Director Introduction - Kait!

Howdy, fellow D.R.E.E.M.ers!

Allow me to introduce myself… Kaitzilla here! I just want to start off by saying “Thanks for reading!” I can hardly express how grateful & blessed I feel to officially take part in this wonderful organization. There are many exciting endeavors & educational experiences to look forward to, & I delight in having opportunities to share them with the world! One of the first, but biggest, lessons I learned from being inducted has to do with what it takes to be a D.R.E.E.M.er. Originally, I thought it would take some sort of meditative ascension, or that I would have to suddenly & immediately become a flawless human [a complete contradiction]. However, I began to realize that qualities that simply made me me also made me a D.R.E.E.M.er! Passion, pluck, and perhaps even my perkiness all add keys to the instrument that is myself. Of course, many instruments must come together to make dynamic music. 

On Oct. 5, 2010, Ashley Munday and I [Kait Vettel] were awarded our certificates of induction, and we officially became directors of D.R.E.E.M. Reality! We felt especially thrilled because of the love and energy poured into our certificates. They were lovingly hand- crafted from recycled [and reused] brown paper bags and decorated with love & intention, plus lots of flowers! The certificates serve as beautiful visual reminders of the commitment we have made to ourselves, this organization, our community, as well as the whole environment!

Due to fortunate happenstance, Ashley and I were recently able to join D.R.E.E.M. Reality president and vice-president [Melinda & Danielle Phoenix, respectively] for a week during their Hawaiian Research Project. Hawaii is a stunning, majestic place to visit. Many people already know that. However, I had no idea what amazing examples of sustainability the Big Island has to offer. For starters, there is hardly any trash to throw out. Even public areas in the bigger cities offer recycling bins, compost receptacles, and sometimes even paper compost! Due to the limited space and fertile soil, Hawaii has to be extremely conscious of how often landfills/dumps get used. Imagine how much of a difference we could make here on the mainland if we simply adopted more of these simple waste reduction techniques! The notion is not as distant as it sounds. Even fast food companies where you live make efforts toward sustainability. Many fast food containers, such as cups, lids, and even the plastic nacho trays at your local Taco Bell are recyclable. The swirling triangle of arrows has become a widely recognizable symbol, and I urge everyone to take note of just how many products bear that symbol! This is our ever-important first step: Awareness. Next, let’s start encouraging these fast food places to provide customers with recycling bins in the stores! They have made the effort to use recycled materials, it’s up to us to complete the cycle. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt if they made it easier on us!

On another sustainability note, the town of Hawi, where Ashley and I stayed during the majority of our Hawaii visit, gets its energy from wind power! The vast fields of massive windmills are majestic, and awe-inspiring. The city took responsibility for its residents. Which brings up a good point: what about individuals visiting or living in Hawaii? There are many amazing work-exchange programs in Hawaii for visitors. It is an incredible way to experience the heart of Hawaii, while simultaneously giving something back to the land. Aside from the eco-villages, farms, and intentional communities on the big island that tend land & farm their own food, average families living there also grow food. During our stay, we were lucky enough to share in many amazing dining experiences with many of the ingredients being picked just before preparation. Nothing short of inspiring; clearly gardening is no longer only for large-scale, mass production farmers! In our work-a-day world, it’s often easy to get caught up in convenience, as opposed to procuring our own food. I myself am often guilty of ignoring where my food comes from. I encourage everyone reading this to find out what foods grow easily in your climate, and get planting! You’ll be sold once you taste the food you pick fresh. Plus, getting your hands dirty and working directly with the earth & soil can be a powerfully spiritual and fulfilling experience. I felt elated, accomplished, & on top of the world after rescuing a mango tree from parasitic vines! I bet the mango tree felt pretty good, too! When you feel that good [and the earth does too!], nothing can get you down.

Though sometimes overlooked, the spiritual, emotional, and communal experiences we share as people are just as vital to sustainable living as environmental considerations. After all, if you do not feel emotionally or spiritually fulfilled, then you yourself do not share the ability to sustain healthy living! The earth is not the only thing that needs help. Our souls need to utilize tools of sustainability as well. For example, one of the most unique and fascinating experiences I had during our time on the island came from our fortunate involvement in what is known as a Dream-In. An exercise where each participant sets intention into one’s dreams before bed, so as to better absorb the messages within them after awakening. The next morning, the sense of spiritual community that we each search for made known that it exists already in our subconscious during the sharing of the dreams. Many people, whether they knew one another or not, shared similar dream symbols and emotions during the night. Also, about half the group awoke at the same time [before the chimes to wake up went off]. It made me realize that there may be nothing so powerfully universal, yet seemingly impossible to fully understand, as the act of dreaming. Whether one thinks of a dream as a seemingly random assortment of images perceived during sleep, or the waking desire that fuels our very existence, dreams power us all.

D.R.E.E.M. on!

<3 Kait

PS- An extra thanks to those of you who actually sat through this long-winded introduction! <3

Oregon Country Fair and Welcome to Aaron!

This past weekend, July 9 - 11th, D.r.e.e.m. Reality sent up a camp at the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta. It was a beautiful arts and music fair with amazing people and creativity. We set up our camp with the D.r.e.e.m. Reality banner flying. We had brought pamphlets of course, so created a small pamphlet holder out of a discarded coconut water drink box, then tied it to the tree! People took lots of Pamphlets and it always feels good to have people ask questions.

There was an "Energy Park" and "Intentional Communities" section of the fair. We spent a significant amount of time exploring these areas. Specifically, we connected with an Oregon Ecovillage called Lost Valley. They are also an educational non-profit that has been up and running for a while, and we know we will be learning a lot from them. It is our plan to participate in their internship program as well as to take their "Social Permaculture and Community Design" class as soon as possible - probably after the upcoming Hawaiian Research Project! This class will help us understand the essential inner-workings of the social glue that is necessary in starting and maintaining a successful organization and community.

In total, we had four of our Directors present for this Fair. Dani, Melinda, Annette, and our newest Director - Aaron Noble!

WELCOME AARON!

Aaron is truly an amazing addition to our D.r.e.e.m. Team. His drive and awareness is more than impressive, as he has already established his own operating ministry. He also is a powerful yoga instructor (I know, I've taken his class!), as well as a vibrational sound healer. We know he will prove to be an essential member of the Team!

The Blossoming of our Board of Directors!

While we are patiently awaiting the response from the Secretary of State concerning our Articles of Incorporation, we are building a strong force of Directors.

Last month Melinda and I enthusiastically welcomed Conor to the Board. We were thrilled for him to bring on his consistently practical and revolutionary mind to the team. This past weekend, after our Fresno-Santa Cruz bike adventure, we are honored to welcome FIVE driven and strong women as new D.r.e.e.m. Reality Directors and potential Officers!

Annette - an extraordinarily inspiring woman, who is constantly impressive with her ability to not only talk the talk but gracefully walk the walk as well. She will be an essential addition to the motivation and action of D.r.e.e.m. Reality. Additionally, she has offered to be the official accountant for D.r.e.e.m. Reality as she is getting ready to finish up her studies regarding this skill. Perhaps we will be welcoming her as our Treasurer as well...when she returns from a month-long visit to Thailand!

Crys - one of the incredible motherly figures essential to the nurturing of any successful project. In addition, she has paramount organization, leadership, and integrity skills. She is a Culinary Artist and specializes in community size preparation. As a Food Director at a large kids' summer camp she has developed aspirations for a more sustainable, nutritional, co-operational food preparation and service. Essential for the long term goals of D.r.e.e.m. Reality and the foundational work necessary.

Ashley - another powerful nurturer, she has been gifted as an incredible healer. Presently finishing her Masters work in Chinese Medicine at Five Branches University, she is fully dedicated to improving and sustaining health through numerous Eastern methods including acupuncture, sound healing, herbal medicine, nutritional awareness, and so many other beautiful methods. She is driven, caring, creative, a strong leader, and has an innate ability to see deep truth that can be counted on.

Jacqueline - yet another passionate and talented woman. Driven in the fields of Western medicine, child health, education, and sustainability - we eagerly welcome her wisdom and strength. Also on the path to attain her Masters in Nursing at UC San Francisco, she offers innumerable resources for the organization. We hope to learn more about Grant Proposals with her on the team.

Shiree - seemingly molded right from the Earth, she is a true lover of life and land. She is a role model in her ability to act without fear, especially in pursuit of one's passions. A lady warrior, vessel of creative energy, unquestionable D.r.e.e.m.er. She was also with us at D.r.e.e.m. Reality's premier at the Rainbow Gathering in 2009. Finally, she has chosen to be a student of Horticulture at the beautiful UC Santa Cruz campus - ready to provide so much knowledge to the organization.


All of these women have acted as guides, educators, motivators and mentors to us in other aspects of our lives. They deeply share the goals that this organization promote; enacting them in their daily lives and dreams. It is an honor to have every one of them joining the team!

WELCOME TO THE TEAM LADIES!

~Dani

Welcome to our new Director Conor!

Up until tonight, Melinda and I have been the only Directors for D.r.e.e.m. Reality. We've wanted to bring in a few more leaders with new perspectives and ideas. Presently we're asking for our other Directors to be partners in brainstorming, motivation, and keeping D.r.e.e.m. Reality on track. Beyond that, they are welcome to get involved however they feel pulled to!

Conor has been in our minds as a potential Director for a while now, and we are so happy to have him on board. We think he provides an excellent balance, with constant realistic and logical input. He is extremely intelligent and open minded, with a sensitive heart and ever-giving personality. Additionally, Conor was with us at the Rainbow Gathering in 2009, where we first flew the D.r.e.e.m. Reality banner. So it feels like he has been with us this whole ride.

At our first unofficial Directors' meeting this evening he has already suggested an excellent idea to incorporate sustainability into the urban atmosphere. Too often we think of having a green, sustainable, community based lifestyle as requiring a pioneer type migration to the "wild" to resettle the land and build from the ground up. However, as Conor pointed out - not everyone can or wants to move "back to the land". There is a large need to create sustainability within the urban communities that are already established and contain so much of the population.

This would be an excellent focus for D.r.e.e.m. Reality to take in time!

So, we would officially like to welcome our newest member of D.r.e.e.m. Reality - Conor!

~Dani