Thursday, June 28, 2018

Letting Go

In October we had to put my big yellow cat, Bucky, to sleep. It was so hard. This week we've said good bye to another furbaby - Shidd.



Shidd was formerly feral. He's lived with us for a little over five years and was an awesome cat. He'd come in for the evening and we would have conversations. He loved to talk.

The last month he's been sick. The vet couldn't figure out what was wrong. He'd start to get better, then relapse. I tried everything I could think of.

Monday morning we let him out for his  morning walk and he never came back. In all the time he's lived with us, he was never gone more than 12 hours. In my head I believe he went off somewhere to die. That's what cats do. But in my heart I'm struggling with letting go.

I keep going to the window to see if he's come home. I walk through the back calling, just in case he's hiding somewhere. But there's never anything there. When I think about him lying somewhere alone, I cry. When I think about the fact that I will never see his sweet face or talk with him again, I cry.



It's so hard to let go sometimes. I'll miss you Shidd.

Saturday, June 23, 2018

(Almost) Anything Goes Blog Party #3

Yep - It's an anything goes party. Well, almost anything. Please do NOT post any adult content or items for sale. This party is for all women, young and old, with or without children. Please post things that are fun, relevant and non-offensive (negative posts will be deleted!)

Come on in and find something to inspire - and share your amazing thoughts and ideas!


 A BIG thank you to the folks who partied with us last week! 

So are you ready to go again? Do you have some fun Fourth of July decorations to make, or an inspiring story to share? Bring it here!

The party goes from Saturday through Friday



Wednesday, June 20, 2018

So Much to Do! Why?

Where does the time go? I feel like I've been so busy I can't sit long enough to write - or think. I'm working hard getting everything ready to launch my training business in the fall. I'm planning recipes and working out kinks for my food blog. I've started to put my photos on Shutterstock - finding, refining, loading, etc. And there is so much to do around this house! The bamboo and blackberries have taken over and the ponds are begging for some clean up! It's almost into July and my Adirondack chair still sits in the overhang. Haven't had time to move it, let alone sit in it!

And this makes me wonder. Why?

Why do we make ourselves so busy that we neglect just being in the here and now and reveling in the moment? Why do we think we have to accomplish so much?

Well alrighty then. Tomorrow is the official first day of summer and my plan is to allow myself to relax and enjoy it! From this moment on, chores are off limits on Sunday. Sunday is my day to sit in my Adirondack chair under the mimosa tree and read. I have magazines from April that I haven't read. And while I'm there I think I'll close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the birds and squirrels and waterfalls. I think I'll simply "be in the moment".



I'm 62 years old. I've used up more than half of my summers. I intend to make this one count. How about you? How will you make your time matter?




Ahhh....

Saturday, June 16, 2018

(Almost) Anything Goes Blog Party # 2 - The Summer Edition

Yep - It's an anything goes party. Well, almost anything. Please do NOT post any adult content or items for sale. This party is for all women, young and old, with or without children. Please post things that are fun, relevant and non-offensive (negative posts will be deleted!)

Can you believe it will officially be summer next week? Are you enjoying some sunshine and summer fun? Share it with us!


 A BIG thank you to the folks who partied with us last week! 

So are you ready to go again? Do you have some fun Fourth of July decorations to make, or an inspiring story to share? Bring it here!

The party goes from Saturday through Friday


Saturday, June 9, 2018

(Almost) Anything Goes Blog Party #1

Yep - It's an anything goes party. Well, almost anything. Please do NOT post any adult content. This party is for all women, young and old, with or without children. Please post things that are fun, relevant and non-offensive (negative posts will be deleted!)



So lets get started! What great ideas and thoughts do you have?



Thursday, May 31, 2018

The Journey

Life is a journey. But it's not a straight and even path. It's not all roses and birds singing. It has twists and turns and thorns and unbearable obstacles. Life throws punches.

As I have been working through my own problems, discovering difficult things about myself and learning to rise above them, I see others around me dealing with things beyond my comprehension. Illness, death, deep personal loss.

As I ponder on my life and how many blessings I've had - how many hills and obstacles I've managed to overcome -  I am grateful for it all. Through it I've learned that we all need to hold on to each other. We are all a part of this journey.



If we humans reach out and hold each other, we can walk this journey of life so much better. Together we can traverse the darkness and together celebrate the joys.




Sunday, May 6, 2018

Resting in the Beauty of Nature

My life gets crazy. I work full time as a child care center manager. I am developing a business to train Early Childhood professionals. I have a cooking blog, a photography blog, three cats and a husband. And sometimes I get overwhelmed.


That's when I take some time outdoors. Science tells us that being outdoors enhances creativity and boosts energy. It boosts our immune systems, gives us a good dose of vitamin D (a vitamin most of us are deficient in) and helps us create focus. And that's just being outdoors. Add being in nature to the equation.