And it was Written in the Sand...(Day 1 Recap Coming!)

Working on a recap of day 1 (with lots of great beach and tide pool pics) now. Stay tuned! One tidbit: i didn't end up juicing. But i did eat healthy all day :)

peace, love and progress...

Prog Blog: Days 8 & 9 + Itinerary for Retreat Yourself Day 1!

carrots, apples & ginger. read on...

Even though I still have a ton of work to do tonight in preparation for being out of the office for 2 days (with NO access to email-I'm leaving the blackberry at home! ok, maybe not at home but definitely in the trunk of my car. only for emergencies. don't judge i can't help it. there's a reason they call it a crackberry.) I am SO very excited for RETREAT YOURSELF!! My 2 day mini-retreat kicks off tomorrow morning, and even though it's been cloudy and drizzly here in LA (which i normally LOVE) i'm still looking forward to hitting the great outdoors in Malibu for a workout, some meditation, journaling and general fun and relaxation tomorrow!

Prog Blog: Days 1 & 2

The universe's "pillars of creation," as captured by the Hubble telescope.

soooo...i've been doing some legwork to prepare not only for Retreat Yourself days next week, but LIFEWORK to start making permanent changes in my life. And you know what? It's not all that bad...

Retreat Yourself.

Ok, so we all work hard. And everyone is stressed out about life, love, the environment, whatever it may be. Since most of us don't have the financial resources to go on a yoga or wellness retreat when we need a re-charge or a kick-start for some healthy new habits in our lives, sometimes we need to take matters into our own hands.

Across the Universe: THE REVEAL

Greetings, SundayLA Peeps:

Thanks for participating in the first SundayLA set of clues! Congrats to Jaymi (who also happens to be an amazing photographer) for guessing that this week I was in Little Tokyo. Also, a big shout-out to Yvonne B. via the SundayLA Facebook page for guessing the Ellison S. Onizuka memorial as the reason that there is a space shuttle memorial in the midst of Little Tokyo! Below you can find the geotags for the photos (in the captions), some fun facts about the area, the art and a digital walking tour that you can print out and follow on your own!

Photo 1: Scluptural fountain in the middle of Astronaut E. S. Onizuka Street in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Click here to see this exact location on a satellite map. 

Photo 2: Friendship Knot by Shinkichi Tajiri, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Click here to see this exact location on a satellite map.

Photo 3: A model of the lost Space Shuttle Challenger, in which Astronaut Onizuka launched on his second and final space mission. Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Click here to see this exact location on a satellite map.

History:


Photo 2: The Friendship Knot
At the entrance of Onizuka Street at San Pedro and 2nd Street, you'll see the Friendship Knot by Shinkichi Tajiri. Tajiri was born in Watts, California to 1st generation Japanese parents. He is known worldwide for his knot sculptures and has been classified by some as an "abstract surrealist". This particular sculpture was presented to the City of Los Angeles on August 5, 1981 as a bicentennial gift and intended as a symbol of unity between the Japanese and American cultures.


Photo 3: Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka/Challenger Memorial
Hawaiian-born astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka was the first Asian American in space, and flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery as a mission specialist before perishing in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1984. Before being selected for NASA, Onizuka was on active duty in the US Air Force.


Here's a great digital guide for a walking tour through Little Tokyo.


And here is a link to a great Little Tokyo Visitor's Guide.


See you next Sunday in LA!

Across the Universe: Where in LA?

Photo Clue #1 of 3. Check back later for the answers and a link to this location on a satellite map!

Happy Sunday! Surely you are just rolling out of bed, wondering if it's actually worth it to get up and face the real world just for the sake of some caffeine. Only you can answer that for yourself, but I can tell you that I sure am glad I ventured out, because downtown when it rains is simply lovely (and thank goodness I ventured out yesterday morning and snapped the photos for today's blog, because lovely as the rain is, it makes most tasks at hand slightly more difficult).

Photo Clue #2 of 3. Check back later for the answers and a link to this location on a satellite map!

Photo Clue #3 of 3. Check back later for the answers and a link to this location on a satellite map!

The first photo clue above is a bit abstract and meant to set the mood (much like a Jane Austen novel but in far fewer words; homegirl took like 2 pages to describe some trees). I love the crystal clear reflection in the water and the angles in the stonework juxtaposed with the rays of the sun. The next two photo clues capture sculptures in the same area. See if you can tell me where these photos were taken, and if you know what the sculptures are!

HINT: The title of each week's blog post will always contain some sort of obscure clue as to the theme of the photographs. Think Jeopardy! clue meets blogger post titles. 

If you don't know, don't worry! Just enjoy the photos and I will post answers later today along with fun facts, links to the exact satellite map locations and some fun links if you want to visit the area.

GO LAKERS! :)