“I am so thankful for being able to attend the NICWA Conference in Oklahoma.” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
“I am grateful to be in native community at the NICWA Conference.” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
“I appreciate being able to attend the Two-Spirit workshop. It reaffirms for me my knowingness of myself.” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
“I am thankful for my approachability so I can easily chat with strangers and meet new an interesting people. From Lyft drivers to bartenders, I made friends wherever I traveled in OKC.” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
“I am grateful for having the intention to live each day 100% to suck the life out of each and every day I am privileged to experience. Life is fragile, fleeting and the best ride ever!” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
“I am grateful for my vision to see all the beautiful flowers.” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
“I am thankful my co-worker left me the car rental so I could explore the island while she went mountain biking.” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
“I appreciate feeling the sun on my skin.” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
“I appreciate being able to enjoy another epic Mai Tai at The Lanai on Hickam AFB.” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
“I am grateful to be able to reconnect with the love of my life each night before going to sleep. Thank you Neil for staying up late to chat with me, it means the world!” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
Lyrics: I need your sweet inspiration I need you here on my mind Every hour of the day Without your sweet inspiration The lonely hours of the night Just don’t go my way A woman in love need sweet inspiration And honey that’s all I ask You know that’s all I ask from you I gotta have your sweet inspiration, yeah You know there just ain’t no telling What a satisfied woman might do When you call me baby, baby It’s such a sweet inspiration The way you call me darling, darling Sets my heart to skating And if I’m out in the rain, baby And in a bad situation You know I gotta reach you back in my mind And there I find you Sweet, sweet inspiration, inspiration Whole lot of power And I got the power Every hour of the day I need you sweet inspiration, yeah To go on living To keep on giving this away I need you sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration Sweet, sweet inspiration I got to have your sweet, sweet inspiration Oh, give me your sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration Sweet inspiration
Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (French Fashion Designer and Businesswoman; August 19th, 1883 ~ January 10th, 1971)
“Fashion is a dhow-off, concerned with the cutting edge. Style has seen it all before and knows that the classic tenents of simplicity, beauty, and elegance have staying power. Fashion is a cult; style is a philosophy.”
“Fashion can be bought. Style must be possessed.”
Edna Woolman Chase (American Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Magazine; March 14th, 1877 ~March 21st, 1957)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I would prefer to have style than to be fashionable.” (Heather Houston 3-31-22)
“My indigenous roots are calling to me to maybe craft a ribbon skirt. I saw so many beautiful ones at the NICWA Conference. I feel inspired to create one for myself to reflect my roots.” (Heather Houston 3-31-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 99-102 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
I had an unexpected and transformative experience on my birthday. The intention was to drive from Oklahoma City, OK to Broken Bow, OK to find the gravesites of my paternal great grandparents and to pay my respects and perform ceremony. What unfolded to and from this trip on my birthday was exceptional. I witnessed 34 eagles over the freeway on my path to Broken Bow and another 43 on my return trip to Oklahoma City. 77 total, mostly golden eagles spied on my pilgrimage to my native roots. Why is this significant? It follows the honoring of 7 generations forward and 7 generations backward. My journey itself was to reconnect and align with my native roots and complete the circle I had been on 56 years ago. My maternal Auntie Sue was also going into a very serious surgery on my birthday and the good medicine aided her in a successful outcome. She was healed and I was healed. I could not have asked for a better birthday experience. I am in the flow of the Universe and honoring this message. I kept track of the sightings by texting my husband each time I saw one or more eagles. It was such a huge lesson on being present and in the moment. I traveled to Broken Bow via I-40 East–>South OK-375 (Through Choctaw Territory)–>State Highway 3 East and back the same way.🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
To Broken Bow, OK from Oklahoma City, OK
I-40 East (5 🦅)
Before Wewonka Exit 212 🦅
Exit 272 🦅🦅
Exit 237 🦅🦅
South OK-375; Choctaw Territory–>State Highway 3 East (29 🦅)
Exit 92 🦅
Just beyond Exit 92 🦅
Entering the Choctaw Territory boundary 🦅
Mile Post 780 🦅🦅
Mile Post 760 🦅
Exit 700 🦅
Mile Post 655 🦅🦅
Mile Post 600 🦅🦅
Mile Post 580 🦅🦅
Mile Post 255 🦅
11:24 AM 🦅🦅🦅🦅
Last 50-miles to Broken Bow 🦅🦅🦅
Last 45-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
Last 40-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
Last 39-miles to Broken Bow 🦅🦅
Last 32-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
Last 30-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
Last 29-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
Last 14-miles to Broken Bow 🦅
To Oklahoma City, OK from Broken Bow, OK
State Highway 3 West–>North OK-375; Choctaw Territory (21 🦅)
44 miles to North OK-375 🦅🦅🦅
39 miles to North OK-375 🦅🦅
33 miles to North OK-375 🦅🦅🦅
32 miles to North OK-375 🦅
26 miles to North OK-375 🦅🦅
24 miles to North OK-375 🦅
21 miles to North OK-375 🦅🦅 (One flew out of a tree beside the freeway right over my windshield)
“I am thankful to have the opportunity via work to travel to Oklahoma so I could spend my birthday exploring my roots.” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
“I am grateful for another loop around the sun.” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
“I am beyond thankful to the Broken Bow Cemetery landscaper for helping me find my great grandparents gravesite. He suggested I go to the City Clerk to get the area and row of my family. It worked and after walking half the gravesites, I finally saw an area marker. Within minutes, after the previous hour in 85-degree sun, I found their gravesite.” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
“I am grateful for my resilience in finding my great grandparents gravesite as it was quite the ordeal. You have to imagine, I was in the Choctaw back country with sundown on its way and somewhat lost. Maps had me go to several incorrect locations which left me in areas without service or a map. Luckily I am resourceful and retraced my route to a small nursery and tracked down the owner. With her help, she directed me down the road to the rural cemetery. It was quite large and without a clue where to look I just kept walking the rows methodically. I was tired and worn out and called out loud for a sign from the Universe. As O passed an oak tree, several oak seed pods dripped and bounced a row down. When I explored what had made the sound and had dropped, it was at my great grandparents gravesite. Thank you Universe.” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
“I am beyond blessed and grateful for the 77 eagle sightings 🦅 to and from the pilgrimage to Broken Bow. 7 generations in the past and 7 generations forward we’re looking out for me to find my roots. I also think they were a sign of protection for my Auntie Sue during her surgery.” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
“I appreciate my co-worker bringing me a special coffee packet to enjoy a better cup of coffee on our drive to work.” (Heather 3-30-22)
“I appreciate my athletes wishing me happy birthday and presenting me with some gifts when I showed up to work (purple and white lei, Hawaiian T-shirt and a beautiful smelling candle in a wood bowl.” (Heather 3-30-22)
“I am thankful I was able to ride the upright bike in our work event today, without any ankle pain.” (Heather 3-30-22)
“I am thankful my co-worker stopped at the Kohanna Rum Distillery on the way to the hotel so I had some beautiful rum to share with my partner, Neil.” (Heather 3-30-22)
“I am grateful my co-worker will accompany me to a sushi dinner so I don’t dne alone on my birthday.” (Heather 3-30-22)
“I am blessed to have so many lovely birthday wishes from friends and family…especially from the love of my life, Neil.💖” (Heather 3-30-22)
#82 Baby, Now That I’ve Found You (The Foundations) 👍🏼
Lyrics: Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, baby, since first we met I knew in this heart of mine (I want to tell you) The love we had could not be bad And I played it right and bide my time Spent a lifetime looking for somebody To give me love like you Now you’ve told me that you wanna leave me (Darling, I just can’t let you) Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Spent my lifetime looking for somebody To give me love like you Now you’ve told me that you wanna leave me (Darling, I just can’t let you) Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me Baby, now that I’ve found you, I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me
“Taste concerns itself with broad, lifetime progress and never makes mistakes, style moves by fits and starts and is occassionally glorious.”
Kennedy Fraser (American essayist, and fashion writer; 1948 ~ )
“Celebrating your authentic style through the clothes you wear is an art form. But like any of the arts, a sense of style is one that needs to be nurtured after it is initially divined and devised. Style begins when you seek and discover your strengths, then bank on them for all they’re worth. Personal style flourishes when you realize that you really don’t need as much clothing, accessories, jewelry, or makeup as you once thought you did because you’ve got attitude.”
“We all know style when we see it–Bogart and Bacall, Garbo and Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn, Lauren Hutton, Lena Horne–all different, and all synonymous with style. Their clothes, however grand or simple, proclaim not simply taste but intelligence, wit–alittle darling. What you see is self-definition rather than trendiness. Style is the intersection of what you wear with who you are.”
Leah Feldon-Mitchell (Author; UNKNOWN)
“Styles, like everything else, change. Style doesn’t.”
Linda Ellerbee (American Journalist; August 15th, 1944 ~ )
“Before my story began…” (heather Houston 3-30-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I think I need a stylist to help me find my style.” (Heather Houston 3-30-22)
“Today is my birthday and I am 58-years young. My scale thinks I’m 56-years old, so there is that too. I am dressed to explore my life today and reconnect with my roots on my terms to unfold what is there for me. No matter what I am living into the day with STYLE!” (Heather Houston 3-30-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 99 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“I am thankful my Aunt Sue has a family text to keep us apprised of her surgery.” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
“I am grateful to my cousin Liz for being the ‘Communicator’ to the family to update us on my Aunt Sue’s surgery.” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
“I am blessed to have such a large family that can send massive energy via the Universe to my Aunt Sue with a safe surgery outcome.” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
“I am blessed to have such a loving and kind aunt as my Aunt Sue!” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
“I am thankful that my Aunt Sue has a superb team of surgeons and staff to work with her during her surgery.” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
“I am thankful the Foodland was open early in the morning so I could purchase lunch items for my day.” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
“I appreciate my co-worker sharing a packet of coffee with me so I could get my “fix” for the day.” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
“I am thankful for being able to witness sea turtles sunning themselves on the beach.” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
“I appreciate hibiscus tea and pineapple juice…EPIC!” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
“I am blessed that is didn’t rain during my coaching session.” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
#81 You’re All I Need To Get By (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell) 👍🏼
Lyrics: You’re all I need to get by Like the sweet morning dew, I took one look at you And it was plain to see You were my destiny With my arms open wide I threw away my pride I’ll sacrifice for you Dedicate my life for you I will go where you lead Always there in time of need And when I lose my will You’ll be there to push me up the hill There’s no, no looking back for us We got love, sure ‘nough, that’s enough You’re all, you’re all I need to get by (You’re all I need to get by) Tammi, listen Like an eagle protects his nest, for you, I’ll do my best Stand by you like a tree, and dare anybody to try and move me Darling in you, I found Strength where I was torn down Don’t know what’s in store, but together we can open any door Just to do what’s good for you and inspire you a little higher I know you can make a man out of a soul that didn’t have a goal ‘Cause we, we got the right foundation and with love and determination You’re all, you’re all I want to strive for and do a little more All, all the joys under the sun wrapped up into one You’re all, you’re all I need You’re all I need You’re all I need To get by Oh, babe Oh, babe Honey, honey, honey, honey, yeah I need you darling Oh, I need you (you’re all) All your love (all I need) Oh, oh, oh I love you darling (oh, baby) All I need I need your love (you’re all I want) Oh (oh) All you love now (yeah)
Gilda Susan Radner (American Comedian and Actress; June 28th, 1946 ~ May 20th, 1989)
“I am convinced that we are our own best selves in comfort clothes. Somehow, through the alchemy of fiber and fit, we are once again restored to Paradise, this time not naked before the Great Creator, but revealing in the clothes She intended for us to wear.”
“The Simple Abundance path encourages us to be patient until we find what’s perfect for us, rather than continue to waste our money, energy, and emotion settling for second-best or the second-rate.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I love my comfortable clothes. I would stay in them all the time, but they would not reflect who I am entirely. They only represent one part of me.” (Heather Houston 3-29-22)
“On a pilgrimage to explore my roots and my instinct is to wear cultural clothing. I set out my clothes for my trip tomorrow and am excited to live into my whole day!” (Heather Houston 3-29-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 97-98 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 