Magical dancing light

By: Just myself
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Just about 630pm on a warm spring evening in June. It has been a pretty good day so far, although the peaceful joy did not quite reach into my unrestful soul. I had arrived home from a friend’s house and debated on my self-soothing options. Finally I climbed out of the van and strolled through the garden noticing new life appearing from the earth.

Not really much to show yet, but exciting none the less as I await the day to eat the first meal of fresh tender green beans, or snack on sweet peas right out of the pod in the garden.

The colours of my flowers gave me a little splash of joy.

I walked into the house and faced another choice: do nothing, clean up, or go for a walk which would certainly help on my path to “feeling better ” again.

The first steps are always the hardest but I changed my clothes, tide up my sneakers, grabbed a water bottle and off I went.

Quiet except for the nature sounds. The lowering sun danced through the trees creating a magical stage of spotlit points and shadows, illuminating new shades of green in the fresh undergrowth. I felt like I had stepped into another deminsion and that fairies should be fluttering around through the trees,but only a yellow butterfly danced about, pretty and graceful.

I wished I could capture the beauty of the scene, but between the limit of the camera and the reality of the swarms of mosquitoes that drove me home, the spectacular scene will remain mainly in my memory the fodder of magical dreams when I lay down my head.

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

By: Just myself
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Big boy! (Or girl) Garden friend.

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?

“Date” with my son

By: Just myself
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Ready to go!

My kids are growing up so fast. I had been warned that “time flies”. I realize now that it seems that as we age time really does speed up.

Fred’s sixteen already, and although I may be slightly biased, he is a great kid.

He is a young man that works hard, cares much, and rarely complains. In fact he complains so little that his clothes were ‘shrinking’ more everyday and he would just squeeze into them and go on about his day.

I planned a day. I made appointments at the salon (Fred’s first professional hair cut), let him pick where to have lunch, and dragged him through the extremely limited clothing stores in town (well men’s clothing stores).

The time in the salon was lovely. The tacos for lunch were delicious. Shopping was…hard, the boy doesn’t care what clothes he wears, and he didn’t show me ‘how’ the pants fit, he just said they did. (I really hope they do, 🤞.)

The very best part of our day, I think, was taking him to the nursery and letting him pick out some plants to love. I had not realized that he had never been with me before when I went there. It was love at first sight as we walked into the giant green house. It reminded me of my grandpa, how he loved his garden. On this trip Fred picked a crocodile fern and a fun succulent to decorate his room with. “Look at this mom! And this! Look over here!”

I think I have found a gardening partner as he chatted about how excited he was to get our gardens cleaned up and planted. What else we should get on a later trip. JOY!

Our day ended too soon. I really can’t wait for the next chance we get to go out together again!

Tired but happy!

Magic of March

By: Just myself
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I may have said it before but I don’t like to wish my life away. With the risk of sounding like I am, I am glad February over. February seemed unusually hard this year. Maybe it was the cold that had me huddled hiding in my home. Or maybe it was just a season of spiritual stretching and growth. It felt like death and mourning too many days. So glad to lay February to rest.

Here we are at March now. March the month to dream of warming days. Spring melt. Garden plans. Walks to come. Playing in puddles and mud. (Hopeful. Canada in March could just be more winter.)

Dreams of setting up my outside prayer spot. Surrounded by blooms and food.

Dreams of hikes in the park, camping and fishing. Picking dates for a big excursion.

Time to launch my dream journal. A colourful book to set goals, make plans, reflect, create. (My current journal is almost full.) I need a place of encouragement for myself. (Been beating myself up a bit too much lately.) My creativity needs a place to pour out.

March a month of gardening videos and vlogs. Books and lessons. Renewed interest in learning composting and canning, pest control, and supplementing. Pruning and building.

The magic of March, to me, a month of dreams, of plans, of hope. And the weather begins to warm, the days are noticeably longer. Back into the light. March

Sleeping

By: Just myself
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Under a blanket of sparkling diamonds, the garden awaits the invitation to burst forth!

I look out my window and see glittering diamonds, sparkling back at me from the sunshine and snow.

My favourite herb garden laying asleep under a blanket of snow. Lying in wait for warm temperatures to grow.

And I dream and I plan with giddy delight, of flowers, and flavors, of spicy delights.

I long for the days of sunshine, and heat, and feeling the dirt squish under my feet.

My first orders of seeds await on my desk. Pencil and paper and calendar, to plan for the very best.

Maybe this year will be the one I see in my head. Not a weed in the garden, packed full of beauty and bounty instead.

But back to reality on this cold winter day, it is fun to let my imagination out to play.

An evening walk, quiet, beautiful

By: Just myself
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I haven’t been able to really enjoy walking in a long time but tonight I was almost completely pain free. I gladly volunteered to walk to our mill to unplug a tool, truly enjoying the evening air.

What a wonderful blessing to be able to walk!

I paused to enjoy my garden again and discovered new treasures developing on the plants.