reset my course and to take full responsibility for my own happiness and well-being.  The process allows me to stop and reflect on how I am limiting myself and set intentions to love myself enough to go beyond those limitations and to accept all the good life has to offer!  I am always astonished at how I can get in my own way;  step on my own feet!

That being said, I will set new intentions tonight and I encourage you to do the same.  If the moon isn't your thing, I encourage you to find a way to mark the moments of your life, find gratitude in them all and treasure them because one thing is for sure,  they will be gone, just like the full moon.

Grateful for the little things!

Today, Facebook reminded me that two years ago, I walked out of Whole Foods Market Hillcrest and I never returned.  Since then, I've done a lot!  I also haven't taken the time to allow myself to look back, at least not much!  The universe and its planets by going retrograde,  this week, provided me with experiences, which forced me to stop, review my past, relearn a lesson and finally, reset my path.

Two years ago, I left Whole Foods Market after an employment that spanned almost ten years.  Although I never doubted for one minute that it was the right thing to do, I also was filled with doubt and fear for my future because I didn't have a clear picture of what I wanted to do nor how I would make that happen.  So, as most of you know, I did A LOT-everything from putting on events to launching my own business, Your Product Hub.  What most of you don't know is that most of what I did the first year, I did by what I call "the pinball method"- which meant whatever I bumped into and got excited about, I did! I do not recommend that approach because it is not effective!  It is driven by fear which stops any good from coming into your life.  And ultimately is exhausting! 

April 15, 2014-one of my last days at wfm hillcrest with my wise friend, Liam

That being said, one year ago, I started my own business in hopes that by launching my own business that it would instantly bring clarity to my life.  It did not give my life any more clarity of vision nor direction.  Without that clarity of vision for my life and my business it was impossible to find success in any fashion-financially, spiritually, professionally.  

I finally at the beginning of year two, began to really receive that message and more importantly began to integrate that message into my life.  Simply put, I started to learn my lessons!  I learned that when I am authentic, listen to my "gut instincts", trust in myself and walk a way from ego, I will always be led on my path.  A path that is not littered in drama, self doubt and lots of perceived pain.

My journey has become a lot easier these days!  The past two years have offered me so much opportunity to learn that I am worthy and deserve to be paid for my services.  Beyond that I am worthy and deserve all that is good in life.   That lesson serves me, my business and ultimately everyone around me. 

Today, two years later, I am thankful for all the experiences which propelled me forward on my path. I am proud of who I am, where I am and where I'm going.  Today, I believe in the unlimited potential for my future and I am grateful for the little things in my life.....I am grateful for it all!

A Picture Perfect Week

In this day and age of social media, constant streaming videos, pictures and messages, the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" seems even more true than ever before.  So this week, I took a deep breath, quieted my mind and opened my heart.  This is what I saw!

Happy Spring to you,  all!  May all your changes be easy to make;  may you let your heart lead on the path to your purpose and may your pictures be worth more than a thousand words.  

Growing awareness...

It's April and the seeds that I've planted during the months of February and March are now beginning to grow!   During those months, I searched for a way to combine my passion for farms with my life's purpose, which is now clear to me, healing.  In my single minded quest to make that happen, I searched the internet; I searched the literature;  I searched my heart.  I even asked, regularly, for divine guidance and here's what I found...Care Farming.

Care Farming is the therapeutic use of farming practices. Care farms:

• Utilize the whole or part of a farm
• Provide health, social or educational care services for one or a range of vulnerable groups of people
• Provide a supervised, structured program of farming-related activities

Although the concept of Care Farming is being implemented throughout the rest of the world, here in the US, it has only recently started to be recognized. In fact, the governments of the UK, Scotland and the Netherlands actually reimburse their participating Care Farms.  When I discovered the concept, I knew that I had found what I had been looking for and I set off manifesting my own version of a Care Farm.

As you all know, I know a lot of farmers and farms so, where to put my first Care Farm was not a worry for me.  It was who would believe in my vision of a Care Farm enough to be a part of my first Care Farm?  And, like all things that were absolutely meant to be...that organization entered my life, The Autism Tree Project Foundation. 

The Autism Tree Project Foundation (ATPF), which was founded in 2003, is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving communities in San Diego County and The Bay Area by assisting with Education, Advocacy, Early Intervention Preschool Screening, Research and Mentoring for families impacted by autism.  ATPF also provides free Early Intervention Preschool Screenings to over 2,000 youth annually with 10,794 preschoolers screened to date since 2006.

A little over a month ago,  in a strange twist of fate,  ATPF announced that they intended to start a new program-Food, Farming and Nutrition and were searching to see how they could make that program come to life.  As I have learned, if things were meant to be, they will happen.  And that is exactly what happened. Three weeks ago, I was invited to attend ATPF's quarterly meeting, where I would met with the founder, her son and many other volunteers and participants in ATPF.  I was profoundly touched by their selfless work! 

Fast forward to yesterday, when I met with Lisa Kauffman the program director and Caitylyn, who is their grant writer extraordinaire.  We discussed their Food, Farms and Nutrition program.    Again, I was incredibly inspired by their mission and goals, which are completely in alignment with mine.  And like that,  my dream of creating a Care Farm began to come true. 

As I write this blog, I have already received agreement from a local farm that would love to host our program.  More importantly,  I have the passion of the ATPF, who believe like I do that a farm is a healing space and that within that healing space, their autistic children will not only heal, but will also flourish, from being nourished by the earth.    Finally you can bet that I will flourish too by continuing to follow my life purpose;  having the courage to let go of things that don't serve that purpose and by letting love guide all my actions.  How about you?

Saving our past for future generations...

Coral Tree Farm in Encinitas

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant."  (Robert Louis Stevenson).  That quote sums up what I've been up to for the past month.  Yes, indeed I've been planting the seeds of my future.  But, I have also been saving seeds with my friend, Laurel, at Coral Tree Farm.

This week when I visited Coral Tree Farm, I had an epiphany!  Despite the fact that I have visited the farm before and walked through the raised beds and citrus trees, I somehow saw the farm in a completely new way and from a completely new perspective.   On that day, as I walked the farm, I saw the seeds instead of the veggies. 

And as I walked through the farm, it took on a whole new meaning.  The raised beds now were overgrown and the produce,  which was intentionally not harvested, now sprouted glorious flowers.  Those flowers were being pollinated before my eyes by many busy bees.  Laurel then explained to me how she intended to harvest the seeds after the flowers were gone and save them for future plantings.  Before my eyes, I was watching the entire life cycle and the future of our planet.  That was my epiphany!

In addition, to that epiphany, I had another revelation while walking the farm.   For you see that despite writing close to 50 definitions of heirloom during my tenure at Whole Foods Market, I never quite grasped the full concept of heirloom and why it was so important.  During that visit, I came to truly understand what the term heirloom means and why it's so important that we save their seeds.  And, although the concept of heirloom is too broad of a concept to cover in this blog, suffice it to say, that it truly is a game changer in saving our planet.  I am certain that Laurel has the same belief and that's why we're going to be saving the seeds of the heirloom veggies grown on Coral Tree Farm and then will be sharing them with the world.

Stay tuned to find out what grows out of those seeds and the many other seeds that I've planted!!

Let go and surrender!

Good morning!  For me it truly is a new day!  I've spent months letting go of friends, causes and a lot of limiting beliefs.  It is time for me to let go of the steering wheel, ask for guidance and have faith in the direction that I receive from a Spirit much larger than myself.
 As I share this message with my friends, it seems as if many of them are experiencing the same energy and are receiving the same message to let go of all that does not serve your purpose.  And, then there are people who are unaware of this energy or simply don't believe in anything larger than themselves.  Despite their disbelief about anything they can't see, those people are nevertheless experiencing this energetic upheaval.   However, they are being forced to let go against their will through death of loved ones,  loss of employment, life threatening illnesses and accidents.

This is a time of change, profound change whether you're willing or not!  I am willing and I am hoping to find like minded people to help me change, to change my life and change our planet!  For you see, I know that it is only when I join with others through the conscious collective will I make those profound changes that I've been put on this earth to do. 

If you are reading this blog, then you've been guided to read it since I quietly posted it without any fan fare.  It means that you chose to read this blog and to receive its message.  I am hoping that like me, you let go of what is holding you back (and I know you know what that is) to move forward with me!  I will continue on my path with the intention of raising the vibration of every person I encounter and of making this world a little bit better place through love.  Please join me!

Tomorrow..it's only a day away!

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you tomorrow, you're only a day away!" Like the chorus from the musical Annie, I love the idea that in any tomorrow, I have the choice about what that tomorrow becomes.   Yesterday, I got to focus on the tomorrows of the homeless women here in San Diego, when I visited the Tomorrow Project.

The Tomorrow Project is a "work-readiness program of Catholic Charities, Diocese of San Diego for homeless women."  Their mission is to provide individualized work-readiness training opportunities for homeless women.  Through the process of producing a line of gourmet food products,  the women,  who are re-entering the work force or entering it for the first time, get to experience a workplace culture and the success, which comes from reaching daily goals and assembling a product from raw materials to a complete and ready to sell product.   Over 60% of the women, who participate in the project have gainful employment upon graduation from the program. 

However, despite its indisputable success in changing the lives of San Diego's homeless women for the past 20 years,  the Tomorrow Project is currently having difficulty paying its bills,  like many other non-profit organizations.  And, that is why I visited the Tomorrow Project to find out how I might help them make their program self-sustaining. 

Here's what I plan to do!  First I'm letting everyone I know (including you) that you can make a big difference by buying some of their delicious and handmade soup mixes.  The mixes are available online or at local Jimbo's Naturally stores.   Next, I'm planning a city wide event, Souper Sunday, during which many local restaurants will serve the Tomorrow Project's soups.  By letting, their customers taste the mixes, the local restaurant will raise awareness on the mission of the Tomorrow Project.  Here's where you come in: I need your help in recruiting those local restaurants. 

Additionally, you will see their soup mixes in other stores around San Diego.  I'm hoping that you will see the Tomorrow Project on your local morning shows and will hear their name on local radio stations.  In fact, I have an entire marketing plan filled with ways intended to increase the sales of their soup mixes.  

However, the real success of my marketing activities can only be achieved with your help and the help of the San Diego community! With your help,  tomorrow will absolutely bring a new day for the Tomorrow Project !  In fact, tomorrow offers all of us a new opportunity to make profound changes in our world and those changes are always "only a day away!" 

Neighbors sharing food with neighbors

They say that timing is everything!  I was given that lesson this week!  After experiencing the" Emperor's New Clothes", detailed in my blog last week,  I gratefully let go of many things that were holding me back to moving forward and started this week off with an experience that renewed my faith in myself and the world in which I live!  

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Mia Vaughnes, the founder and owner of   Good Neighbor Gardens.  She and I are like minded in the belief that we are here to create profound change and good in this lifetime.  With that being said, here's how Mia is making positive and profound change in her world and in your world.

Mia founded GNG three years ago guided by the mission "to grow and distribute food to those in the city, to educate people how to grow their own food and to serve the under served."  To accomplish that mission, Mia and her "fabulous farm hands" plant edible installations in San Diego neighborhood backyards and schools and then distributes the produce, which is not used by the homeowner,  via a Community Supported Agriculture Model (CSA).  Additionally her fabulous farmhands provide up to 3 hours of labor per week to keep those gardens maintained.  In this way, GNG creates a bigger community of neighbors, who are sharing their resources to ensure that everyone  has access to the healthiest, freshest food at an affordable price.   

In Mia's own words, “I think we are living in a socially disconnected and health starved community. Food can bring us together.  It has always been the life-giving, unifying force and food tastes better when shared.  It's the common denominator by which we can work together, side by side to regenerate ourselves and our community". 

Mia said it all!  I am just incredibly grateful that I met and got to know Mia Vaughnes! I feel blessed that I will get to be part of how she's making this world a better place!

Inspired?   Want to know more?  Contact Mia at goodneighborgardens@gmail.com or give her a call at 858-375-6121

The Emperor's New Clothes....

I've always loved the Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale the Emperor's New Clothes.  It also has been a running theme on and off throughout my life.  But, before I progress any further, here's a real quick synopsis of The Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.  It is a tale of two weavers who promise to make the Emperor a wonderful new suit of clothes. The catch is that these clothes will be invisible to those who are stupid, incompetent or unfit. Even though the Emperor and his ministers can't see the clothes, they don't want to appear stupid. So the Emperor parades, naked,  in front of his subjects who all admire his "clothes" until a young child points out that he really isn't wearing anything at all.

 This week I once again relived that fairy tale. For many years, I have remained quiet about a lot of invisible clothing, being afraid that I would appear different and odd.  However, this week, I could no longer stay silent and admire the Emperor's New Clothes, which of course don't exist and never existed.  I finally decided that even if all the fearful servants continue to decry how beautiful the Emperor's clothes, I am certain that they don't exist.

And, you know what?  As I quietly whispered the fact that the Emperor really had no clothes on, I began to find that there are many observers that see that the Emperor was naked!  They were just waiting for someone, who would speak the truth.   Like the child in the fairy tale, I naively and fearlessly spoke out. For speaking out, I indeed have been banished from the kingdom.  But,  I have also gained self respect and the respect of many others who know I see the truth and know that I speak the truth.

Moral of this story, do not ignore your gut instincts or for that matter, what your eyes see.  Do not fear being different or unique.  In fact, celebrate your uniqueness and know the fools that follow that naked Emperor will one day realize that "he's not wearing any clothes!"!! 

Do not bug out!

So, I and my business are officially engaged in a new year.  In the past three weeks, I've been introduced to several new and inspiring local products, ranging from an organic, raw cat food to superlative soaps.  And, although all the products were interesting, the one that caught my attention was a healthy, high protein confection,  which contains cricket flour as its protein source. 

Yes, indeed, 2016 may be the year of the monkey, astrologically, but in the culinary world it's the year of the bug, according to Forbes magazine!  But, eating bugs is not really a new idea.  In fact,  the Bible mentions entomophagy,( the human consumption of insects as food), as do other documents from Ancient Greece and Rome.  Many countries around the world actually still include insects in their daily diet.      Bugs just haven't seem to have caught on here in the US, until perhaps now? 

Although I started out skeptical that bugs would ever be the next big thing, after a bit of research, I found out that there are about 2,000 species of bugs are edible, and an estimated 2 billion people eat them on a regular basis. Only in Western countries,  does the "gross" factor seem to still dominate.  And as it turns out bugs are actually good for us. And the planet.  Here's more of what I found out: 

• Crickets contain protein levels that are comparable to beef but with a much smaller ecological footprint.  Crickets also require far fewer resources to raise. 
• Additionally, they are twice as efficient as chickens at converting feed to meat, and 12 times more efficient than cattle.
• Cricket's water and land requirements are a mere fraction of those required for cows. They also produce 100 times less greenhouse gases and have high levels of calcium and iron.

So, there's really no disputing that crickets are nutritionally good for us and our planet. And although those facts still may not convince you to start crunching on crickets, those nutritional facts have been enough to start the rest of the world in recognizing crickets and other insects as a viable food source in developing countries.  In fact, the United Nations released a statement in May 2013 urging the world to focus on eating insects as a way to combat global hunger and boost health worldwide by reducing malnutrition and even air pollution.  

And more importantly, all that evidence has peaked my interest in a whole new facet of the culinary world.  Those cricket confections got me excited to learn about new things and to look at things a bit differently!  And that is why I do what I do.  To keep learning,  to keep seeing the world in a whole new way and to not miss what the present moment has to offer me.  Yesterday, it offered me new friends, new ways of looking at our soil and a whole new world of edible insects!  Stay tuned to see if crickets actually catch on!

Stepping into a New Year..

It's January 22nd and I'm finally shaking off 2015 and stepping into 2016.  I began this year like I begin most years with intentions and with the expectation that somehow, magically, I can close a door on the last year and step into an entirely new, different world.  Of course, that never is the case,  like previous years,  I spent the first three weeks of January clearing away unfinished business from last year. 

Now that I've recovered from my 2015 hangover,  I am ready to step into 2016! And here's what's new.  I am privileged to have been chosen to be a part of a once in a lifetime culinary event,   being held here in San Diego on June 4th-7th for the USA/Canada Delegation of Maître Cuisinier de France (Master Chef of France). Master Chef of France is the most envied title that chefs aspire to achieve.(http://mcf-usa.com/ ). 

During the three- day event, Patrick Ponsaty (pictured), the Master Chef at Bellamy's Restaurant in Escondido, will be hosting the delegates to San Diego's finest culinary establishments and to its most scenic venues. Included in those venues is the Ranch at Bandy Canyon, where the delegates will experience the true bounty that San Diego has to offer at a farmers market.  At the farmers market, which I will create, the Master Chefs will be able to taste produce from the Ranch at Bandy Canyon and other local farms and a wide variety of artisan products from San Diego vendors. 

During the other days of the event, the delegates will be visiting some of San Diego's extraordinary culinary venues, culminating with a gala event on Monday June 5th,  featuring the cuisine of San Diego's Master Chefs, local wine and spirits.

So, I know that you will want to be a part of this historic event!  Here's how you can be a part of it and get to mix and mingle with 80 world class Master Chefs.

• Volunteers:  We need volunteers to assist the Master Chefs with the gala event and throughout the entire event.
• Sponsorship:  we need monetary sponsorship and in kind sponsors
• Vendors and farmers for the Farmers Market at Ranch at Bandy Canyon, Tuesday, June 7th.
• Food Bloggers who want to cover the event.

Any of those opportunities interest you?  Please e-mail me at carolyn@yourproducthub.com! 

It's a new year ! So why don't you step into it and get involved in something new with me?!

A New Year...with intention

I begin this new year without many clients but,  with a heap of hope and with intention!  I begin 2016 with a clear intention of letting the world know how my services/Your ProductHub can benefit their business...benefit their lives! 

With that intention, I first had to let go of many of my "extra-curricular" activities and all the things that I did in 2015, which I enjoyed but,  truly didn't serve my highest purpose.  By letting go of those time consuming activities, I now have a bunch more time for new paying opportunities!   My first focus of 2016 will be on my first love, farms!

With those farms in mind, yesterday, I sent an e-mail to a farmer friend,  to let him know what I could do for his farm.  That e-mail clearly outlined the services that I could provide to his farm.  So I thought I'd share it with you.  Here's what it said:

  I/YourProductHub provides services to small farms/producers that need help making their farm into a true "business".  Many of the farmers that I work with live in lack and are often on the verge of going out of business.  Here's how I/Your Product Hub can change that cycle of lack by:

• Create a business plan that contains a true vision (mission statement/goals), including a marketing plan.    
• Set Up and administer a CSA Program (only if that makes sense): Why hire us? Our experience with CSA Programs has deep roots, including work with Suzie's Farm CSA (five years ago) and current work with Be Wise Ranch CSA program, including doing their newsletter. 
• Set up new distribution sources for their produce/products: we would assess what the best distribution sources would work for them:  Why hire us?  We know farmers markets (we worked for Catt White (SD Weekly Markets) at three local farmers markets; we know grocery stores(WFM , Jimbo's OB People's and Sprouts); Collaborate with other well established CSA programs or other box services;  and we can connect your produce with local restaurants and chefs (Berry Good Night Dinner). 
• Marketing/Social Media/website/blog: Why hire us?  We have experience with most of the online publishing sites (Constant Contact, Word Press, Mail Chimp, Square Space, Weebly). We can set up a very simple, in expensive website that they can easily manage themselves. Begin FB, Twitter and Instagram presence and promotions.

It's a new year and I believe it's time to help our local farmers to flourish! It's time we stop throwing big fundraisers for their failing farms and help them to create sustainable businesses. 

How you can help us with our intentional vision? We would be most grateful if you could send any new or not so new farmer/producer our way.  Our fees are flexible and we can work with almost any budget.

And there you go! Please spread the word to your friends, neighbors and co-workers and help us create a network of small farms that are thriving rather than surviving! 

Happy New Year wishing that you find what you want to create and intentionally make it happen!!