Peaches, you really can’t eat a perfectly ripe summer peach gracefully, and I wouldn’t even want to. There’s something about letting the juice run down your hands ,maybe down your chin, for a minute simply letting it be messy and enjoying it fully.

Peaches are the one thing I eat standing over the kitchen sink. I was doing exactly that the other day when, completely out of nowhere, I was transported back to high school summers in Palo Alto.

One of my high school boyfriends popped into my mind, I hadn’t thought about him in years. He loved summer fruit, especially nectarines and peaches, I remember watching him eat one and thinking, Wow. He is enjoying that nectarine so much, in a way I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a piece of fruit... And there I was, all these years later, back in Palo Alto again. With friends, in those those last delicious days of August, eating summer fruit, I wasn’t trying to remember any of it.

The peach remembered for me. I love that. It makes me wonder about all that is tucked away inside us, noticing inside our marvelous minds? A taste, a smell, a song—and suddenly a little door opens to somewhere we haven’t visited in years.

A person.
A kitchen.
A summer afternoon.
A version of ourselves we had forgotten, then here we are, we get to live it again for a moment. The taste of fond memories. We don’t have to go looking for them, sometimes they simply come looking for us.

Today is September 1st, and I’m a little sad to say goodbye to August—and to those glorious summer fruits. Our ‘peach monger’ has already told us there won’t be any more until next summer. Maybe that’s part of what makes them so wonderful. Summer moves on, the summer fruits disappear. But somehow, the sweetness stays.

Happy September, friends.

Love,
Linda 💛

P.S. One More Taste of Summer 🍑

Before we say goodbye to peach season altogether, here’s one more way to enjoy it.

Peach Pie Smoothie in a Tall Iced Glass

Ingredients

• 2 fresh ripe peaches, washed, unpeeled and pitted

• 1 ripe banana, preferably frozen

• ½ cup coconut milk (I Use Thai Kitchen Organic)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• A handful of ice cubes

• Optional: Scott puts Vanilla Protein Powder in to make it a meal.

Directions

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth, creamy, and frosty.

Pour into a tall glass and enjoy immediately.

Simple. Cold. Creamy. Delicious. And one more way to hold onto summer for just a little bit longer. 💛

Subscribe now

Share

Leave a comment

Check out my website!

Like you, I’ve been to lots of weddings. I’ve watched couples gather around a beautiful cake, cut the first slice together, feed one another, and pose for photographs.

I never stopped to wonder why—or what any of it meant?

Our son was getting married, he and his wife chose an intimate family gathering in the Hamptons to share their vows. I wanted to help with some of the details, I offered to take care of the wedding cake detail.

Since we were all coming from out of state, I got busy contacting local bakeries. Somewhere in that process, I became curious?

What does a wedding cake actually symbolize?

When I found out, it changed everything.

I had planned to simply purchase a beautiful cake from a local bakery, once I discovered the rich meaning tucked inside this tradition, I knew it would be my joy and an honor to make their wedding cake.

One small detail: I live in Montana and the wedding was in New York.

But I knew I could pull it off. I’m always up for a challenge—especially when it involves food.

They LOVE my carrot cake, so that decision was easy. I baked the layers at home in Montana, carefully packed them unfrosted into my carry-on luggage, and flew them all the way to New York. (I kept a pretty close eye on that overhead compartment!)

Once there, I made the cream cheese frosting and decorated the cake simply with lavender and dried flowers from our Montana garden.

I normally make my carrot cake as a single layer, but this time I chose layers. And here’s why.

I discovered that a wedding cake is so much more than dessert. The layers represent the many layers of a life that will be built together and all the experiences that accumulate over the years to make a marriage.

Then there is the cutting of the cake.

After the vows have been spoken and the couple has been pronounced married, cutting the wedding cake is traditionally one of their first acts together as a married couple.

Together, they hold the knife.

Together, they make the first cut.

Then they feed one another.

I’ve watched that simple gesture dozens of times without really thinking about it. Symbolically, though, it represents something quite beautiful: nourishing and caring for one another as they begin their life together.

Who knew there was so much meaning tucked inside something so familiar?

I’ve asked several people since the wedding, “Did you know what the wedding cake symbolizes?”

So far, no one I’ve asked has known. And when I tell them, they have the same reaction I did:

I love knowing that.

There are so many rituals and traditions we participate in without really noticing them. We’ve seen them so many times that we stop seeing them at all.

When we learn the meaning behind something, suddenly the familiar can become quite meaningful.✨

That’s what happened for me with this wedding cake.

It wasn’t just cake anymore.

It was love layered upon love.

It was two people beginning a life together.

It was nourishment.

It was family.

It was tradition.

I loved that my curiosity led me to make something with my own hands, in my Montana kitchen, carry it across the country, and give it to two people I love.

Sometimes all it takes is a little curiosity to see something we’ve seen a hundred times in an entirely new way.

And this time, for me, it happened to be a wedding cake

Happy Tuesday, friends.

Love,
Linda 💛

Preparing food seasonally is a thing. There are things that nourish and comfort us in the winter that have zero interest on a hot summer day.

I keep a couple of 3-ring notebooks filled with favorite recipes for inspiration—many of them tried-and-true family recipes. On a summer afternoon, when it’s so hot I’ve lost inspiration to do much of anything, this is when I pull out some of my favorite refreshers.

I love a Hot “Dirty” Chai in the winter. (Dirty Chai means Chai with a shot of espresso). In the summer, I make it a tall cold iced Chai. I love Hot Chai but I think I like Cold Chai even better even in the winter.

And as you know, I keep sun Tea at the ready all summer—served tall, loaded with ice and a slice of lemon. Such a simple afternoon refreshment and pick-me-up.

Recently, I came across a recipe for Whipped Coconut Lemonade—ice, fresh lemon juice and sweet cream of coconut blended together. I knew immediately I had to make it and add it to my summer refreshers. This became a very happy addition. Here’s the recipe.

Whipped Coconut Lemonade

Makes about 2 cups; serves 1

• 1½ cups ice cubes

• ½ cup cream of coconut (I used Coco López)

• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)

• Whipped cream, for garnish

• Sliced lemon, for garnish

Place everything, except the garnish, in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass, add a straw and enjoy.

Adapted from a recipe by Patty Catalano

Sometimes when it is really miserably hot in the summer, I find myself feeling mad for no apparent reason. Does this happen to anyone else?

I made these on one of those very hot afternoons.

Immediate happiness.

Scott took one sip and said, “Man, that’s good!” Then he thought of adding a little additional happiness with a shot of rum.

We had family friends visiting, and I was excited to share my new summer refresher with them, I made a full pitcher of them by multiplying the recipe, and even had some left over in the frig. Sometimes I get food revelations in the middle of the night—or as I’m just waking up. I had about half a blender of the whipped lemonade left and wondered, What am I going to do with that?

Popsicles! Into the molds it went. We all agreed: we liked the Whipped Coconut Lemonade even better frozen into very messy popsicles, eaten outside on a hot summer day.

Sometimes a little refreshment is all it takes to turn a so dang hot summer afternoon into something pretty delightful and refreshing.

Happy Tuesday, friends.

Love,
Linda 💛

Share

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Over the weekend I was reading an article about people taking GLP-1 medications. One of the things it mentioned caught my attention. Many people report that food simply doesn’t taste the way it used to. Their sense of taste is dulled, and eating becomes less pleasurable.

The article featured a spice expert who creates spice blends to help bring food back to life. It made me smile because I’ve always believed that food should never be boring.

Not fancy. Not complicated. Just full of life.

That same day, I had a jar of freshly made pickled red onions sitting in my refrigerator. Pile them onto a sandwich, scatter them over a salad, tuck them into tacos, or add them to a grain bowl. They’re a simple little addition, but somehow they make the whole meal come alive.

I’ve come to believe that we eat with our eyes long before we take the first bite. Color, texture, freshness, a squeeze of lemon, a handful of herbs, a pinch of spice… they all wake up a meal.

It isn’t about making elaborate meals. It’s about paying attention. A little color. A little crunch. A little brightness. Sometimes that’s all it takes to make a dish dance.

Home Base Thought: A beautiful life, like a beautiful meal, is often made richer by the small things we choose to add.

I spend a lot of time deadheading. If you’re not a gardener, deadheading simply means removing the spent blooms or dead parts of the plant so the plant can put its energy into new growth.

I’ll admit, I’m a little obsessive about it. I truly am. I love aliveness.

I walk through the garden with my scissors, clipping off anything that’s finished. The red roses by the front especially reward this effort. The more I remove the ‘spent’ blooms and yellowing leaves, the more new blooms appear happy and healthy.

Plants aren’t meant to spend their energy holding on to what’s finished, this makes me wonder if we’re not meant to either. I’m not talking about forgetting our past or pretending difficult things never happened. Life doesn’t work that way. I simply wonder if there are things I’ve been carrying that have already served their purpose, and can use some deadheading.

As I walk through the garden with my clippers, I’m so grateful for all the aliveness, all the growing, all the growth….it inspires me to be alive and healthy, free of dead weight. 

 The roses in the front of the house bring me such joy! I planted them as a nod to Italy, in my memory so many Italian homes have red roses out front. As I made another pass through the roses yesterday, I caught myself smiling. It made me wonder...

What in my own life has run its course? Not because it’s bad. Simply because it’s finished?

Home Base Thought: Sometimes a little deadheading makes room for a whole lot more blooming... just ask my roses.🌹

PS. Do you do Sun Tea? 

Share

Leave a comment

This summer has been a hot one!

One of my favorite summer rituals is making Sun Tea. It’s one of those simple pleasures that brings back memories for so many people. Last summer I shared a photo on Instagram, and so many of you wrote to say, “My grandmother used to make Sun Tea!” or “I’d completely forgotten about it.”

Sometimes the simplest things are the ones worth remembering.

All you need is a clear glass jar, water, tea, and sunshine. Put it outside, let the sun do its thing, and a few hours later you’ve got super refreshing iced tea.

I usually use an English black tea like PG Tips and brew it nice and strong because I love filling my glass to the top with ice. As the ice melts, it’s just right. A slice of lemon adds a refreshing hit, and I prefer mine lightly sweetened.

You can also use herbal teas or fresh lemon verbena leaves from the garden for a wonderful caffeine-free version. If you’re feeling playful, make an Arnold Palmer with half iced tea and half lemonade.

Sometimes the best recipes aren’t really recipes at all. They’re little rituals that remind us to slow down and enjoy the season we’re in.

Home Base Thought: Summer has a way of reminding us that simple pleasures are often the sweetest.

Leave a comment

Happy Tuesday!

As I’ve been writing these Tuesday letters, I think of you as friends, and realized that every now and then, I simply can’t resist sharing something from my kitchen. It made me wonder because I’m not trying to write a cooking newsletter. What I’m really wanting to create is something I call Home Base. And for me, home has always included simple, nourishing food shared around the table. I don’t really think of it so much as sharing recipes, as sharing some of the little rituals that have helped create a life that feels like home. On Sunday mornings, I often want to make something that feels a little special without spending the whole morning in the kitchen. That’s where these Dutch Babies come in.

Do you make Dutch Babies?

Curious where the name came from, I looked it up? Apparently, they’re also called a German pancake, a Dutch Puff, a Bismarck, a hooligan, or even a hootenanny. That made me laugh. I can’t decide which name I like best? Dutch Puff, Hooligan, or Hootenanny? I’ve called them Dutch Babies my whole life, now I have to admit, Hooligan has a certain charm.

I’ve been eating these for as long as I can remember. In our home they were most often saved for special mornings, especially Easter breakfast. My mom served simply with a squeeze of fresh lemon and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. What I still love about them is how uncomplicated they are. Five minutes in the blender, twenty minutes in a hot oven, and every single time they come out puffed up with such drama they make me smile. These Hooligans can be sweet or savory, and they’re very family friendly. I picture them they’re one of those recipes children will remember making long after they’ve grown up. I still have memories of having these as a little girl. (One little reminder if you cook with children: that cast iron skillet comes out of a very hot 425-degree oven, so sturdy oven mitts are a must.)

Our raspberry patch is overflowing right now, so this week’s Dutch Baby is topped with fresh raspberries picked from the garden. In the fall, I love making them with sautéed apples. They’re simple, seasonal, and endlessly adaptable. To me, they’re the kind of food that quietly smiles and says, “Come to the table.”

I hope you enjoy the short video and the recipe below. More than that, I hope to encourage you to gather the people you love around your table, because sometimes the simplest meals become the memories we carry with us for a lifetime.

(Correction! Put only 4 ingredients in the blender….The butter will go in the pan)

This recipe is made in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Preheat your oven to 425°F. As the oven heats, place ⅓ cup butter in the skillet and let it melt while the oven comes to temperature.Meanwhile, add the following to a blender:

4 eggs ,1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, A pinch of salt

Blend until the batter is smooth.

Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, swirl the melted butter to coat the pan, then pour in the batter.

Bake for 20 minutes.

A little note: Try not to open the oven door while it’s baking. That’s what helps your Dutch Baby puff up beautifully.

Serve warm with your favorite toppings.

Home Base Thought: Simple food has a way of gathering people around: what matters most.

Happy Tuesday,

LoveLinda💛

I’ve been contemplating what it means to cultivate a life that is both well lived and well loved.

This question has been taking up brain space this week—in the very best way.

As a gardener, cultivating is the analogy my heart always returns to. A beautiful garden doesn’t happen by accident. It asks something of me. It asks for intention, patience, attention, and care. A meaningful life is the same.

Life is a project and with every project, I like to begin with the end in mind. (Thank you Steven Covey)

What does a life well loved actually look like?

Because we’re each uniquely made, there could never be one right answer.

For one person it might be raising children with kindness.

For another, building a business with integrity and service to others

Creating art.

Helping neighbors.

Showing up thoughtfully for friends.

Or perhaps it’s simply slowing down long enough to notice what truly matters.

No one else can answer that question for you.

I simply enjoy sparking the conversation. ✨

That’s what I love about this question.

Each of us gets to answer it in our own way.

Maybe a life well-loved is quietly becoming the person you were always meant to be. We each get to discover what that means for ourselves.

The more interesting question is this: What path are we choosing to get there?

I’m beginning to believe that a meaningful life isn’t something we simply stumble into—although life certainly has its surprises.

It’s something we cultivate.

One thoughtful conversation.

One sincere smile.

One act of kindness.

One difficult forgiveness.

One meal shared around the table.

One morning of paying attention instead of rushing through.

Little by little, these ordinary moments become the life we’re creating. They’re how we discover the good stuff of life—the things that give our lives meaning.

I’ve become aware of something else, too.

No one wants to be told how to live.

I know I don’t.

But I do think many of us appreciate being invited to notice.

To notice what we’re becoming.

To notice what matters

To notice where our attention is going.

To notice the people right in front of us.

For me, waking up has become less about finding answers and more about paying attention.

The more aware I become, the more extraordinary ordinary life becomes.

Maybe that’s one reason I write these Tuesday reflections.

Not because I have life figured out.

Far from it.

I write because I enjoy paying attention. And if something I’m noticing helps someone else notice the goodness that’s already present in their own life, then sharing it feels worthwhile.

So today I’m leaving you with two questions I’ll be asking myself:

What does a life well loved mean to me?

And perhaps even more importantly...

What path am I choosing today to create and cultivate that life?

May we all become a little more awake, a little more thoughtful, and a little more intentional as we cultivate lives that are deeply, genuinely, and beautifully loved.

Happy Tuesday.

Love,Linda 💛

I thought I’d invite you into my kitchen today and share one of my favorite simple recipes.

Today I’m making chilaquiles (pronounced chee-lah-KEE-lays), a simple, traditional Mexican dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even a casual supper with a side salad.

If you’ve never made them before, don’t let the name intimidate you. They’re incredibly simple, delicious and everyone seems to like them. Today I’m making the simplest version, but this is where the fun comes in, you get to be creative with chilaquiles - add black beans, cooked chicken, slices of avocado or Cowboy Candy. I’d love for you to share with us Chilaquiles creations you come up with.💃🏻

Let’s make some together.

And there you have it, one of my favorite easy meals for the two of us or ….for a crowd.

I hope you’ll give chilaquiles a try the next time you want to make something simple with ingredients you already have on hand. Perfect if you’re feeding hungry guests, or you’re simply craving something easy, comforting and delicious.. My friend Hannie even said they feel fancy. Simple and fancy at the same time, now that’s a sweet combo.

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me in my kitchen.

I’ll see you next Tuesday.

(OOPS, Forgot to send this on Tuesday, so happy Thursday!)

LoveLinda 💛

Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.

Be astonished.

Tell about it.

-Mary Oliver

Happy Tuesday, friends.

Mary Oliver’s simple instructions for living have been on my mind, especially those first two words: Pay attention

I love to work out. I love being fit. I love to cook and try new recipes. After spending many years teaching martial arts, cooking, and fitness, I tend to approach life as either a recipe or a muscle—or sometimes both. That’s how I’ve come to think about brain fitness, too.

Dr. Daniel Amen’s book Your Brain is Always Listening is one of the inspirations I use to bring awareness to my brain. It reminds me to pay attention to the conversations I’m having with myself. The words I repeat. The stories I tell. The labels I place on myself and others.

Our brains are always listening.

Growing up, many of us heard the myth that we only use 10% of our brains. Whether or not I questioned it at the time, what fascinates me now is something more hopeful—that our brains can continue to grow and adapt throughout our lives. There are practices—recipes, if you will—that help us develop mental fitness.

Just as we can strengthen our bodies, we can strengthen the way we think—with curiosity, gratitude, learning, hope, and paying attention to what we’re feeding our minds each day.

Want a simple recipe for a brain fitness workout?

Great!

I learned this from Dr Amen and it has shaped my days. Every day as I’m waking, I think of 2-3 things I’m looking forward to in the day, then when I lay my head on my pillow at night, I reflect on at least one thing that went well that day- (kudos if you can name more.)

These reflections don’t have to be profound. Sometimes they’re as simple as... “I’m looking forward to my first sip of coffee”, At night I often say “thank you for my bed, or I’m grateful that I finally got my desk cleared off today”

Developing a mental fitness habit helps us begin and end each day with intention, even in a world that often feels overwhelming.

We will always have hard things. This isn’t about pretending life is easy or ignoring pain. It isn’t toxic positivity. It’s simply choosing to notice that even on difficult days, there is still something good worth remembering.

I’m a natural-born cheerleader—and a fitness instructor—so consider this your encouragement for the week. Your brain deserves a workout, too. 💪🏽

Happy Tuesday,

LoveLinda💛

Happy Tuesday, friends.

I’ve been thinking about friendship a lot lately. Real friendship.

The kind of friendship that shows up over years. The kind that celebrates your joys, sits with you through hard times, remembers what’s important to you, and makes life richer simply by being a friend.

We hear a lot about loneliness these days. Some even call it the new pandemic. We live in a world where we’re more connected than ever, yet many people feel deeply alone.

I’ve been prayerfully asking this question: What does a healthy, mutual, life-giving friendship look like?

Friendship is both a gift and a practice.

The gift part is easy to see. Good friends encourage us, challenge us, laugh with us, cry with us, and remind us that we’re not walking through life alone.

The part that’s not so easy to see is the practice.

Like a garden, it needs tending, true friendship requires attention, intention, and care.

A text.
A phone call.
An invitation.
A walk.
A note that says, “I’ve been thinking about you.”

Those small gestures are the very things that keep a friendship alive.

Most of us have experienced hurt in friendship. I’m experiencing some right now.

Friendship needs intention, and also grace, because every friendship has seasons.

There are seasons when life feels spacious and we have plenty of time and energy to invest in others.

And there are seasons when life feels overwhelming.

Some people are raising children.
Some are caring for aging parents.
Some are navigating health challenges, grief, financial pressures, or simply carrying burdens we know nothing about.

Sometimes the friend who hasn’t called isn’t uncaring. They’re simply tired.

Too much expectation can suffocate a friendship. Too little effort can starve it.

Somewhere in the middle is a beautiful place where we continue to care for one another while allowing each other to be human.

Been prayerfully asking this question: What does a healthy, mutual, life-giving friendship looks like?

I don’t think it means keeping score.

I don’t think it means both people giving the same amount at exactly the same time.

None of us will be perfect friends.

I think healthy friendship is two people who care about one another, extending grace when life gets hard and making an effort when they can.

Perhaps friendship is less about finding people who never disappoint us and more about finding people with whom we can practice grace.

We’ll forget things.
We’ll get busy.
We’ll miss opportunities.
We’ll have seasons when we have more to give and seasons when we have less.

I’ve been asking myself:

What does friendship look like when it’s healthy, mutual, and life-giving?

I don’t have a complete answer.

I know it includes kindness.

I know it includes effort and intention,

I know it includes showing up.

And I know it includes grace.

Giving people room to be human.

It’s remembering that we rarely know the whole story.

It’s choosing curiosity before judgment.

It’s allowing for imperfection—both in others and in ourselves.

In friendship, grace might sound like:

• “Maybe there’s something going on that I don’t know about.”

• “This isn’t how I would handle it, but I can understand how life gets overwhelming.”

• “I don’t need to assume the worst.”

• “I can love this person without requiring them to be perfect.”

Grace doesn’t mean we never feel disappointed.

It means we don’t let disappointment become condemnation.

💛

Grace is saying,

“I notice it. I feel it. I’m curious about it. And I’m going to resist creating a negative story about the person.”

💛

That’s grace. I am finding that grace has a way of softening hurt and creating room for understanding.

Grace is choosing understanding when judgment would be easier.

Maybe that’s our invitation this week?

Reach out to someone. (Often we wait for someone to reach out to us?)

Send the text.

Make the call.

Extend the invitation.

Friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can give and receive.

It is both a gift and a practice.

Like most good things in life, it requires intention, care, and tending over time.

And that’s why it is so valuable!✨

Happy Tuesday, friends.

LoveLinda💛

Happy Tuesday, Friends

This summer our Montana home will be full of guests - family, friends, people we love.

I’ve been doing what many of us do when company is coming, tidying rooms, thinking about meals, making lists, grocery shopping.

As I was journaling this morning, I realized there’s another kind of preparation that matters just as much…. maybe more?

Sometimes it happens, the house can be well prepared while the host is completely overwhelmed.

My journal prompt to myself : What if I prepared my heart as carefully as I prepared our home?

How can I best show up, not perfectly…..rather, intentionally, present.

I started making a little list:

I want to be warm.

To be generous.

To be kind.

To be patient.

To be present.

To remember that people are coming to spend time together.

To remember that the most memorable thing about a gathering is how people feel while we are here together.

Preparing my heart doesn’t mean I won’t get tired.

It doesn’t mean everything will go according to plan.

It doesn’t mean there won’t be moments when I need a little quiet.

It simply means deciding ahead of time who I want to be when those moments arrive. What choices will I make?

In many ways, preparing a heart is a lot like preparing a garden.

You clear out what doesn’t belong.

You make room for what you want to grow.

You tend it with care.

You don’t demand perfection from it.

You simply keep cultivating and tending as things grow.

We can prepare our hearts before a difficult conversation.

Before a new season.

Before welcoming a friend.

Before beginning a project.

Before an ordinary Tuesday.

We get to choose what we bring to the moments.

Not perfectly. Intentionally.

So here’s my question for you this week:

As you prepare for whatever is ahead of you—a busy schedule, a family gathering, a work project, a conversation, or simply another day—what would it look like to prepare your heart as carefully as you prepare everything else?

With the quote above in mind: How are you preparing to meet life, what are you cultivating?

May your home be welcoming.

May your heart be ready.

And may there be plenty of room for grace in both.

LoveLinda💛

This is my garden. I spend many summer days here tending, cultivating, and noticing. The garden always reminds me that growth doesn’t require perfection, and doesn’t happen all at once—it only asks for attention, patience, and care.

(Joey’s got this figured out)

I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about what creates good energy and how it spills over into the people around us.

The kind that makes you feel more alive. More present. More like yourself.

For me, it’s often the simplest things.

A walk with my husband and our dog Joey

A sincere smile exchanged with a stranger.

Fresh flowers on the table.

Cooking a meal for someone I love.

A conversation that leaves me feeling lighter than when it began.

I’ve noticed that good energy rarely comes from doing more. It comes from noticing more. Paying attention to what nourishes us. What delights us.

What makes us feel awake to our own lives.

Today, I’d love to invite you into a simple experiment.

Ask yourself: What generates good energy in me?

(Not what should? Or what used to? And not what someone else says ought to.)

What genuinely brings you alive?

Maybe make a short list. – Not another ‘to do’ list, rather think of it as a gentle invitation …..‘to BE’ list. What delights you?

Then choose one thing and do it today, bring it alive this Tuesday. I’ll be doing this with you today. I just had a bowl of strawberries, enjoying them with intention, savoring the moment. It’s the small things. The simple things.

When we’re encouraged, and nourished, it naturally spills to everyone around us.

We all need a little more good energy around us, don’t you think? One of the reasons I’m writing these Tuesday notes is to create a little space for reflection in a noisy world.

And if you feel that you want to share…what gives you that ‘good energy is happening” feeling. Sweet. We have so many opportunities to encourage each other.

What brings you happiness on a this Tuesday?

Happy Tuesday, my friends.

LoveLinda💛

Last week we talked about smiles. Let’s talk about creating a life that feels like a home.

This has been on my mind and on my heart because I recently had a conversation with a friend that was lamenting, saying that her house did not feel like a home to her.

Have you ever walked into a home and immediately relaxed because something delicious was cooking?

You know the feeling. Your shoulders drop. You take a deep breath and think, “Oh, it smells so good in here.”

As a cook, this happens a lot in our home. And if you’re not a cook, here’s a little cheater’s hack: sauté some garlic and onions. Instantly, your home smells like something good is happening. Then toss those onions onto a hot dog, (Italian sausage, or a piece of cooked chicken) ….. suddenly something good is happening… I want your home to smell warm, even if it’s simply a hot dog!

Recently, while staying with a family in Napa, Venus, the family’s nanny made these for dinner. Venus smeared Kewpie mayo on a bun, added a hot dog, and topped it with grilled onions and bacon and we all LOVED it… and I don’t even like hot dogs, it simply shows a little bit of intention, and the smell of grilled onions can go a long way. Venus placed ketchup and mustard on the table for preferences, especially for the children.

Speaking of ‘aroma therapy’ that’s what I call it when the house has the warm and wonderful smell of food cooking. In the winter, we often keep a pot of warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and citrus gently simmering on the stove. It warms the house, and the soul.

These are small things. Simple things.

A life that feels like home is usually built the same way.

Not through one grand “I’ve got it all together” gesture, but through small choices repeated over time.

A smile to a loved one.

A meal shared.

A walk around the block.

A simple conversation with meaning….

A few moments of quiet, to meditate or journal before the day begins.

The feeling of “home” isn’t only about the place where we live. It’s something we cultivate within ourselves and create around us.

Today, this Happy Tuesday, I simply wanted to offer a gentle reminder: that we get to pay attention to the little things that make your shoulders drop, your breathing soften, and your heart feel at ease….

It’s the small things we do that create a life that feels like a home.

Happy Tuesday! and happy creating a life that feels like a home.

I wish we were sitting around the kitchen table. I would love to know what makes your life feel like a home. Maybe we can talk about it one day, and maybe you can reflect on it today.

-Love Linda💛

As Scott and I were walking down the street in Missoula, he said, “People are smiling at us.”

I replied with a smile, “I noticed that too.”
I was naturally smiling at them … and they were smiling back at us.

It got me thinking about what a sincere smile can do.

Not always. Not every person. But often, a smile softens people. It says:
“I see you.”
“We’re sharing this human experience together.”
“There is still goodness here.”

It costs nothing, yet has the ability to change the atmosphere.

A smile is such a small thing… yet it can change rooms, sidewalks, grocery stores, conversations, and even nervous systems.

When we smile, the brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These help reduce stress and increase feelings of well-being. Who doesn’t want more of that? I especially love this part: even the physical act of smiling can gently shift your mood because our facial expressions influence our emotional state.

There’s plenty of science behind all this if you want to dig into it.

But this isn’t about pretending life is perfect or forcing positivity. Actually, it’s the opposite.

We all carry hurt. Every one of us. Which is exactly why a simple, sincere smile can sometimes ease a little pain, even if only for a moment.

What if we became more aware of how much influence we actually have on the atmosphere around us?

That’s what Scott and I were enjoying as we walked down the street that day. Smiles are contagious.

Want to try the experiment today?

You may brighten someone’s day without saying a single word, simply by smiling.

And….. the thought of a little more smiling going on in the world makes me smile too.

-Linda 💛

You know what I realized recently?
People say Happy Friday all the time. Happy weekend.
Even happy Monday sometimes.

But nobody really says Happy Tuesday.

So today I’m saying it to you.
Happy Tuesday.

And I’m calling you friend because if you’re here reading this, I already feel like we have something in common. Maybe we’re just becoming acquainted, but still… welcome, friend.

So, we are going to talk about a “Soulful Picnic”.

Recently a friend asked me to help her plan a picnic with someone she’s newly dating.

Of course I could help her with what to put in the basket. That part is easy.

But what interested me more was this:

What is a picnic really about?

I don’t think it’s actually about the food.

I think it’s about slowing down long enough to enjoy someone’s company. Being outside. Breathing fresh air after a long winter. Sitting on a blanket. Talking. Laughing. Resting a little.

Simple things, and sometimes simple things become extraordinary.

No need to overcomplicate this.

You could make beautiful sandwiches yourself, like a stuffed banquette… or stop by your favorite deli and let them help you. Bring something cold to drink, a comfortable blanket, maybe a bottle of wine if that’s your thing… and don’t forget the bottle opener.

Most importantly, bring your presence.

That’s what people remember.

Often when we think about getting together with a friend we think about a coffee shop or meeting at a restaurant. It is getting so pretty outside, how about a picnic with you and a friend?

Below are a few simple picnic ideas if you’d like them.

Nothing fancy. Just soulful.
And keeping it real.

— Linda Hale

P.S.

Here is one idea for a picnic, a mason jar salad!