New Year - Now What?

Welcome 2015!

A new year is here. It brings with it so much anticipation of what lies ahead. I am reflecting on how I want to feel by the end of 2015 and what actions will bring about the change I am seeking. For example, at the end of December of 2015, I want to be able to say I feel the healthiest I have ever felt. Now I need to think about what actions will help me accomplish those goals. It could be more exercise, healthier eating, drinking more water, etc.. Instead of trying to jump in and change all of those things on Day 1, I am going to work them in slowly. Try picking just one of those actions and make it your priority for the month of January. Once it is integrated into your daily habit, then introduce another change.

This is how I am going to break down my goals for 2015, whether they are health, work or relationship related. 

Here's to a new year and all that lies ahead! I hope by the end of 2015, you will feel healthier and happier than you have before and that each day brings you closer to being the "you" you are meant to be.

52 Weeks in Nature - Week 6

The days following a winter storm in Maine are usually the brightest and most beautiful days of the season. Everyone seems to heave a collective sigh. The laughter of children can be heard as they play in the freshly fallen snow and the birds and squirrels are out celebrating the end of another good snowfall. We know yet another storm will be headed our way, as we still have a good 6-7 weeks of winter left, and sometimes the storms begin to weigh us down as the season wears on. It is helpful to remember that the days after the storm are something to look forward to: the bright sun on our face, the snow glittering in the yard, the activity of animals and children around us revving up again and the knowledge that a new season will eventually be here.

With Gratitude,

Stephanie

52 Weeks in Nature Week 5

I am so happy to be joining Donni over at The Magic Onions every Friday highlighting something in nature that we observed during that week. It could be something that made us pause or took our breath away. It fits nicely with trying to be more mindful of our surroundings and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us. I hope you enjoy my experiences of nature here in Maine and please check out Donni's page as well, to view other people from around the country that may be posting what they are experiencing in nature where they live.


This time of year in Maine, some days lack a variety of color. There seems to be a lot of white, gray, blacks and dark evergreen. On a particularly cloudy day this week, I walked on the beach and found some color in unexpected places. It then hit me, the color is always here, I just need to look for it.

And how about this heart shape that had grown right on a piece of seaweed? Love, From Nature

Here's hoping you find some unexpected love from nature this week too!

With gratitude,

Stephanie

52 Weeks in Nature: Week 4

I am so happy to be joining Donni over at The Magic Onions every Friday highlighting something in nature that we observed during that week. It could be something that made us pause or took our breath away. It fits nicely with trying to be more mindful of our surroundings and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us. I hope you enjoy my experiences of nature here in Maine and please check out Donni's page as well, to view other people from around the country that may be posting what they are experiencing in nature where they live.

A Wintery Wonderland

With gratitude,

Stephanie

A Little Bit of Spring

Something I am working on very hard in my life is to be present in the moment and be grateful for what I have at that moment in time. Not that daydreaming is a bad thing, but it can be a time vacuum and I am more of a dreamer than a doer ( more on that another time), so I know how quickly time can fly and I get nothing done and I lose time thinking of things to come or wishing of things to come and those actual moments I had to be present are gone forever.
So with this in mind, I am trying to embrace this winter. Many days I feel I succeed, by focusing on the beauty of the snow instead of how heavy it is to move it; how fresh the air is instead of how cold it is; how I have a good excuse to make a pot of soup and sit by the fire instead of grumbling that I have been cold all day and can't seem to warm up. Because you see, as I write them down, I realize these are trivial things to grumble about as I have the means to remove snow and stay warm, but day in and day out, the negative thoughts have a way of trying to sneak in.
Sometimes you need to daydream a little, and so when I walked into the grocer yesterday and saw these:

I knew they had to be part of my January decor.
A little bit of spring in my "I am trying really really hard to be grateful for winter" life is just what I needed!
With gratitude,
Stephanie

52 Weeks in Nature: Week 3

I am so happy to be joining Donni over at The Magic Onions every Friday highlighting something in nature that we observed during that week. It could be something that made us pause or took our breath away. It fits nicely with trying to be more mindful of our surroundings and appreciating the beauty that surrounds us. I hope you enjoy my experiences of nature here in Maine and please check out Donni's page as well, to view other people from around the country that may be posting what they are experiencing in nature where they live.


I am currently working on a project titled Fort Williams 365 Project. Fort Williams is a park in my town where the famous Portland Head Light lighthouse is located. You can read more about the history of the park, which started as a military fort, here.
My goal is to visit this wonderful park on the coast of Maine every single day of this year. I may have to have somebody fill in for me time to time, but I wanted to really get to know the park that holds so much of my town's history and beauty. So I post a picture taken that day, every day to a Facebook page dedicated to this project. I hope you enjoy that page and share it with others. 
My picture this week is from that project. There was one particularly warm day this past week, and I found a restful spot on a stonewall to sit and just took in the sites and sounds of the Atlantic Ocean.

With gratitude,
Stephanie

Fifty Shades of Blue

Fifty Shades of Blue

Looking over the water today, there seemed to be fifty shades of blue. Some constantly visible while others would peek out with a wave. There were more blues than I could name, each so beautiful. It has me wondering, how did that color become associated with feeling down or depressed? Whoever first coined that expression I believe never saw the blues I saw today.