Sometimes a stroll through the garden can calm the mind and shift your focus.






Seeing fresh herbs coming out of hibernation is a welcome sight.



Living the Dream in Retirement
Sometimes a stroll through the garden can calm the mind and shift your focus.
Seeing fresh herbs coming out of hibernation is a welcome sight.
Less than a week ago I was in flip flops…today it’s been snowing all day and I’m back to wearing Uggs.
In a few hours I mark my 65th birthday, the second during the pandemic. I saw this quote today and it resonated.
My weird, fun, twisty, happy and quirky life in a sentence.
“Do you ever get a sign from Spence?”
Tonight granddaughter Kira dropped by with a Shepherds Pie made by daughter-in-law Tonya. It was the best Shepherds Pie I’ve ever had, every bite flavorful and satisfying. The food equivalent of a warm hug.
Spence never met Tonya, they would have loved each other. Shepherds Pie – if on a menu he’d order it every time. Seriously every time. I sat in his chair while enjoying this meal and thought, “yup this is a sign”
On cold days, the sunshine makes it a bit less bleak.
Today rainbows were sent into my living room via my dining room window. I love rainbows…
It’s human nature, for women in particular, to be harder on ourselves than others. With family and friends, we support their choices and are non-judgmental of their mistakes. We accept their imperfections because we know their worth, in other words we provide unconditional love.
In contrast, we hold ourselves to higher standards and our inner voice can tear us down if we don’t manage its volume.
Self care isn’t just about getting through a crisis – it’s an ongoing awareness of our inner critic who makes us feel we’re not meeting every self-imposed expectation. Call it changing the lens or flipping the script and try to imagine that same internal voice consistently offering up positive affirmations and encouragement instead.
There was a moment during my journey that stands out, what Oprah would call an “aha!” moment.
It came from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa on The Food Network.
For months I hadn’t been able to focus on a book, movie or tv show. I had no appetite nor interest in food or cooking which had been passions of mine.
I’d lost my mojo.
Enter The Barefoot Contessa. I’d tuned into her show out of a need to fill the silence with a familiar voice but then found myself engaging. Ina’s on-screen warmth drew me in and whatever she was cooking (though I can’t recall what it was) had my full attention. Her joy of cooking ignited a spark in me and at that moment I felt a shift as my inner foodie began reconnecting with my heart. It was a big step forward. Though she’ll never know, just by being herself, Ina Garten helped me on the path to healing myself.