New Beginnings 2018

2018 a new novel  - containing 12 chapters and 365 blank pages. 

Open the book and begin -

Break a bad habit
   Learn a new skill
      Do a good deed
          Visit a new place
                Read a difficult book
                     Create something important
                            Try a new food
                                 Take an important risk
                                     Kiss someone who thinks you are wonderful
                                         Be your authentic self
                                             Live in the moment-the 'present'
                                                 Show gratitude not negativity

Turn the page and see what the next chapter holds. Everyday remember the greatest gift is the gift of LIFE!

Wishing you the best chapter yet in this coming New Year!

Christmas Wreath

Christmas 2017 I have the joy of celebrating with the Ashleys-my daughter, son-in-law and puppy Jules.  It’s been full of holiday magic and cheer-shopping,cooking, karaoke challenge, Celebration of Lights and Williamsburg tour.

On our trek to Williamsburg we were drawn to the various wreaths.  In true Colonial style they were made from natural items-cedar greenery, apples, dried flowers and leaves and feathers.  Simple yet elegant because of the natural beauty. These wreaths  represent renewal, rebirth, everlasting life, memory and hope. Our ancestors were very attuned to nature and the cycle of life.

Enjoy this collage of natural elements and wonder-and blessings upon you and your family during this Holy season.

Feline Musings

My furry feline friend, Camille, has brought much comfort and happiness into my life.  I adopted her in 2016, an emotional roller coaster year for me.  We all experience these highs and lows in our lives while on our journey, but sometimes the storm barely passes before the next wave comes crashing into our shore. Most waves splash over us with happiness, and other times there are whitecaps tossing us to and fro.  That is when we need to hold tight to our anchors- Faith, Family, Friends and Fur Babies!

My feline friend has instilled the following wisdom in me:

 

 

 

 

 

Gratitude

I have been challenged by my daughter to choose a word for the year of 2017 - a word that represents my intentions.  This word should help me accomplish my goals for the year.  So for 2017, I will focus my intentions and heart on the word - GRATITUDE.

This word is often used at the end of the year or harvest time to be thankful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us thus far.  I am choosing to set my heart on blessings that abound throughout the day.  Oftentimes a major blessing overshadows a daily blessing and we forget to give thanks at the moment of receiving.

Daily blessings of - waking/breathing; sunshine/clouds/rain; health; family friends who are our "stretcher bearers"; freedoms; free-will; guidance; love; faith; strength; nature.  This involves living in the moment and being aware of the gift of the PRESENT.  Some refer to it as living with intention.

We all, my self included, can allow a situation to make us feel a victim.  Be grateful for those situations.  Step back and become an observer of it-you are not the only person to ever face a challenge.  Be open to life and embrace each day with GRATITUDE.

Creative Expression

This weekend the weather in Kansas City returned to winter with freezing drizzle and colder temperatures.  The city was all pumped for the Chiefs football playoff and the weather didn't deter our warrior spirit!

I decided to take advantage of the foreboding weather and spent the weekend upgrading my master bathroom with a fresh coat of paint.  Having lived in an apartment for the last six years I felt the need for a Google refresher course in the technique of painting. To know me as a senior adult is to know I am more calculated in my actions than I was 40 years ago.  My time and energy is more limited so I'm not fond of creating work for myself by trying to get the job done in a hurry!

I did the necessary prep work-finding the right color (or so I thought), prepping the walls-filling holes, sanding and painters tape.  Now for the creative expression of the loaded brush/roller and placing the pigment on the wall!! And viola-the color suddenly is not what I had envisioned...the lighting/mirror reflection brought out a different pigment along with the contrasting white tile, vanity and toilet.  All of my efforts were in vain.  Color can be highly subjective yet evoke psychological effects. I was hoping to create a tranquil effect not an energetic one,since the bathroom has interior walls and no windows.

Oftentimes we can do all of the necessary planning and preparation, yet neglect the natural forces that affect the end results.  When our anticipated results aren't achieved we need to stop, relax, give ourselves time to understand and appreciate the results, then determine what went awry and how we plan on achieving our mental result.


    The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry!

Spacious Living

The Leap Year of 2016 brought changes in every corner of my life-a mental, physical and emotional journey of purging.  That included sorting through my parents belongings to sell their home of 23 years; sorting and moving my own personal belongings because I vacated my apartment of six years; and sorting and moving my work space as my job responsibilities and location changed after ten years.  While I thought I was good at purging, we all know how we tend to fill up every nook and cranny with stuff, especially items neatly tied with an emotional bow!

Since the dust has settled, I decided to enroll in the course "A Year to Clear".  For those of us who have lost our parents, our emotions tend to get neatly wrapped up in their material belongings as a way to hold onto them and the precious memories of our childhood.  It has taken a lifetime to build up the stressful patterns that affect me physically and emotionally.  I am looking forward to discovering the space lurking behind my physical, mental and emotional attachments to my resistances and growing new habits.

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Phil 4:7

Happy Sunday!

NYE 2016🎉

Today marks the last day of the year of 2016-a somewhat sad yet occasionally beautiful year of 366 days.  It's been said that "If you change nothing, Nothing will change".

The year began with a fun entrance celebrated with close friends.  We had a wonderful celebratory meal followed by a movie.  Three days into the new year, one of those dear friends suffered a stroke.  The month of January continued on an unsteady course of my sibling and I making a hard decision to put our parents in a care facility.  We both knew that we had kept them in their home to the point they were no longer safe and able to care for one another.

The Ides of March blew in an opportunity to visit my daughter in Virginia to pick out her dream of a wedding dress.  We went to a bridal shop near her as an introduction to the whole "Say Yes to THE Dress" process.  No matter how we tried to trick her choices, Cares kept going back to her favorite.  When the bridal assistant put the veil on her head, tears rolled down her cheeks.  Eureka!!

That awesome visit turned sour two days later when I received a call that my mother was not doing well and was being transported to a hospital in Kansas City.  When my girlfriend picked me up from the airport we headed to the hospital.  While mother was on oxygen, she seemed to be holding her own.  Yet two days later she was struggling and incoherent.  Intervention of a respirator and feeding tube did not bring positive results.  Mother was very fragile and frail.  On March 28, 2016 Ruth Barbara Howerton passed into eternal rest and peace. I look forward to meeting her at Jesus' feet,

May flowers brought news that my daughter's finance was going to be deployed in October, the month of their planned wedding in Virginia.  While my daughter was devastated on multiple levels, she faced this challenge in her life head on, realizing that God had greater plans for her and Aaron,
"For I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jerimiah 28:11.  We saw God's hand on the planning and the event - a ceremony of love and fellowship with family and friends.

June brought sunshine in many forms - friends gathering at the Wine Song Fest, winery tours, live music concert provided by Keith Urban, pool party and meeting a special man that turned my life in a new direction.  In between the happy events were the continued responsibilities of handling my parents estate and finances.  God continued to provide the necessary wisdom and strength and a bevy of emotional support by family and friends.

The fall brought more changes into my life - the loss of my beloved Uncle Ed - he filled in the gaps and gullies that can surface in a father/daughter relationship.  He never failed to provide a guiding light in my life in the interactions and decisions concerning my parents.  He always told me he loved me and prayed for me for wisdom.  I know that he is at peace with his own battle with cancer and other multiple health issues.  I am so thankful for his influence on my life.  And the fall also brought the promise of a committed relationship into my life.

The year ended with me relocating my home and my job.  Lots of challenges and changes, but lots of cherished personal beautiful moments - my daughter marrying the love of her life, hearing my dad sing his favorite Christmas songs and welcoming the new year with hope and much love.