Ramblings, ideas and memoirs of a joyous adventurer.
Author: Heather Houston
Absinthe aficionado. Empathetic thinker-feeler. Verbose writer. Avidly authentic. Hydrangea fanatic. Snow leopard lover. Joy huntress. Promising my devotees a honest glimpse into my life as I live with freedom, power and full self-expression in an unfiltered and sometimes distilled way. CHEERS!
“I appreciate our fandom commitment to get up at 4AMish to watch the Arsenal to win against Mansfield in the 5th round of the FA Cup.” (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
“I am grateful my husband engineered a yummy breakfast sandwich with his homemade English muffins. YUMMY!” (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
“I am thankful when I am thinking ‘Hamburger’ for dinner and Neil and I blurt out at nearly the same moment…’Let’s have burgers for dinner.’ My husband and I are on the same wave length/vibration.” (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
“I grateful the best burgers around are coming from my kitchen…Mushroom Swiss Burgers in the house!” (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
“I appreciate an early retirement for the night after getting up at 4AM to support Arsenal.”🔴⚪️ (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
“I am grateful for the color blue as it has been my favorite color my whole life. Midnight Blue crayon is the BOMB!”💣 (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
“I appreciate the smell of cookies baking.” (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
“I am thankful for my spirit animal the snow leopard.” (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
“I am grateful for gin martinis as they are my go to cocktail.” (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
“I am thankful for BBQ Fritos chips…YUMMY!” (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
Lyrics: When I look up to the sky I see your eyes, a funny kind of yellow I rush home to bed, I sunk my head I see your face underneath my pillow I wake next morning, tired, still yawning See your face come peeping through my window Pictures of matchstick men and you Images of matchstick men and you All I ever see is them and you Windows echo your reflection When I look in their direction, gone When will this haunting stop? Your face, it just won’t leave me alone Pictures of matchstick men and you Images of matchstick men and you All I ever see is them and you You in the sky, you with this guy You make me cry, you lie You in the sky, you with this guy You make me cry, you lie Pictures of matchstick men Pictures of matchstick men Pictures of matchstick men Pictures of matchstick men
Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (known as: Marie Lloyd) (English Music Hall Singer, Comedian and Musical Theatre Actress; February 12th, 1870 ~ October 7th, 1922)
“Life requires that we prepare ourselves for the inevitable times that try our souls. This is achieved with a comfort drawer.”
“I don’t exactly have a dedicated drawer for my comfort drawer items as drawer space is not to be wasted. However, I do have my comfort items stashed all over the house to get access to when I need my fix.” (Heather Houston 3-7-22)
“I have a glass blown bowl I made in my kitchen vs. a comfort drawer…call it my comfort bowl. Filled with small sweets to nibble when the urge calls. I find when I actually have a bowl of sweets out, I actually eat less of them than I do when I have a craving. I used to keep a bowl of Hershey miniatures on my desk at the university for students to enjoy when they plopped down in my office. I very often kept it filled and rarely had any. I think this is a scarcity habit from my childhood. Nevertheless, I feel my comfort bowl fills my need for self-care of my spirit.” (Heather Houston 3-7-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 74-75 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“I am thankful my immune system was healthy enough to fight off a cold before it even began.”🏆 (Heather Houston 3-6-26)
“I appreciate being able to watch a move on my must see list (1968 Rachel, Rachel) while completed my morning rowing.” (Heather Houston 3-6-26)
“I am grateful for my work day seemed to go whizzing by so I could begin my weekend!” (Heather Houston 3-6-26)
“I appreciate ghetto fish tacos on a Friday night.” (Heather Houston 3-6-26)
“I am grateful to fall asleep to my husband gentle whispers of love.”❤️ (Heather Houston 3-6-26)
“I am thankful for my car which reliably gets me where I need to each day.” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“I am grateful for nature and all the beauty that lives.” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“I am thankful for the new opportunities in my life.” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“I appreciate beautiful flowers especially as spring begins. The plum and cherry trees are a pink pillow along my travels to work.” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“I am thankful for coconut cream pie made with coconut 🥥 macaroon crust.” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
Lyrics: You know that it would be untrue You know that I would be a liar If I was to say to you, yeah Girl, we couldn’t get much higher Come on baby, light my fire Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on fire The time for hesitation is through There’s no time to wallow in the mire Darling we can only lose And our love become a funeral pyre Come on baby, light my fire Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on fire, yeah Yeah, you know that it would be untrue And you know that I would be a liar If I was to go and tell you Momma we couldn’t get much higher Well, come on baby, light my fire Come on baby, light my fire Try to set the night on fire, yeah Yeah, come on baby light, would you light my fire, yeah Come on baby light my fire, would you, oh it’s alright Light my fire, light my fire, light my fire Light my fire, light my fire, light my fire, girl You better light my fire Come on baby, you better light, you better light my fire
“‘I pray you…your play needs no excuse. Never excuse.”
William Shakespeare (English Playwright, Poet and Actor; April 1564 ~ April 23rd, 1616)
“I have to constantly remind myself that I don’t need an excuse anymore to make toys a part of my life. If I am to continue to grow as a human being and as an artist, it’s imperative for me to respect the power of play”
“Playing is hard for most women I know. Creating your own toy box symbolically suggests the importance of fun if you’re to function at full throttle.”
“Play is the exultation of the possible.”
Mark Buber (Austrian Jewish and Israeli Philosopher; February 8th, 1878 ~ June 13th, 1965)
“Play is needed by adults and children alike. Some assume to play is childish. However, adults need play just as much as children. We are just older and often society has shamed us into not playing. This is why you see so many adults in sports leagues, practicing hobbies and getting silly. Play is normal, so carry on!” (Heather Houston 3-6-22)
“Play has become my life…I live in one continuously, delicious, never-ending best date ever with my beloved!”❤️
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 73-74 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Lyrics: Spring was never waiting for us, girl It ran one step ahead As we followed in the dance Between the parted pages and were pressed In love’s hot, fevered iron Like a striped pair of pants MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don’t think that I can take it ‘Cause it took so long to bake it And I’ll never have that recipe again Oh no! I recall the yellow cotton dress Foaming like a wave On the ground around your knees The birds, like tender babies in your hands And the old men playing checkers by the trees MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don’t think that I can take it ‘Cause it took so long to bake it And I’ll never have that recipe again Oh no! There will be another song for me For I will sing it There will be another dream for me Someone will bring it I will drink the wine while it is warm And never let you catch me looking at the sun And after all the loves of my life After all the loves of my life You’ll still be the one I will take my life into my hands and I will use it I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it I will have the things that I desire And my passion flow like rivers through the sky And after all the loves of my life Oh, after all the loves of my life I’ll be thinking of you And wondering why MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don’t think that I can take it ‘Cause it took so long to bake it And I’ll never have that recipe again Oh no! Oh no No Oh no!
“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers–that perches in the soul…”
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (American Poet; December 10th, 1830 ~ May 15th, 1886)
“Not every one of our desires can be immediately gratified. We’ve got to learn to wait patiently for our dreams to come true, especially on the path we’ve chosen. But while we wait, we need to prepare symbolically a place for our hopes and dreams.”
“Faith is the very first thing you should pack in a hope chest.”
“I remember in high school my best friend had spoken about a hope chest. I immediately thought I needed one as well. So, what did I do? Hope…wish…pray my parents would magically read my mind and get me one. Why did I want one? Because the “Jones” were saying I should have one. Apparently those to be married should have one. In retrospect, this was ridiculous. What I was really hoping was that if it magically materialized, it would mean I was worthy, enough…loved. My story was working overtime while I was in high school. Being a late bloomer really sucked…always late to the party!” (Heather Houston 3-5-22)
“I really loved the authors idea of creating a hope chest per se as a wicker basket filled with books she loved to gift to her daughter on her 16th birthday. I am long past 16, and have an ask of my own mother. Share with me more of your poetry at different times in your life so I get a glimpse of who you are as a woman, my mother, a sister, a daughter and a wife. My mom’s share of her poetry from when she was 13 years old filled me with so much joy. I felt like I was actually getting to know…HER. I love you Mom!”❤️ (Heather Houston 3-5-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 72-73 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
26th Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Drama: Peter O’Toole
41st Academy Awards Best Actress: Katherine Hepburn
41st Academy Awards Best Screenplay, Adapted: James Goldman
41st Academy Awards Best Original Score: John Barry
22nd BAFTA Awards Best Original Score: John Barry
“This was like watching a real princes of England show today. All the relationship twists and back-stabbing to boot. Fun to see Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn acting with one another. Good timeless flick.”
My Distilled Life 