What is it all about?

It's not about the money!!! It's certainly not about the stuff. The resume. The car. The wardrobe. The diamonds. The status. The fancy house. It's about the air. The one thing that we all literally share and breathe in each and every moment - without thought.

I recently learned about a lung disease called Pulmonary Fibrosis and out of deep respect for the incredible human being afflicted and his family I will not mention names. This is a disease where there is no cure and takes away the one that thing that is so automatic, so natural and taken for granted - which money can't buy, at least not for long.

So what is it all about? The air, the air that we breathe. So breathe deep, cherish the moment and the next one and the next one. Expand, breathe in all that we can hold. Breathe out compassion, love and understanding in all that we do and to all those that we meet.

And for anyone who is reading this today or tomorrow, please take a moment to breathe and when you exhale, please send that breathe to him and his family and take a few more and send it to whomever or wherever it is needed.

With much gratitude, love and a deep breath - Lori

"All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you" - Hollies

Gratitude in Phoenix

I had my first photography show on June 1st in Phoenix! They have an event there called First Friday - similar to San Diego's Ray at Night or Kettner Nights. Tad Smith, a graphic artist saw a photo of mine published in a trade book and invited me to show my works at his gallery - Studeo Tad!
There was a mad scramble to get everything in order for the show, the selection from thousands of photos down to the final 16, mounting and framing and a short story about each piece. I thought it was important for the viewer to know something about each shot and why I took it.
I received many kind and thoughtful comments, tons of encouragement to continue to show and sold a few of my treasures. Soon I will have a website up, and for right now you can check out my temporary site at www.loribrookes.com
The After the Fires photo, is the piece that got this whole thing going and is currently being featured on the landing page, with more to come. That photo taken two years after the Cedar Fire, has also been submitted for consideration to National Geographic Magazine.
A warm thanks and gratitude to all that have had faith in me, when mine was floundering. To all my people that I am in spiritual and mastermind connection - your collective thoughts and energy was felt. A special, special thanks to my son Randy who accompanied me on the drive to Phoenix (who has become accustomed to his first class air upgrades - no driving involved) who brought his energy and friends to the show, I am grateful beyond words.
And to all my angels who are speaking to me louder than the rest...or is it that I am finally listening?

Friday in Paris

Just a few more days for me in this wonderful city of Paris, and after 3 days of playing tourista a sensory overload has occurred. The Montmartre apartment, now fondly referred to as 'home', is busy this warm and sunny morning with a few loads of wash as we tidy up for a visit from the owner. She is coming by with the locksmith to fix the sometimes stubborn lock on the front door. Crumpling the ticket stubs and receipts from the past few days, Musee du Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, various markets, Metro and the train ride to Chartres. Stacking neatly the jingling coin from various handy depositories - the bottom of purses, market sacks, jean pockets - 11 Euro in all plus a few of the same annoying equivalents to the US penny! The morning turning into the lunch hour and practicing with left over ingredients from another meal prepared with Chef Eric, I prepare a little pesto and toss it onto the remnant cooked pasta and top it with a few slices of fresh parmesan cheese. Pasta with pesto, fresh French strawberries (slightly lighter in color and a little bitter - but good all the same) and a glass of white wine to wash it down. The streets at this hour are fairly quiet, it's Friday and with the Parisians at work there is this peaceful ambience at hand. My new CD with Cistercian monks is chanting in the background, coinciding once in a while with the bells of the red brick church. Meditation turned to napping, wispy breezes brushing over me as I drift away with the Parisian day. - Lori Brookes

The 3 F's - Food, Fun & France (All In Under 3 Hours)

Today we scheduled a private cooking class with French Chef Eric Fraudeau. In hindsight this may have been an advantageous beginning for a prolonged stay in Paris, as we began our time together with a trip to the local favorite markets. We met Eric at Poissone Pepone, for seafood selection on the corner of Rue Lepic and Rue Abessess. For almost two weeks now we have walked by this hub eyeballing the shrimp as they stared back, but...just didn't know what to do with them - legs, eyeballs and all! So here we are, just ordered about six of them, as part of this list of ingredients Eric has brought along for our morning shopping excursion. We made two more stops for the vegetables, greens and herbs. Today's menu: Avocado & Shrimp Salad Layered Tower (I will get the French title later) drizzled with a grapefruit and cilantro dressing, followed by the main course of Roasted Chicken and Rosemary Potatoes, endearingly called Poulle Grandmere - or Grandma's Chicken - accompanied by a very nice bottle of white wine and punctuated by another epicurean delight - Tarte Chocolat - no translation needed. As the good chef's assistant I was assigned the task, a total abandonement of my policy of not cooking with things that have eyes still attached, of preparing the shrimp. So after a quick blessing, off came the heads and so on. In the end we had beautiful shrimp fillets for our salad to come. There was of course much more peeling, slicing, dicing - a little of this, a little of that - umm perhaps a bit more of THAT! The kitchen beginning to heat up, steaming with the fantastic aromas of onion, garlic, rosemary and cilantro dancing together - a little French air conditioning was called for to keep our Chef cool - windows open with breezes traversing one another. Steam is rising from the pot of Grandma's Chicken on the stove top - the Chocolate Tart, layered with market fresh strawberries (which is actually an oxymoron) has by now made it's way into the refrigerator to cool and at the same time we are building our salad tower with a presentation that rivaled the finest of restaurants. The culmination of tastes just in the salad was indescribable - but you might get this - I was one thought away from picking up my plate after the last bite and licking it clean. How tacky would that have been? Enough said. I could go on and on, but I'd rather leave you wanting for more, exactly the feeling we had as the last bit of Chocolate Tart was washed down by a swig of coffee. Beyond our dancing tastebuds the time with Eric - with all of our preparations, drinking, eating and chatting has been a highlight of this trip and an experience I recommend highly. Eric is soon opening an intimate cooking school in Montmartre for visitors, plus he offers the private shopping, tasting and cooking classes in the privacy of your apartment. Check out his website at www.cooknwithclass.com.

Bon apetite - Lori Brookes!

The Way to Live

Dated: Paris, Montmarte 2007, 22 C

Another beautiful Paris day.

I exit the apartment looking forward to the journey down five flights of antiquated hand carved wooden stairs. You can see the grain and knots in each plank bringing an uneven cadence to each step.

Out and past the iron doors to the bustling cobbled streets, passersby with their croissants and warm baguettes wrapped with a brown paper wrapper only large enough to protect them from your hand. Usuall...there is one bite missing from mine!

The daily trip to the market for the evening meal, along the way the sights and sounds are almost too much to take in. Sometimes I have to stop, take a seat and breathe it all in.

I bought the most delicious fabric, threads of tafetta and chenille woven together, to bring back and trigger memories of this place. Shades of a Parisian interior for my home—back home.

The TV will get unplugged upon my return. I've already opted out of the absurdity of the so called news and negativity. I'll find room for one more cozy chair in the salon and create a bigger space for good conversation. The added silence allowing for the sounds and rhythm of the nature's creations to be heard more fully.

Going Gray, Going Green

I made a decision about a year ago that I was not going to dye my hair, or weave it, and embrace the natural process of going gray. Quite frankly, I just have never been really good at even keeping a regular hair appointment - I'd rather be doing something else - and there is always a handy pair of scissors in the bathroom! To sit in the parlor chair for hours facing yourself in the mirror - well it is a bit torturous. My decision was supported by the relief that I no longer was going to endure that ritual, however, the truth is I wanted to experience the process that time will bring.

Today during my morning meditation it came to me that this decision, has another dimension to it - 'going green' - a hot topic. Although I have not found anything to totally support my theory - the chemicals that are produced and used to dye or alter hair, common sense would say that it can not possibly be good for the environment let alone humans - even with FDA approval!

So if you were thinking of 'going green' why not go gray! Or for that matter, even if you aren't gray - go natural...

Last year Europe banned 22 chemical hair dye products - for their potential cancer cauisng effects. As a result Canada is reviewing the 22 chemicals as well.

If your considering going gray - perhaps this could be a tipping point for you.
- Lori Brookes

Restoring Balance

Saturday I viewed a film by Deepa Mehta - 'Fire' she has two other films in this trilogy, '1947 Earth' which I have not seen. There has been much controversy around her films in India, as she speaks out for women through them. Last year I saw her film 'Water', a film that is one of the best films I had seen that year, it was beautiful and tragic (not sure if that is the right word) at the same time. A must see.......if we think that as women, we have achieved the 'natural' balance that once existed in our world - this movie is another look into how we have not and where we still need to progress. I don't want to send a message that this is about being pissed off at "men", it's NOT, but rather a message for us as a collective group to think about what we can do to raise our consciousness, collective and personal to restore that balance.........

This movie was in San Diego last year, and was selected by the Oscars Academy among the final five nominees for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Award. It was not seen in the mainstream as it has English subtitles, however, it was very easy to follow as there is a lot that is unspoken. A moving and poignant film. Now on DVD.
- Lori Brookes
http://water.mahiram.com/

Starving Children in Africa

My plan last night was to watch the Oprah Winfrey special on the opening of her new Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Unfortunately, it wasn't airing until 10 pm, and I am in bed by then! Thank God for TiVo - and as I do sometimes in the morning as I am putting on my makeup I watch the previous nights shows - which was a bad idea this morning, for as I watched the Oprah special, there went my makeup.

In anticipation of this show, Oprah stated over and over that this would be a great thing to watch with your children, and even if you don't have any - I think it is an essential to watch on so many levels. In particular what we take for granted in this country and at times complain relentlessly about, and I am speaking about our education system. Is it possible that we just simply have lost sight of what we do have and lost an appreciation for it - of course it isn't a perfect system, what is? Where have our values gone? Perhaps there is a course correction to be made in our perception, the perception of our children and our attitude.

This show is airing again on Saturday - if you missed it - there is another opportunity and I recommend watching, no matter how you may feel about Oprah - at the end of the day this woman is making a difference!

I called my parents this morning to thank them for every time they said to me 'eat your dinner, there are starving children in Africa'. What are we saying to our children today?
-Lori Brookes