Our home… something I never would have dreamed possible just a few years ago. We’ve been here almost a year and a half now, and I love our serene spot in the country.
The dining table I am sitting at right now. Farm style, big sturdy wood, big enough for 8 to sit at, and a bench at the head (where I’m at right now). It was exactly what I wanted for our home when we moved in, and we were both grateful to find this set at a Habitat store for a price we couldn’t believe!
The coffee mug sitting next to me filled with delicious dark roast. I’m grateful for the coffee itself, the clean water to brew with, and the pick-me-up it’s giving me to get my day going!

It’s a hard to describe feeling of lightness. Lightness physically as well as spiritually. It’s like experiencing or witnessing a miracle. Whether it be my body being physically tired from whatever I’ve just done (surfing, yoga, walking, gardening/yardwork), or just “being.” Like when I’m meditating or in savasana at the end of a yoga practice. It just feels good! And the last time I felt this? Yesterday while surfing, and again this morning while meditating 🙂

I knew her for the past year, as she works in another department in my store, but only about two months ago did I realize she was a hidden gem. Her name is Andrea, and I credit her for turning a light bulb on in my head. Her department was part of Grocery, but they decided to split it into it’s own dept, and rightfully so since supplements and other health & wellness goods require a specialized knowledge. With the splitting of the depts, Whole Body was going to need a Team Leader. She came to me and told me she wanted me to be the TL there, and while I knew that was going to be an open position, I had not thought about it being the position for ME. It all made sense, as my background is retail health & wellness. So I applied, did the due diligence, interviewed last week and was offered the job! I’m moving over and up, and I’m so excited and grateful for it! And this may not have happened at all were it not for Andrea. I’ve started getting to know her, and she’s such a bright light. A hidden gem for sure that is no longer hidden in my world 🙂

Anytime I’m in the ocean, I feel humbled, especially on the days where the waves are bigger or there is a current going down the beach. I swam the other day, and the rip current from Hurricane Sam was intense! For a storm that’s not going to directly effect us, it sure sent some power across the ocean.

Also… when I hiked up to the top of Chimney Rock last month and looked out into the world, I was most definitely humbled. It’s a great big beautiful world and being able to see so much at once is breathtaking.

Honestly, if I look at myself in the midst of any “bad” time, I can’t say I was practicing gratitude during them. But! Upon reflection, I always look for the lesson, for something to be grateful for. There have been times when the lesson takes days, even months, to reveal itself to me, but the good thing is that I’ve learned to practice gratitude daily, so I can always find something good in my life, even if it’s not stemming particularly from something happening to me in the now.

I pray for the health of the world and all the people on it daily, but I’m in agreeance with other friends here who have said that care starts with the self. If we aren’t taking care of ourselves, we can’t really take care of anything/anyone else. The “cares of the world” are many, and just trying to think about all of them can be a bit overwhelming. I will say that I am conscious of my eco-footprint and take effort to recycling, reusing what I can, and spending my money wisely.

Hmmm… well the internet definitely decreases the space when we should physically not be getting too close, and I’m grateful for that despite the fact that I’m surrounded by people daily at my job. My friends and family, however, I don’t get to see as much. And truth be told, the distance between myself and many of my friends has increased over the past few years. One, I quit drinking so that changed things up. And two, moving out to the country has also proven another reason for increased distance. I’m really not that far from where I used to live (like 45 mins), but people don’t leave their area for the most part. We have made some friends out here where we are, but this busy working life + Covid just has the world all weird right now. I’m grateful I have my husband. I look forward to a healthier world. Praying we get there sooner than later.