Joe Dispenza

We had the great opportunity to do a workshop with Joe Dispenza at The Crossings. Joe gained fame for his role in the movie "What The Bleep Do We Know?" Joe dealt with the bio-chemistry of the mind & body, & how it creates memories, habits, attitudes, & behaviours. He then worked with practical applications to change them. He is a fantastic speaker: energetic, articulate, generous. He traveled 200 days last year, to help people, his real mission. I had read his book & so looked forward to meeting him. He exceeded all my expectations. Thanks, Joe.

The Crossings

We went to The Crossings for a workshop & found a wonderful eco-conscious learning center, with great food, a beautiful spa & grounds. The Crossing's 200 acres & hiking trails rest in the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, which the founders, Ken & Joyce Beck, helped to create. The Becks have built a super-green enterprise, including a cutting edge water reclamation system. While, yes, there is a beautiful spa, the Becks' vision is for a learning center, & they have a roster of great workshops. The buildings are built with Texas limestone & have a theme that echos New England & the Romanesque! The Sidalgo Sanctuary is a beautiful & very special building, that reflects the approach of the Crossings & is unique among its competitors, even the more expensive ones! We will go back.

Il Divo

Il Divo was the standout film among the five we saw at the FFF. Superbly directed by Paolo Sorrentino, it had great acting, pacing and cinematography. It is the story of the often reviled Italian politican Gulio Andreotti. Sounds boring, but the way the material was handled was captivating. Somehow they presented this great villain with a compassionate hand, while accusing him of murders, manipulation, fraud. The actors who played Andreotti, Toni Servillo, and his faction were each perfect for their very different parts. It reminded me of The Lives of Others, but with gorgeous Italian cinematography!

Jon Voight at Florida Film Festival

We watched Midnight Cowboy at the FFF and heard Jon Voight interviewed for over an hour. He made very insightful and intelligent observations about the art of film making, and told lots of great stories, often with wonderful humor. Afterwards, he talked individually with people & of course signed autographs. He seemed to be a very thoughtful person, in every sense of the word.

PInk Lemonade Stand

Victoria Petrucelly's Pink Lemonade Stand is a big success! This morning there were lots of people & TV coverage! All proceeds are being donated to the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Victoria & her friend Jesse had long planned a lemonade stand. When her mother, Angela, was diagnosed with breast cancer, they decided to make it a PINK lemonade stand. Angela left us on Valentine's Day, and her memory is alive and well! Way to go, Victoria!

Wake

Angela's wake was a wonderful celebration of this extraordinary woman. Reid prepared three fantastic bulletin board sized photo collages of Angela's life. We all stood looking at them in amazement, laughing & crying. Angela is very photogenic & the photos captured her energy. For two hours, her friends and family poured out their hearts with wonderful stories & tributes. A big highlight was her three grade school friends and fellow cheerleaders from Long Island, christened "the Divas" by Victor. Angela's high school cheer leader jacket hung on the wall. Father John, the penultimate Irish priest who got to know Angela during her illness, summed it all up, "She deserved heaven more than earth."

Angela

Our dear friend Angela left us on February 14 after a brutal struggle with cancer and infections that wracked her body. She hopefully is in Light and Peace now. Angela was my truest, dearest friend. She was the Rock of Gibralter as COO/CFO of DRZ, and chief counselor to 30 people there who loved her and relied on her. She was the true Super Mom, somehow making costumes and baking theme cakes on top of her demanding job. She was a bright light who touched everyone around her. My wishes for healing and peace to her husband Reid, her young children Victoria and Vincent and her mother, father and family.