Nothing tastes more glorious than this cup of coffee this morning...My taste buds are doing a special little morning dance - while the rest of me feels like it was hit by a bus. I literally spent from 5:30 am to 10:00 pm MOVING...and MOVING...and, well, MOVING SOME MORE.  YIKES!

I only have a couple of things still to do at the house --vacuum and I want to leave my new tenants a little welcome - then a few moments with the house itself - saying Goodbye and Thanks.

I've seen the mom deer and her fawn constantly during this last week - and I never tire of them or feel the awe of their presence. On Saturday morning, I also saw the little rabbit come out and simply wander and nibble on the grasses in my back yard. I love the warm, gentle innocence of this space. These things I will take with me and pull them out of memory if I find myself in less than ideal conditions over the course of the next months/year.

This morning might be one of them - but dang, it's way too early for THAT! I ended up sleeping on my conference table with the futon mattress from my office on top. Since it was so late and I was exhausted, I couldn't be bothered manhandling the futon and rearranging my office to accommodate it fully. Today - after a run (and dropping off all the Goodwill bags), I'll get some order to my office space ----I have to, because the conference table doubles as Mike's desk - and I think that would seem ODD to him :)

This morning is a rambling day - no real clarity in thought, except that my body aches all over! Hmmm, maybe ONE last long hot bath? No, detach - feel the ache and be with this - feel the new sensations and BE with them. There is no going back - only FORWARD, ever FORWARD.

I need to write about the Movers - but I have to do that when I have a clearer mind. They were amazing - a Zenlike team that worked miracles putting a three bedroom house into a 10x10ft storage unit. Teamwork like I've never seen in 'corporate life' ---and their movement, placements, communications - a Science ---a work of ART. Yes, I have to write about them in another entry...now, I have to infuse my tired bones with more caffeine...

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. "  ~Anais Nin

"Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. "  ~Anais Nin

"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death."  ~Anais Nin

"The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself. "  ~Anais Nin

"We travel, some of us forever, to seek other states, other lives, other souls. "  ~Anais Nin

I have nothing to add this morning - silent, open, ready for the journey to continue - ever forward, ever new... Thank you, Anais.

I am

simply...

true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~
The Open Space…(Jimmy Lafave - Thanks, Jimmy)

look out the window, see the storm clouds are growing
brought on by the change of the season and the lessons we've learned
this part of our life is over and now we'll be leaving
never look back, never return

because we both know that life is just a series of moments
and the ones that we need are not around here anymore
i had a dream that turned into a vision
come with me baby, walk through the waiting door

where will we go?
i really don't know
what will we find?
maybe peace of mind
when we leave and vanish without a trace
we'll be in the earth, the wind, the water
out there in the open space

time marches on and love follows close in its footsteps
our destiny is to come and to go like the rain …

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~
SeaYA!!!

~~~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Take the wave now and know that you're free
Turn your back on the land, face the sea
Face the wind now, so wild and so strong
When you think of me, wave to me and send me song

Don't look back when you reach the new shore
Don't forget what you're leaving me for
Don't forget when you're missing me so
Love must never hold, never hold tight, but let go

Oh, the nights will be long when I'm not in your arms
But I'll be in this song that you sing to me
Across the sea, somehow, someday
You will be far away, so far from me
And maybe one day I will follow you in all you do
'Til then, send me a song

When the sun sets the water on fire
When the wind swells the sails of her hire
Let the call of the bird on the wind
Calm your sadness and loneliness
And then start to sing to me
I will sing to you
If you promise to send me a song

I walk by the shore and I hear
Hear your song come so faint and so clear
And I catch it, a breath on the wind
And I smile and I sing you a song
I will send you a song
I will sing you a song
I will sing to you
If you promise to send me a song

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/)~~_/)~~~~~~~~~~
                                                                                        Destiny
Sometimes I think I've lost my mind
I thought I left my past behind
I live my life and all I know is
Follow your dream and don't let go

No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It's my destiny

There is no right, there is no wrong
There is no place where I belong
I've done my time
I've held it strong and
My life is all about this song

No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It's my destiny

If I threw them all away
Would it change?
No
I would live my life again, rearranged
There's a magic in my heart
That I feel
Don't you know that God is love
And it's real

No one can live for me
No one can see the things I see
I walk this road
No one can tell me how to be
It's my destiny

My destiny
My destiny
My destiny
It's my destiny

Ahhhh, finally a soft bed to sleep in - though I'm really not sure where I am exactly...somewhere in the mountains - perhaps the Appalachians or the Blue Ridge ---somewhere in VA, this I do know!   (I think) Yes, cradled in the mountains, though it was a little touch and go after sunset and I thought maybe I might have to drive straight thru because apparently VA is a happenin' place on the weekends and all the inns were full. Luckily, I landed in THE LAST room at a Ramada ---yeah, it's a smoking, disabled, first floor and a tad iffy- but HEY, I'll be able to see the mountains in the morning! Woohoo!

What an AMAZING journey so far...I'll upload my chronicles later, but need to check on NAVEES to make sure he's fairing the trip OK. Tomorrow, Annapolis ---unless I can hook up with an old friend in Richmond. We'll see. Oh, and saw a deer tonight, just at dusk. So many things made me smile today - and yesterday.

Life is amazing!

Driving long distances has always been a very relaxing, introspective experience for me. I think it's the combination of music, thoughts, and the excitement of the journey that make a driving trip worthwhile. I have to say that doing this trip solo has been a very spiritual centering for me as well, especially since I ended up taking a route I'd never taken before - and actually didn't know where I was really going except ---"North and EAST" - wherever the wind takes me in those general directions with a final destination of Annapolis by Saturday.

And so it was I left on the 5th of July in drenching rain ----all day and into the night until I reached my first stop somewhere in Arkansas. With my iPod loaded with almost 1200 of my favorite songs, I decided to let destiny play a hand by shuffling the deck...and it's always interesting how it seems to have meaning to what is really going on in my head ---hmmm, is it me directing it...or it directing me.

During the trip, I came to an amazing realization - one that I presume has been lying within, just under the skin, waiting for me to let it breathe air, and come to conscious life. The catalyst for this thought was a song, "Send me a Song" by Lisa Kelly - lyrics below---Once upon a time, this song had another special meaning, but this day...THIS DAY, the song was a love song...from an unlikely love,  As I listened to the words, I realized one of the main reasons I was doing this trip, why I've rented my house and will be spending time further and further way from Austin...and my business. When I started the business almost 5 years ago with my biz partner, we always knew it would eventually out grow us...that was always the plan. We set up the structure, the product, the mission, so that we play all the roles initially, however, over time, we will fill the roles one by one with others in order to grow OGM to the company we want it to be. I am very aware of my strengths...and my weaknesses, and I also know what will make me happy...and what doesn't. Over the course of the last year, I have seen OGM grow to where it now needs more structure, processes, planning, management, and dare I say it, policies. I also know that while I am great at being an entrepreneur and vision and creating something from a blank slate, from nothing more than an idea...I don't enjoy the day to day 9to5 activities that go along with an established company. ...so in the last year, I've also brought in some amazing folks who share my passion and values but complement my skills. And now...NOW, in order for me to truly "let go and let OGM grow to the next level" I need to let them take the lead for a while, because I know that if I am there every day, I will invariably interfere with their progress to let them do what they are truly capable of....and I in turn will do what I can do best - and that is to evangelize Orca Green and to continue to find innovations for the company's progress.

So, which brings me to my trip...and this song...OGM is like my child, conceived from a passion, nurtured with everything in me to ensure its survival...and now, it is time to allow it some freedoms, some interactions with others to grow to what it CAN be...and letting go is sometimes the hardest part...so this is an opportunity for both of us to spread our wings, flex our capabilities, and expand to the next stage in our relationship. "Send me a Song" is OGM's way of "letting me fly" but knowing that I will always be there for it...in another form. A friend of mine wrote a song with lyrics that were profound for me "This wave's not over, it just takes a different form" And so it is with Orca Green Marine and me...as I embark on a new role within it's structure, and open up our new San Diego office in August.

OGM, I will send you a song...and as CVO, I will also help create a new program based on this song - your song to me...and now to all future employees. I've decided that in keeping with "Let my people go surfing philosophy, we'll adopt a Sabbatical program. Every 5 years, full time employees will get 1 month off with pay (and perhaps a bonus based on profitability)...and will have a special "initiation" sending them off with this song...but in return, they have to bring a special "songline" song back to Orca Green.

As OGM's first employee, I am sending "Destiny" by Lenny Kravitz back to Orca Green. That is the song I am sending back to you from the ocean waves. Thanks for this opportunity to learn, to grow, to love...to have the experience of creating something that is and continues to be greater than I could ever make it alone. An unlikely love? Perhaps...perhaps it's simply looking at the future of the corporate world. Corporations with a soul, with a care for its people, for its future, for the future of our planet...

Whenever I travel to a new place, I often seek out a local's perspective - and rather opt for B&Bs than hotels because it gives me a better idea of what the area is REALLY like.  I usually use my intuition to guide me - and it rarely is wrong if I truly listen. This has been true with my preparation and actual trip to Annapolis this month ---and if I quiet my mind and listen to my heart, there usually is a true connection waiting in the wings. So it has begun to play out this week....a soul connection that is undeniable. Absolutely!

...ok, now this is several hours later ----and YES, this is pretty freakin' amazing...where do I even begin! The butterflies? The deer? The biz connection/synchro with another guest? ...all those deserve their own entry...but Sophie and Sophie and the Legacies of Sophies is what is making this stay surreal ---and simply astounds me as they continue to unfold!

On my run this morning, I noticed how crisp and green and lush everything around me is. And when I was walking the cool down, I listened to the birds, watched the butterflies and bees and wondered about souls, and why things come to us in particular times in our lives? Is there some karmic continuation of learning in that I may have left a previous life in a particular state and age, so that now I must have this recurring experience to see it thru? Why am I so fascinated with indigenous people, history, legacy, spiritual walkways? Do I create my own reality? If so, what's underneath that mindfulness? Peel the layers, one by one and where does it take me? I always come back to simple vibrations - songs if you will ---and perhaps that's what "soul communities" are ---simply soul songs, a group of similar vibrations that either compliment, or accentuate each other. And perhaps we simply are "attracted" to others who will help us create the musical masterpiece we want to hear or play for the universe. Perhaps that is what our purpose is - create a symphony of love. And yes, we will need to try a variety of notes, of tunes, of frequencies in order to come up with a tune that will work, but are we all simply composers of the divine song?

But this entry isn't really about that...it's about Sophie, and Sophie and the legacy of Sophies in this city. I have been spending time with Sophie the Elder (an 86 year old native Annapolis woman) who is clearly a soulmate. I am astounded by her intelligence, her spirit, her strength, her beauty, her wisdom ---I listen to her stories about the war, about growing up in Annapolis, about the legacy -the roots of her ancestors ---and I am oh so grateful for the opportunity to hear her words, to see her strength, to feel her vibration ---this woman is so full of SPIRIT that I am simply in awe.

I'll have to write so much more about our exchanges - but I had to get this down before bed ---and since tomorrow, we're going to explore HER Annapolis in a Jeep Adventure (I think topless - she'd like that) ...and then we'll discuss quantum theory and connections! This woman is AMAZING! Oh My GOD! I love the way the universe unfolds ---As Luka Bloom sings, "Thank you for bringing me here!"

Interestingly, I'm 1200 miles away from the home I left behind, staying at a B&B with amazing mother/daughter hostesses ---but somehow, the familiar natural environment has followed me here. Just like Austin the deer and butterflies fill my day's activities - this morning, Grandma and I saw two deer coming out of the woodlands across the yard, and simply graze on the green tufts of grass. And this afternoon as I stood outside finishing a phone conversation with the office - a BIG yellow and black butterfly fluttered around my head and meandered between flower bushes. I've gotten the reputation among the folks at the office now that "I break for butterflies" in that I will be in mid-sentence and do the "oh, a butterfly" ---stop, smile and simply breathe in the essence of them...and then get back to work. (it's all about balance - and nature does that for me :)

So this evening, Grandma (and we have SO bonded this week ---what an AMAZING WOMAN)...she slippers into the doorway of my room, peeks in with that now familiar "are you busy?" inquisitive look...and lifts her hand holding something small and black between her index and thumb..."Hi, Grandma, no, I'm not busy, come in...what did you bring me?" -----She's gingerly holding a dead fly. "Oh, you brought NAVEES dinner?" ---"Oooh, let's feed him now!" ---and so we dropped the fly into his new fishbowl (a great plastic fruitbowl that Grandma gave him yesterday - complete with rocks from the driveway - washed of course). He loves his new home ---and his banquet. Grandma does feed us well ;)

I believe people come into your life for a reason - and considering I've never had a Grandma growing up ---our connection has given me such an amazing appreciation for what it is like to have such an Elder in our lives. "Some family you are born with, some you choose" I have chosen much of my family from a variety of friends I've been blessed to meet along my journey ----and Grandma is now counted among them.

Thanks, Grandma!

So much to say...but alas...no time today.

The energy of this space, the beings around me...warms my heart and makes me smile.

"Thank you for bringing me here"

Now off for my morning run...

This week has been a whirlwind of activity, after my morning run (and coffee) and a few followup calls/emails with "HQ" - I'm out and about in Annapolis, meeting with customers and potential customers. I love what I do - and I get to meet so many great folks in my travels. Things just seem to "happen" - to fall into place, connections like so many legos snapping one by one to build a larger picture of what's to come. Sometimes I like to keep in mind what it is that I'm building, dream of the greater something that each piece will help construct...and sometimes, I'm simply contented in experiencing each piece in and of itself - and fully experience IT in only the form it represents - and watch it snap into others ...and marvel at the "fit"   ...makes life interesting - and fun.

I've had the distinct pleasure of hearing stories from Grandma these last weeks - her stories from ages gone by - when she was a tiny little girl - and Annapolis was filled with dirt roads and tobacco fields just outside of town. I've heard stories about events and people on streets that are still so named, but when I pass them - I see a deeper, richer road because I know it's history, hear the echoes of children on it's path and feel the history that still seems embedded in the grasses along side the signposts.

The one thread that seems to weave all of Grandma's stories into a rich tapestry is that in those days - people were there for each other -and I'm not sure if this is simply because of how she sees her life, or how that is how it was then- but when I hear about how some of her neighbors helped each other, helped the children, helped the land - I wonder, if in our quest for "progress" we lost a little of our humanity along the way. I'll write more about specifics later, but wanted to get this out before I forget the thought again as I run around in my day...the theory of thirds (as Grandma counts on her very long thin fingers): 1 for yourself and your family, 1 to invest in the future and 1 for charity to help your neighbors -all braided together to weave the tapestry of a life well lived. I wish I could bottle Grandma's wisdom and give it to everyone I know. I will try to write so much more about her in the coming weeks as she is such an inspiration, such an amazing person and at 86, she has to be doing something right ---and the more I get to know her - the more I can see it --in her eyes, in her soul.

This Rilke poem has been with me today...I'm not exactly sure why it's in my head - perhaps I've been thinking about Shadows and Light, Youth and Elder, Sorrows and Bliss, the Yin and Yang and that we cannot truly understand one without the other - nor can we understand the Divine in ourselves without understanding our humanity, our flaws....There is so much to write about my experiences here ---when I have some solitude, I will...but this photo keeps coming to mind as well...I know it's ODD (a smaller snake trying to eat a frog - at once harsh, yet blissfully serene --taken from my pond several years ago...My first instinct was to "save the frog" ---but I stopped short and let nature take it's course ---and to see the winged energy in this seemingly harsh bridge of life's experience. ...and find the beauty in it's perfect cycle.

As once The Winged Energy of Delight As once the winged energy of delight carried you over childhood's dark abysses, now beyond your own life build the great arch of unimagined bridges. Wonders happen if we can succeed in passing through the harshest danger; but only in a bright and purely granted achievement can we realize the wonder. To work with Things in the indescribable relationship is not too hard for us; the pattern grows more intricate and subtle, and being swept along is not enough. Take your practiced powers and stretch them out until they span the chasm between two contradictions...For the god wants to know himself in you. Rainer Maria Rilke