new name, new place

I finally took the time to figure out how to change my blog name. I hope it doesnt mess up too much. I noticed it did remove all of my comments for some reason.
triple l northwest
is the new name
Portland is the new place.
This weekend was full of wacky portland fun.
a short list

national corndog day celebration
with ranch
homies
starbuck homies
busking at the market
free juice
coffee grounds
henna tattoos
reiki
sound therapy...makes me want to scream and run away
forgiveness card
crystal
pizza and squash
box of bike tubes
101 uses for bike tubes
californication
buddha church
zen tao and tantra
little inch worm
pendelton gold mine
new yarn!
new projects!
heart of now
new friends!
love tea
new music!

hawks lead the way

Some people have wondered, some have asked, some just know...
Why did I move to Portland?
If you are one of the brave people who asked, thank you. I love questions even though I might have a hard time answering. I'm sorry if I didnt give an answer that was acceptable to you. It's just very hard for me to explain these things sometimes. Even though I may have seemed doubtful, not confident, or gave some silly excuse for moving... I do know what I am doing.
and if I told you the hawks told me...?.... that might seem crazy
but
the hawks have been watching me. Every time I drive to and from portland for the last few months, I have seen hawks on the side of the freeway, flying in the median, sitting in the trees and once in my dream.
I have never seen so many hawks until yesterday, when I must have seen 20 along the 2 hour freeway drive.
I also need to mention the other birds that visited yesterday.
osprey, geese, vultures, and some smaller birds that fly in clumps...
those were amazing
the little flock birds were swarming around above the freeway
then
parted in to two groups
choreographed beautifully
I cant even describe it with words...it was like out of a movie
ok..i will try
imagine a curtain of birds in front of you
and as you get closer, they part
to each side of you
letting you pass through

yes
thats what it was like
and on the road I listened to the group 'the bird and the bee'
and when I asked Ama if we should pull over and get a picture of one of the hawks, I realized that the song playing said 'dont take my picture'
so, we didnt stop


Bird and the Bee
"Spark"

"I heard a spark
Something that glowed a hundred feet higher
I open my eyes when there is light
To see if I'm closer
What if I stopped, just for a while
To make it go slower
Still up the night, just for a while
To see if Im finer
Live like Im finer
Tell me a tale
Something with fire
To break from the sorrow
To break through the dirt, piles of earth
To see where the sun goes
What if I stopped, just for a while
To see if I'm closer
Still up the night, just for a while
To see where the sun goes
Oh-h-h-h
I heard a spark
Something that glows a hundred feet higher
I open my eyes when there is light
To see if I'm closer
What if I stopped, just for a while
To see where the sun goes
Still up the night, just for a while
To see if I'm finer
Live like I'm finer"

...and flashmobs rule

I knew I wanted to write about the flashmob I participated in last week, and then I got this email....
I couldnt explain the concept and thrill of a flashmob better. Some people have actually argued with me because they think it is a waste of time. I hope those people read this.

"I wanted to thank each and every one of you for making manifest the dream of a flash mob dance at our 20th anniversary show.

Thank you for stepping out of your comfort zone and participating in this wholly creative act for absolutely no lofty nor important reason, but only because it makes the human soul sing when people come together and pour their energy into creating something beautiful and alive! Thank you for sweating and working to make something as perfect as possible that you didn't even know would fly in real time in a room packed with people. Thank you for your courage in jumping in early and for sticking it out when you couldn't tell if many people would be in it with you. Thank you for jumping in at the last minute because you just heard about it even though you weren't sure you'd get it right or you were afraid of looking silly. Thank you for pushing yourself to learn the dance when you weren't sure you could, or if you had time, or whatever obstacles life may have presented. Thank you for living with that song in your head day in and day out (which may have been ok at first, but geez!) Thank you for making special arrangements with family and friends to be at rehearsals when you were supposed to be someplace else, or your kids wanted you. Thank you for waiting around forever on Saturday to rehearse with the band only to be told after just one take that there wouldn't be time for more live practice. ?!*?&%$? Thank you for braving the crowd and dealing with whatever leftover details to make it to the show and onto the dance floor at the right moment. For giving it your all and for stepping up your role from "follower" to "leader" so that others could follow you or so that the crowd would move out of the way for the dance contest. Thank you for putting yourself out there and working your butt off for weeks not knowing how any of this would play out and for your power and grace when a tripping guy blocked the dance you'd spent countless hours perfecting. And why???????Why???????

In a world where everything is so heavy and sad, tragic and dangerous, scary and mean. Where we fight for what we believe is right and grieve injustice. You worked hard to do something beautiful not even for some guaranteed tangible result, but for the mere vision of what might be possible if it worked out. The simple yet profound notion that you could move others. Make them laugh, point, cry or just smile. And for many more unique and individual reasons you may share here or I may never know. To me that is extraordinary and I am honored to part of this community!!

Here is a little history. When I first saw that flash mob dance from Oprah's 24th season kickoff party, I was so moved, I laughed and cried and watched it over and over. What was so moving to me was that I knew there is no way they could have paid 20,000 to learn that dance. It had to be something people did because they wanted to. Some vision for what it could be like that someone shared with them and a spark was ignited. This coupled with the knowledge that a spark like that doesn't get lit en masse. Each person, somehow, had to "get" it and put themselves into it. You can't dance in hiding or sitting on your couch. Dance is an on the court, butt on the line participatory event and takes energy. That was September '09. I wrote on my facebook page that very day something like, "anyone want to choreograph a dance to Higher for our 20th anniversary show?" It was a dream with a huge amount of passion and excitement behind it. Although a couple people said "yes" at that moment, it wasn't until the very end of January '10 that this little idea met the amazing Melody Spear. The funny thing is that Melody and I are friends and I thought I had included her in my email invites to make something like this happen. But it wasn't until we met over dinner that the spark was lit and from that moment on this little idea became an unstoppable freight train. Within 5 days of our dinner conversation, Melody had the entire thing choreographed and a "call for dancers" out on facebook. 5 Weeks later YOU all performed this dance. Wow!!! I had hoped this little project would find the perfect leader, but the experience of it was more fun than I'd imagined. I knew Melody was a woman who knew how to make things happen, but to see it in action was breathtaking.

It has been so much fun to witness this creative awakening in you, Melody, and your brilliance with following the steadfast rules of the universe. Love attracts love, light attracts light. Whose got time for anything else? I am honored to know you and can't wait for whatever is next!!!

Oh. Another little thing. We (The Sugar Beets) knew there'd be a lot of people at this show because we'd had great press. But we didn't know how many. We hoped (truly in our wildest dreams) 400. We now know that at least 600 people got in to this show and we do not know how many wanted to come but were turned away because we were over capacity. This whole thing has been a glorious experiment in manifesting and the power of vision and action fueled by joy and passion.

In gratitude,

Megan Bassett on behalf of The Sugar Beets."

Wow! I couldnt say it better. But I do have to add a few bits from my perspective that happened that night.
It was the Sugarbeets 20th anniversary celebration concert. I have never gone to one of their shows before, but my dance partner said she has been a fan for the last 19 years...so when the mad hatter guy started doing wacky stuff...she said "it wouldnt be a normal concert without at least one weirdo yelling something". He was a younger guy, wearing a mad hatter hat, sweating and jumping up and down, trying to convince the crowd to jump with him. He is also the one mentioned in the email who blocked the dancer from doing her part of the dance.
In other parts of the country, it can be hard to get people to start dancing, or get in the circle for a solo part....not here! It was hard for some people to get the concept that they were NOT supposed to get in the circle!
I love organized dance events! Cant wait for the next.

wish I had photos, but I went solo to this and didnt bring a camera. I heard videos might be up soon though!

where fluorescent is always cool...

I went to Christian skate night again tonight. It was as fun as ever. Ama is getting so good on skates so it is actually fun to skate with her now.
The experience of the skating rink is sooo different than the good old days in Phoenix. I just cant get over it. I was brought up at a rink with rules. I learned that it was not ok to wear tank tops while skating. I learned to skate ONLY in the all skate direction( counter clockwise) unless it was time to go in the other direction which was usually after a game. Other rules included... no stopping along the wall, no fast skating, help people if they fall, no eating on the floor, nothing should be in your hands.
If you broke a rule there were a number of people employed with a whistle to blow at you and make you follow the rules.
Now..skating in Springfield...imagine my horror to see....
ipods
strollers
tank tops
headphones
kids climbing over the walls
people going in every direction
people falling all over the place
people weaving in and out and almost knocking people over
speed skating

I mean...strollers?! really!????
it is mayhem
and i think people were squawking at me as they past me?

this post is dedicated to my lovely skating partners of the past...especially the girls responsible for my pink and white skates that now have purple pie man shoelaces...yes, I still have my own skates, thanks to Misti and Liya

northwest of dating

One time I thought I would go to one of those speed dating events. Luckily it was at a coffee shop, so I could pretend to be there for the coffee and not the speed dating if I chose to not participate. Luckily... because... I chose not to. I did however, satisfy what I really wanted to get out of that experience. I wanted practice talking to strangers. Since every table was taken, I chose to ask to share a table. I drank tea, chatted with people who came and went from my table and watched speed dating from afar. Not many people attended. I shouldnt have been surprised because people in Eugene are not speedy and they dont date.
On some things that might be considered dates we talk about how we've never known any polyamorous people until we lived here, or more often than not I am told that the person is not ready for a commitment, or doesnt want to date a mom.
On some things that might appear to be a date, we go out for drinks, go to a movie, hold hands and have nice conversations...well...those werent dates because we decided beforehand that we are just friends.
It can be pretty confusing up here in the land of 'Heart of Now'. I just hope that someday soon I will find everything that I am looking for.

lemons or chocolate

'when life hands you lemons, make lemonade'
I'm tired of this life lesson quote. I think I've done a pretty good job at this. I need a new one to live by...
something more like
if life hands you chocolate chips , make cookies.
something like that
something about appreciating the positives in good moments and possibly making good moments even better because I am so in the moment.
or something about not settling for lemonade
I'm tired of lemonade
if life hands you tequila , make margaritas
if life hands you lemons, barter for some chocolate and make a choc lava torte
I could probably make some smart reference to RC and women's liberation... not accepting anything less than absolutely everything
or
permaculture principles like the problem is the solution
i could
if i wanted to take more than 3 minutes to type this
if my brain felt more clear
but....
i dont want to right now

love and pickles

my baby is sick. She has been coughing for awhile but the last few days she seemed sick enough to not go to school. She was very angry and sad about missing taekwando yesterday and today we are resting up in the hopes to go to her 'Annie' rehearsal.
This morning we talked about her doctor visit she has tomorrow. I told her if she is still sick he might give her antibiotic medicine to take. She asked me if there are any foods she can eat instead. I told her I would get her anything she thought she needed to get better....her answer....
love
and pickles...
tomatoes
cucumber
superberry kombucha
arugula
grapes

of course, as I type this, she is outside running around with the hulahoop. How could I blame her though, its 60 degrees and sunny!