mystical magical Carlos Santana

We don't need to be a flower power child of the 70s to love the music of Carlos Santana or the lovable icon himself.

His signature sound of fusing American rock and roll with smooth Latin rhythm has kept us on our toes and on the dance floor for the last five decades.

the man, the legend, the lines

Having lived through those times I am now a proud AARP member and card holder. Which means I get their magazine. Their summer music issue featured Carlos Santana on the cover.

The interview contains classic Santana gems that capture his charm and mythos.

“The universe will bring you an abundance of opportunities and possibilities. It’s really all about trusting that before you got there, when you were sleeping, the universe was conspiring to give you something to blow your mind. Would you be open to receive it?”

"You stay relevant by trusting you have something people need. You know, people need air; people need water; people need some serious rrrrrromance,” he says, rolling the “r” for emphasis. 

"Three things: your spirit, your soul and your heart. If you find those and you really find them, you’re going to realize that innocence. Those things don’t leave you, and you don’t misplace them or lose them. Those are the ingredients for you to have a glorious existence.” 

One of his favorite terms is naked awareness - the ability to see yourself fully and make changes away from the negative.

His advise to his younger self? “Strip yourself naked from anything that anyone taught you about anything. And only listen to the voice of your heart, the voice of your light.”

Advise we would all do well to follow as we trip through life. 

today's Google doodle | Ynes Mexia

I love that today's Google doodle celebrates the Mexican-American botanist Ynes Mexia.

Ynés Enriquetta Julietta Mexía was a Mexican-American botanist known for her collection of novel plant specimens from areas of Mexico and South America. 

She discovered a new genus of Asteraceae and was arguably the most accomplished plant collector of her time. Wikipedia

hurricane resistant homes

In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian we recommend this Yes Magazine article on a better alternative to replace lost homes - RAPIDO.

RAPIDO replaces disposable FEMA trailers with a small-but-livable housing “core” - a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. The structure was specifically designed so more bedrooms could be added incrementally once a second round of government funding came through.

Image courtesy of bcWORKSHOP

The first step is to help build a structure that is safe and sanitary and pleasing.

“Our goal with RAPIDO was to do it fast and cheaply, but also for the house to reflect who the family is, rather than ‘this is just a disaster recovery project,’” says Elaine Morales, the architect with BC Workshop who designed the homes. 

The 432-square-foot core of the RAPIDO homes uses pre-fab panels designed so the home can be finished in a week without heavy machinery and by a team of two framers, an electrician, and a plumber.

The coalition behind RAPIDO perhaps knows, better than anyone, there is no one-size-fits-all housing solution to disaster recovery. But mainstreaming that very philosophy may turn out to be our best bet when the next disaster strikes.