The Hummingbird Nest

Nestled in the Pause #14

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 01:15:22 GMT

I forgot to send my Nestled in the Pause newsletter last week. Here’s why…

Let me tell you, it was a week full of activity.

My 15-year-old granddaughter was on her Spring break. She asked if I’d help her quilt the sleeves of her new hoodie. I thought it might just be strips of fabric. No, she wanted triangles and strips. OK, challenge accepted.

We visited a quilting store, she chose three coordinating fabrics, and we got down to business. I helped with the cutting, and she did the sewing and ironing. It was a lot of fun to work alongside her, to witness her creative spirit and see the result.

Do you like it?

My childhood friend visited. We attended an evening with Dr. Gabor Mate, along with 8,000 others. It was so good. He’s an amazing storyteller. The knowledge he shared left me with much to think about.

One of the questions he suggested we ask ourselves the next day, I’d love to share with you.

Is there someone or something you need to say NO to?

Great question, and it permitted me to ask myself and practice saying no for the rest of the week.

His parting words, I’ll share in a little while.

We’re pet-sitting our granddog, Cora. It’s been fun, but we are growing weary. We’ve had her for one month. Her dad will be home this week.

What was especially challenging were the coyotes we encountered twice. Connection is one of my top values, yet this connection, I wasn’t too thrilled about. Mostly, they are afraid of humans, yet it’s mating season and they can be unpredictable. And, after all, they are wild animals.

A border terrier cross that is bred to hunt does not take this predator lightly. Let’s just say there was a lot of barking, restraint and calming required of me, and anxiety by her afterwards.

I did some research and learned a lot about her behaviors. I found it very interesting and will share a few facts.

They tend to have:

High prey drive → strong urge to chase or confront movement
Quick arousal → they go from calm to “on alert” very fast
Fearless temperament → even when the other animal is bigger

I wondered - how do dogs detect coyotes before we do, and how do they know it’s a predator and not just another dog? Here’s what I found out.

1. Scent (the biggest one)

Dogs have up to 300 million scent receptors (humans ~5 million). A coyote can leave scent trails on:

grass
wind currents
even where it passed hours earlier

A dog can detect a coyote long before it’s visible. That explains her growling before we were even outside.

2. Sound

Dogs hear higher frequencies and at greater distances. They can pick up:

movement in brush
distant footsteps
subtle vocalizations

3. Body Language + Energy

Even before close contact, dogs can sense:

predator movement patterns
tension or alertness in another animal

Coyotes move very differently from domestic dogs - more stealthy, more direct.

She knows it’s not “Just Another Dog” because it gives off very different signals than a pet dog. The key differences a dog picks up are:

Scent signature → wild, unfamiliar, predator-based
Movement style → quiet, stalking, purposeful
Eye contact → more intense, less social
Posture → not playful or relaxed

Fingers crossed we won’t have another encounter.

On Friday evening, I hosted my monthly Kitchen Table Gathering. Our theme was Reservation for One.

This idea of a “reservation for one” is inspired by a phrase connected to Matthew McConaughey and his journaling companion to the book Greenlights. It’s really a gentle metaphor - an invitation to intentionally spend time in your own company, to reconnect with yourself.

For some, that might look like a quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a solo walk or an hour softly set aside just for you.

And for others, it might be something a little more spacious. A day away. An overnight. Even a retreat that’s been quietly calling your name.

What matters isn’t how big or small it is. It’s the intention behind it. A moment, or a space, where you choose to be with yourself and notice what’s been waiting there.

I invite you this week to experience a taste of our gathering.

1. Find a quiet corner, light a candle and spend some time with yourself.
2. Gently arrive by listening to this Table for One meditation.

Complete this Reservation for One Worksheet.

Reservation For One Worksheet

118KB ∙ PDF file

Read this Closing Blessing:

My Reservation for One Today

I chuckled to myself today as I sat in Tim Horton’s - waiting for my snow tires to be changed. Not a glamorous reservation for one, yet one just the same.

Sitting next to me were three women engaged in conversation. One was telling a story about how her 50-year-old son was planning to sell everything he owns and move to Spain. Sounded like quite an adventure to me! She explained how she’d suggested he was doing the wrong thing, etc., etc. What I chuckled about was that this conversation reminded me of Dr. Gabor Mate’s parting words, which I promised to share with you.

Have a great week!

RESERVE YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE

April at the Nest

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:01:03 GMT

Inside The Nest This Month

Here are a few ways to enter this month’s theme, Reservation for One.

Join us inside The Nest as we move through it together.

Tending this Space

Throughout the month, just as a gardener tends her garden, I’ll be tending this space on Substack, sharing a little more, so you can get to know me along the way.

It feels like new energy is arriving. Like seeds being planted, just beginning to sprout.

I’ve been building The Nest, layer upon layer, piece by piece.

Spring has arrived, and The Nest is holding something not yet fully seen - like a nest in early Spring.

I’ll share more of what’s being tended here as the month unfolds.

For now, you’re warmly invited to take a peek at my welcome video - a small hello from me that will appear in the welcome emails to new subscribers.

The April Magazine

A guided experience with reflections, rituals, and creative invitations.

READ THE APRIL MAGAZINE

On your phone or tablet, gently swipe to turn the pages.
On a computer, use the small arrow in the corner to move through at your own pace.

Nestled in the Pause

Weekly moments of stillness, creativity, and connection.

Each week, I’ll share three gentle pauses, guided by the three pillars at the heart of this space - stillness, creativity, and connection - all centered around this month’s theme.

Here’s a simple place to begin.

A minute to pause and listen.

Find a quiet moment.
Step outside if you can, or sit near an open window.

Close your eyes.

Let the sound of birdsong be the only thing you follow.

Just listen.

Even a minute can be enough
to soften the edges of a day.

The Kitchen Table

A monthly gathering where women come together
to slow down, share, and create.

A space to be nourished,
not just by what we make,
but by conversation, inspiration, and connection.

And a special thank you to Petal + Hearth, who gave me permission to share her amazing Reservation for One ideas.

Petal + Hearth

Reader Request: How to Live Like You Have a Self-Care Budget… When You Don’t

Today’s post was inspired by a reader request for self care resources. I’m making it public so it’s accessible to all. If you have a topic you’d like to see covered, you can submit it here…

8 months ago · 23 likes · 3 comments · Olivia Wickstrom

Whether you’re craving stillness, creativity, connection, or simply a place that feels steady for a moment, the door is open.

I hope to see you in The Nest.

Reservation for One, April 2026

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:49:20 GMT

Last month, we tended the hearth,
preparing a place for what wants to grow.

This month, we turn toward growth.

Welcome to April.
And to the theme, Reservation for One.

An invitation to spend time alone,
and return to yourself.

Inspired by a phrase shared by Matthew McConaughey
in connection with his book Greenlights,
this idea of a “reservation for one”
isn’t about being alone for the sake of it,
but about choosing time with yourself,
intentionally, and with care.

READ THE APRIL MAGAZINE

On your phone or tablet, gently swipe to turn the pages.
On a computer, use the small arrow in the corner to move through at your own pace.

Take what you need this month,
and leave the rest to unfold.

Nestled in the Pause #13

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:00:53 GMT

The Thrifted Treasure Walk (or a Gathering at Home)

This is an invitation to pause
to experience stillness, creativity, and connection.

on a small solo outing,
with a hint of curiosity woven in.

Not just browsing,
but noticing… choosing… gathering.

Set aside a little pocket of time—an hour, perhaps.

Go on your own to a thrift store, yard sale, or secondhand space.

Before you go, you might carry a few ideas with you-
not a list to complete,
just a few possibilities to notice along the way.

Two Ways to Enter

If you’re heading out:

Visit the place you’ve chosen.
Let yourself wander without a plan.

If you’re staying home:

Move through your own space
as if you’ve never seen it before.

Open a drawer.
Look at a shelf.
Revisit a box tucked away.

There are things here
that have been waiting to be noticed again.

Stillness

This is where the practice begins.

Whether you step into a shop
or stay within your own home,
begin by choosing to move differently.

More slowly than usual.
With no destination in mind.

Pause at each shelf…
or each corner of a room.

Let your eyes rest.

Let your hands linger.

This is not about finding.

It’s about allowing something
to gently come into your awareness.

A Gathering List

Wherever you are, look for:

something made of fabric
something that holds a memory
something small and beautiful
something with texture
something that simply calls to you

You can gather all of the items, or just two or three - whatever feels right.

Connection

Connection can be very small.

If you’re out, it might look like:

a shared smile
a brief exchange
a quiet moment beside someone

If you’re at home, connection might be:

remembering who something belonged to
recalling a moment or season of your life
holding an object and letting a story return

You might even send a message to someone:

Creativity

When you return (or gather your pieces), use your imagination and create something simple.

Here are a few ideas:

A Letter to Yourself (with Objects)

Create a small bundle and include:

your gathered items
a short handwritten note
tied together with string or ribbon

Tuck it somewhere to find later.

Let it remain a little open, if you like.

Not finished.
Just… gathered.

A Small Collection Jar

Place a few items into a jar or small container.

Not as clutter, but as a way of saying:

this mattered enough to keep.

A Framed Arrangement

Place a small arrangement inside a frame:

fabric
paper
a photo
a found object

It can remain simple and unfinished.

This is what a reservation for one can be-
a small pocket of time
spent gently
with yourself.

Nestled in the Pause #12

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:32:35 GMT

It’s hard to believe how quickly March has passed.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been gently feathering our nests.

Before we open the final six squares,
pause and notice what is already resting in your nest.

Here are the final six squares.

A Shared Table

I shared my table recently with two friends for conversation, connection, cupcakes, and crafts. It was a lot of fun.

A Bloom

Oh, how I miss the early blooms when I lived on the west coast of Canada, on Vancouver Island. This bloom is from the floral section at the local grocery store. Here in Calgary, we start to see grass again, and then it snows. Rinse & repeat. I hope soon these Spring storms wave goodbye, and we’ll see some blooms.

An Heirloom

The yellow tea cup in the photo belonged to my great-grandmother. I will forever cherish it. I know my daughter will cherish it when I am gone, and I hope my granddaughters will, too. It must be at least 120 years old.

A Sign of Spring

Last week, I pet-sat 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and a teenager, in the midst of a Spring snowstorm. My daughter and her husband were holidaying on the West Coast of Canada. She shared this photo, the view from her suite, and shared that daffodils lined the ditches. These are my hopeful signs of Spring.

In Calgary, our ground was once again blanketed with snow. A Spring storm moved in from the mountains, and the police advised against travel. By afternoon, the sun shone, and the roads were almost dry. That’s Calgary weather for you.

Two Things Together

The focus during week four was creativity. Let me explain how these photos work with this theme.

These two are looking for treats. They stick together, each trying in his/her own creative way to convince Grandma to cave and give them one. They try all day long.

Charlie follows me around. When that doesn’t work, he stares at me. Cora turns in circles, thinking that might work, then she talks to me, which really is whining. They play this game for hours. They have been successful - each has had a few treats today, or what my husband and I call biscuits - that’s an unrecognizable code name for treat.

An Open Door

Welcome! The door to the Nest Retreat Center is always open. Take your time here. When you’re ready, I’ll show you around. And, as the days unfold, you’ll find more opportunities inside to experience stillness, creativity, and connection - on your own or with others.

Thank you for playing along this month. I hope you enjoyed the bingo-card format and the pauses it provided.

Nestled in the Pause #11

Sun, 22 Mar 2026 14:37:00 GMT

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been gently feathering our nests.

Noticing stillness, tending what holds us, and watching creativity begin to take shape.

Below are the creative sparks I gathered this past week.

Something Handmade

My home is full of handmade items, so it was a challenge to choose. I landed on a sweet bowl I made from fabric, then stiffened with Mod Podge. It holds a variety of things - right now, some old slides waiting to be turned into photos.

I’d love to see something you’ve made with your own hands?

Color You Love

I bet you’ll figure out in one guess what my answer is. I LOVE teal, and its neighbour - robin egg blue. My sister made me the wall quilt for my 50th birthday. I absolutely love it, and its ocean touches, reminding me of the many years I called Vancouver Island home.

What’s a color you love?

Work in Progress

Counted cross-stitch used to be my favorite form of meditation. I spent hours and hours stitching during a very difficult time in my life. This one is almost complete. I’m going to finish it - it really is beautiful.

Do you have any projects to complete? This is your time to get one out of your closet, or that box, or drawer, and finish it along with me.

Tools of Making

I’ve been working on something special - a birthday card.

My mom passed away in late 2024, just four months before her 100th birthday. In a few weeks, one of her few remaining friends will turn 100, and I’ll be there to celebrate with her.

What makes this card especially meaningful is that it carries pieces of my mother within it. The blue wool background came from one of her favorite blazers. The floral trim was made from a cloth napkin that once lined her makeup basket. The intertwined hearts are a small symbol of the love and friendship they shared over so many years.

The flower at the center is one of the birthday girl’s favorites. I made it last summer by pounding pansies onto fabric, and I love that it found its way into this piece.

And then there are the tools of making scattered across the table - scissors, pins, thread, needle, rotary cutter, ruler - the ordinary things that help turn memory into something I can hold in my hands.

You might gather your own tools - whatever you have nearby - and let your hands create something simple. Not to make something perfect, just something that holds a bit of meaning.

This is what I love about creative work. Sometimes it becomes more than making. Sometimes it becomes remembering. Sometimes it becomes a way of carrying love forward.

Something Becoming

Tomorrow, I’m hosting a small friend gathering. We’ll be creating Easter decor. What could be better than conversation, coffee, cupcakes, and crafts?

Are you making something special for Easter this year? Can you guess what we’re making?

A Creative Mess

I’m notorious for not reorganizing my creative spaces after I’ve completed a project. A friend used to say to me when we painted together, “Clean your paintbrush!” She’d always find it sitting in water, waiting to be cleaned.

It’s no different with embroidery and my slow-stitch projects, as witnessed by this creative mess - a pile of half-used lengths of embroidery floss.

Are you like this, too? Surely it’s not only me!

What I’m noticing now is a quiet shift.

What we’ve been tending inside
begins to open outward.

Toward light, others, and the small signs of spring.

This Week’s Six Squares

• A Shared Table
• Two Things Together
• An Heirloom
• An Open Door
• A Bloom
• A Sign of Spring

This week, we turn our attention to connection and the ways it appears in our everyday lives.

Pause with whatever draws you in this week.

You might take a photo, simply notice, write a line in your journal, sit quietly with the prompt, or, if you’re playing along on the bingo card, grab your dabber and mark the square.

You can download your bingo card here.

Feather Your Nest Bingo Week 4

1.13MB ∙ PDF file

As this month draws to a close, take a quiet moment with your card.

Notice what you’ve marked.
Notice what you’ve simply held.

There was never a right way to fill these squares, only an invitation to see what was already here.

And perhaps, in small and quiet ways, you did.

Nestled in the Pause #10

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:11:30 GMT

Over the past two weeks, we’ve been practicing the simple act of noticing.

Stillness.
Soft corners of home.
Textures and objects that hold our everyday lives.

I’ve included my six moments from last week below - small things that might have gone unnoticed if I hadn’t been paying attention.

Texture - I’ve always loved old chippy doors and window frames. They reveal so many layers of time and texture. I have several in my home. A favorite, a door, sits quietly making a statement in the corner of my living room. Oh, if this door could tell us her stories.

A Folded Blanket - I have a whole shelf in my linen closet filled with folded quilts - made by me, my sister, and my mom. Sometimes I hang one on the wall for a time. The truth is, my home doesn’t have a lot of wall space. So mostly they sit quietly in the closet - resting in stillness, waiting for their turn again.

Layers - a small slow-stitch piece I made - scraps of fabric and thread placed one over another until something whole begins to appear.

An Open Book - Sometimes the most vulnerable thing we can do is let someone see a page from our story. This page comes from an art journal I created during a course I once took - layers of color, words, and thoughts that were meant only for that moment in time.

Something Worn - There is something special about a recipe written by hand. The curves of the letters. Splatters of food. Maybe a note added in the margin. I’m sharing a recipe from my mom, written in her own handwriting. The recipe itself is worn from years of use. But that’s part of its beauty.

It’s more than instructions for making something in the kitchen. It’s a small piece of her story, passed quietly from one generation to the next. And, something so special is that I remember her making these and serving them as appetizers at family gatherings.

Something That Feels Warm - At Christmas this year, we found ourselves gathered around the fireplace at my daughter’s home. The fire crackled softly, casting that golden glow that only a real fire seems to create.

Sometimes warmth isn’t just the fire itself. It’s the atmosphere it creates. The feeling of being held in a space where everyone can slow down for a while.

That fireplace gave us exactly the kind of warmth we were craving that evening.

What I’m discovering is that when we slow down enough to notice our spaces, creativity often begins to stir on its own.

Not the kind of creativity that needs to be perfect or finished.

Just the gentle signs that something is becoming.

A thread left on the table.
A half-finished idea.
A color that catches your eye.

This week, we turn our attention toward those small creative sparks.

This Week’s Six Squares

• Something Handmade
• A Work in Progress
• Color You Love
• Tools of Making
• A Creative Mess
• Something Becoming

You might photograph something you’re working on.

Or you might simply notice the creative energy already moving through your day.

A sketch. A recipe. A garden bed being planned.

Creativity appears in more places than we expect.

Pause with one square that draws you in.

And when you’ve given it your attention, gently mark the space on your card.

That’s enough.

A Small Reminder

This isn’t about filling the card.

It’s about noticing what is already here.

Little by little, we’re feathering the nest.

You can download your bingo card here.

Feather Your Nest Bingo Week 3

1.14MB ∙ PDF file

The Gift of Restlessness

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 14:40:24 GMT

Hello, I’m really happy you’re here.
This is a quiet corner where I explore what it means to live with more heart and less hurry - through stillness, creativity, and connection. I’m someone learning, right alongside you, how to pause long enough to listen for what truly matters. Pull up a chair. There’s space for you here.

I’m feeling restless.
A place I’ve been
many times before.

Spring will soon be here.
Maybe that’s why.

Or maybe.

It’s about acceptance.
Or about authenticity.

I love serendipity,
those moments when something appears.
Exactly when you need it.

In my restlessness
I received clarity.

It arrived in a group:
The Art of Awareness.

A visualization revealed a message
about restlessness.

You have been here before.

Sit with it.
In silence.

Stitch your stillness.

And I realized something.

When restlessness arrives,
I begin to question everything.

Gather & Pause.
The things I’m creating.
The directions I’m exploring.

Maybe I will continue.
Maybe I won’t.

But I’m beginning to understand
that questioning
is simply part of the creative process.

Restlessness often appears
when something new
wants to be created.

I saw a small version of this recently
with one of my granddaughters.

She was very excited
about getting guinea pigs.

But what fascinated me most
wasn’t the animals themselves.

It was the creation of their space.

Designing their little home.
Arranging things just right.
Making it welcoming.

The creativity
was in the building.

And now my other granddaughter
has happily become
the caretaker of the guinea pigs.

Which made me smile.

Because sometimes
what we think we want
isn’t really the point.

The spark
was the making.

The imagining.
The creating of something new.

Yesterday, at my half-day retreat, Threads of Color,
I watched something similar unfold.

Watercolor and stitching supplies
spread across the table.

Watercolor painting becoming the base,
stitching slowly adding colour, texture, and mood.

Thread moving quietly
through our hands.

And as we stitched,
people began noticing things.

One woman decided
to leave the darker brushstrokes visible
rather than covering them with stitches.

Another loved the randomness
of seed stitches-
no mistakes.

One participant surprised herself
by stitching sideways,
inspired by plaid.

Someone said
the stitching felt soothing.

Another noticed
she kept trying to cover
what she didn’t like.

She laughed and said
she has struggled with perfectionism.

Her piece began structured.

But slowly
it became more open.
More unplanned.
More authentic.

Creativity has a way
of revealing these things.

Where we try to control.

Where we try to hide.

And where we might allow
something unexpected
to emerge.

Maybe restlessness
is simply the beginning of that.

A quiet signal.

An invitation
to sit with it.

In silence.

And stitch a little stillness
into the day.

Nestled in the Pause #9

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:11:36 GMT

Last week, we practiced noticing stillness.

I’ve included my moments below - small things I might have missed if I hadn’t been looking.

My favorite chair that holds memories of time spent visiting my mom in long-term care. I sat in that chair almost every day visiting, telling her stories, and listening to hers. It now sits in my living room, a quiet reminder of the time we shared.

My hands at rest while filming a video. Resting them helped keep me grounded.

I chose to share how steam can wake and feed a nest of baby birds! Seems so appropriate as Spring approaches.

A moment of shadow and soft light from my wall - a reminder that beauty often arrives without announcing itself.

My granddaughter’s cat Clover, found the very best quiet corner.

I noticed something surprising.

Looking for stillness
actually slowed me down.

Stillness isn’t empty.
It’s full.

This week, we begin tending what holds us.

The nest isn’t just branches.
It’s warmth.
Layers.
Care.

This Week’s Six Squares

• Texture
• Something Worn
• Layers
• A Folded Blanket
• An Open Book
• Something That Feels Warm

Let one draw you in.

Notice how the surfaces of your life hold memory.
Notice what you reach for without thinking.
Notice what has softened with time.

You may photograph it.
Or simply sit with it.

Mark the square when you’ve paused.

Nothing more is required.

You can download your bingo card here.

Feather Your Nest Bingo Week 2

1.16MB ∙ PDF file

Nestled in the Pause #8

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 08:11:16 GMT

March doesn’t need more goals. It may simply need more noticing.

This month inside Nestled in the Pause, we’re beginning something playful - a slow, unfolding invitation rooted in our three pillars: stillness, creativity, and connection.

Each week, I’ll offer a handful of prompts, small invitations to pause and see what is already here.

To hold them, we’ll be using a simple bingo-style card.

But you won’t see the whole card at once.

Each week, six new squares will appear.

Like early spring.
Like small green shoots.

There is no pressure to complete them all.
Follow what your heart is drawn to.

You don’t need special tools.
Only a willingness to pause
and notice.

This week’s six squares arrive today.

Let’s begin softly.

How This Invitation Works

Each day, choose a square that calls to you.

You might:

Take a photo
Simply notice
Write a line in your journal
Sit quietly with the prompt

After you’ve paused with it, gently mark the square.

That’s it.

Completion isn’t the goal.
Attention is.

There is no prize for finishing.
The gift is in seeing differently.

What to Expect This Month

We begin with noticing the Stillness already present in your space.

As the weeks unfold, we’ll gently expand into creativity and connection.

And at the end of the month, if you’d like, you’ll be invited to show us your nest. More about that later.

You can download your bingo card here.

Feather Your Nest Bingo Week 1

1.16MB ∙ PDF file

Have fun!

PULL UP A CHAIR FOR THIS FREE GATHERING

March at the Nest

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 22:10:12 GMT

March feels like a threshold.

Light shifting.
Ideas stirring.

Inside The Nest this month, there is more than one beautiful thing unfolding. I wanted to gather it all here for you.

Read the March Magazine

This is your invitation to watch the video below.

Yes… It’s happening on Friday the 13th.
And that’s perfectly alright.

Above is the menu for the evening - our gentle agenda around the table.

We’ll begin with a little folklore, then share stories and reflections, and together create a small Shared Luck Jar. Not to predict the future, but to practice the magic humans have always made: placing kindness, steadiness, and hope into the world.

A little folklore.
A little laughter.
A little shared magic around the table.

All are welcome, and there’s always room to pull up a chair.

We’ve created a simple invitation PDF that shares the spirit of the retreat in more detail. You’re welcome to take a look if you’d like to linger a little longer.

Threads Of Color Retreat (2)

11.3MB ∙ PDF file

You can register at the link in the PDF or click the button below.

COUNT ME IN!

March holds many offerings inside The Nest.

A new magazine issue.
A weaving for International Women’s Day.
A gathering at the Kitchen Table.
A creative retreat in Threads of Color.
A quiet pause arriving tomorrow.

There truly is a little something here for everyone.

Whether you’re craving stillness, creativity, connection, or simply a place that feels steady for a moment, the door is open.

I hope to see you in The Nest.

Tending the Hearth, March 2026

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:11:17 GMT

Last month we opened a soft space.

Not something to complete,
just somewhere to sit for a moment.

The new Gather & Pause magazine.

Some of you may not have read it all at once.
Maybe you left it open beside you, returned to it, or carried one page through your week.

You did what felt right.

This second edition grew from a quieter question:

What do we do in seasons when growth feels far away?

We keep something warm.

No plans.
Just small, steady warmth, the kind that asks nothing and waits with us.

So this month’s magazine is called Tending the Hearth.

Inside you’ll find places to pause:
a short story to read slowly
two simple journaling prompts
a candlelit shower ritual
and a small creative invitation to keep beside you.

There is nothing to keep up with here.
You can open it anywhere.

You might read it in one sitting,
or only one page this week, the others over the month.

Or maybe you’ll gather a friend or two,
answering the call for creativity together.

All are ways this was meant to be used.

You can step into this month’s magazine just below.

READ THE MARCH MAGAZINE

On your phone or tablet, gently swipe to turn the pages.
On a computer, use the small arrow in the corner to move through at your own pace.

Waulking: The Tradition Continues

Women Weaving: A Manifesto

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 18:30:26 GMT

This year, for International Women’s Day, we are responding to a Substack invitation for creative expression around the theme Women Weaving.

The call is rooted in the Scottish tradition of Waulking, a communal practice where women gathered to finish tweed cloth while singing side by side.

Before sharing our response, let’s step briefly into that tradition.

Interested in this gathering in modern times, here’s an informative video to watch.

The invitation asks for a 21st-century response.

Rather than writing something alone, I invited the women who gather with me each month at my virtual Kitchen Table to reflect with me. It felt only natural to involve them in shaping this submission.

I asked questions like:

What becomes possible when women gather?
What do we feel here that we don’t feel elsewhere?
What are we no longer willing to carry?
What are we weaving together?

And, many more.

Together, we created a manifesto. It grew from their voices, their courage, their honesty, their longing for something real.

It is not mine alone.
It belongs to the women who helped shape it.

Prefer to listen?
I’ve created a video version of the manifesto below.

Women Weaving: A Manifesto

We believe when women gather, courage multiplies.
Honest conversation changes lives.
Laughter is medicine.
Creative ideas flow more freely in community.

Women deserve spaces where they are safe to speak
and safe to be quiet.

We are weaving more than friendship here.

We are weaving trust.
Creative confidence.
Joy.
Healing.
Belonging.
Legacy.

We are no longer willing to carry comparison.
Or competition.
Or hustle without heart.
Or the pressure to always be strong.

We are done stepping back from our own light.
Done believing we are behind.
Done carrying everything alone.

We believe in communities that are brave and honest.
Gentle and spacious.
Creative and playful.
Warm and welcoming.
Deep rather than loud.
Small but meaningful.
A place that feels like coming home.

And in this kind of community, something shifts.

I have begun to reclaim my own voice.
To believe that what I bring is enough, valuable, and valued.

And I know I am not alone in that.

We are the women who cradle one another.

We are trailblazers.
Role models.
Leaving a legacy for the next generation.

We share long-forgotten memories.
We make space for each other with love and compassion.
We learn from one another through shared stories and shared wisdom.

Word by word.
Story by story.
Women beside women.

We are weaving something the next generation will stand inside.

And because of that, I will show up honestly.
I will make space with love and compassion.
I will refuse comparison.
I will nurture creative confidence.
I will cradle the women beside me.
I will remember that what I bring is enough.
And I will continue weaving.

May we keep setting tables.
May we keep gathering.
May we keep weaving.

A special thank you to , , , , & for this important invitation.

With deep gratitude, I thank the women who answered my call and completed the survey.

And to those whose photographs appear in the video version of this manifesto - women who gathered in the forest, who walked with a medicine woman, and who continue to walk beside one another - thank you.

Your presence lives inside these words.

Three takes and a bee 🐝

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:12:53 GMT

Hello friends,

Because I’m pretty sure not all of you see my Substack Notes, I wanted to send a quick note here, too.

Some of you may even remember this magical retreat center in the middle of the forest.

A few years ago, I tried to record this video.

Different business name.
Same heart. Same purpose.

It took three takes to get it out.

The first two times, I stumbled over my words. Completely flubbed what I was trying to say.

The third time… a bee flew straight in front of me.
(Which honestly feels symbolic now.)

It’s a little longer than most things we watch these days. But the message underneath it still feels true:

Don’t give up.

Not when you trip over your own sentences. Not when something unexpected flies into the frame. Not when it takes more tries than you imagined.

Sometimes the bloopers are part of the becoming. 🐝

I needed this message today.
Maybe you do too.

Nestled in the Pause #7

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 20:11:14 GMT

This week’s pauses are simple and a little scattered - on purpose.

Not a lesson, not a theme to follow,
Just a few places to soften your attention.

We’ll notice tenderness in the world,
notice what’s here in this moment,
and choose one small thing to carry with us.

Take them as they meet you.
Skip one if you need to.
Return later if you want to.

There’s no falling behind here.

VIEW THE VIDEO

You paused.
You noticed.
You carried something with you into your days.

Nothing dramatic may have changed.
Small shifts rarely announce themselves.

Let whatever stayed with you continue.
I’ll meet you again soon, right here in the pause.

A Different Kind of Rest

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:48:32 GMT

When people read about a creative retreat, they often focus on the activity.

Watercolor on fabric.
Slow stitching.

They wonder whether they’ll understand it, whether they’ll keep up, whether they belong there at all.

But over the years I’ve noticed something.

The project itself is rarely what women talk about afterward.

They talk about how quickly they settled in.
How the pressure they didn’t realize they were carrying eased.
How conversation felt easier than expected.
How, for a little while, no one needed anything from them.

The hands stay gently occupied,
and because of that, the mind loosens its grip.

There’s a comfort in sitting beside others without having to present a version of yourself.
You don’t have to lead the conversation or hold it together.
You simply share space while something small forms in your hands.

What lingers most is that nothing urgent is happening.

Time stretches a little.
Attention softens.
The room feels quieter inside than when it began.

By the end, women rarely say
“I learned a technique.”

They say
“I feel different.”

This is the part that’s difficult to explain on a registration page, but it’s the reason these gatherings exist.

The making gives the eyes somewhere to rest.
The shared quiet gives the mind somewhere to land.

If this kind of time sounds like something you’ve been missing, I’ve written the details here:

Threads Of Color Retreat Details

11.3MB ∙ PDF file

Music Makers

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 20:20:41 GMT

Hello friends,

I’ve begun gathering pieces of a legacy book, moments more than a timeline.
Sharing a small doorway as it arrives.

Standing on the doorstep, looking out into the street, a young man, maybe 16 or 17.
Dressed carefully in a two piece suit and tie. One hand relaxed in his trouser pocket, the other cradles his violin gently at the neck.

Early evening, his shadow cast on the house, as if someone unknown was travelling with him.

Voices. Mother rounding up the dish washing crew. A chair moved across the floor. Laughter.

Reflections

I never knew this evening, only its echo.

Music was already waiting for him. Not as a decision, but as a place he returned to again and again. Through war postings, crowded halls, small-town dances, and quiet rooms at home, it followed him. Or perhaps he followed it.

What reaches me now isn’t the performance, but the beginning. A young man standing between the noise of family life and something he could hear just beyond it.

Because of that pause, music was never separate from our days. It lived in the background of conversations, in gatherings, in the ordinary ways a life slowly teaches a family what matters without ever announcing it.

And somehow, long before I arrived, it had already made a place for me.

When a Value Still Needs Protecting

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 03:02:02 GMT

Along with calm and connection, creativity is one of my core values.

It’s one of the ways I stay steady in the world.

Yet sometimes life interferes.

My calendar fills.
Energy runs low.
Small responsibilities multiply.

Even something deeply important can slowly become postponed.
Not because it matters less,
but because everything else also matters.

I’ve learned that if I don’t decide where creativity belongs in my days,
the days decide for me.

So I place it somewhere real.

Sometimes that’s a quiet hour I protect.
Sometimes it’s sitting at the table before the day begins.
And sometimes it looks like setting aside a few hours and gathering others with me, because shared time has a way of becoming kept time.

This is the heart behind a virtual creative retreat I’m co-hosting soon: a gentle space to work with color and thread, move slowly, and simply be present while our hands are busy.

Sometimes it’s easier to keep a promise
when someone else is expecting you at the table.

If creativity matters to you too, but keeps slipping to the edges, you can read about the retreat here:

Threads of Color