What have you been thinking about this week, how are you feeling today? I met these sweet, locally crafted candles at Sweet Jayne boutique in Portland yesterday. They smell as soothing as their names!

A few things I’ve been wanting to share:

Have you heard of the Esalen Institute, a destination – in both place and mind – for high tech executives to escape empty corporate gloom and gain conscious traction “toward the best way to be fully human?” Despite having grown up in Silicon Valley, this was my first introduction.

Are you familiar with the Edge Effect? These studies conclude, “There is great comfort in the familiar… But familiar ground may not be the best place to cultivate creativity.” I’m ready to start living on the edge – will you meet me there?

I’ve been following the migrant crisis at the border with great consternation and disappointment. I found this historical context informative, and, I hesitate to admit, marginally hopeful (maybe that’s more optimistic than I mean) that this nation has seen and survived struggles in kind before. Ultimately, I vehemently oppose the Trump Administration’s continued policy to rip children from family members and am disgusted with the latest round of assault on rights that have been intact for two decades plus.

Did you hear about the three thwarted attempts to cause terror and decimation with gun violence this week? Does it make you wonder how often these types of near-misses almost result in more mass shootings? Wikipedia has outlined the most notorious failed school shootings dating back to 1992.  

On a lighter note, I encourage you all to indulge in a sweet treat while sunshine and summer temperatures are still in the air. Here are the 23 best ice cream shops across the country according to chefs commissioned by Bloomberg News. Enjoy! Until next time, cheers!