Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Greetings from Austin, Texas Ya"ll

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post! The past week has been tilt-a-whirl busy. I'm still on tour doing loads of media and signings plus I just finished an article for Natural Health Magazine. We calculated that I have shaken well over a thousand hands since I kicked off the Crazy Sexy Cancer circus on 8/17. AMAZING! The word is still spreading life wild fire (THANK YOU, THANK YOU) and I am just so happy to see folks connecting, smilinging and making the commitment to return to balance and fantabulous self-love. Deep bow to all of you..

So this article I wrote starts with a really important question - How do you overcome fear in order to take action and become what I call an empowered participant in your healing? It's really easy and I'm gonna be pretty bold and say that there is only one answer to that question. Drum roll.... Change your focus! It's all about mental management so divert and dillute the fear by channeling it in another direction. Mine melted in the inspirational passion fires of creativity. I picked up the camera and the pen and promoted myself from patient to Journalist/Director. My new job shielded me. Tough times made for great story telling. I also never gave into the thought that I'd fail- either in saving my own life or becoming a success. Many people told me (in a snippy tone) that a cancer flick would bomb and that a cancer book was even harder to sell. OH, and that I had an expiration date. Screw that! Be a bull in a china shop. Listen with one ear and let the crap roll off your feathers. When I changed my focus and really believed in myself and bodies potential, nothing could stop me. How have you head-butted fear? Where is YOUR focus? The future is far away - are you in the present, if so open it up, it's a rainbow gift.

OK, off to work! Have a blessed day everyone. Push buttons (in a good way) and stretch some Crazy Sexy boundaries. Can't wait to hear from ya'll.

Peace and vegs,
K

PS. I'm doing a signing tonight at Hastings (2200 South IH 35 - Round Rock, TX) and a special screening of the film and a signing at the Alamo Draft House (2700 Anderson Lane) Austin, TX. The proceeds will be going to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition - Austin Chapter. Come by! They may not have enough books so if you have one bring your own and I'll scribble and we'll hug and high five. :)

Monday, September 17, 2007

Tip Cups

Penny toss wishes for a happy and harmonious Monday!

Today marks the beginning of the 4th week of my book tour. Two more weeks to go and then a small break, which isn't really a break because Brian and I will be shooting special features and cutting deleted scenes for the DVD's. But I digress. Living in hotel rooms and trying to take care of myself on the road has been challenging to say the least. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to a few waltzes with lady Starbuck's on occasion. It's easy for me to maintain my health when I'm in a controlled environment. But when each day brings a new city, schedule and experience the balance zooms off kilter like a tilt-a-whirl gone wild. Though I have been able to stick with my veggie diet and lots of green drinks from juice bars, I have barely done any exercise and I feel it.

I remember this one teacher I had during the height of my healing college days, she asked "out of diet, exercise, and meditation, which helps you heal the most?" Naturally I though diet, as healthy chow is my sun and my moon. "The one you're not doing" she said. Technicolor light bulb explosion!

As I was sitting on the plane designing my post tour detox yesterday I took an inventory of my weekly energy deposits and jotted down where I've been cheating myself. Right now, it's exercise. My yoga mat is perched on top of the TV which is blaring Alan Greenspan's economic Bush spank on CNN. Sadly, om-ing just ain't on the agenda today. But the biggest area of absence in my arsenal of healing navigation is touch. My little inner voice shouted so loud that I swear the other folks in row 47A heard her quack. It's been months since I had a massage or some cranial sacral work and my body is making some gentle (yet demanding) suggestions. Massage not only takes the stress factor down, it also breaks up toxins and moves the lovely lymphatic system. The lymph system is the only freeway in the body that doesn't have it's own pump so it relies on you to move and groove it. Exercise, massage, dry brushing, and/or some sauna time invites the sunshine in as the darkness oozes out.

Time to make more time. Time to spend less on crap and invest more in my future- aka my longevity. Where are you neglecting yourself? What tip or reflection rests in your cup? Share and uplift another canSer cowgirl today.

Isn't life just Buddhaful?
K

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Elephant Pharm Cancelation

Hi Gang! If you were planning on attending the Elephant Pharm signing in Los Altos, CA today it has been canceled. I am fine, just need to fly to Minneapolis earlier as I have a TV appearance at 5 am tomorrow morning. So sorry for the inconvenience. I will be back!

XO and peace,
Kris

PS. I'll post another blog tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for all the giggliscious faux pas!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Cancer Faux Pas

I love to meditate before I write. I often ask for guidance and inspiration so that I can uplift myself and other cancer cowgirls. Today, my intuition tells me the following: Screw that! Let's get naughty! he he he. Folks just say the darnest things sometimes, don't they? They mean well, they are good people, but sometimes judgement knocks and there ain't no one home. I think my next book should be a Cancer Miss Manners. Would that be a hoot or what? We could all write down the outrageous verbal bullets we've dodged over the cancer years and finally release the issues from our tissues. Here are a few new ones I've received on the road. Hope ya giggle!

In a recent local news interview the whole tone was somber and boo hoo. The anchor person had such a sad puppy look on her face while speaking to me in an annoyingly wanna-be soothing tone. Some of these media things take place at ungodly hours, which ties one hand behind your back due to the grog factor. But still I made an olympic and coffee free (bad idea) attempt to muster up some more love fire in order to make over the face of cancer that she was painting. Anyone who reads my book, sees the film or bops around on my blog knows that I am a spit fire and a handful. I am not a victim or a sad sack. Yes, I live with cancer but big whoop! I'm over it, but I forget sometimes that others will never be. Even the title of my projects don't encourage a head scratch and a hmmmm for some. So get this, the segment begins and this is how I was introduced. "We're here with Kris Carr who bravely documented her life....and possibly her DEATH". What?!?!? Way to catch a gal off guard to TV. My response: "Well, that was dramatic, good morning!" FAUX PAS.

Then there are the people who continue to tell me about all the friends and family members in their lives that just died painful, terrible unimaginable deaths from stage IV cancer (my fabulous stage) but then end their sentence with, "but how are you?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Well, so and so wasn't, wow that was tough, not a pretty picture, devastingly gut wrenching...But how are you?"
"Once again, I'M FINE!" Listen, I know this journey can be down right awful and sad but I'm a cancer patient (AKA survivor) too and sometimes I wish folks would think before they remind me of my impending dirt nap.

These may not seem funny to you but they are to me. I've been on this road for years now and the faux pas rarely penetrate any more. I even have a stalker that calls book signings acting like a family member only to try and scare the crap out of me with nutty treatments that if I don't take in a specfic way, I will expire!... quite possibly at the signing, face planting on a pile of books.

Just another day at the Office! Hey, what's a favorite faux pas of yours? Would love to know I'm ot alone in the madness! :)

PS. I'm off to San Fransico today! Please check out crazysexytour.com and stop by if you can.

Big love!
Kris

Monday, September 10, 2007

La La Land

Luscious high fives and soulful hellos all!

After a quick stop at the Cure Magazine Patient and Survivor Forum in Chicago (which was one of the most rewarding AND hilarious experiences of my life- more on that later) I am now in LA getting ready for another signing tomorrow night, 7pm at the Border's in thousand oaks. I would write more but today is my one year anniversary and Brian came out to celebrate. It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by! We basically said "I Do" and then put the pedal to the metal cranking out the CSC world. I am very lucky to have spent the first year of my marriage working with my husband, but in some ways we have had more of a business partnership with tons of stress and now its time to be newlyweds. It's also time to get away from cancer for a bit and just be a couple. So off to have a glass of organic champagne! Hope to see ya tomorrow night!

PS. Check out this awesome article in WOW! Women On Writing. Thanks Angela, you did such a cool job!
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/13-inspiration.html

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Adios DC, Hola Denver!

After a very long day of media and interviews I was so excited to go to the signing and meet the people I had imagined while edwriting my book. I was also a little nervous too. The shy, insecure (yup) side of me wondered if anyone would show and if the book would really sell. It's a lot of pressure being the first filly out of the gate for skirt!, the new and fabulous imprint of The Globe Pequot Press. Part of my fear probably stems from the fact that I am still a little shell shocked from the whirlwind schedule of cranking both projects out at the same time. CALGON!

Well, I nearly keeled over when Dalia (the kick ass store manager who I really want to have a beer with) told me it was packed! Holy crap! There must have been a hundred magical, glowing canSer babes, co-survivors and chaps beaming with light. I walked up to the microphone with a big doopy smile on my face and instantly got a standing ovation, which made me giggle when I really wanted to cry. YOU ROCKED MY WORLD!

Last night wasn't a signing, no mon cherie, it was a HEALING CIRCLE. The energy in the room was pure, honest, open and loving. We shared, laughted, some tears were shed and big mama love bear hugs were given. I felt so lucky and blessed to spend some (too brief) face time with peeps. It took about an hour to chicken scratch my signature on all the books and I as I started to worry that people would get frustrated and leave I noticed the magic. There were canSer Posses being formed on the line! AMEN! HIGH FIVE! TESTIFY! I saw numbers being exchanged and folks connecting. What a treasure. What a glimpse into the heart of humanity. We're all just trying to get by, be happy and make a decent life for ourselves. CanSer really makes you value the little things. Doesn't it? It strips away the importance of the techno gizmo revolution, the traffic jams and ladder to nowhere and makes us remember the lily.

Nights like last night are soul jumper cables, they remind me of what life is all about - relationships.

Next stop on the Crazy Sexy Tour is Tattered Cover on 2526 East Colfax Ave in Denver, Co. If you are near please stop by or if you know a chap or a cowgirl who could use a healing circle, spread the word.

Big love!
Kris

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Leaving on a jetplane!

Be careful what you wish for! Today I leave for my book tour. I am so excited but still swimming from last week, which was by far, the biggest week of my life! All the media, the film's air date, meeting so many new friends and posse members... but most of all, reading your emails and posts. The amount of positive healing energy, passion, and wisdom coming from you could run a power plant for a year! These amazing stories fill my soul-well with abundance and light. YOU are the everyday heros and (s)heros! YOU are grace and fire. This silly thing called canSer has met its feisty match, and we (Brian and I and the amazing staff we are putting together) are going to work tirelessly to appraoch this beasty from a new angle.

Perhaps we will overcome, or perhaps we will learn to manage and live with it, but the key word is LIVE. I am here NOW, writing this blog, you are here right NOW reading this blog and WHILE we are doing that we are surviving and LIVING. No one can take that away from us - no doctor, no GOD, no freaked out family member or frightened friend. Expiration dates belong on milk cartoons, not human beings, so gently remove yours and get back to the business of living. In my mind, I won't die, I'll just turn the page on a new chapter and a new ADVENTURE! Yahooo!

But back to now and dreaming and conjuring.....

I spent the weekend in my pajamas shaking my head, smiling and crying pure streams of joy. Friday turned my 36th year on this mama love planet and what a birthday it was! It was a great lesson in looking around at the abundance I DO have. Since canSer, I always blow out the candles and wish for the same thing (yeah, even though I'm now the poster gal for living WITH it, at birthday candle time I slip and inner-whisper the remission word). When I don't get my wish, I sometimes wonder where they go. Do they get caught in some big cosmic lint trap? Nope, ah ha moment: they get answered but not in the way I expect. A friend once bonked me on the head when I was feeling sorry for myself (over a jack ass boy, and I mean jack ass), her words pierced me like a foot long biopsy needle. If you worry so much about the train you just missed you won't see the one in front of you with the doors wide open (air conditioning blasting and a cushy seat).

So the doors are open and the trip is the universal inward bound. You've asked for the destination and dang ya'll have some good ideas! The national posse has spoken and our plans plans for the future are beginning to crystalize. To start with, we will be putting together FEARLESS weekends! I spoke with some of my trapeze buddies and we just have to find a time in the schedule. So yes, let's fly! Some of you may love that idea, others may want something more tame so Posse weekends and bootcamps (which are more like creative, detoxing healing fests) will also be offered. If you work at a center that can provide space for us, email asap.

But what's really getting Brian and I excited is our plan to raise money for a Crazy Sexy Scholarship fund! Persuading insurance companies to pay for alternative care will take time (and a new president), though it is important that we all work together to voice our collective needs. But while they are dorking around, we will be raising money to sponsor folks for up to a year. Our dream is to provide the finances for the treatment that helps you the most. Accupuncture, nutritionist, yoga, etc. Each of us is different, each healing path carved by the specific patient. I am so excited about this I can't sleep! If you know peeps with DEEP pockets, give us a shout out.

Ok, off to the airport! Please come and visit me on tour. Check out crazysexytour.com for details and if you are in NYC on Oct. 12th I will be showing the film, doing a signing and chatting at The NY Open Center. Go to their website and sign up, it will be a great night.

Peace and veggies,
Kris