Random Acts of Living

Aloha, and welcome to Random Acts of Living!  In this episode, I talk about getting back home to  Molokai, setting up my new/old life, going back to school, and I finally going back to my values of living simply am riding my e-bike everywhere. It's a little nerve-racking as there are really no bike lanes so there's no barrier between me and vehicles racing past at 60 mph.. luckily there is not a great deal of traffic and everyone is pretty good at sharing the road!  I am doing it because it is important that people see me out there riding the back every day, even in the rain, that they ask me questions and begin to think that if I can do it, well they can too, YOU can, we all can! Really my deep-seated Dutch cheapness did come into play- I am tired of spending money on a car that I really only need for about 60 minutes a day..I  mean really think about how long your travel time is and the bulk of time that car spends in parking lots, or driveways - we pay. for the convenience of having a car at our disposal but everyone pays for it and we know that we are killing the planet for our addiction to that lifestyle "freedom". I have always thought that real freedom actually comes from not being attached to or beholden to these things like fossil fuel or beholder to leaders like Vladimir Putin, who we let get away with so many terrible things because of our desire to continue the fossil fuel lifestyle.. WHEN WILL WE LEARN????!!!!!Here is a great read on just that- our addiction to oil  and the need to stop drilling for oil and create a green economy https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/14/opinion/gas-prices-oil-renewable-energy-drilling.html  This is the serious side of riding the bike the fun side is logging 125 miles a week, feeling healthy and strong and knowing that I am not paying $6/gal, insurance, and maintenance of the car.. although my tire cost is adding up thanks to the amount of CRAP on the side of the road that is sharp and pokey.. and a huge shout out to Phillip of Molokai Bikes for going above and beyond roadside assistance to get me to my student teaching and empowering me with the changing of the tires.. the other fun side is that I have discovered the wireless AirPods and am working my way through playlists that I can sing while riding the bike... So.Much.Fun. like my own private roving karaoke bar! I know I am not the only person going down this road so I want to hear from you! Let me know how you change your routines to lessen fossil fuel use. In what ways are you challenging yourself and your families, and communities to adapt or mitigate climate change??

Happy Valentine's Day gentle listeners! I know that not everyone gets into this day and it can be hokey or require way too many expectations around relationships but I do like the idea of setting a day to celebrate love.. really celebrate love, big love like Radical LOVE! "To be loving is to be open to grief, to be touched by sorrow, even sorrow that is unending.” Writer, scholar, and trailblazing feminist bell hooks wrote these words in her 2002 book, All About Love.I have been thinking about these words by bell hooks and the idea of radical love has been. coming to me throughout my grieving process for my father, finally, I summoned the courage to talk about it openly with someone that I feel has lived this truth in her own life,  my friend, colleague,  Scorpio sister and fellow creative, Aubrey Yee.  There is so much  I could try to say about Aubrey but it would simply fall short, so best to listen to her own words about her life,  the radical love she holds for herself, her family,  the world, and Gaia! Aubrey Yee is a Life & Leadership Coach, Futurist, Facilitator, Writer and Speaker. Her life's purpose is catalyzing and supporting others to find their own unique life-print and purpose: the reason they are here at this time on this planet. She is the mother of two amazing small humans who teach her new things every day, married to a surfer masquerading as a salesman, living on the north shore of Oahu where the sun shines and the waves beckon us to remember how to play!  Please check out her website Ourbelovedfuture.com and see the amazing adventures Aubrey is creating you can also follow her on IG @aubrey.morgan.yee  or @aubreyyee  follow me @molokaiemillipottery

Welcome to Random Acts of Living, dear listener!  We have a super episode for you today as Chris Block and I talk on the last day of 2021 about all things large and small then we settle on authenticity in leadership- more specifically how to bring that part of ourselves the most vibrant, the truest self that is needed to be in the public eye - how do we lead with authenticity???? How do we integrate authenticity to change the big overarching systems??? Also, Chris points out that really a majority of the people we share the planet with want to make the best decisions to care for each other and that is a silver lining indeed as we walk through the difficulty of leadership with our bundles of problems to solve.. hmmm have we all become just giant problem solvers without becoming changemakers????? Chris holds nothing back, so buckle up gentle listener as you are in for a wild, honest, and soul-searching ride!     

Aloha gentle listeners welcome to season two of Random Acts of Living, with me your hostess with the mostess Emillia Noordhoek!  It's been a bit of a wild ride the past few months,  when we last spoke I was just getting settled into my new place in Amsterdam exploring, getting my residency, I thought setting down roots in my ancestral home with my people, ah but it was not to be so easy. My father passed away three weeks after my arrival and that loss was the icing on the proverbial cake as it was, shorn clear through it felt like sucker-punched in the stomach.. All that and more felt in the moment and it made me reconsider where I belong in this world and who belongs with/to me. I  was grateful for the past year and a half due to the pandemic that I was able to spend with my parents and know that we are complete in our connection and relationship to each other, we said the things that needed to be said and there was nothing left on that table except great love and to cherish the memories so I do and will continue to do so. But, now, where do I belong???  Well first my heart shifted then I was able to shift my head, and then I knew that place called home and this is where I now speak to you from, my home, my heart, my whaling center, my Molokai. Here is the story of getting from point A - Amsterdam to point M- Molokai with Iowa in between.Mahalo for listening and if you are so inclined please leave a review and/or email me at randomactsofliving@gmail.com 

Aloha gentle listeners and welcome to the last episode of  Season 1 !  WOW! Thank you so much for tuning in and not dropping out!  In this last episode, I have made it to Amsterdam after a full year and a half of living with my parents, when I am not freaking out over the move I have made I am enjoying bike riding, running. learning Dutch getting my paperwork done and submitted for permanent residency and well enjoying the sights and sounds of my ancestorial home...  I know maybe it has been a little rough going as I find my voice and figure how to tell the stories that are meaningful to all of you and I think the guests have really enriched the stories and definitely my life and I hope yours.  Well, the very first guest is the most amazing Teresa Shook founder of the women's march fellow Scorpio and maker of good trouble always an inspiration to talk with and know!  So much gratitude to Chris Block for taking our conversations to the podcast space and for being spontaneous and such a great storyteller!  Edd Stone for sharing his joy of bucket lists - Edd is on some big adventure cycling around Europe and I think he is currently in Spain thanks so much Edd! Dave Haines for sharing his experience in the 2020 Democratic  Presidential campaign in Iowa and for advising me don't the most epic road trip ever to Zion and Arches national parks! Jonas  Vansteenkiste who name I will  I will finally master for season 2  as we follow his amazing artwork and please go take look at his new book collaboration with a good friend and fellow artist Joke Raes, 'Transitoria',  which you can pre-order here! I think this season I wanted to share the stories and art of people that admire who are making a difference in their artwork and no one do I admire more than the cat saving,  amazing and soulful artist, Laura Jean McLaughlin of the Schulmpy Funk Manifestoes, see her new works here!Remember the amazing, brilliant, and insightful  Sheva Pekar knowledgeable on the healing power of psychedelics and her work to provide equal access for everyone? https://psycannadvisors.com/I met Sheridan Ruth doing some research on a project and future podcast series on equity and including and was so inspired by her and her story I immediately asked her to be on the podcast I could not help myself.  So much goodness and inspiration from this young leader it will be exciting to see what she does in the world, I predict it is going to be amazing! A huge mahalo to Mikico Tashima ( Mickey) for her inspiration to be present and keeping the faith when you find your passions and that creativity does not have to be tied to any one thing but a creative life is accessible to all of us,. Follow her on Facebook!Finally many thanks to my dad for being himself and always telling me the tough stories even when they are hard to listen to and hard to tell! Whew, amazing all these people shared stories this season and I hope t share many more!  I have to thank my technical and emotional support Anna who is the world's greatest coach and believer in what one can accomplish, visit her website here! The best is last here for sure Leon is the world's greatest sound editor and collaborator and on to season 2! Season One was completely self-funded and a labor of love and learning but as I roll into next season with big plans for life-changing storytellin

In 1970, James Baldwin wrote a letter to Angela Davis in which he said, “What has happened, it seems to me, and to put it far too simply, is that a whole new generation of people have assessed and absorbed their history, and, in that tremendous action, have freed themselves of it and will never be victims again.” Aloha gentle readers and welcome to the latest episode of Random Acts of Living! So the above sentence by James Baldwin caught my attention because well I am wondering if really it is true? If we understand our history on a micro and macro level can we free ourselves of it?   isn't it really when our past shames us that it holds power over us??  This week's episode is another talk story session with my dad when he was in the hospital and as it turns out he really likes being on my blog.. that is what he calls the podcast.. So we delved into a subject that may be difficult for most of us  I know it has been hard for me ..   I am impressed that my dad through his research into the KKK in Iowa in the 1960s ( actually is still quite active in the area even today- which will no doubt be another podcast episode) finds out about my grandfather's past affiliation with the KKK pre-WWII. Maybe after WWII, after his nephew was killed by the Nazi's,  fighting in the Dutch Resistance maybe my grandfather,  a Dutch immigrant himself, had a  reckoning about white supremacy,   and saw that buying into racism maybe had some clear economic fears that were preyed on upon by those who had the most to lose and wanted my grandfather to tow that white supremacist line.. he still hat he did,  to me what is more important is what my father decided to do, the choices he made helped to create my world view and that of my son for which I am grateful. I am also grateful to hear his compassion and how as he calls out what is wrong he continues to embrace my grandfather for all his flaws and to this act of radical compassion even as he moves his family to be raised in a much more diverse environment is amazing to me and gives me hope. if we can all access that in ourselves and for others, maybe just maybe we will be able to shift this paradigm on a systemic level..  I recently read an article by Nicolas Kristoff about Daryl Davis, 63,  a Black musician with an unusual calling: He hangs out with Ku Klux Klan members and neo-Nazis and chips away at their racism.  He essentially used his curiosity around racism to forge friendships. with KKK members, and through these friendships he is able to reach people and help them change. “Daryl Davis demonstrates that talking face-to-face with your ideological opponents can motivate them to rethink their views,” said Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. “He's an extraordinary example of what psychologists have repeatedly shown with evidence: In over 500 studies, interacting face-to-face with an out-group reduced prejudice 94 percent of the time.“You won't get through to people until you've earned their trust,” Grant added. “You're not likely to earn their trust until you've met them face-to-face and listened to their stories.”Read the entire article here!So if we can have the conversations and tell our stories and walk into this very messy and uncomfortable world with our truly curious hearts and mind and with an understanding about what that shadow side is of humanity and how it works, tell our stories,  take the power away from them and show them the light of day.. yeah maybe we can change the world..  gentle listener it is worth trying right, what have we got to lose??Thank-you for 

Random Acts are small, short vignettes of unedited moments and thoughts - I hope you enjoy this one! 

 Aloha gentle listeners and welcome to the last month of season one!!  July will be the last month of the first season,  woohoo and so much gratitude to you for listening to the stories that  I have loved sharing. This week's story comes from an experience I had the other day while out walking the dogs, my dog, and the two littles my parent's dogs.. Walking all three on leashes can a handful but we do our best and mostly we are good unless there are other dogs that maybe have owners who don't pay attention or just assume all dogs are okay talking to other dogs but mine are not, they have had trauma.  things happen when we are unexpectedly accosted by three women and one of their dogs that is allowed to charge at us, yeah so it. gets weird and doesn't end there but with them. following us out of the nature reserve..  but luckily I have seen all the Fast and Furious movies and I know I need to lose the car,  so taking car chase like emoves,  I drive that way to the Sheriff's Office  (these are strategies that I use when being followed by men) because Iowa is an open carry state and anyone who calls me names with my dogs- is probably someone that would carry around a gun in case they needed to defend themselves from the likes of me or anyone and that thought made me rethink all the ways in which I have always carried myself-I will not miss this part about the US. that is one level of trust and personal safety I do want to think about if someone is armed when they approach me,  at all..   such a weird world we live in currently.   So taking no chances here, I am about to get to leave Iowa to Amsterdam so I am walking carefully to ensure that I get on that plane on Wednesday!  Shoot me your thoughts on this episode I love hearing from you gentle listener, have a great day! 

Welcome to another episode of Random Acts of Living!  We are winding down our first season  ( woo-hoo and amazing! ) I recorded several episodes with my dad when he was in the hospital and this is one. IT occurred to me that we really do not have a  very good conversation on the caretaking of the elderly in the US and as it is fast approaching that I will be taking care of my parents and that they will need some type of support from their family I decided to take advantage of my dad sitting in the hospital.. I think my dad is pretty funny,  but that could just be me and the more I talk to him the more I see how alike we are..  I hope you find some nuggets of truth, gentle listener, from his lips to our ears may we become a more compassionate society and figure out how to take care of all of us in kind and wholistic ways!Happy Sunday!

I am trying out an idea that I want to be a small mini-podcast during the week.. there. sometimes is so much that goes on in our lives I forget all the little things that are a gesture of love or intent yet really important to living in the present ..I want to be in the moment upload for my community sharing something special or deep or funny, but not an entire episode with no or very explanation in the show notes... it is a surprise  so here is the first   "Random Act" ! 

Aloha gentle listeners,  I am so excited you could join me for this amazing episode of Random Acts of Living! Today we are talking story with the amazing artist and human, Jonas Vansteenskiste from his studio in Belgium. I met Jonas when I was an artist in residency at the European Keramic  Work Center, Oistervik in the Netherlands in the summer of 2019. We fell into an immediate friendship and of all the people I met that summer Jonas is able to make me laugh and felt so young at heart, I remember fondly being with him in his studio spending hours talking about art and how we make it and try to live from it, filled me with so much joy at a time in my life when I thought that I no longer deserved to feel that way. I am forever grateful the universe put him in my path and I get to talk with him even as a pandemic and continents separate us. Jonas has continued to work through the pandemic and in this episode talks to his “pandemic calling “ of becoming an online curator of art brings to us what we should be seeing in person. Although it is not the same as seeing one of his installations in person it is something, it reminds us that the artists continue to speak and create especially when the world seemed to go silent we are here continuing the long history of storytelling through image and experience when the world is ready he will be ready.Also, did I mention that he looks as if he could walk right out of a Rembrandt painting? It is true I kept thinking that he looked so familiar to me then I realized he reminded me of a portrait by Rembrandt..Click here for his website: https://jonasvansteenkiste.wixsite.com/portfolio“The works of the artist Jonas Vansteenkiste are defined by spaces.He uses several media, i.e. installations, video, sculpture, photos, and drawings.He refers to and uses – both in a physical and psychological way – architectural elements.He builds up spaces, or creates situations that can best be defined as "mental spaces". Mental spaces have a resemblance with "Denkraum", a notion mostly found in philosophy and architecture. "Denkraum" can be seen as building walls, not only in but also from the chaos of one's own perception, emotions, and thoughts to express in a clear way these experiences and feelings.”For more on Jonas hereJonas Facebook pageJonas IG account Most importantly we need  Jonas to experience  American Housing in person,  so please one of the many people I know let's get him a show here in the USA  to create an installation we need  to see his art in person! 

Aloha gentle listeners and welcome to the latest episode of Random Acts of Living, with one of my favorite badass women Mikico Tashima!I met Micki when I was an artist in resident on Aso in  Japan in the fall of 2019,  as her company was handling the marketing for the  Artist is Aso program which included translations. Even before I met her,  a dear friend of mine had mentioned that she had met this woman who was a very unusual Japanese woman she is a DJ,  a  bar owner, a cat lover,  and overall badass living her life on her own terms. I was still trying to make sense of the after-effects of my husband's "accident" when I met her and I felt that I was floating through life jus thought Miki was amazing and brave so brave who seemed fearless to me was amazing and in no little way exactly what I needed to see further validation that life is meant to be lived fearlessly and we are meant to do that living.. I hope that after a year and a half of lockdown and trauma from the pandemic and as we. ease ourselves back into our passionate lives that we continue to grow and change and seek answers even when we are afraid, even when it seems that answer is no because as Miki describes sometimes the best presents we get after  Christmas! Micki made a mix for this podcast and we are going to share it soon. but until we get the copyright issues figured out here are some links to her radio show, website, and business! https://stand.fm/channels/5f6ec145f04555115dc76102?fbclid=IwAR3Rr5mWy8EJw4yMPmbJ_BdyvPF1hzFKZISBpZ2BkLUabPSs1yj2IIvIOD0https://stand.fm/channels/5f6ec145f04555115dc76102?fbclid=IwAR3Rr5mWy8EJw4yMPmbJ_BdyvPF1hzFKZISBpZ2BkLUabPSs1yj2IIvIOD0https://adastra.co.jp/?fbclid=IwAR0PBjPF6uIYzP0_3qTcUjVTkYsmA5QflVCAqLw89mi5f_NkWqYmKk6vqI4

Aloha and welcome to the latest episode of Random Acts of living! This episode is an amazing conversation I was able to have with a young woman Sheridan Ruth who is absolutely a lovely badass woman changing the world! I love these conversations so much as they give me hope as we all come out of the pandemic,  that there are women and men who are working to change the destructive course we have been living in and will do this wk for decades to come! Sheridan is a world traveler, women's empowerment advocate, yogi, and Yoga Therapist. She supports women with hair loss to feel more self-acceptance, step into their true power, and radiate confidence. Sheridan supports women at various stages of their journey, who share one common goal – transforming their hair loss journey into a self-empowering, spiritual journey. Since losing her hair at 7 years old, Sheridan battled the ups and downs of hair loss for most of her life. Brought to the yoga mat by her own mental health afflictions, Sheridan was once unsure about what to do and where to go, completely disconnected from her reality and her body. Today she is motivated to assist others in moving past their own entrenched traumas and self-confidence issues through the practice of yoga. She accomplishes this through a deep understanding and constant study of the connection between mind and body and uniting the esoteric teachings of this ancient practice with valuable, evidence-based western sciences such as psychology.  She now exclusively serves the hair-loss community, creating safe spaces for her community to dive deep into self-inquiry, reconcile with their bodies, and connect with a sense of grounded confidence. Her calm but energetically powerful teaching style creates a safe and loving space in which to grow and ultimately encourages a better relationship with your physical and spiritual bodies, greater awareness, and a profound sense of self-love. She is the Director of operations of Proyecto Florecer-Proyecto Florecer's (Proyecto Flourish) grass-roots programs, led by local community volunteers, to offer Latin American women the opportunity to break cycles of poverty, under-employment, sex trafficking, gender discrimination, drug abuse, early pregnancy, under-education, and abusive relationships. more information about Proyecto FlorecerSheridan has been featured in Bald Life Magazine, Medium and Elephant Journal, and now Random Acts of Living! @_sheridanruthhttps://www.facebook.com/SheridanRuth93

Here we are once more with our very favorite Chris Block talking about everything from, being vaccinated and getting to the steam baths, to how we look at work and meetings post-pandemic. So much to talk about...  How do we do meetings now that we know we don't always have to meet in person but meeting in person allows us to create community quicker, quoting  Peter Block ( no Relation)  From his book, The Structure of Community,   "Every time we meet is an opportunity to create the world we want to live, "  given that how do we then use these meeting spaces to address equity and inclusion and create the world that wants to live in, it is possible now we need to implement it. Finally, Chris updates us on his new position in San Fransisco the job he has been training for his entire life,  housing the homeless, feeling most days that they are making gains, given that there are actually resources available for this there is no reason not to house even those that have been neglected in the past. This is our moment as a society to step up and change the system and if he fails he is asking people to hold him accountable!  Our last thought is on to. discuss the systemic issues that cause inequity, so you gentle listeners please join us in the conversation with ideas or thoughts on how to transform these systems with equity and inclusion! 

Laura Jean McLaughlin and Schlumpy Funk Gentle listeners, I have the most wonderful artist to introduce you to on this week’s episode! Laura Jean is a sculptor and an artist that I met in Denmark in 2013,  at a very interesting ceramic conference full of larger-than-life personalities and intrigue and of course. ceramics! Laura Jean stood out to me, with her amazing talent and what I have come to realize is her true love of creating work, wherever and however she can. I appreciated her style immediately,  so bold and narrative,  rich in storytelling,  and just beautiful and so many things. she does mosaics,  prints, sculpture, big and small... what is this style of drawing, woodcarving, and sculpture????  When I went back to Hawaii and rejoined my life I followed her on Facebook, then on IG  for years. I would order small pieces from her that could be shipped to Hawaii easily because simply put, her works make me happy!  It really is that simple,  this complex yet straightforward, whimsical yet to me Buddhist,  incorporates the idea of “being present”  and does not take itself nor the artist too seriously.. I think Laura Jean is an artist who is comfortable in her skin and that permeates her work and flows through all she does. Hmmm, I thought what is this mysterious and beautiful world I stumbled upon????? I would discover that this is called  Schulmpy Funk sooooooo when I went through Pittsburgh on my way to Philly I was determined to stop and see the studio that had inspired me all these years and I think will continue to do so for years to come! So much I  enjoyed  Laura Jean’s studio and her conversation and work that on my back Iowa I stopped again,  this is our conversation.  I hope we will have many more about Schlumpy Funk, morning meditations, and moving into simpler digs with her studio which is AMAZINGLY  FULL  of her creativity from her work,  to her cats to the mural she just painted on the outside as I was leaving! A human so full of ideas she seems to overflow and cannot be contained ..below are the links to her website,  bio, and her social media and to the Schulmpy funk manifesto which I think will change one’s life if you let it!  So do yourself and the world a  huge favor and friend her on  Facebook, watch her morning meditation drawings, get inspired as we come out of this pandemic year and we remember that beautiful things happened when we were not looking! http://laurajeanmclaughlin.com/https://www.instagram.com/ljmclay/ https://www.facebook.com/laura.j.mclaughlin.3Here is how you can buy the Schlumpy Funk Manifesto, https://www.amazon.com/Schlumpy-Manifestoes-David-Ziller-McLauglin/dp/098919227X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=schlumpy+Funk&qid=1621388023&s=movies-tv&sr=1-1

Once more I hit the road gentle listeners this time due East to visit friends and artists in Philly and Pittsburg... I go through Gettysburg to try to understand our American past so that I. might be able to negotiate the present better... and of course, the universe throws situations at me that seem not to be related but maybe are at the heart of understanding the current temperature in the US..

Aloha and welcome to Random Acts of Living!  This episode is amazing because I get to introduce and talk with the most amazing badass, rockstar, changemaker woman,  Sheva Pekar! I met Sheva through our mutual friend on the epic road trip when we stopped in Denver to visit her,  and well her stories just blew my mind.. When she started talking about her career or calling, with cannabis and psychedelics compliance, that she and her husband have spearheaded the legislation for psychedelics not to just decriminalize but to democratize, I knew I was speaking to a visionary leader,  I had to know more... so here is Sheva as she tells her personal story and what beautiful visions she is working towards to create a diverse, inclusive democratic, and FUN  world for us all to explore our inner-verse! Sheva Pekar has been involved in the Cannabis and Psychedelic industry for the last 6 years. She is a strong advocate and avid believer in diversity and inclusion for this industry's entrepreneurs' as entrepreneurs become successful within the communities they serve, translating into greater access for consumers, advocates, and users of these medicinal substances.  She lives near the gorgeous Rocky Mountains in Colorado with her husband and small child and loves being in the mountain wilderness exploring, playing, and discovering her inner-verse. More resources and information about sovereignty and psychedelics are available at  Sheva's Website  www.PsyCannAdvisors.com. You can reach out to Sheva directly at sheva@psycannadvisors.com   or on FB https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=102654175138643&ref=content_filter To learn more about the Psychedelic constituency and how to communicate directly to regulators about psychedelics, sign up for https://www.votenature.org/.

So in this episode, I could no longer ignore the issues around white privilege and racism, and as a white woman who is a feminist, social rights activist, and community organizer in communities of color I feel it is time to turn to the very. difficult topic and try to create healthy discussion that can springboard into action.. I know this is not an easy issue and I think for me the best way to address it is to make it personal and to delve into my family history the good, the bad, and the ugly, and see if through these stories we can find a way to create new stories that help to lift everyone up together where this is not a zero-sum game.. shoot me an. email at randomactsofliving@gmail.com at or on IG https://www.instagram.com/molokaiemilliapottery/

Aloha gentle listener!  Well, I am back from my expedition to the southwest,  it was a truly life-changing journey and like most  "Sheroes" journeys it was chalked full of the unexpected, several mishaps, lonely wandering, and joyous celebration- not to mention the beginning where it seems the sheroes may not set off at all... When something happens that takes all one's capacity to decide to move forward in spite of the lack of vessel to carry you forward... We had it all indeed Homer would no doubt be in awe of the reality of our epic journey and the way we negotiated the terrain we found ourselves when. we. understood that this journey was more about the process than the destination..I mean we had to go to the Badlands, Carhenge Nebraska's answer to Stonehenge- because that was a question, to begin with???? but go we did and you can find our silly dance of acceptance here.. We made it to Denver, then to Sana Fe, to Tuscan connecting old friends along the way and learning ALOT! We also spent time in some mind-blowing beautiful natural spaces in awe of everything around us... One thing we found was that everyone is anxious to come out of this past year and reconnect with people old and new and know that we are OK and ready to step into the world safely, but enthusiastically... part one is the beginning of the journey  .. part two we delve into how we discovered we pack our fears with us when we camp do you fear cold? hunger? being a woman alone in the woods?  safety? peeing outside? I fear. all of these things and [ack accordingly but not aways successfully and I extend this thinking to my life in general .. what are the fears that I pack me not only camping but every day??? check out the photos of  our trip on  my IG molokaiemilliapottery

Aloha and welcome to another episode of Random Acts of Living, this week has been a real doozy! I had planned an epic road trip in the ART V with a  good friend to Moab, Arches, and Zion.. and just when I thought the world was looking a little brighter,  my parents had the first dose of the vaccine, the first day out on the road bad luck struck and the engine kind of blew up and all the coolant came pouring out only 120 miles from home!!!???? Oh but wait,  gentle listener, it gets better because then my father called me and let us know that he had tested positive for COVID .. He is doing well and feeling better,  but so much running my head in how to keep safe ourselves and how to keep other people safe.However this episode is not that story, nope,  that will probably become a podcast miniseries special.. This episode is a soothing salve to that chaotic circus a lovely talk story session with Dave on his story of working with the Democratic party in the pandemic for the 2020 election.. What was it actually like coming to a small town in rural Iowa and not be able to meet with many of your volunteers in person or voters?  This was the first campaign Dave worked on having been in the Marines for over 20 years so I was curious as to what makes that sort of shift in mindset and how do we take the lessons learned from his experience into other ways in which we move forward together as a society.From where I sit if each of us is able to communicate the story of our work for the community's well being the more we can discuss what are the commonalities in our lives. If we can access that side of ourselves maybe the "inner Dave" in each of us,  something as simple as where one actually IS  in the world with intent. can make a mindful difference. Mahalo for listening! 

Hello, there gentle listeners!  Welcome to the new episode of Random Acts of Living,  Coaching your Date: part 2!  It has been a couple of months - Uhm or 6  since I have really. delved into the dating in the midst of the pandemic topic, mostly because well,  there hasn't been much as I am trying to stay safe but someone emailed me after listening to the "Coaching your date and other games in 2020!" and I realized that there was an update so here it is!  No spoilers from me but there has been some connection from these dating sites as well as some learning, for which I am very grateful. Now the beginning of the end of Covid is insight as we move towards vaccines and hopefully smarter and more careful social distancing and mask-wearing ... but yes I am looking forward to being kissed in the dark, in the near future once more! 

This episode of Random Acts of Living is a special one telling the story to my first and best tribe of women in honor of International Women's Day. I become a single mother at the age of 20 and was separated by my family not only geographically as they had transferred to Spain being military people, but emotional as having a child out of wedlock they saw as an affront to their Conservative Christian values. So alone in Oregon I was trying to figure out my life and the future life of my son.. Gentle listeners this is the story of me floating and stumbling into a tribe of badass, change the world, life-loving women that indeed saved my life, put me on my path, and taught me that life is not always easy but if you look around you, pay attention your tribe is not far away and they are waiting for you with open arms! There are so many amazing and strong and truly brilliant women I am honored to have known in my life, and I know you have those women in your life as well. Gentle listeners, I hope you're celebrating the women around you not just on. this day and month but really day as this time in our herstory we need all of our greatness around us, supporting each other and moving forward with love, joy, and a huge sense of humor! This episode is dedicated to that tribe - Sheri, Marcy Sarah, Per, Elizabeth, and Mary and our beautiful amazing children with all my love and gratitude. Enjoy and be well! Emillia

I am so happy to welcome back my friend Chris Block (CB) to Random Acts of Living! He and I haven't spoken since before Christmas and well ya know sooo much has happened personally and well nationally and yeah still the pandemic.. AAAHAHAHAHAHAAHHHHAnd yet I am so deeply grateful for CB's insight as well as his compassionate yet honest take on the current state of politics and our deeply divided civil society. Hold tight gentle listener because we dig deep into the events of Jan 6h, as both of us work in spaces where understanding where someone is coming from is paramount, but how does one reconcile a belief system that is simply not based on reality? I ask about holding. the truth to the hard, cold light of day isn't it important to MAKE PEOPLE SEE THE TRUTH??? Gentle listener, I aspire to be as wise as CB someday, but today is not the day.. luckily we continue to churn the water, diving, and swimming towards our own internal truth through every random act of living!

Aloha and welcome to a new episode of Random Acts of Living, with me your hostess Emillia Noordhoek! In today's episode, I share my latest experience on doing a photo shoot, and not your ordinary photos shoot but with the amazing Hanna Agar a fellow creative and amazing seer of the souls and master photographer! I have been dreaded having a photoshoot but knew that I wanted new professional photos and I really wanted them to reflect all that I am - not just the stale head shots, but my multi-passionate self and most importantly I wanted a family portrait with my Shero dog Lei lei! The photos can be seen on my IG molokaiemilliapottery, let me know your thoughts on how you show yourself to the world or drop me a line!

On this weeks’ podcast, I am going with that beautiful golden thread of the “bucket lists”, I am kind of intrigued with the idea and currently working on my own. I found a very lovely person, a friend of my one of my dearest friends, to speak with and gain some insight on these lists.. The amazing and charming Edd Stone joins me from the UK(!!!) in strict lockdown to discuss why he began a list and what is on it – a sneak peek of his list is below.. one thing we agree on is that we don’t like the term “bucket list” because the focus should be on what we each do here while we are alive not trying to run a race to do thing before we die.. it is kind of the same thing but I think that the slight difference is really important! We decided to call the list “things that make me happy”, as a kind of working title of lists until we come up with something better! What makes YOU excited in this world????!!! Drop me a line at randomactsofliving@gmail.com- I look forward to hearing from you! Edd’s list of goals for living!Get lost in America’s boundary waters Kayak across Europe EUC lejog ✅ Get a World record ✅ Volunteer as trustee ✅ West highland way Kayak across Ireland Sub 4hr post crash marathon Get a triumph bobber - electric fat bike Get into a fight See the red door ✅ Do a handstand Canoe the Zambezi Sky dive Bungee jump One weeks silence Below are a couple of comments about living with intent and “buckets lists”“I do not have a bucket list... I feel I'm right where I need to be. I feel like I've lived such a full and amazing life already and the rest is a bonus. I'm just showing up every day for my family, practicing gratitude, and living my life in such a way that I can stay the happy and healthy person I already am.”. “I don’t have a bucket list either. My life is so different than, It was before in terms of how I spend my time. Same values and I can’t really explain the shifts – but they have been so good.”You are the best listeners in the world, I hope this week's episode gives you more ideas about living life fully, with intent and joy!

Happy Valentine's day!  On this day where we have set aside to celebrate love, I give you a story of true love for our beloved dog, Buhla..also a story of love and friendship on an island in the middle of the Pacific just one of many, many stories that I am deeply grateful to be able to tell and the people and dogs I am able to call my loves..True love belongs to those being that are able to begin you back from the brink, whether as the hero dogs did for Matt guiding him through the forest,  healing our hearts of loss and griefs and our friends making sure to bail me out of jail as well as to help get the dogs body on ice, from Molokai to Ohau and to the crematorium ..  love indeed gets us through the good days walking on air, however, I believe the truest love gets us through the weird and the wonderful in equal measure.. Enjoy gentle listener!  This episode is dedicated to M and J and all the love that helped to get me through the dark days.. I celebrate the love of my tribe today and everyday!  xox

Join me this week on Random Acts of Living as we delve into ideas of living life fully not just for ourselves but how we interact fully with others while understanding each ephemeral moment in this life. Also bucket lists, I want to hear your stories of bucket lists, how do you make them? What do you choose to include and what are the criteria to make it on your bucket list? Shoot me an email @ randomactsofliving@gmail.com send me your bucket list or ideas for a bucket list!

Well,  gentle listener, it has been another totally crazy week and as we get closer to the inauguration I wanted to talk with people who can offer a sane and inspiring perspective, soooo I turned to my friend and Scorpio sister, Teresa  (T for short) Shook!  I met T after the 2016 election by planning the historic Women's March in DC  for the day after the inauguration. It was an amazing moment with millions of people, mostly women, peacefully demonstrating on the capital which seems like many years away from this current moment.. yet the activism that came out of the tiniest of ideas, on T's birthday November 8th, no less,   is proof that social media can be used for good and that we all have the power to be the change we want to see in the world!  Find out what my special nickname is for her on this episode and fill up and all the good positive vibes we are sending your way,   take such good care and we really do have so much to celebrate this week! Drop me a line at Randomactsofliving@gmail.com and let me know how you are taking care and staying safe! 

I have to say that the new year started off great, there was fun, sweetness, sparkling snow, ice, dogs even a little kissing.. then, not even a full week into it, everything really just all went to hell, right? Well, we knew that we were NOT getting out of the Trump presidency, he was and continues stoking racist and authoritarian fears, he cares not that he burns the house down, a peaceful transition of power means nothing to him and yet we knew that all along.. The amazing women who organized and the people who marched ( there were many men) the Women's March in 2017 were well aware of what he was about, we had been warned almost 4 million people marched on DC, many more across our country, and yet, and yet... Here we are watching a riot in the capital, 5 people died because of that mob, those rioters, and all I can think of is how we marched in 2017 peacefully with grace and dignity and that I hoped beyond any hope we were allowed to carry that my country would wake up, would see before it is too late.. I hope you find some comfort and yes even hope in this episode and that if you have stories to share please drop and line, shoot me an email @ randomactsofliving@gmail.comHere is the website that has ideas about how to care for yourself in these unprecedented times- when do they become precedented??? http://www.findingsteadyground.com

Join your host, Emillia Noordhoek, as we bid farewell to this truly long exhausting year in this last episode for Random Acts of Living for 2020! I mean it hasn't been all terrible and horrible.. well maybe it's been pretty bad.. my sister died at the beginning of the year, Austalia was burning, Elizabeth Warren and every single progressive lost the democratic presidential nomination, then the pandemic hit the US hard and life and lively hoods came to a screeching halt, although the presidential election seemed to go on and on forever.. Oh, and I found myself stranded in a small town in North East Iowa living with my parents in the middle of coming to terms with my own personal tragedy and my dog ... yup it has been one for the books, but thankfully there are always people amazing, inspiring people who seem to light the way and share our stories and make us laugh, cry and get us up in the morning so we can keep changing the world one random act at a time! 2021 we are ready!

This episode is my first “talk story “ session with my friend and mentor ( owner of the most robust beard ever!! ) Chis Block about intentionality, what it means now, and how our intentions have changed maybe for the better because of the pandemic.. Has this period of time been long enough to really appreciate the things that we are grieving the loss of and things that we are not… Chris wonders if this time has been long enough to change our habits??? We discuss our serious love of hot water and steam baths, leading to the age-old question if our important conversations shouldn’t all take place in steam baths??? Languid conversations in hot water/political discourse through misting vapors … isn't there a tradition of having open and honest conversations wrapped in a towel or naked???? could this be the next big thing to get people to come together??? I look forward, gentle listener, to walking with you, my voice in your ears, as we ponder the great mysteries in Random Acts of Living!

This election year the candidates talked about immigration more than any other in my recent memory. Being a third-generation immigrant has always been something I am proud of even though I didn’t always grasp the extent of what my heritage was or where I came from, for many immigrants a lot gets literally “lost in translation”. One of the values that I learned in Hawai`i was that to be able to describe your history not just your own personal herstory but that of your families is a way to connection and community.. so not having all the pieces of my immediate family history left me feeling that there was always something missing. In 2014 I set out to find the pieces of long-lost cousins left in the Netherlands during WWII, a sad and bittersweet story I learned is that these stories are woven into our blood, and values, spoken or not, are passed down from generations to generation. As I put the pieces together I have an opportunity to celebrate my herstory and know that I have integrated the best and most important values that my grandfather took with him all those years ago, which has become a source of pride and inspiration!

Does what doesn't kill us make us stronger?? In this episode, I ask what makes each of us want to do better in our life ?? and not simply a better person, but what is the bar that we hold up to ourselves- what's mine???

This December as we roll into the end of 2020 and the dark winter of the COVID pandemic and life feels very small - I made a commitment to embrace my parents and not be a jerk even when I could be justified in my behavior..in a drive to the Winnebego factory with my dad we talk about my mother's childhood dream.. there are gifts in 2020!

In 2016  my world turned upside down due to a freak accident,  this is the beginning of that journey with my husband and of course the hero dogs who saved his life and maybe my life too!  Act two.

In 2016 my world turned upside down due to a freak accident, this is the beginning of that journey with my husband and of course the hero dogs who saved his life and maybe my life too! Act three.

Finding out that I had a congenital heart defect, almost dying, getting open-heart surgery yep looking into the eyes of death, and returning victorious!

The story of my very religious family and how I learned mad skills to ask anyone for anything through learning how to cold call "witness" to people!

In this episode, my high school senior self steps up to harassment and misogyny confronting a creepy teacher.

This is my origin story, growing up surrounded by diversity on a Navajo Reservation in the 60s and 70's.. yes I am that old.!

In this episode, we discuss the difference between dating and coaching men on dating apps. If I can make the world easier for other women in the dating app my work here is done! Enjoy!

This episode and story are addressed to all of us who are having to live with people due to circumstances beyond our control who do not value our deepest selves and what we refer to as "toxic".

In this episode, Emillia tells the tale of the first date with her soon to be ex-husband and how seemingly insignificant moments make for funny and profound moments in our lives. Acknowledging how much we have loved and cared for people in our lives, even when they are no longer in our lives, is something to be celebrated as these are the stories that help define us and continue to lift us up through hard times. Enjoy!

Host Emillia Noordhoek shares deeply personal, heartbreakingly poignant true stories about surviving personal loss and transforming trauma into “Random Acts of Living” a call to action to get her through some of her most challenging moments. Recounting an unusual childhood full of weird, wonderful, and truly funny moments to loss and redemption as a very imperfect single mother, artist, partner, and community activist, she explores the stories that appear in our lives in big and small ways, teaching us the joy of living and learning from daydreaming, singing out loud, being mischievous, to more serious endeavors such as art and music (both making and experiencing) community organizing, saving our democracy, social justice, and climate change. We are all in this together and the stories that we tell and share with each other give us valuable insight into the state of our lives, both the public and private because what seems random is really anything but! Emillia Noordhoek is a social entrepreneur, mentor, and artist having lived the last 13 years on the small island of Molokai, Hawaii. She is a co-founder of both Sust`aina ble Molokai and the Molokai Arts Center and currently finds herself in the Midwest in the middle of the global pandemic and personal crisis. Emillia has been deeply influenced by Native Hawaiian leaders through the Aloha `Aina movement integrating the values she was taught into her daily life. She seeks to find value and significance in the stories that shape our world and define us as members of this human race on the blue marble spinning in our universe. Join her every week for a unique take on living, breathing, and exploring our humanity through Random Acts of Living!