Last weekend I was able to check something off from my bucket list, learning how to kayak. It had been on my list for a few years and was starting to bother me that I hadn’t given it a try. However, there were a few things that stopped me: 1. I was not a strong swimmer, 2. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to gracefully get in or out of the kayak without making a fool of myself and 3. my fear of spiders…..haha.

How’s your calendar looking these days? Not your work or to-do list for yourself or others, but rather days that are scheduled just for your joy. The activities or events that make you feel like you’re living on purpose. Most of us spend our days on auto-pilot and before we know it another day has passed without feeding our soul.

My son and his wife were due with my first grand baby May 26, 2022 and had decided they wanted to know if their baby was a boy or girl. It didn’t matter to me in the least but once I learned it would be a girl, I was excited for all the things we would experience together in the coming years.

If you’ve been following my blog over the last several years, you’ll know the work I’ve done around my personal soul-excavating journey. I’ve consistently looked for ways to improve my quality of life. Most recently I’ve committed to a focused year of creating and living my life map. Along with 31 other women, I’ve been busy developing the path for my present and future journey.

This year marks a significant birthday for my Mom and we deemed it as the Year of Kate (the nickname my Dad gave her). She moved from Illinois to Virginia 18 months ago to live with my sister and she started to organize a special celebration and asked Mom how she would like to spend her birthday.

How’s your inner critic been doing lately? Our inner critic is that little nasty voice we hear in our head. The one that knows just how to criticize, cut us down, and tell us we’re less than. Frankly the list can go on and on with all the chaos and damage those messages can do.

Then someone asked about favorite cabin memories. Everyone started throwing out past stories, some funny then and some funny now. One story that always gets mentioned involved my son, and his two cousins. They were going to the fireworks in a neighboring town.

At one point, Julie asked for me to pull something I would wear to a cocktail party. Umm….seriously? I hadn’t been to a cocktail party in, well, I couldn’t remember. “I have no cocktail attire, or at best, none that fits.” She also suggested I grab something sparkly or with ruffles or lace. Again….I had nothing I could think of. I pulled so much out of my closet that clothes were piled everywhere as I threw them left and right.

“What the hell did I just do?” Those were the words that flew out of my mouth a few months ago, and I’m still uttering them in my head over and over as I prepare for an appointment I’d been dreading.

Recently, I was listening to an audio recording on the Law of Attraction that focused on being a solution seeker rather than a problem finder. There were so many good points to consider when faced with unexpected or unwanted situations. The absolute best quote of the audio was, “The universe doesn’t hear what you say, the universe hears what you mean.” - Abraham Hicks.

When was the last time you put your bare feet on the earth? Removed your shoes and socks and put your feet right in a luscious patch of green grass or on a sandy beach? Whenever I do, it makes me happy and i feel like a child again. Grounding also know as earthing is putting the body in direct contact with the earth.

If you’ve followed my blog posts, you may know how much I love trying new services that help balance my mind, body and soul. Last week I tried something new and booked a spa session for a float tank. If you’ve never heard of one, stay tuned.

I’m always reminded of the saying, “April showers bring May flowers” each spring. It’s been a wet season which lends itself to the blooming flowers and the budding trees. It’s nice to remember, with the rain comes the sun, and if we’re really lucky a rainbow. One could use the saying as a metaphor for life because everyone must experience stormy weather in order to bask in the sun.

Last week the sun’s been out more times than not, and the weather has been creeping up into the “oh, my gosh, let’s get outside” temperatures. Bring on spring, mild temperatures and new life.

The name of the class immediately got my attention, Floating Sound Bath. As I read the description, I thought to myself, “I should sign up for that class.” Then went on with my day and it fell off my radar until just a few hours before the event. I decided then and there to just go for it and clicked the book and pay now button.

“A baby arrives, and just like that everything changes. The world gets bigger, the heart grows fuller, and life means more.” - author unknown This weekend celebrates Mother’s Day. For me, it feels a but different for two reasons.

Sometimes life is hard. As adults we have a lot to juggle from jobs, to children, to laundry, bills, cooking, cleaning, parenting, care-giving; the list goes on. We are doing the best we can. When we find ourselves feeling defeated or less-than, I guarantee that inner critic is doing the victory dance in the end zone.

Have you ever worked hard on a project, one you were excited and proud of your accomplishments, only to be told you missed the mark? This happened to me recently and I had to step back and take a hard look at my why.