some things you just can't unsee

and there are some things you want
etched in your mind's eye forever.

so sarah palin

says, even though she IS quitting alaska, she is NOT quitting politics. wow, what a great time to be tina fey's agent.

away we go!

touching love story, searing soundtrack. same guy who directed amercan beauty. here's the trailer. now away you go!

so this morning,

i saw the coolest thing.

i was on my morning run, which, depending on the time of year, usually starts with a moon in a black sky slowly giving way to the heavenly wafts of grays, purples, pinks, and oranges of sunrise. usually, the moon is long gone before the actual sun peeks over the horizon. but something happened THIS morning that i don't think i have ever seen.

as i was inahling the hypnotic presence of last night's staggering full moon, still hanging so high in the last dark of the western sky, i could see, toward the east, a hint of daylight. and to my delight, what unfolded, after about 20 more minutes, was this awe-inspiring view of the sun due east about 5 degrees above the horizon and the moon in the same position to the west. i was literally stopped in my tracks and just kept turning to take in both. i think i have seen the sun and the moon in the sky together, but never with such symmetry and never during a full moon.

now, the idea of SEEING this was fascinating enough. (it doesn't take much to fascinate me, clearly) but FEELING IT: i mean, drinking in the exhilirating cocktail of lunar AND solar energy -- WOW. i felt like i was at the place where yin met yang for the first time. it was zen, balance, and peace all in one deep breath. so i exhaled gratitude and gave thanks for little blessings like this. i am one lucky girl. i really am.

i wish you could have felt it with me.

food for thought

there is an american hero you probably haven't heard about. his name is jeol salatin. he runs polyface farms in the breathtaking shenandoah valley of the commonwealth of virginia. there is another american hero you may have heard about. his name is eric schlossel, the author of fast food nation. so why am i writing about these two people? well, i was moved to the core by a film i just saw, featuring both of these heroes, called Food, Inc.

now, before you think this is gonna be some pinko commie rant about hugging trees and saving whales, think again. and i mean REALLY think. think about the meat you just ate: was the cow corn fed or grass fed? did you know that the difference between the two is as relevant to the world's safety as where iran points its nukes? did you know that since the monsanto company has a PATENT on a SEED that a farmer cannot reseed his own land? can you imagine not reseeding your tomato garden? did you know that our government upholds that criminal mentality and that FARMERS and their FAMILIES are being stalked and interrogated as if they were masterminding a terrorist plot? and did you know the the bushes, colin powell AND the clintons are in bed with these monsanto thugs? i didn't know any of this. until i saw the film.

now, are you thinking this is some sort of lopsided michael-moore-esque farenheit 911? no. it's not insulting and guerilla-style restated obviousness (sorry michael moore, i am on your side, but you really blew some wonderful resources). food, inc. is fair and loving and kind, but brutal and heartbreaking all at once. it is a well-woven documentary about the FACTS behind your food. NOT whether you should eat it or not, but why you should and CAN make CHOICES about WHERE and HOW it gets to your table. this film is important and inspiring. this film is stark and maddening. i was moved from tears to anger to gratitude in 180 minutes. let this one will rivet you.

i hope you will go see it and i hope you will see the twinkle in eric schlossel and joel palatin's eyes and feel the love in their hearts. for all of us.

clean food = clean bodies = clean souls = a better planet
here's the trailer.

bombs bursting in air

so how perfect can a july 4th get? well, how 'bout reservations at the george, capitol hill. ok, so how 'bout arriving and then being told they overbooked so they will be giving complimentary accomodations at the rouge (another kimpton) in georgetown? (you saw the word complimentary, right?) oh and please add to our apologies free valet parking AND a hot stone in-room massage. um, ok...apology accepted! toss in a charming afternoon walk thru georgetown, dinner at Logan (the sashimi tuna on arugula, rustic 5-grain bread, fried calamari with ginger sauce and of course, lemon-basil mojitoes), a liesurely trek down to E-Street theater to see "Away We Go" (two thumbs up AND a brilliant sound track), and all of that followed by a stroll down to the Mall just in time for the show. perfect.

happy birthday, america!
and many many more.