as I last wrote I was on my way to my hawaii…a place I consider my spiritual home…for a wedding and a memorial,  beginning and an end.   both affairs of the heart, one opening the heart to love, commiting to love, the other love ending letting go of a love, closing one door and opening another.  Both are love affairs.  part of the cycle of love all begin and end.   as I sat on the beach watching the tide ebb and flow, I thought about how life goes in these cycles in an out…we don’t always have a choice about what comes in and out of our life, we do have a choice about being open to the flow of life…We can choose to open to love and choose to let go of what no longer serves us.  If we are open to the flow it can be a joy just as watching the waves, or body surfing and riding the waves.  If we resist we can end up like a boat broken and battered by the waves.    

Go with the flow and ride the waves of love in your life. 

Remember that every beginning is an end, every end a new beginning.

As my friends embarked on their new journey together with vows of commitment, they were also saying farewell and letting go of what was before. 

 As the ashes were scattered into the ocean, and loved ones were poignantly bid farewell, a new fresh start was also being ushered in. 

 In both cases, dwelling on what was, be it old patterns, wounds, or loving memories,   can keep one from seeing the beatiful new path ahead,  holding on to and staring at flowers that once bloomed so beautifully….don’t miss the present…that fleeting moment that is done as you read these words, wake up! and catch the sun rise. 

Every day you have an opportunity to witness and be present.  Every morning the sun rises magnificent whether you watch it or not.  It is a new day everyday,  a beautiful sunrise given to us every morning as it arrives, and a equally stunning sunset as it leaves, given to us over and over, everyday.  

An incredible mini cycle for us to observe and to understand that beginnings and endings are both beautiful, and that love has shone, will shine today, and will again and again, tomorrow, and the day after…etc

love

sunrise valentine

doing some research on getting t-shirts done.  started with a-z printers in san jose california, because without them wouldn’t have had tickets printing in time.     

So here I was the night before my flight still trying to figure out how to put the words and logo onto the tickets.  It seemed like it would be so simple.  Fast forward to San Jose the next day at noon and find me still sans tickets but hoping to find a way.  I had three hours to kill waiting for my trip mate to arrive, so after realizing there was no business center at the airport, I called information.  What do you know there was a printer on airport parkway, less than five minutes away.  So I jump in this cab with this sikh driver and his “co-pilot” son, and my two huge pieces of luggage, one weighed some 70 plus lbs, and awkwardly made it through the door of the business center with my unwieldy bags in tow. 

Out comes John C. Shaw, the president of A-Z printing and escorts me into his office, where I see jackets, t-shirts, and hats emblazoned with logos, and realize its not exactly the kind of printer I’m looking for but still hoping he can help.  After one look he starts to suggest that kinko’s nearby would be able to help me, nonetheless he came through and after two hours of fiddling around on the computer, we figured it out, and voila I had my printed tickets.  

I am so appreciative that John went out of his way to help me and after all that charged me nothing.  One thing he said stood out to me,  People come to us because we do what other printers won’t”  in other words they go the extra mile just because its the right thing to do…and I would say that does come back to them.  I for one, after seeing him go out of his way to help me with my project, would definitely reccomend him.  Furthermore, I got to talk to him and learned that he is part of men’s group that is starting an after-school program with the local public schools to help disadvantaged youth , with mentoring, and scholarships.  Now these are the kind of people I like to support, people doing loving things in their lives, and making a difference.   How fitting that I get help with my love project from a-z pringing  if you ever need any printing  done check them out  www.a2zspeciatyadvtg.com  

sending out much love to a-z printing….do you have any stories to share of people you didn’t know saving your day? 

love saved the day,

Sunrise Valentine

So now I’ve handed out the rest of my tickets…save two that I’ve promised to save…one for Marisa, and one for Phil.

I had a few left on Thursday and gave them out at the Full Moon gathering and drumming at Alex Grey’s Chapel of the Sacred Mirrors.  I didn’t get a chance to go to their camp at the burn and see Alex painting so I figured I would see them all still with their after-burn glow at the chapel, and that there would be plenty of playa energy floating around.  Sure enough I ran into many of those I missed seeing at black rock city, and also to connect up with those who did not go dancing and drumming with spirits and hearts wide open.  I was not dissapointed to say the least and had so much fun giving valentines out and dancing ecstatically.

Afterwards I met up with my friend alfred/amelia-naire  who took over my campsite, allowing all my things to still be on the playa, and my costumes to still have fun out there,  got me to the airport on thursday for my early return to nyc, and  now returned to me the rest of my valentine tickets that still were meant to be given.

So I decided that I would still give them out and have been thinking of how to keep this going…to keep valentining and sharing love with people throughout the year….

so a great place to start was friday night at Body Temple’s free party on the Hudson on the pier at 68th st.  When I arrived I found a writhing and bouncing crowd of high energy dancers, blissed out to the beat.  After bouncing around and dancing a bit myself I started valentining people…. and before you know it the tickets were all gone.  

Tonite I was out without the tickets..so I brought a little stamp I had made that says Love Will Shine Today and has under it the  website.  The stamp at night is a bit hard to see but for now it will do until I come up with new valentines to give out through out the year. 

So much fun to give things to people just because.  Very interesting to watch people’s reaction, from scepticism, to curiosity, to recognition, and delighted appreciation.  I find it to be a great exercise in learning to love unconditionally without expectation, whether people appreciate it or even get it.  Of course I hope more people get it and can take in a little bit of love, and if you got a ticket I hope you are reading this and I wish you much love…..and if you want to be in the raffle get me your info this week…we’ll be picking a winner this next Saturday September 16th.     

  love will shine today

Sunrise Valentine

ukk

Hi for those of you with tickets….some of you have already written out your stub and given it to me.  you are already entered in the raffle.  For those of you that haven’t filled it out.  Please send me an email with your ticket number, name and email..and any other info you would like to share…what you thought of the valentine…where how you received it….a quote, poem, or story you would like to share.

So you may be wondering…”what is this raffle”.  Well it’s just something I thought of a way for the gift to keep on giving.   You will have to be patient since I still haven’t figured out exactly what I will be making to give away….maybe a t-shirt or sticker with the sunrise valentine logo on it.  If I make more everyone else that entered will receive a discount and the proceeds will go to a charity.  Hope you all had a wonderful burn and have an amazing year.

love

sunrise valentine

email  kakini@gmail.com      

hope u are enjoying my fledgling blog…I would like to open this up for you to share your thoughts, quotes, poems on love, the playa, and the sunrise as well.  Would love to hear your stories and comments, and would love to post what you have to share.  What do you love in life…on the playa?   What is love to you?  

love,

sunrise valentine

I can also be reached at kakini@gmail.com. 

as i look through my pictures of the playa….I’m brought back to the sun rising over the playa first on Tuesday morning as I run out to greet the dawn.  Then Wednesday morning as I race my friend around the man chasing led lights as the sky lightens and as I dance then under the sun to space cowboys, handing out valentines..dancing until the play their last beat.  and finally Thursday morning with my pink pussycats dancing out on the playa to isaiah’s morning spin…love is the ticket as I am filled with love by the sun…which radiates out to those around me.  hoping that those I give tickets to can see in my eyes and smile and the sun that shines so brightly that love will shine today….