Hello Y’all! We are finally in the last quarter of 2017, coupled with the rush to end the year and tie up all loose ends. The beauty of waking up on a Saturday morning to the boiling heat is one of the things I absolutely cherish about living in Texas. You just can’t ever tell what the weather is going to be. Running out the door to a meeting, getting groceries, meeting up with friends or catching up with family and finally getting time for me makes my weekend worthwhile. Sometimes, it could be a blur trying to cross off every item on my lists – which are awesome! And yes, I would be of no use to myself or anyone without a ‘TO DO’ list.

Looking back on a previous post titled ‘Green Thumb or Not’, I wrote about the dilemma of not being able to grow any plants and my resolve to grow ‘something’ besides a cactus plant past a 6 month marker. I chose to try my hands at growing tomatoes and strawberries for the first time. The good news is that my plants are not only growing, but they’re flourishing. Every single plant is still alive…thank God!  This is a big deal for someone without ANY urban gardening skills what so ever. Now I’m thinking that the next thing might be to get a dog – that can walk itself… ha ha! Maybe in the not too distant future.

What Does Serenity Mean – To You?

According to the dictionary, to be serene means to be calm, peaceful, tranquil or unruffled.

I find that by making a conscious effort every now and again to take a break and get away from all the noise, endless activities/events, the never ending lists of things I need to do, schedule or cancel leave me room to be calm, quiet, to breathe and reflect. Life ain’t no dress rehearsal and I need to hit the ground in tip top shape to tackle all the new and exciting things that happen on a daily basis – this can only be achieved ‘long term’ from a balanced lifestyle.

The goal is to be at peace within yourself first. When life throws obstacles your way (and it will), your approach will always come from a clear, calm and centered perspective. I love drawing parallels to real life when watching movies; but have you noticed that the main actor or good guy finds his purpose only when he can find serenity – calm, peace and quiet – within him/herself. This applies to real life as well. Feel free to share what things you do to maintain a calm and peaceful center in your everyday life.

I hope you have a great start to your week! Until I come your way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr