A Kaleidoscope Life

Oh....my friends...

 it's been such along time since I last sat down with you all and shared my heart.

I feel so bad for neglecting you...but please know that I have not forgotten you.

I do hope to return to blogging more regularly soon...
once I catch my breath.

So many of you have checked in with me over the past months leaving messages of love and concern. 

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

They were like hugs of sweet sisterhood,
and I embraced and treasured each and every one of them.

So many many things have happened in my life during the past seven months as I struggled to gather my feet beneath me, accept the changes around me, and push forward on life's journey
with my strong husband at my side and sweet Maizie Grace at my feet.

Incredible things. Beautiful things. Exciting things.

Like a kaleidoscope quilt of many colors...

I share my blessings with you.

In May, spring exploded like a brilliant rainbow in the gardens.
I spread about 15 yards of dark brown mulch, carting the trailer along behind me on my lawn tractor.
It's hard work, but fresh mulch always makes any garden look neat and clean,
and helps keeps the weeds at bay.

The fountains trickled cool water for our feathered friends,
and all of our "frog boys" happily returned to party in the pond.

One of our wild turkeys even surprised us one day by laying an egg next to our pond.
That was an unexpected first!

We spent a few glorious summer days floating on our pontoon on a small, private lake
soaking up the sunshine and reveling in the peaceful beauty around us.
It was so relaxing and rejuvenating.

I discovered Flash Tattoos which I fell head over heels for.
There are plans in the works for getting a permanent one in April
with a Biblical scripture on my wrist as a tribute to my parents.

I continued adding more bohemian vibes to this grand old farmhouse,
by painting and distressing my craft cabinet
and gracing it with a painting my father once created for me.
Vintage looking boho fabric was tacked to the doors
for a splash of additional color and texture.

A piece of leftover barn wood was made into a rustic shelf
and hung on the wall over the tub.
It holds two paintings by my parents and a carved Moroccan trinket box.

and another one was added to the fireplace.
I'm glad that we saved all of the old wood from the barn renovation a few years ago.

Richer, deeper jewel tones now fill each room with warmth,
and I discovered a love for bird of paradise plants and orchids
which mix perfectly with boho style.

It was time for a new look for me, too.
So I had quite a few inches of my hair trimmed off.

With a big event planned here at the end of the summer,
it was time to get down to some dirty work in preparation.
We hauled out the old barn doors that had been laying in the meadow,
propped them up, and power washed them.

A few days later, the crew showed up to begin our new screened-in porch
that would be constructed over our old deck.
It would become a wonderfully shaded haven for us to relax during the warm months,
instead of huddling under a patio umbrella in the hot sun.

While the crew hammered the room into being,
I stained...and stained...and stained what would become the planked ceiling.
It was so exciting to watch this space become a room!

In between all of the staining,
I also painted the front porch floor with a fresh coat of lavender hued gray paint,
spray painted the white wicker with a deep espresso color,
 and added kantha quilt cushions.

 And as the hot, humid July continued,
the back porch began to take shape.
Remember those old barn doors we cleaned?
We used them for one wall.

 It took me about three days to paint them with two coats of white.
We love the texture, interest, and historical feel they add.

After four weeks of continuous hot, hard work,
the only thing the crew had to complete was the finished lattice beneath the porch.
The new space was ready to furnish. 

There is nothing more fun for me than to design and style a new room.
Espresso color painted wicker, a palm frond embossed ceiling fan,
a Pier I metal barrel side table, orchids, ferns,
and jewel toned pillows filled the cool, cozy, space.

All in all, the renovations included removing the widows-walk railing over the front porch, replacing the standing-seam metal roof, removing all shutters, revamping the supporting horizontal beams and rebuilding the columns on the front porch,
painting the front porch floor and wicker furniture,
building the screened in porch over the back deck ~
complete with a vintage style screened door that slams,
and finally giving the house a good wash.

Needless to say, we were thrilled with the results!
The new porch looked like it had always been there.
It "completed" Heaven's Walk.

Everything was finished just in time for the big event mid-August...
two days after our 31st wedding anniversary.

 Heaven's Walk hosted a wedding.

It must have been the most hot, humid day of the summer,
but at least it was a beautifully sunny one for the 160 people that attended.
We will be hosting another one in August 2016.

After the busyness of the summer, it was nice to slow down a bit and return to our seasonal chores of harvesting the garden, canning 350 jars of salsa, 24 pints of pickles, and freezing summer and spaghetti squash.

New bohemian dream catchers for some wonderful customers filled my studio...

and I even squeezed in some time for decluttering and reorganizing pantries,
drawers, and closets. I tossed out all processed food and sugar.
We are eating healthier now than ever before (low carb/no sugar),
and after losing eight pounds so far, I don't plan on ever changing this lifestyle. 

Seemingly, in the blink of an eye,
the garden was transformed from this...

to this....

and then back to this.

 Regardless of the warm winter we're having
(which I am loving by the way),
Christmas arrived at Heaven's Walk with new peacock colored ornaments
 that I am totally enamored with.
(I am also hoarding cherishing peacock and pheasant feathers sent to me from
a couple of kind, thoughtful Instagram/Facebook friends.)

I tucked some peacock feathers into our Christmas tree 
and laid some on the Moroccan coffee table tray.
Some treasured peasant feathers were placed into my dream catcher, the mantel garland,
as well as the cluster of candles,
which created an exotic feel to the decor.

 Yes...it's definitely been a kaleidoscope kind of life over the past seven months...
full of

 rich color,
warm love,
and deep blessings.

And I pray the same for you
this beautiful Christmas season!

~  Eucharisteo  ~

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It's always the first places where I share what's going on here at Heaven's Walk!

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Sharing What Is Good

Well, our new year didn't start quite the way I imagined it would.

My husband and I were both sick over Christmas.

He caught a nasty cold and cough and spent almost two weeks on the sofa

while I oiled him up with immunity boosting, anti-viral therapeutic oils

and kept him well supplied with tissues.

I placed two home diffusers in the living room.  One at the head of the sofa and the other at the foot, 

and went through copious amounts of essential oils to aid in his breathing and congestion.

He became such a believer in these Young Living Essential Oils that he began asking for me to anoint him every few hours because they provided so much relief for him.

Knowing there was a pretty good chance that I would be on the receiving end of any errant cooties flying around the house, I oiled myself up every other hour and swiped my nose with Animal Scents Ointment laced with Lavender, Egyptian Gold, and Exodus II as a preventative measure.

I did catch a bit of a cold, but it only lasted for three days. I believe it was so short lived because of these wonderful gifts from God ~~ gifts that God intended as our medicines.

While traveling this "oily" journey, I continue to learn more and more about their healing properties. That, in turn, is forcing me to take a second look at what is in our pantry, what groceries I buy, how we eat, what we put in our bodies, and what we apply to our skin. 

Then, it dawned on me.

Each drop of an essential oil we use contains approximately 40 million-trillion molecules. (yes..that is a real number). If we're using these oils because they contain the power not only to heal us when we're sick, but to nurture and preserve our health when we are well, 

why in the world would I want to eat something or put something on my skin that is full of chemicals and is genetically modified? It's totally defeating the purpose of using these pure oils to stay healthy!

I read in my "Healing Oils of the Bible" that the oils' molecules deliver oxygen molecules to our cells, and can erase or deprogram miswritten codes in cellular memory. They can actually help fight cancer. They carry electrical charges, usually electrons or negative ions, which are healing and healthful. So, when we are eating things that weren't natural and organic, we certainly are not helping these oils to work optimally.

It was time for a change.

A BIG change.

Yes, it would be more expensive...because for some odd reason, eating healthy costs more than eating processed food.
But how many times have you have heard (or said yourself),

"When you have your health, you have everything."

So, I want to share with you what is good in our life right now.

I am running on my treadmill religiously at least four times per week, not allowing myself to stop until I log in at least three miles.  Today I started using the incline to push myself even harder; determined like never before to lose a few pounds before spring arrives.

I begin every other day by "oil pulling".  Taking a teaspoon of organic coconut oil, adding a couple drops of Thieves mouthwash (which I just love) to it, and swishing it around in my mouth for 15 minutes while I shower. It pulls toxins and bacteria not only from my mouth, but from my body as well.
It's all about prevention.

Some deliciously scented organic goats milk soap and shea butters arrived from Taproot Farms in Alaska. I love the feel of the silky soap, and the butters are so healing on winter dry skin.

(Not to mention, I'm totally diggin' the name of the soap.)

My long-time girlfriend who is also my hair dresser, gave me some Matrix oil to try on my hair.

I adore it. It makes it soft and manageable and keeps it healthy. It also smells absolutely heavenly.

I switched from coffee to organic tea spiked with cashew milk, raw honey, and a few drops of essential oils (cinnamon bark, Thieves, lemon, peppermint, and Slique). The cashew milk provides protein that keeps me full all morning long.

I make a Kefir smoothie at noon and nibble on some organic turkey jerky.

Grocery shopping is taking me longer. I read every single label and put items back on the shelf that have too many ingredients.  I am looking for the fewest ingredients as possible and if they are organic, all the better. It amazes me at the amount of chemicals, toxins, GMOs, and unnecessary additives that companies insist on pouring into their products. So disgusting.
We also stopped drinking any type of sodas due to all the chemicals in them
(like formaldehyde....really?)
My go-to drink is water with a few drops of lemon, lime, tangerine, or grapefruit oil in it.

We are eating more fruit when we get hungry. Bananas, apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and oranges. They are filling, nutritious, and provide fiber and energy.

Our pantry shelves are gradually getting filled with organic almond butter, raw honey, quinoa, organic coconut and flaxseed oil, protein bars, ground chia seeds, and hemp protein powder. 

We eat only "clean" meat. Organic turkey or chicken burger or home-processed venison is used for chili, goulash, or tacos.  Air-chilled organic chicken or salmon are our favorites in soups or stir-fry,
with lots of bok choy, broccoli, green beans, carrots, onion, mushrooms, and red pepper.

We sprinkle ground chia seeds on top for an extra boost of protein, antioxidants, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Cold winters days are spent reading about healthy living,
learning as much as we can...

with a bit of decorating thrown in for good measure, of course.

In my studio, standing in front of a favorite tiny painting from my dad...

I create more dream catchers,
while my husband putters away in his work room.

And as 2015 marches forward toward the promise of a healthy spring...

our goal for a natural, organic, holistic, healthy, healing way life blooms
in this old farmhouse.

Watercolor by my dad.

"You are the content of your character. 
You are the ambitions that drive you. 
You are the goals that you set. 
You are the things that you laugh at 
and the words that you say. 
You are the thoughts you think 
and the things you wonder. 
You are beautiful and desirable 
not for the clique you attend, 
but for the spark of life within you 
that compels you to make your life 
a full and meaningful one. 
You are beautiful not for the shape of the vessel,
but for the volume of the soul it carries.”
~author unknown

By the grace of God, we strive to carry our healthy souls forward in a full and meaningful life...
and share the goodness that we are blessed with.

We taste and see that God is good.


~  Eucharisteo  ~

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