Last I wrote, it was July 10th, and I was just pulling in to Santa Fe, NM.  I had fallen in love with Taos, and wasn’t sure I could love Santa Fe as much as I did the last few stops, because I just didn’t feel ready to be in a big city.  The major highway and off ramps were already stressing me the minute I arrived, but thankfully, my awesome Priceline score – Santa Fe Suites was there to make it all better.   What a great little place this was!  It was south of town, and a great place to call home for 2 days.  A nice kitchen, cable, internet, and I was right at home!

The minute I pulled into downtown Santa Fe, I fell in love – again.  What a great place it was.  I had so much fun photographing the locals.  I spent the entire day on the 11th, cruising the town, browsing the shops, sitting on the Plaza, and even went to see some of the local churches.

I found myself really missing the kids today, as there would have been so much there for us to share, and enjoy, but, I still managed to have my own share of FUN.  I spent most of the afternoon looking for the perfect spot for lunch, but it was Sunday, and many places were closed.  (Isn’t this a tourist town??)  So, I grabbed a quick bite, and decided to save my gastronomic pleasure on dinner.

That night, I found a cute little place with a balcony, overlooking the Plaza on San Francisco street.  The chips and wine were great – dinner was ok, but I met a really sweet family and talked most of the evening with them.  They were taking almost the same trip I was, only backwards, so they had lots to share about Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Bryce/Zion, so I was really excited to get some inside info.

The next day, I got up at sunrise, and went out and hiked the Aspen Vista trail, a nice 6 mile round trip hike.  It was a chilly morning, and a beautiful view at the top.  I can’t get over how quiet it is in all of the places I’ve seen so far.  I mean, really quiet, and it’s so peaceful and beautiful.  I just don’t know how I’m going to come home and get accustomed to the noise and the pace again!

I just had to go back and say good bye to the Plaza in person.  I took the opportunity to eat lunch at the Shed, one of the restaurants I wanted to hit yesterday, and had a great lunch in the outdoor patio.  Now, I was done, and time to move on – to Sedona!  The land of the red rocks!

See ya there!

Deb

Oh yeah – I had just gotten back from a 3 hour round trip drive to Aspen, and marveling at how different it is to drive in the mountains!

Well, Day 2 of rafting was one of my all time travel highlights, thanks to The Adventure Company, in Buena Vista.  These guys not only know how to raft, but they know the definition of customer service and satisfaction, and they go all out to make sure you leave a VERY happy “camper”!  This day, we rafted 2 runs – First, the big advanced run – Pine Creek, followed by “Numbers”.  It was another full day rafting trip, but this one took every bit of energy out of me!  Once again, they served us an amazing fajita lunch, so we had plenty of energy to work our way down the river!

Sadly, when we returned from rafting, it was time to move on, and I was truly sad to leave my new friends, and awesome b&b at Buena Vista.  I booked my room in Taos, at The Inn at Sagebrush, and arrived there 2 hours later.  Taos is an adorable town, and I’m so happy I stopped here, instead of heading straight to Santa Fe.  The Inn was an authentic Southwestern in, and helped me continue my good luck in “upgrades”, as they upgraded me to an Executive Suite upon arrival.  I wish I had more time here, because the room was amazing.  It had a full living room, complete with a Kiva fireplace, 2 bathrooms with skylights, so the suite was full of natural light.  There was a hot tub/jacuzzi on my floor, overlooking the mountains, and best of all – it included free full breakfast the next morning.  I went out to take some photos, and spent the day browsing the amazing shops, and came across a tiny hole in the wall for lunch, that is now my fave restaurant of all times.  I swear, the guacamole was the best ever (and of course I’m in love with “Christmas” salsa (both green and red mixed together).  I ordered the chipotle shrimp tacos – YUMMMM!

But, after lunch, it was time to head out of Taos, and again, I was so sad to leave.  Next time – I will leave myself a LOT more time here.  But, to make up for my sadness, I headed west, to the amazing little spot of “Ojo Caliente” Mineral Springs.  But first – I had to brave the drive – literally across the mountain, and came across a one lane bridge that led to a gravel road, on a cliff overhang – and I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it!  But – a few miles up the gravel road, I hit paved road again, and I was on my way to heaven!

Oh my goodness – what a treat!  Ojo Caliente is a little spa, buried in the mountains, and has 4 natural springs, 2 cliffside springs, 1 soda spring, and 1 iron spring – all non-sulphur/lithium springs.  To boot – I booked myself a beautiful spa massage, and just soaked and relaxed in the mountain air, and had the most amazing day.

Now, I was really sad to move on – but – helllloooooo Santa Fe!  I wasn’t sure I was ready for big city, but that brings me to today, to a city  full of vibrant life and culture, and I’m so excited to take in as much as I possibly can – but will save the details for next day’s entry.  I have to say – I love traveling alone, but, it does get a teeny bit lonely, so everyone’s facebook comments and messages are really keeping me company!  Feel free to drop a line, cuz I really appreciate hearing from everyone!

More tomorrow…

Deb

Check in time for the trip was 9am, and there I met my rafting partners, a family of 4 – The Dentons. I told them that I was going to be part of their family for the day, and we all hit it off beautifully! We had such a wonderful time rafting down Brown’s Canyon, although, it really is a run for the completely inexperienced. I rafted with The Adventure Company, and highly recommend them – and my tour guide, “Tuna”. They serve an amazing fajita lunch, fresh salad, fruit, and brownies for dessert. The rapids were fun, and we were lucky with weather most of the trip – but the minute we pulled out of the river, it began to pour. We heard the late afternoon trip got hailed on! Thank you – sun Gods!

After I got back to the b&b, and relaxed a bit, I didn’t want to sit around, so I got in the car, and drove the 65 miles to Aspen, only, nobody told me that the drive would be as thrilling as Shikra, the roller coaster at Busch Gardens. Seriously, this was a white-knuckle ride, and no sooner did I arrive in Aspen and grabbed a bite for dinner, I turned around and came home. My heart is still racing!

Back at the b&b, and ready for day 2 on the Ark. Tomorrow, I’m rafting Numbers, the advanced run of the Ark. It’s about 14 miles north of Buena Vista, and I saw the put-in on the way to Aspen. Can’t wait!
So – stay tuned…Tomorrow, after the run, I’m stopping by the Hot Springs in Cottonwood, and then down to Great Sand Dunes National Park, where I’ll be on Saturday. Then, on to Santa Fe for 2 nights. I could really get used to this!

Aly picked me up in Denver, and we went to pick up the rental car. My 2nd Kudos goes to Enterprise Rental, because not only did they upgrade me from my Intermediatereservation, but they gave me a Chrysler Sebring Convertible! (Brand new!!) What a way to travel 1000 miles!

Aly and I went to Cherry Creek for lunch, and then went back to her condo, to wait for Brooks to come home. We hung out and caught up on things, and went out for a beautiful dinner at Creek Canyon Grill. AMAZING dinner!

This morning – Aly and Brooks equipped me with tent, pad, sleeping bag, and headlamp, and off I went into Colorado Springs. I stopped first at Garden of the Gods (eh, nothing exciting here, for sure). Then, I continued west on Rt. 24, where I took Pikes Highway up to the top – 14,000 feet! It was a nerve wracking drive, but beautiful, with a little bit of snow left in patches at the peaks. Of course, I went in to the shop at the top, and bought some doughnuts (their specialty) and tried to take some photos. It wasn’t working well, because I was sooooo dizzy, and couldn’t breathe, so I knew I needed to reduce the altitude, and fast!

I felt much better at 11,000 feet, and continued down the mountain, and decided to head to Buena Vista, where my trip will leave tomorrow on the Arkansas River. Grabbed a quick dinner at Coyote Canyon Cafe, and tried to go take some sunset pics, but the rain and clouds are a little overbearing tonight. Decided to get a good night sleep so I have energy for the morning! I’m praying for sun, and every bit of heat I can get on this river trip!

So – off to sleep! Such a great first day, but tomorrow will really be super fun!
See ya!
Deb

This year, after a whirlwind year of weddings, B’Nai Mitzvah, awesome travel experiences, and business development far beyond my wildest expectations, I knew I needed a vacation.  But I also knew that heading back to my comfortable spot in Elkmont, in the Smokies, was not going to cut it.  I needed adventure, I had a bucket list, and the mountains and adventure of the midwest were calling my name, louder and louder, and I could not deny that I needed to see Colorado, and go somewhere I had never been before.  I wanted to sit on mountains, pray, explore, plan, reflect, and experience life.  Yeah, I know, I sound like that book – but while I just might write one of out of this experience, this is just coming from a place inside of me – telling me I need to go.

I never in a million years thought it would happen.  I boldly decided that in order to do this trip right, I needed 3+ weeks, and so I looked at the calendar, and blocked the time, and set my intention for what this trip might become.  Airfares were high, but Southwest came along with an email to my inbox (I don’t know how – I’m not even a Southwest frequent flier) but it was advertising fares at their lowest to Denver.  I checked my intended itinerary, found an amazing fare (with ** 2 bags free **) and booked it on the spot!  OMG!  Not only did I set the intention, but I took the first step in making it come true.

I never thought this day would arrive, but here I am at FLL, waiting for Southwest flight 173 to Denver.  I may know where I’m going the minute I get there, and I know a general itinerary, with a few commitments along the way, but otherwise – I am completely “flying by the seat of my pants”.  I have decided to allow the universe to take me where it wants to lead me, and I’m surprisingly fine with that – although, my heart is pounding out of my chest as I write.

Last night, I stayed at Casa Spiegel (Mom and Dad’s) and had a wonderful dinner with them, and Michael and Marsha (friends).  In the afternoon, I got to spend time with Nancy, Lexi, and Mike (Sister, niece, b.i.l.) and Lexi even came over to play and help me finish packing.  It was a great way to spend the anxious jittery time, with the people I love most in life, and that brings me to here, and now.

I’m so excited that when I get to Denver, I’m going to spend my first night with Brooks and Aly, my very special bride and groom from Playa del Carmen, this past April.  Aly has so generously offered to supply me with camping gear, take me to my rental car, and send me off on my adventure tomorrow morning.  More good times.

Ahead of me – I have booked 2 white water rafting trips, 3 nights of camping in Grand Canyon, and the most amazing itinerary ever along the way.  Me, and a rental car, a plan that will get carved out as I go, and yes Lauren – bear and people mace.  I’m ready to go.

I’m so thankful for the year that brought me here.  I’m so excited for what will be.  I’m so proud of myself, for making it happen.  And right now, life just couldn’t get any better.  (Well, it might be a little better if my ipad had arrived before my departure, but…)

I can’t wait to share this trip with all of you.  I hope this blog and my experience encourages anyone who wants to create change in their lives, to set their intention, and do one thing at a time to make it happen.  I hope it shows just one person that you can do whatever you dream – if you just dream it hard enough and believe in it enough.  I have the best life.  And it’s about to get even better….

For Kathy – and her Mom, a Church wedding was their #1 must have.  For Drew, and his Mom, the rich, beautiful Jewish traditions that kept them connected to their Jewish heritage were theirs.  We needed a church, a chuppah, a unity candle, a kiddush cup, a ketubah, and many more aspects of each of our faiths to incorporate into their wedding ceremony.

So many of Kathy’s plans kept falling through, between scheduling of the Air and Sea Show, and Churches and Pastors not being available, that Kathy and Drew even contemplated making the whole thing a destination wedding!  But – Kathy persevered, because she really wanted the wedding of her dreams – and I think they got just that!

The first time I met Kathy and Drew, and their Moms, Merideth and Susan, we had a love fest, a session filled with “absolutely’s” and “of course’s”!  In the next meeting, at the church, with Kathy and Drew, Susan, Dr. DeBie, and myself, things got a tiny bit tense, as we worked diligently to find just the right mix and blend of each of our “must haves”.  Several months later, we drew up the final ceremony program, and it seemed, we had ourselves the perfect Interfaith wedding.

Last night, Kathy and Drew were married at the Church By the Sea, with Dr. Linden DeBie, and myself co-officiating. First, to walk into that church, and see the beautiful chuppah standing there waiting for us, was so profound.  It meant so much to me, to know that we worked so hard to create a service that was full of faith, and that even though we both thought very differently about our faiths, we were able to put our differences aside, for the beauty of what unites us.

Chuppah in the church

As the processional began, Susan and Merideth arrived at the altar, lit the side candles of the Unity Candle, and were seated.  As Kathy arrived at the altar with her Dad, I welcomed everyone, and Dr. DeBie offered the Declaration of Intent, and asked the Giving of the Bride.  Kathy and Drew then stepped together under the chuppah, and Dr. DeBie performed their vows, and then I performed the traditional Jewish ring exchange.  Kathy and Drew lit their center Unity Candle, as their guitarist played “Here Comes the Sun”.  (beautiful)

The rest of the ceremony was – believe it or not – predominantly Jewish-style.  We signed their ketubah, shared the wine from their 6th generation kiddush cup from Drew’s family, and I sang the Birkat Kohanim (Julie Silver’s version).

Afterwards, Dr. DeBie pronounced Kathy and Drew husband and wife, and I concluded the ceremony with the breaking of the glass.

Looking back, and hearing everyone’s comments, I know fully why I do what I do.  I may not be able to change the world, or the face of faith, but I can certainly change some family’s lives, by giving them hope to see that love transcends individual beliefs.  That together, when we can sit a table and focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us, that all things are possible.

Today, I look back on Kathy and Drew’s wedding last night, with love, fond memories, and even stronger hope for the future, of a world that looks peaceful, and stands in unity.

Amen.

Reprinted from August 17, 2008 by cantorballard

On the heels of my blog about “What do we want from Hebrew Schools”, it becomes evident that our view today on religion, as a whole, has experienced a tremendous shift.

USAToday’s recently published article tells us that Americans lean more towards the upbeat, positive aspects of faith, while moving farther and farther away from dogmatic practices with hard core rules and restrictions. We are more prone to look to our religious traditions and rituals at time of lifecycle events, but in our every day lives, we want to receive the positive messages and encouragement faith offers.

So what does this say about our society, in terms of G-d? How do we define G-d? If we reject the rules and structure – will faith continue to exist? And – if all that – is – what is faith? Do we turn our faith into ourselves, becoming completely self-accountable? The question kind of scared me.

I do what I do to serve those who have already decided on moving away from dogma, and embracing feel-good spirituality. Sometimes I, myself, find that I really subscribe to that theory as well. We say – well, I don’t have to observe Shabbat, and…It’s ok to bend this rule, and that…It’s ok to get married “just before” sundown on Shabbat, to accommodate the caterer, etc. But- what power do we give G-d, then? I don’t feel any less connected to G-d than I ever did, in fact, in my quest for spirituality, I have grown closer.

To me, the answer is in living strong in principals, rather than rules. I go out of my way to do the right thing to and for people, to observe the golden rule, to care for the earth, caring for the sick, giving to the poor, those are things that bring me closer to G-d, because I know they’re the right things to do. I’m no less Godly, I just don’t worry about the details, in favor of the bigger things.

I’ve seen clergy – well respected, highly highly highly dogmatic, and staunch in their public ritual observance who are -pardon the expression – complete jerks – sinners, even. Are they more Godly than me? What about the Catholic priests who commit heinous acts against children – they followed the dogmatic rules, but didn’t live a life of G-d in their hearts.

What’s wrong with wanting the spiritual, upbeat message? We get the negative ones daily. You’ll get cancer, you’ll lose money, you’ll do this or that, and it’s usually bad. No wonder our society wants to gravitate to things that make us feel good while we’re here on earth – we don’t get much of it from anywhere else!

I’ll take my double dose of spirituality. I believe it is what makes me smile when I’m in your presence, to let you know you have brightened my day. I believe that being happy because I woke up this morning makes G-d feel good about me. Please forgive that I didn’t light my Shabbat candles right at sundown, or that I took my child to the movies on Saturday – at least I spent time with them, let them know their Mom loves them, and I know that makes G-d feel good about me too.

We all deserve to feel good, and we can do it with G-d in our minds and our hearts, even if we don’t follow all the rules..

Delia called me just a few weeks ago.  Her “real” wedding was planned for March 7th, this coming Sunday, but her in-laws, Mitch’s parents would be unable to make the trip to NY for the wedding.  As the daughter in law, it was very important for her to celebrate this moment with Mitch’s parents, and to give them the opportunity to celebrate this simcha with their friends as well.  Delia, the brilliant, compassionate woman that she is had a stellar idea!

She called me to ask if I would simulate in its entirety, a wedding ceremony complete with all the bells and whistles, without having to “make it legal”, which of course, was just fine with me!  So, last Sunday, on a magnificently sunny but cool winter morning in Highland Beach, FL, I performed a beautiful ceremony for Delia, Mitch, his parents. and 30 of their closest friends.

I was incredibly impressed with the way the Holiday Inn, Highland Beach set up the ceremony location, right on the water, on the patio, off the dining room.

What really touched me, was that now, Delia’s parents were not present, so Mitch’s Dad walked Delia down the aisle, as Mitch’s mom walked her son.  They chose 4 close friends to hold my self-made chuppah poles, and because of the time of day – bright and early on Sunday morning – we used an alternative “fruit of the vine” – oranges.  Well, kind of like a vine, I guess- but far more palatable, at that time of day!

I didn’t have much time to get to know Delia and Mitch, but something happens when I stand with a bride and groom at one of the most intimate moments of their lives.  The feelings transcend the experience and as Delia and Mitch emotionally shared their vows repeating after me, I felt like I had known them forever.  It was a beautiful moment, incredibly real, and equally as moving as I’m sure their ceremony will be this coming weekend.

I’m so happy I was there for them, and Mitch’s parents called me immediately the day following the wedding to thank me beyond words.  It is families like this that make my job so joyous and happy, and I am so honored to have had the privilege of beginning Mitch and Delia’s weeklong wedding celebration!

Best of luck to you both, and enjoy the wedding!

B’Shalom

It was a day that for whatever reason remained open in my calendar.  A Saturday?  Not a single event, from morning to night.  Sure, I had something on Sunday, but I kept wondering to myself, for months why that particular Saturday was just sitting there…alone and empty.  But now I know, it was meant to be that way.

At 7 am last Saturday, I was just waking up, figuring I would take advantage of the down time and do some office work, some blog writing, maybe even writing some music.  Before I finished my first cup of coffee, the phone rang.  WHO would be calling me this early, I wondered?  It was a Boca area code, but I didn’t recognize the number.  The gentleman on the other end of the phone said “Cantor Debbi, I found you online, and at the same time you were recommended to us by another source so I’m hoping you can help my friend”….He continued on saying…”They are getting married TONIGHT in Naples, Florida, and at 10:30 last night, they found out their Rabbi had been hospitalized, and was unable to perform the ceremony!”

OMG, I thought – what a horrible thing to happen!  He asked me if there was any way I could help and immediately the answer came to me, the reason all along this date was sitting open – it was just waiting for this phone call to happen, I suppose.  “Yes”, I replied, “In fact, I happen to be available all day and night, and can be in Naples in less than 2 hours.  How can I help?”

He told me that in just a moment, Brett, the groom would call me, and he did, and we chatted briefly, and in less than 20 minutes. we walked through a ceremony, planned how all this would play out, and I assured him I would be there a few hours before the ceremony began.  We planned a Ketubah signing, the whole ceremony from beginning to end, and we were on our way.  Within a couple of hours, I was in my car headed west, to The Naples Beach and Golf Resort, a magnificent location for a wedding, (and strangely enough, one of the first places my husband and I spent the weekend at together, almost 25 years ago!)

As a side note – it struck me that amid some of the worst winter weather we had been having, as I was driving across Alligator Alley, I was amazed at what a beautiful day it was, cool, crisp, and incredibly sunny.  I was certain there was something divine going on here, but just not quite sure what.

Sure enough, I arrived at the resort, found the coordinator, checked in, made sure everything was in order, and before I knew it – it was time for the Ketubah signing.  I met both Brett and Andrea just before, and they were one of the cutest, sweetest couples I had ever met.  Their friends in the bridal party were so excited that I was there, and so grateful that I had arrived, and I just knew that I was right where I was supposed to be.

The setting for their wedding was amazing, the weather was perfect, and the family was ecstatic.  And there I stood, waiting for Brett and Andrea to arrive at the chuppah, and took a moment and looked up at the sky, and offered a special moment of thanks, for leaving this day open, for leading me here, and for being able to make a very special couple’s wedding dream come true.

We don’t always know why things happen, and we don’t always know what is in store, but I learn more and more, that every day, we are exactly where we are meant to be.

I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to marry Brett and Andrea, for meeting their parents, who were also so grateful for the ceremony and for the way things worked out, and for the new friends I have made as a result of it all.  I’m so grateful to G-d, for allowing me to be right where He wanted me to be.