After trying to conceive for several years, and after the sad loss of our soulbaby (a 12 week loss), I turned to meditation and yoga. Slowly, I came out of the fog of depression stemming from that miscarriage. The dark days of winter grew lighter. I started seeing the beauty around me. The early signs of spring appeared; a red breasted Robin chirping happily on our fence, the warmth of the sun on my face, as I went on a restorative walk, and bright, yellow buds forming on our forsythia bush.
Being grateful, started being my way back to the living.
It was in that state, almost seventeen years ago, next month, that I finally conceived. I was shocked and surprised, but oh so grateful. After trying so hard to conceive month after month, it had just happened. Nine months later, I gave birth to our daughter Grace.
Grace is my daily reminder that being grateful is the key to manifesting anything you want. For when we are grateful, joy follows, and when we are in a joy filled contented space, we are capable of creating anything we want.
We are after all limitless in our ability to create.
Our daughter, Grace Elizabeth. my mom and Grace…mom always told me to count my blessings
Next month, Oprah and Deepak are offering another meditation challenge. It’s called, “Manifesting Grace through Gratitude.” I hope you will join me in this challenge and see if it will help you move towards what you desire most in your life.
And to help you get into the Ommming mood, check out the link the this You tube video, (Om chanting @528 Hz). My sister C, sent it to me the other day and I was absolutely thrilled! Years ago, C had given me a CD called, “The Eternal Om, ” and this You tube video has that same resonance. She called it a healing sound, but I know when you allow it to wash over you, it will pull you towards your golden cord. The cord that connects you to your most creative self and to everything in the Universe. When you are in that vibration, you can manifest ANYTHING. Come Om with me. (Thanks C for this vid link and always being my soul sister)
Until we connect again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
The words “be safe, have fun,” keep reverberating through my brain. They were the last things I said to my two kids, who left on adventures this week. My son Mitchell, who will be off on a grand adventure to Australia at the first of March, left on a west coast road trip this past week. Seeing Portland, Oregon has always been on his bucket list and saying goodbye to his best friend in Victoria before he goes to Aussie land, was a must. Then our sixteen year old daughter Grace, joined her school jazz band this morning, as they traveled down to Moscow Idaho’s big jazz fest.
I hope they both enjoy their journeys.
Saying goodbye is never easy for me. If you have read many of my posts, I may have shared a bit of my past and how my Dad was killed in a truck accident when I was young. Who knew, as I sat on his lap, while he drank the last of his morning coffee, that I would never see him again. While that may be morose, the knowledge that we may never see our loved one after they walk out the door, has settled deep in my bones. I have to resist clinging, but with a quick hug and a jaunty wave I say, “be safe, have fun.” Inside, I’m tearfully praying, “Bring them back to me.”
But the truest part of me knows, they are okay. They will always be okay.
So…..
I let go and trust.
What else can a mom do?
Mitchell as he heads off on his Oregon, Vancouver Island/West coast trip
And what do Buddha Bowls have to do with all of this? Well, I was thinking about how Siddhartha Gautama, who was later referred to as, Buddha, the one who is awake, was born into a royal family in a small kingdom on the Indian-Napalese border. He left all his wealth behind to adventure into the world and discover what was the meaning of life. He wandered the country side, like a traditional holy man of the day, seeking the Truth. He became very adept at meditation under various teachers, and then took up ascetic practices. This was based on the belief that one could free the spirit by denying the flesh. He practiced austerities, to such a strict degree that he almost starved to death.
I wondered how his mom felt as he left home?
What words of wisdom did she impart?
Also, while I don’t know this for sure, I wonder if he too, like many holy men of his day, carried an empty bowl, trusting that he would be fed. There are certainly pictures of Buddha carrying a beggar’s bowl.
As my children head out into the world, on their adventures, I visualize light surrounding them and a full bowl in their hands. I’m trusting my gut, knowing that I can’t hold on to them. They are their own people. I must let go, to allow them to find their own truth; their meaning of life. And while they are away, I will prepare my Buddha bowls and smile, knowing that wherever they travel, they will be fed.
If Buddha’s mom knew that her son would become a spiritual teacher and become enlightened, would it have been easier for her to say goodbye I wonder?
And thinking of being filled and enlightened, I hope you will now join me in my kitchen. We can make a cup of green, or ginger tea, and you can help chop the vegetables so we can make a bowl brimming with goodness; a blissful thing to behold and eat. We need nothing more in our day. Oh and we can chat about what we really, REALLY need in life?
And as we chat I will tell you what I have learned about the Buddha bowl.
Apparently, I’m coming to the party late, or rather, for years now, I was throwing a party for my family and didn’t realize a Buddha themed party was going on around us. Years ago, I took a course called, “The Pursuit of Excellence,” which was a three part, intensive course, put on by the Concept Training Corp. The second part of the course was called, “The Wall,” which took place on Orcas Island, off the coast from Seattle. It was there, that I discovered, Tai Chi, Buddha bowls, and the power of vision boards. That was thirty years ago, long before the trend of Buddha bowls became popular. Then Seventeen years ago, I was invited to visit the Birken Monastery, outside of Kamloops, B.C. for a weekend with my sister C, and her whole yoga class. It was there that I discovered Buddha bowls again.
An image from the Birken Monastery near Kamloops, B.C.
Since then, I’ve been making Buddha breakfast bowls, and lunch and dinner ones; in the morning having oatmeal, fruit and nuts and seeds, and mid day and for dinner, mixing brown rice, or noodles, a bit of stir fry or fresh, raw veggies, pieces of avocado, or a few slices of orange, a sprinkling of nuts and seeds and calling it my “Wall,” dinner or my “Bliss” bowl.
Anyway, a Buddha bowl is comprised of ; something made of grains or starch, such as rice, quinoa, noodles, or sweet potatoes. Then a smattering of protein, such as beans, chick peas, tofu, or meat. (and no, as I will explain later, a Buddha bowl does not have to be strictly a vegan one, although that would be most Buddha- like) And then you add colourful vegetables, raw or lightly steamed, your choice. Finally, you top the whole works with seeds, nuts, avocado for some healthy fat, and some sort of drizzly sauce. Let your bowl be a thing of beauty. Many bloggers have done a piece on Buddha bowls in the last few years. I found one that I really liked called the “Healthy Maven,” and she wrote her Ultimate Buddha Bowl Blog, almost 31/2 years ago. Check out the link to her blog as her Buddha bowl is perfect with lots of greens in it. YUM!
Many people now, who do Instagram like to share what they eat. I know when my son Harrison made a Buddha bowl during the holidays, he was pulling his phone out. Who knew it would be hip to show what you are eating.
Here is a snap of Harrison’s breakfast Buddha bowl
So while making a Buddha bowl is easy, I think the hard part of it, and the thing that sometimes is lost in translation for many, is the idea to eat slowly, mindfully and with a grateful heart. Also, the bowl need not be brimming over. As I watch our little Kathryn eat, I realize that she eats so slowly that by the time the rest of us have finished our meals and are looking for dessert, she is full and has eaten only half of the contents in her bowl. She eats carefully and seems to relish each bite. Oh to watch her eat tomatoes and avocados with such a beautiful smile on her face, inspires me to chew slower.
Savour the flavour.
Kathryn, last summer, looking at a bowl of peach cobbler and ice cream
Certainly when I was on Orcas Island, hitting the proverbial wall, the facilitators from the Concept Training Corp, were ahead of their time, reminding us as we ate in silence, “to contemplate each bite and be grateful for the food.” I think many of the people at this work shop had big issues with the food over that long weekend, as it was sparse. Many pointed out, when we came out of the silence part of the course, that they had paid big bucks for the course, many traveled far, and they didn’t appreciate sleeping in frigid, boy scout cottages, on rough, wooden bunk beds. And the breakfast oatmeal and rice and veggies for dinner were not cutting it for many. Most people hit the wall with regards to their comforts in life. But not me. Nope! I was in my element. The limited food allowed me to think clearer and the silence allowed me to find deep peace. Trusting others however is when I hit my wall on Orcas.
Harrison making another Buddha bowl over ChristmasOn a bed of rice, there was vegetables, chicken, and some avocado slices
Years later, when I traveled with C to the Buddhist Monastery, I found that the two healthy meals a day, inter mixed with meditation and yoga allowed me to focus on my inward journey. And when it was meal time, I was heightened to the food’s texture, flavour and colour. I was also intrigued later to learned that the monks, while they preferred to eat a vegan or vegetarian diet, were thankful for any contribution that people offered them. If meat was given, it would be cooked lovingly and eaten with the same reverence and gratitude they held for their vegan or vegetarian fare. They blessed all food that was given to them and they were thankful for each mouthful.
Ever since the Wall, I ve enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal each morning with some apples and cinnamon…..being ever grateful for each bite
While our older children may scoff inward at our habit of saying thanks before our meals, as they search for their own ideas of spirit and God, I know that being grateful for the food we are about to eat, is an important aspect of allowing it to be used well by our bodies; to nourish and to bless.
My sister’s birthday party reminded me that less is more…beans, rice and veggies is all we need
Last November we went to my sister C’s house to celebrate her birthday. Her husband D put on a wonderful spread, even though we said we were just coming for afternoon tea. D had been simmering beans all morning and had a big pot of rice, colourful tortilla chips, and a vegetable platter all laid out beautifully in their kitchen. The meal was served in simple white bowls.
My sister J, and in the background is my husband David enjoying his Buddha Bowl of beans and rice…veggiesMy brother in law B, who just celebrated his birthday a few days ago my sister C’s family dog, Coco…I think they call her Coco bean….she was sleeping when I took this picture and she just looked up…isn’t she a sweetie…my daughter Victoria would say, “all you need in life is a dog!”We made these crazy little instruments made out of wood and elastics and C is trying to blow the tune to Happy Birthday on her’s….happy Birthday C!What a wonderful Buddha Bowl birthday meal we had at C’s party last while this isn’t the greatest picture…if you look above C’s head, hanging above their fireplace is the windchime I made for C’s birthday…J and I were finishing it off on the car ride to their place…good memories!!!…the round bits are bracelets that C gave to me…and the header is from our birch tree.
Anyway, THAT meal, inspired me to pull out my mother in law’s old, brown, bean pot. Under my brother in law D’s suggestions, I now soak our beans, (usually pinto and black beans, but navy beans are great too) the night before. In the morning, I rinse and drain the beans and pour them into the bean pot. Then I saute onions, garlic, green peppers, and add a bag of frozen tomatoes, from our last summer’s harvest. Add a few cups of water, and some cumin, a few pieces of dried chili pepper, some barbecue sauce, a bit of apple cider vinegar and some brown sugar. I add that all to the bean pot and cook it all morning at 300 degrees in the oven. I check it every hour and stir often. As it thickens, I add more water until the beans are nice and soft. Later, I make a pot of brown rice, a big green salad, pull out a bag of tortilla chips and I have dinner and a lunch for the kid’s thermos the next day. Another Buddha bowl type dinner!
It’s all we really need in a day.
And although Victoria put her dinner on a plate, it looks great in a bowl!
So whatever you fill your bowl with each day, I hope your heart is filled with loving kindness and compassion. For without those, in my opinion we are truly empty. And the next time you see someone on the street, think of Buddha’s empty bowl and give something to that stranger, it doesn’t have to be much, even a smile, for that stranger is is my son, or my daughter.
And before I close, as I often do, I wanted to share a video of George Harrison singing, “Give me Love~give me peace” For some reason when I think of Buddha, George’s music comes to mind. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice.”~ T.S. Eliot~
I started this post at the beginning of January but, alas, did not get around to finishing or posting it. Before I knew it. Chinese New Year had arrived, and once again, I lingered over the keys, trying to get this first post off the ground. Again, life swept me up and away. It’s not like I had nothing to say. I have been bursting with things to share, but until today, it felt like every moment was spoken for.
Finally, today, as fluffy, white flakes, fall gently on our still wintry landscape, the day feels peaceful. It feels empty. The perfect environment to write a blog post. As I type, I can hear the kid’s muffled laughter. After lunch they asked, “can we shovel the drive way?” I can just imagine what it looks like now; here and there cleared areas and crunched footprints of snow everywhere. My husband, David will smile when he arrives home.
I love Pro D days, when the teachers are in class, and I’m home with our children. I daydream about what it would be like to keep them home full time. We spent the morning doing more math, writing, reading and music, than they do at school in a whole week. Yet I know, for our children, school is an important part of their learning. Did you know that I started working as a lunch time, school supervisor last fall? Yep, that’s my new gig. It’s also one of the reason I haven’t had time to write. I’m needed, smack in the middle of my day. It cuts any hope of my creativity in half. But it’s been good.
I watch children during lunch hour and realize school is far more than teaching academics. I observe children making and keeping friends, thinking up games and negotiating rules, treading sometimes roughly on other’s feelings, and I help them consider their words and guide them towards saying a humble, “I’m sorry.” I’m there to advocate for those who need help speaking up and watch as they smile, with an obvious sense of accomplishment, when they have been heard. Who knew one hour a day would allow me to see our future, or what it could look like.
Kids are good!
And while I often have wondered if we should be homeschooling our children, (everyone has to find what is right for their children) I see that our children learn far more being out in the world, than I could teach them at home. But that is a blog post for another time. For now, this precious day allows me to have time to be creative, and for our children, to have time to delight in an endless, wintry day.
Bonus: our drive way is partly shoveled.
No, today isn’t on writing about the merits of school, teaching social skills, but about the New Year.
Happy New Year!
Is it still a New Year? Maybe not according to Western dates but based on the Chinese New Year date, it’s still relatively a new year. And According to the Chinese,
THIS IS MY YEAR!
It’s the year of the PIG!
Yep, that’s me! I was born in the year of the pig and I’m proud of it. Many of the traits a pig supposedly holds, resembles me.
” People with Chinese zodiac Pig sign are considerate, responsible, independent and optimistic. They always show generousness and mercy to endure other people’s mistakes, which help them gain harmonious interpersonal relationships. However, sometimes they will behave lazy and lack actions. In addition, pure hearts would let them be cheated easily in daily life.”
Okay, I added that last one, but I would say that describes me almost to a tee, especially the sluggish part, which sadly, describes my writing of late.
OINK!
Also, one of the pig’s lucky numbers is “8.” Since we have eight children, I’d say that is a very lucky number indeed. At least for me. Many would say two is good. And many these days would say zero is their number!
Whatever your number is, rejoice!
Eight is my number and without it, I wouldn’t have as much to blog about. So here I am, back to my blog, even though the New Year is well tarnished and my New Year’s resolution, “to write more,” is rather rusty. It is, however, still relatively early in 2019 and there is much to accomplish and experience this year. And so today is the beginning of a new year, and a new day.
And that is how I am going to navigate my days….all 312 Days — or — 44 Weeks and 4 Days until the end of this year.
Who’s counting?
Each one is a hope, filled, gift.
Speaking of gifts, before I plow any further into this year, I want to glance back to the last time I wrote, which was the end of 2018. I wanted to share a peek into our holidays, and also share with you the highlighted recipe of our Christmas season. Cinnamon Buns!
The first batch of the season!
Ever since our oldest daughter Alyssa was a baby, making Cinnamon buns has been a holiday tradition. I’ll never forget that first Christmas, when I plunked her into one of our double sinks, layered with a thick warm towel and gave her some sweet dough to play with. As I stood beside her, kneading the dough, Christmas music wafting from the stereo and the warmth of the kitchen surrounding us, little did I know as a young mom, I was creating a tradition that would continue for many years. It seems appropriate to share that tradition now and also the recipe for future generations to enjoy.
I felt really blessed this past Christmas, to have seven of our eight children at home for the holidays. So much so, that I made not one, but two batches of “sticky buns,” as my mom used to call them. Now I know these aren’t the healthiest thing in the world to eat, but another thing that I’m conscious of as I grow older, and that is, I’m not going to live forever and there are some things in life that are worth making and eating. Cinnamon buns are that for me. Besides, I’m going to be writing about making Buddha bowls next, and if you eat 90% healthy, and drink lots of water, then I figure some cinnamon buns are more than okay.
Here are a few snap memories of our holidays and my cinnamon bun recipe. I have to thank my mother in law, Doreen, whose been gone for over a decade now, for she gave my husband this cook book when he left home. This book, “Five Roses Guide to Good Cooking,” is well loved and ratty and has been a staple in my cook book collection for years now.
This book has been in my recipe drawer for years now and is always my go to book for those old classic home cooked meals…thanks Grandma DoreenMerry and Bright was the theme for our holidays
Our Siamese cat Ryuuki waits and waits for his people to arrive
Thankfully the weather stays nice until everyone is safely home
The little girls read to pass the time until the big brothers and sister arrive homeCards arrive and I start to decorateAnd I decorate….our skimpy trees that we got from the mountains are BEAUTIFUL!
The angels bring everyone home safely…thank you Tamara for my newest Angel holding the Christmas wreath…she is called, “Magnolia,” and she brings a “gathering of blessings.” Thank you Tamara, for you are one of those blessings.
And then they start coming home….
Clark arrives home on his birthday, Dec 20th, in time to blow out the candles on his cake (2+6)= 2 decades and six years… and then we are off to attend little girl’s String Christmas concert…Clark even plays when the whole group gathers to play the classic Christmas songs. And we get the attic ready for the next kids to arrive
Then more of our children return home; Alyssa from Victoria where she has been teaching and writing
And with Alyssa, Harrison arrives home. A belated birthday celebration kicks off the holidays. Harry turned 20 on the 19th of Dec. We are so happy to have you home Harrison!
The garage, aka, “Santa’s workshop” was non admissible ….but Finally it was Christmas Eve and time to pull out the ancient book that I’ve had since my childhood….yes now an antique! ha…and time for the tradition of opening up jammies on Christmas eve and reading, “The Night Before Christmas.” Take it away David! And always, my parents are with me I’d like to say the stockings were hung, but in our case they have to lie down as there are so many of us! Yes, I’m a minimalist…but in the stockings are underwear, new socks, tea, coffee, and a few toys for the little ones…oh and chocolate…can’t forget the sweets And the little girls find what Santa was working on in his workshop. Santa made a fireplace too, and a kitchen island, and beds. Mrs. Claus made stockings for the fireplace and bedding for all the beds. There are hearts on the stockings and on the bedding. Two new little Chelsie dolls are wrapped under the tree, ready to be placed in the doll house.Two Chelsie dolls, one with a puppy and one with a kitten, were wrapped for the girls under the Christmas tree…perfect for their new house! Another Santa work shop project was.a new shelf unit so Alyssa can keep her writing organized….Alyssa, now you can put something you aren’t using out on the curb!And we eat….thank you Mr. Turkey!
And the kids put on a Christmas concertAnd we eat…..And we play games…Harrison liked our new Monopoly Ultimate banking game…right down his alley as he’s studying businessAnd Eat!!!
The girls played and played with their new dollhouse And played more Ultimate banking~~~And we have friends over..Clark with his school friends, J and D…maybe someday they will have a law practice together? And finally the snow arrived…and we were enveloped in peaceful whiteAlyssa, always a resourceful photographer, pulled out the ladder and started our 2018 holiday shoot….of course outside, brrrrr! but it was fun!Victoria Hope, is our youngest, but she would tell you only by 5 minutes but her twin Kathryn, would remind her that they were 5 LONG MINUTES!
Kathryn Mira was asking for her two front teeth for Christmas If there was another name for Joy, it wold be William…our Will lights up the world with his smile and hugsA few days before Christmas our just turned 16 year old, Grace Elizabeth said, “cut off my hair mom”…and that’s what I did. As sad as I was to see her long chestnut locks drop to the kitchen floor, I have to say, “Grace you are growing up more beautiful every day…inside and out!”Harrison,”we miss you, we miss you, we miss you”….but we know you are loving being away from home and rocking it at UniversityClark, what I just wrote above under Harry’s pic, ditto for you. We miss you! We are so proud of all you are accomplishing at U of A. Alyssa is our oldest and ultimate creator in so many ways. Check out her latest blogs and videos on her own site. ARReynolds~writer~photographer~artistNote: all the pictures here were from my camera, but I must ask Alyssa for her copies as she is a true photographer. Here she is working her magic.There we are…the Reynolds gang. Although our son Mitchell is missing…..he is however next to my heart. For the holidays he remained in Victoria, where he was working and saving money for his upcoming trip to Australia. Merry Christmas Everyone!Bringing up the rear in this photo shoot and protesting, “you don’t want to see my face!”, is my husband David…you are, the ultimate Santa! And then there is me Hope/aka Lee…..I’m all about plaid this year and I dragged out this old scarf from the days we lived in “Hope,”…did it belong to one of my older sisters? If any of you are watching or reading the “Outlander series, you know why I’m mad for plaid. Sisters… how much Scottish do we have in our ancestors?
And that, in a nutshell of picture memories, was a bit of our Christmas 2018. When I think about it now, I feel warm. The love in our home, the memory of the laughter, the joy on the faces of our little girls, seeing their dollhouse for the first time, the smell of cinnamon drifting from the kitchen, the magic felt when cello and violins come together to play endearing Christmas music, eggnog latte’s….I want to thank my family for the best gift of all….staying connected!
And now without further ado, the recipe that I want to share to all who read my blog. My recipe for:
Doesn’t this one look heart shaped!
Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients for the sweet dough
2 packages of active dry yeast (each pkg is a little less than 1 tbsp….so if you use bulk yeast like I do…just under 2 tbsps)
1 cup of lukewarm water
2 tsp sugar
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
6 cups of Five roses All purpose flour (or whatever you use)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp grated lemon rind
Opt: 1 cup of raisins or currants…we opt out as some of the kids don’t like them
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Instruction
Sprinkle yeast into lukewarm water, add 2 tsp sugar; let stand for 10 minutes, then stir.
Scald milk; add butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm and add softened yeast; mix together.
Add half the flour, 3 cups, to make a thick batter, add the 2 tsp of cinnamon and if you are using the raisins, you add 1 cup at this time. Add eggs and lemon rind and beat well.
Stir the remaining flour, using only enough to make a soft dough that does not stick to hands or bowl. Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and satiny~about 10 minutes.
Me kneading for 10 minutes…really hard on the handsBut well after Christmas the kids still wanted to have their sticky buns with some hot cocoa when friends came for a play date
Place the ball into a greased bowl; turning it over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size. About 11/2 hours.
Thank you to my niece T and my older sister B for the tea towel you brought me last summer….”we must all RISE to the Occasion”
Punch down and knead lightly. Shape with a rolling pin into long rectangular pieces. (I find I can get two long rectangles with this recipe) Brush tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon.
The little girls like doing the sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon…next year I’m getting them to knead!
Starting at the long side, tightly roll up, pinching the seam to seal. Then with a serrated knife, cut 11/2 inch pieces and lay them on a prepared pan. (I lightly spray with cooking oil) Brush melted butter over the buns and cover and let rise in a warm place for another hour or until they double in size.
The little girls top the buns with butter before they start their second rise
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 10 minutes and then lower to 350 degrees, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. My oven is hot and I find that I need to watch the buns closely. I bring them out when they are golden brown.
I frost them while they are warm using a cream cheese icing and sprinkle them with chopped pecans, walnuts or as we did at Christmas time, crushed peppermint canes.
And our kids enjoyed them so much at Christmas time, that I’ve been making them every couple of weeks since then…once when they had friends over after school and you would think I was a genius as their friends told them, “your mom is an amazing” I’ll take that!
Nothing says Christmas to me more than Cinnamon Buns…the gooier the better. One final note, years ago, I made these with my hands but now I use my kitchen aid mixer for most of the dough mixing, although the 10 minutes of kneading is all me. The next time I make them, I’m handing that task off to my younger kids and get them into the art of making this sweet dough. It’s a new day after all.
The little girls head off to school after Christmas break with their new scarves I made them for Christmas….they turned out not bad for a rookie knitter….watch out…everyone is getting a scarf!
Well dear ones, that is my long, held post and I can’t tell you how glad I am that it’s now written and ready to publish. So much has been going on at the homestead since the holidays. I started into New Year decluttering big time, inspired by Marie Kondo’s Netflix show on that subject. Then once we started to declutter, I realized our walls were really, REALLY beige.
I think this picture shows the clear definition of beige and graceful grey…I love the new grey…in some lights it looks almost greeny and then in other’s bluey….whatever, it reminds me of the lake colours in the winter.
Alyssa’s been telling me that for years. Funny, I didn’t see it, but suddenly, “Naturally Calm,” was driving me crazy. I asked Santa to take off his red hat and replace it with a painters cap. The next time he visited Home Depot, he brought me Behr’s palette of greys. As I type, Santa, aka, David is in the process of painting our interior. “Graceful Grey,” for the most part…don’t you love the name?
Stay tuned!
Also, I want to tell you about my latest discovery, “Buddha Bowls.” Yes, I know, I know, those of you who are hip and urban say, old news, but hey, we’ve been doing them all along and I want to blog about it. Who knew something we’ve been doing for years now would be so cool! They are the one stop meal for all your daily nutrition and when you are a busy mom, you need one stop and few dishes. I will be blogging about it soon, so I hope you come by for another visit. As your New Year unfolds, one joyous day at a time, may it be full of peace and love.
And to close my post, here is Will.I.Am singing, “It’s a new day.” Even though this video was from 10 years ago and our political environment is much different, I believe with a positive attitude and holding the vision for how we want our world to look, we can change much. It starts with you and me, teaching our children well…all of us together. So come on and start singing with me, “it’s a new year…it’s a new day!”
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.
