The Guardian for this meeting was Zen Arado. The comments are by Zen Arado. Present were Eliza Madrigal, Yaku Lethecus and myself

Christmas mood:

Yakuzza Lethecus: hey, good afternoon zen
Yakuzza Lethecus: how are you feeling today ?
Zen Arado: Hi Yaku :)
Zen Arado: good thanks
Zen Arado: you?
Yakuzza Lethecus: the same, not really in christmas mood but i feel well :)
Zen Arado: yeh christmas mood hmm
Zen Arado: so much about how we s
Zen Arado: Should feel I guess
Yakuzza Lethecus: i was thinking a lot about that subject but never stumbled accross something senseful to say about that issue
Zen Arado: it can all sem a bit false
Yakuzza Lethecus: i am generally not precisse in my language, of course generalizations aren´t good either
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: I don't like false sentimentality though
Zen Arado: and all the commercialism of Christmas
Zen Arado: but it has nice aspects too
Yakuzza Lethecus: yes, for some ppl it´s really the only time to see each other in a year
Yakuzza Lethecus: my family lives close by
Zen Arado: and it draws families together
Yakuzza Lethecus: nobody ever left germany
Yakuzza Lethecus: noone :P
Yakuzza Lethecus: and direct family lives in a 5km radius
Zen Arado: nice
Zen Arado: I don't have much family left
Zen Arado: a sister and two neices and their kids
Zen Arado: is about all
Yakuzza Lethecus: i have a brother, sister, dad lives with gf here in the house and mom 3km away
Yakuzza Lethecus: but thx to modern communication it´s easy to communicate these days even on long distances
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: my sister only lives around the corner but we usually speak by telephone
Zen Arado: I can't get into her apartment anyway cos it isn't disabled accessible
Zen Arado: so you all had a good time in Berlin?
Zen Arado: is it far from you?
Yakuzza Lethecus: about 500km
Zen Arado: hmmm farenough
Yakuzza Lethecus: for me that´s a distance, but it was amazing that paradise came
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: from Toronto
Zen Arado: maybe I could have come
Zen Arado: I didn't know about it
Zen Arado: hotels are usually disabled accessible these days
Zen Arado: though I don't like travelling alone
Zen Arado: am ok if someone meets me
Zen Arado: I went to London two years ago
Yakuzza Lethecus: yes, i can imagine, do you travel with ur sister sometimes ?
Zen Arado: no never
Zen Arado: she is a bit disabled too
Zen Arado: she had a stroke
Yakuzza Lethecus: sry :(
Zen Arado: we are not that close
Zen Arado: she has different interrests

New computer?

Zen Arado: I am thinking of buying a new computer
Zen Arado: this one is 3 1/2 yearsold
Zen Arado: but maybe it will last for a while yet
Zen Arado: Hi Eliza :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: hey eliza
Eliza Madrigal: Hi :)
Zen Arado: hard to know when to change computers
Zen Arado: noticed it slow last night
Zen Arado: at Xirana's exhibition place
Yakuzza Lethecus: for me it´s usually the connection
Zen Arado: I had to wait ages to see paintings
Eliza Madrigal: Xiriana's exhibition was slow because it was really crowded ...
Zen Arado: I have a fast connection
Zen Arado: yeh true
Eliza Madrigal: which is good in some ways, hopefully people perservered
Zen Arado: but most werestaying outside
Eliza Madrigal: probably camming?
Zen Arado: I thought
Zen Arado: yeh maybe
Zen Arado: the music kinda kept them outside

Ice skating:

Zen Arado: I was ice skating last night
Zen Arado: it's great as a couple
Zen Arado: love the way it synchronizes
Eliza Madrigal: here?
Zen Arado: I never did that before this winter
Zen Arado: no at another place
Zen Arado: I never ice skated in RL
Zen Arado: never even roller skated
Eliza Madrigal: enjoy skating a lot
Eliza Madrigal: but haven't used roller blades
Eliza Madrigal: only skates and ice skates
Zen Arado: in Florida?
Eliza Madrigal: sure, indoor arenas
Eliza Madrigal: would be wonderful to take to an outdoor rink though!
Zen Arado: there's one near me in RL
Zen Arado: yes
Eliza Madrigal: so many things :)
Zen Arado: something I will never do
Zen Arado: unless there are wheelchair ice skates
Zen Arado: :)
Eliza Madrigal: not a bad idea :)
Eliza Madrigal: I wonder
Zen Arado: doubt it somehow

Living other lives, 99 days:

Eliza Madrigal: Oh, that reminds me of a wonderful poet.... she wrote about living other lives...
Eliza Madrigal: have you seen the TED talk?
Zen Arado: no?
Eliza Madrigal: http://www.TED.com/talks/lang/en/sar..._you_live.html
Yakuzza Lethecus: will do that later
Yakuzza Lethecus: fthx eliza
Zen Arado: ty Eliza
Eliza Madrigal: yes it is 12 minutes long, but worth it
Eliza Madrigal: like the belief one, which I finally did see
Zen Arado: how does she say we can live other lives?
Eliza Madrigal: btw, 99 days is restarting today, moment to jump in :)
Zen Arado: oh yes
Eliza Madrigal: Oh, empathy basically.... stories, photos, appreciation
Zen Arado: might try it
Eliza Madrigal: in her case, writing
Zen Arado: and SL?
Zen Arado: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Zen Arado: I so loved ice skating
Zen Arado: in SL
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Eliza Madrigal: it does feel wonderful here
Eliza Madrigal: and no blisters
Zen Arado: yu guys never heard of Torville and Dean
Eliza Madrigal: no...
Zen Arado: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zbbN4OL98
Eliza Madrigal watches...
Zen Arado: memories of that came back to me
Zen Arado: so graceful
Zen Arado: and the Bolero so appropriate
Eliza Madrigal: they are tuned
Zen Arado: in the zone
Zen Arado: so often the akater have falls
Zen Arado: so many intricate manoeuvres
Eliza Madrigal: wow this is *wow*
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Eliza Madrigal: I'm sure they fell many many times
Zen Arado: ice is hard too :)
Eliza Madrigal: yup :)
Zen Arado: but when you fall you have to get up again
Zen Arado: as the Buddhist master said
Zen Arado: :)
Eliza Madrigal: :)

Marilyn and Pema quotes:

Zen Arado: I have a couple of quotes

Zen Arado: '“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”'
Zen Arado: and this one

Zen Arado: 'We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

Zen Arado: which makes more sense?
Zen Arado: consider during break
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Eliza Madrigal: they both make sense to me in their way, Zen
Zen Arado: yes
Eliza Madrigal: I am drawn to the second more though
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: like 'sometimes good things fall apart so better things can happen'
Eliza Madrigal: 'fall together' is nice, though
Zen Arado: the first is Marilyn Monroe
Yakuzza Lethecus: :)
Zen Arado: second is Pema Chodron
Eliza Madrigal smiles
Eliza Madrigal: both through many deep disappointments
Zen Arado: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/...arilyn-monroe/
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: point author of article makes is that we can learn from many sources
Eliza Madrigal: there is a hidden 'improvement' idea in Marylin's quote... the 'next thing' may be 'better'
Zen Arado: yes and a wariness too ?
Eliza Madrigal: coping, yes
Zen Arado: 'trust noone ebut yourself'
Zen Arado: notice the idea of a purpose in Marilyn?
Zen Arado: do you have a sense of purpose like that?
Eliza Madrigal: admittedly I often do
Eliza Madrigal: :)
Zen Arado: what about you Yaku?
Yakuzza Lethecus: i am also drawn to the second quote
Yakuzza Lethecus: and we do learn from many experiences in life which we didn´t hope to meet
Zen Arado: I think I have let go of any sense of purpose
Zen Arado: I think things just happen
Zen Arado: though that rules out serendipity
Zen Arado: hmm
Yakuzza Lethecus: well i think sometimes that ,,just being in peace" is the best solution, but there are moment when i want to make myself sad possibly
Zen Arado: yes Yaku
Eliza Madrigal: good point Yaku, improvement may mean doing deeper/learning - maybe even letting go more...
Eliza Madrigal: *going=doing
Zen Arado: just accepting whatever comes, whether or not it has some purpose
Zen Arado: is it that 'agenticity' was on Ted video?
Eliza Madrigal: nice topic and video, Zen ... have to brave some stores now :)
Zen Arado: :)
Zen Arado: brave Eliza
Yakuzza Lethecus: good braving eliza :)
Zen Arado: battling her way through the Christmas crowds :)
Eliza Madrigal: :))
Eliza Madrigal: just a few
Zen Arado: :)
Eliza Madrigal: bye Yaku :) bye Zen :) have a lovely day
Eliza Madrigal: day /night
Zen Arado: you too
Zen Arado: bye Eliza :)

99 days:

Eliza Madrigal: see you in the wiki zen (99 days) :D
Zen Arado: ok hope so
Zen Arado: :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: 99 starts today ?
Zen Arado: yes
Zen Arado: second series
Zen Arado: did you read any of them?
Zen Arado: can be for sharing too
Yakuzza Lethecus: i read a few things, but never became habit
Yakuzza Lethecus: when things where mentioned in the regular sessions
--BELL--
Zen Arado: it could be encouraging to yourself and others
Zen Arado: but it's a commitment too
Yakuzza Lethecus: does everyone have to contribute every day ?
Zen Arado: yes I think that is the idea
Zen Arado: though you can miss days
Zen Arado: but that is the aim
Zen Arado: good discipline
Yakuzza Lethecus is thinking about it
Zen Arado: so is Zen :)
Yakuzza Lethecus: :)
Zen Arado: it's good to have regukar time for these things
Zen Arado: it becomes a habit
Yakuzza Lethecus: i will depart now, nice to see you this afternoon
Zen Arado: ok ty for coming Yaku :)