Good morning lovely people:

It is “the morning after” here in the Northeast and our landscape is white as far as the eye can see….but at least we can see! Yesterday the conditions were blizzardy and visibility was close to zero. Today, the wind has thankfully died down and temperatures are expected to be up into the 40’s. The skies are a solid grey and more precipitation is expected ….starting with rain and then changing to snow again tonight when the temperatures drop.

But, the birds are back at the feeders and, although we lost our power during the storm, it came back within the hour. We lost part of our fence but our house is untouched and we are safe….and for these things I am grateful.

I am heart sick over my beautiful sugar maple. We have been nursing this tree since we moved here 2 years ago and I have been saying blessings over it. I so want this tree to survive!!! Like all trees it has a beautiful spirit and it sits right outside our sun room windows with its leaves draping like a blanket over our skylights. It gives us lovely shade in the summer and in the fall the leaves are a stunning vibrant orange. Many species of birds visit this tree and find rest in its branches. I heart this tree with all my heart!! We will continue to give it all the loving care that we can. Perhaps I will ask St. Francis for help 🙂

I am supposed to be volunteering at Meals on Wheels this morning but so far there is no answer at the site….I am thinking of all those who depend on us for their daily meal and am remembering them in my prayers. Grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of their outreach to those in need.

I have a little white board in my kitchen and each month I put a quote on it that relates to the time of year or perhaps a special holiday that occurs during that month. Here is the quote that I chose for March….thinking of St. Patrick’s day and my Irish ancestry, it is from C.S. Lewis:
“You are never too old to dream a new dream”

~Blessings to you all as I dream of Spring!

Good morning lovely friends, from the Northeast US where the weather just keeps on doing its thing!

They say that March “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” and so far this has been true for our little corner of the world. I was hoping that we would have a gentler March after such a tough winter but alas….winter has decided to stick around a bit longer.

And so…I have more opportunities to practice gratefulness. And I truly am grateful for that…even though the grumbles are right underneath the surface and threatening to erupt! I’m thankful for my hygge practice this winter. It was a gift to myself when I offered up that intention….and a gift to those around me too! 🙂

I am sitting at my kitchen table next to the fire in our wood-burning stove that my husband (who is working from home today because of the weather) had waiting for me when I came downstairs. Coffee was made too! 🙂 Grateful for these first-thing-in-the-morning gifts!

My trip to the library yesterday hit a snag because it was closed due to power outage from the last storm. I was disappointed because I wanted to stock up on reading material but then I remembered that there is an independent book store right around the corner. Although libraries are my favorite, I do love to support local indie book stores as well. This one is called “Twice Told Tales” because it is full of used books of every kind imaginable….so fun to browse! And it speaks to my “reduce, reuse, recycle” sensiiblities.
I ended up buying a fun paperback that I’m looking forward to diving into. Libraries and indie neighborhood bookstores….magical places! 🙂

Sending warm and cozy hygge blessings to you all this day…with love and gratitude.

Aine! So happy to hear from you my friend! I knew you would understand my sorrow over my beautiful magical tree. Thank you for your positive wishes and prayers…I will indeed pass them along when I give “her” (I’ve decided it’s a “her”) my blessing. Right now she looks so wounded…..my heart hurts every time I look out our sun room windows to see her lovely branches scattered about. I’m hoping that my husband will be able to clean things up a bit this weekend.

Something just occurred to me as I wrote this….perhaps I should give her a name! I don’t know why I haven’t done that yet.? I will give it some thought.

~Thankful blessings to you dear friend.

Oh no THenry! I’m so sorry to hear that you are still without power! Do you have a generator?
I will be sending up a prayer for you and all of those who are still waiting….along with those who are working so hard to help us.
Several years ago, after Hurricane Sandy, we were without power for about 5 days. When the crews arrived I was so happy to see them I ran outside with a plate of cookies to thank them. They had come to NJ all the way from Oklahoma to help us!
God bless them indeed!

~Sending warm thoughts to you my friend!

Dear Manda….I have to echo Nancy that I too am glad to have the workplace drama behind me since I retired. I can’t begin to tell you how many days and nights I was twisted up in knots, obsessed, anxious and crying tears of frustration over the hurtful and frustrating relationships and conflicts that I experienced. I hope that you don’t feel alone in this….I really believe that these situations are so much harder for those of us who are determined to be kind in an environment that is so much less than that.

Manda….I so admire you for the way you are working through these situations. You are much further along on your journey than I was when I was working. A lot of what I have learned has been in hindsight….I wish I could go back and handle things differently.
My retirement, and the solitude that I have out here in rural farmland has been such a gift to me on my journey towards healing and wholeness.

I feel things deeply, as I know you do. My older daughter as well…and she once said something to me that has always stayed with me. She said, as hard and painful as it can sometimes be, the world needs more people like us who care so much and feel things so deeply. I try to remember that when my heart is hurting over things that many people don’t give a second thought to.

I’m so grateful to be here in this community that is filled with kindred spirits with ginormous hearts full of love and compassion and a deep desire to be a vessel of peace in this hurting world.

Thank you for sharing your heart with us dear friend. Sending you love and big virtual hug!

Hello Ose!
I hope you have a most wonderful time celebrating…and I agree that being with trusted friends is indeed a precious gift.

Ose…I have a terrible time with winter! My fibromyalgia is exacerbated by the cold….and all winter long I just feel like a giant grumpy popsicle! I also struggle with anxiety and it too visits me more often during the winter months. This has been a challenge for many years…I have always felt my best, physically and emotionally during the summer months. But, thankfully I have recently discovered hygge. I heard a report that the people of Denmark were considered the happiest people on earth and I wondered how could this be when they have such long, cold, dark winters?? And so I did some investigating and learned that the Danish people are famous for their practice of hygge and I decided that I would adopt this practice…and this mindset for the winter this year.

Basically, hygge is an embracing of coziness and is an appreciation of simple pleasures like a warm blanket, a cup of herbal tea or hot cocoa, sitting by the fireplace with thick woolen socks…anything that helps you to embrace “coziness”. In the Danish tradition it also involves hospitality and gathering with friends and neighbors.

Here is a link to an article entitled “The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy” by the New Yorker magazine.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-year-of-hygge-the-danish-obsession-with-getting-cozy

I made a vow to myself and to the Universe, and shared it here with everyone….I would embrace this winter by practicing hygge. And I found that once I offered up that intention…it really did help me! Some days more than others, but it has made a difference for me. The pain and anxiety are still there but my mindset has changed and I am catching myself when I am starting to complain about the cold. Instead of complaining I make myself a cup of tea, put on my thickest socks, light a candle, snuggle under a warm blanket and take the time to give thanks for all of the seasons and their gifts.
Just in time too because this winter has been a whopper! 🙂

In the end I guess that hygge is simply another beautiful gratefulness practice….I know I’m grateful for discovering it!

Thank you for asking me about it Ose….I find that when I share hygge, it reminds me to keep on practicing!

~Sending you a warm and cozy hug my friend

Greetings THenry, my fellow Northeaster! As I told my daughters…we got blizzarded!

It was a white out here and we lost part of our beautiful sugar maple tree…it took out a portion of our fence when it crashed. Later this evening our power went out! Kind of saw that one coming! Thankfully, it was restored in about an hour……we are grateful as I know there are those who are still waiting.
I hope you are fairing well in your neck of the woods my friend and so glad you don’t have to travel. Keep those flashlights and candles handy and be safe. Winter is not done with us yet!

~Blessings

My dear Ursula…..I am so happy to hear of your Reiki session and that it was a help to you. Y
You are so inspiring to me my friend because of your openness to try new things, your determination and courage in the midst of your challenges. And I am so happy and delighted to read of your intentions to continue to practice self-care and compassion….and especially playfulness! With all of the “duties” and responsibilities that we have as wives and mothers, I think that taking the time for these practices is not only gifts to ourselves, but to our loved ones as well. And the Universe!

I love that you and Sunny are doing your healing affirmations together! I believe that animals have been given very special healing powers! 🙂

I am sending you blessings and a hug across the big ocean. It may separate us physically but we are still connected in a very miraculous way. Much love to you my dear friend.
ps. If I could figure out how to send you pictures of sunshine and hearts and flowers I would do it! Maybe you can just imagine that I did! 🙂

Dear Nancy…..how wonderful of you to donate your outfit to charity. I’m sure it makes you smile to think of another mother wearing it perhaps to her own child’s wedding. What a lovely thought.

Thank you for your wishes…..the latest nor’easter arrived during the night and as I sit here at my kitchen table I can see the snow falling outside our sun room windows. I can also see our St. Francis statue next to our bird feeders and it makes me smile. I’d like to believe that he is watching over the birds on this cold and wet morning. 🙂

Simple pleasures are the best, aren’t they. And they are all around us if only we have eyes, and the heart, to see them. This website and community help me to do that each day….even when I’m grumpy because of the weather!

~Blessings to you as well my friend

Cara Anna…..how I love the Latin quote “cum grano salis”! Thank you for sharing it….I think there is much wisdom there. Perhaps you are right that I may have sprinkled a little salt of awareness in those women. That thought is so encouraging to me.

How fun that we are both going to weddings and shopping for dresses! My daughters and I generally don’t enjoy shopping but I am grateful that my older daughter and I will be picking out the dress for her wedding together. We will make a day of it…perhaps go out to lunch afterwards or maybe, if weather permits, take a hike along one of the beautiful Colorado trails.

So we both have something special to look forward to in April 🙂

~Have a beautiful day mi amica.