Many years ago, our two younger sons acquired their very own parakeets at the same time. Eric nurtured his bird, played with it, taught it tricks and called it Puff–who went on to live 14 wonderful years. Mark-the-Younger at the age of 13 basically ignored his little bird in favor of girls, motorized scooters and the like. I would go into Mark’s room to clean the un-named bird’s cage or check on food and water levels– all while the bird squawked and flitted around the cage trying to avoid me. Sweet talk and my chirping did no good. This green parakeet wanted nothing to do with me or any other human. This bird was, at the least, psychotic.

Or so I had diagnosed it.

So what to do with an anti-social and apparently very angry bird? Is there a rescue shelter for parakeets?

I knew of no shelters, so plotted a plan of lesser evil one evening.

The next morning I spent at least 30 minutes chasing this little bird around the cage trying to capture it gently into my fist. At last I succeeded, suffered a few bites, and managed to get this green parakeet into a brown paper bag.

I quickly twisted the top shut, dropped it gently into my oversized handbag and jumped into the car. The bird was silent as I drove to the nearest PetSmart in Encinitas. I parked and walked like a normal shopper into the Big Box pet store. Feeling guilty, I sauntered over by the empty fish aisle, all the while keeping an eye out for cameras and security personnel. Seeing neither, l pulled out the brown paper bag and whispered a little prayer as I untwisted the bag, looking around one more time to see if anyone was looking–and set that little bird free. It immediately flew toward the ceiling as I stuffed the paper bag back into mine. I sauntered over to the dog food, glanced up at the ceiling and saw this little green bird flitting around. Someone would surely see it and assumed one of their parakeets had escaped from a cage..

Or so I imagined.

As soon as possible I exited the store. And breathed a big sigh of relief. This was a trip that resulted in a store ending up with excess inventory as a result of my visit. And is a story we still chuckle over occasionally. And I like to imagine that this little green parakeet found a home more suited to his or her hostile approach to the world.

And so I learned an important and alternative lesson in life: If you hate it, set it free.

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Last night, we returned from Anthony Robbins 4-day “Unleash the Power Within” event in Dallas. I had attended with two of my sons–Scott and Mark–and was open to whatever learning, changes and friendships I might absorb and make.

The event delivered on all fronts.

As we drove home from the San Diego airport hungry for dinner, we stopped off at Jimbo’s Market and picked up some organic lettuce, brocolli and a bottle of refrigerated Udo’s Oil. Normally, we would have grabbed a bag of fish tacos or some other fast food and vanquished hunger pangs quickly. This time, we concocted a crisp green lettuce, tomato, brocolli and black bean salad topped with Udo’s Oil blended with fresh garlic, lemon, a dash of Furikake, sea salt and pepper. Oh–and we added a little portion of smoked salmon.

I also drank about 64 ounces of water during the journey home. (Another unusual behavior).

I awoke early this morning, did some breathing exercises and decided it feels good to be in an alkaline state. My batteries feel charged and something feels different as I start this day.  It’s not yet 7 a.m. (I was up at 5) and I am going through notes from the UPW event. Here is a random assortment:

• Limited experiences create a limited life.
• Change the way you think and change your life in a snap.
• The only limits in life are those we impose on ourselves.
• Rejection breeds obsession.
• Quality of life is quality of emotions.
• The only thing keeping me from what I want is the story I keep telling myself about why I can’t have it. It’s the story that screws us up.
• Change is never a mattter of ability. It is always a matter of motivation.
• The past does not equal the future–unless you live there.
• It’s in your moments of decision that your destiny is determined.
• Life will always pay what you ask of it. ASK and you will receive.
• You are your rituals.
• Conditioning is how I get myself to follow through.
• Dance with your fears. Engage them.
• Change your state, change your life. Wherever focus goes, energy follows.
• Want to change your life? Change who you spend time with.
• Good is the enemy of great.
• Complexity is the enemy of execution.
• You can’t manage something you can’t measure (or as I’ve heard don’t expect what you can’t inspect).
• Demand more of yourself than anyone can possibly imagine. Compete with the best you can be.
• Think: “Victory is near!” anytime you are feeling down.
• Raise your standards, change your life.
• All beliefs carry with them consequences.
• Interrupt someone’s patterns and you change the person.
• You get what you tolerate.
• Does God grow? The start of the Bible is different from the end.
• Success leaves clues. Study the sucessful. Sow the same seeds, reap same rewards. (Maybe)

These are some note snippets taken during the four day event–which I would highly recommend to just aboout anyone. This morning, thanks to the experience, I have vowed to afford little time to those things that are beyond my control and contribution.

I can help feed the hungry, I can share kindness, I can write. I cannot change those bent on terrorism, the drug cartels–or someone who has no desire to change for the better. Henceforth, I’ll have less or time-limited focus on news (will still vote!), will avoid political/religious/social arguments with others, and will cease bitching about weather, traffic and the price of oil.

Thanks for the encouragement, Tim Hurja. You made a difference.

Life is good. I want to make it better. —Roberta Murphy

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Lately, have been thinking about the fact that I am tracked by Google almost everywhere I go–as long as my cell phone or tablet is with me.

To the left, you can see results from an amazing program I discovered yesterday at Junkee, and mental wheels are turning. Panic hasn’t set in, but that’s probably because I’m a law-abiding citizen and really don’t have anything to hide. But still….

Like most of you, my cell phone is rarely far from me–unless I happen to drive off and accidentally leave it at home.  And that’s a panic-inducing event. But to have Google tracking steps and stops in my own home (just zoom in!) or where I wander on Sunday hikes? Something short of panic might be my feeling of unease–and uncertainty.

The intrusiveness of not only Google, but the NSA, IRS, the HCA and other three-lettered government agencies is beginning to chafe at our collective psyches. And with new apps and programs, we can see what may be going on behind the scenes–and sometimes dish it out ourselves (or so we think).

I use a little program called YesWare that tracks my outgoing email. It supposedly allows me to see when an email is opened by the recipient. That may be true, but what is more interesting is that a local Carlsbad, CA email might show it being opened in Mannassas, VA,  Germany, Amsterdam, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the world. I have changed email passwords to no avail.

It it the NSA? Foreign hackers? A buggy program?

These things are a concern and raise alarm bells about fundamental rights to privacy. On the other hand, if I were kidnapped with my phone I would be tracked by Google and could be easily found.

Email is another story.

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The Elegance of Venetian Plaster

When first entering this newer San Diego luxury home, we were amazed by its wall and ceiling finishes. Walking slowly from room to room, one can run fingers over the cool burnished walls and the gray stone door arches. The touch is smooth and cool. Even the ceilings and dome gave the impression that we had indeed been transported to a Venetian villa.
Had we not known the artisan responsible for this masterpiece, we would never have guessed an underlying truth: These walls were nothing more than standard drywall that had been transformed by a clever Polish home painter and artist who specializes in exquisite surface finishes.

Greg Sieminski explains that Europeans have been creating beautiful walls for centuries utilizing limestone plasters softly colored with natural elements. He
studied these walls in Mediterranean countries, and wondered how the rich, aged patina could be duplicated in fine San Diego homes. It took several years, but Greg was able to perfect his replications of fine Venetian plaster to the delight and amazement of his clients.

So just how is Venetian plaster made? Greg explained that the 1300 year-old process starts with the selection of special limestone from Italian quarries and rivers. The limestone is then fired in a large and very hot kiln, which causes chemical changes within the limestone itself. The result? The super-heated stones turn to putty when placed in water. The painter goes on to describe how this putty is wet-seasoned for up to a year before being processed as a finishing plaster.

The end result, says Greg, is a finely milled limestone putty that is even finer than face powder. This cultivated material can be further embellished with finely-ground marble, which yields an ancient building material that can be burnished to a low sheen or rubbed to a high polish. Additionally, he will occasionally add granular material so that he can recreate stone finishes.

Venetian plaster, he explains, is not faux painting, as hobbyists commonly refer to this style of painting. The product is not paint. It is an old finishing technique that works well in contemporary homes. He adds that Venetian plaster can be used outdoors as well, with few limitations.

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