Where did all this come from?

 It's not MY fault!

Dona Anderson

It's not all my fault.

Sometimes when you start a collection others want to help and it then it can quickly grow and grow.

That's what happened, I'm sure ... (?)

Then a friend was getting rid of this holder of treasures and asked it we wanted it.

YES YES!!! and that was over 40 years and several homes ago.

It's still loved.  A few things have fallen and broken but most are still small treasures from near and far away places. 

For many years we've been trying to downsize and wonder what's next on the list to let go of. 

Boxes and boxes of stuff has left over the years and more still to go. I'm happy to pass things on. 

And I love to go with my daughter to thrift stores and others places who support local families, animals and more looking for bargains  It's our few hours together when we go to visit. 

That's where I got this music jewelry box for $5 and it plays an Elvis song!

It will become another holder of treasures.

PS. what do we do with all this stuff that the younger family doesn't want?

Thanks for your visit. 

New posts on Tuesdays.

Over 700 posts in the archives for you to view, save or share.  

Together we get to send them all over the World.

  

Easy words, thoughts visualizations and meditations

offer you moments for relaxation, stress relief, inspiration,

encouragement, gratitude and more

for your self care and great for sharing with others.  

"Enjoy the gift of this time to slow down, to quiet

your body and mind, to notice." 

Info on the resources page.

more holders of treasures.

I don't know the title yet but

 maybe the Word Contentment is involved.

Dona Anderson

“Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, 

be the awareness behind them.”

― Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Why don't we feel like we think we should or want to?

We're all Human and that means we all have many choices to carry around.

From happy, to sad, to wanting more, being satisfied, or being lonely & anxious to grateful, calm, and at peace.

And, there're many words for all those feelings & emotions mixed in what we carry within us. 

                                             

                                           Do you say to yourself any of these ...

Why do I start to cry at a beautiful piece of music.

Why do I feel lonely and sad when I have so much to be thankful for.

Why am I tired and stressed out every day.

Why do things irritate me so easily

Why... Why... Why...

How many things make you mad, sad, angry, frustrated, unhappy, stressed ... and then you wonder why you're tired, mad. sad, and stressed.

What can we learn from our feelings and emotions to help us build that awareness we need to support us when we need it. 

See if any of these lines below connect to some of your feelings - what is your word that's missing at the end.

We'll look at the emotions later. 

It's Ok if you add in some more lines if needed ... 

We're just taking a look for now.

The word I'm stands for I AM and this powerful word connects us to our feelings and emotions. 

I'm more sensitive some days than others so I'm feeling   

My body hurts more lately than it used to so I'm feeling  

My sleep isn't very good most nights so I'm

I forget to eat regular meals everyday so I'm

I'm not exercising very often so I'm 

I don't get out to my activities every week so I'm 

I don't see my friends as often anymore so I'm,

Here's some words that may help for building Awareness

Emotions before may be  - Depressed, Sad Stressed Angry Lonely Teary Anxious Gloomy Nervous 

Emotions After could be -  Joy Valued Energized Eager Grateful Needed Admired Carefree Forgiving Healthy

How we change things around is up to each of us. 

Love this quote below by Maya Angelou. 

"Do the best you can until you know better, 

then when you know better, do better." 

Will you let it take You there.

PS. How we breathe also affects our feelings and 

emotions so here's a photo message of mine with words 

from my book Moving Forward from the heart. © 2015

A full healthy breath celebrated.

Take Care and thanks for your visit today.

We're living in very stressful times and our list may be longer than usual so give yourself a break, phone a friend, rest often, eat good foods, go for a walk or sit outside, and take a few extra breaths.

Links for sharing below 

and, I hope you end with I am feeling better.

Visit the Resources page for information.

Celebration of Life.

 

Remembering lives well lived.

Dona Anderson

After living here long enough to become a senior I was very glad to join one and then 2 senior centers that are full of activities and people who are enjoying this time of their lives by getting out to be with others, share stories, laughs, do activities like music, choir, cards, crafts and lots more. 

It often feels like family outside of home.

The sad part is when you learn someone can't attend anymore or have passed away.

In the last few years we've had several friends not connected to the centers pass so we knew about their lives and became part of their activities but at the center you may just know them from the activity you both attend and some days a hi or how are you may be all the time you get for conversation. 

But even that can bring a big shared smile on your faces each time you meet again.

"A Friendly greeting or acknowledgment can create a feeling of welcoming and belonging and let someone know you care"  

This last year has had even more sadness ... some years are harder than others.

I've learned a lot about their lives since from the paper, and I'm amazed at the stories. Many moved across continent's, countries and one lady moved 20+ times.

Many were quite active in volunteering, hobbies and supporting others. 

One lady at 89 was still driving and loved reading, being on the computer and doing activities  to support her self care. 

I noticed they didn't complain much even when they certainly could have.

I noticed they were always happy to get out, see others, and join in however they could.

And, they all seemed to be happy with what they could do more than talk about what they couldn't. 

The stories all seemed to show a busy full adventurist life that led them to this community to retire and for some to find the work they loved the best. 

Each had a life very well lived,

and we'll miss them all.

 PS.  Quote above is from the meditation Words to be savored and treasured on page 75, in my book Moving Forward from the Heart.

Todays quiet place to rest.

Bye for today & take care.

You never know how a small injury will affect your life.  I hurt my finger back in July and was told it would take months to heal - coming up to month 4 soon.  

Missing my activities and friends.

 

How did You survive Covid?

Hello and welcome to September.

What will be our life after covid?

I hope it will be smooth and easy ...

What did you discover from all the time at home, away from travelling to work, going out for activities, shopping, to movies and whatever your pre covid routine was about.

I think a lot of us discovered those little things that nag at us, things you'd want to change, get rid of and ...

For some of us we never had that amount of time before to be inside at home, with our family or by ourselves. 

What did You discover? 

I had my little list before and some of that arose again and some were replaced by other things. 

Some were important and others not but were still ones easily brought up to complain about or kept silent below the surface.

We've all had a lot of stress, concerns, worry, loss, anger, frustration and so on  from too many places that even those small changes can be stressful.

We may have our lists and do we ask others what's on theirs?

Do we even want to know?

Have you ever interviewed yourself to find out what your dislikes are about?

What would your friends say about You?

What bugs You?

What do you want your life to be about?

Who are You now?

My book Moving Forward from the Heart offers 73 unique meditations to support you to relax discover your own true self and celebrate life.

More information at this link.

And click on the label Moving forward below.

PS. The first meditation is titled, So Much More to see.

The last one is titled, You became the beauty.

💗💗💗

There's so much more to see.

PPS. I hope you enjoyed this years Summer of Music posts. 

They're available in the archives anytime for viewing saving and sharing.

The losses sure added up

We lost out on the Smiles and more ...

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."           ~Leo Buscaglia~

Dona Anderson

That quote sure fits in with our lives these last few years.

It has been difficult to add up all the little things that come to mind and weigh the losses we all shared.

We lost out on a lot of personal contact, activities, friends and family gatherings.

We lost out on the hello's, smiles, small talk and more.

We lost out on the coffee with a neighbor and those hugs, handshakes or a pat on the back.

At the start of wearing masks I was in a big store and felt uncomfortable, faint like so as I was the only one in that aisle I lowered my mask a little just to take a few deep breaths.

Then a young lady walked over to where I was shopping and angrily told me I was not wearing My mask correctly and I might as well not have one on.

I fixed it as intended and walked away wondering that at least I had one on and she didn't nor any sign of having one.

I don't know if the 2020 pandenic began with a lot of fear and anger or those emotions grew over time.  

Now from the recent shootings and the ongoing war on Ukraine our hearts remain full of much sadness.

Past generations also felt the horror, stress, hardship, and loss from illness, fighting, violence, disasters and war deeply too in their lives. I'm sure a lot of their worries and emotions were kept deep inside and over time seeped out on the the next generation.

In our world now we also have so much news coming towards us daily and we all can see the horror and loss before our eyes so we have to take special care of our own stress, worries and health. 

Hopefully over time we can work to restore those real feelings of safety  community, friendship and help the children get past it all to feel loved and safe again.

Let's open up the doors to

our life and let others in again.

Something Fun to end with.

If you use the letters in the word limes what will you get?

Answer in next weeks post.

Sending out Hugs & more

Daily Ingredients to say to yourself. 

Self Care time

It's time for another True Treasures post.

This one is a few lines from the Meditation titled Today # 21 on page 61 in my book Moving Forward from the Heart.

Softly say to yourself

Today

"There will be peace in my thoughts,

There will be peace in my words,

 There will be peace in my actions,

 There will be peace in my heart,

 There will be peace in my world."

       

Quietly let those words absorb into your next few breaths. 

Are You feeling like a hug is waiting?

Go ahead and give yourself a big HUG then take a few minutes to just breathe, rest, smile and when ready restart your day.

PS. When I give myself a Hug, I like to massage wherever I can reach on my shoulders, arms, neck, back, face - just go for it!

I hope you're having a great day and these words helped make it even better.

Take some (guilt free) time to absorb feelings of space, lightness, comfort, warmth and Gratitude for all that You do everyday.

Thanks for your visit today.

New posts on Tuesdays. 

Links for sharing below and over 700 posts now in the Archives that you can view, save or share at your leisure and no cost.

Check out the resources at this link.

Links for sharing below.

Moving forward from the Heart © 2015.

Here's a beautiful video about Spring

Spring always gets us thinking more about the earth as it's time for renewal, growth, gardens and planting. 

It gives us Sun, rain and may even surprise us with a soft sprinkling of snow. As it gets lighter in the mornings now I get to wake up to birdsongs as they take turns for an hour or so. Nature is a beautiful Gift.

3 things You can do to help Heal your Body, Mind & Soul.

 Play  Laughter  Joy

Dona Anderson

Thanks for your visit today. 

New posts every Tuesday.

I saved this quote to share with You & todays the day.

Your body cannot heal without play.

Your mind cannot heal without laughter.

Your soul cannot heal without joy.

~Catherine Rippenger Fenwick~

Healing with Humor, educator, therapist, author, speaker.  

           

How many times when you are unwell do you play some kind of game, do a puzzle, card game, craft or other things that you love to do that takes your mind off things and supports your soul.

How many times when you were unwell, sick, had a bad cold, flu, headache, new stitches or whatever it was did you try not to laugh but couldn't help it. You may even put on a comedy show to watch to help you feel better.

How may times did you find Joy in a song, a home cooked meal, a card, flowers, a visit from loved ones or cuddles from your pet.

I imagine it was many times.

A moment to play lets us move onto something that's fun, we can do, control. It fills our face, mind and heart with a smile.

 

A moment for laughter lets us relax, let our stress & worries soften a bit as it disappears out of our bodies and into the world.

A moment of joy lets us remember all the people and things in our lives that we love, hold dear and want to get back to.

Play ... Laughter ... Joy

PS. Often when I've been at a craft faire someone stops by just to have a chat.  

I've heard many good stories but mostly ones of sadness, grief, sickness and stress. 

Many times it was quite emotional but I could see how the releasing of the story helped them heal a bit that day - their face and shoulders softened a bit to help them breathe.

Sometimes they even came back the next day to chat again.💗

Our Lucy, loves to snuggle.

Take Care have a great day and week.

New post next Tuesday.  

Bye for now. 

Links for sharing below.

Cozy up, this week we're in Beautiful England

Week 6

Summer of Music continues

with a visit to England

Dona Anderson

I had another video lined up for today but I wasn't feeling it when the time came to finish the post.

Funny how that happens.

It looked good a while back but then ... it wasn't.

So after some searching, I found this lovely one.  

I hope you enjoy it. 

I for sure loved all the flowers, the gardens and houses.

Beautiful England, friendly and inviting. 

We visited England way back in the mid 1970's. The countryside is beautiful and so much history. 

We got to spend some time in London sightseeing and also made a trip to Stonehenge where our young daughter and I both still remember a funny kind of feeling present like that of being watched or something else was there besides the tourists.

The world seems to be such as smaller place now as times have changed and we're connected more with news, travel and social media.

I hope you enjoyed this video and it brought you some time to relax, enjoy the beauty of the scenery and gardens.

PS. Our World is a very Beautiful place and we are the present caretakers.  

Our legacy will include how it is left for others. 

Take Care and have a wonderful week.

Links for sharing below let these posts become our gifts to travel the World.

Weekly posts help spread Wellness around the world.

My gifts to You and others. 

Visit the Archives anytime.

Over 600 to view, save & share. 

Breathe to Heal - Ted Talk x Cape May - Max Strom

We seem to be right in the 
middle of his message from 5 years ago.

Dona Anderson

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I saw this video last December and knew  I 
needed to share it here with You. 

What he says is something we need to hear. 

Back in 2015 the pandemic would have been thought of as unbelievable yet the World continues to go through it.

I hope you'll take the next 18 minutes and watch - it may change the rest of your life and is something you can pass on to help others.

Very important and Easy!

Breathe out to start

Inhale for a count of 4

Hold for a count of 7

Exhale for a count of 8

Repeat 4 or 5 times

PS I always love gently moving the breath and this exercise is one we can do easily.

Also I'd like to just add in a personal note that I find the breath work on the side ribs helps me if I get one of those winter colds and cough a lot.

Have a wonderful week. 
Stay safe &
have fun practicing calm.

Links for sharing below helps send 

Wellness around the WORLD!

New Posts every Tuesday.

Visit the archives for more.

Subscribe to Dona Anderson by Email

This video is for information purposes only in our quest for Health & Wellness.

Always consult your health care providers as needed.

The Best part - it's Free

what we focus on grows 

This is something we CAN do and it's free
                      .

 Another addition for your Wellness Toolbox

Dona Anderson

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Dona's photo - message from
Simply, One Breath At a Time.

A Calm Breath for Breathing...

We do it all day long but do we pay much attention to it.

Our breathing connects us to our inner self, our organs, heart, and lungs that are nourished, move and open up space for circulation to help us stay healthy and relaxed.

Have you thought about your posture and how sitting with head forward and rounded shoulders makes us shorter and not letting the breath move as it should.

And, if we're grumpy and frown instead of relaxed and smiling we've also shortened the breath. Shallow breathing also affects the body.

Let your next breaths softly fill your body ... 

as you do this a few times, also let your  

face, eyes and shoulders soften ...

Notice each breath opening 

and then leaving your body.

Feel the coolness of the in breath, 

and then the warmth of the out breath ...

Be part of this exchange, 
part of the simple gifts of life.

I picked a Rose Wellness Message
for us today that says ... 

I invite my next breaths to bring me
to a place to smile and be present,
a place to notice beauty, 
and a place to find joy ...

One Rose Wellness Cards

I invite my next breaths to bring me

to a place to smile and be present,

a place to notice beauty, and

a place to find joy ...

Is it time to rediscover your breath.

💚

Messages are from the pages of my book

Simply, One Breath At a Time.

Head over to the Resources Page

for more info.

And posts with similar messages

at the label below One Rose Cards. 

Thanks for your visit today.

PS. Lots of times in our lives we have to think about how our body breathes, our posture and see if we need to make some adjustments.

* This can be our reminder
*I needed it too.

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Weekly posts offer new thoughts,

experiences, stories and lots more.

Don't go yet!

Christmas combo
 4 links to check out. 

The Holidays are  coming up so please take care of you.

Rest often, ask for help and gift yourself lots of Self Care moments. 🎄

What do You do when Life gets complicated?

Have You ever felt like

Running away?

Dona Anderson

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With all the stress and worry in the World right now this is probably what a lot of us are thinking.

Story time.

The later 1950's kid version

One day a few of us on our block decided to "run away" well sort of.

We got as far as the baseball diamond several blocks away and after getting something to eat that took all the money we had, we went home - tired, piggy banks empty and waited for supper.

Our big exciting get away only lasted a couple hours or so.

Mom never knew - (?) unless my sister told.

The adult version

For me,

Lots of time when life got confusing, stressful, too busy, broke, too many problems, chores, moving and even the pets as puppies took what little energy we had left, the thoughts of running away seemed to cross my mind.

 Just to get away for a day or so to have  peace and quiet, sleep, relax, not have to  cook, clean, take the bus, or go to work.

But we survive, 

and get through it the best we can.

We learn,
to ask for help, change the schedule, prepare ahead of time, relax and exercise more often and let go of some of the have to do's in favor of the want to do's.

Thankfully - Life, home and work changes as years go by. 

The pressures, expectations, roles all change as we grow, learn, prepare, age and manage our days and life.

No, I never did "Run Away" but I have to say it did feel good thinking about it for a few minutes.  

What I should have done was taken a Wellness Day when needed. 

And used more of the benefits that were available so I would have been much healthier and happier instead of having everything hurt for years. 

That would have made a huge difference.

Now I can relate to this message better 

Say to yourself ...

I give myself Permission to Rest

It's nice now that there are more wellness words, information, thoughts and services to use for your Self Care. 

These words are normal now -

Spa days, Retreats, Meditation, Yoga, Relaxation, Homeopathy, Stillness, Acupuncture, Chiropractors, Massage, going for a run, or walk or just to stop

& take a breath.

What's on your list to help You?

Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for your visit today
new posts every Tuesday,

and Thanks for helping me spread Wellness around 

the world by sharing at the links below.

💚

PS. Honestly ...

I don't know where all  this stuff comes from each week

but you get to come along with me to see what's next!

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Take Care

That's our Scottie girl Lucy above.

She's 6 now - all grown up. 

We all need these ...

Quiet moments, 

Where do you find Yours?

Dona Anderson
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One Rose Wellness Message

for you today

There's nothing

 for  you to do,

There's

nowhere for

 you to go,

Simply surrender

to this

quiet moment ...

Do you have Quiet moments?

Where do you find them and for how long?

How do they make You feel? 

Perhaps yours is being away from cars, street noise, machines and being with calming sounds like music, waves, birds or whatever it is for You.

Quiet time also changes over the years as you age and your work & family life changes. 

It can even change through the seasons from outside to inside spaces.

Quiet time also helps connect us to feelings of peace, satisfaction, being grateful and contentment - a word I'm learning more about.

Where do you get your
 special moments.

One Rose Wellness Cards

There's lots of different things to do to relax, reduce stress and support your Health.  
It might start with just focusing on your Breath for a few minutes.

Take Care.

One Rose Wellness Cards are a set

of 105 Messages all from the pages
of  Simply, One Breath At a Time.

More information on the

Resources Page. 

Thanks for Your visit.

Links below for sharing, Thank You.

Hope you'll sign up to get email
 notifications of new posts.

Find more posts for One Rose Messages

at the label below, One Rose Cards

PS. My TV quiet moments is on the CBS Sunday Morning show where they end with a few moments in Nature every week. It's been a favorite for many years. Love it. 💚

I hope you like my photo above - very peaceful and quiet. - leave a comment and tell us about your quiet spaces.

What is Your Stress level telling You.

Please Take Care of YOU

What does that mean to you.

How do You take care of yourself ...

Stress even affects how we look and age. 

Another post for your
Wellness Toolbox.

Dona Anderson

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Let's start today with a 
few moments to Relax.  

Soften your shoulders,

your back ... your hands ... and face ...

Soften your breath to allow it to move 
through your whole body and mind
 letting go of Stress and moving
towards Relaxation.

A One Rose and message is waiting for you when

you feel ready.

   

A November Rose from 2 years ago.

Feel the Simplicity of this time  to rest and be with your breath a simple precious gift ...

Each Breath is our most precious Gift.

It's with us every day, every hour, every minute ...

 it becomes our friend, our teacher, our companion.

Please take care of You as your whole body breathes

 in Gratitude, Patience and Love.

Wellness Resources

Feel the Simplicity of this time  to rest

 and be with your breath

 a simple precious gift ...

One Rose Wellness cards is a set

of 105 messages all from the pages

of Simply, One Breath At a Time.

Thank You for your visit and
for sharing with others as we
spread Wellness around the
World. Links below.
   

Where in the World will we travel to this week?

Use the label One Rose Cards below

to find more similar posts.

PS. I hope you'll subscribe to get your

email link for these weekly posts. 

They'll help You easily make a
Wellness folder for the posts you
want to see or share again.

Quick access.

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