Inspiration

What inspires me?
Here are a few photos of things that inspire me in some way for some reason.
In some cases I could tell you why. Maybe it is an object, color or idea that inspires me.
In other cases I couldn't say. It's a mystery even to me, which makes it even better.

What inspires you?

Q & A: Do you feel satisfied with Where and Who you are, right now?

This is a great question. I believe that as human beings, of course we are always changing and evolving and never necessarily "there," in terms of being done changing and growing and meeting all of our life goals.
On the other hand, what I have found in my own life (and the lives of many friends & acquaintances) is that while certain things in my life might be "right" or "ideal" at any given time, certain things won't. And that list of things is also constantly evolving and changing.
For example, 4-5 years ago, all I wanted was to find love (or a life partner or both,) find a fulfilling career/attain financial stability & find a nice place to live.
I did all of that. I married a wonderful man, found a great job, and (along with our dog Coconut) we have a happy home together.
But!
Although the things I was missing are now fulfilled, there are now NEW things that kind of nag at me that I believe could be better to create a more fulfilled life.
These would be losing weight, getting back into writing, doing my art projects, returning to hula, swimming, etc. These things may seem minor or petty but these are my passions, which have been sort of latent or nonexistent for a while.
So I guess my point is that what you want, or what you feel is missing in life, often changes.
And in the past, when I have spoken about this with friends, most of them feel the same way.
While some things might be going well, other things may not be. And life will probably always be like that.
I think that there's a lot to be said for counting our blessings, and taking small steps to make the changes we are seeking.
But ultimately, there is give and take, and every area of life will never be 100% perfect. So we just have to decide for ourselves at some point when life is finally "good enough." Because after all, it's not a dress rehearsal.
Xo, Jeneka

The Ups and Downs of Christmas

Christmas IS a wonderful time of year. Time with loved ones, sparkling lights, holiday cheer, parties....but for many, it is also a difficult time of year.
We went to a nice holiday party that my husband's company put on, and also got to spend a really nice evening with friends. We also got to see both of our families to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Our time spent with friends and family was undoubtedly the highlight of our holidays season this year.
However, my grandpa also passed away about a month ago, and it was a strange and sad realization that I'll never spend another Christmas with him. Also, a week or so before Christmas, a friend's husband passed away of cancer at only 43 years of age after a valiant but brief battle. He should have lived twice as long. They hadn't even had to time to start their family, which was their biggest dream.
Another friend lost a dog. Actually two of them did. One dog died of old age and the other one, I can't even go into it, but the whole situation broke my heart.
I am not trying to focus on the negative here, but I'd be lying to say that none of this affected my Christmas experience this year. A lot of people also get lonely at Christmas. I wasn't lonely, as I have my wonderful husband and dog, but I definitely felt waves of sadness for the other reasons I mentioned.
For some reason, everything is kind of magnified at Christmas. Maybe because the stakes - and expectations - are really high for things to be really special. And life just isn't always perfect. In fact it rarely is, especially on occasions when we really badly want it to be, like at Christmas.
Losing expectations is part of it I'm sure, which is a tough thing to do, but helpful probably.
Being grateful for what is, whether it matches how you want it to be or not, is probably another helpful coping mechanism. And realizing that life is never perfect, even at the holidays, is probably a good thing to remember too.
But since I'm no good really at making these changes despite good intentions, maybe I'll just spend my holidays somewhere else next year, away from the fray. What? The tropics you say? They're calling my name.

Mexico

We spent a week in Cabo, and mostly relaxed, swam in the pools, took beach walks and hung out with our friends we were down there with.
Rob went deep sea fishing one day, and we also cruised around downtown Cabo quite a bit. I tried nopales (cactus) tacos, which were really good! And we met lots of cool folks, locals and visitors alike.
One of the best days we had was the day we spent at the infinity pool, called the "Sky Pool," with the Santa Cruzes and the Mauros. We drank Cuba Libres, swam and hung out all day in the sun, then went to "The Office" (a beachside restaurant in Cabo) where we got to have a wonderful dinner on the beach with our toes in the sand.
We got to see sunsets, eat wonderful meals and fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing just a few hundred yards away. We got to wake up to the incredible beauty of sun, the sea, sand and swaying palms trees. Oh, and the people there were incredibly nice. I feel truly blessed for the vacation. I think we both needed it.

Small Wonders in San Francisco

On the Thursday before last, I went to a meeting with the Bay Area Travel Writer's Group which was held at the SF Aquarium of the Bay. I learned a lot from the presentation that they gave, like how they capture animals from the open sea to display in their aquariums, but they also release them all back to sea after a short stay at the aquarium. The aquarium has also been able to do several studies on many of the species that have stayed with them for awhile. According to the woman who spoke to us, the octopus is the most intelligent creature they have there, or is at least the most intelligent in ways that can be quantified. I guess they give their resident octopus different games like a lock and key (or sometimes a rubics cube!) to keep him entertained.
My favorite sea creatures though are always the jellyfish and the sea stars. Somehow both truly evoke a sense of wonder in me every single time I see them. I think it is pure visual delight. The jellies are truly enchanting with their translucence and their floating movements. As for the sea stars, I like their shapes and colors, and also for some reason I just think it's really cool to see stars (something I associate with the skies and heavens) underwater.
To the underwater wonder makers: I love it that I get to share this Earth & Sea with you. You will forever enchant me.

Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time

Top Ten Favorite Books of All Time

1. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho

2. Journal of a Solitude, by May Sarton

3. The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss

4. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig

5. On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

6. Molokai, by Alan Brennert

7. House of the Spirits, by Isabel Allende

8. Dreaming in Hindi, by Katherine Russell Rich

9. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

10. Small Wonders, by Barbara Kingsolver

Mendocino

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Work started back a month ago, and with several packed weekends, we've been burning the candles at both ends lately.

However, we were lucky enough to have Rob's cousin Nicole come to visit, she came all the way from Chile to see the family.

We took her to the Mendocino Botanical Gardens, which was heaven on Earth!

There were all kinds of gardens there, and each was exquisite in its own way.

We took a few walks on the beach too, and got caught by a rogue wave!

We took a path along the bluffs, and Rob got so close to the edge that he gave me a panic attack!

We saw seals playing in the waves and had some yummy meals.

We even got to meet up with my mom and some old friends for a barbeque in Albion, where we ate, drank, laughed (a lot), and played ukulele.

All in all, it was a sweet, relaxing weekend.

A few tips for anyone headed to Mendo:

The gardens were incredible. If interested you're in going there, more info is here:

http://www.gardenbythesea.org/

We stayed at the Atrium Bed & Breakfast in Fort Bragg. It was charming, clean, affordable, and included a nice breakfast.

http://www.atriumbnb.com/

Pinot Noir grapes are grown in the region, and you can find some great Pinor Noirs there. I recommend the Pinot Noir by Carneros, 2009. It was incredibly good.