tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53030478659533221802012-02-15T16:05:41.588-08:00Malas, Meditation, and LifeLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.comBlogger1481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-92099891269218409312012-02-13T14:11:00.000-08:002012-02-13T14:12:38.096-08:00

Gidget - 17 years old - Rest in Peace There is no such thing as a being who isn't precious.  Not in the ideas of the Buddha, who taught that the lives of beings are all considered sacred. But we all have favorites. One of my most special friends through the years has been this cat, a calico cat names Gidget.  To say she was strong and feisty is an understatement.  She outlived all

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-18810261586699666752012-01-24T18:55:00.000-08:002012-01-24T18:55:30.953-08:00

Bodhiseed Mala with Different Possible Focal and Marking Beads (a quick photo of choices for a customer) It seems that it would be easy and maybe take 20 minutes tops to string 108 beads on a strand of cord or bit of wire. It's not.  It takes hours sometimes!   Here's why. (And if you make malas or any kind of prayer beads, you'll understand.) Things have to feel right. I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-16156276584523567732011-12-19T14:40:00.000-08:002011-12-19T14:48:28.392-08:00

I just have to take a moment to talk about fruitcake. Not that loaf that you can get from the supermarket, saturated with corn syrup and preservatives, full of candied cherries and green jellied citrus. That's not what I mean at all. Here's a photo of what I think of when I say "fruitcake":  Dark Fruitcake from Fannie Farmer,  borrowed from "The Family Kitchen" Blog When I was about eight,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-44245592721477394722011-12-03T19:24:00.001-08:002011-12-03T19:31:53.087-08:00

Nepalese Bodhiseed Mala Wood Mala Care-Every now and then someone asks me how to take care of their bodhiseed, sandalwood, or other wood mala. It makes sense to ask, since if wood gets wet and dries out it cracks and looses luster. Sandalwood can loose its fragrance. And the patina of wood grows more beautiful from the oils in our skin. How do we protect that?We know that all things are

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-54388462709332067472011-11-25T22:25:00.001-08:002011-11-26T12:12:38.139-08:00

27-Bead Wood and Poppy Jasper Pocket MalaSometimes the simplest things are the most special."Tis a gift to be simple,tis a gift to be free,tis a gift to come downwhere you ought to be"from "Simple Gifts", the Shaker dance song.Partly because I like to keep things simple, you can only find Compassion Malas in my online shop. I don't sell to stores right now. That may change some day, but for now

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-30648636708292407702011-11-21T16:16:00.000-08:002011-11-21T16:42:52.046-08:00

Even His Holiness cries. Moved by reports of nine Tibetans who set fire to themselves recently over Chinese governmental oppression, he wept. This photo is from the blog TibetSpace.What good can come out of seeing this?It's a reminder that when Chenrezi (Avalokiteshvara) cried over the suffering of beings, the tears falling from his eyes created lakes from which rose White and Green Tara to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-20708191913017070562011-11-12T11:28:00.000-08:002011-11-12T11:34:26.243-08:00

My lion and my lamb...The lion is the one on the left. The lamb is the luscious lab baby on the right. Usually, by day, Gidget the cat fends off Stella the dog with hisses and scratches. Since Gidget is Stella's main company during the day, Stella doesn't take no for an answer. Her friendly ways have apparently won Gidget over. At least at night they're starting to look like best friends.And

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-60508357143367109552011-11-08T12:16:00.000-08:002011-11-08T12:48:50.104-08:00

From the Garden of Eden CSA this week I brought home a wonderful-looking butternut squash.Round at the bottom, tapered towards the top like some gourds; it looked promising.The only problem is, no one in my family eats squash except me.Last night, when the refrigerator was pretty empty of anything "real" to cook, I took a stab at the squash.Okay, there's not a whole lot that's Italian about this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-16073984828136765832011-10-29T18:42:00.000-07:002011-10-29T18:47:09.188-07:00

Have you tried half malas, or 54-bead malas? They're perfect for tucking away in your pocket or purse during the day. Here's one I made with picture jasper, rainbow fluorite, and green aventurine.I love how nurturing and grounding picture jasper is.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-17606616437684189332011-10-06T11:39:00.001-07:002011-10-06T12:09:50.704-07:00

A kid with her first laptop—a high school graduate in 2009I must have been the last to know that Steve Jobs was dying. I just figured he was taking some time away from the stress of running Apple. After all, the guy had been through cancer treatment, invented the iMac, iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad and iDon'tknowwhatelse. I just thought it made sense—he must have realized there was more to his

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-33835792693946834892011-09-29T10:14:00.000-07:002011-09-29T10:14:17.389-07:00

SparklingSistersSJ on Etsy just made this rose quartz treasury.  I thought I'd share it because every single necklace on it is beautiful! My rose quartz "Immeasurable Love" mala is second from the bottom on the lower left. S Everyone have a great day and enjoy the early, early fall weather.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-62102385500125264082011-09-11T13:24:00.000-07:002011-09-11T13:54:23.527-07:00

A moment of joy on an island—"Watering the seeds of joy" This post is hard to write.  I've been very aware for months that today would be the 10th anniversary of 9-11.  I've been trying to integrate my feelings about it with my actions and what I read and hear on the radio.  I'm aware that on a very deep level we've chosen today to feel so much of the grief and loss that we've lived

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-13150747935226882052011-08-31T16:13:00.000-07:002011-08-31T16:27:07.140-07:00

Pocket Mala with Blue Vintage Glass 36 Beads for Yoga and MeditationHand knotted with Love!

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-17895632922290785492011-08-25T14:27:00.001-07:002011-08-25T15:05:26.393-07:00

Red Ceramic Wrist Mala with Turquoise Howlite Green Czech Glass with Shell Guru Bead What's been happening in your neck of the woods? Keeping up with your wish to meditate now and then? I have found that during the hottest, busiest times, it helps to dive into that peaceful spot of meditation. Once I can get the crazed thoughts to die down (by noticing them briefly but not

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-45704935138215930392011-08-12T10:08:00.000-07:002011-08-12T10:17:01.514-07:00

Thumper wishes you good health and success with this yummy glass of carrot, celery, and apple juice. Thumper cookie jar *Disney* from the 1940s. Is juicing really all that good for health? I don't know, but if it gets me to eat more veggies, I'm all for it. It's the most delicious thing ever on an August afternoon. It replaces that afternoon cup of coffee for me and doesn't interfere with

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-23836404608337990472011-08-04T17:36:00.000-07:002011-08-04T18:30:17.416-07:00

Brown Butterfly on Mom's HatThe little birds, they grow and then they fly off! How true this metaphor has been for our family this week. We drove my eldest away to her college town—such sad, sweet joy to see her embedded in her new town with good friends, about to start at a new school.I can't help remembering myself at 20 and her as a small child, and as a baby.I've been at home with the kids

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-31728074645310854902011-07-19T18:20:00.000-07:002011-07-19T18:46:06.251-07:00

Bowing Stuffed Crane at the Natural History Museum in Balboa ParkI was doing hot yoga last night, not too hard, but still intense enough that sweat dripped off my face, and I realized something like a light was going on in my head.It's about love. I love my mala customers. Each and every one of them. They've given me such a gift, the gift of trust that I could make something that would be

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-32816586198500709622011-06-30T15:06:00.000-07:002011-06-30T15:23:44.653-07:00

"Cinderella" day lilyMy internet suddenly wouldn't work a couple of days ago. You know how it is. You spend what seems like an hour on tech support doing silly things to your modem, then they make you an appointment for the soonest time, which is always at least two days from now. You clear your schedule for the upcoming four-hour appointment window.Gradually, as the days pass before the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-16298341550275940302011-06-04T12:26:00.000-07:002011-06-04T12:33:08.464-07:00

This video is amazing. It's not illegal for a woman to drive in Saudi Arabia, but it's culturally condemned and prevented. Manal Al Sharif, a 32-year-old Saudi woman, was imprisoned after releasing this video of herself being interviewed while driving. You may have seen the story in the news. Watching the video, I was struck by the loss to Saudi culture of keeping women reliant on men, both to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-36570558516781529642011-05-26T05:00:00.000-07:002011-05-26T10:02:05.606-07:00

I first met spiritual writer and teacher Janice Lundy when she dropped by my blog several years ago. I drifted over to hers and found her book, Your Truest Self, which I found a lifeline to well being and sanity. Her voice, both written and spoken, is sweet, wise, and comforting. Through the years we've been mala friends and I've learned a lot from her. She inspires me with her can-do,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-40477090300762890402011-05-23T17:15:00.001-07:002011-05-23T17:24:04.254-07:00

Hula-Inspired MalaOkay, I have the nicest and most interesting customers ever. A few months ago a customer approached me to make a special mala to honor the hula tradition she's studying. She requested lava stone, sandalwood, and koa wood with a yellow tassel to match the Lehua Mamo blossoms of a Hawaiian tree. The guru bead was to be red aventurine.The symbolism was rich and very personal for

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-48290789056572816152011-05-16T11:33:00.000-07:002011-05-16T11:37:51.456-07:00

Each May I look forward to seeing these cacti bloom. These epiphyllums (yes, I look it up every time I write it!) are stunningly beautiful. Here's a double bloom, two on one stem, with a yellow Kuan Yin statue behind it.Now if only I could get them to bloom forever! But then they might not be as special.Impermanence makes everything so precious.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-82414376747826571672011-05-08T11:47:00.000-07:002011-05-08T11:50:10.493-07:00

Me and Mom...Happy Mother's Day to you all! Since you've all, according to Buddhist thought, been my mothers throughout countless lifetimes, I honor and thank each of you.May you have a joyful day, whatever you do.Love,Laura

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-57816889078162823532011-04-27T08:40:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:43:11.767-07:00

Okay, Okay, I know. I never call, I never write.I've been pretty busy. It's been sort of a (shhh, don't tell) personal retreat time for me. With everything in the news lately I figured it was time to not just do something but sit. So it's been nice. Not much to offer in terms of advice or inspiration, but I remember what my teacher said about a student of his who, when her life seemed to be

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-77982672469752911412011-04-11T16:04:00.000-07:002011-04-11T16:25:11.556-07:00

Multi-colored semi-precious stone malaI've wanted to make one of these for awhile, and a customer special ordered it last week on my Etsy shop. It's a little bit like a patchwork quilt, when different left over pieces of fabric would be sewn together...these are the bits and pieces of different malas that I don't have enough of to make full malas of, or that haven't made it into new malas. But

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-53216337962875496852011-03-30T11:59:00.000-07:002011-03-30T12:15:21.011-07:00

As I drove my teenage son home from school and we talked about his day, I felt momentarily sad that kids in the U.S. aren't as excited about learning as the kids Greg Mortensen talks about in Stones Into Schools. For years, Greg and his group CAI have been building schools for kids in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the middle of the war and up against Taliban members and heroin smugglers, they

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-43050971999513438812011-03-26T14:06:00.000-07:002011-03-26T14:22:50.079-07:00

Writing is funny. It's a process of recording events as they're lived, taking "mental snapshots" as we go along so that we can share them or put them down for posterity.How do I translate the vividness of this pot of cymbidium orchids I snapped at Self Realization Fellowship Gardens recently? I saw it as I walked down the shady brick stairs; it sat on the north side of the walkway, a large

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-70466777444833612732011-03-23T10:03:00.000-07:002011-03-23T10:03:02.931-07:00

Countering Stress and Depression | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai LamaThis article is so good, about the fundamental way of looking at suffering that Buddhism teaches.I thought some of you would really like it.I'm looking forward to His Holiness' public talk in Long Beach on May first. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, if you want to go.If anyone embodies sensibility, compassion,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-64969614513947438002011-03-20T18:25:00.001-07:002011-03-20T18:42:37.873-07:00

The Daibatsu, Giant Buddha in Kamakura, JapanMemories of happy days in Japan. In 1989 I was lucky enough to visit Tokyo and Kamakura for a week. It was a work trip for my husband, but since the work was for the skateboard magazine he worked for, it was all casual, youth-oriented, and fun. He's a photographer and I love taking photos. We shot many photos of Buddha statues and shrines in Tokyo.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-54537314310684686432011-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:002011-03-17T21:49:49.832-07:00

I've never been a huge fan of teen music, but this Justin Bieber song just hit the spot today. It's exactly what I'm thinking and feeling.I meditate and pray, think of the good things, pray for good outcomes and relief of suffering. Above all else, my motto now is "sanity" and groundedness. Because how else can I or anyone be effective? I want to help so much with Japan, the Mideast, the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-25454244541884565212011-03-12T09:19:00.000-08:002011-03-12T09:19:45.494-08:00

News | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-28890657788832370532011-03-10T13:11:00.000-08:002011-04-22T15:57:45.282-07:00

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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-35964173667660256852011-02-25T11:36:00.001-08:002011-02-25T11:50:02.002-08:00

Little Buddha in Meditation Just lately it's been hitting me...the connection between making space during meditation and what compassion really is. I like the word "bodhichitta", which essentially means compassion in Sanskrit. The Buddhists use it to mean something deeper and richer than our English word compassion. You can just dip into the Dalai Lama's books or those of Thich Nhat Hahn and

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-59577036083365988962011-02-22T13:34:00.000-08:002011-02-22T13:55:21.473-08:00

Patti Smith and Robert MapplethorpeIt's so rare that a book like this comes along. Patti Smith takes us back to the late 60s and early 70s, when she was part of that rarified group of hipsters living and creating art and music (punk rock) in New York City, with Robert Mapplethorpe, her devoted boyfriend, always at her side.What's a book like this got to do with a mala maker? Hmmm...before I was

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-3937694050053115612011-02-09T20:07:00.001-08:002011-02-09T20:28:50.574-08:00

Landscape between Gila Bend and Ajo, ArizonaI just got back from a bead-buying trip/pilgrimage to Tucson, Arizona this weekend. Arizona's one of my favorite places. Talk about big sky! I wasn't sure what I needed, but I couldn't miss one of the largest bead and gem shows (they're all over town for a couple of weeks) in the U.S. Add to that the fact that I wanted to meet up with my good friend

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-60034664753699426062011-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:002011-02-04T13:12:26.441-08:00

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1;JoyousWorld on Etsy I found Joyce of JoyousWorld in the Etsy forums and was attracted

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-41474184897714288092011-02-03T10:43:00.000-08:002011-02-03T11:18:20.334-08:00

Garnet, Amazonite, Silver, Pewter, and Sterling OM Necklace TrioI recently had a day off with no family around. What to do? The novel was waiting, the garden wanted weeding, I could have exercised or gone to the beach, but a pile of garnets was calling my name."Laura, come help us!" the said. So I obeyed.First let me tell you that making necklaces is hard! Designing them, sticking the things

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-3393052354346683832011-01-21T10:49:00.000-08:002011-01-21T10:58:30.150-08:00

Small-time mala maker desperately seeking the right customer for whom to make a full-size, custom jade mala.I really, really, really always wanted to create a larger mala from this nephrite. What happened was a special order for a wrist mala broke up my jade supply, and then it was one wrist mala after another. Yay for that! But I want to make a whole, entire length of it in order to give

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-71648621984530625502011-01-15T13:51:00.001-08:002011-01-15T13:55:11.460-08:00

Not all cousins are created equal. Some are big, some are little. These two, my son and my niece, show the difference in available cousin sizes, but what they don't show is just how mighty they both are.These are two mighty, mighty cousins. Fierce, yet sweet in spirit.I expect them both to grow far.Bless all cousins.(Here I would like to make those little computer hearts, but in case they look

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-53513619756622066132011-01-10T21:20:00.000-08:002011-01-10T22:24:30.559-08:00

#widgetcont p{ padding:0; margin:0; } .title_brown, .title_brown a, .title_brown a:link, .title_brown a:active, .title_brown a:visited, .title_brown a:hover { color:#dfa754; font-weight:bold; }.title_charc, .title_charc a, .title_charc a:link, .title_charc a:active, .title_charc a:visited, .title_charc a:hover { color:#333333; font-weight:bold; }Garnet for Your J... Curated By:

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-2523076065029689962011-01-06T23:47:00.000-08:002011-01-07T00:00:18.740-08:00

Black Swan in a Rain PuddleOkay, I don't have a good yoga picture that I've taken. And I don't want to poach anyone else's yoga photos online. So this big, black swan in a puddle photo that I took will have to represent the bending and stretching we do in yoga.See? Its beautiful neck is so supple and strong, so graceful and in control, so...not tense.I get a tense neck from stringing beads, but

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-35271621500620753942010-12-22T12:19:00.000-08:002010-12-22T12:29:44.019-08:00

I'm sure everyone has their own cures for too much fruitcake, not enough exercise, and the pressures that inevitably come with a favorite holiday...Here's one of mine. Last week when my mala shop got blessedly over-busy, and everything else I needed to do piled up so much that I kind of, yes, gave up, I put the soundtrack to The Music Man on while I was working.I'd put on a bead, listen to "Pick

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-49746340306334476312010-12-13T20:56:00.000-08:002010-12-13T21:37:09.285-08:00

Years ago, my mother helped me find thesweetest-smelling roses. I chose St. Patrick, a paleyellow rose, and Mister Lincoln, the deepest,most true red rose around.And now, in the middle of December, when I go outin the backyard or look out the bedroom window,I see him. He stands tall, lanky, even, stretchingtowards the light, completely unfertilized andunpruned, yet sending out large red,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-42906158018228781122010-11-26T13:14:00.000-08:002010-11-26T13:24:32.237-08:00

Is there anything more lovelythan dandelion seeds floating in the wind?Watching them fly, I ready myself to leave.Who invented these wonders?Tiny seeds suspended from gossamer webs of thistleblowing, traveling, breezing by.No future, no past, no planningJust suspension, resting in the pure, present sky.Laura

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-11238510242989610962010-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:002010-11-22T22:43:50.439-08:00

A mala and a milestone.Rough-cut kyanite rondelles,two sizes of round rubies with stars,moonstone with blue fire, and a sodalite guru bead with garnet and ruby as end beads. A tassel of French silk that I made. Gold vermeil bead discs around the marker beads.And fluorite in between the rondelles to make it "handleable".This mala

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-89761053045533902862010-11-17T12:43:00.000-08:002010-11-17T12:51:20.435-08:00

A customer asked me what books to read about malas.I haven't seen any that I'd send someone to about malas. If you read about mantras in Sogyal Rinpoche's book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, I think that helps.The books I recommend are about mindfulness, compassion, and meditation.I especially like the books by the Dalai Lama, Chagdud Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse, Thich Nhat Hahn, and

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-36837272570525914292010-11-11T15:29:00.000-08:002010-11-11T16:07:23.534-08:00

Every spiritual writer through the eons has used the analogy of thoughts as plants in a metaphorical garden.For me, this metaphor works very well, so, since I think about it nearly every day, I'll share some blooms and weeds with you.Thich Nhat Hahn says "Water the seeds of joy." It means, what you pay attention to and encourage, will grow. So grow the good thoughts and actions!I noticed this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-69073803459449856322010-11-01T18:03:00.000-07:002010-11-01T18:12:34.687-07:00

Here's some information about a meditation retreat being held in San Diego, California, starting the day after Thanksgiving. I wanted to post all of the details in case it's something that just one person is interested in. If you can't go, you can just rejoice that the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism are being continued in the West, for the benefit of all.And no, you don't have to be Buddhist to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-81585696690966325992010-10-28T23:04:00.001-07:002010-10-28T23:04:58.777-07:00

My friend Chris is having a booksale over on Amazon of some of her most treasured spiritual books. She has several by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, one on healing from grief by Stephen Levine, and some others—all in great shape. I have several of these books because they're classics. Here's a link:http://www.amazon.com/shops/bodymindspiritbooksAnd she promises to keep adding more titles, so it

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-3925000064555744512010-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:16:19.005-07:00

Coral and Cinnabar Mala (Now Unavailable on Etsy)This weekend was very confusing on Etsy, where my online shop is located. As background, I'll say that coral has been a traditional material in malas from Tibet and the Himalayas for hundreds if not thousands of years. I've had several designs using coral beads in my shop for years, but I had researched coral and bought the most unendangered

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-77826251317535181242010-10-09T15:31:00.000-07:002010-10-09T15:34:39.584-07:00

If you get a chance tonight in San Diego, drop by my friend Emily's Ride Your Mind talk tonight.Details are in the link.Emily will talk about meditation and riding bikes. Sort of Zen and the Art of Bikeriding, except it's Tibetan Buddhist. So that's still meditation, but a little bit different.Have a great weekend!

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-76529791751099411072010-10-07T17:25:00.000-07:002010-10-07T17:35:49.479-07:00

There's a great article on Etsy right now about custom work...a "how to do it" for sellers. My photo of a custom picture jasper mala with a metal lotus guru bead was featured along with my comment that every custom mala is created out of a short but nice relationship with the customer.Not only is it a nice "how to" but there are exquisite offerings. Seriously, how come there are so many good

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-75603599235560893142010-09-21T09:59:00.000-07:002010-09-21T10:12:26.469-07:00

Mother of pearl mala on a photo of a stupa in Tibet.For all you Buddhists and non-Buddhists out there, I have a recommendation. I always like to pass the neat things I find along and let you know they're out there. This one is for the ever-popular tricycle magazine. First, know that I'm not a big reader of Buddhist text. I do my homework, but when it comes to reading I'd rather read my book

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-34287492945811746312010-09-09T15:55:00.001-07:002010-09-09T16:45:19.285-07:00

An Idyllic end of Summer stroll in the hills!A grove of red manzanita trees...Manzanita bark used to be used as tea.......Unidentified small red flower....manzanita berries...The gentle end of Summer and beginning of Fall. A walk, a hike, no...a photo stroll down the Idyllwild hillside with our cameras. The smell of...nothing. No cars, no perfumes, no food, just fresh. And then the afterlayer

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-9460409000982537862010-09-04T22:27:00.000-07:002010-09-04T23:03:06.496-07:00

Jazz and friends, old and new.Last weekend my husband and I went up to Idyllwild (East of Riverside, which is inland in Southern California) for a jazz festival and to share a cabin with friends. I have lived a long time thinking I didn't really get jazz. I wanted to. I really did, but I'm more of a folk, classical, and rock sort of a listener. Jazz seemed too esoteric.But watching it being

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-14501134027050513072010-08-25T21:25:00.000-07:002010-08-25T21:41:25.529-07:00

Oh Joy, Oh Bliss!Two nice things to share tonight. First, I finally found a yoga class that I can get into.There's an Ashtanga studio in downtown Cardiff (little beach town in San Diego) that had the healthiest vibe of any I've been to lately. No one was putting any "shoulds" about how far to bend, what knots to tie oneself into, or how young and fit one needed to be. There weren't any

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-59026941729125550992010-08-18T23:52:00.000-07:002010-08-19T00:08:38.997-07:00

This Turquoise, Lapis, and Cinnabar Wrist Mala and...Me! For the most uninspired blog writing of the week! Eight days with no entries.I'm sorry, I read somewhere that you're "supposed" to write everyday. That will never happen. I do aim for twice a week. It all depends on what's on my camera and how quickly I transfer it to my laptop.Right now there are simply gorgeous, awe-inspiring,

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-19100528693594989962010-08-10T23:06:00.000-07:002010-08-10T23:27:14.697-07:00

The Lonely Polygamist by Brady UdallI am loving this book so much that I frequently find myself unable to put it down. There were long stretches of time last week (on vacation) when I was glued to it for chapter after chapter. I. Could. Not. Stop. I'm not going to tell you about it, just recommend that you buy, borrow, or download a copy! (Please don't steal!)Brady Udall's great-great

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-65820317594268234372010-07-28T16:55:00.000-07:002010-07-28T17:01:06.112-07:00

Coastal Southern California has been covered by a dimming blanket of fog for most of the summer. Up to last week, there have been 12 days of sun! This just isn't normal. We get "June Gloom" every June, but it's not supposed to last through July. I hum "Here Comes the Sun" wishfully on most days. It's really been other-worldly. I mean, you just wouldn't put on a swimsuit and go to the beach

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-72167803834922833112010-07-22T11:08:00.000-07:002010-07-22T11:20:10.512-07:00

Wanting to be closer to my teacher Sogyal Rinpoche today, I searched Utube for a video. How wonderful is this technology? (See last post for a funny look at typing on your phone, though.)This video is well worth the time. Running just under ten minutes, I found that it cut through my thoughts and brought me back to the present in a very loving way. "Just Be" is something he talks about, not the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-39617356144029998932010-07-18T18:03:00.001-07:002010-07-18T18:03:06.804-07:00

Just for fun I thought I'd type a blog entry on my iPhone. This is semi-unedited. It has a pe uliar way of not recognizing what my fingers tell it. Since most of my emails are written on iPhone, sometimes the most hilarious things come out. I'm too antsy to sit at a computer and write emails- I answer them as they come in—live in teal time. Sort of. For those of you who've seen my emails, this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-70732932326815397822010-07-06T08:58:00.000-07:002010-07-06T09:08:36.004-07:00

My Etsy friend Lauren (JewelsofSaraswati) included my bodhiseed and rudraksha mala in her treasury, which is peaceful AND reminds me of chocolate!Lauren and I traded malas once. She took a picture jasper pocket mala from me and I chose a black agate mala with silver links—so peaceful. I have to admit, I love receiving malas from others who infuse their creations with positive vibes.Now, I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-86499563094486362742010-06-25T01:13:00.001-07:002010-06-25T01:21:43.925-07:00

Children...they become completely absorbed in whatever experience they have. At what age does that change? This photo of my niece in my parent's yard shows that absorption to me. She still is one of the most joyful people I know, a few years after this photo was taken.I've been thinking of that old saying:"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, now is a gift—that's why they call it the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-6855728203238407682010-06-23T11:15:00.001-07:002010-06-23T11:46:55.582-07:00

Art by Jeremiah Miller at Naked Cafe Encinitas I'm having coffee and doing my thinking at a spot called Naked Cafe in Encinitas right now. They say on the menu, "Here at Naked we keep it simple, use very few ingredients, and base it all on wholeness." They also suggest, "Look good naked. 90% is what you eat..." and their entrees have names like "Buff Breakfast Burrito", "Good Karma", and "Goddess

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-25030738370813005452010-06-16T13:08:00.000-07:002010-06-16T13:17:51.959-07:00

Aren't the colors in this Etsy meditation treasury by meredithdada beautiful? She really has a way with color—check out her shop to see. My carnelian and moss agate mala is included.Happiness to you, enjoy your day.Laura

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-78455400273267713732010-06-13T15:06:00.000-07:002010-06-13T15:47:19.094-07:00

I woke up Saturday morning to the gentle, repeated buzzes of a silenced iPhone receiving email messages. Someone was trying to tell me something. I went back to sleep for about an hour and mentally registered more vibrations. I can sleep through anything in the morning, being a night person. I awoke to the exciting news that my meditation group was holding a "live streaming event" on the

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-55245461950306170202010-06-03T20:51:00.000-07:002010-06-03T21:00:36.822-07:00

Red Aventurine Half Mala with Tibetan Agate and Turquoise MarkersAs bad and difficult as things were yesterday, today was equally light and airy and wonderful. Go figure. Just pure joy all day. I got out the camera late in the afternoon and was surprised by the connection between this red aventurine and a nasturtium flower from my garden. They were made for each other!Every single color in

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-22124135691166904952010-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:002010-06-01T19:05:16.894-07:00

Photo taken at Green Valley Falls, San Diego County.When a person you love first dies you are full of adrenaline, half way between normal life and death. Then later, you begin to just feel that they are missing, and that the amount of time you spent with them before is filled now by all your own activities—not by anything dealing with them. I practiced for Mom intensely during the 49 days after

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-60480844227335134982010-05-26T20:26:00.000-07:002010-05-26T20:51:44.175-07:00

A work in progress...I photographed this unfinished wrist mala before I shipped it, but I wanted to show it anyway. It was a very personal custom wrist mala for my friend. It includes 21 turquoise beads with a turquoise guru bead, quartz crystal spiral bead at the 11th spot, and a sterling silver elephant charm on the cotton tassel. The elephant symbolizes all the wisdom and strength of

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-71122153316027330732010-05-21T00:07:00.000-07:002010-05-21T00:36:12.893-07:00

Unakite, Coral, and Silk MalaThe buyer for the gift shop at The Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco recently invited me to send some malas to show there. I feel honored to be represented with other artists and artisans who make spiritually-oriented art from all over the world. It will also be a great excuse for a field trip!I'm excited about helping the museum and its mission of

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-37654069875720258612010-05-10T11:54:00.002-07:002010-05-10T12:10:27.405-07:00

This is Stella. She is three months old. You can't see her in the dark, but boy can you hear her at night!She's an English Labrador. She'll grow up to be strong and a bit stocky—slung lower and broader than an American Labrador.She has the funniest, most gentle disposition. The breeder called her Miss Personality but as soon as we saw her, we called her Tank because she is built like one.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-11046089018092378582010-05-05T10:44:00.001-07:002010-05-05T10:58:31.330-07:00

The view of clean air and ocean from SRF Fellowship in Encinitas, CaliforniaJust a quick note about the ash cloud in Europe.I've had one delivery slowdown because of the ash cloud in Europe, apparently. Boy, does this ever make you aware of how interconnected this world is! Something halfway around the world affects you, wherever you live, in so many ways.I'm sure the delivery won't take too

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-42371009833942569192010-05-02T13:00:00.001-07:002010-05-02T13:34:28.193-07:00

Garden Buddha Wearing a Peruvian Opal MalaFrom my mala shop profile:There are different beliefs about this depending on who you ask. It's really up to you. In many Yogic tradition it's very common and considered positive to wear malas. In some Tibetan Buddhist traditions, if you use a mala for sacred practice it's customary to treat it sacredly—not necessarily to display it. However, His

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-92021949644684048942010-04-29T09:10:00.001-07:002010-04-29T09:59:51.595-07:00

This is a sad story. Penny Lane, our border collie puppy, was smart and loving, but she had an uncommon problem. She would go full-tilt wacko and bite people unexpectedly. As two peace and animal-loving people, my husband and I dealt with this for a whole year, but finally, on the day of my mother's memorial, our dog attacked a kennel worker, drawing blood. She didn't want to be leashed. We

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-48734955290640871232010-04-22T22:24:00.000-07:002010-04-22T22:45:50.880-07:00

Anglican Rosary for New Jade (Serpentine), Marcasite, and Sterling SilverLately it's been so clear that all that matters is love. Sure, you have to pay the bills, get the tires rotated, take care of the garden, and do the laundry, but ultimately, the only thing that brings lasting satisfaction is the growth of the soul. And that's connected with feeling love, compassion, and equanimity.I'm

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-13552918128799369572010-04-15T13:57:00.000-07:002010-04-15T14:11:31.449-07:00

Spring Flowers at Self Realization Fellowship—A PilgrimageIt's been a while since I left my mala-making table and my busy life with family, to visit the gardens at the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas. A few weeks ago Jan, author of the Awake Is Good blog, posted some photos and comments about visiting there with journal in hand, to meditate and be at peace. I thought to myself "why am I

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-59983545222883263372010-03-29T21:10:00.001-07:002010-03-29T21:24:04.190-07:00

Garnet, Bloodstone, and Rutilated Quartz Wrist MalaA special customer asked me recently what kind of stones would be helpful with creativity, strength, and reducing stress. I did some reading and came up with a list of stones for each quality she wanted, and she chose these three. Garnet helps with creativity, bloodstone with stress, heart and courage, and rutilated quartz aids with strength.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-27253076620490632852010-03-21T20:46:00.000-07:002010-03-21T21:00:20.896-07:00

Vintage Squirrel in Mom's GardenI've been really busy! I think about writing, and then I just go, what? What would I write about? Except (drumroll, please) reality.Since Mom died on March 5th I've been gradually "getting my life in order" as well as helping Dad and my sister sort through some of her belongings. After a long seven months of her being in really bad shape medically and helping

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-62065083191001746292010-03-08T22:51:00.001-08:002010-03-08T23:05:57.662-08:00

Mom and me—2006These past three and a half years I've had the privilege of helping my mom with the things she couldn't do on her own. As she aged and succumbed to physical difficulties and illness, I got to help her with her lists of things to do. Usually it was the laundry, lunch together, an errand, a doctor's appointment...you just never knew. Sometimes I'd get tired and just want to hang

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-68827014988203911612010-02-26T23:46:00.000-08:002010-02-27T00:02:34.801-08:00

How many little blogs like this are floating around in the ether? It feels like they take up space, but do they? Just because something shows up on the computer monitor doesn't mean it takes up any space at all, does it?What about psychic space?My shop has been running on overdrive lately and I've been putting along making mala after mala. Trying to stay mindful and present as I make each one.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-88343683259234048782010-02-15T12:03:00.000-08:002010-02-15T12:14:14.753-08:00

I found this amazingly large and beautiful quartz crystal in Laguna Beach at a crystal shop. It was up the canyon towards the art school. It's the largest crystal I've ever seen.If I stood beside it it would reach above my waist, and I'm 5' 5"!At first I was sure it was rose quartz, but the owner explained that it was a clear quartz crystal with a layer of iron, making it rose-colored.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-42311186258946443542010-02-06T22:00:00.001-08:002010-02-06T22:09:53.740-08:00

Click to enlarge the photos above so you can see them better.Here's an Etsy treasury that Etsy seller Knotworkshop made. Looks pretty Valentiney, doesn't it? My quartz crystal mala with blue lace agate is in the bottom right corner. I have to add that Knotworkshop has quite a wry sense of humor.All the artists represented in it have very unique work.When Etsy sellers aren't making beautiful and

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-74503789551839073012010-02-03T14:18:00.000-08:002010-02-03T14:35:53.180-08:00

Surfer Dude With Abandoned Sports Car—Circa 1975?Well, I shouldn't listen to the news. Not very much, just enough to know what's going on. These constant reminders that my Toyota Corolla needs a new gas pedal are a bit much. I've been doing a LOT of driving lately. Burning up the highway between my home in Encinitas and my parent's town inland. I got the **&%# car ('scuse the language)

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-24519202789449119962010-01-26T20:14:00.000-08:002010-01-26T20:27:15.126-08:00

with the help of another fantastic silver charm from Green Girl Studios...How's the weather where you live? Where I am, in San Diego, it's been raining and raining. We're almost to the point where we will be out of our drought, which is wonderful. It's the kind of weather we don't always get—you want to curl up by the fire and read a book. Lovely. Of course, we're not used to it and can't

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-70043045346468422852010-01-20T23:44:00.000-08:002010-01-20T23:55:34.183-08:00

This is so exciting. If you look just to the right of this post, you'll see a couple of rows of photos. These are snapshots of items for sale on Etsy to benefit Haitian relief through Doctors Without Borders. If you click on any item, you'll be taken to the shop where hundreds of craftspeople and sellers of craft supplies and vintage items are selling products, beautiful things.Watching this

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-61781465453342591592010-01-16T12:44:00.000-08:002010-01-16T12:59:47.093-08:00

Finally changing my avatar for Etsy and this blog. I liked the little golden Buddha with beads around his neck and a pink background, but after a while it began to feel too cartoony, too solid. It doesn't reflect how I feel about meditation, it's sort of a "look at me, I'm a gold Buddha against a pink background" kind of avatar. Sort of static. Monumental, although it's so small. Sooo...

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-61706709931416045712010-01-11T21:11:00.000-08:002010-01-11T21:34:21.511-08:00

Penny Lane, Just Over One Year Old. The funniest dog ever.No, she doesn't make malas.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-55827418830397053222010-01-09T18:47:00.001-08:002010-01-11T14:25:30.648-08:00

Tara StatueMy friend Jan Lundy writes the blog Awake is Good about bringing spirituality into life. She's the author of Your Truest Self: Embracing the Woman You Are Meant to Be. A few months ago we traded a mala for some of her books. I love, love, love the book. It's one of those special, personal books about bringing spirit and soul into life that only come around once in a while. It is

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-51519389397142464942010-01-05T23:48:00.000-08:002010-01-06T00:07:17.895-08:00

Every now and then I promise to give a little movie review on this blog. It's been hard lately, nothing has hit me as good enough to write about. I only want to recommend special movies that I think give something extra to a viewer. A couple of nights ago I went to see Up In the Air with George Clooney. It was fantastic. In tone and story it told the story of a man's disconnect with any

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-16512716121585828562009-12-31T20:09:00.001-08:002010-01-07T12:22:44.225-08:00

Blythe doll with New Year sentiment courtesy Janet at Spiegelhouse.Dear Ones,I wrote this on my Facebook page:"So long, 2009, sayonara. Don't let the door hit you on your way out."I do have some complaints about 2009, it wasn't easy. But it was full of growth opportunities and new friendships. All in all, a very good year for change and setting goals. And art! I'm ready for a change. Let's

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-77956230100567261932009-12-27T13:24:00.000-08:002009-12-27T13:52:41.361-08:00

A Buddha at HomeGoods Store in Encinitas, seeing all but letting it come and go...This time of year I always have a beautiful chance to reflect, as the year teeters on its last legs, veering towards its end and the beginning of the New Year. It's my chance to write, listen to music, be sort of a slug, and go within. A reevaluation goes on—where am I and where am I going. Am I still standing in

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-74391263496675514132009-12-25T11:05:00.000-08:002009-12-25T11:06:48.417-08:00

My nieces dressed as elves, sitting on a big bug. Their mom works at a science museum.Merry Christmas All!Love,Laura

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-1628403238105969742009-12-20T13:44:00.000-08:002009-12-20T14:01:39.420-08:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Solstice, Happy Kwaanza, and everything else.I would write Happy Hanukkah too, but I'm a day late.There was a rousing discussion on Etsy recently about whether people in the U.S. have become so P.C. that they're afraid to say Merry Christmas. It made me think about so many things. I always say Happy Holidays because I don't know what beliefs the person I'm greeting has.

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-14331140003486618172009-12-11T12:29:00.000-08:002009-12-11T13:03:11.932-08:00

I returned on Sunday, flying out of Reno in light snow. Snow had just hit the Tahoe area where our Rigpa retreat was. As rumors flew in hushed voices of the impending "big storm", we filed into the shrine room for our final teaching of the retreat by Sogyal Rinpoche. We had several empowerments and a blessing to receive before we hit the ground running. As usual, the last day's session was a

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-66695300010682381142009-11-22T21:24:00.000-08:002009-11-22T23:26:44.418-08:00

Going away, far far away. Until December 7th.A girl's got to go on retreat now and then, don't you think? And right before the holidays (Christmas, Kwaanza, Hannukah, Solstice) is a great time because it makes the whole holiday shopping experience seem utterly mad. Which it is, but it's fun anyway.Ten days in the tall pines with snow and fellow enthusiastic practitioners listening to

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-89913271388034806192009-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:002009-11-13T10:12:52.567-08:00

Custom mala-makers have all the fun. Really we do. Here are some of the beads I pulled out to show a customer who wanted a little something special in his mala. There's some amber, a carved eternal knot, art glass, different silvers...the choices can be endless.But eventually all designs come together. I just thought you might like to see this photo of a design "in process".Isn't everything

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-38436520683039757632009-11-11T09:26:00.000-08:002009-11-11T10:09:14.554-08:00

As I go to movies throughout the week, I often think "Oh, I need to tell folks about this one on my blog."Then I double-think it and end up not doing it. Why would anyone read a Dharma blog with a movie review?Well, I would, so here it is! This week's Movie Recommendation:Michael Jackson's This Is ItI wouldn't have thought it would be so good, but my guitar teacher fiercely suggested I must

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-22562997019780599842009-11-09T21:15:00.000-08:002009-11-09T22:11:04.878-08:00

(The third Dodrupchen Rinpoche—1865-1926)My last post was something I hesitated to write, but I got so many responses from others who are going through the same sort of things I am. People pondering life at the tail end of this uncertain and seemingly perilous year.Thank you so much, blog friends, for writing your thoughts! Actually, it was a turning point to write that post and be prodded by

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-29596644411794980332009-11-05T14:36:00.001-08:002009-11-05T15:02:06.372-08:00

Has this been a crazy, mixed up, intense year for you? Or is it just me?I wonder this as I read the news and analyses, people's blogs, and talk to people.Anyone who says this has been an easy year is either independently wealthy or living with a bag over their head, although I doubt that would really be easy.In keeping with my normal tell-the-truth-and-it-will-set-you-free attitude, I have to let

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5303047865953322180.post-88534116342703814272009-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:002009-10-26T15:44:17.312-07:00

Someone I know asked recently "Where are you in your experience of miracles today?"A very good question, especially as lately so many people have been experiencing loss, stress, and hardship.I thought about it as I meditated and then made a mala. A small hawk came to perch on the fence during my meditation. It never happened before, only as I thought about whether I'd ever experienced a miracle

Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16966104460376436386noreply@blogger.com5