I have been making a lot of changes in the last several months. Here they are in abbreviated for as a way to give context for the next wave of changes I am making.

• One of the biggest has been dietary - I made the shift to vegetarianism on 9/11/07. This was an intentionally chosen date that made sense in relationship to the many issues that seem to contribute to global conflicts. I am not suggesting a direct link between a hamburger and the destruction witnessed on THE 9/11. I do suggest that a general lack of personal accountability or connectedness to the ramifications of our actions seems to dominate much of human behavior resulting in global threats to living systems and beings - including our own. I wont offer a treatise on vegetarianism here, but will instead say that for me it was finally time to make the switch, and it has been one of the best things I have ever done for myself.
  
• I increased the times I am seeing various coaching/therapy professionals. I am currently working with two. One for primarily professional coaching, helping me to be a better leader, manager and biz partner as well as to improve my efficiencies and effectiveness in the work I do. The second relationship it a with a woman who offers a combination of therapy, spiritual guidance, meditation training and art as meditation. She is an amazing painter and also a born energy worker - I know that sounds a bit new agey, but whatever it works :) These relationships, combined with the vegetarianism helped me climb out of some depression I was suffering from
  
• I also created some boundaries between work and home in order to preserve the special time I want to spend with my daughter Raine and my wife Zoe.
  
• I have entered into a return to my artistic endeavors which I set aside increasingly over the last six years as I build my business SweetRush. This is taking two forms so far. The first is using watercolor paper and exploring different inks, natural dyes, brushes and pens. The second is something I have never worked in before - cabinet of curiosity here is more about them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_curiosities One famous cabinet of curiosity artist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cornell - . I am thinking about taking pictures of them as they evolve but still need to set up a place where I can leave them up at all times.
  

As for the New Year, well I couldn't resist making more changes. I have GONE VEGAN!!! Yes, I feel so good for doing this. Again, I wont get into the diatribe, but simply say, it makes me feel good to do this. It makes me feel closer to my focus this year - LIFE. Life in all its glory and as a center to my value system - this is the direction of my transformation these days, and veganism is definitely a big step towards this.

I am also moving more towards RAW - I am now soaking, dehydrating and sprouting on a daily basis and the metaphor that Renee Loux http://www.reneeloux.com/ writes about in her Living Cousine book is so true - KITCHEN FARMING. Love it.

OK, off to the farm now - until later...

Life and Good Things,

Andrei

as part of my switch to veganism, I have begun to sprout my own seeds and beans.  so far i hav e sprouted red clover, broccoli, adzuki and lentils.  pictured here are lentils - they are VERY tasty.  I have a few very unlikely people very interested in this dietary direction.  very cool.  i am going to say this as a tiny quiet whisper....  i think veganism could cure most of the world's problems.   their i said it, but i said it here where almost no one will see it and think i am a lunatic.  lunatic or no -  i think i am coming to believe this.  

ok so i am getting serious and have many sprouting and dehydrating projects going simultaneously.  i think i am beginning to get the hang of the kitchen farming.  Included are (all organic) oranges, raw almonds and cashews, adzuki bean sprouts (4 days), alfalfa sprouts (1.5 days), radish sprouts (1.5 days), soaked rye berries, apples and toasted hemp seeds (for protein).  for lunch I had roasted squash which i roasted this weekend in olive oil, pepper and garlic.  I also took two bunches of beet greens and sauteed with garlic.  Very tasty and I feel a little buzz right now after just having finished them.  Mmmmm food high... la la la... slurp

Organic rice, khim chee, hemp seeds.  simple clean and nourishing.

All organic - hemp seeds, apples, pecans, grapefruit, inca berries