Yogini Sunflower Blessings

Yogini Sunflower Blessings             

Happy Friday.  Can it really be September already?? That means the holidays are around the corner. Say it isn’t so. I will not be traveling to CA . this year to see my family and friends that live there. Too many travelers, and too much stress for me. I have decided that this will be the start of having a relaxed holiday season. Fewer gifts to buy, few decorations, fewer commitments, and less stress. I will live more in the moment with what is going on. I find that thinking of all that needs to be done or all the activities I want to attend seems to cause tension. There will be no “shoulds.”  No more of “I should be doing this or that.”  I am much happier and have more energy when I remember that, and I bet most everyone else is too.

 

Everyone can always use a bit more love in their life, so I just started teaching Loving Yourself Yoga classes here in Nashville which will incorporate healing modalities in addition with the asanas (postures) so as to experience higher frequencies of love, harmony, peace and joy. I love teaching compassion, empathy, empowerment, and self-love using Yoga as the vehicle. The best part is the loving energy I receive from my students. It is a win, win for everyone. For those of you who have been my students in various cities in CA. and in St. Petersburg, Florida, I miss you very much, and wish there was a magic carpet or a form of high technology that could transport you all to my classes.  Just know there is a special place in my heart for all of you.  Now, on to building a student and client base here.

 I wish I could visit my far away family and friends whenever the desire arises. Calling, texting, emailing, and skyping isn’t as wonderful as being there in person with you, but I am so very grateful and joyful when I get to visit with any of you that way. So, bring it on. I love hearing from you. I also want to give a "shout out"  (funny expression) to my new budding and blooming friendships here in TN. I am happy you are in my life. 

I have gotten involved with Transition Nashville which is a group involved with sustainable living involving our community.  There are meetings and workshops to help locals acquire knowledge of how to grow our own food, install solar panels,  get information about aquaponics,  permaculture, edible forest gardens, greenhouses, time banks, etc. It is about working at the community level to build resilience in an effort to lead toward the big changes we need both nationally and internationally.  One of the books we are using as we work together is “The Transition Companion” by Rob Hopkins. I know there are Transition movements in cities all over the U.S. and abroad. If you are interested, I suggest that you Google or log on to a MeetUp and search for Transition groups in your area. I encourage you to look into this as we don't know what is going to happen (perhaps even in the near future.) It is better to be prepared, and if all does go well, we will have nice gardens, learn how to live in a sustainable way and become friends with our neighbors. If things go as some economists and scientists predict, it will feel more comforting that we are more equipped to handle what may come our way.

I think most agree that awareness of the truth is so important now more than ever when the airwaves are filled with lies and distortion of the truth. So, I would like to use this opportunity to spread the word to those that don’t know or listen to Progressive Radio Talk shows that we can now listen to whenever convenient for us.  There are many, and I want to highlight just two for now. www.democracynow.org   and The Mike Malloy show. www.mikemalloy.com   Mike really tells it like it is with no holds barred in an entertaining way. He makes me laugh out loud! Of course, sometimes you feel your blood boil when you learn what's going on. Just can't stick our heads in the sand though. Sure wish we could! If you scroll down on his home page to “Attention Truth Seekers!”  You will see what is happening in order for us to have a 21^st Progressive Media Universe.

On the home front, my big news is that after one year of working for a company my husband loves in a city that is approximately a 4 hour drive from our home, he is now going to be working from his Nashville office.  It goes without saying how happy we are about that.  We plan on going back to having home parties where Jim and other musicians and their family and friends enjoy each other’s company.

In addition to that, we are going to have movie night and show different documentaries regarding environment, politics, sustainable living, health, etc. As I have learned from participating in the Transition groups, we need to build communities. We will be inviting people in our neighborhood in an effort for us all to get to know each other. This is a growing movement throughout the U.S. and abroad.

So, this is it for now. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings.

Wishing you much love and many magical moments,

OshaCheck out my You Can Do It Yoga DVD. www.yogawithosharay.com Enter a sacred space of beautiful music, nature, and nurturing. You will be guided to surrender into acceptance of yourself in the moment. You can order it from the website or from me directly by calling or emailing.
I love hearing from you so please write a comment by just clicking on “comments,” then write in the space provided if you want all to see. If you rather send me a personal email, I would love that too. Thank you.

NASHVILLE GREETINGS

Happy Friday, everyone.  Okay, I'm not writing as often as I thought I would.  Hoping you are all enjoying the journey in your whirlwind lives.  I do recommend hopping on Facebook if you haven’t already as it is a great way to easily stay connected and interact more frequently. I like Facebook not only for sharing our lives, but also for sharing spiritual ideas, political opinions, causes, and whatever else you want to put out over the airwaves .  So, if we are not already friends, please join and request Osha Ray Bement become your friend.

I reached the age of 65 in March, and I do say I have started thinking a bit differently.  I don’t even feel that I need a bucket list.  I have traveled to many countries, walked on fire, scuba and sky dived, hiked, explored,  experienced Native American Sweat Lodges, Channeling, Chanting, opened my heart, became a wife (several times) had children, grandchildren,  lived my life fully and basically have taken the road less traveled. Yes, there are still places I want to visit and things I want to do, but I am feeling I want to continue to help in whatever way I can to assist in the awakening of myself and the planet.  Most of my life I have been very Yogic and in the last decade have become more political. Many say they are not interested in politics, and in order to be aware of why we are in challenging times, we must be informed and have the facts so as not to be swayed by rhetoric. 

There are so many areas in which we need to become involved, and I think they are all important. I decided to start with global warming.

So, what is global warming and what's the problem anyway?

The science is clear: global warming is happening faster than ever and humans are responsible. Global warming is caused by releasing what are called greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The most common greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Many of the activities we do every day like turn the lights on, cook food, or heat or cool our homes rely on the combustion of fossil fuels like coal and oil, which emit carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases when burned. This is a major problem because global warming destabilizes the delicate balance that makes life on this planet possible. Just a few degrees in temperature can completely change the world as we know it, and threaten the lives of millions of people around the world. But don't give up hope! You can help stop global warming by taking action here at 350.org.

And what does this 350 number even mean?
350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

We can create a grassroots movement connected by the web all over the world. We will focus on the systemic barriers to climate solutions, changing political dynamics whenever possible. At the same time, we'll get to work implementing real climate solutions in our communities, demonstrating the benefits of moving to a clean energy economy.
If this global movement succeeds, we can get the world on track to get back to 350 and back to climate safety. It won't be easy, that's why we need all the help we can get.

It means building solar arrays instead of coal plants, it means planting trees instead of clear-cutting rainforests, it means increasing efficiency and decreasing our waste. Getting to 350 means developing a thousand different solutions—all of which will become much easier if we have a global treaty grounded in the latest science and built around the principles of equity and justice. To get this kind of treaty, we need a movement of people who care enough about our shared global future to get involved and make their voices heard. www.350.org  

A fun to watch documentary with lots of solutions is Fuel. You can rent it from Netflix.
 There are so many great documentaries out now, and I think a wonderful way to become informed and share the information is to watch them and have viewing parties. This creates community and grass root movements. The most recent doc. I saw is Thrive.  I strongly urge you to watch it and share it with others.  This one is a "must see," in my opinion. It was produced in order to help us awaken. www.thrive.com  You can either order the dvd or watch on line for free.

I am so very grateful that all is wonderful. I am married to the love of my life, I live in a beautiful home with a deer preserve as my backyard, my family and I are happy and healthy. There is never a dull moment with my hubby, Jim.  If we are not hanging out at a coffee house, we are sailing,  walking, watching movies, reading, laughing, going to some local event or visiting friends. Of course, I must not forget to mention that one of Jim's most favorite things to do is to perform. Last Saturday was such a beautiful night so we headed over to Centennial Park. He sang and played the accordion as one guy sang along, another guy lept about, two women danced with each other while fireflies lit up the night. It was pure magic.

In addition to joining many "Meetups"  in order to meet people in my new city, I also went to a Bha'i service. 

To be a Bahá'í simply means to love all the world; to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood. ~ Abdu'l-Bahá

The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. ~ Bahá'u'llah

Aram & me.

Many people introduced themselves.  Before I left I had two invitations to come to homes for dinner and fellowship. I started coming regularly to Aram's home as I enjoy the friendship and community of peaceful, spiritual, friendly people.
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 I became interested in spiritual concepts and philosophy 40 years ago.  I am happy “The Secret” was a big hit because more people became aware of how important our thoughts and emotions are in order to manifest and co-create. It is a lot more complex than explained in the movie and the teachings of The Course in Miracles, and the writing of Eckhart Tolle in books such as A New Earth and others are of great help with our deeper understanding. I googled Nashville "A Course In Miracles," and found a group that meets at Unity Church. I find that going to weekly meetings help me with just about all aspects of my life.

Here is Sasha on our deck. I must mention how much we love our new rescued adopted cat who we named, Sasha. Lots of great dogs and cats available. Wishing all the animals needing homes find loving families to adopt them.

Everyone can always use a bit more love in their life, so I am going to start teaching Loving Yourself Yoga classes  which will incorporate healing modalities in addition with the asanas so as to experience higher frequencies of love, harmony, peace and joy. 
Check out my You Can Do It Yoga DVD. www.yogawithosharay.com Enter a sacred space of  beautiful music, nature, and nurturing. You will be guided to surrender into acceptance of yourself in the moment. You can order it from the website or from me.
I love hearing from you so please write a comment by just clicking on “comments,” then write in the space provided. Thank you.

Wishing you much love and many magical moments,

Osha

Happy New Year

Signing papers for our new home!







Happy New Year, everyone. If you are reading this, you made it to 2012, oh my! It’s been a rough 2011 for a lot of us and Jim and I are no exceptions. I have been promising I would write and lo and behold, I am finally doing it. One big benefit for me when I do write is that I get to hear from you.

I stopped writing when Jim lost his job. Yes, the job we moved to Nashville for in the first place. When “they” say life is uncertain, “they” weren’t kidding. As you know, from past writings that we even bought a new home here. We were not happy campers to say the least.

As I have said, and do believe, everything happens for a reason – even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time. Jim did get a new job. In fact, he loves his new company. He is a software engineer with 30 years of experience and this company interviewed and tested people from all over the U.S. and Jim was the one they chose. He was mighty proud. Oh, did I mention, his new job is in Memphis which is a 3 and a half to 4 hour drive from Nashville. Some think I have the best of all worlds. Jim has an apartment in Memphis, and I live in our home in Nashville. He comes home every weekend, and I spend a week with him once a month in Memphis. So, it’s like we’re dating. That’s one way to keep your relationship exciting.

Well, while Jim was looking for a new job, I was thinking that I had to find something that is recession proof. I prayed and put my intention out in the Universe and this is what happened. I went to a free movie presented by Transition Nashville. This is an organization that is all about going green. After the movie, I met Lezlie. As it turns out, she was from California and has lived in Nashville for 17 years. She also shared the same spiritual beliefs as I did. I saw all of these things as “signs.”

She invited me to have coffee with her the next week. One of the activities I love doing is going to an artsy coffee house and visiting with someone. Lucky for me, Nashville has many wonderful coffee houses. I told Lezlie my situation which was that we moved to Nashville, bought a home, and my husband wasn’t employed any longer. She told me she partnered with a company that she thought I would be interested in and invited me to take a look at a Delivering Wellness Presentation DVD. I did and liked what I saw. I am all for buying products that contain no harmful chemicals that are affordable. Who doesn’t like saving money after all, and especially when I can partner with a 26 year old, billion $$ company and not have to sell anything to anyone while building a business where I can make hundreds to thousands of dollars per month. No kidding. I would be happy to tell you the details and you can decide for yourself.

Since I was new to the area, I joined two Newcomers Clubs. I didn’t know I was signing up to be invited to the mansion of the week club. It seemed all the coffees, lunches, and activities that weren’t being held at restaurants or Beautiful Country Clubs were in members’ homes that were mansions. My daughter reminded me that I no longer live in Santa Barbara where prices are extremely high. Well, this is true. The new home we bought would cost one million $ in SB. No kidding!! So you all move here and get you an amazing home too. You certainly get more for your money. Our backyard is a deer preserve with a vista view, where deer actually do walk on our lawn!

Speaking of the Newcomers Clubs, I am going to be the Key Note Speaker at a luncheon for over a 100 ladies this Wednesday. Of course, the topic is wellness and fun. I’m going to have them moving as if no one is watching and of course, I will throw in meditation and a self-love exercise. (No, it is not x-rated!)

I joined the YMCA. It is the best thing because there are so many of them and I go to a variety of classes all over Nashville and surrounding areas. Actually there are a lot of Yoga Instructors that I like. Everyone has their own style of teaching, but the one that made me chuckle, is when she ended the class with “Namaste Ye Haw!! That reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw. It said “Namaste Y’all.” You don’t see that in Santa Barbara!

I really am having a great time meeting so many people from many different states and countries. Almost everyone I meet moved here from somewhere else. This is one of the reasons I love it in Nashville. It’s very cosmopolitan.

Simple pleasures: I was thrilled to be able to shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joes again. St. Petersburg doesn’t have either. Shopping is fun again. Just had to add this little tid-bit.



Cheekwood

 As far as what we’ve been doing, one thing you can be sure of is that if the weather is good, Jim loves to take me sailing on our catamaran on Percy Priest Lake. The lake is surrounded by trees, making it such a serene experience. We also enjoy walking and exploring the many beautiful parks and trails in the area.
                                                                                          
Even though Nashville is known for country and western music, we are fortunate to have the most gorgeous Schermerhorn Symphony. We have enjoyed going to that and Blair Music School performances often. If you are in Nashville, you have got to see the Cheekwood Botanical  Garden and Museum of Art. All of these and more is why we love Nashville.    

Sheila, Chris, & Calvin   



Ruby and Maezy

 

I keep in touch with my lovely daughters via phone, email, skype and Facebook. Having turned 41 years old, my oldest daughter said she just can’t believe she is now in her


Monica in Monterey Half Maraton

 40’s. I can’t believe it either. My grandson, Calvin, and granddaughter, Ruby are turning 4 soon, and my youngest, Maezy will be turning 2 in January. Of course, they are gorgeous and smart! I will be flying out to CA to see them soon. We are all proud of my daughter, Monica, who ran and completed the half marathon in Monterey.   
 Sheila is now working full time as Senior Client Support Specialist at Sonoma County Mental Health.

I encourage those who are not on Facebook to join. It is an easy, efficient way to stay in touch. I post pics, what I am doing, or something I think is important and beneficial for all to see. I plan to learn how to Tweet on Twitter next. A quote from the book, Toward 2012 – Prospectives on the New Year, “As we enter the new paradigm, change is being propelled by people across the globe who realize that they can connect with one another and organize in far more fluid ways than been possible before.” I love staying connected and the social media is an easy way to stay in touch with one another.

My gift for you is to have a New Year’s Special: For the whole month of January, you can buy my Yoga DVD http://www.yogawithosharay.com/  for only $10. For details email osharay@yahoo.com

(A paragraph from my press release)

This is an easy to follow Yoga program with inspirational messages of self-acceptance. It is a feel good video. With Ray’s new DVD, people have an easy, inexpensive healthy way to feel good, especially when feeling low in energy or in spirit. Acceptance is the biggest message. This DVD focuses on the instruction of remembering to be in the present moment and accepting being in the “Now” with gratitude. The philosophy of accepting the present moment helps eliminate stress and creates peace of mind. Traditional Yoga is not about trying hard to achieve anything. The main theme is letting go without feeling pressured to change anything.

I will close with this. May the light shine brightly within you, may it surround you, bless and protect you and yours and may abundance, peace, health and love be part of every breath. Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, Prosperous New Year to you and yours. 

If you are enjoying reading my blogs, please "follow" me and write comments or email me, and forward to friends. I write personal notes to all who write to me.

Thank you. Wishing you much love and many magical moments. Hey check out my Yoga DVD. It is an easy to follow Yoga program with inspirational messages of self-love. http://www.youcandoityoga.com/

WHERE IS OSHA?

WHERE IS OSHA?


Happy Friday, everyone. Yes, I have been missing in action. It seems once I stop doing something, it certainly is hard to get started again.

 Boy, it seems there is so much going on with everyone I know – and, no words to even describe what is happening in so many parts of the world. My heart breaks wide open for all who suffer. Love and compassion is key.

Okay, let me begin with my little corner of the world here in Nashville. I have had emails from people asking if I had taken them off my list since they haven’t heard from me. This is how it is when I get this way. If I hear from you on Facebook, or if you email or call me, I will reply. In fact, as you know, when I write my blog, I always write personal notes to whoever writes to me. I love staying in touch and this is one way I can stay connected to you all.

I was having a bout with weekly migraines that were just taking me out. I finally went to a neurologist and am now on a daily preventative medication. Most of you know how I am into a healthy lifestyle that includes organic food and healthy supplements. Taking medication is not something I like to do. Okay, I just had to surrender and try something else, or adapt to my new lifestyle of being pretty much bedridden. That just isn’t my style. The medication is working so I have to take my hat off to Western medicine even though I thought I could conquer all with anything that was an alternative to medication.

Lately, I have been on a homemaker kick going through my many cook books, buying a crockpot, making stews, cooking chili, and experimenting with lots of soup recipes.

It's fun exploring the bounty of produce at the Farmer's Market.

 I love being in our kitchen and I guess Jim does too, since he could be upstairs, but chooses to use the kitchen as his home office because of the great view.

Next, we are going to learn how to garden, mulch, compost, and all that comes with our first step in sustainable living. I found The Green Book, The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time, which is really good for only $1 on Amazon used books. Another great book for saving money while going green is Shift Your Habit by Elizabeth Rogers.

 The real eye opener was Diet For A Hot Planet by Anna Lappe, which tells us about the climate crisis and what you can do about it.  I guess I have been reading a lot. Being informed is powerful.

And, while you are at it, you must see Fuel, the movie. You can rent it on Netflix, etc. Wow, we can do so much to go towards sustainable energy and better health, and away from depleting all resources and death and destruction.

I  joined the YMCA, and oh my, what a treat out here. There are many of them all over the place. I collected schedules and go to a variety of yoga classes all week long. Being able to swim in their pool, sit in the sauna and spa, and meet people is a big plus. Moving is one quick way of losing all of your friends. So, whoever is reading this, know that I truly miss you a lot.

Another thing I did was join - not one - but two newcomers groups. Lots of activities including playing Bunco. Didn't even know that was still being played until my daughter, Sheila, invited me to join her when I was visiting her.

There is a big, beautiful Baha'i Center close to our home so I popped in a few times. This faith is all about peace and brotherhood which is something I have believed all of my entire life. There are many religions that are about that philosophy, but what was so extra wonderful was how very friendly everyone is. Jim and I haven't joined anything, but we are sure enjoying the hospitality of being invited to dinners, prayer, and socializing.   
 

One of the local coffee houses with an unappealing name of The Frothy Monkey.

We are having a ball enjoying many activities in the Nashville area that are free including great symphonies, museums, beautiful walking trails, wonderful libraries, festivals, great sites to see, art receptions, etc.

Yes, it wouldn't be St. Patty's day if Jim wasn't performing Irish jigs somewhere. Here we are at Boscos in Nashville.

Oh, I forgot to mention what I have been doing about my business. I had decided once we moved here, I was going to focus on a couple of things rather than doing many as I have been doing most of my life. I was going to stop teaching yoga classes and being a wedding officiant to do seminars and promote my Yoga DVD. I got my first paid “gig” when I arrived. I was introduced to Jim’s co-workers. The sales manager asked what I did, and then asked if I could lead a Wellness Seminar for her sales team as their Xmas gift. I loved doing it and they loved me. I was a hit!! Now, I am working on my new website and will be promoting my seminars.

Now it is time to share words of wisdom. This is from the book Zero Limits by Joe Vitale. “Instead of stating intentions, say or think something like this. ‘Wherever I’ll be or do, will be far better than what I can imagine now.’ When you surrender to a greater power, miracles happen. Don’t complain. Watch your thoughts and words. Repeat the words, ‘I love you’ often to yourself and others. Repeating that helps clean old memories, programs, and limitations. Love transmutes stuck energy. Love it all.”

I love receiving your emails with your comments,

If you are enjoying reading my blogs, please "follow" me and write comments or email me, and forward to friends.

If you would like to write a comment to share with others, just click “Comments,” then write in the space provided.

Thank you. Wishing you much love and many magical moments.

Hey check out my Yoga DVD. It is an easy to follow Yoga program with inspirational messages of self-love. http://www.youcandoityoga.com/

BUSY,BUSY, BUSY!

Happy Friday, everyone. When I started writing my blog, I really thought this would be a weekly blog…..but, it seems life somehow has all kinds of twists and turns and our best plans don’t seem to work out. So, I will alert you when I do write.



Front view of our new home




View from our deck



If you have been following me, you know that having moved from Santa Barbara to St. Petersburg, and after only living in Florida two years, we just recently moved to Nashville, TN. And, no, it is not because we enjoy moving so much. If you haven’t done it recently, let me remind you that it is no fun, I guarantee you. I must say my philosophy based on metaphysical principals has been and will be to believe that everything is happening for our highest good. The advantage of thinking this way, is that our belief creates our reality so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Yes, there might be bumps in the road, but I feel these just make us stronger if we believe that, we grow and learn from them.

If you would have asked me to name 50 or more places I would like to live, I would have not included Nashville. I never have been to Nashville and didn’t know that much about it. This is where we ended up when Jim was offered a great job. I love the friendly people, the woods, the lakes, the cosmopolitan feel and diversity the area offers. Not to mention the amazing brand new affordable home we purchased with enormous high ceilings and views of our very own deer preserve. I absolutely love it here! Who knew???

It is time consuming and fun to buy new furniture, washer, dryer, stuff for our new home. I am not complaining. Also, I am helping the economy single handed by being such a good consumer. You should see all the books I have on lively simply and cutting our consumption. Most of the time, I really do that, but I think that we must go with the flow and know when to make exceptions. I am decorating in a Zen motif. That counts, right?

Daughter, Monica and granddaughters, Ruby and Maezy

Ruby and me



Son-in-law Chris and Maezy



Daughter, Sheila, grandson, Calvin, son-in-law Chris



Granddaughters, left to right Erika and Kelli



Sister-in-law Linda and brother, Maurice



one of my favorite places to hang out in Sacramento, The Tower Cafe

 In the midst of all of this, I took time out to travel to No. Ca. to spend Thanksgiving with my daughters and celebrate my “baby” brother’s 60th birthday. I love hanging out with my grown up kids and their great husbands, grandbabies, family members and friends. I do feel sad that I live so far away and can’t just drop in for coffee and a visit. We do have webcam and vow to use it more frequently.

You know I always add in something political or inspirational. Because of my brilliant husband who I adore, I am way more political than I ever was. We take the time to podcast shows such as DemocracyNow.org, AlternativeRadio.org, and read emails from MoveOn.org, watch Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC, and read books such as Thom Hartmann, “Screwed,” Max Blumentahl, “Republican Gomorrah,” Chris Hedges, “Empire of Illusion,” and many others.

I used to put my entire attention on metaphysical beliefs which are to put one’s attention on what we prefer rather than focus any energy on what we don’t want. This goes, of course, not only for our personal lives, but the world at large. I still do that, but I want to know the truth of what is going on in the world. I feel I want to help inform and help the people of our great country be healthy and abundant. It certainly is easy to get confused when corporatists own the media and spin the truth.

The good news is that whatever we do is right. It is our “real life drama” and we get to write the script! I love books such as “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, and “Loving What Is” by Byron Katie. I refer to them often to keep myself on track. When we remember to be aware of our thoughts so we create the life we prefer not the one based on negative thoughts, then we reap the rewards. One thought that I had that made me miserable was trying to live up to presumed expectations others had of me. What thoughts make you miserable? Awareness is so important because once we are aware, we can make adjustments.

Wishing you much love and many magical moments. Thank you. Osha Ray

If you are enjoying reading my blogs, please "follow" me. I love hearing from you, so please write comments or email me, and forward my blog to friends. Hey check out my Yoga DVD. It is an easy to follow Yoga program with inspirational messages of self-love. www.yogawithosharay.com

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: ONLY $10 FOR YOU CAN DO IT YOGA DVD

Write to me osharay@yahoo.com and I will give you my address where you can send your check. Can purchase on website for sale price once it is changed there.

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Colorful Fall

Happy Friday, everyone. You know, I almost talked myself out of writing today. It seems there is a never ending list of those types of calls to be made to straighten out problems. When I read yesterday’s mail this morning, I learned that $185 was automatically taken out of our checking acct. for our car insurance which I had already cancelled in order to get insurance here in TN. By the time I got that done and added new payees to my online bill pay, I was not in the mood to start fresh, first thing in the morning and write, but I thought of the cute pictures I want to post, and because I enjoyed reading your wonderful comments and emails I received last week, I was inspired to write.


Because I live with a musician, I get the added treat every day for a couple of weeks before Halloween listening to Jim practice all of those frightening popular tunes such as Tocata and Fugue in D Minor. On Halloween, we get dressed up in some type of Dracula garb and Jim hauls out his keyboard that sounds like an organ out to the front of our home as he plays and I hand out the candy. That is how we met many of our neighbors when we moved to Florida – two of which became close friends. Hi Ann and Steve

I’m posting pictures we took last week when we went to one of the many pumpkin farms here. This is one we went to in Smyrna. Gosh, was it ever cute. Maybe I don’t get around much, but I have never been through a corn maze. It was intended for children, but I got a kick out of it. It would have been even more fun with my adorable grandchildren. I’m so excited because I will be seeing them, the rest of my family, and my No. Ca. friends for Thanksgiving. Yippee!!

A couple more of the pictures I am posting are from the World Festival we attended a couple of weeks ago at Centennial Park in Nashville. That is some park. Looks like we are in Greece. WOW! Not only were there people from all over the world represented there, but it is that way every day here. This area reminds me of being in San Francisco. We love people from here, there, and everywhere. We are hoping my little stories and pictures will inspire you to visit us. This area is so awesome. I haven’t captured the gorgeous fall colors very well, but hope to do that this weekend. I am including one. Driving home is a pleasure as we gaze at the tree-lined curvy road with multitude of fall foliage.

Since the elections are so close and so very important, I just have to mention a few things. Again, as usual I am really encouraging you to listen to DemocracyNow.org with Amy Goodman, if you are not already, so you can hear interviews and go behind the scenes to learn the truth and not just what is on broadcast news. We are at a very pivotal time now. I recently heard Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winning Economist being interviewed about why our economy is in the state it is in. Just check out Amazon for his latest book, FreeFall: America Free Markets, and The Sinking of the World Economy. I also remember hearing John Jeter speaking about the economy. His most recent book is Flat Broke In the Free Market: How Globalization fleeced working people. I wish I had my list in front of me, but I do have a page filled with books, websites, radio shows, documentaries, movies, etc. where you can learn the truth of what is going on and vote accordingly. If anyone wants me to send that list, please ask, and I will gladly send it to you.

It is so very important that the Tea Baggers and Republicans don’t get back in office. It will take time to get out of the mess Bush made. They are talking about eliminating the minimum wage, and privatizing social security. Imagine if Bush was able to do that as he attempted, then all would have been lost with the stock market crash. I could go on and on, but what they are advocating is darn right frightening. Some of my friends say they are not political or don’t have time for this, but if ever there was a time to get involved it is NOW.

Another thing we can do is sit quietly, breathe, relax and visualize a peaceful world where people are gainfully employed, business is booming, people have affordable, fair health care plans, children are being educated, and we change to sustainable, environmentally friendly ways to live on our planet. Okay, sing along now, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me… tra,la, la, la..

Until next time my friends. Live creatively, love passionately, laugh uncontrollably, and learn constantly.

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Wishing you much love and magical moments.

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Osha is back - My story

Happy Friday, everyone. Howdy, ya'all, as some say in Tennessee. I've been fixin to write for a while, but just too busy to actually do it. I had a few friends call me to see if I was still alive. I haven't emailed or posted on FB for a long time.


OMG - Moving is a full time job!!! I used PODS to move from Santa Barbara to Florida just 2 years ago and it was perfect. This time it turned out to be quite frustrating, irritating, and upsetting. Nothing wrong with PODS. The problem was that even though I sold many things including sofa, book cases, and other big and little things, all would not fit into the PODS. I guess I had acquired more than I thought. We ended up leaving behind a new pillow- top mattress set, bed frame for our bed, oak file cabinet, vacuum cleaner, nice office chair, etc. etc. etc. Okay, I know about simplifying, but easier said than done.

Romeo in car

Even though the professional movers packed the PODS very expertly, they could not fit some essentials in like the base to our dining room table. The chairs and glass top were inside the POD, but without the base, there is no dining room table. Also, left behind was a treasured end table, and 7 foot silk tree. Since we had to have the base of the table, we decided to attempt to take these last three items in our packed to the brim car. There was nowhere else to put these items except for the top of the car. Jim was a genius to figure that out. See the picture of us as the Hillbillies driving on the freeway with a tree on top of our car!!

When we arrived in TN, we found a great hotel suite where we would stay until we found a place to live. It would have been just fine except that Romeo, our cat, loves to roam at night. He has always had a pet door to come and go as he pleases. Since we needed to slide a card just to get into the hotel and swipe the card again to get into our room, it was not possible to easily let him out. His instincts kick in when it becomes dark and he cries, whines, and howls to be let out. Our sweet, quiet cat ended up sounding as if he was possessed by demons as his howling became guttural deep and frightening. Not conducive to our getting a good night’s sleep. We let him out after a few nights of that. But, because he was nowhere to be seen for 3 days, I thought he was gone for good and started grieving my loss, but then he showed up in the parking lot. Once he came back he lost all of his roaming privileges which means we lost our sleeping privileges. Jim was ready to pay for him to be in another hotel room. Not so practical. Jim thought of the solution to our problem. Romeo was going to be in his car at night. It worked. Apparently, Romeo even looked forward to it because he would go into his cat carrier waiting for one of us to take him out.

Our view

My job has been to look for a house to buy. With prices and interest rates so low, we thought we would trust that we will be here for many years and purchase rather than rent. Since living with Romeo in a hotel was not exactly what I would call a joyful experience, my job was to find a home to buy as quickly as possible. First I was taken around for a few days by a sweet real estate lady who found beautiful homes, but not the grand view Jim and I wanted. So I decided to do it my way. The next morning I lit a candle and visualized what our home would look like. I sat in a meditative state for a while then got on the internet to search. I found this house in a new development right after I had breakfast that very morning. It has a vista view of trees and hills and deer that come onto our property. A home in this setting would be in the million dollar range in Santa Barbara, and that is no exaggeration!! Even though Jim liked it a lot, he still wanted me to see if I could find anything better. After looking 8 hours a day, every day for over a week, I could not find a better house with the view ours has. We knew it was the very best one. This home is only 7 minutes to shopping, 20 minutes to Jim's job, 20 minutes to Nashville, and 15 minutes to Percy Priest lake where Jim has his catamaran. Not only is the house amazing, but the realtor, Patty, Krystal, construction supervisor, Aaron, and Rodney, mortgage lender and his associates have all been so exceptionally wonderful. It was an amazing feat how they all worked together to get everything done so quickly for us.

Patty, Jim and me signing papers

I love the woods. There are trees and hills everywhere. It’s very modern with lots and lots of restaurants and stores of all kind. It is much more cosmopolitan than I expected. There are people here from all over the world. And, oh by the way, we went sailing, and it was so serene because the lake is set in a forest.

We are in our new home now and unpacking. Now, that is a whole entire job in itself. As you all know, it is not just opening boxes and deciding where to put everything, but all of the calls that need to be made to start up everything, and countless other things that need to be done. It seems like that would be simple, but it takes hours and is exhausting.

All is great though. Love, really love, love, love our new home and this area. We traded seeing dolphins for deer in our backyard.

I googled yoga classes in Franklin, TN since I was going to be there last Fri. (only 20 min. from my home) I took a class in a wonderful studio with an instructor with a TN accent and was certified from Ananda in Nevada City - where I got my first certification. She was fantastic. I am very enthusiastic about what I plan to do here. In fact, the manager of order taking (forgot her official title) at Jim's work wants me to do their special event for Xmas. She always surprises her team with something for the holidays. She looked at all my websites and saw yoga parties on StretchBreak and asked me to do that for them.

Oh, forgot to mention something most important that makes this all possible. Jim got a fantastic job here and the best part is that he loves his new job, boss, and co-workers.

I will be in No CA for Thanksgiving. I sure wish SB was closer. Don't know if I can swing a trip out that way, but I will keep that option open if possible. We incurred a ton of expenses, but one day, when I visit CA. it will include trips to SB too. I haven’t forgotten my beloved friends in Florida. I will visit ya’all too.

I will end with this. Our neighbor brought us brownies to welcome us to the neighborhood. How sweet is that??

Live creatively, love passionately, laugh uncontrollably, and learn constantly. Until next time, my friends.


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If you are enjoying reading my blogs, please "follow" me and write comments or email me, and forward to friends. Thank you. Wishing you much love and many magical moments. Hey check out my Yoga DVD. It is an easy to follow Yoga program with inspirational messages of self-love.
http://www.yogawithosharay.com/


Love and many blessings,
Osha Ray