Chavez Supermarket's Taqueria *****

OBSERVATION. A YOUTHFUL SUN PLAYED PEEK-A-BOO, SHIFTING BEHIND PORTLY pines and regal redwoods.

 

INSPIRATION. Abraham (of Abraham-Hicks.com) reminded me that "words do not teach...true knowing comes from life experience." Understanding this, I lecture my daughter less, trusting she will learn in her own way and at the perfect pace. Understanding this, how perfect that teenagers do what they do. Understanding this, I can let go and trust that all beings are wise and wonderful.

I like seeing myself as a stimulator of thought rather than a dictator of thought.

What about you? Who do you lecture? Who do you not trust?

BILL SUGGESTED THE CHAVEZ SUPERMARKET TAQUERIA FOR LUNCH TODAY. OMG! It was soooo authenticallly Mexican. The Supermarket itself was clean and spacious. What a beautiful meat counter.

And right next door is their little Taqueria. There's a vertical rotisserie of roasting meat...just like in Mexico, where they shave off slivers of beef. YUM!

They have a full menu and daily specials. The portions are huge.

It was so hard to decide what to get. I settled on the Moresqueta Plate. Amazing! Tender little riblets smothered in a smooth red sauce over a little bean (yes!) and lots of rice (YES!), topped with Crema Mexicana and Queso Blanco (white cheese), all for $5.99 and it'll last me 3 meals.

And I washed it all down with Hibiscus Flower agua fresca (it's like juiced fruit and nothing added).

I can't wait to go back. I want to try the Carne Asada French Fries (oh, yeah!).

It's behind the Outback Restaurant, at 646 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA, 408-226-1452, open 7:00 am - 9:30 pm (every day?). Looks like they've got six locations (see ChavezSuper.com).

Try it. You'll love it!

May abundance surround you,
 
Catherine

Hannah's Dream: A Novel****

Diane Hammond shares the story of an ailing elephant, Hannah. Star of a seedy little zoo in Washington, Hannah is loved and cared for by Sam. They've been together for 41 years. But Hannah's feet are deteriorating from standing on concrete all day and Sam's leg is worsening from diabetes. Neither can go on much longer.

Sam begins to have a dream with increasing frequency. He sees an open meadow, he walks toward it, he looks down and finds "his" feet are elephant feet. But what does it mean?

Hannah's Dream spins the tale of love and devotion, intertwining quirky characters amidst an increasingly volatile situation. Politics and love. Humor and heartache.

I read this book from beginning to end in about two sittings. It's a deceptively simple story, yet it draws you in like a circus barker at the entrance to the Big Top.

An irresistibly touching and ultimately uplifting story, Hammond proves that love comes in all shapes and sizes.

Read this book the next time you want to reaffirm the belief that love conquers all.

May devotion surround you,


Catherine

Vortex of Attraction Workshop *****

WHOA! WHAT CAN I SAY? I JUST GOT BACK FROM AN ABRAHAM VORTEX OF ATTRACTION WORKSHOP in San Mateo, CA, today (courtesy of Bill and Kim...THANK YOU...best present ever!).

I attended a workshop several years ago, but this session was so deep and so powerful and so huge in its message.

This is partly because once the audience is in the votex, Abraham bounces anyone out of the "hot seat" (the chair where they ask questions) back to their own seat if they try to throw us out of the votex by going into the past negative details of their story. It sounds tough, but we're all really good at getting out of the vortex. Abraham is trying to have us practice staying in the vortex. And since words don't teach, we need to experience it ourselves.

I didn't take any notes (very unlike me) because I just wanted to "feel" it.

I don't remember everything or even that much. I just experienced it.

There were times when the entire room gasped together because we all "got" the message at the same time and felt the hugeness of it.

I ordered the CD of the workshop so I'll give you more details when I get it.

But for now, I remember:

--  The bottom line is:  Get in the vortex, stay in the vortex, get in the vortex, stay in the vortex. NOTE: For me, I imagine myself skipping (hee hee hee). It always makes me smile. And do you remember that Zippity Doo Da song? I sing it, but say, "Skippity Doo Da." And, of course, I think about rainbows and hummingbirds. Hmm. I think I'll moosh all that together and imagine me being a hummingbird, humming the Skippity Doo Da song, and sipping nectar-colors from the rainbow.

--  It was so obvious (from several people who were in the "hot seat" asking questions) how we are sometimes in the vortex, then get out of the vortex by bringing up the past, and then try to get back into the vortex...pretty tough. It's juch easier just to stay in the vortex. That means you gotta forget about the past (if it feels even a teeny bit bad). It serves absolutely no positive purpose to you. All it will do is serve as your excuse, story, rationale, explanation of why you are out of the vortex and it will keep you there.

--  If you've got something big and important to decide or think about and you're NOT in the vortex, then take a nap or go to the beach or do something else and say, "Later, gator." Making an important decision or even thinking about something important when you're outside the vortex is NOT a good idea.

--  If someone does something bad to us, we might consider saying, "Thank you for reminding me how I feel about myself" since they reflect what we are vibrating.

--  Other people (even your spouse and your kids) are none of your business. You need to focus on how you feel.  

--  Many of us accept that we were non-physical energy before we got here. And many of accept that we are non-physical energy after we leave here. But do you get that you are non-physical energy while you are here? Source is flowing through you and experiences what you experience. That's how the universe expands. NOTE:  Wow! Makes you kinda stop and think, what do I want Source to experience?

--  And there was something about our thoughts are constructing bridges in the vortex. NOTE:  I like that word "constructing." It reminds me that thoughts are active things that create.

--  A woman who had heart problems since birth was asking whether or not she created the heart problems. Abraham said to replace the word "create" with "rendezvous." I like that. It replaces that sense of blame with a reminder that we meet up with what our thoughts created.

--  Don't even say something negative. If you think it, stop before you say it outloud. Even if it seems tiny to you, such as, "I have trouble..." or "it's hard for me to..." You're just constructing more of this in your life. Is that what you want? If not, then just stop it.

--  Have you noticed that once you give your attention to a physical problem and go to the hospital and see the doctor that things seem to get worse? It's a slippery slope. Once you give attention to it, all those other things draw you into the direction of feeling helpless and feeling you can't do anything and that someone else has to save you. You need to get into the vortex and then take action (maybe you'll be led to an enlightened physician). Healing is all about energy.  

Whew! There was so much more. I just can't recall it all.

I loved how Abraham ended the session which was telling us we are not the same person as the person who walked into the seminar this morning. We have changed. And our life will change and we will see the change.

YES!

Jerry and Esther Hicks are coming out again in San Francisco on Saturday, July 9, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Sessions fill up (they turned away 100 people today). Register online at abraham-hicks.com > Workshops or call 830-755-2299. It's $195 or $245 at the door (if they have room) and it includes a buffet lunch. Well worth the investment.

May abundance surround you,


Catherine

FRIDAY FLICK: The Mechanic ***

INSPIRATION. ABRAHAM-HICKS CALENDAR QUOTE (please buy one at Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook). "YOUR BROADER INTENTIONS. You have not come here to prove yourselves worthy. You've come here because you saw physical life experience as delicious and you wanted the experience. You wanted the environment, you wanted the data, you wanted the process, you wanted the sensualness, you wanted the physicalness of thought, you wanted the combination of that which you are from Inner Perspective and that which you are from physical perspective--because the combination is so very, very good."

I love being reminded that I WANTED to be here. How about you?

I AM A FAN OF JASON STATHAM. All that action, muscle and street tough charm. What's not to like? And I LOVE his story (hawking knock-off designer goods in London to make ends meet and then discovered in a gym).

But I gotta say, The Mechanic was not my fav movie. I mean it had action, but it was a bit gorey for me. I closed my eyes for several scenes, but could not block out the wet, yucky sounds.

It's about a hit man who takes on an apprentice (didn't like him, didn't like his looks, the whole idea was improbable...even for me...I mean, come on...how'd he get so good so fast?) and the connection to a previous victim.

I did love his house and the car he was restoring and, of course, a few scenes with Donald Sutherland.

But all in all, you can wait until the DVD comes out (sorry, Jas).

May plausibility surround you,


Catherine

BebeCakes Cupcakery *****

OBSERVATION. SCRAPS OF GIRLY PINK CLOUDS STREWN ACROSS A BABY BLUE SKY. A newborn day greets me.

INSPIRATION. ABRAHAM-HICKS CALENDAR QUOTE (please buy one at Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook). TIME OF AWAKENING. This is one of the most remarkable times of physical man being physically focused and Non-physically intertwined. It's the reason we call it time of awakening. So let's begin by saying, you wouldn't have missed it for anything. Every Non-physical Energy of good report, praiseworthy and eager to be of value to the Universe and to the All-That-Is, is present in some form or other on this planet at this time. We don't know of any intense Energy that is not represented by one of you. In other words, we are here in all of our fanfare and all of our glory to experience the remarkable planet Earth experience."

I love knowing there's a party going on here and that we've all been invited. The question is:  Did you show up and what did you bring?

WHILE I WAS IN PALO ALTO RECENTLY, I STUMBLED UPON A TINY CUPCAKERY (don't you just love saying that word?) called BebeCakes. They're across the street from the Stanford Theater and at the front of the Paper Whirl (stationery store) at 230 University Avenue, 650-722-9528, BebeCakesCupcakery.com

The cupcakes are soooo pretty and the descriptions are enticing. I was trying to decide between the:

--  VaVaVoom:  Intense chocolate cake, filled with cream cheese & chocolate chips, topped with a cream cheese frosting and Belgian chocolate straws.

--  Pink Lady:  Moist white cake, a Bavarian cream filling, topped with a pink champagne frosting, finished with white chocolate shavings.

--  Drama Queen:  Tropical coconut cake, coconut buttercream frosting, and fresh coconut shavings.

Decisions. Decisions.

I finally chose the Drama Queen since coconut is not a flavor most bakeries carry. AMAZING. Moist. Flavorful. Delish.

I was chatting with Johann Machado, the creator of Bebe Cakes. She asked if I was a lemon person. OH, YEAH! So she gave me one for free because she had so many. Not just any old lemon cupcake, mind you. That would be Pucker Up, a lightly scented lemon cake, filled with a tart lemon curd, and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting. Oh, be still my heart!

Seems Johann is a former fashion designer. In fact, her handbag line was featured by Lucky Magazine as the "it" bag. She thanks her grandfather, a NYC baker, for introducing her to the world of sweet goodies from the oven. BebeCakes started from a family recipe, which she expanded into 14 different flavors (lucky us).

These cupcakes are moist and flavorful. For about $3.25 each, they're a bargain.

And for those of you on a diet, you can have your cake and eat it too by ordering a Mini for just $2.00.

I hope she's wildly successful.

When you finish your movie at the Stanford Theater, walk across the street and end your night on a sweet note with a luscious BebeCakes cupcake.

May sweetness surround you,

Catherine

Skin Food,***** What Your Skin Is Craving

A SCOOP OF PAPAYA SHERBET SUN BRIGHTENED MY MORNING SKY.

INSPIRATION.  ABRAHAM-HICKS DAILY CALENDAR QUOTE (please buy one at Abraham-Hicks.com > Store > Calendars > Planning Calendar/Workbook).  "YOU ARE HERE IN THIS BODY BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO BE HERE. You wanted the opportunity to experience this delicious contrast in time and space, and with great anticipation you came to co-create with other joy-seeking beings, to fine-tune the process of deliberate thought. (What, where, when and with whom are your choices, too.)"  --- Abraham

I love being reminded that I chose to be here. How about you?

And I love playing with the Law of Attraction. It's something you get better at the more you practice. Just keep it simple, easy and fun.

The idea of "fine tuning" your deliberate thought is key. Every now and then, my mind wanders...usually when I'm brushing my teeth...and I begin reliving a disturbing scene from a movie...much like fingering a strand of worry beads over and over again. Then I catch myself and deliberately think of something on purpose, like rainbows, hummingbirds, the Berry Cherry Pecan steel-cut oatmeal with soy milk topped with a brown sugar crumble from Jamba Juice that I'll have for breakfast...

SKIN FOOD. If you have dry skin, you need Skin Food by Weleda. It's an uber-rich, whole body cream that deeply hydrates, intensely nourishes and protects your precious skin.

Really dry hands this time of year? Skin Food will fix that. Stubborn dry patches on your elbows and feet? Skin Food will fix those, too.

Skin Food is a unique mix of essential fatty acids and Vitamin E lovingly blended into organic sunflower seed oil. A touch of organic pansy to calm dry irritation. A bit of soothing rosemary leaf extract for its mild antiseptic properities, plus the anti-inflammatory properties of organic calendula flowers, all work together to gently nourish your skin.

And the scent is divine.

Use Skin Food every day to regain the radiance of healthy skin.

You can buy it at any good health food store and also Target.

Skin Food is super thick. A little goes a long way.

You might want to start off with the tiny travel size first, although at my house, we always have the big tube of Skin Food around. I don't know what we'd do without it.

You can also read more about Skin Food on the Weleda (a company I LOVE) website at usa.weleda.com:

May richness surround you,


Catherine

Cell Power

I put about four drops of Cell Power in a glass of water and drink it several times a day. Somehow I seem to breathe better. I also have more energy.

Never heard of Cell Power? It's an dietary supplement, a liquid super food.

It's made from all natural, plant-based organic substances. There's no alcohol, glucose, yeast, or gluten.

Here are five areas Cell Power helps* more than any other supplement:
--  Boosts your immune system
--  Improves breathing and respiratory difficulties
--  Improves the assimilation and absorption of nutrients and supplements
--  Balances pH faster than any other product
--  Speeds healing, inside and out

Here are a few testimonials:

--  To Whom It May Concern:  I have suffered allergies for the past 10 years. A few times, these allergy attacks put me in the hospital. I was taking shots, in both arms, every two weeks. I also took nasal sprays with my allergy medicine. I began taking Cell Power a year ago and I have found relief. I no longer take the shots in my arms or any kind of other medicines. I only take 5 drops of Cell Power a day and it takes care of the symptoms. I feel much better. Thank you.  -- Suzanne, Menifee, CA

--  Dear Cell Power, Good news! I'm not lactose intolerant anymore!  --  Anonymous

--  Our entire group used Cell Power before our climb to Machu icchu. We did so well that our guide told us that Cell Power should be offered to all climbers.  --  An Adventurous Soul, Las Vegas, NV

--  Dear Cell Power, two weeks ago before the Boston Marathon, I had a terrible lower back pain. It hurt so bad, I couldn't sit down and was only getting 3 hours of sleep a night. I was told by your company how wonderful Cell Power was and I stared taking 15 drops, 3 times a day. My back pain disappeared within 3 days. I ran the Boston Marathon too! I continue taking Cell Power with its oxygen producing power in the system and I have taken 2 minutes off my 5K (3.1 mile time)--from 24 minutes to 22 minutes--that is 7.05 minutes a mile! And that is great for someone who is 48 years old. It also is great for the skin, complexion, and gives you exra energy. If you quit using the product you will be greatly disappointed. For my next 5K race, my goal is 21:00. I'm also running triathalons and plan to run a marathon 26.2 miles in every state! I will be taking Cell Power with me everywhere! Thanks.  --  Debbie, Spencer, OH

--  After 15 years of severe asthma, I started to really breath again after I started taking Cell Power. At a recent family reunion eeryone wanted to try it after the change they saw in me.  --  Asthma Sufferer, Flint, MI

I buy my Cell Power at the health food store. You can also order it from http://www.positivepowernutrition.com/.

The 2-oz. bottle is almost $40. Now don't get excited. It makes about 90 quarts for a 2-month supply. So that's about 44 cents per quart when mixed (how much are you spending on your soda or coffee...hmmm?). It lasts forever so don't worry about it going bad.

If you try it, let me know what results you notice.

May health surround you,


Catherine

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.