Every journey starts with a single step

We take such steps every day, and we are on a journey every day. Our life is a sequence of events, choices, decisions and experiences. I think much work takes place on the sidelines, behind the curtain where we don’t always see the results and the fruit of our labor materialize until much later. When hindsight steps in. Fact is that change, wisdom and growth takes time and doesn’t happen overnight. There is no true way to measure our progress until all of a sudden we arrived at a crossroads we have to choose our direction, our conviction once more. So the conscious effort we put in today may not show up until a later point when we long forgot about that particular moment or the effort it took. Maybe we don’t even remember when it began and really, it’s not that important anyways. What matters is that we took that initial first step. One must believe that a cumulative effort and the persistence of such will eventually show up in the material world and pay off. How else can we keep going and stay the course?

I drew this oracle card today and I am no stranger to it. It comes at the perfect time, at the end of one month, at the doorway to a new beginning. While I have been on a journey for the entirety of my life, most of it was not on a conscious level until the past four years. Within those years came many lessons as well as break throughs, aha moments and a heightened sense of awareness with the ability to learn while striving for change. I am still on that same journey, but within a new chapter, a new door has opened. Every new experience can seem intimidating and frightening to most, but I am no longer anxious and worried about those times. They all bring lessons and I trust that the right people and experiences will find me. That what is for me will be provided. Each day we are tested anew to remember how far we have come and to put to the test what we have learned.

This card is a reminder for me. A reminder that whether we are aware or get sucked up into daily life, we are on a journey, each and every day. Progress is made when we are conscious of it, when we acknowledge our awareness, do the work and not turn our head the other way. But progress also happens on the sidelines and eventually sneaks up on us. Just think of all the lessons you have learned already and all that still lies ahead. Are you eager to learn, to grow, to master each step or have the lessons indeed become tough luck and a difficult experiences? Perhaps past experiences have frightened you into taking another step and you need a rest on the sidelines. If you do, know that even here the magic still happens and there are no written rules or guidelines how long it takes to master one step. Take your time and rest assured, everything is as it should be. No two journeys are alike. Trust…

Look at your experiences and see how they have prepared you for where you are at right now, for what’s to come. Everything you need is within you already and trust me, you don’t need to have all the answers just yet. I have learned that in time every little shred of information and knowledge will reveal itself to you. This thought brings me strengths and helps me to keep going. I remind myself that there will always be a hill to climb, a new experience waiting to be learned, a new lesson that needs to be added to our arsenal of wisdom and knowledge. Believe in the process and you are nearly there. The universe loves a brave soul and heart and so do I.

International day of friendship

Art by Des Brophy Art

It’s the international day of friendship today and I will take time out of my day to connect with friends near and far. Even if we don’t talk, in energy we are connected. What a blessing you are to me and I am grateful that our paths have crossed. Together we share our wisdom and guide each other, and no matter how far or near we are, we are never quite alone and share this path alongside.

Recently I got a new book from Donna Ashworth called “I wish I knew.” She shares a poem about friendship and today I like to dedicate it to you and pass it on.

Friendship is…Knowing that someone will be there when you lose, when you fall, when you snort ugly tears.

Friendship is knowing they will ask you twice how are you, really? And the will not accept your answer of fine when you are anything but.

Friendship is showing up for the worst of times as well as the best and knowing which one is the most important.

Friendship is building another’s self esteem realizing the gift they have given you by allowing you to do so and never using that gift for anything but good.

Friendship is every color of the rainbow and all the hues in between the good, the bad, the ugly, the glorious the beloved and the brilliant.

Friendship is hanging on when that person is cocooned waiting for them to re-emerge ready to accept their changes knowing they are still the same, to you.

Friendship is a gift, a blessing, a joy.

Be the friend you seek to have and be that friend to yourself too.

The loved and hated Selfie

You know her all too well and from time to time she litters your online screen. The “Selfie Queen” herself. I have been no stranger to taking a selfie here and there, to record a moment, a mood, a point along the journey, a progress, a diary showcased in tiny little squares that are my life.

But is that all there is to these pictures? How are they perceived and could there be more? I have to admit I’ve been guilty of rolling my eyes a few times, especially when one refers to themselves as a model who isn’t one, the “it girl” or the “glam girl.” So why would that be bothersome and invoke such reaction? I think in this case it wasn’t a violation of “live and let live,” it was just the excess of it and too much of a good thing. A difference in perception of what is and what is not. And yet it remains a delicate balance because who is to say what is and isn’t too much? Look at our celebrities and their profiles. We are groomed into thinking that it is normal, that we too need to record our life to have something tangible to show for. Something like a lifetime of selfies and recording the progress. And that reason I actually like and it’s a little like a diary, a memory that will speak for us some day that we were here. I wonder if everyone chooses this to be the reason, but most likely it is impossible…really….

There is no answer that is a one fits all and each case is individual and personal. At times it might come across as vanity, being full – and in love with yourself, trying to show off and the likes. But sometimes the ones who post the most selfies are actually the loneliest of them all. They post not to record the journey, but to get attention. They need the validation from the outside world, an acceptance of fitting in and being liked. Their self worth is measured on that selfie, how many likes it is getting and what the response is from society. Perhaps it is validation that they still got it, a reassurance they are still desired. I think it can hold many different reasons. It could be as innocent as sharing a progress, showing and motivating others by putting a face and image to the story. But whatever it might be, it is personal and our opinions about it is nothing else but judgement towards a person, a situation, a behavior, a mood. Our days are filled with judgements from the morning we get up until we go to rest again. At any given moment we make decisions, pro and cons, likes and dislikes, all based on perception and our individual preferences. There is nothing wrong with it unless we hurt another with our actions. So for today I say “Go ahead and let Selfie Queen have her moment.”

Procrastiplanting

It’s been awhile and we are overdue for a funny word. Today we are talking about procrastiplanting.

Verb. When you have a million things to do but ignore them all and tend to your pants instead. 🤣

Who is with me and up for a little procrastiplanting?

Keeping the “Critters” away

Bear sightings happen on a regular basis in my neighborhood and I am about to set a new record for the most bears seen in one year. A feared animal for most, for me they belong to one of my favorite ones and I never had a bad experience with one. Fingers crossed it stays this way. Luckily Cinnamon has a keen sense on these guys when they are in the area and she knows long before anyone else picks up on it. I won’t let her out alone when it’s dark and like a protective Mommy, I tag along. Keeping them away is as easy as keeping a clean surrounding as to not attract them with trash and other smelly goods. Last years forest fires depleted much of their feeding grounds and has drawn them closer to populated areas and housing, so I think it’s normal to see more activity as everyone adjust to life once more.

What’s been by far more pesky for me than these furry fluff-balls are insects and bugs. The rare, sweet blood type of mine draws them in by the hoards and I can’t escape being bitten somewhere. I read that only 8% of the population has my blood type which makes me an unusual snack for these suckers. I don’t really care for the chemical defenses that include harsh ingredients that might be bad for the insects but for us as well. So I have ventured to a more natural defense and here are a few tips if you are struggling as well.

Basil – Mosquitoes and flies

Catnip – Mosquitoes

Lavender – Mosquitoes, flies, moths and fleas

Marigolds – Mosquitoes and aphids

Peppermint – Mosquitos, ants and spiders

Rosemary – Fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and slugs

Sage – Moths

Plus you can add some to your favorite dish for a natural, aromatic way of seasoning and adding some delish.

Venus Butterfly

Salvador Dali – Venus Butterfly, 1947

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.” L.R. Knost

Sacred mornings

It wasn’t always this way and there was a time, many years actually, that I struggled with getting up early. Every minute was calculated when my day started to the sound of an alarm clock and I would stay in bed as long as possible. And I wasn’t a morning person at all. Not unfriendly but definitely not chatty either. After all my time was carefully measured and every minute was allocated to getting ready and out the door.

Being self retired now, I still sleep in here and there when my body needs to catch up from nights and days that are full of pain and little rest. It’s a freedom I am grateful to have and one I don’t ever take for granted. Mom taught me early on to save for a nest egg and with our combined efforts, I have managed four blissful years off the rat race and the hamster wheel. But it hasn’t always been like living on Easy Street and it’s not a life of roses every day. You have to be committed to different priorities and reevaluate what is important to you. For me it boiled down to change and knowing that it was eminent and required for survival and if I wanted to see a future.

Today, my mornings have become sacred to me and oftentimes I am up early, just easing my way into the day. It’s simply blissful when everything is still quiet and a new day is just starting. It is mornings like these when I am in little pain, that I harness this energy and that particular feeling to give me strengths for the days when I am in more pain. All too well I know how quickly a positive attitude goes out the door when I am struggling. Pain overshadows everything, it just simply does and it’s hard to hold on when those days strike. So remembering the good times, the mornings of bliss, a few hours in time that truly allowed us to be peaceful inside, are the best nourishments I can think of. Feelings carry us, good and bad, both are a part of life, but the ones we choose to hold on to when we are in the right frame of mind and able to do so, those are always up to us.

Acceptance and surrender

Maybe you too have arrived at this Point of your magical map through life and you relate. It’s been a long road but in hindsight, looking back, everything happened in divine timing, for divine reasons. You have heard the saying below but maybe just like me the later part is new and puts things into perspective even more. Have a look…

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.

“What is for me will not go past me.”

“Rejection is God’s protection.”

“Spirit is the source of my supply.”

🙏🏼💙🦋

Getting there…

Escrow has closed on the purchase of the land and further transformations are on the way. Bushes are ripped out of the overgrown land, and with it…Jeans have ripped as well. It was decided to creatively use the many fallen trees that are spread all over the place and make a retaining wall, lining what will be the drive way some day. It’s like building and cleaning up at the same time.

Walking Cinnamon the other day, I actually got to meet two of the neighbors in the area which live on a different street. It was a wonderful and welcoming conversation and a nice change to prior areas, civilized areas I lived in where no neighbor knew about the other one, avoiding contact or even a casual hello. Strange…and I think you can still respect someone’s privacy and be neighborly without totally ignoring them.

My shipment of german goods has arrived in Florida and has cleared customs. Contact has been made and the company is hoping to secure a delivery truck for my area soon. Last Monday I made more room in the storage shed, getting rid of my old California king size mattress and boxspring. It was bittersweet and a wonderful mattress, but I have a newer one already in storage and another is coming from Germany. Either way, I feel better about the space allocation now and I think everything should fit nicely once it finally get’s here.

While I can’t do much physical work on the land, I have been designing house plans and I am narrowing it down. The latest creation feels really good and I would say it is ME. Unconventional, eccentric, unique, a collection of favorite things and feel good vibes. It feels right and it is adding to the excitement. I can hardly wait to start, but running water, sewer and potentially electric, while building the foundation and the concrete slab for it will be the main goal before winter hits. It’s too late in the year to build and it will have to wait until spring of next year. But if the utilities are in place, the trailer can be moved onto the land and the monthly rent will be eliminated. The property has changed quite a bit already and it’s much easier to see all the potential and how it will unfold. We even had our first bear visitor and checking it out, sitting on the homemade trail through the property, observing the work lol.

Revisiting the health front

This was my birthday dinner that was served to me the other day. Yay, a day without cooking and being the one spoiled. Maybe not the healthiest choice but definitely a simple delicious one. After a day out swimming and relaxing it was a quick and easy one, not adding too much “cooking heat” to the already warm living spaces. Plus all too often these simple meals we couldn’t appreciate as a child, have now become a delicacy and just the right thing.

Nearly two months have passed since my return from Germany and it’s hard to believe. Up until last week I could barely talk and just now my voice has finally returned to fully normal. What an experience that was and something I never felt before. A hoarse voice…ok…but to lose it for 1 1/2 months is something entirely else. It was scary to say the least. And then with the slow progress and return of the voice came the pinched nerve in the left shoulder. Massaging the area helped some but very little. Not even the prescribed muscle relaxer seemed to help in any way other than making me drowsy. And just like in common old fashion for me, even this occurrence was extreme and like nothing else I had before. I have dealt with pinched nerves before but this one sent my left arm all the way to my fingertips into a tingle as if it was asleep. So uncomfortable. In bad cases it began to burn and cramp up in the palm of my hand. I couldn’t type and yes, I am behind answering comments again. Today is the first time I am actually writing again and it’s because of issues like that why I schedule posts ahead of time. Because I know I will have down times. In either case I hope I can still get past the numbness in the fingers and that this will subside as well.

So what has changed and what has contributed to getting better, I analyze during my Self check in? The heat has been unbearable and causing for joint swelling. Swelling reduces mobility, especially in my hands, which renders me unable to make a fist. But water consumption has increased, flushing out toxins. Not really an Aha-moment, but once again reconfirming to what I know already. Now if I can just keep it up…maybe…well you know the answer and my struggles with drinking enough water. But water alone is not what did it, at least I don’t think so and it’s always deeper than that.

All of a sudden I remembered my own home remedies, muscle creams, inflammation inhibitors and even CBD potions I’ve used before but couldn’t bring with me to Germany. Low and behold two days in and applying it twice, I can almost make a fist and I am back to typing. Mmmh…plus another awareness struck me at the same time.

I remembered a book a dear blogger friend suggested to me called “You can heal your life” by Louise Hay. I looked up what the potential cause for hand pain could be, and there it slapped me right in the face.

“Hold and handle. Clutch and grip. Grasping and letting go. Caressing. Pinching. All ways of dealing with experiences.”

Is it any wonder? There has been so much of that over the last couple of months. Selling a house in Germany while building a new future here. Grasping and letting go. Coming to terms and clearing my childhood home while clutching and gripping a few special material memories. I was holding on while I was trying to handle everything. I was dealing with all experiences, at times caressing the moment and on then feeling it’s hurtful pinch again. I am a believer that our mental health and our beliefs, as well as the way we carry ourselves and handle stress and our problems, our way of thinking, how well we take care of ourselves, including nutrition and exercise is a direct reflection on our physical health. I do believe that we can heal our life and I hope that some day I will belong to that circle, however big or small who can attest to this theory and speak from experience. I feel that in many ways I can already, but I do have a chronic condition to defeat yet. At the least and for today, I am determined and I am hopeful.