I know that I have a few loyal California readers, and I want to let you know that my heart and prayers are with you, and all whom you love. These last six months or so, in the United States particularly, it has been beyond proven that we are no match for the elements. May you all be safe and serene and find glimmers of hope in this horrible situation. If you get a chance, please let us know that you are okay.
Yesterday, marked the first real day of the new year for me. It was the first time I had my house completely to myself in over a month. (and as an introvert who craves solitude, this was deeply delicious) I went straight into a nesting instinct on steroids, and I cleaned every linen on every single bed in the house. I had saved our bed for the last, and so, way past our bedtime, our mattress pad was still drying in the drier. Therefore, I made up a makeshift pile of blankets on our bed and I told my husband that we were “camping.” We officially started the new year, “camping” in our own bed.
I no longer write a regular Favorite Things Friday blog post, but I do want to recommend a couple of fun little gadgets. The first one is one that I bought for myself, for my birthday:
Solareye Bird Feeder with Camera – This bird feeder is a joy. I am spying on all of my hungry little feathered friends with a close-up view. I’ve only had it up for a few weeks, and I have already “collected” 12 different species of birds, all captured on video, for me to view whenever I need a smile. This feeder turns “birds-eye view” on its heels! The Carolina Chickadee has proven to be my most frequent visitor so far. This hungry little guy has shown up 32 times already.
Also, my eldest son and his fiancee’ got us an Aura Digital Frame for Christmas and it is amazing! It was super easy to set up (with their help, of course. They’re young!) The best part of this frame is that all of us in the family can download pictures to a shared Aura App any time that we desire, and then the pictures (and videos) pop up on our frame. It’s such a lovely surprise to see a new picture of loved ones that we weren’t expecting, to suddenly pop up. I have owned other digital frames before, but the Aura takes things to a new level. I highly recommend it.
Spend those Amazon gift cards that you got for Christmas, on something good, that will continually bring a smile to your face. You can’t go wrong with either of these gadgets. Please share your gadget recommendations in my Comments, too.
Shifting gears, this was the daily peace quote:
“We must look at our life without sentimentality, exaggeration or idealism. Does what we are choosing reflect what we most deeply value?“
– Jack Kornfield
If you aren’t sure what you deeply value, look at what you do, and what you choose, in your everyday life. That is what you are showing yourself, and the world, what you truly value. If you are feeling unhappy or unsettled, chances are, you aren’t living your true values. Take some time for self-awareness at this beginning of this new year. If you value love, health, family, friends, security, using your talents, truth, joy, travel, service, nature, knowledge, hope, peace, loyalty, beauty, kindness, progress, adventure, faith etc. are your actions reflecting these values?
Okay, before I close, here’s another big hug to my readers from the beautiful state of California! May the best of today, be the worst of tomorrow for all of us in 2025. Onwards and upwards . . . . It’s all going to be okay.
Are you passing on love or are you passing on pain? Heal your pain and pass on love.
Checking in from the Los Angeles area…the Palisades fire has been absolutely devastating to so many communities! I am fortunate to be far enough away (about 30 miles north) that I haven’t been directly affected. But the winds that picked up that fire are still blowing, so no one is in the clear yet. I was evacuated during the Mountain fire in November, which was burning 1/2 mile from my home. It is a truly bizarre situation to stand in the middle of the street at twilight and watch an entire hillside of homes go up in flames.
The weekend before the fires, I was in Pasadena doing an architecture “tour” with a friend. We visited the Gamble House, a gorgeous Craftsman mansion built as a summer home by one of the founders of Proctor & Gamble. It’s now a historic landmark. We drove all over the area, gawking at the beautiful homes from the turn of the century, including the McNally mansion, which sadly was completely destroyed last week in the Eaton Canyon fire. The McNally mansion (built by publisher Rand McNally) is still a private residence…or was. There’s a heaviness in my heart not only for the loss suffered by everyone who has lost their homes or businesses but also for the loss of beauty. The Pasadena area showcases some of the most beautiful buildings that men have dreamed up and created, and it’s sad to see them disappear in such a violent and irreversible way.
On a completely different note, I want to share something that you will LOVE. On January 10, I received an email from my dad with a scan of a letter attached. The letter was written to ME, from my grandmother, wishing me a happy first birthday on January 10, 1966! My mom discovered it in a drawer full of random junk that she was cleaning out – on January 10, 2025. How is it possible that a letter resurfaces 59 years later on the exact day that it was written??
I just attained the golden age of 60, and receiving my grandmother’s letter feels like a confirmation that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be – following my life’s path and living out my purpose. I’ve known for a few years that I have a spirit guide and that she takes the form of my grandma. I don’t know how I know it’s her – I just feel it. With the discovery of this letter, I am convinced that I’m not wrong.
Isn’t that a great story? Sort of like an unexpected picture popping up in an Aura frame! (I wanted to get one of those for my folks but didn’t know if it really lived up to the hype. Now I know it does, so I’ll be ordering it today!)
It’s nice to hear from you every now and then. Stay happy, and keep sharing your experiences with us!
Oh Kelly, first of all, it’s so good to hear from you!! I’m so happy that you are okay!! I keep praying that the fires are getting under control without adding more death and dire destruction. It’s just so heartbreaking.
Secondly, Happy Birthday!!!! 60!!! Wow!! You’ve come so far and you are on top of your game! I love your birthday card story. I know that your grandmother is with you and so proud of you!
Again, thank you for checking in. You have been in my thoughts. <3
Hi Kelly,
We’re about 5 hours north of the fires, so we’re fine. My son no longer lives in that area, having moved in July to Seattle, so I’m so relieved. I’m wondering how Kelly in Ventura County/Oxnard is. I think the fires have bypassed that area, at least according to our news. The amount of devastation is just heartbreaking and boggles the mind.
Hi Gail, I am happy to hear that you are safe, as well as your son. Thank you for checking in! <3