Spiritual transport

You've lived in Sebastopol for a long time when you receive a text from someone in an ambulance, and you believe you read they are "in an abundance..."  I was thinking, an abundance of what?

A comment on Sebastoblog's sister column (about consciousness):
Don't forget my personal favorite "Conscious Roommate Wanted."  I can never decide whether that sets the bar too high, or too low!

In Whole Foods:  "We can't bring her pop tarts made with acai berries.  She's never going to go for that!"

Facebook status updates: 
"You know how you know you live in Sebastopol?  Wherever you go it smells like pot and patchouli oil."
"Chillin' on my bench downtown watchin' this old hippie try to light his joint with a magnifying glass.  Only in Sebastopol..."
(Apparently he was successful.)

A text to a local after her brother-in-law visited:  "Land of the hipsters, wine tasters and last stand of the old school hippies."

A friend, having tried to do a voice group text, glanced down frustrated at the mangled names of her co-workers.  "Goddamn Sebastopol and all of these hippie names!"

My co-worker (decidedly un-west county) informed everyone he had reached "a new low" by driving through Sebastopol in a Prius.

"I cannot do math, I just got out of yoga."
"I can't really do math any time."
"I'm fine with math, except right after yoga.  I also can't handle listening to NPR."

I was chatting with a woman while waiting outside a class for my niece.  The conversation turned to local preschools and kindergarten.  She noted at one point, "It's like it becomes a political statement. 'We are Waldorf.  We are not Waldorf.'  Do we really have to figure all that out by the age of three?!"


License plates:
INSPYR U
DUK DWN
RD HAWK
AGL WINGS






www.facebook.com/sebastoblog/

Mere recycling

At Community Market:
"If I hear one more time that Mercury is in retrograde!  I don't want to know.  Tell me when it's OUT of retrograde!"

On Facebook:
"Conscious Ink Manifestation Tattoos feature empowering messages & imagery designed to support you in manifesting your deepest desires!"

A therapist told me about a west county couple who came to see her when she was an intern.  Often the issues between partners are about money or housework or childcare, but this couple caught her off guard when the husband complained, "She just meditates too much.  It's one of the reasons we're here.  It's really become a problem."

"One thing I've learned living here, hippies are not Buddhists.  They have a lot in common but when it comes to bugs and flies, they'll leave their doors open all day and don't care that there are dead flies all over the kitchen.  I tried to explain to [my neighbor] that maybe you shouldn't do something that will end up killing a lot of flies, and he just stared at me, like 'what are you talking about?'  But they don't like it if you bring carrots to a pot luck that aren't organic."

On looking for housing:  "How far does the line go?  You shouldn't be discriminated against for race, religion, etc.  But in Sebastopol you could be discriminated against astrologically.  You could not get housing because you're not the right sign.  'Sorry, can't rent to an Aries.'"

According to a woman I ran into who I knew years ago, it is annoying to have a guy mansplain to you.  However, it is even more annoying to have a guy holy-mansplain.  It's a double whammy, the sexist patronizing coupled with the condescending, "I'm more evolved than thou and therefore must explain to you why you have not evolved as far as I have because you are merely recycling instead of using your own container.  And did I mention how spiritual I am?"

The day after the eclipse I was in a downtown store where a few people were sharing eclipse stories.  A cashier remarked, "Well, it's Sebastopol so it brought a lot of crazies out."
"I don't think you need an eclipse to bring out the crazies around here."


License plates:
WHRLWND
H2O GOD
I GOT THS
MSDMNR

Shout out to Golden Gear Automotive (next to the post office).  Reasonable and good customer service.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/golden-gear-automotive-sebastopol

Intentional and repurposed

The webmaster at Sonoma West Times who sends out a weekly newsletter gets these Sebastopudlian auto responses from people on vacation:
"Autoresponse - off the grid for a bit."
"Away on retreat."

And from a Forestville correspondent:
A few nights ago I got a late night call from a friend who lives a few doors down. For several weeks, she had been living with the knowledge that there was a large black widow spider making itself at home in her guest bathroom. As a Buddhist, she was unwilling to kill it, but she was too scared to play catch and release. Feeling heroic, I donned my elbow length rose-pruning gloves and grabbed a large yogurt container and walked down to her house through the darkness. I could see why she was alarmed. The spider was huge and glistening black and had spun its nice thick web right in the middle of the bathroom. But it was also in a position close to the floor where I figured I could slam the yogurt container down and slide a thick piece of paper underneath. Which I did, but when scooped it up, there was an unfortunate tell-tale smear on the tile.
“I have good news and bad news,” I told her sheepishly. “The good news is I caught the spider. The bad news is I think I killed it.”
“That’s OK,” she said kindly. “It’s all about the intention.”
She noted the spider would probably not agree with that spiritual distinction.

Couple at Retrograde, talking to their young boy about all the music festivals he had been to by the age of two.

From one of my community moles, after reading my very conscious column: 
"I love all the 'repurposed' (that's a new one too) words. 
Trying to stay conscious, despite a lack of sleep. 
Trying to sustain as well."

On a page for a fundraiser:
"Could somebody please drop off reusable bags for the picnic?  This would help out a great deal."
A few days later:
"Other bags besides Whole Foods bags please!  That would be APPRECIATED!  It now looks like we are a making a Whole Foods commercial!"

Bumper sticker:
REFRAIN FROM
CONSCIOUSNESS

Kombucha flavor of the week:  tantric turmeric
"People can't just drink kombucha?  It has to be a tantric experience?!  It has to be the best kombucha you've ever had??"

My friend received a text:  "I saw you park and walk toward Starbucks, what in the world is she going to Starbucks for?? That is not like her! She is ANTI-Starbucks!!  Then figured out you were going to the Kefiry. Makes much more sense, so relieved."

A young child says, "I'm watching tv and I'm not allowed to!" pointing to a yoga DVD that is playing in the background.  Waldorf kid gone wild.

T-shirt of the week:
Que Syrah Syrah

License plates:
JST THS
O SNAAP
NT SHDE
OMG GOP





Sebastoblog has a sister column in Sonoma West Times
http://www.sonomawest.com/sonoma_west_times_and_news/opinion/columns/sebastoblog-conscious/article_87930a7c-786b-11e7-82b5-1b2a305ee841.html

Your purple Prius just gives you away

"I was fine listening to her talk about the group, until she started telling me how enlightened everyone was.  Then my ears automatically shut down.  I've developed this skill by living here for a while."

A text from a friend:  "I'm in Sebastopol getting ready to have lunch and there is a lady at a table passing out samples of a drink called 'How High.'  She says 'it's coffee with super foods' then I heard her telling someone it has essential oils and antioxidants.  Lol.  Only in Sebastopol."

A woman shopping in downtown told me she and her daughter were driving by Screamin' Mimi's and her daughter commented on a Prius parked on the corner.  The mom absently responded something along the lines of, "You're surprised to see a Prius in Sebastopol?"  
To which her daughter replied, "I said I'd never seen a purple Prius, mom.  I know they're all over the place, they're are as many Priuses as trees in Sebastopol!"

Facebook posts:
The most OVERUSED phrase in west county.  "I feel drawn to..."  Second runner up, "Do you feel drawn to...?"

"Orders from Young Living and doTerra arrived on the same day.  
I am so west county!"

Walking through the plaza after getting out of a restorative yoga workshop.  There are several post-Farmers Market straggler groups.  One is drumming.  One is doing slow movement contact yoga/dance (I don't know if this is a thing, I am not sure what to call it).  And then there is the dreadlocked contingency.  

At the Whole Foods deli counter:  "Be careful, those look like burgers.  But they could be veggie patties masquerading as meat."

Word of the week:
aromafave

Chalk graffiti in Sebastopol:  DREAM written on the side of the library.  With a crescent moon next to it.


License plates:
GD GREEF
FESTVAL
B BZZN
1DR N AW (this one took me a moment)







Shout out to Jaiyen Spa (right next to Honey Moon).  Wonderful Thai massage and reflexology. 
http://www.jaiyenspa.com/






www.facebook.com/sebastoblog/

Conscious contraband

A woman went to a yoga workshop which had come highly recommended from a neighbor.  The retreat took place on a beautiful piece of land with large windows in the yoga room over-looking sprawling hills.  Good healthy meals were provided.  The only glitch?  "The yoga teacher kept excusing herself to go in the back and cry."  She learned later the instructor had been engaged and endured a difficult break-up.  Apparently the weekend of the workshop was the same weekend the wedding had been scheduled for.
"She couldn't have picked different dates to do the retreat?" I wondered.
"You would think!  A few people felt too bad for her to ask for her money back, but I had no problem.  I didn't pay three hundred dollars to go watch someone break down practically every time we did child's pose."

A friend of a friend texted me an unusual picture one day.  She knew her thirteen-year old was hoarding something but she wasn't sure what.  She thought it might be cigarettes because he was being secretive about something in his room.  One afternoon she snooped through his closet and discovered a large box hidden behind some clothes.  It was full of unused recyclable and compostable containers.  Dozens of them and all different kinds.  "I know there are worse things a teen could be hiding.  But I just really don't know what to make of it!!"  

From co-workers in our Sebastopol office:
"Should we do a minute of silence to ground?"
"How about two minutes?"
"Whoa!  Gettin' crazy!"
"That's how we administrators get crazy."
"That's how Sebastopolians get crazy!"
This reminded me of being at our main office at my former job, and several of us sort of watching a group of therapists doing a guided mediation at the beginning of their meeting.  It had been going on for over ten minutes.  One of our directors hissed, "I can't believe they are all getting paid for this!"

"What's wrong with hugging?"
"Nothing.  It's just when eleven people you don't know hug you at one event, then it gets kind of old."

At my yoga class a fellow classmate and I were talking about dance classes.  Our teacher came in and said facetiously, "Next week, restorative hip hop.  That's a class I do."
Other possible hybrids that were discussed:  Hatha swing, vinyasa salsa and Bikram ballroom dance.

By a food truck at Ives Park last week during the Celtic concert.  My friend and I watch as a worker comes out to the board and erases one word.  We realize it was "vegan" from the "vegan mushroom sandwich" on the menu.  We wonder what would cause the sandwich to lose it's vegan status and then laugh, as it seemed like such a "you know you're in Sebastopol" conversation topic.  (As it turned out, they had run out of vegan bread.)

License plates:
BUDDHA2
AIRGASM
SWEET PE
YES SING

Shout out to Retrograde Coffee on Main Street, many good drinks and pastries

http://www.retrograderoasters.com/

Soda guilt

Near Whole Foods, a woman ends up with a bike beneath her car, and an amped up guy is walking toward her.  My neighbors are convinced there is going to be an altercation as something obviously went down.  The two approach each other, move closer to each other... and hug it out.

Two older women near Slice of Life:
"What are you doing in town today, missy?"
"I'm being a hippy for the day."

"He is a very compassionate-based chef."

A co-worker informed me she couldn't believe how frequently I reference Whole Foods in my blog.
"Yes, I used to say my blog was secretly sponsored by Whole Foods because I mentioned it so often."
"Now you could say co-sponsored by Community Market."
"And sometimes subsidized by Milk & Honey."

Words of the week:
Taroscopes
Namaste'ing

Recently I was at the Rialto behind a woman ordering a large Coke.  She made the comment upon being handed the drink, "I feel guilty I ordered a cola with this row of healthy teas staring up at me."

It was late in the evening and my niece was not tired.  She ran around singing, performing and then attempting yoga.  She told me, "I can't go to sleep, I have to do tree pose one more time!"

"Why are people who always talk about how important it is to be grounded usually so ungrounded?"

"The non-Waldorf crowd in Sebastopol... have to rep-re-sent!"

My yoga teacher in Santa Rosa, (jokingly) mocking me:
"I remember when you first came to yoga.  You were walking around like, I'm from Sebastopol.  So I obviously know more about restorative yoga than anyone here!"

A text thread between two locals discussing a healing circle being held for a mutual friend:
(names changed to protect the dismissed)
We could ask Beth to help.  But of course that's only if she could come and not be stoned.
-Maybe we could ask Sharon?  But that would mean she'd actually have to leave her house.
Maybe Celia?
-No, talk about type A!  She would hijack the whole evening!


License plates:
AYM LOVE
MEDIT8
PIGASYS
ROCK STP

Shout out to Laguna Farm and their wonderful CSA boxes!

http://www.lagunafarm.com/

You know the type

Cashier:  "Would you like a receipt?"
Woman in front of me:  "Yes please.  In case I wonder later how much the fresh turmeric was."

A worker in a local coffee shop told me she talked with a couple visiting from the bay area.  She asked if they liked Sebastopol.  The woman replied, "Yes, it's a cute little town.  But way too many calm people."

"The friendly, mild mannered Analy post-Waldorf type of kid.  Very chill, you know the type."

Elsewhere in the county, several of us are discussing gift possibilities for someone turning 40.  A couple of ideas are thrown out there.  I know the woman likes poetry and is beginning a graduate program.  "What about a Saraswati statue?"  I suggest, referring to the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and the arts.  The three of them fall silent and stare at me.  "I'm sorry," I apologize, laughing.  "I forgot I'm not in Sebastopol.  Okay, I'll back up.  Has anyone here ever been to Milk and Honey?"  More blank faces.  "All right... has anyone ever heard of Milk & Honey?  Or Hinduism?"

From an acquaintance who works at a pre-school:
This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
This little piggy had an organic grass-fed burger
This little piggy had none.

1, 2 ... who are you?
3. 4 ... hugs galore
5, 6 ... they're hypocrites
7, 8 ... I can't wait
9, 10 ... to love again!
I asked about the hypocrites.  She responded, "I don't know who 'they' are in 5-6.  I think maybe the neighbors of the family that made this up?  Neighbors who aren't very loving I guess?"

Gwion (local merchant and forest sage) noticed:
"Today in Sebastopol - A young girl, perhaps 4 or 5 years old, stopped to pet the wolf on the mural.  She put her arm around it, pet it and asked what it was looking at." 

"We've got lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint.  All the essential oils greatest hits."

Spiritual bumper stickers:

Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.

Today is a gift.  That's why it's called the present.

License plates:
RVR JOY
BZRD QST
SNOW BLL
MAPL ZIN

It has been suggested to me a number of times to get some local sponsors but I have been reluctant since I believe it's nice to read a blog without ads popping up.  I would like to recommend some local places solely to support local business as my sister was a small business owner for many years.  (I am not receiving anything for these endorsements.) 
My new favorite deli/cafe:
Down to Earth in Cotati
https://www.dtecafe.com