“Puttering is really a time to be alone, to dream and to get in touch with yourself…To putter is to discover.”
Alexandria Stoddard (Author & Interior Designer; November 8th, 1941)
“…puttering is a solitary pursuit, to be appreciated with an unhurried pace for maximum metaphysical benefits. The essence of puttering is rearranging…”
“Part of the pleasure of puttering is free association. Think of puttering as a domestic Rorschach test. Instead of interpreting inkblots, we muse on the hidden meaning of personal possessions until we flow on to dreams, choices, risks, pleasures, authentic preferences.”
“‘Creative puttering’ is actually one of my favorite things to do at home. It helps us to become aware of what’s still important to us, what continues to have meaning. This quiet, private act can…bring the different aspects of your life into sharp focus—and identify your needs.”
Alexandria Stoddard (Author & Interior Designer; November 8th, 1941)
“I pretty much putter every season change.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 167 to 169 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“The body must ne nourished, physically, emotionally and spiritually. We’re spiritually starved in this culture–not underfed but undernourished.”
Carol Hornig
“When I first became aware that when I ‘swallowed’ life I was really hungry and thirsty for joy and serenity, it was a turning point for me in learning self-nurturance. Finally, I understood that I wasn’t underfed but spiritually undernourished. I realized I could go within and ask my soul–my authentic self–what I needed. I learned to stop and ask myself the questions ‘How can I care for you? What is it you truly need?'”
“As you nurture your spirit with kindness, your physical cravings will loose their grip.”
“Realize today that your hunger and thirst for a reason. Ask your authentic self to reveal your deeper needs, so that Spirit can quench and satisfy your parched and ravenous soul.”
“I love food for all the ways it flirts with me in smell, taste, texture and sight. I used to only look as food as fuel and from a lens of scarcity. I have never been an overeater, more of a grazer. I eat when I’m hungry. I often get engrossed in whatever I am up to and forget to eat until my project is done. When this happens, I assess what my body needs and take in the fuel my body is demanding…usually protein. I really have never been much of an emotional eater. I notice more my desire based on cravings which usually point out other deficiencies in my daily diet. I do my best to listen.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 118 to 119 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor.”
Martha Graham (American Dancer and Teacher; May 11th, 1894 to April 1st, 1991)
“Which comes first, learning to love our bodies or possessing a positive body image?”
“If you can learn to like how you look, and not the way you think you look, it can set you free.”
Gloria Steinem (American Journalist and Social Activist; March 25th, 1934)
“Don’t wait for the world to celebrate you. Carve your own niche. Focus on what’s great, forget what’s not. Find joy in your own reflection. Instead of obsessing about a body that’s impossible to achieve without a personal trainer, begin to discover how you can feel better about living in the on e you now inhabit.”
“A woman’s relationship with her body is the most important relationship she’ll ever have. More important than husband, lover, children, friends, colleagues. This isn’t selfishness–it’s just fact. The body is, quite literally, our vehicle for being–for giving, for loving, for moving, for feeling–and if it doesn’t work, it’s fairly certain that nothing else in our lives will work, either.”
Diana K. Roesch (Health & Fitness Expert; December 2nd, 1963)
“Today, instead of hating your body, make peace with it. Choose to consciously love and honor the sacred garment Spirit provided for this lifetime’s journey.”
“I am so appreciative that my genetics and health active lifestyle has yielded me youth beyond my years. I have always liked my body and valued the movement it has been able to experience. I have counseled many young teens to adult women on body image for over 30+ years. On this path, the main culprit preventing women from achieving their health and wellness goals has largely been their own invisible conversation in their head about body image and self-love. For those who were able to share honestly with me how they saw themselves, I was able to help be their advocate and accountability partner in changing both behavior and their physical appearance. For those looking for a gimmick or a quick fix, they largely stayed trapped in their own story and thus their insides tended to match there outsides. It is not magic, it IS self love and grace for the garment that the Universe gifted you to wear in this life journey. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Use it or lose it.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 116 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“If you want to find the answers to the Big Questions about your soul, you’d best begin with the Little Answers about your body.”
George A. Sheehan (Physician, Senior Athlete and Author; November 5th, 1918 ~ November 1st, 1993)
“Like all of us, you see yourself in the mirror every day. But when was the last time you nodded your head in approval at what you saw? Today, I’d like to ask you to try something radically different: look at yourself lovingly and begin to appreciate what you see.”
“This exercise is more than just skin deep because I want you to take an inventory of what you like about yourself. Most of us are very quick to criticize ourselves. We’re always finding things wrong with the way we look. Today we’re going to discover and give thanks for what pleases us.”
“Tonight, set aside an hour to celebrate how marvelous you really are. …Ask your authentic self to bring to your conscious mind all the special things you should discover tonight. …In your most nurturing voice, tell yourself aloud how wonderful you are. …take a compassionate look at yourself in the mirror. Continue to gaze approvingly into the mirror until you find ten things that you absolutely love about your face and your body…Write all ten down in your gratitude journal. Now think about aspects of your personality that you like. …Write it all down. Do not stop until you have at least ten things about your personality for which to be grateful. Now record them all in your gratitude journal.
“And if you think you can’t find twenty things to love about yourself, go back to the mirror. Do this exercise every day until you can. …Today, be willing to search genuinely for your glorious possibilities and rejoice in your divine authenticity.
“Nature never repeats herself and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another.”
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (American Writer and Activist who was a leader of the women’s rights movement in the U.S. during the mid- to late-19th century; November 12th, 1815 ~ October 26th, 1902)
“Before my story began…” (Heather 3-16-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
Ten Things I like About My Body: (Heather Houston 3-16-22)
I love my blue eyes.
I love that I have actual free hanging ear lobes.
I love my hair color when it is dyed black and blue.
I love my hands and fingers.
I love my breasts…Epic!
I love my nipples…Brilliant!
I love my belly button.
I love the ratio of my labia majora to labia minor…Perfection!
I love my ass.
I love my feet.
I love the silky soft soles of my feet…no hard callouses.
Ten Things I like About My Personality:y: (Heather Houston 3-16-22)
I love my sense of humor.
I love that I am kind.
I love that I am generous.
I love that I am thoughtful.
I love that I am integral.
I love that I am intelligent.
I love my appreciation for all music.
I love that I feel fulfillment from being of service to others.
I love that I am loving.
I love that I am logical.
I love that I am warm and approachable to others.
I read the above list and still feel the same about what I love about my physical body and my personality. (Heather Houston 3-16-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 82-83 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“If you will resolve to work each day for self-realization, your whole world can change…The two women you are, they can make you over.”
Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement (Good Housekeeping, December 1947)
“Each of us transmits personal signals about our self-esteem very day in myriad ways.”
“But there is an important reason why we should give a second thought to our personal appearance, even when we’re alone: the inner joy we experience when we look our best.”
“Many women feel in their hearts that they have missed full realization. Yet they need not accept this–help is within themselves. You can feel it within you–an inner drive for happiness. The close interrelation between this Inner You and this Outer You, the almost uncanny power of each to change the other–can change you from drabness to joyous self-fulfillment.”
Pond’s Cold Cream Advertisement(Good Housekeeping, March 1949)
“…one of the most marvelous lessons you learn on a path of personal transformation is that when your heart is open to change, you’re able to recognize the personal signals of encouragement your authentic delf is constantly sending, no matter how unlikely the source.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“It is do coincidental, the Pond’s cold cream reference to a beauty tip my paternal grandmother shared with me. Grandma Houston had the most porcelain of skin well into her 70s. She shared that all she ever used was Pond’s cold cream at night. Amazing!” (Heather Houston 3-11-22)
“I found I took on another beauty technique from my Grandmother Houston, witch hazel. I have never been able to use an astringent as it always stripped my natural oil and made my skin shiny and irritated. The witch hazel is forgiving and still cleans the bacteria and surface oils without stripping my face. Thank you grandma!” (Heather Houston 3-11-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 78-79 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Meditation is simply about being yourself and knowing about who that is. It is about coming to realize that you are on a path whether you like it or not, namely the path that is your life.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn (American Professor Emeritus of Medicine and the creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; June 5th, 1944 ~ )
“…there are compelling physiological, psychological, and spiritual reasons why we should engage in regular meditation. It is the mortar that holds mind, body, and Spirit together.”
“…meditation is intentional concentration on one thing, which can be either secular or spiritual.”
“In this state creativity flowers, intuition leads to a deeper wisdom, the natural healing system of the body is engaged, our best physical and mental potentials manifests itself and we feel psychologically satisfied.” …Spiritual meditation, on the other hand…”will help you become aware of the presence of the divine in nature, in yourself and in other people. The love and joy that are inherent in Spirit–that are the very essence of Spirit–will begin to permeate your life.”
Dr. Joan Borysenko (Author; October 25th, 1945 ~ )
“…many different ways of meditating, depending on my inner needs: the golden mirror meditation, writing my daily dialogue pages, gazing into the flame of a candle, concentrating on a sacred word in a centering prayer, focusing on a poetic phrase to find deeper personal meaning, or setting out on a walking meditation.”
“…all-time favorite meditation is a small, moist piece of chocolate cake eaten with exquisite attention and tremendous gratitude. Any time we are fully present in the moment we are meditating.”
Dr. Joan Borysenko (Author; October 25th, 1945 ~ )
“I have a meditation practice I follow: 10-minutes in the morning and at lunch with a 5-10 minute Spiritual time-out to reflect on my day before bed. I also commune with nature daily for 30-minutes which consists of a walk or quiet sitting outdoors. Putting meditation in small chunks throughout my day reduces stress and keeps me centered.” (Heather Houston 3-2-22)
“If being present is meditation, then my life is mostly meditation. How magical is that?” (Heather Houston 3-2-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 68-70 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“You must have room or a certain hour of the day or do where you do not know what was in the morning paper…a place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are, and what you might be…At first you may find nothing’s happening…But if you have a sacred place and use it, take advantage of it, something will happen.”
Joseph John Campbell (American Writer; March 26th, 1904 ~ October 30th, 1987)
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-28-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“The request is to create a sacred space. I use my whole house as a sacred space with heartfelt and gratitude inspired trinkets, babbles and pictures throughout it to remind me wherever I am, that I am thankful and loved.” (Heather Houston 2-28-22)
“After reading ‘Rediscovering Your Sacredness.’ I endeavored to create a sacred space in my home where I could concentrate all of my spiritual energies. I choose the quiet of the morning after cleaning the kitchen from the previous nights cooking to sit in the candlelight of my alter to remind myself of my sacredness and to center myself spiritually before my day unfolds. This quiet early morning solitude fills my soul. Even my dog Kiva looks forward to my intentional breathing and words speaking into the sacredness of all beings. The days I miss this devotional time, I feel the energy of the world beginning to build up within me. Similar to Buddhist teachings, I welcome in the world energy and slough it off daily and return it to the Sacred Whole.”
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61-63 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
Carl Jung (Swiss Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst; July 26th, 1875 ~ June 6th, 1961)
“If you consciously work to bring more gratitude, simplicity, order, harmony, beauty, and joy into your daily life, your world will be transformed whether you believe a Higher Power is guiding you or not. But if you commit to your spiritual awakening as the most important part of the process, something marvelous will happen. Life will not feel as fraught, as frazzled, or as fragmented as before because you’ll realize that the spiritual, the creative, and the practical can’t be separated. They each count. They each mean something. They’re all connected.”
“…ready ourselves with spiritual openness. …Spirituality is the sacred center of which all life comes, including Mondays and Tuesdays and rainy Saturday afternoons in all their mundane and glorious details.”
“Before my story began…” (Heather Houston 2-27-22)
1972 Me…at my Aunt Carrie’s Baby Shower
“I am excited to discover myself newly while at the same time love the being I already am. My thoughts today are on the people of Ukraine. I also have a pang of fear wondering if my son has been deployed to bolster the Ukrainian cause. If so, I send him all my protective motherly love to keep him safe. I love you Porter!”💝 (Heather Houston 2-27-22)
“Seems full circle as we began bombing Iran and hoping my children are not deployed anywhere near the Middle East. The “Sacred Center of Life” is the BEing present within the moment. My husband made Pho and the gloriousness was not just the first bite. It was the intentional shopping, the smell of the cooking beef bones, the cooking of the aromatics, and the final boil of the broth…all leading to the first sip of soup that unfolded the sacred beautiful creation. Relish the daily routine intertwined with the beauty of living in the moment.” (Heather Houston 2-27-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 61 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Almost always it is the fear of being ourselves that brings us to the mirror.”
Antonio Porchia (Argentinian Poet; November 11th, 1885 ~ November 9th, 1968)
“I have used a special meditation I call the golden mirror meditation. I visualize in my mind an enormous mirror the size of a room, with an elaborately carved, 24-karat gold frame. This is my materializing mirror. Those dreams I wish to materialize in my life are first viewed here.”
“…whatever we visualize in our minds can come to pass in the physical world.”
“Today, find a few minutes to get quiet and journey within. Close your eyes. Visualize a beautiful, large golden mirror surrounded by shimmering white light. This light is Love and it surrounds you, enfolds you, enwraps you, and protects you as you look into the mirror. See the reflection of an extraordinary woman. She is beautiful and radiant. She possess a strong, healthy, vibrant aura. Her eyes sparkling and she is smiling warmly at you. Do you know who this woman is? You feel as if you have known her all your life. And you have. She is your authentic elf. Spend a few moments with her now. What is she doing? How is she doing it? Visit her as often as you like. She is waiting to help you find your way as you make the journey of self-discovery.”
“…there is never a time when you should hesitate to encounter the woman in the golden mirror. She is the highest reflection of your soul, the embodiment of the perfect woman who resides within and she sends you Love to light your path.”
“I watched my partner come a bit unraveled as he thought he had lost a podcast recording that he saved last week. Lot’s of under the breath cursing and angst. It bothered him all evening. My initial reaction was empathy and frustration for him. Then when he became a bit snarky, instead of owning his behavior, I just committed myself to nothing being wrong. In that space I was able to listen and support him in his moment. We ended up having a lovely evening relaxing with one another after a super meal. This was new for me. I often own and fret over others issues and that only leads to more stress for me. All emotions are okay…even frustration. So I let him be there and I stayed in the empathy/helpful space. Truly a big moment for me.” (Heather Houston 1-30-22)
“Today was a huge relief. I had a biopsy on Monday and today I received my histology results. Good new! I have no evidence of cancer. PHEW! During the 3-months it took to get to my 2nd mammogram and then finally to the biopsy, I was chronically worried a a low level. I also knew that worrying does no good at all. Each time the bubbles of worry came to the surface, I greeted the thoughts, acknowledged them and then pushed them to the side. Today’s news was a relief and felt great! I am pleased I didn’t stay in a high stress state for months and instead kept on LIVING.” (Heather Houston 1-30-26)
–Ban Breathnach, Sarah. “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy”. Grand Central Publishing. (1976). Kindle Page 30-32 of 501.
I challenge each of you on this blog series to post comments so we all can grow together.
“Life is not that of a hierarchical chart, or a straight line where you go from start to finish, winner or loser. Life is a circle in which we attempt to get closer to that sacred place of spirit within us, which connects us to the sacredness of who we really are. This movement allows us to fulfill our sacred purpose, complete ourselves with a sense of harmony and peace, collectively move to a better place, where our relations are filled with more light, love integrity, respect, trust and dignity.”
“I am sacred and part of the sacred We of the universe.
I have a sacred purpose that is essential and interconnected to the universal sacred story.
I have sacred ancestral wisdom within me that guides and can re-ground me throughout my life.
I have sacred medicine and blessings in me that can heal others and myself, which I can share with the world.
I give thanks to the Creator, the ancestors, and all my relations Tlamish Tonatiuh (May the light of the Creator shine on you always.).“
Jerry Trello(American Author)
–Trello, Jerry. “Recovering Your Sacredness: Ancestral Teachings For Today’s Living”. Sueños Publications, L.L.C.. (2018). Pages 152-172.
I challenge each of you to post comments to this blog series so we all can grow together.
My Distilled Life 