Look around your home and notice what you have chosen to display. Are these items uplifting or depleting your energy? It matters. Display what you find beautiful and meaningful and place these objects in places where you can pause and appreciate them. It’s a connection to your soul. ​

Love yourself.  BeYou.tiful.  Soften. Slow down. Connect. Pray. Love. Laugh. Move. Reflect. Wonder. Relax. Savor. Nourish. Refresh. Uplift. Romance. Enjoy. Listen.
 I can't be reminded of these things enough!​

If you're like me and need visual reminders of how important this is to your own wellbeing, then I have a gift for you. Download my personal desktop calendar and use it how you wish. 

Each morning, as I drink my coffee, I place the pink heart over the current day. I take a few minutes to reflect on each picture, savoring the emotions and state of being that is evoked. Then I upload the calendar to my computer desktop for a quick reminder that I look at throughout the day.

I hope this adds a spark of joy to your daily rituals!

Look at the white dots hovering over the grass....they're large rain drops. The sun was shining bright as the rain clouds were moving in. The smell of the cool rain landing on the pavement, grass, and trees was so intoxicating. There's an incredibly strong floral smell in my neighborhood this time of year that I can't identify and it was layered in with the warm ground and cool rain, creating this incredible scent. I walked for a couple of blocks, carrying my polka dot umbrella, turned the corner and saw the rainbow. Blissful summer moments.

Peonies have arrived! Have you noticed them in the flower shops recently? I can't resist them! Even though the stems of orchids I bought a couple of weeks ago are still going strong, I couldn't walk by without grabbing a bouquet of those softly fragrant, pink blooms. I have a very unusual (for me) collection of flowers in my kitchen at the moment...Orchids, Peonies, and Poinsettia! :-)  I have one Poinsettia that I've had for about 3 years but it's been green ever since it's first red bloom. This past Christmas, I bought a white Poinsettia and it's still in bloom! I'm amazed! Typically for me, the Poinsettia's are long gone by Valentine's Day but now I've got two beauties that are still with me!

Ahhhhh.....the roses are blooming....such a relief! We have two rose bushes that Larry transplanted to our yard in the late winter and we weren't sure how they would do. I have no experience with roses but my mother-in-law loved them. Before the new homeowners took possession of her home, Larry dug up two of his mom's rose bushes to see if we can learn to tend to them the way she did. One is happily blooming yellow and the other is covered only in thorns with no sign of buds. We're hopeful it will eventually bloom for us too.

Do you have a dream that you haven't yet achieved? I do! I have dreamed in detail and for many years that I will own or work in a flower shop of sorts. The crazy thing is, Camden, my 4-year-old grandson, asked me the other day if I ever worked in a flower shop! WHAT in the world?! I am absolutely certain he has never heard me mention anything of the sort! Hmmmmm....what am I to make of this? 

Lay Lady Lay by Bob Dylan was streaming through the speakers earlier today. I was busy doing my daily tasks and suddenly I found myself lost in the song with tears in my eyes. This is not an unusual response I have to his music ever since I watched The Greatest Night in Pop, the documentary about the recording of We Are The World, featured on Netflix earlier this year. 

Watching the documentary, I witnessed his lack of confidence and it broke my heart open. When it came time for him to perform his part, he was so nervous and intimidated by the other singers that they all had to leave the room before he was courageous enough to sing. When he finished, I believe it was Quincy Jones who told him that he sang his part perfectly and Bob's response was, "if you say so." 

Maybe this is well known about him but I was astonished that his vulnerability and fear completely overwhelmed him. And now, every time I hear his music, I'm reminded of how beautiful it is to see someone shine and share their light in this world in their own unique way. 

Oh Wait! I almost forgot about the Turkeys! There were 3 Turkeys grazing in the grass outside my office window the other morning. It was so funny to me as I've never seen them in person! ​

I have been reading Simple Abundance, A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach for years. The original version that I have, previously belonged to Larry's aunt and I often wonder if Sarah's words touched Aunt Lor as deeply as they touch me. There is a new version of this book and I'm grateful Larry bought it for me so now I keep the old version at home and the new version on the boat so I can always pick it up and read something wonderful.

A dreamy dinner on the patio: pasta with tomatoes, herbs and olive oil, warm Ciabatta bread rolls with salted butter, and red wine; surrounded by warm air temps, fairy lights overhead, pots of blooming flowers and the scent of Lilacs in the air. Not bad for a Tuesday night. This type of indulgence also requires Andrea Bocelli streaming softly in the background, in my opinion. As dreamy as this feels to me, we could be dining in Tuscany for all I know but we're not....just a perfect late spring night in Michigan.

Here's the recipe from Barefoot Contessa. I've made this many times over the years but until now I always avoided putting more than a heavy dash of salt in the pasta water. She suggests using 2 tablespoons, which I did this time and wow, what a difference!!! I'll never skimp on the salt when boiling pasta again. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

I went to English Gardens on Coolidge Highway for the first time. I was so surprised at how large this location is! I wanted to grab a chair and sit in the middle of the parking lot for the afternoon surrounded by all the beautiful flowers, shrubbery, garden statues, and water fountains. I unexpectedly stepped into paradise in the middle of a work day! I was there to buy a birthday gift and since I'm a firm believer in "one for you, one for me," :-) I bought myself a bouquet of flowers....I just couldn't resist....Freesia and Orchids (above photo)???!!! I think they're stunning and not something I ordinarily see.

This counter/cabinet area is the first thing we see when we step up into the kitchen from our landing area that leads outside and to the basement. It's a new area that we created during our 2021 renovation. The other night we were bringing our 4-year-old grandson, Camden, home with us after his swimming lesson and as soon as he walked into the kitchen, he said "Hello Great Grandma!" His words took us by surprise until we realized he saw Bernice, my mother-in-law, in the digital frame at that moment. It was so darn cute and words we never expected to hear from him because Bernice graduated to Heaven in December. To hear his sweet little voice speak to her was incredibly comforting. ​Larry and I find ourselves frequently pausing here too, just like Camden, and staring at the pictures. I change them frequently so there is often something new to see. It makes us happy; a perfect feeling to come home to.

It's 61 degrees out, no breeze (which makes it a warm 61, in my opinion), and a slight drizzle as I write. I'm craving comfort food and have the perfect leftovers in the freezer that I am reheating for dinner. Next I'll be changing into soft, flowy clothes and ending the night curled up on the sofa, in front of the fireplace, and wrapped in a blanket. Heavenly! I'm not cold (at the moment), I'm simply craving soft, cozy, comfort.