On Monday I spent part of the day inside a fixed up vintage camper named Beatrice. It’s a quaint and delightful writing retreat that rests on the property of my friend Lori Helke. It was her dream to have a space of her own and with the help of her husband, they renovated the camper which now has a book about her story!
Beatrice will be traveling this summer in Wisconsin as Lori will be doing some book signing events with her newly published children’s book.
I spent the morning interviewing Lori inside her Paris themed camper. I’ll be sharing the interview, plus photos of Beatrice this Sunday in my newsletter and right here on my blog. So stay tuned!
We had so much fun! I think you’ll find the interview inspiring and insightful. We talked about Lori’s love of travel and how it fulfills a special space in her heart, overcoming fear, the inner journey, mid-life, the power of an oracle reading, and her children’s book, plus a sneak peek at what she is working on writing next.
It really made my day that Lori’s dog, Zoe wanted to be with us inside Beatrice. She even jumped up on the bench next to me and let me hug and pet her all I wanted. I think she knew my heart needed it.
Here’s a sneak peek of Lori’s children’s book. I smiled the whole way through reading it when I got home yesterday. It’s endearing, touching, funny, and heartwarming. And Zoe is on the cover!
I can’t wait to share the interview with you soon!
XO,
Barbara
Wish to stay in touch? Here’s how:
Subscribe here to receive my bi-monthly newsletter which includes a digest of my blog posts, oracle readings, wisdom from the animal kingdom, first to know special offers and more
and/or…
Subscribe here to receive my blog posts as they are published.
My favorite photo – in the fall. Be still my heart.
Celebrating ten years of this beautiful space which has held and nurtured my heart, helping me expand and evolve.
Every time I walk through the Victorian style screen door of this 10 x 12 quaint space that sits off the corner of my deck, it feels like a warm embrace from Spirit, supporting me in what matters to my heart.
It was a thrill a few years ago when the term “she shed” and what became a trend that took off like a rocket in the media and I was interviewed about my space on a morning show out of Australia. I was also featured on Today.com and ABC.com, but best of all was the interview a local news station did. While I didn’t have the landscaping as I do now in the photo, and my deck accessories have become a bit more simplified, I absolutely loved this interview from the summer of 2015.
Little did I know this would be a trend, as I was a wee bit ahead of my time. And my little cottage in my little corner of the world has certainly seen its changes inside and out. My writing cottage was a labor of love constructed by my husband, John, and my selling of a car I loved, to help pay for the materials. All to support my love of writing which has now expanded to my love of supporting others through my oracle readings and guidance sessions.
Two children’s books, two memoirs, and a third memoir in the works I’ve written within this space. And countless women I’ve connected with around the world within this space via the internet whether to talk about writing, animals, oracle cards, workshops, and so much more…oh, what fun it has been!
So in celebration, I share this, my favorite photo of my sweet writing cottage in the fall. Most of all, I hope it inspires you to follow those niggles and nudges within your heart of what is calling you!
XO,
Barbara
Subscribe to my newsletter here for a bi-monthly digest of my blog posts, plus oracle readings, and more and/or Subscribe here to receive my blog posts as they are published.
My writing desk and over-sized chair where I meditate and also like to read.
For about three weeks I kept pushing aside the yearning I had to re-arrange my writing and creative cottage. This 10 x 12 space that sits off the corner of my deck and feels like a giant hug each time I walk through the Victorian screen door.
Earlier this spring I purged what I no longer needed in this space as I believe when we discard what no longer serves us, it allows for new creativity to come into our lives.
But it had been awhile since I re-arranged the furniture. There are only so many ways in which I can position all the pieces, but this feeling of moving things around kept beckoning.
Sunday and in the wee early hours, lying awake in bed there was this voice again, Time to move things around in the cottage. And what followed next I struggled a few hours with (though in reality I’d been giving thought to this for a long time). I heard that it was time for me to also let go of some of my Frankie photos and memorabilia. I felt some resistance, but I promised myself I’d take it into consideration.
Later in the morning after procrastinating for a time, I answered that intuitive call and out to my cottage I went to begin the task of making it anew.
I have a tall free-standing bookshelf, my writing desk, what I call my analog desk (where I do my daily oracle readings for myself and where I create in my art journal), an over-sized wicker chair with matching ottoman, 3-drawer side table, and a chest on wheels. My petite gas stove stays permanently fixed in the northwest corner. It’s quite a few pieces to have contained in this small space, but somehow I manage to make it all work, even though it has its limits on what I can do.
My analog table where I work on art journaling plus each morning after meditation pull an oracle card (or two or three!) and journal.
I moved some pieces onto the deck so I could more easily move other’s around. Then I took down all the photos of Frankie and the memorabilia I had on two of the walls. From there I decided what would stay and what could go, but not before taking a photograph of what I was letting go. Two went into storage downstairs and one I put on the wall in the living room, while five other remain in my writing cottage. This feels right.
Over the years I’ve been making shifts away from my identity solely being about my life and my work I’d done with Frankie and disabled dogs. It hasn’t always been easy, but I remind myself it’s because of Frankie and then Joie, and now Gidget, that I am who I am today.
I have no doubt Frankie and Joie are happy, and blessing me from the other side, that I continue to spread my wings and learn to fly in new ways. As for Gidget, well, she was another pivotal marker in guiding me to this new space of acceptance. That story is yet to come and what I am in the throws of with writing a new book.
Part of my letting go of some of the Frankie items was that over three years ago I set the intention to open to the wisdom of all animals, which I owe to the dogs in my life for all they taught to me. And so one-by-one (unlike two-by-two with Noah’s Ark!) I’ve been bringing other animal totems, photos and images into this place I hold so sacred. Animals that have come into my life via guided meditations, in the wild, through animal readings, and those I just feel drawn to for some reason or another.
Looking around my room as I write this now I realize all the different critters that surround me! There is, dragonfly, wolf, mouse, owl, ladybug, birds, horse, musk ox, butterfly, donkey, dolphin, pig, whale, turtle, salamander, deer, lion, tiger, leopard, flamingo, frog, giraffe, squirrel, snake, cat and dragon. They are now, along with my dog friends present and past, with me as I write and create.
A cozy spot for a guest to sit or a place to collect magazines and books to read.
The past, and those items attached with it, I know, not always easy to let go of physically and emotionally. But when we lovingly and gently let go, while blessing all of it for helping shape us into who we are, not only is that a gift that stays with us always, but it then opens a new channel of opportunity for more gifts to find us.
After everything was neatly in their new places, I burned some sage as a special ritual to clean out of the old energy so new energy can take hold. And I must say, I do feel a refreshing new energy today as I write this post. Ahhhh, yes!
My symbolic corner of courage and strength.
And so this lovely jungle it is in my writing and creative cottage anew, I find myself quite content, and ready to continue to walk this journey that I alone can only walk.
