Ahhhh…I feel like I did all those years ago when I first began blogging. I feel…freedom. Mmm…yes. Freedom.

You see, I’ve recently deleted my social media accounts, Instagram and Facebook. Technically, I only deactivated my Instagram until the end of summer. That is the most challenging platform to leave. I’ve enjoyed the bits of community I’ve found on there and I’m sure soon I’ll be really missing everyone. But, I wanted to try it, to see if my energy could be focused on other things besides if posts were being seen by enough people, or how much money I needed to put in ads, or which hashtags do I need to use to see growth…it’s just too much. Not to mention the easy ability to scroll and lose track of time…

So, until the end of summer, I’m freeeeeeee. I’ll be putting my energy into my well-being, this beautiful blog and YOU, dear reader, my art and book, the house and garden…all the things that I truly love and don’t feel as if are frying my brain.

If you’re coming here after subscribing from my social media announcement, WELCOME!!! I’m thrilled you’re here and can I be honest? I’m honored you wanted to continue hanging out with me. :) There will be a discount coming soon to all subscribers to use in my shop so stay tuned!

Since I feel like I’m back at the beginning, I thought I would introduce you to a typical day of mine. I have to use the word “typical” loosely though because I never quite know what mood I’m waking up to, so for enjoyment purposes of the blog, I’m picking a typical, non-cloudy day, the-sun-is-shining day to show you around, which is usually during the summer and spring months. :) Got your tea? Coffee? Irish coffee? No judgement here.

Let’s say it’s the end of May, shall we? The lilacs are bouncing and waving and throwing off their delicious scent…the bees are busy humming to and fro…the plants are drip-drip-dripping from just being watered…the sun is warm on your face…life is good.

Morning wake-up time is usually between 8 and 9am. Usually Paul is up before me and already getting started on his day. I wake up to the sun making shadows on the wall in front of our bed, and to little girls climbing all over me with Rusty slamming his body against mine to snuggle. They make it easy to wake up, especially when they’re all in good moods. :)

The three of us (Lucy stays in bed) shuffle down the stairs and I pull out their dishes and food. When Lucy hears the scraping of the measuring cup against the kibble, she’s down in just a few seconds, jumping and hopping around the kitchen like a tiny bunny. While they eat, I walk through the house and open blinds, windows, the front porch, turn on lamps and the diffuser (I love finding oil recipes to use to make the house smell pretty), and tell Alexa to play “Beyond the Sea on Pandora,” which results in a perfectly curated station I’ve had for about 15 years, playing Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, and more. (I’d like to use the record player more, but for now, such is life.)

Lucy, refusing to get out of bed.

Sometimes Rusty sleeps like a human child.

Rusty was never driven by food until the girls came into his life. :) And yes, we have to keep a potty pad by the door because our girls still have accidents…we still love them to pieces anyway.

And now it’s everyone’s favorite time of the day: time to go outside and play!!! I let the dogs outside, immediately all three are basking in the sun. While they’re enjoying their first pieces of sunshine, I’m back in the kitchen making a pot of tea or a decaf coffee which I then will take outside with me to enjoy the sun with them. I walk around the garden, Lucy usually closely following and running after me, and I check on all the plants. I check for new growth, I look to see if there are any pests hanging around, I smell the flowers, I touch them, and it’s my time to just be. It’s my favorite part of the day. In late summer, I’m also picking raspberries off the bush and eating them as I make my rounds. And soon, I’ll be taking my tea or coffee to the greenhouse after my walk-through!! (The boxes are being shipped tomorrow — pinch me, I’m dreaming.)

Sun-bathing.

I’d like to expand my raspberries this year. Wish me luck! If you’ve done it and have any tips, send them my way, please!!

I am so excited to have this view again…soon, friends. Soon.

Lord of the Manor, King of my Heart.

Lucy is always by my side when I’m in the garden. I think it’s her happy place, too.

Breakfast is usually the same, fried egg and avocado sandwich, and that’s usually when I write in my diary while also watching a couple episodes of The Office, Golden Girls, or some type of HGTV show.

Once that’s done, my routine changes day-to-day. If I have the right amount of energy, I’ll go to my desk and paint for the calendar, write on here, or continue writing in my diary. If it’s really nice out, I take all of these things outside (soon to be the greenhouse!) and stay out there as long as I possibly can.

I get distracted easily and need breaks, so my breaks consist of doing yoga, cleaning a section of the house, organizing some drawer or cupboard, starting laundry, working in the garden, etc. (On my really high energy days, I do all chores in one day plus a bunch of art and gardening plus yoga and walking. It’s not sustainable which is why it rarely happens. But I really do love those types of days.)

Taking breaks from my day to continue painting the dining room which then became my new office/studio! (Will show that in another post. :))

I’ll sometimes get distracted by the show going on outside our kitchen window. Little velociraptors!

Or I’ll randomly start another project in the yard. I started this one last summer and it’s still not complete. But, I enjoy always having something I need to work on. Maybe this will be a mini wildflower field, maybe another cutting garden, maybe an expansion for raspberries…I won’t know until I know. :)

If I’m feeling like I’m in a creative rut and I still have energy, I’ll take a long walk to my favorite spot on the bench facing the pond near our house. I’ll sit there and daydream, admire the wildlife, and just think. Oftentimes on my solo walks I’ll talk to myself. Maybe it’s weird but it helps me process everything I’m thinking (which is usually a lot of things) and I actually enjoy it. If I take a dog with it just looks like I’m talking to them. :)

Little Goose on her walk. The more she watches Rusty on walks, the more she acts like a dog. (She never went on walks until we got her, so there’s been a learning curve for her.)

Beautiful views on my walk.

Not too long ago my walk had this beautiful view at the beginning. But that’s for another post. :)

If I’m feeling in a rut and don’t have much energy left, that’s usually when I take my afternoon nap. Since my depression began last winter (Dec 2023), I’ve been taking a nap probably 5 days a week. When the weather is gloomy, it’s usually every day. But, when the weather is lovely and the sun is out, my naps don’t last very long. It all just depends on what my body is needing. I’ve googled so many times if “depression naps” are “normal” and I’m always validated. Yes, very normal, our brains are over-stimulated and exhausted, they need a break. So, onto the couch with all the dogs I go to take my afternoon nap.

Once I’m done napping, my energy has usually sky-rocketed and I’m back in productive mode. I’ll continue with chores, gardening, art, and/or writing until I feel I’ve done enough, or unless my body is telling me once again that it’s tired.

I enjoy a sunset walk by the lake, so often times we’ll do that usually with all three pups. Ethel hangs out in a pouch on Paul, Lucy will brave the long walk on a leash, and Rusty of course leads the way.

The evenings can vary in the summer and spring, but usually will consist of dinner, a few episodes of Seinfeld, Naked & Afraid, Impractical Jokers, or whatever else we feel like watching. While we do that, I’m usually crocheting or scrolling on Pinterest for gardening ideas and Paul is reading the news. Sometimes we’ll get restless and go have a bonfire. Sometimes we’ll get even more restless and drive to some nearby restaurant for drinks.

I made myself a blanket!! I took one class, learned what I wanted, and then continued on my own. :) I love this new hobby. I’ve made a blanket for my little niece, myself, Paul, my Nana, and I just finished my Grandpa’s.

Or sometimes I’m feeling all bottled up and antsy, so I paint on canvas while Paul watches a movie in the other room. Or sometimes I’ll begin to feel Doom and need to self-soothe, so I take a long hot bubble bath with the twinkle lights on and the window open and do my best to remain in the present moment.

(As I write this, my eyelids are growing heavy and my head is dangerously close to falling on my laptop. I think I need my nap.)

And I’m back! Feeling refreshed and more grounded. A good nap can do wonders.

Bedtime comes around when Rusty says so. He goes upstairs, barks at us, and then we know it’s time for them all to go outside and then snuggle into bed. He is still the Lord of the Manor. We read, talk, or I write before bed, and then eventually we drift off. Almost nightly, one of us will be woken up by Rusty who demands some fresh air, which we willingly oblige, and all three pups run outside in the chilly night and then dash back inside for the warmth of the blankets.

Do you remember when I would get up in the wee hours of the night to document the stars and moon at our first house? I miss that. Another thing depression has taken away, a love of photography. But I feel it coming back. Wouldn’t that be nice if I pulled out my big camera more to play? Yes, I’d love that.

I found an entire photo album on my hard drive called “Sky.” There are so many photos!

My first attempts at adding quotes to pictures. Soon it would lead to putting quotes with my art. :)

Okay, one more. It’s not great, but I tried to take photos of the stars when we were on the beach this winter. I didn’t have a tripod, but I did my best. I thought it would be extra artsy with the palm trees, but it didn’t turn out like I’d hoped. Next time! I shall not be thwarted!

And with that exceptionally long post, I shall bid you all good-night. Thank you for being here. I’ll keep posting regularly, as long as my mental health stays mostly stable. :)

Hugs and love to you,