Philocalist

[fil-loh-kuh-lizt]

(n.) a lover of beauty;

someone who finds and appreciates

beauty in all things.

Shoes at the door, dirt on the floor, 

 a tale about a Triceratops named Henry,

 and a new pony named Rusty.

It felt good to be back at the barn today!

be well...

xoxo

💖

"People are not as beautiful as they look and talk.

They are only as beautiful as they love,

as they care, as they share."

"Take a little time to be amazed by something you won't enjoy

unless you consciously choose to focus on it.

See the things you can't see when you're rushing.

Hear the things you can't hear when you're stressing.

Get so caught up in your senses that everything else

seems to stop for a moment-because things don't

actually stop.

So we have to be the ones that do it."

"The most beautiful things in life are not things.

They're people and places and memories and pictures.

They're feelings and moments and smiles and laughter."

Little Things....

in life add up to a magical day.

I'm all about aesthetics, and lately I've

become a little obsessed with Spring cleaning, and making

  everything cozy, welcoming, and fresh.

generation blooms

Today...the windows are open, 

blankets are washed & hanging on the clothesline.

The Edison lights are hung

in the back yard, quilts and pillows have been tossed onto the wicker furniture,

tulips and daisies brighten rustic pitchers, 

and flowering plants that came in for the Winter, are out

swaying in the sunshine.

 Friends dropping in for a visit, the Mockingbird singing

happy tunes, chimes sounding like old church bells, and

Zinnia seeds planted right before the wind picked up.

Little things:

chipping my French press...(low)

listening to the old percolator (high)

Mornings with friends

Crying together...

then doubled over laughing.

Empathy. Space to truly feel emotions.

Freedom to put the guard down & breathe.

Big golden bowl purchased 

from my favorite nursery back home (MA), 

the year I lived back home.

Thinking about Dad while picking up sticks in the yard.

#histhing

Honey bees on the birdbath

Zinnia seeds that started back home over 20 years ago at a friends.

Came back here in dried blooms.

Went back to friend's the same way...

and returned once again when I 

 got married & sold my home.

(R.I.P dear friend)

Picking up an old pink, blue, and white school desk and bench that was given away by one 

of Mom's neighbors(AR).

 Moving the bench on the porch & it

matching perfectly with the colors of my favorite quilt.

Notes & quotes...

'You can't grow a tree in soil that does not suit it.'

#growth

Mockingbird:

Pay close attention.

'Take note of the minutest details,

beautiful things will happen in your life.'

'Stop taking life so seriously. 

Relax & enjoy life.'

"True happiness is in loving others

& being loved."

~Mockingbird~

"Every day you get another chance to shake up the status quo

& extend love's boarder in your life."

Do not grumble or complain.

'..the truth is, how you invest the minutes and hours you've

been given demonstrates what's most important to you.

The time you have is precious & limited.'

'There is a high value around gathering, storytelling,

breaking bread, and having something in common.

Show up fully. Invested. Unhurried. Intentional.'

be well...

xoxo

💗

"Life is short, God's way of

encouraging a bit of focus."

"I like friends who,

when you tell them you need a moment alone,

know enough not to stray too far."

"Strive to make everyday the best day of your life,

because there is no good reason not too."

 

Take 10

...because sometimes giving yourself

a break is the very thing you needed.

...be well...

xoxo

💞 

"If you don't give your mind and body a break,

you'll break.

Stop pushing yourself through pain

and exhaustion and take care of your needs."

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."

"Health does not always come from medicine.

Most of the time it comes from peace of mind,

peace in the heart,

peace in the soul.

It comes from laughter and love."

Listen and See...

...that the decision to Spring clean over the weekend,

helped to shift the perspective in me.

Notes and quotes lately....

Only God can take my most scrambled thoughts

and turn them into thumbs-up moments

in the silence of scrubbing cabinet doors and walls.

Release any negative, limiting, or self-defeating beliefs 

about life, love, or yourself. 

Beliefs create reality.

Focus on the best life has to offer.

Don't lower your expectations,

relinquish them.

Your more able to pursue happiness,

when you don't get caught up in the delivery details.

Invest your emotions in authentic expression &

not in specific outcomes.

Fruits of the Spirit:

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness.

Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness.

Self-control.

Be diligent, persistent, careful, and 

discerning in finding your answers.

Dove flyover...and consistent coos...

'Let go of the turmoil surrounding you

and take time to find peace within.

Purify your thoughts.

You are attracting what you don't want

in your life by focusing on it.

A new world is opening up to you.'

"Slow down, pause...breathe."

~Dove~

Rather than plan and evaluate,

trust & thank.

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard

from me, or seen in me- put into practice.

And the peace of God will be with you."

Philippians 4:9

'Part of quitting feeling anxious is finding

an altogether different reason to live.'

'Your thoughts dictate your beliefs,

which dictate your actions,

which form your habits,

which compose the sum of your life.

As you think, so you live.'

'The issues bombarding you aren't contingent

upon your resources, 

but upon your focus.'

'Through memory, love transcends the limits of time

& offers hope in any moment of your life.'

Woodpecker drumming on a tree...

'Time to pay attention.

Opportunity is knocking.

Significant changes are happening in your life.

Seize the moment.

March to your rhythms.

Go with your natural flow, and keep moving 

forward without interference from others.'

"It's time to breathe new life into an old project.

Use your creative vision effectively &

hammer out new ways to break through."

~Woodpecker~

Don't let flack pull you back.

"Sometimes we need to cut away our parachute

& know God is our backup."

Cut loose whatever is keeping you from living

fully into this one beautiful life 

God has given you.

be well...

xoxo

💖

"One of the most important qualities to develop in life

is determination.

At some point you just have to put your foot down

and say, ' I am going to move in this new

direction and no person or situation is going to stop me.'

Great transformations need a beginning."

~Yung Pueblo~

"...because once you find your authentic path and follow it,

all the other puzzle pieces start to fall into place."

"A new study found that when adults blocked internet

 access on their smartphones for just 2 weeks,

91% improved their attention span,

mental health, or overall well-being.

You brain adapts quickly when you change the inputs."

~Dr. Mark Hyman