January 23rd, 2026 @ 1:17PM
Driving home early from work I spotted a beautiful bald eagle circling the i-90 section of the freeway just before the 405 interchange. It was circling and playing in the updrafts.🦅
Eagle Sighting 1-23-26
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!
My Abundant Life 1-23-26
January 23rd, 2026
Accepting Real Life
“Everything in life that we really accept undergoes a change.”
Kathleen Mansfield Murry (known as: Katherine Mansfield) (New Zealand Writer; October 14th, 1888 ~ January 9th, 1923)
“Acceptance is surrendering to what is: our circumstances, our feelings, our problems, our financial status, our work, our health, our relationships with other people, the delay of our dreams. Before we can change anything in our life we have to recognize that this is the way it’s meant to be right now.”
“…I have also learned that when I surrender to the reality of a particular situation—when I don’t continue to resist, but accept—a softening in my soul occurs. Suddenly, I am able to open up to receive all the goodness and abundance available to me because acceptance brings with it so much relief and release. It’s as if the stream of struggle has been allowed to escape from life’s pressure cooker.”
“What happens when we accept our circumstances? Well, first of all, we relax. Next we change our vibration, our energy pattern, and the rate of our heartbeat.”
“Acceptance also illuminates reality so that we’re better able to see the next steps.”
“Our task is to say a holy yes to the real things our life as they exist.”
Natalie Goldberg (American Author and Speaker; January 4th, 1948 ~ )
“To accept my present circumstances is to be at peace with what is so. It allows me not to fester on the daily grind, but to then take new actions. These actions will lead to unexpected outcomes and add to my abundance. My partner always reminds me…’If you worry, you will eventually die. If you don’t worry, you will eventually die. So why worry?'” (Heather Houston 1-23-22 & 1-22-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 24 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Daily Gratitude 1-22-26
January 22nd, 2026
- “I am thankful my body was able to push hard enough on the rowing ergometer to escalate my strain to my WHOOP desired level…10.2!” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)
- “I am grateful that the defroster in the car was speedy enough to get my love to his dental appointment in time.” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)
- “I appreciate my supervisor approving my 3-hours of flex time so I can get off early from work on Friday.” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)
- “I am blessed to have a chef in the house who is leaning into his fusion experience as a chef. He made a western African & southern African pork pap n gravy dish that was out of this world!” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)
- “I appreciate my husband having a fire and cocktail at the ready when I get home from work to enjoy while holding hands and listening to good tunes! “🎶(Heather Houston 1-22-26)
- “I am thankful to have gotten all my weekend chores done even though my energy was low. I just recommitted myself to get organized and live into non-clutter and order.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
- “I truly adore my morning cup of coffee on the weekend as it is with the man I love deeply.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
- “I appreciate the QFC clerk in the self-checkout area for remembering me each time I visit and wishing me a great day. He is really and excellent human.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
- “I am blessed to have the deep love and attention from the love of my life. He loves me hard and authentically. Being able to feel safe and vulnerable with him allows the deepening of our connection. I love him!”💗 (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
- “I am grateful for another vacation via cuisine with my partner. We used a country randomizer which selected Singapore. Since we are committed to having chicken from all over the world, we found a recipe to make tonight, Singapore Chicken. It was exceptional and so fun to cook together with the Electric Light Orchestra blasting away.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
My Musical Life 1-22-26
January 22nd, 2026
#6 Sunshine Of Your Love (Cream) 👍🏼
It’s getting near dawn
When lights close their tired eyes
I’ll soon be with you my love
Give you my dawn surprise
I’ll be with you darling soon
I’ll be with you when the stars start falling
I’ve been waiting so long
To be where I’m going
In the sunshine of your love
I’m with you my love
The light’s shining through on you
Yes, I’m with you my love
It’s the morning and just we two
I’ll stay with you darling now
I’ll stay with you ’til my seas are dried up
I’ve been waiting so long
To be where I’m going
In the sunshine of your love
I’m with you my love
The light’s shining through on you
Yes, I’m with you my love
It’s the morning and just we two
I’ll stay with you darling now
I’ll stay with you ’til my seas are dried up
I’ve been waiting so long
I’ve been waiting so long
I’ve been waiting so long
To be where I’m going
In the sunshine of your love
My Abundant Life 1-22-26
January 22nd, 2026
The Prosperity of Living
“Woman must be the pioneer in this turning inward for strength. In a sense she has always been the pioneer.”
Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (American Author and Aviator; June 22nd, 1906 ~ February 2nd, 2001)
“The return of good times is not wholly a matter of money. There is a prosperity of the pocketbook,”
Ladies’ Home Journal (Editorial; October 1932)
“”It is not enough to be willing to make the best of things as they are. Resignation will get us nowhere. We must build what amounts to a new country. We must revive the ideals of the founders. We must learn the new values of money. It is a time for pioneering—to create a new security for the home and the family…Where we were specialists in living.”
Ladies’ Home Journal (Editorial; October 1932)
“Are you ready to become a pioneer?”
“I am committed to being a pioneer to find my new place in this portion of my life. It is all new territory, but I am brave, courageous and persistent. I am in action to create new possibilities in my life toward a life of abundance.” (Heather Houston 1-22-22)
“Wow…flash forward and I am living abundantly. Merely BEing present in my life in each moment has given me access to see and appreciate the abundance everywhere. I am so thankful to have learned this skill.” (Heather Houston 1-22-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 22-24 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Daily Gratitude 1-21-26
January 21st, 2026
- “I am grateful to watch “The Ocean” on Netflix which is narrated by Barrack Obama. Needing this positive energy right now in these uncertain times.” (Heather Houston 1-21-26)
- “I appreciate having a bit of fudge on hand in the house to fill my need for something sweet. Neil has a brilliant idea to take a square and cut it into smaller portions to enjoy throughout the day. BRILLIANT!” (Heather Houston 1-21-26)
- “I am thankful there was little to no traffic this morning on my commute.” (Heather Houston 1-21-26)
- “My lovely husband crafted a dish from our World Tour of Chicken to enjoy for dinner tonight…Singapore Chicken. Thank you my love!” ❤️(Heather Houston 1-21-26)
- (Heather Houston 1-21-26)
- “I appreciate my commitment to pursuing student loan forgiveness by calling and waiting on hold for 3 hours to get the answers to begin the process. The forgiveness of my loans would be a fiscal abundance to be free of that has been on my back for over 25 years.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22)
- “I am grateful to being successful at inputting over 120 appointments for my athletes so they would be afforded training time without other conflicts.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22)
- “I am thankful the federal student loan consolidation process toward loan forgiveness was a quick 15-minute process.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22)
- “I appreciate my partner’s patience with me as I texted him numerous questions during my grocery shopping. I was poopy tired and needed his input to decipher the Asian characters in the Uwajimaya Market in order to get the makings for Pork Lo Mein for dinner.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22)
- “I am blessed to be able to travel the world with my partner via our cooking. Tonight we made Pork Lo Mein and it was YUMMY!” (Heather Houston 1-21-22)
My Musical Life 1-21-26
January 21st, 2026
#5 People Got to Be Free (The Rascals) 👍🏼
All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free
Listen, please listen, that’s the way it should be
There’s peace in the valley, people got to be free
You should see
What a lovely, lovely world this’d be
Everyone learned to live together, ah hah
Seems to me
Such an easy easy thing it should be
Why can’t you and me learn to love one another?
All the world over, so easy to see
People everywhere just wanna be free (wanna be free)
I can’t understand it, so simple to me
People everywhere just got to be free
If there’s a man
Who is down and needs a helpin’ hand
All it takes is you to understand and
To pull him through, ah hah
Seems to me
We got to solve it individually, ah ah
And I’ll do unto you what you do to me
Said, no
Hear the shoutin’ from the mountains on out to the sea
No two ways about it, people have to be free (they gotta be free)
Ask me my opinion, my opinion will be
Natural situation for a man to be free
Get right on board now, huh, huh
Yeah oh, what a feelin’s just come over me
Love can move a mountain, make a blind man see
Everybody sing it now come on let’s go see
Peace in the valley now, we all can be free
See that train over there?
Now that’s the train of freedom
It’s about to ‘rrive any minute, now
You know it’s been’a long, long overdue
Look out ’cause it’s a’comin’ right on through
Ha, ha, yeah, ha, ha, yeah
My Abundant Life 1-21-26
January 21st, 2026
Letting Go of Limiting Illusions
“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (known as: Lady Mallowan or DBE) (English Writer; September 15th, 1890 ~ January 12th, 1976)
“For some of us the thought of trusting a power outside ourselves to help make our dreams come true is definitely a threatening concept, especially if we’re used to being in control—or rather, used to the illusion of being in control.”
“This is a challenging idea, as I do not believe in a god/God. However, I do believe the universe has an energy within it that links us all to one another. Tapping into this is the key to “flow”. I strive to find my “flow” each and every day.” (Heather Houston 1-21-22 & 1-21-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 21-22 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Daily Gratitude 1-20-26
January 20th, 2026
- “I am thankful my love gets up at the crack of dawn with me to make me breakfast for after my rowing workout. His care with making sure I am fed before work is priceless. Thank you my love!”❤️ (Heather Houston 1-20-26)
- “I am grateful we have a meeting at work today where they are bringing in box lunches. I was in a hurry this morning and neglected to make my lunch before leaving for work.” (Heather Houston 1-20-26)
- “I appreciate that tonight is Gringo Taco night and my love has made fresh Pico de gallo…YUM!” (Heather Houston 1-20-26)
- “I am blessed to have such a wonderful husband who creates yummy meals.” (Heather Houston 1-20-26)
- “I am thankful I have a warm home as I see the temperature beginning to fall to freezing tonight.” (Heather Houston 1-20-26)
- “I am thankful to be working with a group of swimming athletes who are committed to improving.” (Heather Houston 1-20-22)
- “I am thankful for my Spotify subscription to veg out to music on my commute home after a frustrating day at work.” (Heather Houston 1-20-22)
- “I am grateful to have a partner that listens to me without judgement as I melt down with frustration at learning my employer had renewed my contract at a wage that didn’t even meet the basic Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA). at a lowly 2.5% per year, my wage increase equated to .5% for the next 5 years. UGH! Time to find a new job!” (Heather Houston 1-20-22)
- “I am blessed to have a partner who shows me his love by giving me time to relax on the couch while he creates a delectable fillet and roasted potato dinner.” (Heather Houston 1-20-22)
- “I appreciate being wrapped up in the arms of my love at night, making me feel safe, supported and loved before I drift to sleep. A great way to bookend the day together.”💖 (Heather Houston 1-20-22)
My Musical Life 1-20-26
January 20th, 2026
#4 (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding) 👍🏼
Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
And I watch ’em roll away again, yeah
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooh, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
I left my home in Georgia
Headed for the ‘Frisco bay
‘Cause I’ve had nothing to live for
And look like nothing’s gonna come my way
So I’m just gonna sit on the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooh, I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
Look like nothing’s gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can’t do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I’ll remain the same, yes
Sittin’ here resting my bones
And this loneliness won’t leave me alone
It’s two thousand miles I roamed
Just to make this dock my home
Now, I’m just gonna sit at the dock of the bay
Watching the tide roll away
Ooh-wee, sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time
My Distilled Life 