La Mariana Sailing Club

La Mariana Sailing Club
Originally uploaded by jericl cat

To those who rush through life

City cars go by, street buses arrive and depart, people walk to and fro. Does it ever stop? A baby bird falls from its nest in the middle of a bustling city. Does anyone stop to notice? Do you have time? Will the bird die from the negligent foot that accidentally steps on it?

When time has passed, it can never be retrieved. We are only left with memories that keep the past fresh. Children grow up, friends move away, food gets moldy, people get old. What will you do when time has escaped you? Was your time worth it?

Live today like you’ll never have another. Cherish the moment and experience the laughter in those around you, friend or stranger. Never harbor negative feelings for negative energy manifests and multiplies. Sweet success, joy and satisfaction is around you. Do you see it? Don’t let the rushing of life pass you by. Once it’s gone, it will be gone.

To those who love animals

To those who love animals, may your heart smile with glee each time you see a companion show excitement and love. Animals possess the capability of non-judgement; something of which we have yet to learn. Let the heart sing with each tail wag, meow, paw and purr. Should we allow ourselves to be so compassionate as they, the world would indeed become a better place.

Help others recognize that this is a gift for us to share. Be not judgmental that others do not follow suit, only encourage that they too will find this gift when the day comes.

To those who are divorced

The heart sinks with pain; drops to the ground and makes a big thud. You fear that life will never be the same, but the truth is that it will if you allow it to. Pain and suffering is a moment in time where you feel lost, hopeless and out of control. As you’ve learned to enjoy happiness, learn to accept the pain. For it is in this moment that you will remember that you are human. Allow yourself to cry from within, to yearn for love and security. The moment you accept that nothing is permanent you will notice that things may go by easier and quickly. Learn not to fight yourself, only the circumstances.

The day will come where love and glory shall return. Have hope. For you are human.

To those are are young and free

Smile in the moment and remember that you are here. be open minded, loving and worthy of friendship. Know that everything surrounding you is an opportunity to learn and grow, that one day when that time comes, you must grow up. Enjoy the moments of blessed warmth, carefree love. You are the master of your own universe. Your heart is vibrant and emanates with hope, success and opportunity. It won’t last forever.

To those who are bored

Seek the sacred space in-between and cherish the moments in the past, present and future. To have and hold is the divine secret of being. Fear not that time shall escape you, for you are granted significant amount of time to fulfill your duty. Ask of yourself, do you live to play or play to live.

As time stands still, you will hear the messages within. Be not angry, hasty or aggressive that you are tiresome. For you have simply not leaned to listen to your inner voices. Had heard it, you would not be bored.

Stand still and listen to the air. Listen to its song. Do you hear the silence? Do you feel the peaceful serenity? You are alive. Don’t waste another moment... do something fulfilling and rewarding. Now.

Getting lost.

I was driving down to Bouchon last night, a fancy french restaurant, when I got lost and ended up going the wrong way. If you know how I travel, I actually like getting lost because I stumble upon interesting things off the beaten path. Well, I ended up at the Yountville cemetary and I had to stop! For some reason, I am drawn to older cemetaries. There is a lot of history behind the people who lived there and I like to read their names, find out when they died.

I got out of my car and brought my camera. It's a little plot of land, empty with maybe a few birds swooping in and out. When I entered the cemetary I immediately knew that I was drawn here, but I didn't know why. With hands reached out, palms facing up, I let the earth guide me to what it wanted me to see. I felt a tug on my right hand and knew I had to turn right. I walked in that general direction, not knowing exactly where I had to go so I kept asking "Where?"

As I walked through the various graves, I started to feel sensations on my feet. The best way to describe it is when someone puts their hand on your foot and you feet the warmth of their hand. That's what it felt like. Then I felt it on my ankle, up my calf. I instinctively knew that the spirits were reaching out to me. I continued walking and felt the spirits holding my hands. Three fingers on my right hand started to curl, like a child had grabbed my hand but wasn't big enough to wrap it around my palm. I acknowledged it. I soon walked to a grave that had a faded yellow wrought iron fence around it. I stood there for a moment and allow myself to feel what they were trying to tell me. You won't believe it, but I felt an immense sense of sadness and loss and started to cry. Yep, me crying at a cemetary - Good Lord! I actually forgot to read the grave marker, so I turned back and read it.

A little girl died when she was 7 years old. Her brother died 4 days later, he was 5 years old. How heart breaking is that?

The wind was starting to blow and I wanted to head back to the car, plus I didn't want anyone to see me crying at a gravesite. Mind you, I'm a chinese girl walking around in a white people cemetary. That'd be an odd sight! As I walked back, I could feel the energy on my hands envelope my entire right hand. Then my wrist. And my arm. And my elbow. They were begging me to stay and wouldn't let go. It reminded me of children who hang on to you when they don't want you to leave; they grasp you harder and tighter, not wanting to let go.

I bid a silent farewell and wondered if I once lived here. I don't know and I'll never know.

Bouchon Bakery Yountville
6528 Washington Street
Yountville, California 94599
Phone: 707.944.2253
Fax: 707.754.4122
Open everyday, 7:00am to 7:00pm

Pioneer Cemetery

Lincoln St & Jackson St,
Yountville, CA
(707) 967-9980‎

Woah, take it easy boy!

June 6 & 7th, 2009

Saturday came and went; I was so exhausted from the day before that I slept in until 10am. Lauren & I cooked breakfast (see attached) and sat on the outdoor patio and enjoyed the warm sunshine. The dogs were rolling around frolicking in the grass, while we sipped our hot coffee. What a beautiful day!

I've been thinking about the last few days which have been a whirlwind - the people I've met, places I've been to in a mere 7 days. Is this a sign that I'm meant to be here? Am I supposed to stay here and develop my calling?

I don't know. I'm too tired to think.... maybe I'll write more on Monday.

June 8th, 2009
I'm still tired; woke up at 9am and tried to get my act together. I have some work that needs to be done so chances are I will be staying at home. Nothing fun to report.

Like silver and gold.

June 5th, 2009

Like silver and gold. Those were the words that were used to describe friendships, love and celebration of a birthday among friends local to St. Helena. To the end of the night at Cheers! St. Helena, I stumbled upon Rory who invited me to join him at Cook, a restaurant up the street. There, I met and hung out with some of the most fabulous and sincere people in the world. In mere minutes, we were debating spiritualism, life and death - something which had taken me over 10 years to develop in Los Angeles.

I am continually amazed by the sincerity of the locals, welcoming everyone with open arms and non-judgement. I feel as if this is the place that I have been asking for over the last few years. In comparison, it has taken me 10 years in Los Angeles to develop friendships that took me 5 minutes to make here in Calistoga. Call it a tourist town, but there's really something different about it. People don't ask me what I do, they ask me who I am - who is the true Sonya Lee?

And you know, the answer to that is that I am in love with being where I am at the moment. I love being "here". I don't mean here as in a physical location, but here as a moment in time. I love being "here".

The rest of the day will be considered a wash. I spent $250 to attend Auction Napa Valley and tasted some of the finest (in barrel) wines in the world. It was unfortunate to have ended that event with a proposition as bold as "Hey, do you want to make out", mimic in slurred speech. Needless to say, I left very quickly.

But to be honest, there's something real about the people here in Napa. Call it bold, brave, honest and truthful, but I feel like I am able to truly be who I am. Yes, you can create yourself anywhere as long as you are honest to yourself. But, it always gets easier when you are readily accepted and welcomed.

I feel welcome here in Napa. Do you?

Napa Valley Vintners/Auction Napa Valley
www.napavintners.com/anv/


Cheers! St Helena
www.cheerssthelena.com

You never know!

June 4th, 2009

Much to my chagrin, I never heard back from Jim at Domaine & Chandon, so I was a bit disappointed that Lauren & I wouldn't be going to the 'sold-out' private cocktail party the winery was hosting. But, nonetheless I knew I had work to catch up on and had to continue working on my business plan. I spent much of my day at The Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co; a local coffee house that roasts and serves great coffee. Sitting there, I pondered what kind of person I'd be had I stayed in my previous marriage. My ex was never supportive of my freelance endeavors and told me I'd never succeed outside a job. Well pooh on him. I'm so relieved that I've taken the path less chosen, even if people don't call me back. Who knows what I would have been like? I'm here now and that's all that matters.

I was still feeling a little bit disappointed that my connection to the wineries was a bit fuzzy and again, I wasn't sure how my business idea would all pan out. But, as God has plans it always works out miraculously in the end. Matt has also been trying to figure out how and when he is going to visit me too, but since he has to work I guess we'll just wait and see.

After a quick lunch at Giugni's, I decided to head back home and call it quits. Plus, I had to get ready for a locals game of bocce ball, which I'd never heard of before. Interestingly enough on my drive home, I heard my cellphone jingling. I picked it up only to realize it was Jim, the winemaker, who wanted to know if I was still interested in the cocktail party. You bet your butt I am! I couldn't wait to tell Lauren the good news. She loves that bubbly stuff.

At 6pm, we met up with a few people that Rory introduced me to at the bocce ball game. Apparently, the locals get together after work every night at the park to play ball, drink, sing karaoke and then do it all over again. There was Sean & Michael (not together) who both sell wine at Napa Valley Farms. Who would say no to a day of fun? We did.

Shortly thereafter, we headed over to Domaine & Chandon, and boy, were there lots of girls wearing skimpy dresses in cold weather. Lauren & I kept chuckling about how women always pay the price for beauty while men get off wearing jeans and sports jackets. Luckily for us, we arrived wearing pants and flat shoes. We sat our butts down, enjoyed the food from the 4 star restaurant attached to the winery and didn't think much of the party or the mixed champagne cocktails. Jim found me chatting it up with an old couple and enthusiastically introduced me to few folks from the winery, including the sparkling wine maker, PR lady and someone else I can't remember. They were all very interested in hearing about my business idea and kept insisting that we get together to chat sometime.

While walking through the crowds, Lauren & I ended up chatting with a few people who surprisingly, turned out to be a chef at Bouchon, a gardener for French Laundry, and a former CPA turned pastry chef. I'm finding that the reoccurring theme here in Napa is that its important to enjoy what you do and love where you are. None of these boys are originally from Napa. The evening ended with a quick bite at Bottega where the boys seemed to know the right people. A chef even came out to say hello and ask us ladies if we needed anything else. Lauren quickly jumped at that and replied, "Oh, yes please! Something chocolate-ly would be great!". It turns out that chef was Michael Chiarello, himself. What a great night, yeah?

Domaine Chandon Winery
1 California Dr,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 944-2892‎

Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Co‎
1400 Oak Ave,
St Helena, CA‎
(707) 963-4491‎

WF Giugni & Son Grocery Co
1227 Main St,St Helena, CA‎
(707) 963-3421‎

Bottega‎
6525 Washington St,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 945-1050‎

Bouchon Restaurant‎
6534 Washington St,
Yountville, CA‎
(707) 944-8037‎

French Laundry Restaurant
6640 Washington St,
Yountville, CA
(707) 944-2380‎