Good-bye and Thank you!

Good-bye and thank you

2022 ! You will go out as a bittersweet year for me.

You have provided so many wonderful moments with my family

and friends... 

and you have also been one of great sadness.

I leave you with the loss of 

my beloved sister-in-law, my cat Adam, and my dog Scotty.

And if I may be honest....a part of myself, 

that I am super-happy to part with.

(thank you very much!)

Fritz...my grand-dog

You leave me, with a deep sense of gratitude,

teachable lessons, growth, and insight.

I am so thankful for the whole

crazy mixture you served me, and all that I take away.

You are definitely leaving a mark in my heart, 

and I will forever be changed from this amazing time with you.

Thank you !

Dear 2023,

"May we all resolve to be a light of hope.

Be a force for good in the world.

Seek out the positive.

Treat other people the way you want to be treated.

Be nice. See the good. Do the work.

Take the risk. Make mistakes. Own your actions.

Exercise your brain. Do your best.

Believe in love. 

Forgive everyone and everything.

Smile. Dream. 

Say please. Say thank you.

Take action in your heart.

Put your phone down.

Look people in the eye. Be present.

Love. Be kind.

 Set goals. Write them down."

Wishing you a happy, healthy and love-filled 2023 !!

Cheers to you !

And a big hug too !

xoxo

💖

 

Cozy Contentment

It's Christmas eve, and I have been LOVING

all the homey, warm and comfy feels this week.

One of my favorite cozies (that I shared earlier in Hygge & Cats)

is the ambiance scenes on YouTube. 

*note* pairs well with a mug of your favorite hot beverage and a fluffy blanket. 

" Hot coffee and cold winter mornings

are two of the best soul mates who ever did find each other."

Enjoy!

I have realized this last year, (and the last couple of weeks )

that cozy is my "safe" my sense of security.

It isn't just huddled in a blanket with a cup of coffee...

it's a feeling.

It's where I can make like a hermit, to reboot...recharge...& relax.

It could be anywhere that I find solace and stillness.

Sometimes it's at home alone, 

 other times it's with a family member, a friend, or my pet.

It has been in my car with a cup of coffee from the local coffee shop,

 or sitting in the pasture on a blanket surrounded by cows.

It's where I feel like I can escape the real world for a brief time

 and admit to myself....I  don't have to have it all together.

It's being OK with that...

and feeling a sense of contentment and overwhelming gratitude for it all.

" What people are craving isn't perfection.

People aren't longing to be impressed;

they're longing to feel like they're home.

If you create a space full of love and character

and creativity and soul, they'll take off their shoes

and curl up with gratitude and rest, no matter how small,

no matter how undone, no matter how odd."

~ Shauna Niequist~

" The older I get, the more I realize

I don't want to be around drama, conflict, or stress.

I want a cozy home, good food,

 and to be surrounded by happy people."

"We believe :

An ordinary life can be extraordinary,

there is beauty in the IMPERFECTION,

and that magic can be found in the everyday."

Wishing you a warm and safe Christmas.

xoxo

💖

Snow Day

It is our first snow day of the year, and the local

weather forecast warns everyone to stay in due to wind and record low cold.

I've got the kettle on, a snuggly blanket, sparkly lights and my sweet cat

to curl up beside me.

It's a good hygge day...

Hygge 

[hoo-ga] noun

"A calm comfortable time with people you love,

a complete absence of frustrations or anything emotionally overwhelming.

Often enjoyed with good food and drinks,

warm blankets and candlelight.

This is happiness"

Currently:

Reading: Becoming by Michelle Obama  (Love her!)

Listening: To one of my old favorite Christmas CD's (I used to treat myself to a new one

every Christmas, when I was raising my kiddo.)

Feeling: Relaxed. Cozy. Grateful.

Watching: The trees sway and the snow swirl outside my window.

Smelling: A pot of homemade vegetable beef soup simmering on the stove.

Appreciating: My Dad and my Mom and our phone chats today.

Accomplishing: staying warm, and my 308th day of learning 

the Swedish language. 

💖

"Frost upon the windowpane and softly falling snow,

Warmth beside a crackling fire while biting north winds blow

Books and blankets, steaming tea

The soft glow of an ember

Candlelight and cozy nights-

The magic of December"

Sending you all the warm cozy feels...

xoxo

💖

 

Renew and Repair

"...if thou canst believe; all things possible to him that believeth."

" Life can be messy, unexpected, and complicated,

but it can also be filled with magic and overwhelming beauty.

You can push up against this contradiction or choose to flow alongside it;

the decision is yours.

Accepting life as it is allows you the freedom to bend without breaking,

regardless of what life sends your way."

"Nothing is too far gone that God cannot resurrect it."

"Trust it in God's care."

"Only His miraculous work can make it bubble back up to the surface

where it belongs."

~ Priscilla Shirer ~

Fervent 

I will testify!

Sending out warm and happy vibes...

xoxo

💖

 

Hygge and Cats

Good morning! 

Wow ! It's been a while ! 

That whole saying, " life speeds up the older we get" thing. 

Those are some serious words!

So as to try to slow time down a bit...I have been

focusing more on homey-hygge-bits.

Less noise and distraction, more calm and cozy.

Which takes me to my cat, Polly.

She is my little hygge side-kick.

And my new addiction.... the warm cozy scenes on You-tube.

I usually start my morning devotion and journaling in the dark,

and one morning rather than turn on the lamp... 

I decided to search for a peaceful scene on the TV for light...

which eventually led me to this peaceful (live-ish) scene (among others).

 Turns out it is just the right touch that was missing...

that I didn't know was missing. I am hooked.

I share them with my Mom...because, she's all about cozy-feels too...

and they remind me of her.

Now...back to cats. We have 3 now.

2 are still in the kitten stage...

and are not allowed to take over the house. Yet.

They are closely supervised as they

are still in training.

 Which leads me to a giggly thought.

The other day, my husbands great Nephew was here at the house.

My hubby asked if he would like to see the kittens

(he had seen them before we rescued them).

He said sure!

Well, I had them in the house at the time, and so 

we all gathered around the kits, who were being

quite mannerly, and purry.

  Nephew was commenting on how much better they looked,

when suddenly one of them (Gabby...our little girlie-girl)

made a quick B line to the litter box.

With that, I start to narrate...as I do at times....

" Oh excuse me, I gotta poop, that roast I ate is going right through me."

Hubby looks at me laughing, and says to his nephew...

"Oh...she's narrating for the cat"

Then the nephew turns to me laughing with,

"Well, I was wondering...,

 I was just going to thank you for the play-by-play."

Then we all got tickled.

Lovin' the little things....

Today's quote:

"Hygge is an atmosphere,

a feeling,

a calm energy.

It's relishing in life's simple

pleasures."

Sending warm cozies your way!

xoxo

💖