New Season

Weird dream.

I dreamt that I climbed out of bed,

and jumped on my bike wearing my sweats and a tank top, and took off.

Braless. And as far as I know...shoeless.

I stopped to use a bathroom, and it was made of glass.

Like a store window.

People could see in, but were respectful.

Workers came in while I was sitting there, 

and although a little awkward,

it was as if it were the natural thing to do.

And... the bathroom was immaculate.

(not like prior dreams of grossness)

All the while, I wished I had grabbed my bra.

(Yes I did. Bike...life's journey, balance, independence, and progress toward goals.

Bra part? vulnerability, authenticity, liberation or exposure.

Couldn't find anything about clean bathrooms...but assume it's a step up

from dreaming about a nasty one...but using it in public?

vulnerability & exposure. )

I heard a flock of geese, and saw them fly over in a perfect V formation.

They remind me of being back home with my family, connection, and feeling uplifted.

And as you can guess,...Mmmhmm...

Sign.

Goose: Vigilance, leadership, community, journey, and

spiritual guidance.

Change, protection, and a call to freedom or self-discovery,

representing a balance of earthly life and spiritual quests.

Travel, new directions, and breaking free from old restraints,

symbolizing spiritual quests or new phases of life.

"Forge ahead with confidence.

You are headed in the right direction."

~Goose~

Yesterday at Walmart I had a brief encounter with "self-expression" girl.

She turned into an isle as I was turning out, almost colliding.

She said, "Excuse me, I'm sorry! Oh...I turned down the wrong isle."

I said, "You sound like me!" , and we both giggled.

In the next isle, we meet again.

Two carts block the isle. 

A guy on my right deciding on beans..

the girl on my left tortilla shells.

"Self-expression" girl on the other side beckoning me to come to her side.

I give her a doubtful look...not thinking I could make it through the tiny opening.

( I may have even said " I don't think I can make it" out loud?)

She smiled, and nodded encouragement...and waved me forward.

"I'm going to go for it!"  I exclaimed.

Bean guy added to the moment with a reassuring,

"Dooo it!"

And I did.

And we all had a good chuckle.

A little fun on our grocery run.

In Tai Chi, we start our practice with the instruction "Preparation",

and we all think H.

(we actually shared this fact with each other yesterday)

Then, "Beginning", and we go through our moves.

These are my thoughts in my head this morning.

Similarly, this year has been preparation.

 And yes...H in many cases,

but it's all brought me to today.

 Now I am ready to begin.

(If I could describe it in words...this video says it best.)

Wishing you all a very Happy, Healthy, Abundant New Year!!!

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Tension is who you think you should be.

Relaxation is who you are."

~Chinese Proverb~

"As our minds reflect on the completion of another year,

we focus on what we accomplished and our plans

for the upcoming year.

Take a moment this morning to bring awareness

to the current moment:

it is the only thing that matters.

All your to-do's can wait.

All that you are planning will happen in due time.

In this moment, offer yourself gratitude for getting

to where you are today.

You made it!!

Give gratitude for a year full of beauty, lessons, and love."

December 29, 2025

Listening to an audio book on mindfulness.

Just squeezed my lemon into it's container,

instead of my mug. I need it.

I had 4 solid priorities today.

Learned a few more moves with my Tai Chi buddies.

Wowed by  

my mama. OMG!

I am so stinking proud of her right now.

I better copy my recipe, so I have it for next year.

Our Christmas French toast

1 loaf of crusty sourdough or French bread

8 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup cold salted butter cut into pieces

Serve with:

warm syrup 

1 cup blueberries for serving

(note: also used bananas, raspberries and strawberries and whipped cream)

Grease 13 x 9 baking dish

Cut French bread into slices and place in dish.

(or cube. I did both)

Whisk in a big bowl:

eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla

pour over bread

cover tightly and refrigerate over night,

or  bake right away.

( I overnighted it)

For topping:

in a small bowl, stir with fork...

flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Add butter. Mix until crumbly. (pebbles)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sprinkle topping over the top

Bake 50 min.

Note: you can use 1/2 and 1/2, or unsalted butter...

however, the heavy cream and salted butter are

the tweaks I mad this year...and nope. I won't go back.

Scrumptious.

Yummy leftover too.

be well...

xoxo

💝

'Life is full of distractions-

some positive, some menacing.

Prioritizing your you life keeps you track.

Determine your priorities then write them down.

Writing is a powerful tool, because you can go

back and see if you're still on the right course.'

"This is your daily reminder:

Do not absorb other people's 

whack ass energy."

"May the tears you cried in 2025

water the seeds you plant in 2026."

December 27, 2025

It was like celebrating Christmas in June.

AMAZING!

Christmas eve: twinkle lights and candles sparkling,

 windows and doors wide open to a nice evening breeze.

 Brandon, Molly, and I gathered around the 

table to finish our traditional Christmas puzzle.

When Gary came home he joined us and we

   played 5 Crowns & scoffed down freshly baked Swedish spritz cookies.

Yes...I scoffed.

Fritzy relished in his freedom to be indoors or out

as he wished, butt wagging, cuddling, and savoring a cookie or two

in between naps and travels.

Christmas morning:  Talked to my Dad.

Brandon learned to make coffee in the French press.

We ate our (now) traditional French toast bake at the table

served with fresh fruit on Grandma A's china set,

and opened the doors wide to invite the beautiful

Christmas morning to join us.

 I received some of the sweetest most thoughtful gifts this 

Christmas...

however,... the moments we shared?

 Perfect.

This Christmas was by far one of my favorites!

I sure do love my people.

notes over the holiday...

24th

I love early. 

I am out on the porch. Yay! I love this!

Mindful of the blessings.

"Let your hearts be warmed by the traditions, the garland,

the candle-lighting service.

But be shocked-be in awe of the baby in the manger."

25th

...too much sugar. Feel bleh...but fun.

Gorgeous weather. Peaceful morning.

Chickens laughing next door...

Thank you Father...so cute.

Happy Birthday Jesus.

26th

Surprise! Ate more sugar.

Cookies calmed me. Blood sugar is good.

I have a wonderful life.

"Choose to see the light in everything."

"It's OK if there are days when I feel a little out of frame."

What I focus on grows.

27th

Upstairs early sitting near an open window and Polly

purring on my lap.

Enough indulgence. Back to eating healthy today.

"Remember all the things that love is:

patient, kind, not envious or boastful or proud.

It honors people, isn't self-seeking, nor easily angered,

and it doesn't keep track of people's mess-ups."

(1Corinth.13: 4-5)

"No one leads people to Jesus;

He leads people to Himself.

All the pressure is off.

Just go love everybody."

Focus on ways you'd like to grow.

Begin doing the work required.

Each day is a new opportunity to live your dream

Tenaciously pursue what you want.

"You are asking God for more in your life, 

but you have to learn how to handle what you have."

'The moment you surrender is not when life is over.

It's when it begins.'

be well...

xoxo

💝

"How ironic.

You spend your whole life resisting the notion that there's

someone out there smarter than you are,

and then all of a sudden you're so relieved to know it's true.

All of a sudden, your not too proud to ask for help.

That's what it means to surrender to God."

~A Return to Love ~

December 23, 2025

It's 69 degrees and I've been pairing working in the yard,

with stretching and pulling my sourdough every 30 minutes.

The birds are singing, and the bluebirds are flying about.

A Blue Jay landed, with much to say.

It was carrying on so much that Polly hid under a chair.

I sat & listened until it flew off...then looked up the "sign".

I prayed last night for direction and clarity for something

weighing on me.

I fell asleep right away..., and had a dream about a room in my house

flooding.  I woke up...and had only slept for an hour.

So I looked up the "sign" for that too.

I've been experimenting with mindfulness, faith, and surrendering.

Being more intentional with my thoughts.

Practicing Philippians 4:8.

(my all-time favorite verse)

I enjoy testing things out.

To discover what works and what doesn't.

For me.

It's effective.

This year while I muttered, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

and "With God all things are possible."  while breaking old habits and patterns,

and talking to the cat...

 ...lately I've been muttering, "He will perfect that which concerns me."

while wondering why I've wasted so much time trying to "perfect"

things that really don't concern me.

And I still talk to the cat.

Paying attention, and taking notes.

Signs:

* Bluebird: 'Is letting you know to choose happiness at all time.

Life may not be how you want it, Bluebird encourages you to count your blessings.

It reminds you to take control of your life & not let anyone or anything

steal the joy you have found.

Place value on the pleasant things growing around you.

Your about to enter a new chapter.

Be open and embrace any change.

All will be well.

"There's beauty all around us if you look hard enough."

~Bluebird~

* Blue Jay: Spiritual messenger. Communication. Courage. Protection. Truth.

Clarity.

And...the *flooded room dream interpretation:

Being overwhelmed by emotions or life circumstances.

Represents inner turmoil, stress, or unresolved issues within 

your personal life.

Facing a major life transition, feelings of loosing control, or a

need of emotional cleansing.

That sums it up nicely.

be well...

xoxo

💗

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,

whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-

think about such things."

Philippians 4:8

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,

or seen in me-

put it into practice.

And the God of peace will be with you."

Philippians 4:9

\

 

December 20, 2025

I woke up weary.

Went to Horse Camp training to open up 

more areas to volunteer in. 

Revived.

Turned into the Zoo on my way home.

Only visitor there.

Bundled up from the cold, immersed in the calm.

Reenergized.

 A mad dash through the gym shedding boots and layers,

and arriving to join my peeps at Tai Chi class.

 Amused by our mess ups

and mishaps.

Determined.

Having fun.

Laughing as we learn.

Renewed.

Very mindful lately of where my energy leaks are, and what fuels me.

I've been listening for the whisper. 

Deciding what I choose to put my energy into.

What speaks to my heart.

What drains me.

What fills me.

Repairing some leaks.

Knowing that no matter where the journey takes me...

I am never alone.

Trusting in that.

be well...

xoxo

💓

 

'This is where you learn to grow, to love,

to trust.

This is life.

Take all the time you need to be undone, and breathe.

Through all the changes, hold onto wisdom, love, and gratitude.

No matter where the journey takes you, 

know that you never go alone.'

 

December 14, 2025

It's the way my cat tries to beat me from room to room.

The perfect quote when I need it.

The gratitude of going through the "difficult times".

A small gesture at the right time.

Pause. Take a breath, and notice everything

that is happening .

Appreciate what is, and allow

what is going to happen to enter

naturally.

Journal notes...

Life is messy, unexpected, and complicated,

and filled with magic, and overwhelming beauty.

Be firmly grounded in truth.

'When we live in our head, we miss the importance

 of of what is happening right now.'

Surrender. Let go. Find your new beginnings,

a new way of seeing. 

A grace filled way of life.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"The thing about magic, 

is you don't wait for it...

it waits for you."

~Jake~

'Amidst all the pressure to keep going & to keep going,

may you also take time to learn the art of being;

being Loved, 

being Held, 

being Seen,

being in the Presence of the one who calls you to rest.

Even in the pause you are still where you need to be.'

 

December 13, 2025

This morning...

I'm feeling cozy sitting at my kitchen table in my 

 comfy sweats and fluffy slippers. It's cold and gray outside.

Perfect for sipping hot tea, journaling, and waiting for my sourdough to rise.

 

During my meditation I revisited a memory of the 7th grade:

 My teacher pulled me aside as class dismissed.

I can still visualize the classroom, leaning toward her chair

as I watched her draw a picture of an iceberg and then draw a line across.

She pointed to the top of the iceberg and told me that it was me.

I remember thinking, "She's telling me I'm 

doing good. I'm on top."

She continued to explain that I was the whole iceberg,

& there was so much more to me than what was on the surface.

I remember feeling uplifted by her words,

even though I didn't fully understand them at the time.

That memory arose many times

during my life.

It etched itself into my subconscious.

I didn't understand the message then.

I'm starting to understand it now.

Journal notes:

What you know of the world is only the tip of the

iceberg.

Submerged beneath the surface or the visible world

are mysteries too vast for you to understand.

You must live by faith, not by sight.

Trust in the mystery.

Nothing is impossible.

'Joseph and Mary were asked to trust, 

no more, and no less.

God showed the wisemen a star as a compass,

but that's it.'

"God doesn't always give us specifics on how things 

will work out, but He will often give us a direction 

He hopes we will move toward."

Pack light and take lots of love.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"And the thing about blooming is,

nothing about the process is easy.

It requires every part of you to stretch upward,

with your roots firmly planted in the ground;

and in the sun, and in the rain, and wind,

you stand anyway, even against the pull of the soil.

And through it all, 

one day you will see all along you were transforming.

This took everything out of you, but the struggle

was beautiful and necessary for your growth."

 

 

Breathe to Heal

Pause. Be still. Breathe.

When it comes to healing and calming my nervous system,

the 4-7-8 breath has been my angel on the sidelines.

Always there to help.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Your nervous system heals in stillness.

Slowing down can be the single most 

productive thing you can do for your body."

~Dr. Will Cole~

"10 minutes can change your life.

* 10 minutes of sunlight boosts serotonin.

*10 minutes of walking lowers blood sugar.

*10 minutes of breathwork regulates cortisol.

*10 minutes of prayer calms the mind.

*10 minutes of stillness lowers inflammation.

Don't underestimate what a 10 minute habit can do."

~Dr. Josh Axe~

December 11, 2025

Up before the sun to journal, pray and meditate.

Kiddo sleeping over to work in town.

Jolly nurse making "bloop" noises while taking hubby's vitals.

Bad hair day remedied with a ponytail and sunglasses pushed back on my head.

Out patient surgery, with good results.

Watching the sunset over the lake

on our drive home.

Even among the craziness of life,

my life is pretty dam sweet.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Choosing to have joy

is not naively thinking 

everything will be easy.

It is courageously

believing that there is

still hope, 

even when things get hard."

"Some moments scream their silence.

They slow us down and teach us 

to see what lies beneath the layers."

 

December 10, 2025

She was a trick horse before she came to the therapy barn,

and had to relearn a new way of life.

I was tricked by a way of life before I came to the barn, 

and had to relearn what was most important to me.

That moment you realize growth happened

during the in between.

Journal notes:

'Allow your inner light to shine.

Don't let it be dulled by circumstances.

You can still shine when things are hard.

Your soul is a beacon to bring you back to joy

& remind you that you have everything you need.'

Untangle your thoughts so that they 

line up with the faith in your heart.

Get up and walk into a new life.

be well...

xoxo

💖

"Comfort often traps us.

Staying home, staying routine, staying in what's familiar...

it keeps things predictable, but it also keeps things small.

If you want to look back at the end of your life

and say you lived boldly...

you'll have to choose growth over comfort

again and again.

Don't let comfort rob you of the truth of life,

health, and mission you were meant to step into."

~Dr. Josh Axe~

"A cheerful heart is good medicine..."

Proverbs 17:22

Joy changes your biochemistry.

It lowers cortisol, supports immunity,

and strengthens resilience.

If you want to support your health seek

out what makes you laugh,

what brings joy to your heart,

and the people who help foster that."
~Dr. Josh Axe~

"Running away from yourself is like trying to run away from

a lamppost with a bungee cord tied around you.

Sooner or later you are going to spring back

and have a mighty bump."

 

Somatic and Journal

 

This is my YouTube pick lately,

I feel like I am on the same page.

Tai Chi was really fun today, and I moved

up to intermediate. Nice surprise.

Who knew?

Journal notes:

'You waste energy trying to determine if your resources are

adequate for the day.

It's better to simply acknowledge your inadequacy when you awaken

each morning, and rely on God's sufficiency."

Self-assessment can lead to panic,

which quickly sends you into a downward spiral.

'A cluttered mind worries about yesterday, today, and tomorrow-

consuming you, making it difficult for God to speak to your heart.'

"Don't take everything personally-

it is usually not about you."

"At some point we  need to figure out how God wired us

& where we are going to throw our energy."

Be patient when things get weird.

You'll never have all the answers.

Much of your frustration & failure come

from seeking perfection in this life.

'Too often we fight for our rights,

not realizing how our methods damage our relationships.'

Commit to love well.

"Believe in miracles like you believe in your next breath."

"Change can take years-

before it happens all at once."

'When you start your day with gratitude,

you'll be open to the opportunities, 

not the obstacles.'

It's good to wait quietly.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"When your present in gratitude,

you can't be anywhere else."

"Once you start seeing things to be grateful for,

your brain starts looking for more things

 to be grateful for." 

~UCLA neuroscientist~

"If thankfulness were a drug, 

it would be the best-selling product

with a health maintenance indication

for every major organ system."

~Duke Univ. Med. Center Biologic Psychology~

December 7, 2025

Sitting in the pasture giving Blondie some cuddles, then here comes baby.

 Mama-angus-cow #5 moseys on over next...

then soon, mama-red-white-faced-cow #55 

joins our huddle.

Their interest piqued by me sitting in the grass...

my interest piqued by their floppy ear tags flashing fives.

Of course, 

I looked it up as soon as hubby and I got back

to the pickup.

Number 5...

'means big changes and perhaps a period

of self-discovery and renewed personal freedom is coming your way.

You need to be strong and accept these changes with positive energy

rather than fear because ultimately these lessons will set 

you on a path that's meant to be.'

'encourages you to hold firm when it comes to self-belief,

freedom, and carving out your own journey in life.'

be well...

xoxo

💞

"Building trust from the inside out,

self-knowledge frees you from the prison

of self-absorption and the pain of constant self-questioning.

It lets you rest on solid ground."

...."Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less that the trees

and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you

conceive him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy

confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham drudgery and broken dreams;

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy."

~Max Ehrmann  1927~

 

December 6 2025

This afternoon we lingered at the farm

 savoring a beautiful day, and the simplicity of life

around us.

"Appreciate everything, even the ordinary.

Especially the ordinary."

be well...

xoxo

💖

Skunk :

Become more confident in your interactions with others.

Meet life's challenges with a calm and peaceful heart.

Courage to raise a stink to make right something that is wrong.

"Back off! Stop trying so hard

and everything will fall into place!"

~Skunk~

 

Peace

Today...I see life with a renewed appreciation.

Availability, connection, time together, love...

and family traditions are the real gifts.

From a loved one back home. (thank you!)

"When you are seeking answers, spending time in silence

can often be more powerful than any amount of questioning.

searching, or researching.

Soften and let go of the need to constantly move.

Go for a walk alone to feel fresh air on your face.

Sit quietly with a warm drink in hand.

Allow your mind the time it needs to clear.

There is a space within the silence.

When you give your heart the room it needs to speak,

it will."

be well...

xoxo

💖

"It is easy to get wrapped up in Holiday

expectations.

Remember that love is on everyone's

wish list."