Month: May 2026

My Abundant Life 5-20-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 20th, 2026

The Art of Puttering

“Puttering is really a time to be alone, to dream and to get in touch with yourself…To putter is to discover.”

Alexandria Stoddard (Author & Interior Designer; November 8th, 1941)

“…puttering is a solitary pursuit, to be appreciated with an unhurried pace for maximum metaphysical benefits. The essence of puttering is rearranging…”

“Part of the pleasure of puttering is free association. Think of puttering as a domestic Rorschach test. Instead of interpreting inkblots, we muse on the hidden meaning of personal possessions until we flow on to dreams, choices, risks, pleasures, authentic preferences.”

“‘Creative puttering’ is actually one of my favorite things to do at home. It helps us to become aware of what’s still important to us, what continues to have meaning. This quiet, private act can…bring the different aspects of your life into sharp focus—and identify your needs.”

Alexandria Stoddard (Author & Interior Designer; November 8th, 1941)

“I pretty much putter every season change.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 167 to 169 of 501.

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

My Musical Life 5-19-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Musical LifeLeave a comment

May 19th, 2026

#35 In the Ghetto (Elvis Presley) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
And his mama cries
‘Cause if there’s one thing that she don’t need
It is another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
People, don’t you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he’ll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me
Are we too blind to see?
Do we simply turn our heads
And look the other way🪄
Well, the world turns
And a hungry little boy with a runny nose
Plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
And his hunger burns
So he starts to roam the streets at night
And he learns how to steal
And he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
Then one night in desperation
The young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car
Tries to run, but he don’t get far
And his mama cries🪄
As a crowd gathers ’round an angry young man
Face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
And as her young man dies
(In the ghetto)
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin’
Another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
(In the ghetto)🪄
And his mama cries
(In the ghetto)
(In the ghetto)
(Ah)

My Abundant Life 5-19-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 19th, 2026

Order Within

“What a gift of grace to be able to take the chaos from within and from it create some semblance of order.”

Katherine Peterson (American Writer; October 31st, 1932)

“Spring cleaning can also be psychological, a time-out to confront the emotional clutter that has accumulated in your mental closet. It’s a pause for introspection—a midcourse correction for ordinary people in ordinarily stressful lives.”

Abigail Trafford (Journalist)

“One way to begin seeking order within is to come to grips with what drives you crazy but what you’ve been too distracted to do anything about.”

“There is a better way to live. It begins when we establish order within so that order will become a visible reality in our daily round. Start seeking order within by book-ending your day with reflection first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This quietude will remind you that you can make the choice every morning to live in the world but not be caught up in the frenzy of it, especially a frenzy of your own devising.”

“Quiet your mind, lift up your heart, muse, mull over, make discoveries. Consider, conceive, create, connect, concede that it all starts within.”

“Think about the day ahead and how it might unfold more smoothly. Invoke Divine Order, asking Spirit to take charge of your life today and every day. Visualize yourself at the end of a happy, stress-free, productive day, relaxing and enjoying the well-deserved leisure of the evening.”

“Book-ending your day by nurturing your Spirit means rousing your body earlier when you’re so exhausted from yesterday that you can barely crawl out of bed, or spending an extra moment with yourself at night when you’re ready to fall asleep like a stone.”

“Today, seek order within, so that Divine Order may be manifest outwardly in your daily round.”

“Today will be reviewing what I need and want in my life. My homework with my therapist was to create a list of 5 each. WOW, much harder than I expected.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 166 to 167 of 501.

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

My Musical Life 5-18-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Musical LifeLeave a comment

May 18th, 2026

#33 Easy To Be Hard (Three Dog Night) 👍🏼

Lyrics:
How can people be so heartless?
How can people be so cruel?
Easy to be hard
Easy to be cold🪄
How can people have no feelings
How can they ignore their friends
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no🪄
Especially people who care about strangers
Who say care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about the bleeding crowd
How about a needy friend
I need a friend🪄
How can people be so heartless?
You know I’m hung up on you
Easy to give in
Easy to held back🪄
Especially people who care about strangers
Who care about evil and social injustice
Do you only care about the bleeding crowd
How about a needy friend?
We all need a friend🪄
How can people be so heartless?
How can people be so cruel?
Easy to be proud
Easy to say no
You know it’s e-
Easy to say no
Easy to say no
Easy to be proud
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
I know it is🪄
Easy to say no
Easy to say no
It’s easy
It’s easy
Easy to say no, no, no
It’s easy, it’s easy, it’s easy, it’s easy

My Abundant Life 5-18-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 18th, 2026

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

“Out of clutter, find simplicity.”

Albert Einstein (Theoretical Physicist; March 14th, 1874 to April 18th, 1955)

“Spirituality, simplicity, and serenity seem to be a sacred trinity; three divine qualities of the orderly soul.”

“…our life is frittered away by detail.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Naturalist & Essayist; July 12th, 1817 to May 6th, 1862)

“I disagree. I think our lives are frittered away by lack of focus.”

“Simplify, simplify, simplify.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Naturalist & Essayist; July 12th, 1817 to May 6th, 1862)

“Simplifying our lives by only keeping what is dear or practical is a magic elixir for creating space for more and new abundance.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 165 to 166 of 501.

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