I finally framed this print I bought a few weeks ago from Deb of Vintage Sparrow Studios (you can find Deb on Instagram). I try to reuse frames I have and looked around Joyful Pause Cottage for what might be time to part with. Seeing a certificate on the wall, which I’d received from some training I did a few years ago, I realized how I’d evolved. The very thing I did the training for, which I’m glad I did, and am grateful for the life-changing experience, I realized I no longer needed validation to say I’d done that. So out came the certificate and in popped The Aviary Keeper print.

My love for birds has deepened over the past two years. I’ve always enjoyed them, but I think the fact I don’t have a dog right now, the birds have been welcome visitors and companions. So when I saw this print it really spoke to me.

While I’d found the frame, I still didn’t know where it was I would hang it. But I’ve been allowing it to find its due place in time instead of forcing it to happen.

Yesterday afternoon as I was doing my afternoon breathing session sitting on my meditation chair, the window open, the sounds of hummingbirds chittering, and looking at the vase of growing birch twigs I’ve been collecting, I knew at that moment exactly where that print belonged.

It seems so fitting to be in this spot! As I sit at my desk, writing this post, I look over, and I am able to view it from this angle too. Once winter comes and I need to turn my petite gas stove on to warm my cottage, I will have to find a new home for it, but I trust where it will go next will make itself known when it is time.

Such a simple act brought welcome reflection and a bundle of joy. It also reminds me of Tasha Tudor, one of my favorite mentors as you know, and her philosophy to always Take Joy, which is also a documentary about her life.

I think now that I’ve written this blog post and will now venture over to my art table I’ll have to play that documentary in the background as a way to simmer in more of the joy.

Hope you find and experience simple joys today too!

XO

Barb

Words are the seeds we plant in the earth of our days. ~Anne D. LeClaire

Walking out to Joyful Pause Cottage this morning I looked around as I was wishing to share something inspirational today. This window box on the front of my cottage is one of my creative outlets. I enjoy changing it to reflect the seasons. I especially love seeing it in full bloom this time of year.

After taking a photo of it, I grabbed one of my journals that I’ve collected quotes from over the years. I randomly turned to a page and the above quote is the one I turned to.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with John over the weekend. It was about how I don’t like hearing when some people still call those coming into the US from other countries “illegal aliens.” My thought on that is no one in this world is illegal. We are all part of the universe and part of Source. So how can we be illegal?

The power of words can be so damning or we can think before we speak as words can also be incredibly healing. It’s reminding me of when I went through my dark night of the soul in 2017-2018 and when I finally revealed the secret I’d kept of being touched inappropriately as a child.

That little girl in me was finally able to voice it and be heard. The most soothing thing to that frightened little girl that I heard was, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Those words were an incredible part of my healing. I didn’t need anything else at that point as I’d done the inner work to have gotten to that point.

Everything carries a vibration and words are part of that. So how fitting I felt the quote is above that if we can begin to recognize this more, think before we speak, that these are positive seeds we are planting to help shift the energy of this planet into one of more love and peace.

It’s something having been brought to the forefront of late that I’m definitely going to be putting into practice myself.

XO

Barb

I was washing the kitchen windows this afternoon thinking about what is happening in Afgansastain with the president who has fled the country as the Taliban continues to take over.

I thought about my brother and countless others who served there and those who were wounded or didn’t return alive. I can’t even begin to imagine how those whose boots are back on US soil must feel. My heart was breaking just thinking about it and all those in Afghanistan who are so scared. With the pandemic and this, it is at times easy to lose hope.

The humidity from last week broke a few days ago. I’m glad to have the windows open again to let in the fresh air. Such simple things among the midst of so much chaos.

It was a little over two weeks ago when I opened the living patio door to go inside. As I did, a butterfly followed me in! She flew up onto the ceiling fan and crawled into one of the grooves. I didn’t know what to do to help her. I put out some mashed banana on a plate, but she never ventured out to eat any, or at least that I was aware of. I lost all hope she survived.

With the windows open today I thought it would be nice to also turn the ceiling fans on in the living room and bedroom. I’d forgotten about the butterfly. After turning the living room fan on, it was a few moments later that I saw the butterfly on the patio screen door!

I yelled to John, “It’s the butterfly! She survived!” I could hardly believe it. A little worse for wear by the hole in one of her wings, but nonetheless, she was alive.

I had to help her out a bit to get out the door, but once outside, off she flew! I can only imagine how relieved she must have felt.

And at that moment she gave me so much hope. To never give up my hope for a better world and to keep the faith.

XO

Barb