A Simple Black Dress Holiday Story...

As the holiday season is quickly approaching I started writing a short piece for this blog to share how I think this year, once again, a basic black dress is an essential piece to have in your wardrobe for upcoming festivities and gatherings. I continue to write how a basic black dress with a few accessory accents; such as jewelry, scarves, festive jackets, boots, shoes etc can create a variety of looks from day to evening throughout the season...I thought , wow, I have figured out a  great way to make this holiday season more at ease and simplicit.  

As I began to reflect more about this piece, I realized it really isn't about a basic black dress for the season, it is really more about how to enjoy the gifted moments of the season, through all the noise and busyness of our everyday lives.  

I found myself coming to a "peaceful feeling" as I thought or better to say, gave myself permission, to slow down the holiday cycle--with taking the first step of turning off the noise and turning my focus back to what this season truly means.  

As I sat quietly, I began to write a list of thoughts about what the season means to me...such as a season of thankfulness, a season of joy, a season of love and blessings, a season of family and friends, a season to reflect upon the year, a season to pepare to welcome in a new year....and so on....

I continued to write my list over the next few days and began to realize that the reason the simple black dress seemed more important to me this year, was not about the dress or my holiday wardrobe, but about the simple things in life and that for me, is what I was reminded through all the busyness and noise, is truly what makes a more joyous holiday season.  

So as we begin to prepare for the celebration of this Holiday Season I would like to encourage all of us to take a moment, turn off all the outside noise, sit quietly, read a book, write a holiday note to family member of friend, call a friend just to say "hello", turn on some quiet holiday music, spend time with family, bake some cookies to share with family and friends , create some holiday crafts and remember to take a breathe to just be...to be present and  take in the gifted moments of this Holiday Season... with so much going on today, it is a nice reminder for all of us to be thankful for the basic and simple gifts of life....

The Season of Patience

After a long unseasonably hot summer challenged with a few years of a historic drought, I was reminded this past week, after our first real and wonderful full day of rain, that like my garden, I am living in a season to learn patience through a greater trust in my faith.

I found myself, after a hectic start this morning, that I needed to find that space of patience. I realized that I needed  to breathe and let go of the many uncertainties.

With many different thoughts dancing through my head, I found my feet leading me outside into our garden. I sat down on a bench  and  began to take in the fresh air from the first blush of an autumn morning.  As I quietly sat, I began to look around to take in the captured beauty of the garden, I found my thoughts becoming more clear and my heart beginning to find a peace. 

As this peaceful feeling wash over me I began to realize that I needed to have a greater trust in my faith.   And like a garden patiently waiting for rain, I too must be patient and realize that not everything is in my timing. I must be willing to be patient in my faith to allow the Will of His Grace to be revealed to me in  His Timing.  I must choose to freely trust in knowing  this is a just a season.  And for me this a season to embrace  patience and to  continue to grow my faith more through my heart. 

A Glimpse of Autumn

Today I was awaken by the first glimpse of an autumn morning with a coolness in the air gently resting over our garden.  As I took my early morning walked through the garden, sipping on my coffee, I noticed how peaceful and calm it felt today.   I stopped in my path and stood still and began to survey the garden and realize there was not one movement of bird flutter, a peddle falling to the grow, a rose dancing with the sounds of the wind.   It was as though the garden was taking a breathe to be still,  welcoming the relief of cool air washing away the long hot summer heat.  

I know we have more warm summer days ahead, however like the garden, I am very thankful to have the peaceful break to refresh and refill one's soul to prepare for days ahead. 

Aging-Living a Joyous Life

I have lately been thinking about aging. What it means and how it impacts our lives. If you really think about aging you realize that it is a natural progression in one’s life that one really cannot avoid.  I am not saying we should all go around feeling sorry for ourselves because we are aging moment by moment in our  human habitat. I actually am trying to encourage us to embrace aging in a beautiful way.  I do believe we should live good healthy lives, exercise, eat well and embrace a positive outlook on life.  These are some of the basic life principles that were passed onto me from some of dear friends who were in their twilight years.  I was so blessed to have these wise women as mentors and friends throughout my life.  We would spend countless hours sharing in conversations about life, history and scared experiences that you would never see on tv or the internet or read about in a newspaper or book today.

They taught me so much about preparing for “aging” or maybe better said about life, and how to live a life filled with joy through all things as oppose to letting life take over one’s destiny.

I recently found myself revisiting the aging topic as I was combing through the newspaper and watching the morning news, I started to notice how a majority of featured articles and  advertisements were about age defiance. They featured miracle potions, drinks and creams that would take years off of your life within minutes.   Amazing, I thought, nothing has changed throughout time, as we are still searching for the fountain of youth to solve the challenges of our daily lives. I began to hear the voices of my mentors from some of our wonderful conversations and realized that many of our discussions concluded with the same theme, that how you live life is your choice.  I was taught that you can choose to live a joyous life from the heart and strive to “look up” and “look on the bright side” to guide you through your daily journey or you can allow the muddiness of life take over.  This is why I have chosen to live life through my heart and not allow the day-to-day worldly life take over.  

I know some may say this way of living is too simple or silly and that I may not understand their challenges.  I agree, that I will never be able to walk in someone else’s footsteps, but I have learn from my own life experiences, that by choosing to “look up” and trust my heart I have been living a joyful journey beyond my imagination.  It’s a choice. 








And I thank my very special mentors and friends for sharing their wisdom on aging which has been a joyous treasure of life for me.

End of Summer Joy -

As we are coming to the close of the summer season, and though I am anxiously looking forward to the rich colors and cooler days of the autumn season, I am so very  thankful for the bright pastel palette of the summer garden, the bountiful fruits and magical sunsets.  Thank you summer for your joyous treasures....

Look Up and See the Gifted Treasures You Discover

This past week I was reminded of the great gifts we discover when we take a moment to stop, drain, breathe and look up and see the many gifted treasures that surrounds us.

I find today, we spend so much time with our heads down just trying to get through the day.  We often miss out on the simple essence of life that surrounds us from a peaceful evening sunset, to the wind dancing through the trees...

... or watching the simple fluttering of butterflies jumping from one flower to the next as they freely move through the air.  It takes  just a moment to look up and breathe to enjoy the gifted simple pleasures of life.

I encourage us all to stop for a moment, breathe and look up to see what gifted treasures we my discover today.

Reflective Moments in a Summer Garden...

It’s a peaceful Saturday summer morning. I enjoying sitting under the shade of our trees to watch the early morning sun start to paint across the garden to awaken  the plants, birds and nature beings from a somber evening's rest to begin another day of work before the evening dust.

Ahh....What a gifted moment to remind one's self to take time to breathe and reflect upon the treasures of nature that surround us...I find these moments as scared times to refill and refresh one's soul and spirit to journey onto another day...