Category: Living Life

  • Slow is Free

    Slow is Free

    I was walking the neighborhood, and saw some friends outside, so stopped to say hello. One had a question about tea filters, and the best method for loose-leaf teas. When describing the type bag I use, her husband began nodding his head, like he could envision what I’d described. He said, “I’ll just order some…

  • My Happy Place

    My Happy Place

    There’s a place 15 minutes away, drive time, that feeds my soul. You need places like this in your life, and if you don’t have one, I encourage you to find it. The sun was shining, but the air felt cool. It was day three of wearing the same jeans, but that’s the day you…

  • A Blanket of Calm

    A Blanket of Calm

    It’s cold in Texas. My laptop says it’s 27 degrees outdoors, and to some states, that isn’t cold, but for Texas it’s cold. The title of this post came to mind earlier this week, but I don’t know what to write. I live my life wrapped in a blanket of calm, and have written about…

  • Beauty and Goodness

    Beauty and Goodness

    You’ve heard the saying, “Buy experiences, not things.” I don’t buy a lot of things, but what I do buy offers an experience. I drove across town for a candle. That’s the way I live my life. I’ve written about this candle a few times and know from past experience how magical they are. It…

  • Reclaim the Fire

    Reclaim the Fire

    I snapped at a coworker. That’s not like me because I don’t typically relinquish my calm and lash out. An uncharacteristic move deserves a deeper look. Discontentment has been hanging around for a bit. There’s weariness in staring at a screen. It was manageable with the one job I’ve had for years, but when I…

  • All Is Calm

    All Is Calm

    I walked into my local bakery to take a break. When working from home you need to take breaks outside of the home. It does wonders for your sanity and the people around you will be thankful. While waiting for my drink, I perused the shelves of merchandise. My eyes fell onto this coffee mug…

  • Make Your Bed

    Recently, my daughter has been saying, “I learned it from you!” She’s 21 years old, so the things she has learned make me smile. That’s how it should be. We teach our children by example, not lectures. When they grow into adults, my hope is she has learned what’s needed to help her along her…

  • Watch and Learn

    She said, “Wow! Why do you look so nice?” Me: “It’s camouflage for the way I really feel.” She is used to seeing me in pajama pants until noon because I work from home. She has learned, “Put on an outfit that feels good, and the mood will catch up!” One of the best decisions I…

  • Get Disturbed

    It’s remarkable to look back over your life and see how far you’ve come. My daughter will be 21 in August, but when we started this adventure, she was 13. I didn’t know what our new life looked like, but I did know, there had to better. It was one of those agonizing moments of,…

  • The Christmas Tree

    Being a single Mom at Christmas has a little more pressure to it. There’s not a lot of gifts under the tree. The way I see it is, everyday of our life together is a gift. There’s one thing that I’ve always done for Christmas. If you’re a single Mom, choose one thing and do…

  • Slowly and Suddenly

    This mum was given to me weeks ago. I was told if it didn’t bloom right, to let them know. The store selling them has had returns and complaints. How do you bloom right? When my daughter brought it home, it was wrapped in plastic, bone dry and the buds were shut tight. I began…

  • Live Like Chemex

    My daughter and I are serious about coffee. Over the years, she has seen me use a coffee maker with a timer, so it’s ready before my feet hit the floor. The beeping of the coffeemaker was my alarm clock. Then came the Kuerig. That was fast and convenient, but it didn’t make itself. Have…