Journal Dump

Today, I have a new soup recipe simmering on the stove.

A loaf of sourdough raising, and a batch of protein balls made.

The kettle is on for hot tea, and I'm getting snuggled in

to (finally) watch the movie

"Casablanca".

It's Molly-Mom recommended.

Some notes from my journal this week...

Give up striving to keep everything under control.

Faith often tells us to go in the opposite direction

of what basic instinct tells us to do.

Giving to life is our real need.

'Trust means you're ready to risk what you already have.'

God's not asking you to figure out all the logistics.

Bring what you've go. He'll take care of the rest.

'When we try to copy someone else,

we're no longer the incredible, unique person 

we were created to be,

but a poor knockoff of who they were created to be.'

'If you're worried that revealing your true self will 

change your relationships- it will.

Some will drift away,

but the truest relationships will stay.'

Negative thought patterns will grow weaker

practicing thankfulness.

You  can grumble, or you can praise.

Refocus on positive attributes rather

than the negative. 

Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities

that are not your own.

Live in anticipation of the cumulative effects 

of the small daily changes you make.

Fight the urge to become apathetic & lethargic

or to procrastinate.

"Take away what you are known for,

and whatever is left is who you are."

Be the most genuine, authentic you.

be well...

xoxo

💖

This quote made me tear up this morning.

It's a (good) thing. 

I can lighten up.

"You need not leave your room.

 Remain sitting at your table and listen.

You need not even listen, simply wait.

You need not even wait, just learn to become quiet,

and still, and solitary.

The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked.

It has no choice; it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

Thanksgiving

...was hosted by Brandon and Molly this year.

All Thanksgivings are special, but this one

was one of the best.

On the road trip there, I reflected on past Thanksgivings.

There were times Brandon would go to his Dad's and I 

would be invited to celebrate with my girlfriend and her family.

(The same family that played matchmaker & hooked

hubby up with my phone number, back in the day.)

Then there's the Thanksgiving that Brandon and I were pet sitting 

for his Dad and girlfriend when they went out of town.

 We had an invite to join those same friends,

but an ice storm moved in.

We had two choices.

Risk driving an hour to celebrate with our friends,

(and perhaps stay the night)

or risk a 10 min. drive to Walmart to purchase all that we needed

to have our own celebration at home.

We chose the latter.

A quick trip to the store, a thawed turkey with all the fixings for our meal,

and each of us selecting a movie to buy that we could watch together.

Mine...Eat, Pray, Love.

His...Zombieland.

A meal in the oven.

A fire in the woodstove.

Zombies & Zen and a kitten with the zoomies

who kept racing up the Christmas tree...

still ranks as one of my best Thanksgivings to date.

This one tucks right in beside it.

 Our families gathered and met, and stayed overnight.

Great conversations paired with copious amounts of laughter.

Pets to cuddle, football games, and an amazing meal.

Later, fun rounds of Shanghai Rummy, 

nibbling on homemade rolls & pie.

It's a Wonderful Life playing in the background.

Up early, and reconnecting at the kitchen table.

Getting to know little (quirky) things about each other,

sipping coffee, tea, and  Dr. Pepper.

 Brandon baking cinnamon rolls.

Then, a little Birthday celebration for Molly,

before we all headed back home.

It was perfect.

I'm swooning on a gratitude high.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"I am grateful for what I am and have.

My thanksgiving is perpetual."

~Henry David Thoreau~

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort.

You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it,

and sometimes even travel around the world for it.

You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations

of your own blessings.

And once you have achieved a state of happiness,

you must never become lax about maintaining it.

You must make a mighty effort to keep swimming

upward into that happiness forever, to stay 

afloat on top of it."

~Eat, Pray, Love~

"I've never been good with farewells so...

that'll do pig."

~Zombieland~

 

Little Plan

Enjoy life, not make it what you want.

Love it. Dive into it.

Dance with God.

"Be curious. Go outside. Get to bed on time.

Hydrate. Breathe from the diaphragm.

Eat happy. Get a routine baggy enough to live in.

Be kind. Accept that not everyone will like you.

Appreciate those who do.

Don't be defined. Allow f**k-ups.

Want what you already have.

Learn to say no to things that get in the way of life.

And to say yes to the things that help you live."

be well...

xoxo 

💞

"Reminders we all need:

~ You can't pray away anxiety if your habits are building it.

~You can't heal fatigue if your diet keeps creating it.

~Your can't ask for peace while overstimulating

your nervous system nonstop.

God gives us spiritual tools.

But He also gave us a body.

We're called to steward both."

~Dr. Josh Axe~

"Tools to reset your nervous system, destress,

and protect your hippocampus (brains memory center):

Breathwork: Slow nasal breathing, box breathing (4-4-4-4 count)

Prayer & meditation.

Walks in nature, stretching, and tai chi

all calm the amygdala and help with mindfulness,

reflection, and relaxation." 

~Dr. Josh Axe~

"It's the small habits. How you spend your mornings.

How you talk to yourself. 

What you read and what you watch.

Who you share your energy with.

Who had access to you.

That will change your life."

 

Moo...d

Hubby had a few more cows to check on.

 I chose to stay behind with the herd.

I threw my jacket into the adjoining pasture of grass,

 and slid under the electric fence to sit and laze in the sun.

I take a deep breath, then exhale deeply.

The farm always seems to slow everything down.

Then the cows seemed to do the same,

and a lightness settles in my soul.

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Gratitude reshapes your brain.

It enhances brain regions linked

to self-control and emotional

regulation, helping you bounce

back from stress and adversity.

Feeling thankful literally changes

how your brain responds to life."

~Dr. Mark Hyman~

"One who lives in accordance with nature

Does not go against the way of things.

He moves in harmony with the present moment,

Always knowing the truth of just what to do."

~Lao Tzu~

 

 

Singer Sunday

....wisdom, when spoken to the heart

is hard to ignore.

"We can only be said to be alive 

in those moments when our hearts 

are conscious of our treasures."

be well...

xoxo

💖

Bake Me Happy

 Historical downtown at night.

Christmas lights reflecting in windows and on rain-slicked sidewalks.

Drops falling as I stroll under a nature-print umbrella.

A gift from my kiddo. 

 Ducking into the warmly lit eatery for a baking class.

Sipping spiced chai as we wait to begin.

my first loaf of sourdough💞

A girlfriend walks in.

A surprise for us both.

A few women and an older man.

Uniting around a sizeable butcher block table,

mingling in black, flour-dusted aprons and super-sticky hands.

Story telling, laughter, and learning.

Stretching, folding and proofing our dough.

A freshly baked loaf and rolls to go.

I've been wanting to make my own sourdough.

Half to keep and half to give away.

I am making another loaf today.

be well...

xoxo

💖

" Fikabröd 

are the freshly baked goods

that accompany coffee."

"Who needs therapy

 when you've got floury hands and a warm loaf? "

"Behind every great sourdough

is a messy kitchen and a happy baker."

"What begins as flour and water

becomes nourishment through love and time."

 

 

Journal Dump

....because the times I didn't know what to do,

a new path was laid out inviting me to come forth.

 

Journal lately...

"You can find freedom from your old ways 

& rewrite the story of your life.

You hold the keys.

 If you want it badly enough to make the changes.

Find whatever it is that helps

you reset & get to freedom."

Be present. Here and now. Keep your focus on the path just ahead of you.

Wisdom's journey is to lead you on the right path.

Messages playing in your mind remind you of past mistakes & unkind ways

& judgements that drag you down.

Allow God to teach you who you really are.

Life feels wrung out & a little empty until you tune

into the deeper things, and nurture your inner life.

Change your negative beliefs about life &

take care of yourself.

Life can be smooth. Life is good.

you don't have to "awfulize" it, or yourself.

Remove yourself from being a victim of life.

Focusing on days gone by can hinder your faith.

Thankfulness is vital to your well-being.

'Smile, especially when you don't feel like it.

The physical workout of the muscles around your mouth

increases the positive enzymes in your brain chemistry.'

Swing into action.

Build your life around what you love

& nothing will ever be the same.

Keep calm. Love well.

You are meant to enjoy life.

'If you are satisfied with who you are,

you don't need to prove your worth to anyone else.'

"You are who you are when no one is watching."

Your soul becomes stronger with each change.

'Something new is awaiting to enter your life.

Let it be.'

"Do not seek the truth, only cease to cherish

your opinions."

'Move toward what you want with fervor.

Step into your greatness. 

Let fear melt away as you step closer to 

the life you desire.'

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Like Fall, dazzling us with her elegance,

with the grace of wearing change,

I hope that you might reinvent yourself again

and again."

"Settle into the glorious process of discovering

that change allows magnificent things to happen

to those with malleable hearts and open minds."

Self-recognition

Sitting on the back stoop in slippers and a hoodie.

Time forgotten, as I sip my mug of (protein-powder) hot chocolate.

 Neighbor's chickens running toward me on their stubby little legs,

expecting to get a morning treat. I do not disappoint.

I return & sit down with my journal.

 When I put pen to paper scratching sentences, and quotes across the

page, I feel my body sigh.

 I've journaled since I was a girl.

Life gets reprioritized by something bigger than me,

and it has carried me through the chapters of my story. 

It's where I offload burdens, so that I can travel lighter.

A place where I willingly face correction, rage at my own ignorance,

receive Grace, and ...let go of old ways.

It's a space where time isn't a thing,

life seems to slow down & soften,

and ashes transform into beauty.

Lately it's been a place of redirection,

redemption, and restoration.

A continual healing and connection to a part

of me I have sadly forgotten.

That piece of me that's been clawing at the surface,

but stuck within the walls of protection, doubt, fear,

and insecurities. 

I share these words, as I feel a sense of leaving a version

of myself behind. 

Maybe it's midlife, maybe it's simply growth.

Either way...I think I'm on the other side of that spurt.

Shedding that skin.

Thank God.

I've experienced grief, anger, frustration, rage,

euphoria, love, grace, joy, and everything in-between.

The uncertainties of life can be scary,

yet I am finding some comfort in the not knowing.

Not having to know.

It has opened me up to the adventure of the unknown.

I  can trust in a Source larger than myself.

That Trust has not come easily.

Today, I am truly grateful for the life I have. 

Every bit of it.

That too, has taken some time.

I've worked hard this year and I am experiencing the rewards.

There's new vistas and memories that I'm making.

 I've let go of the way I "think" things need to go...(among other things)

& am relaxing into the journey.

I've opened up to more learning, because now I understand

just how much I don't know.

And with that, I have been more open to receiving, 

because I am humbled by what I have learned.

Practicing mindfulness and staying in the here and now

definitely keeps things lighter, and running  a little smoother.

It has opened me up to some pretty amazing moments,

I would have otherwise missed.

So does breathwork, meditation, prayer, and gratitude.

I believe, that what is right for us will pull at our hearts.

And if we can relax, and trust in our own process, 

we will eventually find our way.

We don't have to have it all figured out.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull

of what you really love. It will not lead you astray."

~Rumi~

"You are who you are when no one is watching."

"You're beautiful, even on a bad hair day!"

Weekly Journal Dump

'...and if you touch any heart with what you do for the brief

moment you are here, that's enough.'

Blondie 💖

Journal lately...

Your only role is to serve with as much love as possible.

The rest is God's.

Life has a way of testing what we're made of.

"You will be astounded at the relief that comes

once you stop assuming you have all the answers."

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze

directly before you.

Proverbs 4:25 

Don't let the path of other peoples lives 

make you second guess your own.

Release the noose of public opinion.

'Steel your resolve by knowing what you believe &

why you believe it, then activate what you are going

to do about it.'

Quit playing it safe & don't play it scared.

Be strong & courageous today.

Follow the natural pull. It's trying to tell you something.

Put your energy where you want to see growth.

Eventually something will align.

Finding your path belongs only to you.

No one else knows where you're supposed to go.

Go and find out more about the activities that pull 

on your heart.

"The pain might be a sign of progress, 

and if we stick with love long enough, 

we'll find out the fruit of it is life."

"To live a life you love, you must do what you love.

And you can't choose what you love, 

you can only discover it."

'Disconnect from the ideas that limit you.

Open your mind to new possibilities.

You are capable of more than you ever imagined.'

Your grumbly-self, is a sign of a victim mind-set.

'Mindfulness helps us to let go of the story,

and shift from "bad things happen to me",

to "things are happening".'

~Think Like a Monk~

'Try to depend on the Spirit as you go through this day.'

'Faith is being sure of what we hope for &

certain of what we do not see.'

~Hebrews 11:1~

'By letting go of the "story", we are leaving behind an old world.

We no longer define ourselves by the traumatic event(s),

but instead by the love that freed us from it.'

"God approached us with arms open wide, asking nothing

in return, so we could show that same love to people around us."

Be mindful of why you're doing whatever you're doing &

how you react.

"Being mean won't fix insecurity - it highlights it."

Communicate love, patience, and understanding.

Smile. Hug. Listen.

"I'm not going to die because I failed as someone else.

I'd rather just succeed at being me."

be well...

xoxo

💝

"You cannot change the past. It is done. Leave it behind you,

rather than allowing it to anchor you in place and keep

you from moving forward.

There is hope in looking forward and freedom in 

letting go.

You deserve to have both."

"Whether our psychic pain is in the area

of relationships, health, career, or elsewhere,

love is a potent force,

the cure,

the Answer."

"Hugs heal your gut-brain connection.

Cuddles and a good chat increase oxytocin,

nurturing gut bacteria that tell

your nervous system that you are safe...

...lowering inflammation and anxiety.

This is your sign to fix your hug deficiency."

~Dr. Will Cole~

 

Mind Over Medicine

Revisiting some speakers and topics from

The Institute of Integrative Nutrition course.

Lissa Rankin was one of my favorites.

(you can find more videos on YouTube)

Learning to calm my nervous system has been a huge

game changer for me.

We can't heal (or lower our blood sugar) if we are stressed.

be well...

xoxo

💝

November 12, 2025

'...and when she owns her true energy,

the earth itself will breathe a long, deep sigh...

of relief.'

 

"Life is easier and more enjoyable when we allow it to flow.

Resistance blocks the flow in our lives.

When we resist, what is meant to be leave stays

and what is meant to arrive is blocked.

Notice any areas where you may feel resistant or stuck.

Visualize removing that block,

and letting the good flow in and the bad flow out.

Become open by releasing the need to control.

Allow wonderful things to come to you."

~Sunrise Gratitude~

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Watch now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness."

~Mary Oliver~

"We cannot know the whole truth,

which belongs to God alone,

but our task nevertheless is to 

seek to know what is true."

~ Wendell Berry~

Farm Country

 Observe the wonder...

...everything else is just a distraction.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"It's a goodly life that you lead, friend;

no doubt the best in the world,

if only you are strong enough to lead it."

~The Wind in The Willows~

Sunday Song

There are hard days & difficult circumstances, and days

l am a bit salty.

(*ehem)

But even so,

they are always out numbered by all the things I am grateful for.

Journal notes and quotes:

Learn to appreciate the difficult days.

"We won't love well if we're in the habit of being 

negative and cynical."

'We can have peace even if there's chaos all around us.

We can be hopeful even when life looks pretty bleak.

It takes practice.'

Practice habits of finding joy, hope, and peace.

Instead of dreading difficulties that may or may not occur,

view this day as a sacred adventure.

'Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terrified.'

Deut. 31:6

'You are a human being worthy of love & mercy.

Learn  how to adopt a newer, more easy going

relationship with yourself.'

Fill your life with gratitude & you'll spill over with love.

No matter how gloomy life may seem...

how can you be more grateful?

be well...

xoxo

💞

"Gratitude is not pretending everything is good.

It's noticing what still is, 

even when life hurts."

"Gratitude builds the bridge between where you are

and everything you're meant to become."

"To be grateful is to recognize 

the sacred in the simple."

"Being okay doesn't mean that life will be perfect,

nor does it presume that everything will turn out 

better than before. 

It simply means that you will eventually make it back

to a place of equilibrium,

because whatever you are currently experiencing or

feeling is temporary;

it will pass, as everything does.

Even if things turn out differently than you expected,

take some solace in knowing that you will always be okay,

even if you are different than before."

Notes on Consciousness

Maneuvering through the morning slowly,

enjoying small sips of coffee, wrapped in a quilt outside.

It's overcast, and cool.

 Still.

 Peaceful.

The porch decorated in chalk dust and graffiti from last

nights "lets-go-draw-on-the-porch" moment.

Bundling into sweatpants, hoodies and grabbing quilts to wrap in.

Twinkle lights and moonlight.

Goofiness and laughter.

Simple joys with my grand-girl.

I'm re-visiting some books I read before my coaching course.

Before I went on my own journey of being coached.

I had a twinge of "before and after" ,

and a prayerful celebration of the 

things I've left behind.

Sharing this out of the book:

Letting Go

The Pathway of Surrender

by David R. Hawkins M.D. Ph.D.

3years ago...a special friend/teacher/guide shared this book with me. 

Sometimes we just need the right information to

tug at our truth, and help us to see more clearly.

We don't know, until we know.

" Apathy and depression are prices we pay for having settled for 

and bought into our smallness.

It's what we get for having played the victim & allowed ourselves to be programmed.

It's the price we pay for having bought into negativity.

It's what results from resisting the part of ourselves that is loving,

courageous, and great.

It results from allowing ourselves to be invalidated by ourselves or others;

it is the consequence of holding ourselves in a negative context.

In reality, it is only a definition of ourselves that we have unwittingly

allowed to happen. 

The way out is to become more conscious."

"What does it mean to become 'more conscious' ?

To begin with, becoming more conscious means to 

start looking for the truth for ourselves, instead of blindly

allowing ourselves to be programmed,

whether from without or by an inner voice within the mind,

which seeks to diminish and invalidate,

focusing on all that is weak and helpless.

To get out of it, we have to accept the responsibility that

we have bought into the negativity and have been willing to believe it.

The way out of this, then, is to start questioning everything."

"As we become more aware, we begin to realize that we have a choice.

We can stop giving authority to all the mind's thoughts,

begin to question them, and find out if there is really any truth in them

for ourselves."

(great book if this interests you)

Journal notes:

"You are not alone; there is a great big world out there

waiting to champion you and help you live your very best life."

'The root cause of hesitancy is due to how you feel about yourself.

Remember who you are.

You have all you need to achieve every goal before you.

You don't have to fear.

You can do this.

Stop wrestling with your anxieties and get the job done.

Begin living your life with joy, and assurance of God's 

unlimited resources.'

You are free to live your honest story in the way it was meant to be written.

"We are defined by the narrative we write for ourselves every day."

Talk to yourself with love.

Your main work is to clear out debris and clutter,

making room for your Spirit.

Release and receive.

Go through your days distracted by everything going on around you,

or live fully engaged, and look for the beauty in life.

"You get what you repeat."

...finally she decided to stop suppressing her true nature.

be well...

xoxo

💗

"If you call forth what is in you,

it will save you.

If you do not call forth what is in you,

it will destroy you."

~Gospel of Saint Thomas~

"I never wanted to be the best.

I just wanted to be the best damn me."

~Lily Tomlin~

 

Small Changes

Sitting in the yard on a quilt with my notes, and the computer in my lap.

Kids laughter, and squeals of delight coming from the playground,

the sun is shining, a gentle breeze is blowing, and the windchimes are filling

the air with what sounds like church bells.

It is 69 degrees...and perfect.

I wanted to write. 

My journal pages are filling up, along with my heart.

It's been 642 days of digging in deep, clearing and detoxing sugar,

bad habits, beliefs, thoughts and clutter from my daily living.

It takes effort. 

It has been an extreme labor of love...

and it continues.

Lately I have been in an euphoric state.

It's like the feeling you get when you

are falling madly in love with someone.

Only it's all inclusive.

I am madly in love with life, and all things in it.

It could be that the days have been filled with gorgeous weather.

It could be the little things, and the small changes that are happening, 

like finally getting the hang of my Tai Chi movements, and 

learning 2 more.

It could be the time I've spend volunteering with equine therapy,

& children that can ride backwards, hand-free,

 on a moving horse 

while catching a ball.

(but struggle to catch on their own)

It could be the little nudge I get on a beautiful day

to forego errands,

 take my camera and go for a walk at the zoo instead.

It could be calling my Dad on his 83rd birthday,

 him sharing that he's taking up skiing again this winter,

 and I share the eagle sighting in a near tree as I'm driving by.

'Eagles appear to inspire you to reach higher, and become more than you 

think you are capable of.

Be courageous. Stretch your limits and see what you can do.'

It could be new connections, reconnecting with the old,

or the phone call just minutes ago from a friend back east,

 letting me know I'm in their thoughts.

It could be that I've picked up my camera again, 

and am always on the search for beautiful little things,

or the way the leaves dance as they fall to the ground,

the feel of change in the air,

 or the Asian lady beetles landing in my hair. 

It could be hearing my kiddo chuckle during a conversation,

 or the coffee house music that plays in the background during chores.

"Sometimes we're drawn to music in a given time, that we literally are."

Or it could be that I am simply grateful right now...

in the truest sense of the word,

and my heart feels wide open.

Journal notes:

Don't underestimate the value of making small

improvements on a daily basis.

"Temporarily, while we strengthen our relationship

with our minds, we can take steps to avoid triggering

places & people by adjusting what we see, listen to,

read, absorb."

'Your greatest power is self-control.

Train your mind to focus on your conduct.

Focus on what you want regardless of distractions.'

Change begins with the words inside your head.

'Scan the horizon.

Take a look at your life.

Identify what's working and what isn't.

Drill down and take a look at specific areas.

Chunk it up.'

Take one step at a time.

Be proactive and responsible

rather than languish in wishful thinking.

Don't let your well being depend on your circumstances.

Strive for personal accountability.

Recognize what you get right.

"Perseverance must finish it's work so that 

you may be mature and complete, not lacking

anything."

James 1:4

 

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Happiness is a conscious choice that lights a fire within

and fans the fire outward.

It is not something that you acquire from others

 or discover outside of yourself.

What makes you happy?

What makes you feel lighter?

What experiences make time seem to fly by?

Do more of these things-

often.

Seek out experiences that set your soul on fire.

Cultivate happiness daily in small ways.

A happy life is simply all of those smaller

happy moments combined."