Apache, My Calico Cat 04-24-1996 to 11-28-2011

Apache joined me and Muffy, my other cat, in 1996 and we became a family of three. We lived in West Hollywood, California then. A year later, we drove up to Ashland, Oregon to begin my life as a full-time artist. They were the Heartful Art cats, and today is the end of an era. Muffy passed into Spirit during the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, shortly before moving to the Gulf Coast of Florida later that month. Apache passed from my arms into the Heart of God this afternoon. During the past 17 years, my cats and I moved dozens of times and through it all they were by my side and adapted to whatever came next. From Ashland we went to the San Francisco Bay Area. What loyal creatures they are. Big hearts. Faithful companions. Soft fur. Love in a purr. I will miss Apache most in the nighttime when she came close to be with me. I send my love and light for the highest good to both of my beloved felines, but at this time, especially to Apache who is free now in Spirit. Namaste.
- Raphaella Vaisseau

I Can Do It! Tampa 2011 - Part One: Marianne Williamson

As promised, I Can Do It! Tampa energized my mind, body and spirit. I attended the 3-day conference with my friends, Joanie and Elaine. We stayed at the Marriott, across the street from the Tampa Convention Center where we enjoyed a 12th floor view from our balcony and comfy beds. Happy for our girlfriend time together and anticipating enlightenment, we attended keynote speakers, various conference workshops, and breakout sessions, and rejoiced in the inspiration available to us. After each event, we shared our insights and breakthroughs over salad, oatmeal, or rice curry and vegetables.

My three-day journey began on 11-11-11 with an all-day workshop with Marianne Williamson. Her newest book, A Course in Weight Loss, offered sound advice, practical exercises and plenty of revelations to me personally. I immediately saw the wisdom of embracing healthier eating, and intend to work through the book’s 21 chapters on my own, or with a small group of women in Venice starting in January 2012.

Marianne taught us that “every moment gives us an opportunity to rise to the occasion of our higher selves” and challenged us to consider “any thought that is not love is fear” and “any thought that does not support my perfection is an attack.” Throughout the three days of the conference this theme in different words was interwoven from various speakers as a deeper understanding of the importance of self love.

That first morning in Tampa, as I listened and participated in the Course in Weight Loss exercises, I felt a shift within me. My journey of self-love and conscious healing of my inner child began forty years ago in the seventies when I found a path to spiritual awakening. Yet, here in this workshop with Marianne Williamson, another layer of onion was being peeled; another petal of the perpetually opening lotus blossom opened, and I glimpsed further within.

Already the price of the conference admission was worth it, and I had just begun.
-Raphaella Vaisseau
P.S. Click here for slide show of my 3-day experience at I Can Do It! Tampa, November  11-13, 2011

Shop Etsy.com for Holiday Gifts from Artists Around the World

Here's a selection of art I've discovered on Etsy.com celebrating amber, gold, brown, metal, wood, glass, and all earthly treasures.

Click HERE to view it live on etsy or click on individual pictures within the Treasury to view selected items. Have fun!!! Of course, I also have my own Heartful Art on Etsy as well. -Raphaella Vaisseau

New Fe Bailey PSA from Tropical Healing: What can you do to reduce plastic consumption?

Fe Bailey's new Tropical Healing PSA video (below), "What Can You Do To Reduce Plastic Consumption?" states that "we all have the choice, power, and responsibility to reduce plastic consumption." This is something I have been more and more committed to in recent months since I learned that recycling simply isn't taking care of the problem. Conscious people have been carefully recycling for decades, believing we are making a positive difference in our world. Yet much of the plastic we think is being recycled is not. Some is down cycled or simply shipped to third world countries.

I discovered this while listening to an interview with Annie Leonard about her book, The Story of Stuff. Here's a link to one of  Ms. Leonard's videos: The Story of Bottled Water.

As this relates to the Tropical Healing PSA below, The Story of Bottled Water also answers the question, What can you do? In the notes below the video is this suggestion: "Before the bottled water craze hit, we took it for granted that public fountains were part of any public building: schools, offices, sports stadiums and parks. Let's bring them back! In the U.S., many state building codes mandate that there be one source of public water for every 1000 people the building has capacity for. Why not subsidize public water fountains as part of local efforts to build green?"

As for me, personally, what I've done (am doing) is using cloth bags for groceries, and I fill glass water bottles to have in my fridge and to bring with me instead of buying the little disposable plastic bottles. It takes an extra effort and planning ahead, but it's working for me and I feel good about it. Next step for me: I will discontinue using plastic merchandise bags even if they claim to be made with recycled bottles, and switch instead to paper bags.

Please share your thoughts and comments about this and your actions and ideas about reducing plastic consumption in your life. Bravo to Fe Bailey and her crew for making this film, and to Annie Leonard for her work on reducing consumption in many areas of our lives. Thank you to both of these women for their proactive contributions to making a better planet for us all.
-Raphaella Vaisseau