My Abundant Life 3-11-26

March 11th, 2026

Sending and Receiving Personal Signals

“If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change…The two women you are, they can make you over.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, December 1947)

“Each of us transmits personal signals about our self-esteem very day in myriad ways.”

“But there is an important reason why we should give a second thought to our personal appearance, even when we’re alone: the inner joy we experience when we look our best.”

“Many women feel in their hearts that they have missed full realization. Yet they need not accept this–help is within themselves. You can feel it within you–an inner drive for happiness. The close interrelation between this Inner You and this Outer You, the almost uncanny power of each to change the other–can change you from drabness to joyous self-fulfillment.”

Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, March 1949)

“…one of the most marvelous lessons you learn on a path of personal transformation is that when your heart is open to change, you’re able to recognize the personal signals of encouragement your authentic delf is constantly sending, no matter how unlikely the source.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“It is do coincidental, the Pond’s cold cream reference to a beauty tip my paternal grandmother shared with me. Grandma Houston had the most porcelain of skin well into her 70s. She shared that all she ever used was Pond’s cold cream at night. Amazing!” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)

“I found I took on another beauty technique from my Grandmother Houston, witch hazel. I have never been able to use an astringent as it always stripped my natural oil and made my skin shiny and irritated. The witch hazel is forgiving and still cleans the bacteria and surface oils without stripping my face. Thank you grandma!” (Heather Houston 3-11-26)


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. β€œSimple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 78-79 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 3-10-26

March 10th, 2026

  • “Thankful my allergies are staying in check with the beginning of spring.” (Heather Houston 3-10-26)
  • “I appreciate the dump truck making room for my merge when no one else would so I could make my exit.” (Heather Houston 3-10-26)
  • “I am grateful for the Amazon delivery of the items needed to complete the gift bags for the Social Worker Appreciation Luncheon I am hosting next week.” (Heather Houston 3-10-26)
  • “I am grateful every day to return home to our safe and sane ‘Hobbit House'” (Heather Houston 3-10-26)
  • “I love our nighttime banter before bedtime.”❀️ (Heather Houston 3-10-26)

  • “I am grateful for those first moments when you hold your newborn and get a whiff of their baby smell.  Magic in bonding and you never forget it!” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)
  • “I am grateful for the beauty of a work of art that moves you.” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)
  • “I am thankful for the good feeling you get when you make a final payment on a loan.” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)
  • “I appreciate equality and diversity.” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)
  • “I am blessed that during COVID quarantine, I got to work from home…even in my PJ’s!” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)

My Musical Life 3-10-26

March 10th, 2026

#57 I Got The Feelin’ (James Brown) πŸ‘πŸΌ

Lyrics:
I got the feeling
Baby, baby
I got the feelingπŸͺ„
You don’t know what you do to me
People are heavy, down in misery
Hey, yeah, alright
Hey, hey, good LordπŸͺ„
I got the feeling, alrightπŸͺ„
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, babyπŸͺ„
I got the feeling, baby
Baby, sometimes I’m up
Sometimes I’m down
My heart, I’m around the townπŸͺ„
I’m level with the ground, baby
I said level with the ground
Well, baby, you treat me badπŸͺ„
No, no, I know no, you don’t mean it now
Sometimes, I roam
But I’ll be coming back home
Sometimes, I seem to be fly
I just don’t know when to say bye byeπŸͺ„
Hey baby, baby
I got that feeling, baby
I have it, alrightπŸͺ„
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, baby, baby
Baby, babyπŸͺ„
Come on now
Come on now
Oh, oh, oh, oh

My Abundant Life 3-10-26

March 10th, 2026

You Are Not Your Appearance, but Does the Rest of the World Know That?

“The tragedy of our time is that we are so eye centered, so appearance besotted.”

Jessamyn West (American Author of Short Stories and Novels; July 17th, 1902 ~ February 23rd, 1984)

“All of us can pull ourselves together some of the time. Some of us can pull ourselves together all of the time. But none of us wants to be ‘pulled together’ every single moment of our lives.”

“Probably you were taught, as I was, that how we present ourselves to the world is very important. Unfortunately, our outside packaging counts for far more than it really should. Often, when we don’t live up to the world’s expectations of how we should look or behave, we fall victim to a vicious circle of self-loathing and denial that can be difficult to escape from unscathed. At times like these, it’s a comfort to remember that our souls are more dazzling than cellophane.”

“Beauty is an internal light, a spiritual radiance that all women have but most women hide, unconsciously, denying its existence. What we do not claim remains invisible. It’ is God’s will that we be beautiful, that we love and be loved and prosper in all good things. It is God’s will that we all become the goddesses we were created to be.”

Marianne Deborah Williamson (American Author, Spiritual Leader, and Political Activist; July 8th, 1952 ~ )

“But as you become more intimate with your authentic self–as you recover your true, incandescent identity–there will come a gradual but undeniable physical transformation. It is absolutely impossible to commit to your spiritual growth, awaken your own radiant Light and not have it reveal itself on the outside.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“As a sapio/demi-sexual, I am trapped to seeing others insides before I see their outsides. Since I see the world this way I expect other to also. Regrettably, I am a very small part of the population…single digits. This might be why I always felt out of place. I often wish I was just “normal” like everyone else who is driven by appearance as a primary motivator.” (Heather Houston 3-10-22)

“‘It is God’s will that we all become the goddesses we were created to be.’-Marianne Williamson. I love this most of all as my husband has helped me find my inner goddess and she is sexy hot and fun!”


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. β€œSimple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 77-78 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 3-9-26

March 9th, 2026

  • “I appreciate watching ‘Yours, Mine & Ours’ while getting my morning row completed.” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)
  • “I am thankful the heating in our office has been fixed so I don’t have to walk around with my coat on all day.” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)
  • “I am grateful that my Aunt Laura was able to get her medical appointment in before her trip to Australia.” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)
  • “I am thankful my husband knows how to make one of the best dishes ever…Peri Peri Shrimp!” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)
  • “I am blessed my husband loves me so hard!” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)

  • “I love hugs from loved ones.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)
  • “I am grateful for the freedom to speak my mind.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)
  • “I am thankful for friends who support me through thick and thin.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)
  • “I am grateful to not have any food allergies.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)
  • “I am blessed to be athletic.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)

My Musical Life 3-9-26

March 9th, 2026

#56 Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell) πŸ‘πŸΌ

Lyrics:
Ooh, babyπŸͺ„
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, no, no
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby
Ain’t nothing like the real thing (oh, honey)πŸͺ„
I’ve got your picture hangin’ on the wall
But it can’t see or come to me when I call your name
I realize it’s just a picture in a frame
Ooh, I read your letters when you’re not near
But they don’t move me and they don’t groove me
Like when I hear your sweet voice whispering in my ear
Don’t you know?πŸͺ„
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby
Ain’t nothing like the real thingπŸͺ„
I play my game of fantasy
I pretend, but I know in reality
I need the shelter of your arms to comfort meπŸͺ„
No other sound is quite the same as your name
No touch can do half as much
To make me feel better
So let’s stay togetherπŸͺ„
I’ve got some memories to look back on
Though they help me when you’re gone
I’m well aware
Nothing can take the place of your being there, ohπŸͺ„
So glad we’ve got the real thing, baby
So glad we’ve got the real thing
Oh, Marvin (I know, honey)
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby (so glad)
(So glad, oh, darling)
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, talk to me
Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby (ooh, oh, I’m so glad)
Ain’t nothing like the real thing

My Abundant Life 3-9-26

March 9th, 2026

A Radiant Reflection: Projecting Your Authentic Self

“So many women just don’t know how great they really are. They come to us all vogue outside and vague on the inside.”

Mary Kay Ash (American Businesswoman and Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc.; May 12th, 1918 ~ November 22nd, 2001)

“Few women know how great they really are. If truth were told, we’d all probably admit to feeling pretty vague about our personal appearance. Many of us would like to trade ourselves in for a sleeker version.”

“…flip through the catalogs. Cut out the pictures of the women you think are attractive and the clothing you’d love to wear.”

“Always remember that dreams–your creative visualizations–must come before their physical manifestations.”

“Create a collage of your ideal woman: find the perfect hairstyle, put together a fantastic wardrobe for home and work.”

“Since you have embarked on this adventure to awaken your authenticity and discover your own sense of style, be willing not to buy another item of clothing unless you absolutely cannot live without it. No more settling for something that’s not you or that’s second-rate.”

“Let the potent power of simplicity begin to work in your life. If it’s not authentically you, live without it.”

“Before my story began…” (Heather 3-9-22)

1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower

“This such a hard space for me to unfold. I have always been in a financial way that to buy myself anything for my wardrobe never went beyond the next racing t-shirt or sweat pants for my work. I feel like I have no sense of my own style and really don’t even no where to begin. My wardrobe has not evolved in over 20-25 years…UGH! I need to save money and hire a stylist to help me find that part of me.” (Heather Houston 3-9-22)

“I yearn to find my authentic style. One that is fusion for my busy life. I want classy, practical, sporty and elegant…LOL! Sounds like am impossible task. However, as a 2-Spirit woman, I believe I can find what works for me. I am in my birthday month and plan to get at least one item I must have.” (Heather Houston 3-9-26)


–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. β€œSimple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 76-77 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

Daily Gratitude 3-8-26

March 8th, 2026

  • “I appreciate sleep in Sundays.” (Heather Houston 3-8-26)
  • “I am grateful I locked in my sourdough pancake recipe.” (Heather Houston 3-8-26)
  • “I am thankful for a close parking spot at the grocery store so we can get in and out in quick fashion.” (Heather Houston 3-8-26)
  • “I am grateful for the adventurousness of my husband to create a delicious fusion pizza!” (Heather Houston 3-8-26)
  • “I am thankful I get the opportunity to live my life where every second is used up. A life where I collapse into our bed at the end of the day completely used up!” (Heather Houston 3-8-26)

  • “I am grateful to have the love and support of my parents.” (Heather Houston 3-8-22)
  • “I am humbled and honored to serve the wounded soldiers who have been protecting my freedoms.” (Heather Houston 3-8-22)
  • “I am blessed to be brave enough to strive for greater self love and acceptance of myself just as I am. I am enough.” (Heather Houston 3-8-22)
  • “I am thankful for beautiful music🎢…the story of my life!” (Heather Houston 3-8-22)
  • “I am grateful for pedicures…even if I drool from the pampering.” (Heather Houston 3-8-22)

My Musical Life 3-8-26

March 8th, 2026

#55 Summertime Blues (Blue Cheer) πŸ‘πŸΌ

Lyrics:
Lord, I gotta raise a fuss, Lord, I gotta raise a holler
About workin’ all summer just to try to earn a dollar
Well, Lord, I tried to call my baby, I tried to get a dateπŸͺ„
Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do
Lord, there ain’t no cure for the summertime bluesπŸͺ„
Well, my mom and papa told me, “Son, you got to make some money”
Well, if you wanna use the car to go a ridin’ next Sunday
Oh, Lord, I didn’t go to work, I told the boss I was sick, saidπŸͺ„
Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do
Lord, there ain’t no cure for the summertime bluesπŸͺ„
I’ve got to take three weeks, I’ve got to have a fine vacation
I got to take my problem to the United Nations
I done told my Congressman and he said quote, dig this boyπŸͺ„
Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do
Lord, there ain’t no cure for the summertime bluesπŸͺ„
I’ve got to take three weeks, I’ve got to have a fine vacation
I got to take my problem to the United Nations
I done told my Congressman and he said quote, dig this boyπŸͺ„
Sometimes I wonder what I’m a-gonna do
Lord, there ain’t no cure for the summertime bluesπŸͺ„
Whoa, there ain’t no cure