Nestled in the Pause #14

Stories about my busy week & an invitation to pause.

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 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.

3. Complete this Reservation for One Worksheet.

Reservation For One Worksheet

118KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

4. Read this Closing Blessing:

May you remember
that you are worthy of your own time.

May you find small moments
to sit in your own company…
without rushing away.

May the spaces you create for yourself
be gentle,
and nourishing,
and enough.

And may you carry this knowing with you -

That even a small reservation for one
can open something new within you.

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.

He said something to the effect of…
As parents, it is not our responsibility to judge, to fix, to comment on our adult children’s lives. Our job is to be there for them when, and only when, they ask for help. It’s their journey, their life.

I leave you with these wise words.

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Have a great week!

If you feel moved, I’d be grateful if you like this post with a ❤️, share a thought in the comments, buy me a coffee, or pass it along to someone who might enjoy a pause. Each small gesture helps this quiet space reach others who may need it.