Yesterday, I was downstairs in the shop organizing hardware storage cabinets. Small bins hold everything from nails and screws to plumbing and electrical parts, and they’re all labeled by their contents, so we know where things are. The process is pretty mindless. For example, screws are separated by drives like slotted, Phillips, and hex. Sorting […]
Tag Archives: blessings
I Second Thoughts How many times have you said something like: “on second thought, I shouldn’t have hit ‘send’, on second thought, I’ll have the asparagus instead of the broccoli, on second thought, going to that party is not a good idea, or on second thought, I don’t want to keep trying to be her […]
I pruned a tree right outside the mudroom door. Before I bought it many years ago, I made sure it was a species that would stay small since it’s in a narrow area next to the house. In the beginning, I was very diligent about cutting it back each fall so that it wouldn’t be […]
I truly believe that “nice” is underrated. I also believe we could use a little more civility, care, and concern, so I’m offering “The Kindness Challenge” hoping that we can, individually and collectively, create a kinder, gentler world” by seeing day-to-day life differently. We’ll look at the first 25 today and finish with the next 25 […]
LOST what have we lost between our youth and where we are now? have we given up our collective, universal desire to feel important, to be loved, to matter? what have we left behind because we thought we “outgrew” those child-like, innocent things? have we stopped being hypnotized by the flames of a fire or […]
Last week, I was helping a client—who has a special place in my heart—get into the rhythm of starting the day with “God Time”. The morning after our time together I sent a note with these reminders: make a cup of tea or coffee; don’t do any “chore like” tasks other than this one—the things […]
It’s 6:23 in the morning as the light comes in from the East. The pines, river birches and oaks reach out to a blue sky, dappled with diaphanous clouds. A rabbit hops through the grass as a chipmunk scurries across the deck. The tomatoes are turning red in the garden. A butterfly dances past my head. A gentle […]
Do you dream? I’m not asking about the images and thoughts that occur while you’re asleep—although that subject is fascinating. Do you dream during your waking hours; imagine possibilities that are different from your current reality; think about places you’d like to see; entertain “what ifs”? Or, have you given up on dreaming; instead choosing […]
Last night, as I sat in the hot tub under my beautiful locust tree, I thought about the week that passed too quickly. The sky was sprinkled with stars and the air was still. This is my favorite season—the one where I can wear Birkenstocks and sleeveless tops, when the sun warms the ground we […]
I sat next to an elderly gentleman, named George, in a surgical waiting room this morning. His first comment to me was that the sun outside was a welcome change from the rainy weeks we’ve been experiencing. I agreed and we talked for a few minutes. Then, about a half hour later, a volunteer came over […]
In the 1830s, American inventor and painter, Samuel Morse, began perfecting an electric telegraph. In 1844 he transmitted the short biblical phrase, “what hath God wrought”, by wire from Washington, DC to Baltimore, Maryland. SOS is a Morse code international distress signal, and the only nine element symbol—making it easily recognizable. It’s also an ambigram, which means […]
I woke up this morning to the sound of birds chirping outside my bedroom window—how wonderful. Spring is my favorite season of the year because, in my area of our country, everything that’s been dormant is springing back to life. Even in years where I have experienced “winters of discontent”—as Shakespeare’s Richard III said—spring has given […]
Yesterday, I started the conversation about getting to the end of our lives with no regrets. How are we experiencing the time we do have? Many of us run through life. We don’t use our time to do what, at the end of our lives, we’ll probably consider “important”—to make the things that truly matter the priority. We can’t turn back […]
My hope is to get to the end of this life without regrets. That may not be completely possible, but I want to live in a way that makes it a bit more attainable. I’ve failed at this often, and I’ll slip up again, but it sure doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. Imagine if you were told that you had only one […]
When I teach classes on organization, I start with a dozen goals. Next, we discuss the reasons we get to a place where we’re overwhelmed with “stuff”. If we don’t know why we’re in a situation, it’s tough to change our behavior, and we’re likely to end up back where we started. Once people have an “aha” moment in class it’s […]
According to Universe Today, “the modern form of humans evolved about 200,000 years ago”. Homo sapiens have been walking this planet for a very long time, and our “turn around the dance floor” is a minuscule blip on the wheel of life. We forget that we’re simply passing through (or passing back to the spirit side if your […]
A lot of us spend a considerable amount of time trying to create “perfect”. The problem is that we are NOT perfect beings. If our expectations are so high that we can’t accept anything except perfection from ourselves or those around us, we need to figure out how to see things from a different perspective. […]
When I was young, there was a game called “Red Light, Green Light”. One child was the “traffic light”, and stood facing away from the other players. The rest of the kids lined up about 6 feet away from the “light”. In the game, the child who’s “it” yells “green light!” and everyone runs toward […]
This post has been on my mind for a long time. It’s been on my heart for even longer. My sincere prayer and hope is for Peace Full Home to be uplifting and hopeful in a world that has its fair share of challenges. I want this blog to be a harbinger of calm and […]
The pear tree that I planted over a decade ago is heavy with fruit right now. I didn’t make the time to “thin it out” as I should have and, when I looked out the window this morning, I noticed the tree loaded down, its branches straining under the weight of hundreds of pears. A […]
After another night of bad dreams, I woke up tired and disoriented, trying to shake off the dark, pulling myself together, and literally curling into a fetal position. I don’t understand the crazy that goes on in my mind. Sleep should be regenerating, not a fear-filled marathon. I’m amazed to hear friends say, “I lie […]
Last week I was pruning the hollies on one side of the yard. We planted them in the fall of 2013 as evergreen, privacy trees between our property and one that is owned by a utility company. There’s always been a “much less-than-attractive” building on the acre next to ours, but a few years ago a BIG […]
Last fall my daughter, Erin, and I were in Italy on vacation. Neither of us speaks Italian and it was an ambitious trip to say the least. Sure, we had the perfunctory Italian/English dictionary, but in our (sometimes North American) arrogance, we assumed that a lot of folks would speak OUR language. Hmmm…that’s a problem, […]
The irises next to the deck are coming up. They were my Mom’s. She dug them up for me the year before she died. They’re beautiful shades of purple and I planted them right next to my hot tub. About a dozen years ago, I bought the hot tub when I was renovating the house […]
Our dear friends Betsy and Sam recently moved to a beautiful area in Georgia. Larry and I just got back from visiting them for a few days. On the way to the airport, to fly home on Saturday evening, we hit a major traffic jam. By the time we got to the Atlanta airport we […]
peace full home®—intentional living 