Peace

In the midst of great challenges, and chaos,

pause to slow down and breathe.

Listen to the solo goose flying overhead,

Otis, and his morning howl in the distance,

the neighbor greeting his chickens, "good morning ladies".

Smiling at the urge to speak up from where I sit hidden by the Boxwood bush

and say "well...good morning to you too, fine sir".

Watching Polly's tail-less-butt-wiggle as she preps to pounce 

a twitching leaf.

Noticing...the sound of a boat's engine revving up as it takes off 

from the dock nearby,

 the flag flying at 1/2 mast,

curtains rippling in the breeze of an open window,

the gray clouds opening to pockets of light,

and Charles Stanley (cardinal) singing in a tree.

Feeling...the sun's warmth, the breeze blowing through your hair,

and the ground steady beneath your feet.

Remind yourself to stay present, find what peace means to you. 

What is true, lovely, good.

It's here for you, now,

wherever you are.

be well...

xoxo

💓

"She was happiest in her own little world.

She didn't need anyone to complete her.\She was whole

all by herself."

" You may not control all the events that happen to you,

but you can decide not to be reduced by them."

"The days that you think are ordinary,

are the ones that someday,

you will miss the most.

Love it, or lose it."

~Sandra Hart~

"People who are on social media the most

have higher inflammation, more anxiety and depression,

worse sleep, higher stress levels, and are more lonely.

You are not 'Just anxious'.

You weren't meant to know what billions of 

strangers were doing and saying 24/7."

~Dr. Will Cole~

Time Out

I think we could all use a little stretch break....

be well...

xoxo

💖

"If we don't take good care of our body,

where will we live?"

"The great dividing line

between success and failure

can be expressed in five words:

I did not have time."

 

Hurdles

X-rays, Bone spur, Inactive right thumb, trigger fingers,

MRI, Orthopedic surgeon, Stenosis, Spinal clinic.

Sophie

I will focus on the ups, 

for they still far outweigh the downs.

Energy training with a retired race horse, and an overly cautious horse,

 sweet smiles, and old friends with big lovable dogs.

Left hands that learn fast, and fingers that pick up 

where thumbs leave off.

Wonderful medical community who care,

and rapid responses.

Mild evenings and after dinner walks.

Deep breaths.

Trusting in the process.

Flowers in bloom and a fresh morning rain.

Dove cooing in the distance.

A loaf of sourdough fresh out of the oven, and the heel calling my name...

Receiving a new book in the mail.

YouTube PT videos.

Meditating on scripture, and being acutely aware of  the 

messages that carry me through each moment, each hour,

each day.

And today is a beautiful day !!!

Am I nervous? You bet!

It sometimes borders on extreme fear...

however, 

I continue to choose to look at it as an experience.

Through eyes of faith.

I have found great comfort in that alone.

I'm 63. 

It's happening.

I want to see the lessons, the beauty, and provisions in it all.

I feel like I am on training ground.

We don't always have to be strong to be strong.

Sometimes we need to fall apart to regroup & stay on track.

Sometimes strength is expressed in being vulnerable.

Part of taking care of ourself is giving

ourself permission to fall apart when we need to.

There is nothing that empowers me, or lifts me up more,

than falling apart and spending those moments in 

God's loving care.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"...the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd

keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

"At every moment of our lives we all

have one foot in a fairy tale 

and the other in the abyss."

~Paulo Coehlo~

"Did you know: Spending just a few minutes 

gazing into a dog's eyes can increase oxytocin

by 300%?

Petting and interacting with dogs

also lowers stress hormones and helps 

reduce blood pressure.

Love had four legs."

~Dr. Mark Hyman~

Friendship

Once upon a time, many years ago...on a cold winter day,

she woke up with a sudden urgency (huge nudge),

to get to the airport.

A bit confused, and somewhat anxious...

she started her morning off in the usual way.

Angie

She drove her kiddo to school, then returned home with her unshakable nudge.

She decided to follow the nudge, but felt very freaked out by the random weirdness

of it all...

so she called her "Barbara Mama".

Barbara Mama had taken her under her wings over the years,

and had become her spiritual warrior.

Mama spoke in a comforting voice, and kind words, & then prayed with her.

She then encouraged her to get ready, and head to the airport.

"Don't ignore this. Just go! You'll know when you know."

Following Mama's suggestion, she wiped away her tears, pulled herself together, 

and headed out for her one hour commute.

She pulled into short term parking, her heart pounding in her ears.

*deep breath*

She made her way into the lobby. Totally awkward & directionless...but

curious. She visited the airline counters and picked up a few applications

at the rental car counters. 

That didn't satisfy the nudge.

 She was missing something.

So she found a bench, and decided to sit for a while and just be.

She heard laughter, and looked across the hall into

the gift shop. Miss J, and Miss R, were working,

and looked to be having fun.

That seemed to draw her attention and pull her right into the 

shop to ask if they were hiring.

Jokingly they made a few comments, 

and then disappeared to grab an application.

She filled it out and gave it back.

After a few more synchronous events...

a week went by, and she was asked to join the team.

One day her manager told her she was going to meet

another co-worker.

"You are a toned down version of her"

he said.

"I think you two will hit it off nicely"

They did hit it off, & discovered they had much in common,

  a love for twinkle lights, nature

and all things cozy.

And, both of them lived far from their families.

One's from the East, one's from the West.

They bonded instantly,

 becoming sisters.

The girl loved working at the gift shop, and the people she met,

 but the commute was long, 

and the hours were wonky. 

She wanted to be closer to home.

So after a year she closed the giftshop for her last time,

and stepped into her new chapter as a fitness instructor.

As for her sister?

She continues to plan weekend stays.

They spend all day in sweats, one sips coffee, the other, hot tea,

and they cackle like chickens when they laugh.

They talk...and talk...

and talk...

and hug when they cry.

Then...

cackle some more.

They never ignore the power of the nudge...

for now they know the reason why.

be well...

xoxo

💝

 "Gratitude is a way of being."

"People who are living life in balance...

tend to be more often at the right place

at the right time."

"I think people really underestimate

how attractive it is to be passionate and real

instead of trying to be everyone's cup of tea."

"When 'I' becomes 'We', even

illness becomes wellness.

Kindness is medicine.

Friendship is medicine.

Connection is medicine.

Reaching out is medicine."

~Dr. Will Cole~