Ramblings, ideas and memoirs of a joyous adventurer. 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!
22nd BAFTA Awards Best Screenplay, Adapted: Buck Henry and Calder Willingham
22nd BAFTA Awards Best Screenplay, Original: Buck Henry and Calder Willingham
“I enjoyed watching this film and I have seen it several times before. Each time I glean something new from the personalities. Dustin Hoffman and Ann Bancroft are amazing. Societies constraints are magnified as this film dives into areas that are often not talked about…even today. I will definitely see this again when I need a fix.”
“I am grateful McDonalds breakfast is close by when we need breakfast and don’t want to cook.” (Heather Houston 2-21-26)
“I appreciate being witness to the impressive Olympic performance of Klabo in the 50k race.” (Heather Houston 2-21-26)
“I am grateful to enjoy a bratwurst for lunch.” Heather Houston 2-21-26)
“I am thankful a stranger at the store took my shopping cart in the parking lot…saving me extra time.” (Heather Houston 2-21-26)
“I am blessed my husband loves me so hard.” (Heather Houston 2-21-26)
“I appreciate my loving partner for making me a scrumptious breakfast…poached eggs, cherrywood bacon and sourdough toast. YUM! (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
“I am thankful that Whole Foods had beautiful brats in the meat section to substitute for the sausages we were trying to get at a Pike Place Market butcher. They were closed due to President’s Day. (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
“I am grateful for nitrogen infused Guinness beer. Simple and perfect! (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
“I am thankful for delicious brat dinner made with my honey! (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
“I am grateful for the excellent cuddle time with my partner at the end of the day. (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
Lyrics: I don’t want to hear it, No more fussin’ and fightin’ baby, Hold me tight. Let’s let bygones be bygones, Let’s think about tomorrow girl, Our future’s bright. Well, I know I was wrong, But, I was just a fool, Too blind to see You were the only girl for me. Ah but now I see the light, And everything’s gonna be all right, Baby, hold me tight. Well, I know I was wrong, But, I was just a fool, Too blind to see You were the only girl for me. Ah but now I see the light, And everything’s gonna be all right, Baby, hold me tight.
“Maybe being oneself is always an acquired taste.”
Patricia Hampl (American Memoirist, Writer, Lecturer, and Educator; March 12th, 1946 ~ )
“We must dig patiently with our pens to excavate our real selves….And fo what are we searching? Shards of our authentic self.”
“As long as one keeps searching, the answers come.”
Joan Baez (American Singer, Songwriter, Musician, and Activist; January 9th, 1941 ~ )
“The more we learn about ourselves and our preferences, the easier it is to make these choices. And creative choice is at the heart of authenticity.”
“Choice confers freedom–the freedom to embrace the new because it speaks to your soul and you are listening. Today be willing to consider the choices you have made in the past as you trace your life. Have they been the right ones for you? Do you make choices with your heart, mind, or gut? Are you comfortable with your style of making choices, or do you wish to try a different approach? Was there something you did not choose in the past that, with hindsight, you now wished you had?”
“Perhaps a long-buried dream still calls to you from a road you chose not to take. If this is true, then stop telling yourself that it’s too late.”
“Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations.”
Faith Baldwin (American Author; October 1st, 1893 ~ March 18th, 1978)
“The delay of our dreams does not mean that they have been denied. Perhaps now you have the wisdom to make alterations in your dream so that it can come true. Perhaps now you have the wisdom to choose differently.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“Certainly not all of my choices have been right. But, what is right? I am here now in a life that I am happy, joyful, and living authentically. Maybe all the choices needed to happen to get me here. If so, I would change nothing and do it all over again. I have always made choices using all three: mind, gut, heart. I am very intuitive and rely on this to guide me. I like the style I make choices, but sometimes wish I had even more of a carefree attitude. I think being neglected as a child and put in situations where my basic needs were not being met, led me to look for certainty in my life. I realize certainty is an unreality, but it was the only touchstone I had in my tool kit. I think there are always shoulda…coulda…wouldas for everyone in there past. Sometimes I think the access to a path is not available due to us not being ready yet.” (Heather Houston 2-21-22)
“I definitely make choices based on my heart, mind and gut. As an empath, I can’t avoid what I feel, sense and see. I don’t want my energies to be wound up in lamenting the past as my present is so fulfilling. My path was what is was to get me her and I am so thankful. I am the happiest I have ever been and am living in a loving relationship with my beloved husband and best friend.” (Heather Houston 2-21-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 54-55 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“I appreciate my sub contractor scheduling an early service call so I could prepare to arrive on time AND allow me the opportunity to end my day early on a FRI-YEAH!” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
“I am grateful to the hard work my administrative assistant did on creating a process for new vendor contract submission.” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
“I appreciate my husband calling in to get some veal bones saved for me to pick-up on the way home to make my trip quick and easy.” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
“I am grateful to my husband’s mad skills on preparing steak. We got to enjoy a beautiful fillet and fries…YUM!”(Heather Houston 2-20-26)
“I am thankful we get the opportunity to watch Olympic event replays. I remember when I was a kid that if you didn’t plan your day around the live broadcast, you missed out. Much better options today.” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
“I appreciate my partner patiently affording me time to work on my blog to get caught up.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I appreciate my partner making the bed.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I am grateful for my partner’s love.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I am thankful for the movies of the 90s. Just pure entertainment.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I am blessed to have a new pillow option for bed to relieve my neck pain.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
#36 The Look of Love (Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66) 👍🏼
Lyrics: The look of love is in your eyes A look the time can’t disguise The look of lo… ve is saying so much more Than just words could ever say And what my heart has heard Well, it takes my breath away I can hardly wait to hold you Feel my arms around you How long I have waited Waited just to love you Now that I have found you You’ve got the look of love It’s on your face A look the time can’t erase Be mine tonight Let this be just the start Of so many nights like this Let’s take a lover’s vow And then seal it with a kiss I can hardly wait to hold you Feel my arms around you How long I have waited Waited just to love you Now that I have found you Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go) Don’t ever go (Don’t ever go)
“Sometimes a person has to go back, really back–to have a sense, an understanding of all that’s gone to make them–before they can go forward.”
Sir Paul Roderick Clucas Marshall (British Investor; August 2nd, 1959 ~ )
“On the authentic dig we shall also go in search of a mosaic: what brought us moments of happiness and contentment.”
“Let your authnetic archaeologist gather artifacts that can coax memory: old photographs, letters, mementos.”
“See what memories are triggered as you reacquaint yourself with the girl and woman you once were. Linger only on the happy times. What you are searching for is a pattern of personal, authentic pleasures and preferences. These are the chips in your mosaic.”
“The events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in our significance to ourselves they find their own order…With patience and quiet observation, these events will provide the seeker in you with a ‘continuous thread of revelation.'”
Eudora Welty (American Short Story Writer, Novelist and Photographer; April 13th, 1909 ~ July 23rd, 2001)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I think I will start with my year book to try to reconnect with classmates and find high school pictures of myself.” (Heather Houston 2-20-22)
“I have been uncovering my past to see how it lands for me now. I have been intentionally listening to the music and watching films from my birth year 1968. It has been so fun to watch and listen…waiting to see what bubbles up. I realize I have a huge music and film interest genre. I even reeled in my husband to watch a few flicks with me. I love this journey!” (Heather Houston 2-20-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 53-54 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“I enjoyed watching this film and I don’t think I saw it before. Who doesn’t like Steve McQueen? He was the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry type in this cop movie. Entertaining and some good car chases. One time was enough as it is pretty dated.”
“I am grateful that it is mid-winter break for the schools as the traffic is so light on my commute.”(Heather Houston 2-19-26)
“I am thankful for my Mom sharing her thoughts and feelings for the daily ‘Simple Abundance’ devotion.”(Heather Houston 2-19-26)
“I appreciate getting a ton of my work tasks completed before the end of the work day.” (Heather Houston 2-19-26)
“I am thankful for the Malawi Mango Chicken dinner with Coconut Milk Rice my loving husband created.”(Heather Houston 2-19-26)
“I am blessed to live in a time where I can choose to watch an award winning film from 50 years ago or more…AMAZING!”(Heather Houston 2-19-26)
“I appreciate that on our country randomizer today it chose the country of Martinique. It will be fun to cook a Caribbean chicken dish.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I am grateful to have been able to find all the ingredients for our new chicken dinner at one market.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I am thankful to be able to be my partner’s sous chef while we create a scrumptious dinner.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I am grateful to have figured out a tropical cocktail recipe to enjoy pre-dinner.” (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
“I appreciate being able to suggest to my partner that we watch “Fight Club”. He loved it!”💪 (Heather Houston 2-19-22)
Lyrics: It’s a beautiful morning, ah I think I’ll go outside for a while and just smile Just take in some clean fresh air, boy (Ain’t) no sense in staying inside If the weather’s fine and you got the time It’s your chance to wake up and plan another brand-new day it’s a beautiful morning, ah Each bird keeps singing his own song, so long I’ve got to be on my way now (Ain’t) no fun just hanging around I got to cover ground, you couldn’t keep me down It just ain’t no good if the sun shines When you’re still inside (shouldn’t hide) Still inside (shouldn’t hide) Still inside (shouldn’t hide) Still in-, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh Oo-ooh-ah-ah Oo-ooh-ah-ah There will be children with robins and flowers Sunshine caresses each new waking hour Seems to me that people keep seeing more and more each day (Gotta say) lead the way (It’s okay) brand-new day (Gotta say) it’s okay Wednesday, Thursday, it’s okay Oh, oh, oh-oh Oo-ooh-ah-ah Oh, oh, oh-oh Oo-ooh-ah-ah Whoa, oh, oh, oh-oh Oo-ooh-ah-ah Oh (ooh-ah-ah) Oh, oh, oh-oh Oo-ooh-ah-ah
My Distilled Life 