Tag: American Essayist

My Abundant Life 7-26-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

July 26th, 2026

Discovering What You’d Like to Do, If You Ever Had the Time

“Develop interest in life s you see it; in people, things, literature, music–the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.”

Henry Miller (American Novelist & Short Story Writer, December 26th, 1891 to June 7th, 1980)

“In the beginning spending regular time alone just to collect your thoughts will seem like indulgence enough. Spending toe alone to nurture your authentic vision, to express yourself creatively, to enjoy a personal pursuit that brings you contentment and pleasure will seem–well, impossible. Incredulous. Impractical, Inconceivable. Out of the question.”

It’s called zest. Exuberance. Joi de vivre, as the French would say, or ‘the love of life.’ The great delight that comes when the pieces of our particular puzzle finally fit. The heartfelt happiness we derive when something brings us keen pleasure. Something uniquely our own. They used to call this magical something a hobby.”

“How I think about my work is indistinguishable from the way I think about my needlepoint or cooking: here is the project I’m involved in. It is play. In this sense all my life is spent in play–sewing or needlepoint, or picking flowers or writing, or buying groceries.”

Diane Johnson (American Novelist & Essayist; April 28th, 1934)

“Once you commit to bringing more of a sense of play into your daily round with authentic personal pursuits, life will begin to take on a harmonious lilt.”

“My husband and I call this BEing in the FLOW. The Universe has a natural FLOW or rhythm that once you align with it, the possibilities unfold.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 272 to 273 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 7-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

July 25th, 2026

Opening a Door That Separates Two Worlds

“There are voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist, May 25th, 1803 to April 27th, 1882)

“It’s impossible to experience solitude regularly for any extended length of time without personal passions and authentic longing surging to the surface of your awareness. Once you embarked on the search for your own authentic style, followed the wisdom of your own heart and have seen the results begin to blossom in your life, you realize that solitude cracks open the door that separates two worlds: the life we lead today and the life we yearn for so deeply.”

“..would not exchange her solitude for anything. Never again be forced to move to the rhythm of others.”

Tillie Olsen (American Writer; January 14th, 1912 to January 1st, 2007)

“…once we learn to respect and cherish our need for solitude, opportunities will arrive in which we can learn to nourish our imaginations and nurture our souls.”

“Begin slowly but resolutely. Take comfort in knowing that even stolen moments of solitude–quarter-hour increments–eventually can add up to a lifetime of serenity. Be patient.”

“No matter how slow the film, Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer it has chosen.”

Minor White (American Photographer; July 9th, 1908 to June 24th, 1976)

“I used to steal moments and now I schedule them into my day as part of my well-being.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 271 to 272 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 6-16-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

June 16th, 2026

The Fragrant Home

“I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred, I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Essayist; May 25th, 1803 to April 27th, 1882)

“There’s no place like home.”

Howard Payne

“Perhaps there’s no place like home because no place else on earth smells quite like home.”

“A fragrant home is a simple pleasure but one rich in the resonance of reassurance. Subtly layering scents throughout the rooms in your home imparts a feeling of luxury to your living spaces.”

“In today’s world I find it not just nice but necessary to surround myself and my family with things that are familiar, warm, and reassuring.”

Barbara Milo Ohrbach (Author)

“I need to air out the house and then fill it with fresh baked cookies or bread next week while I am on PTO.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 212 to 213 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 5-18-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 18th, 2026

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

“Out of clutter, find simplicity.”

Albert Einstein (Theoretical Physicist; March 14th, 1874 to April 18th, 1955)

“Spirituality, simplicity, and serenity seem to be a sacred trinity; three divine qualities of the orderly soul.”

“…our life is frittered away by detail.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Naturalist & Essayist; July 12th, 1817 to May 6th, 1862)

“I disagree. I think our lives are frittered away by lack of focus.”

“Simplify, simplify, simplify.”

Henry David Thoreau (American Naturalist & Essayist; July 12th, 1817 to May 6th, 1862)

“Simplifying our lives by only keeping what is dear or practical is a magic elixir for creating space for more and new abundance.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 165 to 166 of 501.

I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.

My Abundant Life 5-4-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 4th, 2026

The Personality of Your Home

“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.

My Abundant Life 5-3-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

May 3rd, 2026

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.

My Abundant Life 4-23-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

April 23rd, 2026

The Scent of a Woman

“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.

My Abundant Life 4-22-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

April 22nd, 2026

Sensory Awakening

“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.

My Abundant Life 4-16-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

April 16th, 2026

Walking as Meditation

“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.

My Abundant Life 3-25-26

On By Heather HoustonIn My Abundant LifeLeave a comment

March 25th, 2026

Real Life: Clothes That Fit Your Lifestyle

“‘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.