“A house is who you are, not who you ought to be.”
Jill Robinson (American Novelist, Essayist, and Teacher; May 30th, 1936 to July 20th, 2024)
“You will express yourself in your house whether you want to or not.”
Elsie de Wolfe (American Actress; December 20th, 1865 to July 12th, 1950)
“When we do, the principles of gratitude, simplicity, and order will begin to transform the places where we live into hallowed havens of comfort and contentment—with or without the new slipcovers.”
“Today, no matter where or how you live, look upon your home through the eyes of Love. Walk around the rooms and offer thanks for the walls and roof that safely enclose you and yours. Pause for a moment to consider all the women who have lost their homes through death, divorce, debt, or disaster. Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that, at this moment, all you have is all you truly need.”
“My home is my husband, so where ever we hang our hats is home. I prefer to live in a way where all the spaces are lived in an used. Having a formal dining room, etc. does not interest me as most of us know that room is rarely used and we often find our selves eating in the kitchen or at the daily dining table.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 145 to 146 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
A Welcome Retreat: Home as a Haven in a Hectic World
“Every spirit builds itself a house, and beyond its house a world, and beyond its world a heaven. Know then that world exists for you.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist; May 25th, 1803 to April 27th, 1882)
“…heaven on earth…not only from injury, but from all terror, doubt and division.”
John Ruskin (English Polymath and Writer; December 10th, 1907 to November 8th, 1998)
“Home is where we start from.”
T. S. Eliot (Poet & Essayist; September 26th, 1888 to January 4th, 1965)
“Begin believing that the time, energy, and emotion you invest daily in the soulcraft of homecaring—carving out a haven for yourself and those dear to you—is a sacred endeavor.”
“I have always cherished the early morning hours when I get up and clean-up the kitchen from the previous nights activities. To set-up the coffee for my love and feel that my start to the day is complete. A clean and orderly home clears my mind of the unnecessary dialogue. Each day I live into my life with enthusiasm and energy knowing my home is my haven and I treat her with respect and keep maintained as my families sanctuary.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 144 to 145 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it’s a pity that we use it so little.”
Rachel Carson (American Marine Biologist and Writer; May 27th, 1907 to April 14th, 1964)
“Smells spur memories, but they also rouse our dozy senses, pamper and indulge us, help define our self-image, stir the cauldron of our seductiveness, warn us of danger, lead us into temptation, fan our religious fervor, accompany us to heaven, wed us to fashion, steep us in luxury…”
Diane Ackerman (American Poet and Essayist; October 7th, 1948)
“I am playing with scent. The other day I work my husbands cologne as I think it smells delicious. Amazingly, with my chemistry, I didn’t prefer it on me. However, when combined with my husbands natural occurring scent, it is remarkable!”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 128 to 129 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”
Oscar Wilde (Irish Author and Poet; December 30th, 1865 to January 18th, 1936)
“We were created to experience, interpret, and savor the world through our senses–our ability to smell, taste, hear, touch, see, and intuit.”
“…to perceive the world with all its gushing beauty and terror, right on our pulses.”
Diane Ackerman (American Poet and Essayist; October 7th, 1948)
“…to begin to understand the gorgeous fever that is consciousness, we must try to understand the senses. The senses don’t just make sense of life in bold or subtle acts of clarity, they tear reality apart into vibrant morsels and reassemble them into a meaningful pattern.”
Diane Ackerman (American Poet and Essayist; October 7th, 1948)
“If we had keen vision and feeling for all ordinary human life it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heart beat, and we should die of the roar which lies on the other side of silence. As it is, the quickest of us walks about well wadded with stupidity.”
George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) (English Novelist and Poet; November 22nd, 1819 to December 22nd, 1880)
“I have found ever since beginning my intentional journey in BEingness, all my senses have improved and become more acute. I am loving how wonderful our human protein sacks are to experience this beautiful world!”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 127 to 128 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“I will tell you what I learned myself. For me a long, five- or six-mile walks helps. And one must got alone and every day.”
Brenda Ueland (American Journalist and Editor; October 24th, 1891 to March 5th, 1985)
“It requires a direct dispensation from Heaven to become a walker.”
Henry David Thoreau (American Naturalist and essayist; July 12th,1817 to May 6th, 1862)
“…most days I go on walks for a ‘movement meditation’–fitness of the spirit. I try to quiet the voices in my head, take long strides, and concentrate on the slow, steady rhythm of my breath, comforted by the interior silence.”
“I love walking and try to get in a 3-5 minute walk every hour at work. Usually once around the block is enough to clear my head and breath fresh air. My favorite meditative walks are holding my husband’s hand and walking quietly together in wonder of the majesty of the beautiful planet we inhabit.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 120 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“‘I haven’t got a thing to wear’ does not of course, mean that we must report to nakedness or seclusion; it means that our wardrobes contain nothing that might match our mood or offer a just reflection of our current lives.”
Kennedy Fraser (American Essayist, and fashion writer; 1948)
“Today, I only want you to consider your real life and the clothes you wear every day. Do they really reflect the woman within? What about the clothes that speak to you from the pages of your illustrated discovery journal? What about the clothes that hang abandoned in your closet?”
“Clothes have a life that is quite independent of their shape and color.”
Kennedy Fraser (American Essayist, and Fashion writer; 1948)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-25-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I am sure my current wardrobe does not fit the inner woman I am. To create a wardrobe you need extra funds to invest in yourself and I have never been that lucky. I have had to rely upon practicality and function over my own self reflection. The clothing I have been posting in my illustrated journal actually reflect me more closely, but do not fit into my work life. Clothes abandoned in my closet are historical reflections of my past trying to show my true self. I haven’t purchased anything really new in almost a decade.” (Heather Houston 3-25-22)
“Because of my work, I default to wearing one pair of pants the entire work week and alternate new shirts everyday. I consider it a uniform of sorts. It greatly reduced laundry and I am mostly comfortable. However, it does not reflect my style. I think it is time to revamp my wardrobe over time and pick a new piece to add when I have the time and energy to go looking. Even if I purchase something I can modify to meet me in my style interests could be fun. I will put some further thought into this idea.” (Heather Houston 3-26-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 92 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Repose is a quality too many undervalue. …In the clamor one is irresistibly drawn to the woman who sits gracefully relaxed, who keeps her hands still, talks in a low voice and listens with responsive eyes and smiles. She creates a spell around her, charming to the ear, the eye and the mind.”
Good Housekeeping (November 1947)
“We have all met her, that special woman who draws you into her orb with a radiant smile. Her eyes light up as you tell her how you’ve been. She attracts men, women, children, and animals, for her complete attention is soothing and hypnotic. When you walk away from her you feel as if you have been bathed in a beautiful warm light.”
“You have. It’s called Love, and this ancient beauty secret is available to all of us. When we are genuinely interested in others, a graciousness comes over us that is compelling.
“She did not talk to people as if they were strange hard shells she had to crack open to get inside. She talked as if she were already in the shell. In their very shell.”
Marita Bonner (known as: Marieta Bonner) (American Writer, Essayist, and Playwright; June 16th, 1899 ~ December 6th, 1971)
“Would that each of us were such a woman. Would that each of us could become one. We can. …by taking the time to step outside our own sphere to embrace others, we open ourselves up to the power of Spirit. We are suddenly lit up from inside, and this illumination can transform our looks more effectively than any fancy salon beauty makeover.”
Today, as as if you are a woman with repose of the soul. Greet everyone you meet with a warm smile. …don’t rush your encounters. Speak softly. Listen attentively. Act as if every conversation you have is the most important thing on your mind today. Look…your partner in the eyes when they talk to you. …caress the dog. Lavish love on every living being you meet. See how different you feel at the end of the day.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-19-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I see parts of me in this charismatic space from time to time. I am already very warm and approachable, which lends itself to this space with others. I think I miss it sometimes as I am oblivious. I need to be more intentional about how I engage with others.” (Heather Houston 3-19-22)
“Repose of the soul is what my husband reminds me of everyday. He says I am a sexy hot fun chic and completely irresistible when I don’t hide. I have spent most of my life hiding behind not being lovable or worthy. No longer. UNLEASH THE SNOW LEOPARD!” (Heather Houston 3-19-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 85-86 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“How women look and how their looks change in the course of their lives, is not a frivolous question…’How do I look?’ she asks as her eyes meet the eyes in the mirror. She listens carefully for an answer, because it might prove quite illuminating.”
Kennedy Fraser (American Essayist, and Fashion Writer; 1948 ~ )
“‘How do I look?’ Is a question all of us have spent our lives asking others. But now that you are on a path towards your authenticity you have reached the point when you need to gently ask yourself this loaded question. And, once having asked, you need to listen carefully for the answer. Better yet, when you gaze into the mirror you should ask, ‘How do I feel?’ because how you feel about yourself on any particular day will influence how you look more than what you are wearing.”
“…we need to change our approach to beauty completely. Personal transformation begins with a strong inner life. We need to let Spirit show us the way…Twenty minutes of meditation a day, quiet reflection, or a restorative walk seeking your authentic self will do more for your looks than you will believe.”
“If we go down into ourselves we find that we possess exactly what we desire.”
Simone Adolphine Weil(French Philosopher, Mystic, and Political Activist; February 3rd, 1909 ~ August 24th, 1943)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-12-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I think my meditation needs to include a mantra of self-love. I often wonder what it would be like to love yourself…love your protein sack…HHHhhhmmmmmm.” (Heather Houston 3-12-26)
“I find my inner beauty routine involves my morning meditation and devotion to my sacredness and the blessing I am. Remembering to judge nothing that occurs and remain in the world of acceptance has really started my days in better peace and tranquility. It quiets the noise so I can start the daily newly without the recording playing in the background.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 79-80 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Walter Whitman (American Poet, Essayist and Journalist; May 31st, 1819 ~ March 26th, 1892)
“Creative excursions are regular solo rendezvous with your authentic self designed for this purpose. In the beginning of any intimate relationship the best gift you can offer another person is the investment of quality time together. So it is with your authentic self.”
“When you embark on creative excursions, your authentic self will lovingly reveal to you the beautiful mystery that is you. This occurs spontaneously as you make the pursuit of personal growth a sacred endeavor.”
“Creative excursions require an investment of time, not money.”
“…once we realize that nurturing our imaginations and developing a relationship with our authentic selves is an investment we can no longer afford to put off.”
“Well, wouldn’t you know it, I did it again. Putting off what I should do. UGH! No more. Working on my resume now!!!” (Heather Houston 2-1-22)
“I have added a weekly creative excursion to my calendar on Fridays so I an reconnect to my authentic self and pay amends to her for not nurturing this part of her deep desire. This could be anything that will dedicate time to my authentic self…small or large…alone or with my husband. The point is to take time each week to acknowledge and feed my soul. It feels a bit selfish, and I am learning to put myself first after a lifetime of placing myself last or not at all. I am blessed my husband supports me in this general idea of filling my cup first before filling others. Part of this commitment will include rewatching or watching for the first time films throughout my lifetime. I think rewatching these films will bring up fond memories of times in the past as well as seeing them newly with my new outlook on life.” (Heather Houston 2-1-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 35-36 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 