Rainy Saturday? Time for Shepherds pie!

 

Good Morning!

Oh when I think of comfort food, I think of Shepherds Pie.

Adding any protein, veggies and gravy to a pan and then covering

it with potatoes is homey and comforting.

Today is a typical rainy April day.

A bit cool, windy also...

So it is the perfect day for it!

I always use my cast iron pan for baking it in.

That way I can cook the meat/strain it, add seasonings

and veggies create gravy , top with potatoes and bake.

All in the same pan.

This season of growth and beauty is never lost on me.

This year seems different.

I have come to realise for the first time in a LONG while

that this whole online experiment was just as I thought it would be.

Developed by a self described introvert who had trouble making friends

it was his way of doing so without the actual face to face situation.

While that is great for some folks, I would always rather meet

people face to face. It can not always happen so in those rare

moments, I understand the necessity of keeping in touch

as I have with high school friends for instance.

I have gravitated back to actually having one on one conversations

and/or meeting folks at events.

Perhaps it is because I realise what really matters.

Perhaps it is because I have found a bit of myself recently

that I had long cast aside.

I have no idea. 

I do not need 1800 * friends*.

That is insane.

Gosh, what ever made us think that racking up tallies of

people would fill the gap of actually interacting with one another?

When I meet folks, we jive for a reason, we ease into conversation

with shared experiences and likes, values and interests.

Online, we label folks ( which people LOVE doing nowadays..)

and then cast them into a bucket to sort them into groups.

It's gross and the polar opposite of the charming way true

friendships start.

I have been spending limited time online because of this.

Because I have been aware of the time thief this 

artificial *friend* is....

I use the internet to gain information, to grow and at times to

communicate with friends who are living elsewhere.

It is no longer my first line of communication.

I call, text, meet up with people now.

I send cards and letters.

It also lets me return to my actual day, an awareness

of that I am in the present rather the past or future.

It is a healthier way to live.

My every day must haves.......

Life for me is just better spent with those I love, doing

things that I love. 

Physical health is at my forefront of my days.

I have been spending months resetting my life to be

the healthiest it can be.

Or other people for that matter.

I exhausted my patience with stupidity and ignorance.

I refuse to be distracted by this machine that never existed for a large

part of my life. It breeds the ignorance, the intolerance and the

insane need to classify and label everyone.

I see the overall picture and WHY this is the way it is.

So no thank you.

Like most of my life, I will make my own choices without aligning

with any narrative or group.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Oh I have to share my beautiful magnolia tree!

She is lovely and signifies Spring arriving to me here

at Stone Hollow.

You know me, I rarely post about products unless

I really love them. I found this simple, well made

thermos that is not HUGE . Owala is easy to keep clean,

is textured on the outside for easy grip and fits in my Jeeps

cup holder.

It is the perfect size and does not spill.

You can get them at Target or Walmart or

at their website here:

https://owalalife.com/products/freesip

I will be spending this Saturday gently clearing out .

I say gently because I threw out my shoulder ( a bit of bursitis I think)

while bagging up old clothes and dragging them to my car.

So today...icing it and sticking to the small items.

May you all have a wonderful day.

Blessings,

Raven

xoxo

What the mind forgets the body remembers...my journey back to myself.

 

Good Afternoon!

Today the sunshine is my healer.

Really though... I plan on being outside as much as I can.

I have found that I have needed the sun more than ever this year.

The week behind me was a full one.

It was Easter week and we celebrated with family.

It has been a thoughtful time period for me.

Also a clearing out time as well.

Open the windows and let every thing that does

not support a positive & healthy life....gone!

It is always like this right before my birthday.

We also celebrated Earth Day.

I absolutely believe in what this lovely lady says, and I have for 

all of my life. I do not need a special day. But I also love the community

awareness. I saw many folks clearing trash off of the roadsides.

That is proactive and not sedentary.

It is  a wonderful thing to teach the youth.

Moving on in life is just doing this.

I know that I will always be a work in progress.

Some days I win, other days I am struggling.

But I never quit.

My health has been on the front burner for a while.

I had ebbs and flows as to what works and what does not.

I refuse to just give up.

So with that said, I have been following a simple

path I have used before that works to set my body back

into alignment.

It is just so simple that it seems silly.

Yet twice in my life when I have been in the weeds,

this has worked for my body- so why not do it again and

try to alleviate the new issues that others just want

to pass off as simple aging?

Losing my Cortisol belly is my first step.

Stress.

Stress can cause all sorts of hidden symptoms.

Living under constant stress for years has its toll on the human body.

I needed to figure this out then work out a plan on how to

rid myself of that and new ways to live.

Simply burying things will no longer suffice.

My body is telling me to let stuff go.

Stop holding onto what I no longer need.

In order to get here I had to get through A LOT

of physical , mental and spiritual stuff.

Layers & layers.

You all have seen the struggles.

 

So much of ourselves is this.

We internalise every feeling not meant for us or harsh words

and moments that are in the past...but still affect our bodies.

For me...well let us just say between the physical junk I have been through

and the stress...I was knotted up so badly I could barely function.

My miracle massage therapist met me at my worst...in tears and desperation.

I knew that I was never meant to live in so much physical pain.

The *I'm OK*.

*I'm Fine*

We lie to ourselves to get to the next thing or to not put others out when

the folks who love us most see us struggle.

The only way to completely fix this is to  process and validate

the grief, sadness, loss.

It can also be this:

I have decades & decades of grief that was never fully expressed

inside every muscle in my body, not just my heart.

I went on to be supportive of others and learning how to 

ignore myself - put me last, like many moms do.

As long as you draw breath, you have the capacity to heal.

And in that healing you also heal your soul & your body at the same time.

With the help of massage, online support, prayer I have been

finally healing what I only had hidden bandages over for so long.

I am working on the Psoas now.

It is weak from life:

sitting, inactivity, using a clutch, having most of my 

stuffing removed in that area.

It is tough.

 Mostly because when you start this work on one part of the body

it may aggravate another part. Not that that part is the issue any longer.

It is part of the whole. 

I look at health now as everything is a part of the whole.

Cortisol from stress.

Working out Fascia and tightness that has been there for decades.

Managing my stress levels.

Eating whole, clean food.

Prayer.

Being willing to do things that may be uncomfortable 

with a chance of healing & growth in the end.

If you are interested in any of what I posted above just message me.

I have many resources that can help you navigate those

hidden physical issues that have nagged you for years.

Oh & of course, if any one needs prayer this week, just let me know as well.

Prayer keeps me centred. It is how I live my days...in prayer.

I will keep you all apprised of my ongoing progress.

Most of it was internal over the winter.

Now I can start moving and working out the physical.

Please keep me in your prayers.

Thanks

************

Moving on.....

I have so many projects in the works this year but nothing more

important than my family, home and fur & feather babies.

I choose to focus on them and they gift me with happiness.

The chickens earned an upgrade after a long winter.

I installed nautical flags I found years ago thrifting to

use as well as palm plants to provide shade.

I added potted herbs and a matching curtain for the cabana too.

Now all I need is the water feature and they will be set for Summer .

I also planted some perennials and herbs, Kale & Collards in the gardens

for the chickens AND the bees.

It has been a full day.

One in which I am super happy that I could accomplish so much.

Despite the tic bite.

😟

What heals us ultimately are the precious moments we share

with others. When time almost stops still and you can 

appreciate the tough times as well as the good.

Bluey stickers always heal tic bites, I am sure of it!

I hope that you had a wonderful week so far.

Blessings...

Raven

xoxo

Carrot side for Easter

 

 It is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter.

Today is going to be warm...maybe 75 degrees!

Time to take the panels off of the coops.

Big clean out as well.

The yard is on the brink of blooming.

My allergies are definitely telling me that it is time.

Good thing. The bees are ready to shake off the winter

and gather up the fresh pollen and I can clean out

my back bed that I left for the insects.

What are you all doing today?

Will you be baking for tomorrow or prepping dinner?

I will.

I have to say, I get my carrots from the best farmer in the area.

The ones that I am prepping are still the winter carrots from

their place and boy are they sweet!

Fine just as they are for sure.

I am eager to try this recipe though.

It would be a great side for a beautiful dinner.

It was a first this week for....

Shorts.

Ice cream at our favourite farm stand.

First Springtime visitors to the hollow....

Springtime is here.

So for me, I have been keeping a lot on the down low.

No matter what I do or think or share there will be

opinions and you know what????

I am sick and tired of the way everyone is hating on whatever

they get a snippet of off of the internet.

So because I can not change them ( obviously) I choose

to spend time with actual people, having actual conversations

where the miserables aren't.

( more on this to come in future posts as I will be

trying out a new way of communication that may be way more effective)

Until then, I am concentrating on life.

Health.

Family.

Friends.

Here- this blog.

and following this list most days....

Elevating.

If you are ever in the area, shoot me a DM or text.

I like nothing better than one on one time and sharing

life with folks.

Have a great day!

xoxo

Raven

Brunchy supper in Spring!

 

April 17th.

Sunny & bright morning.

The daffodils are opening , the star magnolia and

magnolia trees are just starting to pop.

All the songbirds are back...

I can just hear my heart singing....

*BIGOUTWARDBREATH*

Yes, I am a May baby...Springtime is my favorite

month to break out all the pink, green, pastels ...

It is a time for almond, strawberry and lemon cakes.

It is the point in the year where I feel most like me.

( if that even makes sense?)

It has historically also been the most epic times in

my life for transformation.

Though I have been slowly crawling to this point

over the past 2 years.... here I am.

No more planning, just doing.

It is time to grow sweetly wild in the best sense.

New opportunities and challenges will open up when you are in this space.

It just does. It is like the universe can feel that you are ready and then puts

all sorts of lovely things in your path. It is then up to you to follow it.

Growth happens when the conditions are right.

Surrounding yourself with all that makes you happy is not ignorant nor

is it naive . It is necessary in order to be a bright spirit.

We can let the noise of the world distract us with the next

* earth shattering * thing or we can use our God given discernment to 

decide what parts of this one life we  have  to hand over to it.

I am refusing to give the nonsense one more bit of my time.

Instead I will fill my days with the good, the blessings, the meaningful

moments that really matter. I never want to be known as someone

who put personalities over people.

My people. 

Filling ones life with happiness is not selfish.

It is not turning from what is happening in the world.

It is the wisdom to realise that if you could control

the world, you would. But you can't .

Making priorities is paramount to living a joy filled life.

God wants us to be happy.

It is this abnormal * fear & misery* that seems to be

what most people view as *normal* now.

It is not.

It is not healthy to be constantly plugged into strife and division.

It is not healthy for us, our families or this country.

When will people learn?

As we heal we can not but help to grow, and that growth

spreads to the world around us.

I knew years ago when I saw this narrative starting that

it would be a hard battle, but I did not know  that the

battle for souls and families , truth and our hearts would be

this tough.

Still....

It is time for us to move on, the ones who wish for peace.

I will always try and find common ground where ever I can.

But I will never sacrifice who I am or make myself small

for intolerant people.

I wish for you all the same.

Bring all the happiness you can into your lives.

Whatever that may be.

When I think of foods I love to share with others, this recipe is one of

my favorites.

It is a brunchy thing... but also can be hardy enough for a  supper- especially

if made with thing cut fries.

For whatever reason it reminds me of Spring.

It is what is for supper here this evening .

Also....

I have been looking for these vintage chairs for 5 years now.

If anyone out there knows of where I can find them...new or vintage,

please let me know!

I have a vision for a part of the property and this is part of it.

Gramma had a chair similar to it.....

Also, those umbrellas.....aren't they so special?

Creating and crafting, sewing and starting new projects must mean I 

am growing once again!

Yay Spring!

Have  a blessed day friends!

xoxo

Raven