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."

 

 

Wish Tree

Last year my me and my girlfriend Angie decided to go

 explore a local antique shop.

We both had fun searching for and finding little treasures to take home.

I found some little floral saucers that day.

I have a thing for using the old and the mis-matched pieces (dishes, silverware) often.

I find them charming & a nice addition to my tea or coffee breaks.

It's all about creating something special out of the little ordinary moments.

I thank my beloved Swedish Fika-hygge gene for that. 

So anyway....

on the way out the door, there was a pretty pine tree

 covered with little slips of paper.

The shop keeper told us it was a wish tree, 

and invited us to add our wishes to the tree if we'd like.

We did of course! 

We made the wish, wrote it down, and fastened it along with 

hundreds of other wishes.

Honestly, I totally forgot about it after that.

The other day I was writing my prayer in my journal and thanking

God for certain things and also "for restoring relationships in my life"...

and that is when it hit me!

I remembered... that was the wish that I hung on the tree.

Dare to daydream. Imagine. Wish. Believe.

May your see them come true.

xoxo

💖

 

Weekend

Be on the lookout for things

that fuel your gratitude.

Worries can be potent and mind altering.

This weekend I choose not to indulge in them at all.

" I am not afraid of storms 

for I am learning to sail my ship."

~Louisa May Alcott~

xoxo

💖

 

Lately

We wore fake tats (my o came off...) munched on Swedish treats, and laughed 

at our attempts to recreate the messy bun we saw on Instagram,

she thought I was sprouting my wings. (pic)

My car has engine problems...I just purchased it in Jan. 

It's towed to Ford.

I'm dealing with some things I don't want to deal with anymore.

My life is filled with struggles and blessings.

Mostly blessings.

Some words of wisdom from my peeps:

" Don't sacrifice who you could be for who you are."

" Your feelings are not here to hurt you, they are here to heal you."

" Obstacles are opportunities."

" The line between chaos and order is wisdom."

"Stand up straight with your shoulders back!"

"Play the hand your dealt the best you can."

"You are more than you think you are."

"Let fear push you, not stop you !"

"Life is a struggle. Do you want to waste it and struggle?

Or live it and struggle?"

My thoughts:

Honor life. Honor God. Honor myself.

He takes my moments of defeat and teaches me something that will help me later on.

Self-pity is a habit. One I want to break.

I am at a major crossroads in life.  I have been devoted,

honest, and have tried my hardest to do my best in a situation.

God knows, I absolutely, positively have done all I am capable of doing,

even at the expense of my own well being.

It's out of my hands, and I surrender it into His.

xoxo

💗

' He brought me up out of the pit of destruction

and set my feet upon a rock.'

 

Fika

I made Kokostoppars and she brought the coffee.

There was a lot of catching up, a few tears,

then we cranked up AC/DC and danced uncontrolled & laughed

all the funk away. 

Quote nugget:

"If you are courageous enough to be yourself

in a world filled with the expectations of others,

you will live a life with more joy,

pleasure, and contentment 

(and a hell of a lot less regret)."

xoxo

💖