“I appreciate I have learned to listen to my inner voice and take a rest day from my workouts when my soul needs another focus.” (Heather Houston 2-6-26)
“I am thankful for such a loving and kind husband!” ❤️(Heather Houston 2-6-26)
“I am grateful for having access to all the music of my life to enjoy and reminisce.” (Heather Houston 2-6-26)
“I am grateful the Arsenal ⚽ game tomorrow is not at 5AM!” (Heather Houston 2-6-26)
“I am blessed to recognize when I am tired and asking for what I need…’I’m tired and need to go to bed.'”(Heather Houston 2-6-26)
“I appreciate my partner urging me to join him in the park to soak up on some of the sunshine. It is amazing how a little sun can create a shift in your mood.” (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
“I am blessed to have employment during this time when the economy is struggling.” (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
“I am grateful that my family has included me in the “Family” group text. It keeps me connected to my extended family even when they are several states away.” (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
“I appreciate my dog always being excited to see…each and every time.” (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
“I am thankful for pizza. The easiest way to enjoy a meal with little to no effort.” (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
Driving to home eastbound on Northeast 8th Street & 124th Avenue Northeast, I spotted a beautiful bald eagle circling the King County Metro Base Pond area to the north of me. 3rd eagle sighting for today!🦅
Driving to home northbound I-405, I spotted a beautiful bald eagle circling the Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm to the west of me. 2nd eagle sighting for today!🦅
“I have made my world and it is a much better world than I ever saw outside.”
Louise Nevelson (American Sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wooden wall pieces and outdoor sculptures; September 23rd, 1899 ~ April 17th, 1988)
“The Quaker tradition teaches that this Light is within each of us. The Quakers, or members of the Religious Society of Friends, are a perfect example of individuals who manage the delicate balance of living in the world but not belonging to it. This is because they refuse to segment their lives into the Sacred and the secular. Instead, Quakers believe that all of life’s daily experiences are spiritual in nature…”
“The essence of Quaker spirituality is the certainty that everything we do has religious significance. It is not cutting ourselves off from life but entering deeply and fully into it.”
George Gorman (U.S. Representative from Illinois; April 13th, 1873 ~ January 13th, 1935)
“Simplicity is the common thread that stitches together Quaker lives, home, and dress. Their weekly worship service, or Meeting, is a silent meditation. Rhythm, reverence, and reflection are their hallmarks. These touchstones can help us as well as we attempt to remake our personal world.”
“Think of the steady, reassuring rhythm of the natural world–the ebb and flow of the tides, the recurring cycle of the four seasons, the monthly phases of the moon, and the daily progression from day into night. Rhythm needs to be the cornerstone in our personal world as well.”
“Today be willing to reflect quietly on the role that rhythm plays in your daily life. Your heart will always tell you what’s working and what’s not. Restoring rhythm to the way you conduct your affairs can bring you contentment and a sense of well-being that will nurture and sustain you when the cares of the world can’t be left behind.”
“Today was all about shushing my demons and quieting my mind. My partner is the best at getting me to be present.”💓 (Heather Houston 2-6-22)
“I have found a rhythm in my day to day. Maintaining a regular bedtime is one area which has paid off huge dividends. Focusing on getting enough rest each night has dramatically improved my health and mental capacity.” (Heather Houston 2-6-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 40-41 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Driving to work westbound, I spotted a beautiful bald eagle perched on the new railway wind gauge pole at the midspan point of the bridge…AGAIN. I think this bird is in the “FLOW” with me!🦅
“So grateful my Aunt Sue has a great neuro-surgery team who is direct and straight and direct with the best options for her care.” (Heather Houston 2-5-26)
“Blessed to have a husband who makes me one of my favorite breakfasts this morning…Eggs In A Basket.” (Heather Houston 2-5-26)
“I appreciate being so productive today at work and go a lot of my many “To Dos” completed.” (Heather Houston 2-5-26)
“I am thankful QFC had the barrel-aged feta cheese to add to our Greek Salad for dinner.”(Heather Houston 2-5-26)
“I am blessed to be on engagement #3 with my husband…EPIC!”(Heather Houston 2-5-26)
“I appreciate my partner making a new chicken dish from New Zealand, Herb & Miso Chicken With Creamy Polenta.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
“I am thankful I was able to get the launder done.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
“I am thankful my sewing machine was repaired and still going strong.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
“I am grateful for my sewing skills to repair my partner’s jeans so he had more than 1 pair of pants to wear.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
“I am blessed to have a warm safe home to live within.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
#20 Dance To The Music (Sly & The Family Stone) 👍🏼
Lyrics: Sing, get on up and dance to the music Get on up and dance to the music Dance to the Music, dance to the music Dance to the Music, dance to the music All we need is a drummer For people who only need a beat, yeah I’m gonna add a little guitar And make it easy to move your feet I’m gonna add some bottom So that the dancers just won’t hide You might like to hear my organ I said ride Sally ride, now (Cynthia, what? Gerry, what?) If I could hear the horns blow Cynthia on the throne, yeah Listen to me Cynthia and Jerry got a message that’s sayin’ All the squares, go home, yeah-yeah Listen to the voices Dance to the Music, dance to the music Dance to the Music, dance to the music
“What I mean by living to one’s self is living in the world, as in it, not of it.”
William Hazlitt (English Essayist, Drama and Literary Critic, Painter, Social Commentator, and Philosopher; April 10th, 1778 ~ September 18th, 1830)
“The world is too much with us…Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”
William Wordsworth (English Romantic Poet; April 7th, 1770 ~ April 23rd, 1850)
“…despite all the doom and gloom that constantly assaults our senses, there is a way for us to ransom our lives and reclaim our futures: it consists in truning away from the world to recognize what in life makes us truly happy…But once we obtain this inner knowledge, we will possess the ability to transform our outer world.”
“You can live a lifetime and, at the end of it, know more about other people than you know abut yourself.”
Beryl Markham (English-born Kenyan Aviator, Adventurer, Racehorse Trainer and Author; October 26th, 1902 ~ August 3rd, 1986)
“Wean yourself away from the opinions of others—however talented, creative, and celebrated they may be—as you continue to journey within. Absorb the shock of becoming aware that many of your preferences and opinions are not truly your own. BEgin, instead, to listen for the whisper of your authentic self telling you which way to go. We are always being shown the next steps of our uniquely personal journey.”
“Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the Deeper Vibration. Listen carefully. Spirit’s playing your song.”
“Today I am committed to finding way to practice self-acceptance.” (Heather Houston 2-5-22)
Embrace what makes me unique.
Let go of the things I can’t change.
Identify my strengths.
Set goals.
Celebrate my accomplishments.
Plan ahead.
Think positively.
Be kind to myself.
Get involved.
Find support.
“Flash forward and I really have evolved into really accepting and loving myself. For most my life I struggled with trying to be something I thought others wanted me to be…a hamster on a hamster wheel. Now I am free to be me and that is perfect!” (Heather Houston 2-5-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 39-40 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Driving northbound to work on 23rd Avenue near Garfield High School, I spotted a beautiful bald eagle circling the Swedish Hospital campus area to the west of me. 🦅
My Distilled Life 