I have always loved one pot meals. Reminds me of when I was growing up and the stews my mom would fix. She wasn’t what I would call a gourmet cook, but her stews were by far the best thing she knew how to prepare. We ate mostly meat, it’s the way it was back then. My dad was a hunter so I grew up on wild game like venison, elk, duck, pheasant and the like.

Now days I still eat everything, but lean towards cooking healthier and lighter. One of my favorite recipes is for Minestrone. Lots of fresh vegetables from the Farmer’s Market and I add some crusty bread…YUM!!

This is what I’m making tonight and I thought I’d share my recipe with you…enjoy!

I was out in Palm Desert this past weekend when I received a call from a friend back home. Looking down at the screen I hesitated and took a deep breath.

My thought in the moment before pushing the connect button was, “Do I really want to answer this? I was positive the person on the other end was calling me to find out how to “fix this” or “do that”. Rarely do they call just too say “Hi”.

How many times in our day do we look at our phones and run complete conversations in our minds before we have even said “Hello”?

I’m grateful I answered. My friend was calling to thank me for our friendship and to say how much they appreciated me.

Happy Monday!

In gratitude,

L.

It’s Wednesday, Hump Day. For me today it feels like a Monday… maybe it was the holiday? Actually as of late, all of the days seem to collide and become one in the same. I don’t mean it in a negative way, more like I’m noticing it’s 3:00 in the afternoon and only minutes ago (my perception), it was 11:30am? I find time is flying by and my question is: is it for you as well?

Something that helps me when I feel this way is to get present. Many times I get caught up in the everyday “doings” and I forget about just “being”…being in the moment. So, wherever I am (aware and present ), I take a time out to center myself, let go and just be. Many of you know me and and have witnessed this event in my centering exercise at our Victory Networking meetings. It’s like immersing yourself in a cool pool on a hot summer’s day, you just relax.

It works for me and possibly it can work for you too.

Keeping it real… L.

The saying…”It must have been meant to be” resonates for many. When some of our goals and dreams happen so easily, this phrase seems to roll off the tongue quickly, yes? On the other hand when dreams and goals require effort and tremendous work, we many times interpret it to mean our dreams were not meant to be. I would suggest this is not necessarily true. Instead try to see the gift in the outcome, it’s just as important and we are truly blessed by both cases.

When things are difficult, we learn and grow in specific ways. There is a satisfaction that comes when we succeed at something that has been a challenge. Our self confidence expands, our ability to endure and keep the faith grows strong with the testing. We learn that we are capable of confronting and overcoming the obstacles in our path, and this empowers us to dream still bigger dreams, knowing that we will not be daunted by the challenges inherent in birthing them.

The universe has a funny way of letting us know if an idea is meant to be. The idea keeps coming back to us again and again and the solution is always within ourselves. In your gut and heart you know the answer.

Whatever your story is you can move forward, no matter what, knowing that… This is meant to be.