March marks four years since the birth of my Heart Notes newsletter! That’s approximately 96 issues and at least 90 new blog posts. My list began in 2017 with my loyal homeopathy and Bowen patients. As I transitioned from health care provider to artist, writer and facilitator, some moved on. Many stayed and continue to…
In my neighbourhood I’ve been observing an increasing number of people walking along the harbour path with binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses. They tell me they’ve seen hawks, cardinals and a bald eagle, along with the usual assortment of chickadees, bluejays, sparrows, starlings and merganser ducks. These are our typical winter birds, so why…
This is the time of the winter when I shovel off my deck, wrap up in my down parka and a cozy blanket to have my morning tea in the sunshine. Turning my face to the sun, to the light helps me to regenerate, to recoup some energy. When I allow myself the ‘luxury’ of…
I struggled with what to blog about this week. As most of you know, my brand is all about finding moments of joy and self compassion, along with colour, texture and creativity. When I left my 20 year career as a homeopath and Bowen practitioner, I promised myself I would do less pushing of the…
Are you tired of Zoom, of trying to connect over Zoom coffees or drinks? Are your team members feeling disconnected from each other and from the work culture? What makes a community thrive and what helps groups and individuals to feel a sense of connection? During this pandemic I’ve observed many groups and types of…
As we begin the year, what do you need? Do you have a New Year tradition such as a word for the year? I typically choose a word to represent the year ahead. Usually the word is an action, something I intend to do in my business and personal life. This year I’ve taken a…
Update 2021: We’ve now been in the pandemic almost two years. Vaccination rates are rising, restrictions in some areas are lifting, and there is the threat of the Delta variant worldwide. I was that university student who made it through the term and exams only to fall sick all through the holidays. Sound familiar? For…
Previous generations have had long periods of living under less than ideal conditions, such as world wars, famine, the Great Depression. Today’s adverse time is the ongoing pandemic. In Nova Scotia we are in the ninth month of restrictions and there are signs that these restrictions and possibly more will be with us for some…
A recent LinkedIn post from my colleague and friend Mary Jane Copps (aka The Phone Lady) got me thinking. Her post was about allowing moments of silence in conversation and how this can deepen a relationship. She said “The relationship resides in the silence I allow within my conversations.” Mary Jane got me thinking about…
My husband laughed the other day as I walked into my home office wearing my red cowboy boots. I was preparing for an exciting virtual meeting with a potential client in Texas. I wanted to feel joyful and confident, two things I feel when I wear these boots. Because the meeting was virtual, there is…
Last weekend I spent hours cutting up tiny, beautiful, red crabapples from the farmer’s market and hot peppers from my garden so that I could make crabapple-hot pepper jelly. As I’m new to canning, it took several attempts to get all of the jars to seal (thanks Elizabeth Peirce of the book You Can Too!…
It’s the start of a new season (fall in the Northern Hemisphere, spring in the Southern Hemisphere). For many people, this season represents a beginning of a new school year, the end of summer vacations and the fall harvest. This year, so much is different. There are many changes to how we move through our…
Thoughts about being a 60+ woman and COVID-19 as it relates to boundaries. Prior to COVID-19, I was writing in my journal about being a woman in her 60’s who is living life full on, with purpose. This life with purpose feels like confidence, expanding horizons. The ‘world is my oyster’ type of feeling. I’m…
We are in a period of prolonged stress and uncertainty due to COVID-19. In most parts of the world we are through the first wave of the virus. Some communities have begun to open up, and in some locations this opening up has led to a rise in the number of infections and a resulting…
Collectively and individually we are all going through a defining moment – the COVID-19 Pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the inequities in our society, particularly those around economics and race. There are many lessons we are learning from this world-wide event, and it is going to take courage to fully implement them. What else is…