#building the life you want – Beautiful Remade

The Mirror

By: Just myself July 22, 2025

Blog#aging, #battles of the mind, #being alive, #best life, #building the life you want, faith, god, life, love, poetryLeave a Comment

If I looked deeply into a clear mirror, what would I see?

Would I see the surface, the silver grey hair in the cut I am not so very fond of?

Would I see the tired blue eyes that seem to have lost their spark?

Would I see the rolls and imperfections, as a result of the abuse and comfort choices?

Would I see a harried person rushing from job to job, not quite put together, but mostly presentable for the day?

If I looked in the mirror would I see the million disappointments and sorrows piled on to one another?

Would I see the slipping mask that tries to hide it all?

Would I see the confusion of how what I envisioned and hoped, and fought for for my life, and the actual true reality of it are not in alignment?

Would I see the bitterness and pain of betrayal, of broken dreams, harsh words and unmet expectations?

Would I see a glimmer of hope for what is left in my ever shortening life line?

Would I see truth of character, of caring and kindness, angry and disappointed, or a bitchy tired grouch?

Would I see the desperation of the woman that still wants to be desired, loved, taken care of, safe?

Would I see the loving mom trying to help her children get ready for launching into the world?

Would I see confusion of how to be of value and worth as the years take a toll on the body and that youthful beauty fades away?

Would I see a survivor crawling up out of the depths, dirty, bruised, broken?

Would I see a fighter in battle, fighting off there old beliefs about themselves?

Would I see truth, love, compassion or disgust, disappointment and failings?

Would I see the sin of my poor choices and desperation glaring ugly in my face? Or the Savior in His Glory reflecting back?

If I looked deeply into the mirror what would I see?

Beautifully made

By: Just myself April 12, 2025

Blog#battles of the mind, #building the life you want, #having a full life, #health1 Comment

Nope not doing it anymore!

Not going to try and “reinvent”.

What if the beginning of me was NOT what others project upon me, but a wonderful beautiful human sent to learn and joyfully discover this earth.

What if there is such a thing as the best in the moment.

What if a loud child is NOT a bad kid ,just one beginning to discover.

What if life is an adventure sometimes you win, some days not so much, but what does it matter if most of the time you show up.

Life is good! Life is beautiful!

Sorrow happens, but the pain is a messenger that you are alive and you care.

Tomorrow the sun will rise again,right up to our last tomorrow.

What if the “missteps” are just part of learning and growing, discovering.

What if YOU yes YOU were ‘beautifully made’ from the beginning and accepting this will set your soul free to laugh, to dance, to play!

Earth Tones & Cozy Sweaters!

By: Just myself January 17, 2025

Blog#battles of the mind, #being alive, #building the life you want, #friendship, #having a full life, faith, nature, poetryLeave a Comment

Cool summer nights

Thick soft wool sweaters, slouchy socks

Old faithful quilt, under and around

Fresh earthy smell mixed with the clean aroma of pure lake water

Crickets chirping, frogs croaking, fire cracking, bull frog adds his baritone to the soft night song

Stars reflecting on the water, as heaven touches the earth

Loon calls

Hot mug in our hands, warming inside and out

Quietly leaning into each other as the master transforms the view from day into night and night into day

Peace~Calm~Strength

Cocooned in the darkness

Silently waiting for the dawn

Heart longings

Who’s soul also dreams of sitting this vigil with me?

Next Chapter Please

By: Just myself January 1, 2025

Blog#battles of the mind, #being alive, #building the life you want, Fresh start, life, living your best life, new year, poetryLeave a Comment

I love the thought of January 1st. New year, new chapter, fresh new start. Seems brand new, CLEAN unblemished somehow. Like early morning after a fresh snow fall, when the air is clear and the birds are still sleeping and the world is brand new, not a track, not a blemish. The moment you step outside and the cold hits you in the face, awaking wonder. As you walk the snow crunching under your feet, making a new trail, a new memory, in the new day. Creating, seeing, feeling, living, loving, shining. An illusion of newness! Hope bursts out, possibilities, dreams, goals. This chapter, this year, this month, this day: living in this moment, this place this time, tomorrow seems so far away.

Pathways of adventure

By: Just myself July 4, 2024July 4, 2024

Blog#battles of the mind, #being alive, #building the life you want, #choices, #decisions, #having a full life, beauty, fitness, goalsLeave a Comment

***Will the destination m***ake **the** **rough parts worth it?**

**If the only beauty is in the journey, it will be enough!**

Spring In The Valley, Thoughts On Motherhood…

By: Just myself May 14, 2023May 14, 2023

Blog#being alive, #being Canadian, #building the life you want, beauty, blessing, poetry of life2 Comments

I love the changing of the seasons. Walking daily, seeing the shades of greens and yellows returning to the brown-grey landscape. Tiny bursts of mauve and white escaping from their thick, warm blanket of fall leaves. The Creator, moving his artist’s brush over the woodlands, brings to life little surprises here and there, delighting the eye, stirring the soul.

Tiny details of light and shadows dancing, awaken childhood fairytales in my mind. Spinning fanciful stories of magical beings flitting through the mossy coves. Angel wings drying on the bare branches of the trees. Rooted beings poking up through marshy ground.

Spring, the fresh-clean air invites one to breathe deeply as the morning calm errupts into the musical notes of bird’s song brightly, happily filling the still cool dawn. The spring peeps singing for their mates in the ponds as the day transforms into evening, darkness falls, and the world transforms again.

Anticipation quickening, for what exactly I am not sure?

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Today is Mother’s Day ❤️ my children, my treasures, pour out hearts full of love ❤️ a sweater, a bird house, a breakfast cooked and served, a homemade card, a lot of hugs, never knowing their existence, their joys, their discoveries, theirdreams are the greatest delights in my life.

Embracing a healthy lifestyle: letting go of the “diet mentality”

By: Just myself May 7, 2022

Blog#battles of the mind, #building the life you want, #healthy living, #living your best life, #motivation, fitness, gardening1 Comment

I was disappointed with myself at the end of the day yesterday. I had reinstalled another “step counter” on my phone to track my activity and I was no-where close to my goal of steps taken when I went to bed. Crazy thing was my body was screaming at me. Why?

I started cleaning up my gardens yesterday and my two hours I had alloted before I chained myself to my desk for a few hours, turned into five hours of joyous work in the sunshine. Doing hundreds of squats, digging, pulling and activating muscles that have laid dormant since last year.

I worked HARD, so why was I so disappointed about a stupid number on my phone?

The conversation my mind was having with my soul, was not very nice! Instead of saying good job today, it was talking down telling me, “I would never reveal the skinny (healthy)person inside that is disguised in an excess layer of fluff(fat).”

The problem with a mindset of diet is it is equal to scarcity and want vs a mindset of health and well-being which is a mindset of delicious fresh abundance and ability.

Ironically like many other lessons in my life, the most impactful person to give me this lesson about diet vs lifestyle, was my daughter Stephanie. One day I was talking about preparing lunch and said the word “diet”. She spoke up and said,”no mom, not a diet, it’s your lifestyle now.”

A lifestyle is about daily sustained choices for the long-run, as apposed to a short term denial for “quick, unlasting results”.

A lifestyle is about making choices and taking action on a daily bases to bring self closer to your own type of beautiful and joy.

Maybe I should have slipped away yesterday for a power walk, to boost some calorie burning. That would only have worked on one area of my lifestyle dream.

I chose instead, muscle building, weight-lifting, beautifying, garden building, weeding: with the hope that someday soon, my body will be fit AND my gardens will be beautiful. Not to mention the fresh, healthy, local abundance of home-grown food. Payoff for this lifestyle choice!

Where in your life do you need to make a mental shift from lack (diet) to abundance (lifestyle)? What can you do today to level-up the impact of your actions?

Sneaking up

By: Just myself May 4, 2022

Blog#building the life you want, #freedom, #healthy living, #living your best life, #nature therapyLeave a Comment

I love these guys. I don’t know if it’s the size, or their awkward shape, or the little babies they have with too long legs.

These guys were picking in a field near my friend’s house. She was teaching the young people kung-fu and slipped away to tell me to borrow her rubber-boots and go.

I stuck to the edge of the first field, and started picking my way through the thorn brush at the edge of the next when I was spotted and the warning cry went up.

Maybe I should have been more patient? What was the rush anyway? I snapped a couple of pics and tried to move closer.

I should have kept my camera up! They rose up from the far-side of the field. The beauty of their flight took my breath away.