Author: bkbailey2016

Hidey ho friends. Happy Sunday. Hope today has been just amazing. The weather is to be absolutely beautiful here this week through the weekend with temps reaching the mid 60s which is my favorite. I am looking forward to opening my windows and letting this house air out. My son had covid two weeks ago complete with a trip to the ER and I’m ready for these germs to be out of this house. Air it out! He is much better and my husband and I did not get it thank the good Lord. It’s always a little scary with him because he has asthma so we got some steroids and antibiotics and he was on the mend. Hopefully spring is finally here and all this sickness that has been going around our area will be gone.

How long has it been since you’ve gotten a letter or card in the mail? I hope not too long but, I’m sure its been a bit. In the age of email, text messages, messenger and everything electronic folks just don’t “write” much anymore. I can remember as a child getting a card or a letter in the mail and just being so excited. About the only time I get them now is at Christmas from those that send out cards. I send about 80 out at Christmas time. If I have your address, you’re getting a card from me. Confession: I am obsessed with cards. Typically, the ones that are blank inside. I buy them from bookstores or when I’m out and find them with neat or different art on the front. I’ve accumulated so many.

Don’t you think it’s important to see someone’s handwriting? For a person to take the time to write words inside of a card to me, is very special. That person felt fondly enough of me to write a note to me and put a stamp on it and send it in the mail. In a time where we pretty much get just bills and advertisement in the mailbox, on occasion, it’s nice to get a card from someone you care for. My momma has the most beautiful cursive handwriting. I have kept several cards from her because I don’t want to ever forget how her writing looks. After our daddy passed away, we dove in to old dining room cabinet drawers trying to find notes he had written down just to have him a little closer still. Searching for his words on paper to try to remember his voice. Folks don’t think those words written down are important until they are all you have left to hang on to. Of course, we have many photographs and those are great too but there’s just something about words in his handwriting that matter. When I journal I try to write it on paper rather than type it out. One day, when I’m long gone, my son will find those journals and hopefully they will mean something.

Over the last couple of years I’ve tried to make it a point to send cards more frequently. I send them to my family for certain but, I’ve also been sending them to others that appreciate getting something in the mail. One friends little girl gets a card on the holidays from me and another friend has a sister who gets them as well. Someone will always appreciate a pretty card with some encouraging words inside. You don’t have to be a poet either. You can simply write “I was thinking of you today and I wanted you to know that I hope you have a wonderful week”. When someone is having a hard go just a note to say you are sending good vibes and prayers can mean the difference between a really hard day and one that goes smoother. It costs hardly anything. Maybe about 2 dollars if you buy a pack of cards.

I’m not sure why we have gotten so far out of had written letters and cards. Sure, its much easier to send a text or an email, but when you send words that way there’s nothing else there. They are just words. Words against a blank screen and to me it just seems so impersonal. Handwritten words on paper tells me that you took the time to sit down and communicate. You put thought in to choosing the paper or card. You grabbed your favorite pen so that the writing was enjoyable and looked pretty. You thought about what you were going to say before you wrote it down because you couldn’t backspace and start over. What ever communication is to me it should be personal.

Here’s a little challenge for you. This week grab a box of cards that are blank inside. You can get them at a fancy bookstore or card shop or you can grab some inexpensive ones at the dollar store. Purchase a book of stamps. Yes, it’ll cost you twenty dollars but you spend more than that on your lunch sometimes. Decide who you want to communicate with and write them a note. It can be as simple as “hello I just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you” or you can really communicate the words that you want to say to them. Beautifully write the note and get it in the mail. I 99.9% guarantee you hear from your person before the weekend. This is a great way to grow a relationship with someone who you haven’t gotten to spend time with for a while. Maybe, you even need to write a note to someone where there have been some bridges burnt. I challenge you to slow down a little and just enjoy the experience of sending someone a hand written note in the regular mail opposed to electronically.

I hope that each and every one of you have a very blessed week ahead. Remember that you can handle just whatever this week throws your way.

Always…….Brooke

Happy St Patrick’s Day and Happy Monday evening everyone. I hope today went smooth as silk for each of you. It wasn’t horrible for me other that just being tired. That’s becoming my new normal. If you read yesterday’s blog you know my sweet husband let me go to bed at 7 pm and he handled the evening chores so that I could try to get some much needed rest. I’m forever thankful for him but I was wide awake from about 11:30 until time to be out of bed at 5 am. Oh well. I tried. Eventually my system will shut off and I’ll have a good 8 hours of sleep. It’s the getting to that point that really sucks. If you are someone that struggles with not being able to sleep, I feel for you. And I pray that you get several restful hours tonight and for the nights to come. It’s hard to work and concentrate when you feel like a zombie all the time. It’ll run you crazy. Which brings me to today’s little tale.

If you’ve followed my blog posts for very long, I’m sure you know that my daddy passed away 11 years ago. I’ve missed him every single day since that day. I, like so many others, have to say that I didn’t realize how much I needed him or how important he was to me until he was no longer here. Don’t get me wrong, we were and are a very close family. My siblings, mother and I see each other several times a week. And the days that we aren’t able to see each other we have a group text that we check on each other all times during the day. I work with my younger sister so we are in contact more. As far as momma, she expects my phone call around 10:30 every morning and again in the evening. Today, in fact, I was a bit late calling her due to getting caught up in a case at work and when she answered she said “I was thinking it was getting about time for you to call me”. She would have been fussin if I had forgotten lol. When daddy was alive it was similar. He wasn’t the affectionate, talk to you on the phone an hour type of man. He was more of a “you know where I am if you need me” kind of person. And he never failed that. He was always there if you needed him. Truth is, I need him so much more now than I ever did before. I find myself wondering what he would say to me about certain things in my day to day. Or how he would react to my son as he’s now an adult. If he would approve of the home that we live in now. I know in my heart that he would have a chair down by our creek and would just be sitting there eating his peanut butter crackers, smoking a cigerette, and drinking his RC cola. I think about that every time I take our little dog out there to do his business during the day. Today was no different. I thought about him on and off during my day. Folks say losing someone gets easier over time. I’m not so sure about that. I just think it gets different and more “normal” for them to be gone.

It has been a little chilly here today. The temperature only got to 55 degrees and we’re getting some tail end winds from some nasty weather that they had Saturday and Yesterday in Arkansas and Mississippi. Bless their souls. They had tornados and severe storms. One area of Mississippi even had an earthquake during one of the tornados. If you are reading this and you are from that area, I sure prayed for you all. That’s scary business. Mid day today I took Dale out for his potty and the wind was just whipping. He was taking his usual slow time and I was just following him around on his lead while he ate leaves and carried around stick rather than finding his spot. Like I said, I’ve been pretty much a zombie the last few days so I looked like an electrocuted chicken wandering around aimlessly behind my dog. That’s when it happened. Now, y’all. I thought I was going crazy. I very distinctly heard my daddy’s voice say “it’s alright, we’ll get it all done”. My legs went like jello and I thought for a second I might pass out. I haven’t heard my dads voice in 11 very long years. My first reaction, after I looked around in complete shock, was that I was crazy out of my gourd. I seriously thought I was delirious from no sleep or that menopause was finally making me flip my lid. I finally looked over at our pup and he had stopped dead in his tracks and was looking all around. He heard it too. I couldn’t do anything except pray that he would say something else. I just stood there with tears rolling down my face. Then I heard it again behind me. I couldn’t make out what he was say this time. Finally, I realized I wasn’t crazy. There was a man on the other side of the creek. We have neighbors that live there behind us and they have had folks working on the vacant lot beside of them for what seems a year or more. It was someone there working that sounded exactly like my daddy.

Immediately after realizing I wasn’t hearing voices of dead people, I began to feel a lot less shaky. I looked through the woods and saw a few folks standing there talking. I couldn’t hear them anymore so I assume that their voice had carried over to me on the wind. He looked nothing like my daddy but, I’m telling you he sounded exactly like him. I just stood there hoping he would talk some more so that I could hear. I almost had the notion to call out across the creek and ask him a question so that I could make him talk to me directly lol. Then he would have thought I was crazy. Here this electrocuted chicken lady is with her house pants on and rain boots with a big long coat following her dog around aimlessly in her yard and she’s yelling across the creek to some man she doesn’t know and saying “will you come over here and sit a while and talk to me” blahahahha. Lordy Lou. I almost did it. I wont lie.

My biggest fear after losing dad was that I would forget. The way he walked. Or that I’d forget the way that he looked (even though that one would be hard as my son looks more and more like him the older that he gets). The way he smelled of cigarettes and soap on a rope. That doesn’t sound too good but it makes me think of him. More than anything I was afraid I would forget his voice. Sometimes I think when I am on the verge of forgetting those things he sends me a sign. I’ll have a vivid dream about him or I’ll hear a song. I’ll see a red bird or a deer in my back yard. Or on a small occasion I’ll be out somewhere and smell cigarettes and soap on a rope lol. I think its just him saying “I’m still right here”. I’ve never deleted any pictures of my dad from my phone. And even though he hated talking on the phone, I still have his phone number programmed in there. I just couldn’t get rid of it. 11 years later and I still can’t. Frankly, that’s completely okay.

So, here’s what I’ll say about today. After I finally realized I wasn’t crazy, I received a real blessing today. For the first time in 11 years, I heard my daddy’s voice. Now, I know, it wasn’t really him. But it sounded just like him. For the first time in 11 years, I felt like he was right in my back yard with me. And that little happening made my day. A big thank you to the worker across the creek in my neighbors yard for filling my heart with a lot of joy. I have no idea who you are sir but, you made me a very happy daughter today. And I think God for the reminder that I will never forget.

If you have your daddy, squeeze him a little tighter tonight. Listen to him talk or even record it. One day you’ll be looking for the little reminders the way that I do every day.

Have the very best night. Happy Dreams!

Alway…….Brooke

Happy Sunday evening. I hope all is well for each and every one of you. I wont lie, on this end, the last week and a half have been a little rough. My husband lost his older sister after a short battle with congestive heart failure. I believe that my husband was in shock for a few days. I really do. He is feeling much better after time to grieve. He’s worked pretty hard the last couple of weeks and I think it was his way of just trying not to allow memories in to his mind. He has had lots of time with friends the last two weekends which has really helped. His favorite beverages didn’t hurt the matter as well. We all expect to lose our grandparents and even our parents but, I believe the loss of a sibling just hits hard. I cant imagine really. I have one brother and two sisters (my husband has the same) and I can not think of this life without them in it. We all grieve differently and I’ve just tried to make sure that he had everything here at home that he needed from quiet evenings, to time to himself, to good meals. Also, just trying to be a listening ear when he needed to talk or vent. Unfortunately, the situation with her son was not good so much sweet husband needed to fume a little. Death often brings out the best and the very worst in people. That’s a sad take on it but, true. These last two weeks have held a lot of restless/sleepless nights. For him just missing his sister and being in disbelief. And for me just hurting for him and worrying about him. I’m queen worry wart. It’s what I do best. And it’s exhausting.

That brings me to today’s blog. As I said, worrying about the ones you love is exhausting. Mix that in with taking care of your home, a dog, your child, your husband, trying to stay healthy and going to the gym, late weekend nights, and working quiet a bit of overtime, well it kinda leaves you feeling somewhat like a zombie. I always say it’s okay to rest and just how important it is but, I dont always practice what I preach. Tomorrow begins a new week of unlimited overtime at my job, cake orders, and a lot of other work. The thought of it this afternoon almost had me feeling anxious and overwhelmed. So much so that my husband could see it in my face. I finally just looked and him and asked if he’d be too upset if I showered and went to bed to try to wind down. Yes at 7pm before the moon even began to show its light. Without hesitation, he said for me to go rest. He agreed to feed our dog his dinner and take him out and that he’d close all the windows and lock up for the night when he was ready to join me.

Folks, that doesn’t sound like a lot. Not to most people. But, to me it was heaven sent and exactly what I needed. To know that I could go lay down and enjoy some time writing with no other responsibilities except for closing my eyes to sleep. It meant the world to me. He has needed me to be there for him a little extra these last two weeks but, he also saw tonight that I wouldn’t be able to complete the week ahead if I had an empty cup to pour from. He offered to handle the evening responsibilities because he cares.

If you are the do’er. The one that takes care of everything for everyone else. Please know that its okay to ask for help. To delegate some of your tasks so that you can rest. Again, you cant pour from an empty cup. My husband and I are a team. I make sacrifices when he needs me and he does the same when I need him. You must or marriage is difficult. Lean on your partner. Lean on a family member or friend even. Just dont allow yourself to get to the point of complete exhaustion before you ask for help and rest.

Tomorrow is Monday which means a fresh start and a brand new week. Please remember that you (we) can handle any ole thing that this week throws at us. You’ve survived all of your worst days. You will make it over the hills ahead. Have a very best Sunday

Always…….Brooke

P.S. I’m still on my journey to a healthier me. Of course I’ve had some hiccups. We all do. But, this morning I weighed 180 pounds and I’ve been going to the gym 3 – 4 times a week. Slow and steady but I will get there.

Hello and Happy Monday. This is your friendly reminder that you can handle any ole thing that this week gives to you. It’s a reminder for myself as well. I think most of us that work a Monday – Friday job dread this day. The weekend goes by so quickly then here we are again. If it’s gonna go wrong, it’ll go wrong on a Monday. Typically for me its some kind of computer problem lol. Let’s make a pact. Let’s focus on the good that Monday brings. It’s a new week. A fresh start. It can be exactly what you make it and if done correctly can set us up for a really great week. So let’s just think of it like that. There’s no need for dread.

It my previous posts I’ve told you all about our new little dog. I say new but he’ll be a year old on April 10th. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s went by that fast. He sure have changed our lives and for the better. Duckie Dale sure is my little buddy. He’s always right by my side and has made my days alone so much better. He is my first “in the house” dog. I’ve had outside dogs before. One several years ago and also several growing up but, never one in the house all day every day. There sure is no personal space with this one. He follows me around everywhere that I go all day. When I take my break, he goes out and we walk around while he does his business. And that’s where our little tale starts today. Oh and by the way if your are trying to decide on a dog breed to have as your next companion, I do highly recommend a mini schnauzer. He is super smart and potty trained within a week after we brought him home. He sleeps all night (in the bed between my husband and I). He’s super snuggly. They only negative is he has separation anxiety and you will never ever again poop alone lol.

Why do dogs take fooooreeever to go potty? We walk around for 10 minutes before he decides “yep this is where I go” lol. I guess all dogs are that way but since I’ve never had experience with it I just wonder why? This morning we were out at 5am and he walked around with his nose to the ground for 11 minutes before he decided to pee. And don’t get me started on the number 2. He goes around and around in circles until I know he’s bound to be dizzy. I get so tickled and frustrated all at the same time.

Do you experience this same issue as a dog owner? Are there any tips or tricks to make it quicker for those of us that are newbies? I get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch every day and it seems we spend most of that time outside waiting for him to “Find his spot”. I’m always like “come on buddy, hurry up and we’ll get a treat”. It doesn’t help.

There are so many wonderful things about owning a pet. I promised when I adopted him to give him his very best life and I think I am succeeding. He’s very well loved by my entire family and he knows he’s the king of the castle. If you are thinking of giving an animal a piece of your heart, do it! It’s work but its very worth it. I wish I would have done it sooner.

Have the very best Monday night and week ahead. I hope it’s full of blessings and everything that you need it to be.

Always…….Brooke

P.S. For those following my healthier me journey. I have stayed steady at 184 pounds. A plateau and that’s okay. I ate a horrible meal on Friday. And that too is okay. There’s no shame in a bad meal. I just try not to do that more than once a week. I had a big burger and tater tots. It was delicious and I enjoyed every bite but, I paid for it the next day with an upset belly. I have made the decision to join a gym that is about 6 minutes from my house with a goal of going 4 days a week before my husband and son even get off and get home from work. My work schedule allows me that and I’m thankful. I begin today so who knows if I’ll be able to even move around tomorrow lol. I’ll let ya know. I did walk 2 miles at the park yesterday. It was very hard as a former runner. I wanted so badly to jog but, knew my joints wouldn’t have liked it very much. That’s the beauty of arthritis. Those joints don’t particularly care for pounding the pavement. So, I walked with purpose and made sure my heart rate stayed around 125. I meal prepped for this week for lunch and dinner with fresh veggies and healthy meat. I seem to do better if I prep rather than trying to cook when I’m hungry or just grab something. If you are trying to be a healthier you, I wish you the best of luck. It helps me to write it out and talk about it. Maybe that will you too. We can do this. One tiny step at a time. We will get there. I just know it.

Wrote this one earlier last week bit forgot to post. You know, life gets busy. Enjoy

Good day friends! Happiest of Thursdays to you. I hope your day is going well and will continue to be all day long. For those of us that work Monday – Friday, our work week is almost over and we’ve almost made it. I say that like working is the worst thing in the world when actually it’s a blessing. I took a moment this morning to thank my God for allowing me to wake up healthy and warm and for allowing me to be able to work a job. I try to always give my thanks every morning. It seems to make my day go much better. I do my devotion and then get on with my day. I hope there’s something that you can do each morning to make your day start on a good note and give you a reminder of just how blessed you really are. Today I have had my grandmother on my mind all day long. She passed away 16 years ago but for today she was still right here in my heart. I just had the strongest urge to pick up the phone and call her. She was always there to answer and let me tell ya, she loved to talk. More than anything in this world the precious woman loved to talk. So because I couldn’t get her off of my mind, that’s where this little tale begins.

My grandmother was born in 1922. That seems so so long ago. She lived until her 90th birthday which to me is a life well lived. Now we’re from southern Appalachia area so of course we called her Mamaw. Not grandmother or gigi, or grandma but plain ole Mamaw. Her name was Martha which I think is just beautiful and to me a little different for most woman born in 1922. Most ladies her age were name Grace or Ethal or Beulah or Lucille. So to me she got a win with Martha. I was named after her. Her middle name was Elizabeth and that is my first name. She was a little short funny woman who everyone who met her just loved. She was a hell of a cook, and she loved the holidays. Especially Christmas. Sometimes I think that’s who I get my Christmas obsession from. She decorated to the rafters. And she loved anything pink. He carpet was ping. Some of the walls in their house were pink. The windows were covered with only the best heavy drapes, and they were or course pink. My siblings and I spent so much time with her and our papaw. They were our second parents and their house our home away from home.

My younger sister and I use to head to my grandparents’ house and stay almost every other weekend from Friday until Sunday. We looked forward to it and honestly, I think it was the highlight of their week too. Mom would “do her hair” on Fridays and they would let us grab our bags and head home with them. We were so lucky to have them. My younger sister and I never really knew my dads parents. My older sister and brother did and I’m sure they have lots of memories with them as well. They lived next door to us so they saw them a lot. They past away when I was an infant so I don’t remember anything at all about them. My sister was born 5 years later. So, we were raised with just one set of grandparents. We would have never known the difference honestly. Mom’s parents were 100% present in out lives. On a weekly basis and even more during the holidays and the summers when school was out. My Mamaw was the best. She fed us well and she loved to take us shopping.

There was bever a bedtime at my grandparents house. Isn’t that just loke grandparents. You eat what you want, watch what you want to on tv, play in the mud, and stay up as late as you want. One day when I have grandchildren, I plan to be exactly the same way. Sugar and hype those babies up and send them home lol. The bedtime was never an issue. Our Mamaw stayed up until 2 am or later. She was surely a night owl. Papaw on the other hand, was in bed as soon as the sun went down. And he was wide awake at 4 am with his coffee made and his first cigarette of the day smoked. Sometimes they would literally meet in the hall with his “good mornin” and her “good night”. I’m not kidding. It happened more than once. She wouldn’t sit up and watch tv. She read magazines and recipes. And she read them to us. We didn’t mind because on occasion she would fall asleep reading and we’d get so tickled.

The best memories that I will hold near and dear were the saying she had and the way she talked. “You tell that ole devil to get off your shoulder” she would say to me any time I was upset or heart broken. She thought things shouldn’t be depressing or bad. We’d tell her stories about all the things , good and bad that we would do and she’s say “I hope to my never”. I have no idea what that meant but, that saying was probably my favorite. Hence why I named todays blog what I did. They would sit on their porch with their neighbors on the warm evenings and talk until dark. Of course then Papaw would shew them off because well, it was dark and that meant bed time. They did that almost every night with the folks on their street. It’s sad really how most people don’t even know their neighbors any more. Life’s just too busy now.

Today when I wanted to pick up the phone and call her I just wanted to here her say “Myyyyeeelo” once and hear that care in her voice. (and yes she said hello just like that). Her voice was like a big hug. She was thrilled to get a phone call and to talk. I would talk to her about her day then she would want to know what all happened in mine. Even as a grown adult married and with a son, she wanted to know all of the things that happened. She didn’t get out a lot in her later years and I think those phone conversations were a way for her to live life through whomever she was talking to. She’d listen attentively and say “I’ll declare” about every 15 minutes. I don’t know what that means either but, she said it all the time lol. She’d get tickled and laugh so hard but no noise would come out. Just a little wheeze. It was the funniest thing ever. I smile just thinking of it. Today I sure do miss her. I was lucky. We had her a very long time. Papaw died 7 years prior but he was old too so we count ourselves very lucky. I just hope and pray we have we have momma for that many years.

My son was 9 years old when she passed. He got to enjoy her as well. He called her mimi. And he was the love of her life. I’m so thankful that he had the opportunity to have that time with her and that he gets to enjoy some of the same memories that I did.

Were you lucky enough to be able to spend time with your Mamaw? I sure hope that you did and that your memories are as wonderful as mine are. Take time today to think back about your time with her. Did she have some good old sayings that she used? Even if they didn’t make a bit of sense, do you still use them today? I do lol. If you still have your grandmother call her up and just talk. Let the sound of her voice just sink in so that you may never forget. Go see her if at all possible and take your kids if you have any. They might not love it but boy she will.

I hope today’s little tale has jogged some wonderful memories for you. Thank you for letting me share mine.

Always……Brooke

PS: For those following my heath journey. Yesterday was good. I didn’t eat a bite that I shouldn’t have. Its tough to cook dinner for your family and only eat portions of it but it can be done. It takes a lot of willpower, but it can be done. Just take it one day at a time. I got plenty of exercise in today outside walking my dog. He loves to jump around in the snow so I spent every break, my lunch and some in the evening out there with him. I weighed in this morning at 184.4

Hello and happy Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the week. We’re over the hump. We have just a few more days to the beloved weekend. I hope this week has been all that you’ve needed it to be. We are right in the middle of some frigid weather and there looks to be 2-4 inches of snow coming our way today and tomorrow. I’m hoping this will be our last one and then spring will come. I’m ready for the beautiful flowers to start peeking through the gray days. I don’t like to wish my life away so I will enjoy the blanket of white for the next few days. This gal will be parked at home for the next few days. I’m not going to fib to you friends, I’m not the greatest drive even in good conditions. I defiantly am not in the snow. Best for me to stay off of the road for the safety of myself and all the lovely folks that like to drive in it..

My work week has been super busy. I’m totally okay with that. It makes my day go buy faster so that I can get to the things that I love. It’s pretty quiet here during the day as its just myself and my little Dale. We do listen to music or podcasts during the day. I love listening to my records on daddy’s old turntable. The sound of crackling noise along with my favorite singers makes my soul happy. I was pretty hesitant about podcasts at first. My husband listens to a podcast all day while he’s delivering packages. He sort of turned me on to them. Now, I don’t listen to what he does. He likes true crime and absorbs his day with them. I did however, find one that I love. It’s called “The Good Dirt”. It is a mother/daughter podcast about slow living and sustainable living. Right up my alley. If farming and organics and learning to live slow interest you, give it a listen. It’s on Spotify. Today they had a guest ask them “Why do you do what you do”? That got me thinking about that question. Asking myself why do I do what I do? And that’s where today’s tale begins

Why do I do what I do? A couple of years ago I started this little blog adventure with the intention to bring good positive words to people. I have completely fallen in love with it. I’ve always been the person that constantly wrote in a journal. I have kept them over the years. One day I will hand them down to my son and he’ll have them to read. I tried to put information in them about the happenings in his life so that one day he could reminisce with his children and grandchildren. Do you know that writing, journaling, and getting words down on paper helps to calm your mind? It’s an excellent way to combat anxiety and helps to quieten those thoughts that, if you are like me, keep you awake at night. It gets it all out there so that the hamster in the wheel up there in your brain can rest a little. So, yea, I guess you could say that I do this for me. In the meantime, if I can jog a good memory, inspire others, or help someone to feel happy then I’ve done my job.

I think I keep journals for everything. I write down my thought in one. I keep up with work happenings in one. I have a food and exercise journal (I need to use that one a little better). And of course, who could live without a day planner, that’s the best journal out there. I’d forget my name if I didn’t have it down in a day planner. It’s my bible so to speak. I take it everywhere I go. It’s in my back seat when I’m in my car and that’s no joke. I mean I’m so popular what if someone needs to schedule an appointment with me lol. Truly I’m not but folks do ask if I’m available to bake a cake or sew something from time to time. My little sister keeps a day planner as well but, her thing is sticky notes She puts them on her front door to remind herself of things she needs to do for the day lol. I get so tickled at her. We all have our ways of keeping up with things but. mostly I feel if we write it down it gets it out of our head. The worry of remembering is gone because we know it’ll be there for us to see.

If you have never journaled before, go to the bookstore and purchase a fun journal. I love to look for them. They come in so many different styles. Purchase a pretty pen that writes smooth as silk and sit down in the evenings and get your thoughts out. It’s inexpensive therapy for me. You’ll sleep so much better if all that chatter in your head is on paper. If you make plans to fix all the things even if it isn’t an immediate solution. At least you have it down. Make a date with yourself to invest in your mental health. Grab a glass of wine, some hot tea, cocoa, or ice water and sit in your favorite spot. Breathe and get the thoughts out.

I hope that you see in the importance in “why you do what you do”. No matter what you do for yourself you are absolutely worth it. All of the chores can wait until you have your time. If you don’t fill your own cup, you won’t be able to pour into others. So take care of you.

P.S for those following my healthier me journey. Today has been full of hot flashes. More than normal. I’m going to contribute it to a stressful work week and leave it there. I was able to eat meat, veggies, and fresh berries again yesterday. No exercise as well, I just didn’t feel like it and that’s perfectly fine. Water was my biggest struggle today but I got it down with a lot of fresh squeezed lemon. I weighed in this morning at 184.4. I’ll sure take it. That’s 3 pounds down this week.

Always…….Brooke

Oh Happy Tuesday! It’s a new week! A fresh start! I know I always say that on Monday’s but I feel like we all need to hear it even on a Tuesday. Today is a holiday for me at my job. But I chose to work 4 hours this morning and save those 4 hours for another day. Thank God I work for a company that allows us to do that if we want to. My sweetie is off today to but he sleeps in. I get up at the crack of dawn to fix breakfast for my son and pack his lunch. Yes, I know he’s a grown man. But, he’s all I have and as long as he lives at home, I’m happy to do it. Hang on to those babies as long as you can because you wake up one morning and they are 23. It goes so fast. You’ll look back and wish you had spent so much more time for them. I was fortunate to stay at home with my son until he was 2. I went back to work and left him in the loving, caring home of my parents. I often say that they raised him. My precious momma was a “hairdresser” as they called it and had a beauty shop in their home. We grew up in that shop and those little women because our honorary grandma’s. Daddy retired very young and he was there to help with the childcare. However, momma closed her shop about a week after I went back to work. She said it was time and all she wanted to do was care for my son. I was one of very few lucky women who didn’t have to leave their child at daycare. For the record, daycare isn’t bad, It’s wonderful. In fact my son went part time before he turned 3 because he needed the interaction with other children. He was literally born old as we often say. And to this day he still is just like my daddy. I don’t ever think its bad for mothers to work outside of the home. Honestly, who could afford to be able to stay home with their babies full time in this economy that we have. If you are someone who is a stay at home mom/dad, congratulations. Thats wonderful. We needed the extra income.

Which brings me to our little tale. Have you ever bought a lottery ticket? Law, I have. With homes and dreams of all the good things. Our lottery here in our state goes to help with college scholarships and I think that’s great. I know that the likelihood of ever winning millions is slim and I don’t spend much. Maybe $10 a month. So I figure if its in my cards to win maybe one day I will lol. As my little papaw used to say “you cant win if you don’t play”. Thats good enough for me. My husband and I like to think about what we’d do if we ever won big. Sure we are super blessed with what we have. We aren’t materialistic folks. We don’t drive new cars. They are paid for. Our home was built in the 70s and it’s not a mansion but it’s perfectly fine for our day to days. It will be paid for in a few years as well. I’m not a big shopper so I buy my clothes on the sale rack or on line for cheap. I like yard sales and thrift shops. I’m a retro gal so the best shopping experience for me is in an antique store or going to an estate sale. Give me an antique store any old day over a coach store or a bid department store. I’m also perfectly happy to look around in those shops and leave with nothing. It the experience for me not the “stuff”. Pretty much everything for me is that way. I want to experience it, not bring it home. If you like all of those expensive brands then yay. Thats what makes you happy and every person is entitled to that. You can’t take money with you when you leave this great world so do with it as you wish.

I think if I won the lottery it would be hard for folks to tell. I wouldn’t sale my house and buy a big mansion. I would buy fancy cars or a big boat. I would still dress the same as I do today. No fancy name brand clothing, purses, shoes, jewelry. Honestly I love my house. The lot that it sits on is large as we live in the country rather than in town. I have plenty of room for all that I need. Besides, the bigger the house, the more cleaning there is to do. The changes that I would make would be inside like a big soaking bathtub (I dream of one) and a new bigger kitchen. I would also take the wall down from the dining room to the living room to have more of an open floor plan. But, that’s it. No big spending there. As far as vehicles I really like my little car. It’s good on gas and it gets me where I need to go. I don’t go a lot as I work from home and pretty much just make a trip to the grocery store or to see my little momma. If I splurged for anything as far as a vehicle, I would buy a 68-75 model El Camino. Yes, that’s my dream car so don’t laugh. I LOVE IT! I’d get the biggest, fuzziest steering wheel I could find and pink fur dice and I’d drive that hog all over town. it would stay shiny and pretty and we would probably attend me car shows. I’m sure that’s something you would have never pictured about me but, that’s the truth of the matter.

We love Hilton Head Island. It’s our home away from home. We visit twice per year and we have made so many wonderful friends there. I’m sure if money were no object we would purchase a condo there. Nothing to extravagant just a place where we could go stay several months of the year and in our off time we’d let friends and family stay with no worry of having to pay.

Besides a few little delicacies, there would be signs that most folks wouldn’t think about. We live on this lovely little street that is just one little loop. There is a wonderful older man that loves at the end of our hill. Every spring and summer I watch him till the adjacent lot to his home and plant the most beautiful vegetable garden. He works tirelessly early in the mornings and late in the evenings so that he can stay out of the heat. He mounds the soil up and covers it all in hay in the spring. Those beautiful plants peek through and grow tall and full of veggies. I’ve never seen tomatoes so plump and solid. Now, I grow tomatoes but mine tend to get about as big as a small orange then I have to pull them before they rot. Obviously, I’m not doing it correctly. I’ve tried and tried. Although the tomatoes that I get from my plants are good, they aren’t anything to write home about. I do pretty well with radishes ( I absolutely love radishes), but the rest, well, not so much. If I won the lottery I would hire my precious little neighbor to come down here and help me every day to become the gardener that he is. Truth be told, he would probably do it now and for free, I just haven’t gotten the nerve to ask him. He is truly my garden crush lol. Forget movie stars. Give me this ole fella that can garden like he is feeding 500 people. Last year I found myself in tears just watching him tend to his garden. It just reminded me of my daddy. He was also an amazing gardener. We had a huge on at our house as well as the farm he had in another town. Off topic but, if you can learn this trades from you parents, someone older, or anyone for that matter, do it while you can. I only wish my daddy were here for me to pick his brain.

Chickens, my yard would have a huge chicken coup. I love fresh eggs. I’m lucky that I have family and friends that have sweet chickens and the eggs are usually plentiful. Theres nothing like a scrambled egg made with fresh, cage free eggs that haven’t been sitting on a grocery shelf.

Isn’t it fun to dream? We are completely allowed to do that. Aren’t we lucky that we live free where we are allowed to dream, to set goals, and to have the ability to work towards them. Every day I thank God for that. What would you do if you won the lottery? How would you change? Are you as blessed as me in the small simple things that all of that money wouldn’t make a ton of difference? Would you buy the finer things or would you live life similar to the way that you do now? I hope today is full of dreams and blessings for each of you. Have a blessed week!

P.S. My journey to a healthier/better me. For those that are following along here’s the update. The last two days I have stayed right on target with eating meats, veggies, and berries. I did have one chocolate kiss last evening because I felt a little shaky. It helped. I’ve been able to drink a little over 2 liters of water each day with fresh squeezed lemon. Its very cold here so my exercise has been inside moving around cleaning this house. This morning I weighed in at 185.6. Which means I’m down 2.1 pounds since Sunday morning. A lot was inflammation from my big Valentines meal on Saturday so that’s normal for me to loose that in a couple of days. It will plateau in a few days. Today is my 3rd day on plan so I know I’ll be very hungry. I always am every 3rd day. Willpower is the word of the day. I’ll update with my next blog post.

Always…….Brooke

Hello and Happy Sunday. I don’t know about where you live but here in northeast Tennessee we’ve been dealing with rain, rain and more rain. Flooding in areas have been a big concern this week. We’re good here at my home but have kept an eye on our creek as it’s right at the top and ready to crest. I have to admit, I don’t mind the rain. I like it really. It tends to cool things down and I love the sound of the water rushing down the creek. I can hear it from my kitchen and dining room window. Sometimes I even bundle up and take my coffee outside in the mornings after a rain just so that I can sit and listen. Winter chill is still here but the days when it gets up to 55 or so is quite pleasant. And that’s where we begin today’s little tale.

Up at 5 am this morning on my “rest” day to finish up a cake for a little princess birthday party. I love baking and even though that’s early, it’s worth it to be a part of something special. This morning, I must say, I was super glad for the morning rain and wind. I must have had 4 hot flashes in 2 hours. Yes, its that time in my life. Aging gracefully while glistening with sweat. Its a part of our life that we all get to enjoy ladies if we plan to live a good long life. Every day, no matter how cold it is outside, I am burning up! I take a shower and then I sweat. I put my makeup on and then I dabbing my face with a tissue. I put clean sheets on the bed just to turn around and wake up in a pile of sweat. I’ve tried all the home remedies, and all of the herbal supplements. Some help a tiny bit but not much. It makes me dread the coming summer season. I can deal with the cold. Lord knows I have plenty of cozy blankets. But, I can’t deal with the heat. You cant take enough clothing off to stay cool when you feel like a hot pot of coffee is pouring over your head.

If you are a male and your reading todays blog, I apologize for the girl post. Maybe this can help you when your lady is in this situation. Here’s a few little tips for you fellas. First, don’t try to console her. It’s not making it any better. We’re sweating and miserable and nothing makes it go aways unless you have an ice freezer. Just understand this is what it is and there’s not a thing you can do about it. If you HAVE to do something grab a glass of ice water for her to drink and then walk away. Second, during menopause our body is changing. We’re probably going to gain some weight or even a lot of weight. We can see it. So whatever you do, please don’t say anything about it, don’t give diet or exercise advise, and don’t make one little peep when we eat an entire chocolate bar. Just love us. All of us. All of the extra pounds and all of the changes. It will start to go away eventually. This is called for better or worse. Finally, we are tired. I don’t know why menopause makes us tired. In return you’ll see a lot of mood swings. We might be a cranky bitch. (sorry for the bad word but it is what it is). We might cry. And if you’re lucky we might be the sweetest person you’ve ever met. Just give us some space. It won’t last forever. We try our best to take care of you when you are down and sick. Please do the same for us. No, it isn’t a sickness but some days it sure feels like it. Fellas, partners, whoever, we know this is hard on you too and we’re sorry. So please understand and just hang with us. We’ll get past it.

Ladies, you can get through this. Learn to manage your stress. We have stressful lives. I tend to have many more hot flashes when I’m over stimulated. It’s okay to say NO when you don’t want to. Have a self care day once a week. Do your nails, take a good bath, relax and Netflix binge, and get some exercise. I don’t know this for certain, but this too shall pass. I have many friends that are past the menopause age. Some say these symptoms last only a few months to a year (yes a year but we can do it!). One of my friends who is in her 70s says she still suffers from hot flashes. But just the hot flashes.

So if you have read my blogs in the past then you know I try to be as real as possible in my blogs. We’re all in this together. So, if you have any tips or tricks that you’ve used to help curve the menopause symptoms, please leave a comment. We’re all here to help one another. I have a few little tips that I’ve found that help me. I hope they help you a little. I have noticed if I don’t drink plenty of water every day my hot flashes are so much worse and more often. I also seem to have a lot more urinary tract pain ( this is much more often with menopause for me as well). I drink ice water and I try to get at least 2 liters or more in per day. I don’t like water typically but, it makes me feel so much better that I’m learning to enjoy it. I’ve also read where its so good for you to drink a glass of water each morning before you consume anything else. It is supposed to help your heart, your metabolism, and your urinary tract. I do squeeze some fresh lemon in mine as well. I love lemon.

Let’s talk about alcohol. Now I won’t lie, I love a good dirty martini or 3 when we go out to dinner on Saturdays. However, I have noticed that I get hot flashes while and after I drink. It hasn’t stopped me from partaking but, I have learned that if I drink a glass of water after each drink that it helps. I absolutely can’t do any fruity, sugary alcoholic drinks. They cause me to have swelling in my joints, mess with my belly and those hot flashes are tenfold. If I drink, I don’t eat bread and definitely no dessert. I don’t need the double whammy. Wine is out for me although I love it. It gives me a horrid headache.

Sleep is a thing of the past for me right now. A good solid 8 hours of sleep just aint happenin. I’m up and down going to the bathroom (from all the water that’s so good for me lol). And there’s the hot flashes. Cover on and cover off. Fan full blast when its 20 degrees outside. I’m sure my poor husband is freezing to death but he’s being a trooper. What I’ve found to help me rest is taking a good hot bath before I go to bed and leaving my hair wet. I also listen to meditation when I go to bed. Jason Stephenson is wonderful if you are interested. You can listen to him on YouTube. Its typically a 45 minute to 2 hour meditation and I usually fall asleep before its over.

The weight gain. Lordy Lou I’ve gained 45 pounds since my husband and I met 10 years ago. I have to say how lucky I am that he doesn’t say a word. He never says anything negative about my weight gain. He seems to love me just the same. I am disgusted with it and myself. It’s hard ladies. It’s hard to look in the mirror and see yourself in much larger clothing. It’s hard to buy bigger clothing. I’ve tried every diet known to man. Nothing works. I contemplated hormone replacements but, am scared to death of that unknown. I’ve even thought about diet shots. First off, if it works for you then you do you. But, for me I believe its a no. I’ve heard too much bad. I’ve seen so many ladies use the latest and greatest weight loss shots just to gain it all back and then some. Also, I cant afford $400 a month. I don’t want to give up other expenses for it. And those side effects….nope I dont feel the need to be nauseated. I do have a plan and I’ll talk about that in a bit. It may or may not work but, we’ll soon see.

Mood swings are thankfully not one of the side effects of my menopausal journey. Not yet anyways. I’ve always been a crier. I cry at commercials and all the things lol. Thats just who I am. I don’t have it in me to be hateful or mean. I’m not a cruel person. I hope I never am. I’m not sure what to suggest for this other than prayer, deep breathing, and maybe turn to exercise to help. Maybe someone will have some suggestions.

Here’s where my journey starts to find the cure for my menopause symptoms an this vicious weight gain. You’re welcome to follow along with me and try as well. I am no doctor nor is anything that I plan to do medical advice so as everyone always says talk to your doctor before you begin anything with a new exercise regimen or diet change. Yesterday, I went out and had my Valentines dinner with my forever valentine. Italian food is the pain in my side. I love it! I had delicious chicken parmesan with a side of spaghetti. I had a salad and I had a brownie. Two dirty martinis that were delicious were also ordered. It was my only meal yesterday, but boy I sure enjoyed it. I also told myself and my husband that this is it until we leave for the beach in May. Of course this is about weight loss, but it’s also about me being comfortable in my clothes and also trying to stay healthy. Starting today my goal is no bread or added sugars. No candy or treats. Lots of good meats and veggies. Some berries will be there for my natural “sweet treat”. I also hope to get some movement. I work from home and I SIT in front of a computer all day. So I need to get moving. I want to focus on self care and try to get some better sleep. In order to do that I need to get my mental state in good order. For me that’s journaling, blogging, and prayer. I weighed this morning and even though I ate one meal yesterday I still gained 3 pounds over night. It’s a lot of inflammation I know but, it’s not easy to get those 3 pounds off. No alcohol until we go on vacation. Yes, it’ll be hard but I only drink when we go to dinner so its just one night a week and I can fill it with more salad or something. I’m officially the designated driver until vacation lol.

Set your goals. Mine is to keep with my plan. I’d like to lose 20 pounds before we go to the beach. Can I do it? I don’t know. But I know for certain I won’t lose a pound or tone up at all if I don’t try. P.S. Im happy to share my daily work on this. I’ll be blogging and I’ll include the details at the end of my blog. To be completely transparent I will tell you what I weight. Now I know that’s a big no no for most women. But, to keep me accountable to the whole world I’m gonna post it. I know that it’s a lot more than some but, maybe a lot less than others. We are also not the number that’s on that scale. So if I don’t lose a pound that’s okay. The goal is just a number. The ultimate goal is to be healthier and to combat this menopause. This morning I weighed 187 pounds. 1 am 5’7 so that doesn’t seem like a lot but, for me its not where I need to be. There it is. My number that means absolutely nothing.

At the end of tomorrows blog I’ll tell you how today went. My highs and my lows from my journey to a better me. I’ll put it at the end for those that care not to read it.

In the mean time. Ladies, I’m so proud of you for being YOU! You are beautifully the person that you need to be. The person that God made you to be. Unique and beautiful. No number. No hot flash. No pants size defines who you are. I hope today is filled with blessings and peace.

Always…….Brooke

Happy Happy Wednesday. We made it through half of the work week. Good ole hump day! I hate calling it that really. But I won’t lie, I enjoy knowing that I only have two more working days of my regular job. My second job is however just starting. Valentines is upon us and its cakes, cakes, and more cakes. Dont we just work our lives away? I think that to myself every single day. In that same thought I find myself thanking my God above that I have the ability to work every day and I truly love the jobs that I do. Although stressful, my “real” job is something that I enjoy and the big bonus is that I get to work from home. My “fun” side jobs are baking and sewing. I’ve worked a full-time job since the age of 14 years old. At 47 I feel like its been long enough lol. However, the new adventure that is coming very quickly in our household will require me to work for several more years. Here’s the thing, even though that sounds so terrible, it truly isn’t. I’ve buckled down and am ready to carry on working every single day for a few more years.

A few years ago my husband came to me and explained that he was beginning to think about retirement. This meant it was time for me to find a new career. I needed benefits. I had worked in dental practices for 24 years and 3 years ago I made the transition to the company that I work for today. Yes, it was scary. I had to learn everything. I had to start at the bottom as the saying goes. Let me say, it was the very best decision I could have made. Had I know that I would have such great health benefits, retirement, and so much paid vacation I would have made the change much much sooner. I now work for a company that acknowledges hard work and have already been promoted twice. If you are a manager, boss, owner listen up! Listen real real close! If you have good employees you MUST make them feel appreciated. After all, what are you without them? I don’t think that means a constant pat on the back but, bonus’, promotions, raises, and finding a way to allow them to have a good work/life balance is key. Well it is for me anyway. Think about this, if your employees walked out tomorrow could you even begin to run your business. I seriously doubt it. All positions are important. From the bottom to the top. I thank the Lord every day for my job (or jobs). I say an extra thank you for the benefits and the opportunity to grow both my income and my resume.

Here’s our new big adventure…. Two weeks ago my husband signed his retirement papers. EEEEKKK! I’m so excited. He has worked for 30 years at FedEx Express. He deserves this more that any person that I know. He has worked so hard and so many hours. He lugged packages big and small up driveways and stairs for so long. He been in the rain, the cold, the snow, the ice, and the raging heat. He’s built relationships with so many people and has had to deal with more than a few that were not so easy. You know, people are rude. I could rant on about that for hours but, that’s another story. April 28th will be his last official day. We are looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. So much that he wants to do and so much rest he’ll be able to get. The morning he was out the door to sign his papers I asked him how he felt about everything. His response was “It’s bitter sweet. I’ve done this for 30 years so its a little sad. I just cant wait to spend Christmas with my family”. Um go ahead and grab a tissue because I cried a little. Actually, I sobbed. Our holiday routine has been for me to go on to my family gatherings alone or with my son and he’d eventually join us. Tired and worn out but with a smile still on his face. These delivery folks don’t get to take off on the holiday. That includes Christmas day most years. They deliver all those gifts that we are waiting for because we procrastinated and didn’t order them until the last minute. Then its his fault because it didn’t get there right on time. So to say I’m over the moon about him having a calm, restful holiday is an understatement. Oh, and p.s. I am scared. For real.

Any change is scary. My husband and I have never been together all day every single day for more than a week at a time. We go on vacations together several times during the year and it’s wonderful. But, as far as him being here with me every day while I’m working that would be a no. We’ve just not had a lot of that in the past. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point where we can be together for the rest of our lives to just look at this time and say “oh no, what will we do”. Yes, that sounds awful but, it’s absolutely the truth. We love being together, but we are both very independent. So to be in each other’s face all day every day is a little scary.

If you are venturing into this chapter in your life, let e give you a tiny insight on what we’ve decided. My husband will only be 55 when he retires. I say if you can manage it, DO IT! We have known so many folks that waited to retire to not have many quality years or any years at all for that matter. Just this year we’ve know 2 people that have not been able to enjoy a full retirement. One retired and immediately started caring for parents. The other, unfortunately, passed away a year after they retired. I mean, NO. You work all your life to retire to that. If you have any ability to retire early and enjoy your life, do it and don’t look back. My husbands plan is to take an entire month off after he retires. To rest of course but also to tackle a few things around the house. Then he will find something that he enjoys doing and work 3 days a week. Three 8 hour days is nothing and he wants to stay moving. He plans to spend more time with his friends who have all retired or are also retiring around the time he is. He loves yard work so our yard will be beautiful. It always is in the spring, summer, and fall but I cant imagine how lovely it will be. He may volunteer some and he’ll try to book his band to play as much as they can.

Now, see. Not so scary after all. Retirment and aging is not a bad thing. Especially if you keep yourself active both physically and mentally. I remember my daddy saying to me “if you stop, you’ll stop”. In other words keep moving. Keep working your mind. Rest, absolutely but also move around. Ladies (or even gentlemen) if your partner is about to make the plunge to retire, don’t be scared. Find things to do that you both enjoy. Encourage them to get out of the house and do things. Help them find a new hobby. Don’t overwhelm them with a to do list. Remember this is your person. The person that you’ve chosen to spend the rest of your life with. Your lives together are starting now. Embrace it. Pray over it. Get excited about it.

Congratulations to my sweet Shannon on his retirement! And to any of you that are moving into this next adventure in your lives. You’ve worked for it. You’ve earned it. So now go and enjoy every little second of it. This life is just a little tiny moment so don’t waste one of them. Have a super blessed night!

Always……..Brooke

Hellllooooo! Happy Sunday and Happy Super Bowl! It has been a bit for the blog and for that I apologize. For those of you that are glued to your TV I hope your team wins. My husband is in preparation by getting his plate filled with meatball subs and loaded tater tots which I made earlier. I on the other hand, have chosen to spend my evening relaxing with my little dog in my sewing room. I haven’t introduced you to our new little addition. He is a mini schnauzer named Dale. He is 10 months old and has completely stolen our hearts. That’s a great story which I will share with you in another tale. You’ll be sure to love it. I just know it.

Winter! I will be the first to say that I love it. Well….I have kind of a love hate relationship with it. I love winter until January 1st. From January 1st until about the middle of March I loathe it. For me its full of gloomy gray days. Lifeless trees and dead grass. A lot of time inside. Its just a time of waiting for spring and sunshine. For many years I spend the last week of December in dread. I think there are a lot of folks that do. I live in an area where we get four beautiful seasons but the end of winter seems to hang on a little long. This year I made a promise to myself to emerse in good things during this time. Ive learned to embrace slow living, which we’ll talk about that one later too. I can tell you that you can talk yourself out of gloom. You can keep yourself busy enough to keep from thinking negatively. And you can also embrace time to rest.

This time of the year is the perfect time to wind down a little. The holiday rush is over and everything begins to get back to somewhat normal. The sad part is that all of the excitement is over. If you think about it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the “fun” has to be gone. Its a great time to learn a new hobby, read a good novel, learn to cook some new nutritious meals, and rest. I live a very busy life. When my son became an adult I thought that I might get to slow down some. It in fact got even busier. Busier in a good way. Instead of taking care of every need for my child, I now take care of myself. Mothers tend to let ourselves go by the wayside. Now that I can take the time to make myself a priority, I see how amazing even the winter can be.

Lets talk a little about a to do list or setting winter goals. Not new year resolutions. I don’t believe in those. I’ve tried, really I have but, they crumble by about February. A few weeks ago I sat down and made a list with good ole pen and paper. My to do list grew very quickly. Then I put it on my office table and decided not to even think about a due date for completion. I prayed over that list. Not to get it completed quickly but, to work at it in a way that wasn’t stressful and didn’t overwhelm me. Any progress is progress and I told myself that it was going to get completed. Funny thing happened when I took the stress out of it. I have already checked off half of that list. Most of it was spring cleaning but, it was things that needed to be done that I’ve just not gotten around to. It felt like huge accomplishments every time I crossed something off of that list. The best part about it was not feeling like it was required or rushed.

Life gives us time to do all the things that we want to do. Even if you are like me and work a fulltime job and 2 side hustles, you can make time to do all the things you want and need to do. It sounds a little silly but, if you slow down, every little thing will fall in to place. I’ve learned to prioritize the things that really matter. Its freeing.

My hope for you is that this time of end of winter you have time to wind down. Enjoy all of the little things. Make time for yourself. Surround yourself with people who make you happy and love you for the person that you are. Happy Sunday. Remember that you can handle any thing that this week hands to you.

Always…….Brooke