Sick Days

When I was a little girl, five or six years old, I loved being sick. It meant extra special attention, especially from my dad.

We lived in a small town on the Canadian prairies. My dad was the local jeweler and owned a jewelry store. When he came home at lunch, he would sit down beside me as I lay on the sofa, bringing paper doll cutouts bound in a book. It’s fun to imagine him now, stopping at the drugstore on his way home to purchase a book of paper dolls just for me.

Back in the early 1960s, I don’t recall there being perforated edges to punch out the dolls and clothing. Instead, everything was cut by hand, a great sick-day activity that entertained me for hours. It was tedious and oh so creative. I remember having to be extra careful not to cut off the small tabs on the shoulder and arms, as that’s how the clothing attached to the doll.

I also remember a bowl of boiling water with Vicks VapoRub stirred in. My mom would drape a towel over my head and have me breathe in the medicated steam. I’m pretty sure I’d avoid this practice now, opting instead for pure essential oils.

My husband has his own version of being tended to while home sick. Growing up in a two-story house, sick in bed, his mom gave him a bell to ring when he needed her. He caught on fast. Ding-a-ling-a-ling, up she’d come. A few minutes later, ding-a-ling-a-ling again. It didn’t take long before she said, “Give me that bell.”

Different homes, different rituals, but the same thing underneath: being sick as a child meant being looked after, fully and without question. As adults, we mostly have to care for ourselves now. This month’s Guest Creative showed us some ways.

Nourish Your Immune System for the Season Ahead

✨Nance Scott of joined me as September’s Guest Creative, just in time for the arrival of autumn. She demonstrated the method she uses for making elderberry syrup and guided us through simple, hands-on techniques you can use anytime, including thymus tapping and acupressure points for immune and nervous system support (included in the following video and summarized below).

Nance showed us the kind of care I love best: simple enough to do today, and generous enough to carry you through the whole season.✨

The notes that follow were summarized from the Zoom video with the help of AI.

Elderberry Syrup

Nance simmers the berries into a decoction and adds honey once it cools.

• 2 cups water

• 1/2 cup dried black elderberries (1 cup if fresh)

• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon powdered, which leaves a little residue that sinks, so shake the jar)

• 3 whole cloves (up to 5 if you love them)

• Optional: about an inch of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced, or 1 teaspoon powdered

• 1/2 to 1 cup raw honey, added at the end

Method: Put everything except the honey in a pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. The liquid cooks down to about a cup. Mash the berries with a wooden spoon, then press everything through a mesh strainer. Let the juice cool for about 10 minutes, until it is warm but no longer hot, then stir in the honey. Nance explained that adding honey while the liquid is still at simmering temperature damages the good qualities of the honey. Pour into a mason jar and keep it in the fridge.

Shopping notes: Look for organic, non-irradiated black elderberries (Sambucus nigra on the label). Nance orders hers online and mentioned Frontier and Purify Life.

A note on the simmer: Undercooked elderberries can upset the stomach, so the full 30 minutes matters.

Storage: With honey, the syrup keeps about 2 months in the fridge, even with the smaller half-cup amount. Without honey, expect about a week, maybe two.

Labels: Nance shared label ideas, from a drawing of berries and leaves to a piece of masking tape with the date. Whatever you choose, write the date you made it. The back of the label can hold the ingredients and dosage.

Elderberry Syrup Label Ideas

189KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

Dosage (general guidelines from Nance)

• Daily support: about 1 tablespoon for adults, 1 teaspoon for kids. Take it straight, or stir it into juice or tea.

• When something is coming on: about 1 tablespoon every 4 hours for adults, 1 teaspoon for kids.

• Babies under one year: none, because of the raw honey.

Why each ingredient is there

• Elderberry: Nance explained that compounds in the berries coat viruses so they can’t attach to cells and replicate. Other compounds help the body build antibodies. It is also an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. She said it can shorten a cold or flu by about four days, depending on how early you start.

• Cinnamon: warming, anti-inflammatory, and soothing for a dry cough.

• Cloves: help with sore throats and coughs, and offer some pain relief.

• Ginger: warming, eases spasming coughs, and helps loosen mucus.

• Honey: antimicrobial, soothing for the throat, a natural preservative, and it makes the syrup taste good.

• Black pepper: some people add it to boost the other ingredients. Nance skips it for the flavour.

Three practices to go with it

Thymus tapping. The thymus sits just under the breastbone. Make a light fist (or use your fingertips) and tap while you take three slow breaths in and three out, for about 30 seconds. Feel your feet on the floor and close your eyes if you can. Nance does this every morning. She described it as a steady, settled kind of energy that calms the nervous system and supports immunity.

LI11. Bend your arm and find the crease at the elbow. The point is in the soft, fleshy space at the outer end of that crease. Press gently or make small circles for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Nance uses it for general immune support and inflammation.

LU7. Interlock your thumbs and let your index finger rest on the ridge of the other wrist, or find the indent at the base of your thumb and measure two finger widths up. The point sits between two tendons. Nance suggests it for a nagging cough or a stiff neck at the start of a cold.

For all acupressure, keep the pressure gentle and breathe slowly. If a spot feels tender, Nance said that can be a sign of built-up inflammation. Go easy, do 30 seconds, and come back in an hour. A yawn is a good sign that your vagus nerve is relaxing.

Questions from the group

I’m sensitive to sugar. Do I need a full cup of honey?
No. Half a cup still gives you about two months in the fridge, and the syrup will be a little thinner, more like juice. You can also use agave or maple syrup, or leave the sweetener out and use it within a week or so.

Is elderberry only for colds and flu, and only in winter? Do I need to take it every day?
It works against viruses in general. Nance takes it daily when exposure is high, like back-to-school season, and eases off in spring, then increases it again if she has been around someone sick. It is also an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, though she said other herbs work better for allergies. She often drinks a tea that combines elderberry and echinacea.

Can I use monk fruit?
Yes, but it's very potent, so the amounts differ a lot from honey, and each brand has a different ratio. Add it a little at a time and test as you go until it tastes right to you. Monk fruit isn't a preservative the way honey is, so the syrup will last 10 to 14 days in the fridge. For longer storage, or if you're skipping sweetener altogether, pour it into ice cube trays, freeze, then move the cubes to an airtight freezer bag. It should keep about 6 months that way, and you can pull a cube whenever you need one.

What kind of honey?
Raw, ideally local and organic. If you can’t find the ideal one, use what you have. Nance doesn’t want anyone skipping the syrup over it.

Where do you buy elderberries?
Online. Local health food stores sometimes carry them.

Does it need to steep before I use it?
No. The 30-minute simmer makes it ready right away, so you can take your first serving while you bottle the rest.

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A Barn Warming Celebration

​The Guest Creative Series in October will be included in a very special gathering I’m hosting. One visit, three rooms, the whole nest on full display: a stillness moment in the Garden, a hands-on session in the Creativity Studio with our guest creative, and connection at The Kitchen Table.

​Join me on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm (MT), via Zoom.

Watch for more announcements coming soon.

I LOVE CELEBRATIONS. REGISTER ME NOW!

I hope you enjoyed another peek inside The Creativity Studio. See you next month.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Autumn is on the horizon, and honestly, that makes me happy - it’s my favorite season of the year.

With just a handful of weeks left until the end of summer, my feet are starting to smile. I’m embarrassed to admit the amount of money I’ve spent unsuccessfully trying to find cozy sandals. Friends and family have recommended what they love, yet my feet still aren’t happy - guess you might call them fussy feet.

Over the summer I finally made time to declutter my bedroom. I made sure the coziest socks were carefully placed, and they’re anxiously waiting for my return. I also dream of knitting a new pair of socks. It’s been years since I knitted. I’m hoping it’s just like riding a bike. You never really forget; you just need a little practice.

One of the ladies who pulls up a chair at The Kitchen Table gatherings shared that she’s making socks with hand-dyed self-striping yarn. What? No changing colors or weaving in ends. Yes please! Just what I need as I return to the creative practice of knitting. I’m planning a road trip to a neighbouring town very soon to visit Polka Dot Creek Yarn. It’s not only a cute shop name, but they also name their sock sets. I’m thinking my feet will be happy with the Thankful Fingering Self-Striping Sock Set.

Flip-flops get ready! Just a few more weeks and you’ll be kicked to the curb.

ON THIS MONTH’S THEME:
EXPERIENCE YOUR INNER COZY

I’ve been pondering what inner cozy actually means - past the cozy socks and candles. Yesterday I shared this in Substack Notes.

To me, Inner Cozy is more than a blanket wrapped around my shoulders as I sit in front of a fireplace. It’s the smell of apple pandowdy drifting out the kitchen window when I arrived home from elementary school. Before I even got to the door, I already felt held.

To which one reader replied. “The first thing that popped in for me was walking through (kicking up) fallen dried autumn leaves and picking up brown shiny conkers before heading home for cups of tea and crumpets. Definitely a lovely childhood memory and something that still feels special.” She shared something even more tender, too, that the memory carried a quiet sense of her late mum's presence with it.

That is an experience of Inner Cozy.

We’ll be exploring more about what creates inner cozy as the month continues.

What’s your inner cozy? Not the aesthetic version. The real one. A smell, a sound, a room, a person. What comes to mind first? Please share in the comment section below. I’d love to hear what came up for you.

Welcome to those of you who’ve found your way here this past month. I’m so happy you’re here.

And to those who’ve been sitting at this table with me for a while, thank you for staying. You know how much this space has grown and changed, and I’m grateful you’ve come along for it.

The Hummingbird Nest is a gentle gathering place for women who are longing to slow down and reconnect with themselves. Here you’ll find stillness, creativity, and connection. I’d suggest beginning with just one thing.

The Garden…is here if you need to exhale.

If you’ve arrived feeling a little frayed, a little overfull, this is where to start. Step into the quiet. There’s nothing to do here except let yourself land. Here’s a meditation to walk you in.

Connection at The Kitchen Table…is here if you’re craving connection.

Pull up a chair. This is where stories get told, and where you get to be fully seen and heard. There’s no performance here, no perfect thing to say. Just a table, open hearts, and the kind of company that lingers after you’ve gone.

SAVE MY SEAT AT THE TABLE

The Creativity Studio …is here if something in you wants to make.

There’s a creative self in you, tucked behind everything else, waiting patiently. The projects are simple. The supplies are minimal. You don’t need to be creative here, only curious.

This month you'll find one planned gathering and creative invitations scattered throughout, whenever I'm inspired to share by newsletter or Substack Live.

REGISTER FOR FREE

A Pop-Up Retreat by The Hummingbird Nest

REGISTER HERE

​Just a reminder that my full archive (three years of content) is available to access for free until I officially swing the barn doors open at The Hummingbird Nest sometime in the next few months.

There, you’ll find:

🌸 personal stories of my own journey, shared in hopes they’ll inspire you on your own - fireside reading

🌻creative invitations - gather a group of friends for some creative fun, or find a simple project to do solo or with your kids

🌷stillness practices - meditations, journaling prompts, and rituals

💐and so much more

Wherever you find your inner cozy this month, I hope you'll come sit with us awhile and tell us about it. The conversation is just getting started.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

Before I said much of anything, we took a moment to arrive. I led listeners through a portion of the Arrival Meditation we listened to. The full version is here if you’d like to listen.

What I’ve been making

I’ve been busy the past little while making, and it truly helped me move through feelings of fear, confusion, and worry. Let me take you on a tour.

• A backdrop that replicates a barn wall for my virtual retreat center

• An embroidered wildflower garden that will become a pocket for an apron my sister made me, which I hang on the barn wall.

• Pressed Flower Coasters - samples for a crafternoon I’m hosting at my home this coming week.

  

• A Story Bowl I just finished, made especially for our Kitchen Table gatherings. Story Bowl time is one of the favorites at The Kitchen Table. It’s how we connect and learn about one another through prompts that invite the most interesting stories. The Story Bowl idea isn’t mine. The practice of pulling a question from a bowl and going around the table belongs to Andrea Scher. I borrowed it and made it part of how we gather here, but the heart of it is hers. I’ll be sharing a creative invitation and tutorial soon so you can make your own bowl(s).

How Making Helps

The theme at last night’s Kitchen Table was Make Something, It Helps. I asked the room some questions, and what came back was so much wiser than anything I could have planned. On my live, I read you the stories just as they were told.

Making helps in more ways than we usually give it credit for. It slows a busy mind and lets the body settle. It carries us through grief and hard seasons, one stitch or one fold at a time. It connects us to the people we make for, sometimes more honestly than words could. It can even show us something about ourselves we couldn't see on our own, whether that's discovering you're creative after years of believing otherwise, or realizing a handmade card is really just proof that you were paying attention to someone. However it shows up, making rarely asks to be finished or perfect. It just asks for our hands, and in return, it helps.

Something to sit with

I want to leave you with a few questions. Not to answer right away, but to sit with in your own journal, whenever you get a quiet minute.

• When has making helped you through a difficult time?

• What do you notice happens inside you when your hands are busy?

• Is there something handmade that you treasure because of who made it?

• Is there something you used to make that you’d love to return to?

You don’t need all four. Pick the one that catches on something.

If you make something this week, however small, I’d love to hear about it.

Thank you for being here, with your hands and your attention.

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video and to everyone who paused to listen to this replay! Join me for my next live video in the app.

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Warmly,
Kathy

WHAT IT'S FOR

Any season you're moving through, grief, an ending, an illness, a decision you're still finding your way into. This isn't about finishing anything. It's about giving your hands something to do while your heart does its own slower work.

This ritual was inspired by a woman at our Kitchen Table, who folded a thousand paper cranes for someone she knew while he was ill. Every fold carried a thought, a prayer, a wish. This is her practice, offered to you.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Paper, any kind. Origami paper if you have it, but a square cut from a magazine page or an old letter works just as well. Nothing about this ritual asks for the right materials.

THE PRACTICE

Before you fold, take a breath and name, even just to yourself, what you're folding for. A person. A season. A version of yourself you're saying goodbye to, or one you're welcoming in.

Fold one crane.

With each fold, let a single thought accompany it. A wish. A worry you're setting down. A hope you're not ready to say out loud yet. It doesn't need to be the same thought twice.

You don't need to fold a thousand. You don't even need to fold ten. One crane, made with real attention, still counts. The number was never really the point -the intention behind each fold is.

When you're done, however many you've made, set them somewhere you'll see them. A windowsill. A bowl. A string, if you make enough. You don't have to give them to anyone. You don't have to keep them forever, either. Some people burn them when they're ready to let go. Some people keep them for years.

HOW TO FOLD

If you'd like a guide for the fold itself, the video below walks you through it gently, step by step.

The second video is a beautiful story about finding meaning in every fold.

Warmly, Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

The Hummingbird Nest is a warm, inclusive community for women in midlife. If you’ve just wandered in, welcome. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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🪹August has arrived at The Hummingbird Nest, and with it, a new theme. This month we’ll be making. I’ll be sharing projects I’m working on and revisiting some of the things we’ve made together at The Kitchen Table gatherings. 🪹

An announcement about a schedule change this month!

The Guest Creative Session with Jennifer Zarin won’t be happening on Thursday, August 6th after all. With summer in full swing and many people busy enjoying all that the season has to offer, we’ve decided to bring this session to you in the New Year.

I remember the day.
A market in the city.
A woman with the cutest display.
Stitched pictures were her forte.

She made cards and artwork. I fell in love with her style. She has since moved on to new things, and I’m fortunate to have many of her cards and permission to use this one. Thank you, Caroline Storie, for your creativity.

How I See The Month Unfolding

The theme, Make Something, It Helps, will fall loosely over the month. Things won’t be planned. Unlike July, there isn’t a calendar of dates to reserve or a schedule to follow. I’m letting my creativity take the lead. I plan to write about what I’m working on and how the making is helping me. And, if inspired to do so, I’ll share my process with you.

The one exception is The Kitchen Table. You can always pull up a chair for creativity and connection, with the invitation falling on the second Friday of each month, including August. There are still seats available. And it’s still free to attend.

Save My Seat

Sourdough Bread & Mixed Feelings

Remember the craze during the pandemic? Everyone was making it. I tried it without success, and a few times since then too. Then my daughter shared a starter that is so easy. No feeding for what seems like days on end. Three days from starter to loaf on the cooling rack. Easy, at least that’s what I thought.

The first two times I made it, I was a little more than overwhelmed. Thank goodness for my daughter. She guided me through the steps. I wasn’t convinced bread-making was for me. Until I made it the third time. I made two loaves this time, one to eat ourselves and one to give away.

How making bread helped and what the bread taught me

Before I began on Saturday, I was feeling a little out of sorts. Can’t really explain why. What I do know is that turning my attention to starter, flour, and water gave me something new to focus on. That simple act began clearing the way for new thoughts and ideas to bubble up.

The other thing it taught me: not to give up. With practice, the process becomes so much simpler. And the rewards speak for themselves.

Gardening & Flowers of the Month

How many of you are gardeners? I’ve had gardens of my own over the years, and only have room for a few flower pots on my balcony now. I know others whose gardens are their lifeline, their joy. Veggies and cut flowers, grown by their own hands in the soil, tended with love. Rewards beyond measure.

Whether your garden is a large plot or a balcony pot or even a memory, August hands each of us two flowers of its own. The gladiolus and the poppy.

The gladiolus is the tall one, named for the Latin word for sword because of those blade-shaped leaves. It stands for strength of character and integrity, standing tall through whatever the season brings.

But it’s the poppy I’m keeping close this month. She’s the flower of rest and consolation, of imagination and peaceful sleep. She closes her petals at night and opens them again with the morning sun. And here’s the part I love: poppy seeds can wait in the soil for years, sometimes decades, and bloom when the ground around them is stirred up. A flower that rests until it’s ready. That feels about right for The Hummingbird Nest.

So while our hands are busy making this month, the poppy will be nearby, reminding us that rest is part of the making too.

Just a reminder that my full archive (three years of content) is available to access for free until I officially swing the barn doors open at The Hummingbird Nest in early September.

There, you’ll find:

🌸 personal stories of my own journey, shared in hopes they’ll inspire you on your own - vacation reading

🌻creative invitations - gather a group of friends for some creative fun, or find a simple project to do solo or with your kids

🌷stillness practices - meditations, journaling prompts, and rituals

💐and so much more

Make something if it calls to you. Rest if that’s what you need. Wishing you a beautiful August, full of memories and summer fun.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

At first it was ok. Then after many changes, I was starting to feel bad about myself, and that I may have been letting you down.

In need a little bit of self-compassion, I spotted a beautiful little book, Lil Grace, sitting on the corner of my desk, waiting to be read.

On the spur of the moment, I decided to go live and read it, not only to you, but to me as well.

Lil Grace was written by my friend Shannon Speaks and illustrated by Terry Stefanko. It’s a book for helpers and caregivers, for anyone who spends their days showing up for other people and quietly puts their own needs last. I was part of the group that helped shape the book before it was published, so reading it out loud this morning felt like it landed twice as close to home.

What if something kinder could be true? That question followed me through the whole reading.

But the line that stayed with me most was simpler: self-compassion isn’t selfish. It’s essential.

If you’ve had a summer like mine, canceling more than you’d like, feeling the guilt pile up around it, I hope this reading gives you what it gave me. A little grace.

You can watch the replay above. I didn’t read the neuroscience section of the book during the live, that part is there waiting for you when you get your own copy. And if this resonates, Lil Grace is available on Amazon, worth having on your own desk or gifting to someone in your life who never stops giving to others.

Warmly,
Kathy

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“The Hummingbird Nest has never been about being perfect. And that includes me and you.”

“I’ve stopped waiting for it to be polished and to still invite you in.”

“I’d like to invite you to consider this journey as permission to begin before you’re ready.”

We ended with a short garden visualization - picturing a flower that opened in its own time, petal by petal, and letting ourselves do the same.

I promised to share the full flower pounding tutorial, which I did in a newsletter that day. If you missed it, you can view it below.

The Hummingbird Nest

Flower Pounding Art

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2 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Kathy Barlow

Thank you , & Nikki for joining me live. Join me for my next live video in the app.

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On July 20, right in the heart of our In Full Bloom month, The Creativity Studio welcomed its second Guest Creative: Lise-Lotte Loomer, who joined us from her urban flower farm on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. What followed was an hour of flowers, friendship, and the gentle reminder that creativity is about presence, not perfection.

We opened, as we always do, by arriving together, and since we were a cozy group, we went around the circle with a question: if you were a flower, what kind would you be? I’d love for you to think about this question yourself. What flower would you be?

💐Our little bouquet of answers was lovely.

A peony, for being beautiful, scented, and sweet. A stargazer lily, fragrant and simply a favourite. A rose - twice over, once for the way roses come back and bloom again after being cut back, and once for the variety of colours and the softness of the scent. And a chrysanthemum, for all the detail in the petals - no matter how many times you look, there’s always something interesting to see.

One guest arrived partway through. She’s planning an in-person women’s circle for flower arranging at the end of August and came to soak it all in. Watching is always welcome here.

The Arrival Practice

Every gathering at The Hummingbird Nest begins with an arrival practice. Here is the one we shared that day:

You’re welcome to close your eyes, or to soften your gaze.

Imagine you’re standing at the edge of a garden, in the fullness of summer. Behind you is everything that has filled your week. Ahead of you, a path winds between the flower beds.

Take a slow breath in, as if you’re catching the scent of something blooming nearby. And a gentle breath out.

Now picture a single flower. Any flower you love. Notice how it doesn’t hurry. It opened in its own time, petal by petal, and it’s simply here now, being exactly what it is.

Let yourself do the same today. Nothing to tend. Nothing to prove.

One more slow breath in. And out.

Lise-Lotte’s Presentation: Fun with Flowers

Lise-Lotte had wandered her garden that morning, gathering with purpose, and then walked us through it all: how to get more stems from a single cut, why the big leaves are removed, the magic of a tape grid across a vase, cutting stems on an angle so they can drink, playing with shape and scale and scent, and finding beauty in the unexpected - strawberry leaves, seed pods, even a radish gone to seed.

Woven through all of it was her gentle philosophy:

And she explained that there’s nothing to lose with flowers. It’s a flower; you can pull it out if you don’t like it or if it’s placed incorrectly.

You can watch her full presentation here:

A small note about the recording: the video I captured during our session didn’t spotlight Lise-Lotte on screen, so I wasn’t able to use it. Luckily, she had recorded one as well - that’s the version linked above. As you watch, you may need to adjust your volume from time to time, as it varies throughout.

Arranging Alongside Her

The best part. We didn’t just watch, we arranged right along with her. Vases, tape grids, and garden gatherings at the ready, each of us built a bouquet as she guided us, and at the end we shared them in a little show and tell. Here’s what bloomed at our tables:

What Is a Petal Potluck?

The Petal Potluck is Lise-Lotte’s own creation, and it’s just how it sounds - a gathering where friends bring flowers, greens, branches, or seed pods to share, along with a vase they never want to see again. Everyone arranges a bouquet, names are drawn, and each guest gives away the arrangement they made and receives one made by someone else. There’s something about making flowers for somebody, even someone you don’t know yet, and something equally lovely about receiving them. The Petal Potluck captures both.

A few things that make it work so beautifully:

• It’s not a contest. No judgment, no competition - just the freedom to play, so everyone can stay in the relaxed, curious, “what if?” part of the brain where creativity lives.

• The invitation is written for you. The wording is ready to go in her handout, so you can skip the overthinking and get on with the fun.

• The conversation goes deeper. Her guide includes suggested questions to draw out real conversation around the table - the kind where a friend answers questions like, “What’s your favourite thing to make?”

Get the Free Handout Here

Signing up adds you to her lovely weekly newsletter (you can unsubscribe anytime), and the free resource gives you everything you need to host your own - the invitation, the name-draw envelopes, the discussion questions, and all her tips.

The August Guest Creative has been postponed until January, 2027.

Coming in August: Journaling for Creative Nourishment with Jennifer Zarin, Thursday, August 6th, 11:00 am MDT

Join us in The Creativity Studio as Jennifer Zarin leads a session of mindful journaling prompts for creative nourishment.

​Jennifer has spent years witnessing what the page can hold, and she knows the quiet magic of journaling in community.

​There’s no right or wrong way to do this, and no experience is needed.

​Meet Jennifer: ​Jennifer was dubbed a Promptologist by one of her subscribers, and the name fits. She has nearly twenty years of experience as a mindful expressive writing and journaling facilitator, coach, and creative arts therapist. Jennifer is a writer and speaker with a background in theatre, and a singer and songwriter as well. She lives in New York City with her husband and three-year-old son. She is the Founder and Writer at Journal Your Path (journalyourpath.substack.com), a newsletter and intergenerational journaling community. Her work is rooted in connection and compassion, which makes her a natural fit for our August gathering in The Creativity Studio.

What to bring: ​A notebook, a pen you like, and a cozy spot to settle in.

I can’t wait to gather with you at the page. To receive the Zoom link, please register at the link below.

Come Journal with Us!

I hope you enjoyed another peek inside The Creativity Studio. See you next month.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

✨This letter is for the reader who loves flowers in any form, growing in the garden, tucked in a teacup, or pressed flat and saved for later. And it's for the one who thinks she isn't creative, because I promise this project will change her mind. Everything here is simple on purpose. A few blooms, a hammer, an afternoon, and something beautiful to show for it. That's the kind of creativity I love best: easy on the hands, generous to the heart.✨

I had good intentions of delivering my flower pounding demo live on Substack this morning. Truth be told, I ran into some technical difficulties and decided to deliver it to you in a newsletter instead. I did go live, shared some behind-the-scenes challenges, and spoke about the difficulties I've been having and the Substack Live learning curve. I love going live. It's great practice, and I'll keep at it.

What is Flower Pounding?

Flower pounding is a natural art technique where you gently hammer fresh flowers or leaves onto fabric or paper. With each tap, the plant’s natural pigments are released, leaving behind delicate, one-of-a-kind botanical imprints.

This meditative craft invites us to slow down, connect with nature, and create something beautiful with our hands. No two pieces are ever the same.

You can use your imprints to make heartfelt cards, meaningful wall art, table placecards, gift tags, or simple keepsakes. All you need are a few blooms, some paper or fabric, and something to gently tap with.

🌿 Supplies

• Fresh flowers and leaves (see list below for what works best)

• Watercolor paper, cardstock, or fabric

• Paper towel (to place over the flowers)

• Parchment paper (to place on the cutting board)

• Hammer or mallet

• Hard, flat surface (like a cutting board)

• Tweezers (optional, for removing petal bits after pounding)

🌸 Flowers That Work Well

If gathering flowers ahead of time, here’s a little guidance on what works well:

• Pansies & Violas: high pigment, great detail

• Coreopsis: brilliant orange and yellow

• Cosmos: soft but vibrant imprint

• Ferns & Herbs: lovely shapes and greens

• Roses: juicy, but can bleed heavily

• Petunias: deep color, may need blotting

Flower Pounding on Paper

We tried this activity at one of the Kitchen Table gatherings last year. Each woman created a unique design using various flowers. Here are some samples of what we created. I love them.

Flower Pounding on Fabric

I love to pound flowers on fabric. I mostly use the imprints to make my slow-stitch cards. Here are a few examples.

This piece was made into a card by simply gluing the fabric onto a blank card. It carries so much meaning. I gifted it to my mom’s friend Ruth for her 100th birthday. Pansies are Ruth’s favorite flower. The blue fabric was cut from one of my mom’s wool jackets, and the floral blue from a napkin she lined her makeup basket with. The hearts, of course, signify their friendship and love for one another.

This piece was made for a card gifted to my sister. The yellow background is a vintage quilted piece of fabric that she gifted me. The pansy, her late husband’s favorite flower, was pounded on a piece of our Grandmother’s linen doily, and the lace is also from her stash.

Bonus: Pressed Flower Stickers

As a little bonus, I'm sharing the video from the live where we made pressed flower stickers together. I absolutely love to have a supply of stickers to attach to envelopes when you're sending out mail or giving a special occasion card. They're lovely in journals as well.

And with this letter, we almost wrap up our month of In Full Bloom in The Creativity Studio. What a month it has been. We made flower stickers, pounded petals into paper and fabric, gathered around the screen with Lise-Lotte Loomer to arrange floral bouquets and learn about Petal Potlucks (more on that to come soon). Simple projects, a few blooms, and so much joy along the way. Thank you for blooming right alongside me.

Before You Go: A Short Visualization

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

🌸This letter is a look back at July, a month that lived up to its In Full Bloom theme in every possible way. Inside you'll find a small confession about mixed-up calendar dates, news of what's still to come (including the flower pounding demo), a cake flop, and glimpses of the gatherings and celebrations that filled my days. Then we'll turn the page together and peek at what's coming in August here at The Hummingbird Nest.🌸

You'll notice this letter is arriving a little early. I'll be away on vacation the last week of July, so I'm sending my month-end reflections before I go. Consider it one thing crossed off my very full calendar.

I let out a little cheer this week when my horoscope report arrived in my inbox. Mercury retrograde ends on Thursday, it said, which means fewer delays, fewer transportation troubles, and less confusion.

Confusion. That’s the word that caught me.

Lately I’ve had my fair share of it. When I look at my July calendar, almost every day holds something. Too much something, if I’m honest. And somewhere in all that activity, a few dates got mixed up. I had scheduled several gatherings here in The Hummingbird Nest with the best of intentions, and I even published a calendar with those activities on it. You can imagine my surprise when I realized the dates on my personal hard copy calendar (I’m an old school gal who likes paper) didn’t match.

So consider this letter part confession, part catch-up, and part invitation.

What’s still coming

The flower pounding demo is still on its way, and I can't wait to show you this one. There's something wonderfully satisfying about coaxing color out of petals with nothing but a hammer and a little patience. This live takes place on Thursday, July 23 at 9:30am MDT and will be shared on The Hummingbird Nest site afterwards if you miss it.

If you’d like to make some along with me, here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies:

• Fresh flowers and leaves (see list below for what works best)

• Watercolor paper or cardstock

• Parchment paper (to place over the flowers)

• Hammer or mallet

• Hard, flat surface (like a cutting board)

• Tweezers (for removing petal bits after pounding) optional

• Masking tape (to hold flowers in place before pounding)

If gathering flowers ahead of time, here’s a little guidance on what works well:

🌸 Flowers That Work Well:

• Pansies & Violas, high pigment, great detail

• Coreopsis, brilliant orange/yellow

• Cosmos, soft but vibrant imprint

• Ferns & Herbs, lovely shapes & greens

• Roses, juicy, but can bleed heavily

• Petunias, deep color, may need blotting

And if you missed the Pressed Flower Stickers Live earlier this month, the video is waiting for you - just hit the button below.

One small note: the recording picks up just after our arrival practice, which seems to have wandered off somewhere. Mercury retrograde in action, perhaps. Everything else is there, and it's a lovely warm-up if you're planning to join me for the flower pounding on July 23.

Watch the Pressed Flower Sticker Video

A small confession

On my calendar this month was a plan to make flower pot cakes for a birthday celebration. I had grand plans to turn them into a tutorial for you. The cakes had other ideas. They flopped, and so there won’t be a tutorial after all. Some things bloom, and some things don’t, and July taught me both.

What’s been filling my days

Beyond the nest, my calendar has been full of the kind of things that make summer feel special.

An afternoon of pedicures and manicures with my granddaughter Ellie, who is super creative. She did my nails herself, and never did I ever think I'd be walking around at age 69 with flower designs on my fingertips and toes. In a month called In Full Bloom, it feels exactly right.

Our Kitchen Table gathering, which was truly something. I’m still holding pieces of it close, and I’m planning to share part of it with you soon on a live. Here’s our menu, aka agenda.

A watercolor painting gathering at my home. We painted hummingbirds, of course. There were refreshments and cake and so much conversation that the painting almost became the excuse rather than the point. One guest gifted me a painted rock that I will treasure, and she also shared these perfect fruit masterpieces.

My granddaughter Avery’s horse show, where I mostly spent the time in awe. She amazes me every time she mounts the horse and jumps. It’s been her passion since she was seven years old.

My daughter’s birthday, celebrated at a famous restaurant where we had to book one year in advance. It was wonderful to be in the country with family to celebrate. The meal was outstanding. When we arrived back at her home for cake, her neighbour had surprised her with many grumpy garden frogs hidden throughout the garden - hilarious.

In full bloom, indeed

When I chose In Full Bloom as July’s theme, I imagined flowers. What I got was a month that bloomed in every direction at once. Gatherings, celebrations, mixed-up dates, flopped cakes, painted hummingbirds, and a calendar that couldn’t quite contain it all. That feels about right for a theme, doesn’t it? Full bloom is beautiful, and it is also a lot. And it was so amazing how flowers continued to show up in the most unexpected ways throughout the month.

A peek at August

Here’s what’s taking shape for next month:

POSTPONED UNTIL JANUARY, 2027🌿A Guest Creative session: Journaling for Creative Nourishment with Jennifer Zarin. Jennifer has nearly twenty years of experience as a mindful expressive writing and journaling facilitator, coach, and creative arts therapist. Coming to The Creativity Studio on Thursday, August 6 at 11:00 am MDT.

Register Here

🌿Our Kitchen Table gathering on Friday, August 14, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm MDT, with a theme I already love: Make Something, It Helps.

Pull Up a Seat at the Table

🌿And plenty of lives. Now that I’ve found my rhythm with them, I plan to show up on your screen often.

Thank you for being here through a full and blooming July. May Mercury behave itself, may our calendars agree with us, and may August arrive at a gentler pace.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

I’m excited to share a glimpse of The Hummingbird Nest. Here’s a snapshot of the home page. Come on in for a visit.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

One small note: the recording picks up just after our arrival practice, which seems to have wandered off somewhere. Mercury retrograde in action, perhaps. Everything else is there.

Join me for my next live video in the app.

Get more from Kathy Barlow in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday and looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Join me for my next live video in the app.

Get more from Kathy Barlow in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

✨This letter is for the reader who has been here a while, and for the one who just found the front door. The one who has wandered the Garden, or saved a Studio session for a quieter day, or read along from the edges. However you arrived, you’re part of what this place has become. And before the season turns, I want to make sure you know your way around. ✨

If you’ve been here a while, you know these letters arrive in your inbox carrying different things. Some have held stillness practices and creativity invitations. Others have been personal stories, moments of quiet clarity from my own unfolding.

What you may not know is that all of it now has a home.

I recently sat with two close friends and showed them the new home I’ve been building. A place where the practices, the invitations, and the stories are gathered under one roof, each in its own room, waiting for whenever you want to find them. Not scattered through your inbox anymore, but arranged the way a house is arranged, so you always know where to look.

Here’s a glimpse of the front entrance. This is The Hummingbird Nest home page, as it stands today.

I'm so excited to welcome you in. Let me give you a tour.

What’s coming in September

There’s one more thing I want you to know, because you’ve been here for the building of it, and I’ve mentioned this will be coming.

This September, The Hummingbird Nest opens its membership. There will be an open house to celebrate it, and I’ll send you a proper invitation when the day is closer. From that point on, some of the rooms will be kept for members. The monthly Kitchen Table gathering, the monthly Creativity Studio guest session, monthly creativity invitations and stillness practices, and three years of past publications in the archive will live behind a door that members hold the key to.

The front porch stays open to everyone. My monthly Reflections newsletters will always be free to everyone. But if this place has become somewhere you return to, I’d love for you to consider stepping all the way inside when September comes. Nothing is asked of you today. Today is just for looking around.

Here’s what membership will look like when the door opens in September.

You can be a Free Subscriber or a Paid Subscriber. Follow the links below to find out more in each category.

Free Subscriber:

🌿Reflections - The Hummingbird Nest’s monthly newsletter, which includes personal stories and moments of clarity from my own unfolding. I share them in the hope that they offer you a small insight into your own path.

🌿Occasional stillness practices in The Garden and creative invitations in The Creativity Studio.

Paid Subscriber:

🌿Monthly live gathering at The Kitchen Table, from my kitchen to yours, so you can feel the warmth of women who share your love of creativity and connection.

🌿Monthly Guest Creative session in The Creativity Studio. A skill to learn, a process to explore, the simple joy of making something together.

🌿Monthly stillness practices in The Garden - step into the quiet and exhale.

🌿Monthly creative invitations - make something for the joy of it.

🌿Full Archive including three years of content.

🌿Perks - digital products to download that support your retreat experience will occasionally be added.

Warmly,
Kathy

Visit the Hummingbird Nest Website

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

✨ A Reflection ✨

Personal stories and moments of quiet clarity from my own unfolding. I share them in hopes they might offer a small insight for your own path.

Yesterday I did something I’m always encouraging you to do. I took time for me.

I joined Wednesday Write-Togethers by . Kate describes these sessions as art-inspired writing for wellbeing. This week’s session was called The Pictures That Shape Us, and we were invited to get curious about the part art has played in our own story. Favorite images from childhood. Memories of making. The art that has stayed with us without us quite knowing why.

I’ll be honest with you. Some of the terminology felt foreign to me. Pantum? Say what??? I love learning new things, and I've also learned to go with the flow and trust the process. Isn't that the beauty of taking an hour like this one? You arrive with nothing in particular and leave with something straight from your heart. I left with a story and a word I had never heard before. More on that in a moment.

The story I found

As a child, Heidi was my favorite storybook. I don’t recall when she first entered my life. Perhaps she arrived as a gift, or as a book read aloud in my grandma’s kindergarten, or passed down from a friend. Maybe she was even shared around the coffee circle, those daily morning gatherings my mom and her friends held around the kitchen table. I can picture the women there, coffee cups in hand, passing books between them the way they passed everything else worth sharing.

I have always felt drawn to Switzerland, Heidi’s home. I don’t know why. Maybe I lived there in a past life. Maybe it was my grandma, who talked about her travels there and once brought me back a red dress. I wore that dress on my first day of grade one.

I loved the pictures that book painted in my mind. Cows wearing cowbell necklaces. The Swiss Alps rising above meadows of wildflowers. The peacefulness of that way of life. Those images have never left me.

Then, in my late fifties, I found a copy of Heidi at a yard sale. Of course I picked it up. Best twenty-five-cent purchase I have ever made.

And here is the part of the story my heart holds closest. When my oldest granddaughter was around eight, I shared with her my love of Heidi. She looked at me and asked, would you like me to read it to you?

My heart exploded. We cuddled, she read, I listened. A grandmother and her granddaughter, and a story that had waited more than fifty years to be read aloud to me.

That book still sits on my shelf. And I still feel destined to stand in a Swiss meadow someday.

A word I had never heard: pantum

Back to that word I’d never heard before. If you’re like me, you’ve never heard the word pantum either. If you’re curious, I’d love you to read Kate’s essay with more information about pantum, and the Western version, Pantoun, which you’ll find here.

Self-Centred

I find myself rejoicing and free

I find myself rejoicing and free every morning a new guest The moments when two people smile and their hearts join in The geese turn into the light again delight in a mother’s rebelliousness The moments when two people smile and their hearts join in Beauty begins with silence delight in a mother’s rebelliousness A windswept elemental place, demanding a response Beauty begins with silence You may be alone but you are one with the substance of the place A windswept elemental place, demanding a response remembering my inner strength You may be alone but you are one with the substance of the place A permission slip to be fully and authentically myself. remembering my inner strength every morning a new guest…

Read more

4 months ago · 3 likes · Kate Poll

Here are two pantum stanzas I wrote:

The mountains, the meadows full of wildflowers.
Feel like home, we’ll never part.
Beauty and peacefulness abound.
Always close to my heart.

A granddaughter’s question, would you like me to read it to you?
Cuddling, she read, I listened.
A moment I will never forget.
My heart exploded, even glistened.

What that hour gave me

I want to tell you what one hour of taking time for me actually opened up.

It introduced me to something new. I’ve always believed there is more to learn, and I stay curious about what is next. Yesterday proved me right, a whole poetry form I had never met, waiting inside an ordinary Wednesday. It gave me space to write a story from my past, a memory captured in my heart and now captured on the page. And it gave me one more story for the book that will someday become my legacy, another page my granddaughters can hold long after the telling.

That is what happens when we take an hour for ourselves. Not always. But often enough that the hour is always worth taking.

So here is my gentle nudge for you this week. Find your hour. You don’t need to know what you will find there. Heidi waited years for me. Whatever is waiting for you will be patient too.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

July 15, the garden asks you to listen.

A reading from The Garden

Earlier this morning I did something that feels more comfortable each time I do it. I read you a manifesto I wrote for women like us, out loud, in real time. There’s a line in it I keep returning to:

make yourself a priority. set aside time just for you. push the pause button.

If you were there, thank you for sitting with me. If you weren’t, the recording is here, and it’s short enough to fit inside a cup of tea.

At the end of the reading I offered a journaling prompt, and I want to leave it here too, for anyone who’d rather write than watch:

Today I give myself permission to…

No rules about how to answer it. A sentence counts. A whole page counts. Thinking about it while you fold laundry counts.

Reading aloud to you did something unexpected to me. It felt less like broadcasting and more like the moment at a retreat when everyone finally settles, and someone begins a story. So I want to ask you something. What would you think of a Substack Live storytime? An evening now and then where I read to you a story, an essay, something worth hearing in a human voice, and you simply get to listen. Reply to this email or leave a comment and tell me what you think.

More lives are coming. The next one, where I demonstrate how to pound flowers onto paper and fabric. It’s taking place on Thursday, July 23 at 9:30 am MDT.

Warmly,
Kathy

Join me for my next live video in the app. If you have the Substack app, it will let you know the moment I go live.

Get more from Kathy Barlow in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

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July 6, 2026

A note from The Garden

Stop and smell the roses.

Every time I take Cora out, my granddog with her sweet little face, we pass the roses. And every time, she stops.

She sniffs the ground first. Then the lower branches, slowly, like she’s reading something written there. She is never in a hurry. The roses are news to her every single day. Several times a day, in fact.

The first few walks, I tugged the leash a little. We'd been outside long enough, and it's time to go inside, but somewhere along the way I started waiting. And then I started leaning in too.

Now it’s our ritual. We stop together, Cora at the roots and me at the blooms. She smells whatever it is dogs smell. I smell roses.

I used to think stopping to smell the roses was just a saying. Cora treats it as the whole point of going outside.

A story about capacity.

We had a terrible rainstorm last week, and there was flooding in our condo building. Five families were displaced. Neighbours were devastated. People rallied, checked in, grieved together.

I watched it all from my 2nd-floor balcony and felt... distanced. And for a moment I wondered, am I heartless?

I sat with that question. And here is what I found underneath it. No, I am not heartless. I give generously, to my family and closest friends, to my online community, to the women who gather at my table each month. My heart is not closed. It is simply already full.

I have burned out before. I know what it costs to say yes to everything and everyone. I have been there. I am not going back.

So the advice I gave myself was this. Don’t feel guilty. These neighbours are kind people, and they are taking care of one another beautifully. They don’t need me to complete their circle.

But here is where the story turned.

While walking our dogs, I shared how I was feeling with two of the women closest to me. I told the truth, the uncomfortable version, the one that included the word heartless. And something opened. One by one, they said, me too.

As our dogs sat patiently on the grass waiting, we talked about the past seasons of our lives that still shape us, and how cautiously we are beginning to notice the ways old patterns tug at our boundaries now. We talked about giving ourselves grace as we learn, situation by situation, what is ours to carry and what is not.

That conversation was a gift. And it only happened because I told the truth about myself first.

So maybe that is the real advice. Trust that others are held. Keep your hands free for what is truly yours. And when the guilt whispers anyway, tell the truth to someone you trust. You may find you were never alone in it at all.

That is not heartless. That is knowing the size of your own nest.

So if you're feeling over capacity, take it from Cora. Stopping isn't falling behind. It's the whole point of going outside.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. Your retreat hostess. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

July 1, the garden asks you to slow down.

A note from The Garden -

A Flower Pause

Before we begin, I invite you to pause for a moment.

Take a look at the flower below.
(And, if you have a flower nearby, bring it close.)

Notice its color. Its shape. The tiny details you might normally rush past.

Take a slow breath in and imagine leaning close enough to catch its fragrance.

Flowers don’t hurry to bloom. They simply open when the time is right.

Take one more breath, and let this be enough, just for a moment. Carry this sense of presence with you as you continue.

Flowers don’t hurry to bloom. They simply open when the time is right.

I’d planned to open the doors this month for my newly remodelled virtual Canadian retreat center, The Hummingbird Nest. During construction, I followed the blueprints, added some beautiful touches along the way, and had my first inspection with Claire Venus of Sparkle on Substack. I’m a member of Claire’s Diamond membership, which offers a personalized annual Substack audit, a fresh set of eyes on everything I’ve built.

Claire had a few suggestions for further revisions, and so the doors will open a little later than planned. I’ve moved the Open House to September.

I’ll still carry the theme I’d chosen for it, In Full Bloom, right through this month instead.

Looking ahead to September, The Hummingbird Nest will open its paid membership. And if you’ve been wondering what that might look like, July is a beautiful preview. A Kitchen Table gathering, a Guest Creative session, Stillness Practices and Creative Invitations.

And as a bonus, the archive is free to visit for the months of July and August. Subscribe now so you don't miss a thing.

Subscribe now

The Kitchen Table, Friday, July 10th - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Our monthly gathering, live and in person around the table.

July at The Kitchen Table

Sharing again, from the archives

I arrived at July’s Kitchen Table theme in a very unusual way. Let me explain…

There’s a place at the table with your name on it. We’d love to have you join us!

Register for July's Kitchen Table

Pressed Flower Stickers, Substack Live, Monday, July 13 at 12:00 noon MDT

Snail mail is making a bit of a comeback. What better way to dress up a letter than with a handmade pressed flower sticker?

Join me live in The Creativity Studio as I demo an easy method for making your own. They’re perfect for decorating journals, envelopes, and anything else that could use a small, pretty touch.

If you’d like to make some along with me, here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies:

• Pressed flowers (Tip: smaller flowers work best)

• Parchment paper

• Packing tape (clear)

• Scissors

You’ll receive a separate email soon with an opportunity to add it to your calendar.

Flower Pounding, Substack Live, Thursday, July 16 at 12:00 noon MDT

I’ll return to The Creativity Studio and show you how to press color straight from petal to paper, an old technique with a lovely, unpredictable result.

If you’d like to make some along with me, here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies:

• Fresh flowers and leaves (see list below for what works best)

• Watercolor paper or cardstock

• Parchment paper (to place over the flowers)

• Hammer or mallet

• Hard, flat surface (like a cutting board)

• Tweezers (for removing petal bits after pounding) optional

• Masking tape (to hold flowers in place before pounding)

If gathering flowers ahead of time, here’s a little guidance on what works well:

🌸 Flowers That Work Well:

• Pansies & Violas, high pigment, great detail

• Coreopsis, brilliant orange/yellow

• Cosmos, soft but vibrant imprint

• Ferns & Herbs, lovely shapes & greens

• Roses, juicy, but can bleed heavily

• Petunias, deep color, may need blotting

You’ll receive a separate email soon with an opportunity to add it to your calendar.

July’s Guest Creative, Lise-Lotte Loomer,
In the Creativity Studio,
Monday, July 20 at 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm MDT

Lise-Lotte Loomer grows specialty flowers on an urban farm on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and she’s known for helping women find connection through creativity. She’s bringing the Petal Potluck to The Creativity Studio, a simple, beautiful idea for gathering friends around flowers.

Come on your own, learn the idea, and tuck it away for summer. More details coming soon in a separate note.

Register Here!

Flower Pot Cakes, July 23, A Creative Invitation delivered straight to your inbox.

I’ll be whipping up a batch of these special cakes for a July birthday, and on July 23rd I’ll share the tutorial to make your own.

I’m really looking forward to a month together In Full Bloom.

Warmly,
Kathy

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing myself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website

I don’t usually share my birthday. I quietly celebrate. This year, on Friday evening, with a few besties, paint by numbers, and beautiful conversation. Yesterday, breakfast with my family and a visit to a country farmer’s market. Today, dinner with my family, and I can’t forget the grand dogs and cats. Tomorrow, a very dear childhood friend is treating me to lunch. And greetings as I write this from Dublin and New York. I’m feeling so very special.

This morning I sat with why I don’t usually share. Something shifted. It’s my time. Time to claim who I am becoming. Witnessing myself as others see me. Ready to say out loud. Look what I built. Look what I’ve become.

In July, I’ll be holding an open house in The Hummingbird Nest, my newly remodelled virtual retreat center. The theme is In Full Bloom. The timing feels perfect.

My Birthday Suit

I have a gallery wall in my bathroom. A legacy wall, with the matriarch of our family at the top - that’s my mom in a wash basin. A wall in full display of us in our birthday suits.

You might ask, who decorates their bathroom with photos of their mom and themselves in their birthday suits?

Someone who knows where she comes from. A long line of women who valued connection and creativity. And joy. Look at me in that middle photo. Pure, in the moment, joy.

Wishes

We make wishes in so many ways.

A wishbone snapped between two people. This is my husband’s tradition. Everyone receives three wishes.

Stones thrown into water with your besties. A friendship tradition that continues to live on.

Of course, making a wish while blowing out candles on a birthday cake.

And writing wishes on paper, rolling them up, sending them into the heavens, and trusting.

It’s so fun to see that my wishes are coming true.

The Hummingbird Nest is real. I built it. And today, on my birthday, I can feel my becoming.

Come with me. There is more to come. An open house. A nest full of women finding their own bloom. I’ll share details soon.

For now, just know. I’m 69, I’m not in my birthday suit, just sweats and a hoodie (sorry Mom, I’m not dressed up as you’d wish I were), and I’m becoming.

Happy birthday to me.

Warmly,
Kathy xo

A little about me

Hi, I’m Kathy. A guide, a gatherer, a maker of sacred space, and a woman who found her way home to herself after years of putting everyone else first.

For years, I wore many hats at once. Single parent, community manager in a role I was promoted into before I believed I deserved it, event organizer. And later, a family caregiver. Learning all over again how to give without losing yourself in the giving. Caring for everyone, in every direction, all at the same time. What I had to learn, slowly and imperfectly, was that I mattered too. What I found on the other side of that, through stillness, creativity, and the women who gathered around my table, became everything I now offer.

There’s a place at the table with your name on it.

Visit The Hummingbird Nest Website