Create a ritual...

...around my musings.

focus on the things

that move me

or an image I love

and capture it.

notes:

the trick for finding some clarity 

is to look a little closer

memories connect end to end

and become who we are

concentrate on the stirrings of  your soul,

to  know that being alive is being loved

maintain a loving attitude

every single day, learn how to slow down,

breathe deep, and let go of how you 

think life is supposed to be

let go of expectations 

and make room for new ways

of thinking

your authenticity is found hidden

in the small details of your daily round

be well...

xoxo

💖

"You don't always have to try so hard

to live each day to the fullest.

Each day is full on it's own.

All you have to do is notice."

"You can wait for a miracle,

but a better strategy is to meet it halfway."

"Stay in the moment.

The practice of staying present will heal you.

Obsessing about how the future will turn out

creates anxiety.

Replaying broken scenarios from the past

causes anger and sadness.

Stay here.

In this moment."

April 10, 2025

It was raining, muggy & warm.

Our nurse managed to snag the last

available oscillating fan.

I selected the Flintstones on TV, and my doctor

was going to lunch to eat spaghetti.

He didn't get to finish.

It's utterly crazy that it was 31 years ago!

Happy Birthday Brandon!! I can't imagine 

life with no you.

xoxo

be well...

💝

"Fall in love with the art of living.

Fall in love with letting things be.

Fall in love with listening.

Be still in the sun,

where the winds ever-gently blow,

knowing it is here,

in  moments like this,

you are living,

and you will grow."

Needful things....

...my people, nature/animals, movement, scripture, breathwork, 

 and photos.

R.I.P Cinta (cancer) March 23.


As I move through life,
photos track what I love.
Real moments that are not forgotten,
and the sign posts along the way.
Everything has God's fingerprint on it.

Notes to self,

shape your own story while your living it,
you won't know the outcome until the end

put value on &
prioritize your free time

always take the path of kindness and grace

remain silent, leave the whys, wheres,
how and whens behind &
simply trust

you can never get your needs met 
by losing your head

break away from the ties that bind

it takes work in this hectic world
to find the place of rest and calm

clear out all the static

"Peace be still"

'....often you settle for less because you
didn't meet the best. 
When you get the best,
it gives you the power to let go 
of the rest.'

*Redwing Blackbird on the feeder*
sign that the forces of nature are at work
significant changes are ready to burst forth
personal growth
stay grounded

"Red Alert! You've been ignoring 
the obvious far too long.
Time to do something about it!
Now!"

be well...
xoxo
💞

"There is evidence of a God perfect in all things
except creating beings in His own image."

"No matter how varied and complex our daily
responsibilities,
at the end of the day Mother Nature has just one
question for us:
'What life did you nurture today?' "

 

Friendship

Once upon a time, many years ago...on a cold winter day,

she woke up with a sudden urgency (huge nudge),

to get to the airport.

A bit confused, and somewhat anxious...

she started her morning off in the usual way.

Angie

She drove her kiddo to school, then returned home with her unshakable nudge.

She decided to follow the nudge, but felt very freaked out by the random weirdness

of it all...

so she called her "Barbara Mama".

Barbara Mama had taken her under her wings over the years,

and had become her spiritual warrior.

Mama spoke in a comforting voice, and kind words, & then prayed with her.

She then encouraged her to get ready, and head to the airport.

"Don't ignore this. Just go! You'll know when you know."

Following Mama's suggestion, she wiped away her tears, pulled herself together, 

and headed out for her one hour commute.

She pulled into short term parking, her heart pounding in her ears.

*deep breath*

She made her way into the lobby. Totally awkward & directionless...but

curious. She visited the airline counters and picked up a few applications

at the rental car counters. 

That didn't satisfy the nudge.

 She was missing something.

So she found a bench, and decided to sit for a while and just be.

She heard laughter, and looked across the hall into

the gift shop. Miss J, and Miss R, were working,

and looked to be having fun.

That seemed to draw her attention and pull her right into the 

shop to ask if they were hiring.

Jokingly they made a few comments, 

and then disappeared to grab an application.

She filled it out and gave it back.

After a few more synchronous events...

a week went by, and she was asked to join the team.

One day her manager told her she was going to meet

another co-worker.

"You are a toned down version of her"

he said.

"I think you two will hit it off nicely"

They did hit it off, & discovered they had much in common,

  a love for twinkle lights, nature

and all things cozy.

And, both of them lived far from their families.

One's from the East, one's from the West.

They bonded instantly,

 becoming sisters.

The girl loved working at the gift shop, and the people she met,

 but the commute was long, 

and the hours were wonky. 

She wanted to be closer to home.

So after a year she closed the giftshop for her last time,

and stepped into her new chapter as a fitness instructor.

As for her sister?

She continues to plan weekend stays.

They spend all day in sweats, one sips coffee, the other, hot tea,

and they cackle like chickens when they laugh.

They talk...and talk...

and talk...

and hug when they cry.

Then...

cackle some more.

They never ignore the power of the nudge...

for now they know the reason why.

be well...

xoxo

💝

 "Gratitude is a way of being."

"People who are living life in balance...

tend to be more often at the right place

at the right time."

"I think people really underestimate

how attractive it is to be passionate and real

instead of trying to be everyone's cup of tea."

"When 'I' becomes 'We', even

illness becomes wellness.

Kindness is medicine.

Friendship is medicine.

Connection is medicine.

Reaching out is medicine."

~Dr. Will Cole~

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."

 

 

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~

 

Happiness Habits

I remember a time when playing outside with my cousins,

then Dad taking us to my Uncle's gas station 

to buy a bottle of Coca-Cola from the machine

 was all it took to be happy.

It takes a little more intention these days..,

but it's still the little things that make me happiest.

 Like nature, movement, and savoring the simple pleasures.

Only now, it's walking through the grass barefoot,

practicing Tai Chi steps under the stars,

and relaxing with a healthy mug of hot-chocolate 

(sugar/dairy free)

 at the end of the day.

Journal notes:

"Problems can be the pathways to Spiritual growth

that good times can never provide."

~Charles Stanley~

Recognizing the extent of your neediness is one of your strengths.

"You don't need someone threatened by your happiness.

The right people will be happy for your joy."

'The happier, more content, the more fulfilled you genuinely feel,

the more you have to give. Everyone.'

'Our love is the light that shines in the darkness.

Just be love and it'll light up everything.'

'At some point you have to free the inner hostage.

No one else can storm the gates.

You alone can finally break the barricades & just free...you.'

'Jesus calls us friend.

He looks to us through the lens of love.

He accepts us the way we are,

but also helps us grow into all we can be.'

'Embrace the wonder of being alive. 

Look at things freshly.

Choose joy over discontent.

Transform your negative assets, 

and build on your positive.

Focus on what's right about you.

Seek your higher self.

Discover your unique talents.

Like yourself as you are.

Make today yours!'

be well...

xoxo

💖

"The less people know, the more stubbornly

they know it."

~OSHO~

"The goal isn't buying more materialistic stuff.

It's a nervous system that's regulated.

It's hormones that are balanced.

It's a gut that is healthy.

It's energy that's vibrant.

It's a spirit that's at peace.

It's friends that are safe and supportive.

It's a life well lived.

Health is the real wealth."

~Dr. Will Cole~

Appreciation

Walking in the misty rain at feeding time.

Soft, gentle horse nickers.

A section of hay tossed over the fence,

a strong breeze blowing it back onto us.

Natures hay fight.

  Brushing. Shaking. Moving. Laughing.

Visiting a friend for coffee, which merged into 

a joined errand run.

Zippy country music playing over the loud speaker,

and a young man dancing happily in the isles

as he stacks the store shelves.

Random checks of good and not-so-good items on the Bobby App.

Giggling at our choices.

Making memories in the tasks of an ordinary day.

Heading out after my Tai Chi class.

"You looked very graceful out there!"

came from the sideline.

Not what my head was whispering at the moment.

She peddles her bike, and shares

a story of Tai Chi, & a trip to China when

she was younger.

"I was so young, 

that everyone looked old."

We laugh.

I thank her for her cheer.

My kiddo comes to visit.

He's smitten by a rock-bird I have on the window-sill

beside my flowers.

It makes him smile.

He sticks around for dinner,

 and we sit around the table chatting about our day.

    He left soon afterwards...

rock-bird left with him.

Journal notes:

Trust that the perfect needed connections 

always arrive at the right time & way.

There is a place that you are to fill 

that no one else can.

Something you are to do ,

which no one else can.

See your good.

Find the goodness in front of you.

Always remember you are free to be yourself 

and live your own life in serenity and joy.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Prioritize what matters most.

Decide how you want to spend your life-

every moment.

Kiss your children,

love your friends,

speak kindly to strangers,

hold hands with your loved ones,

and go for walks.

These will be the things you remember

when all you have left is today."

"One of the healthiest habits to learn:

Being grateful for the little things."

~Yung Pueblo~

 

Joyful

Are you my mother?

Is that really you?

I've missed you !!

Buddy

Aww....!

Yes my sweet, slobbery, fur-son!!

It really is me!!!

I have missed you too!

*Mmwahhh!

I was sitting out on the porch at 4 a.m.

It seemed as if I had the whole town to myself,

just me and nature.

Peaceful.

I sip my mug of warm, lemon-ginger water.

I listen to the cicadas,

 Polly sliding on the pavement as she chases a cricket,

and the hum of the schools A/C.

I hear the first car at 5:17.

Town is waking up.

I appreciate the day as it starts to unfold.

I feel joy.

I went to the farm this weekend with Hubby.

It is calving season.

We got there just in time for a new delivery.

Wobbly. Adorable.

Blondie and Buddy both spotted me, and came to greet.

I haven't seen them since early Spring.

Buddy kissed my hand so much my skin was tender.

Blondie was never much on affection,

but she stuck around just the same, and I gave her the love she would allow.

She has a new baby. Her first dark calf.

I felt joy.

Last night, Hubs and I sat in the double recliner

watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

I munched on pineapple and raspberries..

he munched on a lemon bar.

Suddenly, a heavy rain started to pour down.

I opened a window, so we could relish the moment.

It's been dry.

Grateful.

Joyful.

This morning I go in from the porch, to get my first cup of coffee.

Hubby is watching the news.

I catch the touchdown dances on

 the football game highlights.

I tell hubby we should all do a touchdown dance.

Every time we accomplish a task.

*touchdown dance.

It would make life a little lighter.

I start to choreograph my own.

I return to the porch.

I catch the rhythm of someone's base

coming from the drop-off line at school.

I bounce to the beat.

Joyful.

Journal notes:

Wait quietly in His Presence.

Quiet your mind so that you can hear His still small voice.

Words of Life, Peace, Love.

Let your heart receive these messages of abundant blessings.

Spiritual blessings come wrapped in trials.

Open your heart and your mind to look for something new.

Discover the treasures in the trials.

This is His will for you. 1Thes. 5:18

Do not dwell on the past. 

He is doing a new thing. Isaiah 43:18-19

Be cautious and wise.

The key is not to try harder but to yield to His Spirit.

'Maintaining a consistent walk with Him through all the ups

and downs is one of the most difficult challenges we face.'

If you remain in a daily, deliberate walk with God,

He will stabilize you on your journey,

regardless of what happens.

"Life changes radically if  you know you're a conduit

for what wishes to happen as opposed to 

the one making it all occur."

Replace hurry with purpose.

'If you are breathing, He is working in you.'

Do not try to rush.

'The real you is much, much greater than your story.

Choose what you want to create rather than accept the

stories that were created  for you.

Don't worry about being perfect.

Brake the chains of your fear.

Be brave. Trusting. Open.

Have fun!'

"When you open your heart to yourself, quirks and all,

you change the world."

Celebrate life. 

Dance through your fears.

Persevere.

Don't shrink back.

Nurture the sassy spark within you.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Keep it simple:

-Eat real food

-Go for walks

-Wake up early

-Lift weights

-Cook your own meals

-Soak up the sunlight

-Limit alcohol

-Spend more time with loved ones

Simple is powerful."

~Dr. Mark Hyman

 

 

Self-thoughts

I was in the middle of learning a Tai Chi step....(solo...with observers)

 when the music randomly switched from meditative to 

 a 60's pop song, and I broke out into a dance.

My instructor got tickled, then went to change the music.

 She giggled for the remainder of our session.

Hubby took a pause from work to join me at the library to view the winning photos

they chose to hang.

Four of them were mine.

I was sitting on the stoop earlier, my nose felt a lil' drippy....

so I grabbed a tissue from my basket.

 I unfolded it, and nestled inside was a lady bug.

I remembered a time when I was back home hiking at the falls.

My sister-in-law had just passed.

A girl came up to me and said there was a lady bug

on my shirt.

 She let it climb onto her finger, then held it in front of me & told me to make a wish.

I did.

 And then it flew off.

So I made a wish this morning, and then it flew off.

Life truly is a reflection of what we believe.

What if we believe that it is working for us, not against us?

What if we let go of what we think we need,

and think about all that we already have?

What if we believe in the good?

What if we believe that we can ?

 

 I was sitting on the stoop with my coffee, and the journal on my lap.

Revisiting my notes from this morning.

 A tiny, yellow, maple leaf came out of nowhere and landed right where I

was reading.

It rested on a message about thoughts.

My journal notes on thoughts:

There is a battle going on for control of your mind.

The world exerts a downward pull on our thoughts.

God's spirit fills our mind with life and peace.

Our day-to-day perseverance in dependence on Him

keeps us from despair.

He blesses us in ways unique to our needs,

and His design of us.

Guard your thoughts diligently.

Good thoughts keep you close to Him.

Fixing your thoughts on Him will be an ongoing struggle.

Poor sleep, health or nutrition, lack of fresh air,

exercise, worries of the world, and excessive busyness

all affect your ability to think.

It is possible to exert control over your thinking.

Don't let you thoughts run freely. 

Be self-controlled and alert.

Be present.

He didn't save us to let us flounder in uncertainty and

negative thoughts.

He doesn't leave us alone to plot our own course

to spiritual maturity.

He teaches us in the way we learn best.

He never gives up on you.

He won't stop transforming you-

so don't give up on yourself.

Talk to God about your struggles, make your thoughts a

conversation with Him. He's all ears.

His motives are never shadowy or manipulative.

His motive is always love.

He is the best healer, counselor, and friend.

His motive is always unconditional Love

Persevere in making good thought choices and enjoy

His refreshing Presence.

He gives you life itself.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results;

bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results..."

"A person is limited only by the thoughts he chooses."

~James Allen~

"Every cell in your body is

eavesdropping on your thoughts.

Think stress, create stress hormones.

Think calm, create healing compounds.

Your mind is a powerful pharmacy."

~Mark Hyman, M.D.~

 

Remembrance

This morning as I made my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on,

I caught the feature of the 9/11 Memorial airing on the news.

I paused to remember.

I went back to that day...the moment that I turned on the news.

 I had just returned home after dropping Brandon off at school.

I remember the air being sucked out of me. The fear. The incredible wave of sadness.

I think back to a visit back home years later,

when friends took us to see the Memorial.

And how my breath stopped.

 A huge lump formed in my throat & tears welled up in my eyes.

I remember the heaviness of my heart,

mixed with the awe of seeing something so breathtakingly

beautiful, transformed from something so dark and tragic.

I felt a connection.

I recall how strangely silent it seemed as we all gathered around.

In that fleeting moment,

I didn't feel any separation or difference, 

Instead,

It was as if we were a part of something more.

In the blink of an eye...

we all stood united.

This morning...in a blink of an eye... I felt the same way.

Brandon standing at the 9/11 Memorial

Journal notes:

He is with us always.

Even when we journey into unknown places.

"We are not advertisement for Jesus.

We are evidence of Him,

and we do this best in our weaknesses,

not our strengths."

Prayerfully seek to understand where others are coming from-

especially when their words and actions confuse or upset you.

Give others the benefit of your doubt.

You don't know what is motivating them to respond as they do.

'Pursue peace with people.

See God's understanding about who they are,

what burdens they bear,

and what they struggle with.'

Don't absorb the fear & scarcity of the culture

& keep your energy anchored in God as your source.

(note: as I wrote the last sentence: I hear a jet. I glance up as a B-2 bomber flies over...

and as it fades out of sight, a pair of doves fly above me...

you know me and my signs....💝)

'Every so often something happens that literally shakes us awake,

yanks us out of our heads, reminds us of the 

preciousness of life, the uncertainty surrounding us in 

every moment, and all the many things we take for 

granted that we could be so grateful for.'

Stop. Get quiet. Breathe into the gratitude you feel for who you are,

for the gifts you've been given, and your ability to make positive changes.

Only God's Love is strong enough to break 

the hold that fear has on us.

Unexpected events shake up our routines.

As we turn to God, He clings to our hand,

and we experience His comfort and love.

be well...

xoxo

💓

"A GREAT TRAGEDY can bring people together.

When bad things happen, some people rise to help in 

the midst of great sadness,

wanting to help alleviate the pain.

Concentrate on how you too can help and see the good

that does arise in response to terrible events.

We are not helpless when bad things happen.

Agents of change show up in unexpected ways.

Together we can bring healing energy 

to the residue of tragedy."

~Emily Silva~

Anniversary

Fourteen years ago today I was back home visiting,

 when Pastor Bob pulled me aside after our church service.

He placed Jesus Calling in my hands as a gift from him to me.

And so began the journey of putting God first every morning.

Sometimes requiring me to roll out of bed at 2 AM, to devote

an hour before heading to work.

My ritual has evolved over the years, and more devotionals have been

added, but Jesus Calling always starts the day. 

It has carried me through the toughest times.

Journal notes...

Focus on the beauty in life, and that is what I will 

most often experience.

The opposite is also true.

'Make a decision to believe in spite of everything.

Don't look to your circumstance or pay attention

to the opinion of others. 

Listen to God.

Open His Word and trust what He says.

"Small streams don't plan to become mighty rivers.

They just run in the direction they were created to move,

and their Creator decides what they'll become."

"I will instruct  and teach you in the way which you should go;

I will counsel you with My eye upon you."

~ Psalm 32:8 ~

Obey what He leads you to do.

be well...

xoxo

💝

"There is a universal, intelligent, life force 

that exists within everyone and everything.

It resides within each one of us as a deep wisdom,

an inner knowing. We can access this wonderful

source of knowledge and wisdom through our intuition,

and inner sense that tells us what feels right and true

for us at any given moment."

'Learn how to develop, listen and trust this inner voice.

Trust that there is a natural flow to life, and choose to go 

with it, not against it.

Instead of believing every fearful thought,

choose to listen to what your heart has to say.

Know that if there's tension and anxiety present within you,

you are disconnected from your authentic self.

If you feel peaceful and at ease, if love flow through you,

it is because you have chosen to relax into your true nature,

to allow life to guide you and to trust that it will take good care of you,

because it will.'