Tag: Body Mind & Spirit

My Abundant Life 6-19-26

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June 19th, 2026

Onward and Upward in the Garden

“Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

May Sarton (Belgian-American Novelist & Poet; May 3rd, 1912 to July 16th, 1995)

“To my mind, there are two types of lady gardeners. There are those extraordinary women who not only know every flower, but know every flower by its Latin name. These women look as beautiful as the flora they nurture, gardening in wide-brimmed straw hats and pearls, trailing chiffon, and wearing Ferragamo shoes. They keep meticulous gardening journals, plt plant placements on graph paper, and never break into a sweat when wielding a trowel and a spade. Katherine White belonged to this gardening genius.”

“‘Grunge’ accurately describes the other group. We are always hot, smelly, and sweaty in the garden, boasting not so much a green thumb as dirty fingernails because we forgot where we put our gardening gloves. We speak of ‘that little yellow flower’ and point.”

“Gardening has become an unexpected instrument of grace, for I’ve discovered hours of inner peace on my knees, digging in the dirt. Here is the one place I don’t think about work or worry about whatever it is that I can’t control. The complete absorption, the sacrament of the present moment I experience when planting or weeding brings exquisite contentment. My mind is stilled and my heart expands. Now I know why the Great Creator intended for women to flourish in a garden. So much for second-guessing the wisdom of Spirit.”

“I miss having a garden. It is something that brings me peace and contentment.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 217 to 218 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-18-26

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June 18th, 2026

Choosing to Blossom

“And the day came when the risk (it took) to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom..”

Anais Nin (French-American Diarist & Essayist; February 21st, 1903 to January 14th, 1977)

“How much time, creative energy, and emotion do we expend resisting change because we assume growth must always be painful?”

“When we commit to nurturing our authentic selves, people close to us are going to start noticing that changes are taking place.”

“For it can be difficult to express your authentic needs by saying ‘Sorry, I can’t’ when everybody else assumes you can. But it’s worse to thwart the ascent of your authenticity. The day comes—maybe it’s today—when ‘remaining tight in the bud’ is more painful then blossoming.”

“Each blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers. ‘Grow, grow.'”

The Talmud

“My growth and unfolding of my authentic self feels like a new Spring for myself.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 215 to 216 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-17-26

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June 17th, 2026

Affordable Splendor

“There never has been a house so bad that it couldn’t be made over into something worthwhile.”

Elsie De Wolfe (American Actress; December 20th, 1885 to July 12th, 1950)

“Today I would love to convince you that there is no room in your home that cannot be transformed by using fabric, paints, a saw, a hammer, nails, needle and thread, a sewing machine, glue, the amazing staple gun and your own imagination, time and energy.”

“The most important thing about decoration, is the fun of it. The fun of discovering a broken-down nothing and turning it into something…Best is to just charge ahead with confidence, enjoyment and a sharp pair of scissors for cutting corners.”

Dianna Phipps (Interior Designer & Philanthropist; February 22nd, 1936 to July 2024))

“I love reinventing spaces in my home by creating more beauty or efficiency. Our home is modest and loved.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 213 to 215 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

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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 6-15-26

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June 15th, 2026

The Secret Anniversaries of the Heart

“The holiest of all holidays are those kept by ourselves and apart. the secret anniversaries of the heart…”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (American Poet; February 27th, 1807 to March 24th, 1882)

“Today I am thinking of singular rites of passage, the secret anniversaries we never talk about, kept in silence and apart.”

“Secret anniversaries of the heart are not restricted by the passage of the years.”

“I am a part of all that I have touched and that has touched me.”

Thomas Wolfe (American Novelist & Short Story Writer; October 3rd, 1900 to September 15th, 1938)

“It took a secret anniversary of the heart to remind me that there is always time enough to remember. But there is never time enough to commemorate what we cherish, unless we pause to observe, when they occur, the holiest of all holidays.”

“The acknowledgment of those who have touched you is the whole point of living and being ni relationship with others.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 210 to 212 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-14-26

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June 14th, 2026

Decorating with the Season: Summer Houses

“The English rose greets the summer garden with a profusion of color and perfume and our doors and windows are thrown open to allow the season’s intoxicating atmosphere to envelop us and our home.”

Sydney A. Sykes

“Summer for me is simplicity and ease. To be able to move in and through my home without concern as the outdoors is the temple of beingness at this time of year.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 208 to 210 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-13-26

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June 13th, 2026

Secret Passions: The Fancy Pantry

“The Array of pots rather amazed her at first, but John was so fond of jelly, and the nice little jars would look so well on the top shelf.”

Louisa May Alcott (American Novelist & Short Story Writer; November 29th, 1832 to March 6th, 1888)

“Creating a yummy larder to raid on weekends is the goal!”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 207 to 208 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-12-26

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June 12th, 2026

Secret Passions: Scented Linen Closets

“And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep/In blanched linen, smooth, and lavender’d.”

John Keats (English Poet; October 31st, 1775 to February 23rd, 1821)

“I long for a walk in linen closet to organize all the linens for our house. I love the idea of fresh linens neatly organized and at the ready for any occasion.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 205 to 207 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-11-26

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June 11th, 2026

Creating a Plan for Personal Papers

“Tidied all my papers. Tore up and ruthlessly destroyed much. This is always a great satisfaction.”

Katherine Mansfield (New Zealand Writer; October 14th, 1888 to January 9th, 1923)

“I am a stickler for order as when you know where things are you remain in action on any project or task vs. stopping and having to pivot looking for a supplemental item.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 204 to 205 of 501.

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

My Abundant Life 6-10-26

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June 10th, 2026

A Nook of Your Own

“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.”

Virginia Woolf (English Writer; January 25th, 1885 to March 28th, 1941)

“Many of us today experience creative silence. Not the hush of the heart necessary to bring forth the unexpressed from Spirit, but the creative silence brought about by circumstances we feel are beyond our control: lack of time, and/or lack of space or a place to create. Perhaps we also suffer from a lack of clarity, a failure to realize how necessary it is to nurture our sacred creativity daily.”

“Recently, I have been reclaiming my creativity with the creation of my ceremonial wedding regalia breastplate. I am so proud of the creation and expression of my authentic creativity.”

–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 203 to 204 of 501.

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