A Gift on this Cold (brrrr!) Day

Posted January 2, 2016 by Barbara Techel

It was only six degrees when I headed out for a walk this morning.

It’s not a resolution to walk more. I just really prefer to walk in the winter months when I can.

I guess it likely has something to do with these menopausal years of mine. I’d rather dress in layers and peel them back as need be, then have no layers to peel back when it is too warm out! Ah yes, the middle age woman and her heat fluctuations!

But still, I thought, six degrees? Did I really want to venture out?

I bundled in layers. I love my down-filled jacket I bought last year with a fur lined hood and furry flaps I can snap to cover my neck and part of my face.

I remember really thinking hard about buying it because it was $100 and that was a lot of money for someone who normally buys clothing from second hand shops.

But I digress a bit and am glad I bought it as it keeps me warm. So out the door I went, bundled up tight, making sure to get those arms swinging so I’d have no chance of getting too cold.

And I’m so glad I did. The sun is shining brightly today — the kind of day where it bounces off the snow and appears to be warmer than it really is.

When I got down to the lake I spotted a pair of Geese.

They were standing at the waters edge, one honking to the other. I’m sure the male was trying to convince the female the water would be warm and it was okay to get her feathers wet.

And within moments after his persistent honking, they walked in together and began to ride against the choppy waves with the wind coming out of the west.

They braved the weather just as I did and I felt in good company watching them bob up and down on the water.

And it was a gift to see them and to see the open water too, which is very unusual as it is usually frozen over by now.

A great way to start the New Year – calm, meditative, simple and beautiful.

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Winter Finally Arrives at My “She Shed.”

Posted December 31, 2015 by Barbara Techel

I meant to share this photo of my writing cottage earlier in the week, but the week has sort of gotten away from me. It’s been a half work, have play week — and when I’ve been working, I’ve really been hunkering down trying to tie up loose ends.

We got about 11 inches of snow Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning– our official first big snowstorm of the season and we really had no snow before this, which was so unusual for us.

So though we didn’t have a white Christmas, we are having a white New Year’s Eve with temps dipping into the teens tonight.

My writing cottage, “she shed,” is snug as a bug with a petite gas stove that keeps me and little Gidget warm while I write and work on putting touches on two workshops I’ll be offering early in 2016. Gidget meanwhile is snoring up a storm again.

But soon I shall head back inside to my house, put my dachshund jammies on, pop a bottle of champagne, play a couple rounds of Yahtzee with John, snuggle with the dogs, and boil some crab legs for dinner.

And yup, will be in bed way before midnight rolls around.

Looking so forward to the New Year and continuing my writing in my sweet little cottage and working on new projects.

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year – Tuning into the Messages of My Winged Friends

Posted December 31, 2015 by Barbara Techel

I took this photo of this sweet, little bird yesterday about a half hour before the sun came up.

Today as I think about the New Year just a few hours away, resolutions are the furthest thing from my mind. They usually are. I don’t set them any longer.

But I did give thought about how I want my life to look like going forward. And I want to live more like my winged friends — the birds, butterflies and dragonflies.

I want to be more open to the flow of life — and not hanging on so tight to things and circumstances I don’t have control over.

A few weeks ago, a friend booked a private SoulCollage® workshop with me. She wanted to set her intentions for the New Year.

As we sat in my new Joyful Pause studio in the lower level of my home, I invited her to think about how she wants to feel in 2016.

While I think it’s great to set goals and intentions, I believe what’s really at the core of those intentions, is how we want to feel.

While she worked on her SoulCollage® card, I intuitively worked on mine without setting an intention really, but instead giving thought to how I want to feel.

As we perused the many images I have set up on tables, an image of a yellow butterfly tugged at my heart. I knew I needed to work with her in creating my card.

And this is my completed card below after working with several images before it felt right and I glued them down.

After my friend and I created our cards, we journaled with them also. This is what my card had to say to me:

I am one who wants to flow with ease along the path of faith and trust in what spirit has in store for me. I want to allow my path to unfold more organically, learning to let go of trying to control outcomes. By doing so, I will feel as light and free as a butterfly, enjoying the ride, and all the gifts that come with expanding my wings.

And that’s it really, I want to feel lighter in letting go of worries and accepting life as it is presented to me.

So while I don’t have resolutions really, I am making a mental note to myself, with my SoulCollage® card I call Freedom Butterfly as my visual reminder of how I want to feel starting right this moment…and gently and softly fly into the New Year.

I shall stop now and then to perch upon a safe place to land, and sit silence as a way of reminding myself to keep my wings open to what Spirit has in store for me.

Wishing you all the best in 2016 and may your heart fill to the top with all that makes your life meaningful for you!

—

I’m really excited about facilitating a SoulCollage® workshop on January 16th in my new studio, Joyful Pause. I hope to encourage others to give thought to how they want to feel in the New Year, too.

If you are interested in joining me for this creative and fun workshop, please check out the details here or click on purple graphic on the left.

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